INTRODUCTION: My last bicycle tour was four years ago and I was really wanting to do another one during the summer of 2008. Ted and I had been corresponding via email for several years and found we are the same age and share similar interests—especially the love of bicycles and bicycle touring. When I heard of his upcoming tour I expressed an interest and he invited me to join him. We were also both riding 1983 vintage Specialized Expedition touring bikes.
Ted had a great route all planned out for up to several weeks all
the way up to an extensive tour of the Southwest and Northwest U.S.
depending on what time, circumstances & weather allowed.
Since Ted is located a ways south of Sacramento we agreed that I would
fly into Sacramento and ride out from there and meet him at an intersect point
around Fallon, NV depending on our individual progress over the first 5 or 6
days of riding. That was good in that it would give me a chance to fine tune
my load and get used to the feel of my loaded Expedition as well as
hopefully get a better measure of fitness from where I was with my inadequate training
up to this point.
Flight Day:
Sunday, July 13:
Dallas, TX to Sacramento, CA
Cycling: 11 miles around downtown Sacramento
My 7:30 AM Dallas, TX flight got me into Sacramento by
about 11:30 AM Pacific time. After a bit of a wait at the luggage carousel
I gathered my 3 luggage bags and sought out the hourly bus to downtown Sacramento
but had just it. The next one got me to downtown about 1 PM but only within about 10
or 12 blocks of the City Bicycle Works shop where I had shipped my bike.
After struggling to walk with the 3 heavy bags I realized I had way over packed
and caught a 2nd bus to within 2 blocks of the bike shop. Struggling with the bags the last 2 blocks to the shop I found they had my 1983
Specialized Expedition ready to roll. However a box I had shipped via USPS Priority
Mail a week before to the bike shop as well was not there and killed my plans
to get in 20 to 30 miles down the road that afternoon. That box had my tent,
sleeping pad, and some other miscellaneous items.
The folks at the City Bicycle Works were all terrific from the owner, shop manager, &
each employee I encountered. They let me use a corner in the back to
mount my panniers & get packed up and recommended a decent motel
not too far away. It took me a while to get everything packed & situated but
finally rolled away from the shop seeking lodging and planning to return around 11 AM
the next day when they expected mail deliveries.
On the way to check out the motel they mentioned at the shop I spotted a Motel 6 and booked a cheaper room there. Making the best of my delay I rode 11 miles around
downtown Sacramento viewing the Capitol building and ate a a nice little restaurant
named 'Crepeville' There are aspects of Sacramento that remind me of Austin, TX
and Denver ,CO.
You can view the photo album
here.