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They managed to stay awake and attentive despite a belly full of pot luck treats from Trader Joes ... who doesn't buy their fancy packaged eats there?
COMPLETE HANDSOMEST MAN IN CUBA USA TOUR CHRONICLES
Movie Clip: Rant'n'Ride with Team Velocity, Fullerton (4.8 Mb - yeah, I know it's a bit big)
AFTER coming a distinct and distant third to Kerry and Bush in the popularity polls the night of my Alameda talk, the Galfromdownunder headed down to LA. or rather, Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange Orange Counties. To orient yourself take a look at the very visually convenient The Full Cycle Directory of Bike Clubs in SoCal.
Best way to cart your stuff. Dan Kaljian and his girlfriend Debra had joined me for my last supper in SF at the place marked 'Turkish Food' (cnr Geary and Larkin) around the corner where I'd eaten for 3 days in a row. A better vege pide and lentil soup could not be had at the finest restaurants in the world - and for so few shekels. The pair insisted on turning up next day to give me a ride to SFO, even though I explained that I would simply ride towing the Travelcase down to the BART station, pack the bike at the station, then haul my suitcase, Victorinox rollerbag (at 22" it's a carry-on but I overstuffed it) and matching daypack on the BART. If you can fit your stuff into three bags like this you can do it all with relative ease. That is, at any one time you are either towing the suitcase with your backpack in it, or are on foot rolling the suitcase and rollerbag, one in each hand, with your daypack (carry-on) on your back, to the airport. I know you are allowed 2 carry-on items, but I try to carry my precious Powerbook G4 laptop (on which I compose these loquacious blogs) in the backpack rather than in a separate bag - less stuff, more hands free.
Quick opinion: Victorinox 22" E-motion rollerbag, $259. Well designed, thoughtful pockets, but I note that the zips can easily be strained due to somewhat inadequate and illogical placement of compression straps. Detachable daypack well designed with two good bottle holders, though the waterproof zipper on the front compartment is a bit short; best feature is the back side external compartment you can stuff a jacket into which cushions your back (or your laptop) - a better idea than those criss-cross elastic bungees. Main bag rolls rolls well and does not tip. However, I notice the waterproof liner of the daypack separating already. Am I taxing it to its limits with a 4 lb laptop?
At the United counter I discovered my suitcase was 5 pounds too heavy, and I was directed to lighten it up or pay $25. I mentioned to the woman that Independence Air and Southwest over east had waived it, since my other bag was around 38 lbs.
"They're not going broke," she snapped.
"Um, maybe that's why ..." I ventured unhelpfully. The fact is, with the Crusoe (20 lbs), TravelTrailer (wheels and chassis), GD Folding Rack, heavy Shimano dual function pedals (530 grams), Bike Friday Fenders, tools and Terry handlebarbag, I had it just about pared down. I had to remove my seatpost, plus some brochures and squeeze the handlebar bag in the rollerbag. I think she let me go just on 0.5 lb overweight. United in DC let me go 2 lbs overweight. It is always useful to have an extra foldable bag, even a plastic carry bag on hand in case you have to offload stuff like this.
Suunday morning stalwarts on a Team Velocity Bicycle Club ride. Brian Zupke, BF Club of Inland Empire leader, made a special trip to his neighboring province!
How to write a Bike Club newsletter that 'em coming back. Rann Millar is the personable social director of Fullerton's Team Velocity Bicycle Club. He sends out Rann's Rag, 'A sometimes irreverent, biased, slanted unofficial view of current Team Velocity happenings' email which, in my opinion, is an example of what a great club newsletter is all about - full of personality, information and opinion, with a light but not lightweight touch. In this era of rampant and unnecessary political correctness I see Bike Clubs and their accompanying newsletters dying for lack of oomph, and paired with a listless venue, often translates to poor attendance at meetings and rides. Let me give you an instructional example of how Rann revved up my talk:
"My copy of Lynette Chiang’s The Handsomest Man in China arrived Saturday, and I have not been able to put it down. What a great read! Lynette will be making a whirlwind tour of the country starting in September, going to Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington DC before coming out to real bike country here in SoCal. Mark your calendar now to reserve that Saturday evening for a very singular experience with an outstanding author and world traveler. After I finish my copy of her book, you might, just might be able to con me out of it to read before she arrives. More details will follow as we get into September..."
Later:
So, invite your neighbors, your brother-in-law who owes you 50 bucks, and your mother–in-law! It’s all free, fun, and promises to be a great evening of entertainment and an in-depth glimpse within a culture so very close to us, that we may not fully know a lot about: Cuba and the common people there. Lynette is, in my humble opinion, a great writer. She has chronicled her journey by bike throughout the island in a unique and singular way. I look forward to picking her up at the LAX that same day, October 2nd, then scurrying over to Fullerton Bicycles to help set the shop up into a potluck amphitheater for her presentation...
He kept plugging the event all the way - Rann, I should hire you as my $4000 a month 'dahhhhhling' publicist (see Getting Ready for Take Off for more on that) if I had that in loose pesos...
Subscribe to Rann's Ragg (free) by emailing rannmillar at earthlink dot net. Rann collected me from LAX and we were soon hurtling along the eight-lane concrete autobahns of SoCal. I had not seen so much concrete on this trip as here - although parts of DC come close. In SoCal the effect is enhanced by lack of foliage save for the singular spindly palm splicing the hazy blue horizon.
My talk was at Fullerton Bicycles aka Two Wheels One Planet, 424 E Commonwealth Ave, Fullerton (714) 879-8310. We had to move a lotta big wheel bikes to make room for the seething masses. It amazes me how fast bike shop personnel can move those clunkers around. 40 folk turned up with enough cheese and crackers to stock the Wal*Mart deli aisle. I sold all 11 books, and was delighted to see some attentive young Mexican, El Salvedorean and a Guatemalan muchachos in the audience. Many thanks to Allyson and Damon who brought a well-looked-after relic of a slide projector - just like in Cuba!
Hills of La Habra. The next day the seriously underslept met in the parking lot of Steamers Cafe for a 35-mile bike ride. Brian Zupke, Bike Friday Club of Inland Empire Leader came all the way from his neighboring province to ride the single incarnation of his Traveler Q Tandem with us.
It was a singular experience riding out into those wide, grid-like urban streets in the relative hush of Sunday morning. Rann and Doreen on the tandem led us on a fabulous climb into an area of LA that made me do a double-take - La Habra. I was suddenly back in the mountains of San Isidro, Costa Rica: a narrow, winding elevated road with a misty gorge down there to the left ... Many times in my travels I have looked at a scene and thought, this could be in x, y or z - anywhere in the world; there are only so many variations you can do on mountain and plain, sea and sky. It's the people who make the difference for me, and I was privileged to be riding with some of the best.
The ride ended with a bagel at Steamers, near an interesting shoe shop selling giant clown shoes for Disney - but are they SPD compatible?
Next stop: The Long Beach.
But are they SPD compatible?
Lynette Chiang, lynchiang at yahoo dot com
COMPLETE HANDSOMEST MAN IN CUBA USA TOUR CHRONICLES
For more information, follow this link http://www.galfromdownunder.com/cuba.