Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Christmas bike ride from McKinleyville to Trinidad, Calif.

To counter my overindulgance in gravy, meat products and adult beverages, I snuck out of the house today for a bike ride.

Schwinn Suburban

I wanted to test out Lance Armstrong's statement that "it's not about the bicycle," so I used my old five-speed Schwinn Suburban. The odd thing about this bike is that it has something called a front freewheel. The front chain ring spins even when coasting. This allows the bike to change gears even when you're not pedalling.

Hammond Trail walkers

I headed north along the Hammond Trail.

Hammond tracks

The trail extends from one end of town to the other and was built on an abandoned railroad right-of-way. Here's a small section of the Hammond Railroad track.

Looking north from Vista Point

It was cool and gray. There was light rain on and off. This is the view looking north from the Vista Point in McKinleyville. In the distance is the seaside village of Trinidad. That was my destination.

Bicyclists sign

The way this sign is written, I can only assume it's intended for tandems. Right? So I rode recklessly down the hill rather than walk.

Wheel in motion

I was making good time on the Suburban. It's a very pleasurable bike to ride.

Highway 101

This was the biggest hill I had to climb. Big whoop.

Looking south from Scenic Dr.

I was wet and cold when I reached Scenic Drive, but in good spirits. This is the view looking south in the direction I came from.

Bike at Luffenholtz

I carried my bike down to Luffenholtz Beach and admired the surf.

Luffenholtz Creek

We've had a lot of rain. as is evident by the amount of water in Luffenholtz Creek.

Big present

When I got to Trinidad, there was a massive present waiting for me!

Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse

The next stop was the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse...

Trinidad Pier

...then the Trinidad Pier.
Trinidad Bay boats

The crab fleet took Christmas off.

Trinidad Plaque

Some history.

handlebars

Then I pedalled home. Although the total trip was only about 21 miles, I'll wager that it's the longest single trip this old bike has ever been on.