Welcome to the 2021 road reports

We started out for this adventure around 11:00. The weather was very pleasant and the trike felt comfortable for both of us.

So the big day has finally arrived. After all the training rides, adjustments in the trike to make a more comfortable ride, the withdrawal of caffeine headaches, adjustments in route planning (my planned rest stop was temporally closed necessitating finding a new one), and the final selection of riding apparel completed, I was ready to head out on this challenge I had thought about for almost 10 months.

As I had done all the pre-ride preparations the night before all I had to do was load up the last bits needed (water, refrigerated food), eat breakfast, and get dressed in all the appropriate riding gear. All this happened in a very organized and timely fashion and I was able to KSU (kick stand up) at exactly the time I planned 23:45 and finish fueling up by 0:10 on the first few minutes of the 2021 Autumn Equinox.

The first challenge to this long-distance challenge of course happened right at the very beginning. When I arrived at the 76 gas station on Morro Rd in Atascadero to fuel up and get my starting time receipt, the station was closed but the pumps were still on. All understandable and a little expected ..... but after finishing fueling and printing out a receipt I noticed the date and time on the receipt were wrong by a long shot. According to the IBA rules, this was supposed to be evidence of the start of the 24 hours that are allowed for the challenge. This was not going to work. I finished the fueling routine I had perfected during the training runs and immediately went around the corner to my bank's ATM and got a mini statement printed. Are the date and time accurate? Check! Photo of receipt with GPS odometer readable? Check!! With this accomplished, I headed out on the highway officially starting the run. It should be noted at this point that although my 24 hr. clock had just started, my schedule/plan was 10 minutes behind schedule. Not a big deal as I should easily make up a lot of time once I get on Hwy 5 and travel at an average of 75 mph.

The weather was very clear skies with a 2-day-old nearly full harvest moon lighting the countryside and not really cold temps. The trike was running excellently and I settled into cruising mode with a Stephen King audiobook filling my helmet. The ride to the next fueling stop was uneventful and I had made up 3 minutes on the schedule now only 7 minutes behind. The fueling process only took 6 minutes, which is excellent as the scheduled time was 10 minutes. The second challenge occurred at this point. My secondary GPS which I was using to document my miles traveled and I photographed with the receipts to verify I really traveled the route was messing up. It required recalibrating the touch screen before it would show the actual data. Fortunately, I was able to do this fairly quickly and was able to continue on the run now only being 9 minutes behind my schedule.

The run to the next fueling stop was uneventful and I was able to maintain a good mph on the highway. The third challenge occurred when I arrived at the fueling stop. Although I should have been making up time on my schedule by riding on the interstate at an average of 75 mph I arrived at the gas station 14 minutes behind schedule. This was 5 minutes more behind schedule than when I left the last fueling stop!! The only resolution to this situation I could come up with at this time was Google Maps, which I used to create the schedule with was very accurate with the miles it showed but sucked at the travel time. This was something I would have to keep in consideration as I progressed along on this schedule. The fueling process only took 8 minutes which was below the 10 minutes allowed, but the GPS once again required recalibration and this time took more time than before. I ended up KSU at 4:18 which isn't too bad but now I was 22 minutes behind the schedule.

The run to the next fueling stop would once again be uneventful and it felt like I was making good time on the interstate. The third challenge raised its thorny head again once I arrived at the gas station, I was 36 minutes behind schedule, 14 more minutes behind schedule than when I left the last stop. Oh well, will have to use a different program than google maps to plan out the next schedule. The fueling process was only 5 minutes which is excellent but challenge 2 once again occurred when I had to recalibrate the GPS. I was able to do this fairly quickly and was KSU at the end of only 15 minutes of stopped time, which is at the top range of 10 to 15 minutes for a normal fueling stop time. So I have to say this fueling process was a success even with the problem with the GPS.

The next run was to be a relatively short run to Redding CA. to get a gas receipt at one of the corners of the route to show I didn't make any shortcuts in the route I would submit to the IBA. The run was uneventful and the temperature was starting to rise. By this time I was in full long-distance riding mode and I was thoroughly enjoying myself. The trike was running excellently and I felt fine. The #3 challenge (scheduling travel time), seems to be multiplied over distance, as this run was only 75.6 miles I was 43 minutes behind schedule upon arriving at the gas station, only 2 more additional minutes behind schedule from the last stop. My fueling schedule this time was an amazing 2-minute process, but this would greatly be overshadowed by the #2 challenge (GPS calibration) being much longer and the need to shed some clothing due to the rise in temperature causing my KSU time to be 28 minutes after arrival, which put me at 1 hr. and 1 minute behind schedule. The arrival/KSU  portion of the schedule was quickly becoming irrelevant as I headed out the interstate towards Hwy 299.

On this next portion of the challenge, I would like to start by saying Hwy 299 which runs east to west or vice versa depending on which way you're heading is a beautiful road. With large lakes and wide flowing rivers (well wide for California), surrounded by redwoods and pines, finally culminating in a beautiful view of the pacific ocean, offers a beauty only available in this state I call home. With that being said, due to our current situation of California wildfires, one had been in this area a couple of months ago and there were many stop-and-go delays along this road so crews could clear out the burnt trees and repair guard rails that had been damaged by that fire. All these delays along with the #2 challenge (gps recalibration) taking longer and challenge #1 (receipt showing wrong time/date), as well as having to shed more clothing due to the heat, placed me 1 hr. 59 mins. behind my schedule. It was now time to scrap the arrival/KSU portion of my schedule and focus on getting this 1000+ miles done in less than 24 hrs. This also meant that I would be on the road later in the evening than I had planned on being, thus creating the possibility of getting sleepy and having to cancel the challenge. I headed down Hwy 101 looking forward to my next stop which was to be at a rest stop where I could eat lunch, stretch, and rest albeit for a short time.

The ride to the rest stop was noneventful and beautiful. The highway ran through a section called "The Redwood Empire" surrounded by enormous trees and only occasionally broken by slower passages through quaint small towns. This section and in reality Hwy 299 included would be an excellent casual cruise to do again when not on the infamous challenge clock. Challenge #4 (road closures), occurred when I got to the exit to the rest stop, it was CLOSED. Continuing on Hwy 101 I decided to take the next exit and see if I could find a spot to stop and eat lunch and stretch my body. As fate would have it after getting off at the next exit and traveling a very short distance down the road I did indeed find a spot off the road surrounded by redwoods and a flowing river that meandered further up into the valley I found myself in. I took my time eating my meal and then smoked a little before calling Una and then shortly afterward got a phone call from Ed. The refueling of my body and touching base with loved ones had a regenerative effect on me. I was over 600 miles into this challenge and felt well prepared to complete it in the time allotted when I saddled up and headed to the next fueling stop.

This section of the run was very much like the last section in that it was a well-maintained highway surrounded by beautiful forest. The run was uneventful and when I finally arrived at the gas station in Eureka CA. I performed the fuel procedure in 7 minutes (a very good time). I took some extra time and put on some more clothing as my next section was going to take me across the San Rafael Bridge into San Francisco east bay, which is infamously known to be cold especially since my arrival time would be after sunset. It was currently 16:30 and I'd ridden 750 miles by this time. I had 250 miles left to accomplish the goal of 1000+ miles and had 7 and 1/2 hours to do that. I felt very confident that I could do this with time to spare barring any traffic delays, breakdowns, or getting too tired to ride.

The next section was in reality non eventful. I ran into a little slow down on the highway as I passed by Santa Rosa CA as everyone was getting off of work. I remember Santa Rosa back in the day as a small community but now had grown into a large city. All the traffic on the San Rafael bridge and the 880 highway were less congested than I had anticipated being the time of day I was riding through there. I arrived at the refueling stop in San Jose at 19:17 and performed a fueling schedule in an amazing 4 minutes and was back on the road after only 13 minutes of stoppage time. Yes, I can do appropriate fueling stops, especially this far into the challenge. I'll try not to break my arm patting myself on the back. I now have ridden 905 miles and my KSU time was 19:30 leaving me 4 hours and 30 minutes to complete the remaining 100+ miles. Plenty of time to do this, the trike was running just as expected up to this point and I now should be past any real delays due to traffic or construction, but there was the burning question was I going to get sleepy to the point it would be unsafe to continue to the end? When I hopped on the highway for the last stretch home I had been awake for 21 and 1/2 hours already.

The home stretch was much like slipping on an old pair of shoes. It was comfortable and I was familiar with the road. Everything was going along quite swimmingly until I got around Salinas CA. I started feeling the first signs of getting tired. I turned off the music I had playing in my helmet so I could hear the trike and all the sounds of the highway surrounding me. This seemed to refresh me somewhat and with the sound of my voice singing nonsensical lyrics to myself was able to make it half the distance to home. When this failed to keep me from feeling very tired I decided it was time to use the emergency backup plan. I took the next exit and dug into my tank bag and located the zip lock baggy containing the "Skiddles" I had stashed at the beginning of the ride. As the commercial stated "you can't ride the rainbow without them", or something along that line. The emergency backup plan worked as I was now riding along with a sugar rush that took away all feelings of being tired. When I was passing Paso Robles CA. with only 12 miles to go, I decided it was time to put on the songs "Born to Be Wild" and "We are the Champions", This music and the rush of accomplishment propelled me to my final gas stop in Atascadero CA. at 22:41.

To summarize: I have been awake for 24 hrs. 41 min. Ridden 1075.5 miles and did it in 22 hrs. and 36 minutes. Completed the IBA Autumn Equinox CA. Instate SaddleSore in less than 24 hrs. with 1 hour and 19 minutes to spare. Used 36 gallons of gas at a cost of $160.19 @ 29.86 mpg. In the saddle, time was 19 hrs. and 55 min.

Once I arrived home to a loving wife/life partner, a dog, and a cat that were happy to see me, got out of my riding gear and sat down to warm pork chops and stuffing dinner, I knew I was living the life.

As far as the challenges of doing an IBA Saddlesore:

The GPS constantly needing to be calibrated was fixed by replacing the unit with an identical unit given to me by my friend Mark (from the Mark and Shannon side of my family)

The travel time on the schedule being wrong will be remedied by using a different mapping program (I hope).

As far as bad gas receipts, road construction/delays, road closures, and last but definitely not least dealing with getting sleepy are all challenges the IBA members have to deal with from time to time.

A Great Ride, and a wonderful experience, glad I did it, and here's to planning on the next challenge running smoother and taking less time.

The day started just fine, waking up at 3:30 as planned. for a 6:00 KSU. I felt rested and excited to get going. The plan was to input the course in the GPS. This was a big MISTAKE. I had figured out the route on Google Maps weeks ago, and all the gas stops and mileage seemed just perfect...….. NOT!!!! I would normally enter the coordinates into the GPS the night before a run was supposed to occur, but the evening moved way too fast and I wanted to get in the hours of sleep I felt I would need to get before the planned wake-up alarm.

Getting up 2 and 1/2 hours before KSU seemed very doable. Enter data into GPS, make a delicious breakfast, shower, dress appropriately for the weather and finish the normal last-minute loading of the trike. The problems started when the GPS couldn't locate the positions I had set on the itinerary for fuel stops or the turnaround point. By the time I was able to figure out an appropriate route that the GPS would recognize it was 5:50. I had blown all my time before a 6 am KSU.

The plan now was to have a 7 am KSU and pass on the delicious breakfast and shower but instead, do a PTA and have Ensure and lots of coffee. The weather was cold and foggy and I applied the extra layers and full riding gloves, then headed to the gas station to get my starting gas receipt. At 7:04 I was officially on the clock, the first time in 14 years.

Getting on Hwy 101 I felt pressured by the clock running to get some miles on the road. The fog was thick enough to accumulate on my new F4 windshield, which provided more coverage from the wind and ultimately from the fog, so I stayed dry. Note to self "Put wax on the windshield so water will freely run off". Because I hadn't put any wax on the windshield the fog created small droplets of water on the shield until the whole shield was covered, making it difficult to see through the damn thing, which I now had to do being that the shield was much higher and wider and my line of sight was...… you got it right through the windshield, not above it. This continued for approximately 10 minutes until enough water had accumulated where it would start running off the shield.

After turning east on Hwy 46 I started reflecting on how all my problems to this point were all my own doing. But that's what a training run is for, to work out all the bugs and build up endurance for long hours in the saddle. The pressure of being on the clock had subsided and I was starting to get comfy on the trike but was looking forward to the fog lifting and getting into warmer riding weather.

The fog continued to be present until right before the turn-off to Hwy 41 which is where the James Dean memorial is. Giving James a high five as I passed by I settled into the rhythm of the Goldwing and was very aware of what a game changer the new "AIR HAWK" seat pad that I had put on a week ago was. No more hot ass or sore spots for this guy, lol. The weather was warming up and the clock was no longer on my mind or an issue at this point.

I made my first refueling stop 20 minutes ahead of schedule and was able to do the entire routine at the gas pump in less than the scheduled 10 minutes, which only took 6 minutes. So being 24 minutes ahead of schedule I headed north on Hwy 5 towards the turnaround in Elk Grove CA.

The turnaround in Elk Grove happened to be the perfect spot for a turnaround. It was close to the highway off-ramp, a cul-de-sac, and best of all a shade tree at the far end of the cul-de-sac that I could pull the trike under for cover. At this point, I was 50 minutes ahead of schedule and feeling very good about being able to ride the "LONG DISTANCE PROTOCOL". Although I wasn't hungry I had another Ensure and headed back the way I had come.

Upon reaching the next refuel stop I was a full hour and a half ahead of schedule. I performed the entire gas pump routine in 5 minutes this time, making me 1 hour 35 minutes ahead of schedule. At this point, I figured that I had the routine down and could easily ride 300+ miles without discomfort or worries, so I decided I would ride the rest of this run casually thus I went into the Denny's that was at the gas station and ordered a patty melt and fries then tried hard not to break my arm from patting myself on the back for being able to once again ride at an IBA pace.

The rest of the ride was great and at about the 9 and a half hours mark, I pulled into a gas station in Paso Robles and got my final gas receipt, stopping the clock. The goal of this training run was to do 500+ miles in 10 hrs. and I ended up riding 539 miles in 9 and 1/2 miles, with an average speed of 50.9 miles.

This was a great ride even with the rocky start it had. I plan on doing one more training run before I attempt the IBA Saddlesore 1000 miles in 24 hrs., but this time sticking completely to the Long Distance Protocol for the entire run and see how my hours in the saddle work out for me. If it all goes well on that run I will have completed 1/2 of a Saddlesore at IBA pace and should be quite able to summon the endurance to complete the remaining 1/2 without much effort.

This is the Northern Central Coast portion of the California Missions Tour. The plan is to ride to missions San Miguel, San Antonio, and Soledad.

The weather was hot and only light riding gear was necessary. Traffic was light as I had to start the ride at 9:00 as I planned to check out a restaurant in San Miguel (Leo's Café) and timed the start of the run so I would be at Mission San Antonio when it opened, (They have a very restricted schedule when it's open to the public.)

The ride north on Hwy 101 towards San Miguel was uneventful and I arrived at the 10th St. exit quickly. Leo's Café is right on the corner as you exit on the off-ramp. It is a true Mom & Pop shop. Was able to park right in front so I could keep an eye on the trike as I ordered the Huevos Ranchero and dined outside. The food was excellent and reasonable. Highly recommend this spot due to the ease of access from the freeway and the delicious food.

After finishing breakfast I headed over to Mission San Miguel, which was literally around the corner from the café. The Sony camera was working at this time and was able to take the requisite photos I needed without problems. Headed towards Mission San Antonio with a full stomach, wind in my face and ZZ Top rockin' the way.

Had to go through Hunter Ligget / Camp Roberts and it was very apparent I was on a military installation. The gate was open to the mission thus confirming I had scheduled my visit on one of the few days and times that it was available for tourist traffic. I pulled in front of the mission and set up the tripod and Sony camera to take a photo of the trike and me in front of the mission..... then the fertilizer hit the ventilator..... the delay function on the Sony wouldn't work. I tried for several minutes to figure out the problem and decided I would drive to the shade of a nearby oak tree as sweat was dripping off of parts not normally talked about in the company of polite people and young children. Did I mention that it was HOT today? After messing with the Sony digital camera for about 20 more minutes I decided I was going to use the iPhone and find someone to take the picture of the trike and me in front of the mission, as this mission, although close to home had limited opportunities to return for a photo retake. I was able to find an accommodating tourist to take the photo of the mission and snapped a few more when I left.

The road back to Hwy 101 was virtually empty, the heat was manageable as long as I kept moving and ZZ Top was once again rockin' the road. The ride north on Hwy 101 was noneventful until I got to the exit for Mission Soledad and all of a sudden there were wind gusts. The gusts had gotten so bad that the trike was being blown to the side of the lane and I struggled a little bit during the really big gusts. The wind stopped completely when I was about a mile west of the river bottom I had crossed after exiting the highway. (strange but understandable...I guess).

Upon reaching Mission Soledad the parking lot was empty and there weren't any tourists I could hit up to take a photo of the trike and me in front of the mission. Will have to schedule a run back up here after I get a tripod/selfie stick for the iPhone. I was able to get some great shots of the mission, grounds, and visitor center using the iPhone.

Left the mission and headed to the city of Soledad to refuel the trike and then south on Hwy 101 towards home, which was very relaxing, and entertained the whole way with an audiobook. All things considered, this was a great ride, aside from the hassles of using the Sony Digital Camera. Looking forward to the new selfie/tripod and the return trip for a photo retake.

  Another triple-digit temperature day and I need to escape! Decided by 2 in the afternoon that I had enough and I started heading west on Hwy 41 towards Morro Bay CA. About halfway to Morro Bay, it started to cool down into the 70s and the plan came together to check out Montana de Oro park and return via Hwy 46.

   Being that it was a Wednesday afternoon, traffic was light, and no stoppages and no slowdowns either. By the time I got to Morro Bay, it was overcast and a light jacket was in order. 

   Took the back road to Los Osos CA then on to Montana de Oro. Once I got to the park I slowed down and took in the views and constantly changing terrains. I stopped and took a photo of Morro Bay using the Sony Digital camera, which worked okay, but decided I would exclusively use the iPhone from now on, so I can post to the website. 

   The park had a lot of visitors and all the beaches, and trailheads parking were full. Went to the end of the paved road and turned around and checked out all the camping sites in search of the perfect future camping spot. By the way, I did find "The One", but in case it's possible to make reservations in advance of camping I'm keeping the number close to the vest as they say.

    The ride home was uneventful until I was heading east on Hwy 46. Every motorcyclist has their own "Close Encounter" they can relate so I started a blog about these. Please visit the blog section and let me hear about yours. Mine, (the first and only so far on this new trike), occurred as I was rounding a corner on Hwy 46. It was a two-lane road with double yellow lines separating the lanes. Ahead of me, I could see four cars in the other lane and one in my lane trying to pass all four cars, even with the double yellow line signifying this is a stupid dangerous maneuver. I quickly noticed there was pavement beyond the white line that marked the outside edge of my lane, so I slipped to the right and verified all my tires were on the right of the line. Then watching the event unfold, I relied on the hope that none of the other drivers would panic and start shifting their positions in their lanes. As the white Mercedes shot past between me on the side of the road and the cars he was passing, I noticed the driver of the Mercedes didn't even look in my direction (wonder if he even saw me). The passenger in the front car of the ones being passed had the look on her face one would expect during an intense scene in a horror movie. It was apparent that she was yelling at the driver in her car. Thank goodness it didn't cause him to swerve thus causing the fool in the Mercedes to swerve into me. After the Mercedes cleared me I eased left back into my lane and headed down the road without really slowing down. I do have to note at this time I was counting my blessing that there was a paved section to the right of the white line of my lane. If it had been unpaved and rutted maintaining control would have been tenuous at best. 

   The rest of the ride home was uneventful and I was mentally congratulating myself for keeping my cool during the close encounter. I would rate this ride a 7 out of 10, only because of the fool in the Mercedes.

   This is the Southern Central Coast portion of the California Missions Tours. The plan is to ride to Missions San Luis Obispo, La Purisima, and Santa Ines.

   The weather for this ride was perfect. Not too warm and not too cold, just right. Our first stop at the Mission San Luis Obispo. I couldn't find a spot where I could temporarily stop the trike and set up the tripod to take a photo of me and the trike with the mission in the background. Will have to return with Una, who can jump off the trike and take a photo across the street. 

   Was having problems getting the Sony Digital camera to operate properly. Will start using the iPhone exclusively and get a selfie stick that can double as a tripod with a remote shutter device.

   Continued on route to La Purisima Mission in Lompoc. Was somewhat surprised, (well just a little bit), about the amount of time I had to ride on Hwy 101 for this leg. Traveled all the way south to the southern part of Santa Maria until I got to the exit. Once I got off of Hwy 1 and drove for a short time through city streets it was all about country roads and beautiful landscapes. I have to realize on these rides that are not really on the clock to take more photos of the beautiful sites I'm enjoying. The ride to La Purisima Mission was very pleasant and the traffic was light as this was a weekday and everyone had gotten to work already.

   Upon arriving at La Purisima Mission I took several pictures with the Sony camera. All the pictures were quality as far as clarity and focus, but the ones I had taken to show the trike and me in front of something at the mission had my head cut off. Didn't notice this until I returned home. Note to self - verify the picture before leaving!!!!! Being that this mission is only about an hour from my house I'll be returning to retake this picture with the new selfie stick tripod and using the iPhone.

   Started heading on back roads toward Solvang CA and the Santa Ines Mission. The traffic was great until I hit the town of Solvang CA. This place gets plugged up with visitors in the Summer months. Traffic became a crawl, stop, and crawl again scenario until I reached the mission on the outside of the town.

   I was able to capture all the requisite photos I needed and then drove to a small restaurant on the main drag of Solvang CA. The traffic hadn't changed in the 30 minutes I was at the mission (like I expected it to, LOL). I parked the trike and headed in and ordered the Huevos Ranchero's breakfast. This was a really good choice as it was very delicious and consisted of the Huevos Ranchero, black beans, and hash browns. While I was having breakfast I checked in with Una, who was cat-sitting at her sister's house in Ventura CA. She was having a great time and informed me that her brother Liam was having a birthday party for my niece Tina. I called my friend Ed and asked if he could check on our dog and cat, and let them out to do their business, and then be safe inside the house. After he said he would, I called Una back and told her I was on the way.

   I rode Hwy 154 from Solvang CA to Santa Barbara CA. The traffic was a bit congested as many visitors were seeing the sites on this nice California summer day. Once I got on Hwy 101 I was amazed by the traffic. On a normal day it would be stop and go all the way south through Carpinteria CA, but today it was a steady ride without having to stop and only had to slow down once.

   The party was a blast. Got to see people I haven't seen since the beginning of the Covid pandemic and surprise, the birthday party became an engagement party for Tina as well. Spent the night with Una with plans to head home in the morning.

   Woke up later than I had planned to leave (I blame the tequila from the party), and the weather was overcast and cold. Started heading north on Hwy 101 and ran smack into the normal traffic day in the Carpinteria to Santa Barbara area. It was stop-and-go all the way and somehow it was getting colder as time progressed. Having had enough of this crap I decided to take Hwy 154 thinking it would clear up and be warmer than staying on Hwy 101 up the coast. Surprise surprise it did clear at the top of the pass for a very short distance and then back into the overcast mode until I was climbing the Cuesta grade outside of San Luis Obispo CA, then it was clear skies and warmer temps all the way home.

   With all considered, I would rate this run as a 7 out of 10. A nice ride. A great party, and only losing points because of the hassle with the picture-taking.

   This is the monthly chapter meeting held at the IHOP on Madonna Rd in San Luis Obispo. It was going to be my first ride with the chapter, as my trike had been in the shop since first joining the association. Only 9 members showed up, so we had an informal informational, story-sharing, and general chat while we ate breakfast. At 10:30 five bikes departed on our ride up the coast on Hwy 1 to the Nepenthe Restaurant.

   It was a nice riding weather day. A jacket was required but never had to wear fingered gloves and never got cold.

   The traffic was what is expected during a summer weekend on the California Coast, but no stoppage occurred due to traffic. The riding pattern for the group was excellent with staggered pacing (never riding in single file except during twisties), and a pleasant speed where everyone could keep together as a group. We stopped in Cambria CA so a couple of the bikes could get fuel, then proceeded north on Hwy 1. We stopped again in Gorda CA for a stretch and bio break before once again heading north. The ride was very pleasant and the views were spectacular as only the Pacific Coast can offer.

   Once we got to Nepenthe the place was crowded and we had to do some creative parking before heading in for an excellent lunch. I had a Rueben sandwich with a salad and iced tea. The conversations were pleasant and the patio we were sitting at offered wonderful views of the Pacific Ocean and hillsides.

   After lunch, we saddled up and headed south only stopping at Ragged Point for a stretch. At the Hwy 1/46 intersection Kevin, Ken, and I headed towards Paso Robles and then towards Atascadero where Ken and I live, while Doc and Kathy continued on Hwy 1 towards their home in Lompoc CA.

   All in all a very good first ride with the chapter.

   After doing the prerequisite 100 miles break-in around town, it was decided to run up the coast on Hwy 1 to Carmel CA.

   By 1 p.m., the weather had once again slipped into triple-digit temperatures, and I needed to head towards the coast for a much cooler climate. Upon reaching Morro Bay the temperature was at a much more pleasant 77 degrees.

   Started heading north on Hwy 1, progressing slowly and eventually getting to a speed that was appropriate to set the cruise control. The new cruise control worked exactly as it should, holding the speed assigned and resuming back to that speed perfectly when stopped by applying the brakes.

   The temperature was perfect T-shirt weather, and it only got cold when some fog rolled in around the Big Sur area, then warmed back up once I reached Carmel.

   The traffic was slightly heavy but not more than the usual summer tourist numbers for this time of year. It was very comforting to see the population start to get out and mingle once again after being shut down due to the Covid pandemic.

   The trike handled perfectly on this run. I rarely used the OD gear during the twisties and found the fourth gear quite adequate to regain speed after braking for the slower cars. The temperature gauge for the trike never registered higher than halfway between cold and hot. The fan did come on periodically and ran for a very short time, mostly when stopped.

   There was an event going on at Laguna Seca Raceway on Hwy 68 towards Salinas CA, but I must have timed it just right as traffic never stopped. I refueled just outside of Salinas CA and got some delicious chicken wings before jumping onto Hwy 101 and heading south towards HOME.

   This was an excellent first ride after the rebuild, and I would rate it 10 out of 10.