Palm Trees in January

The site of palm trees and the ocean in the winter. The photo was taken in Oceanside beach pier.

Bikes At Work Cargo Trailer

I received the 96A Bikes At Work trailer just before Christmas. It took about under two hours to assemble the trailer; the assembly instructions were well written. Since I needed the trailer to maneuver tight corners inside the storage unit I built the trailer as a 64A for now.

Of course, I was eager to put it to work. So I loaded it with 12 cargo bins that probably weighed nearly 200 lbs. I made about ten subsequent trips with much lighter loads that were all bike related gear and parts.

It felt amazing not to "load the cargo van, drive to storage, and unload the van at the storage unit." I simply loaded the trailer securely, ride under a mile, go straight to the storage door and elevator, then unload in front of the storage space.

BAW Trailer in a box

BAW Trailer in a box

BAW 96A trailer setup.

First load immediately after trailer assembly. I used a classic chromoly frame Trek Mixte as the work bike. I got the bike from a local thrift store. It is always good to have a beater bike handy for tasks like these. Especially, when I am still learning how to use the trailer.

Bike and loaded trailer inside a cargo elevator.

Over the years of moving I got tired of boxes. I found that Commercial 12 Gallon Totes (MonoFlo or Tuff Crate) fit my need of moving, transport, and indoor storage and organizing. These commercial totes can be stacked high up to ten at a time depending on total weight; it stacks neatly when empty. More details about the tote bins here

A Brompton folding bike named "PINKY"

My wife's baby pink Brompton folding bike. Once in a while I ride this Brompton to work. This one is a head turner to both genders. I get more "cool bike" comments from men. What is up with that?

The photos below were used as photo tags for a bike-o-rama game.

Parklet near Oceanside beach

Pacific Cycles in Oceanside,CA

Classic or Vintage?

I used these photos as part of a Bike-O-Rama tag game. More details here and here. This game showcases different parts of town that may otherwise be unknown to somebody. The photos were enhanced using Instagram.

Ojai Valley Bicycle Trail

Ojai Valley Trail from Ojai Valley to Ventura.

New year's eve ride took us along the scenic Ojai Valley Bicycle trail. The trail is approximately 16 miles from Ventura Main street to the idyllic town of Ojai. The trail is under half a mile from the Ventura Amtrak Station (link to bicycling directions). There are campsites close to the trail and we plan to explore that in the future. Parts of this rail trail runs parallel with Hwy 33. We experienced the high contrast between riding beside Hwy 33 and the quiet hill side, amazing vista, and serene neighborhoods and parks. The view is just amazing. I highly recommend to start the ride from Ventura with the gentle grade uphill to Ojai. Have lunch. Then be rewarded with a nice downhill back to Ventura. Foster Park is also a good place to start the ride. I noticed several cars parked under a bridge rather than pay the $4 weekend parking fee in the park.

There were snow capped mountains looking to the east as we leisurely rode our Bike Fridays on the quiet paths.

We saw many families with kids on the trail. As well as groups of spandex clad roadies. There were many couples along the route going out on a picnic and day ride.

We stopped by at Bart's Outdoor bookstore to relax. You can bring in your bike inside. In the past, I have seen locals parked their bikes like shown above unattended and unlocked. It is a small quiet town after all.

I think we pedaled harder downhill because of the afternoon breeze from the west

It was a beautiful day. We couldn't think of any other way to end the year and welcome another. We are very grateful and thankful indeed.

Bart's Books

Would you believe that I took a shot of this photo with an iphone from a page of an old book?

"Nearly half a century after its inception, Bart’s Books continues to mystify patrons, journalists, and book lovers with a character and charm that beggars description and a selection of books that is beyond compare. - Bart's Books."

Why is it a Tuscon,AZ based bicycling advocacy group, Perimeter Bicycling, has a 35 page magazine inside Whole Foods in Encinitas,CA? After reading it, thoughts of relocating filled my mind. Then I got a grip of my wild imagination to plan a bicycling weekend instead.

Read the online version of the magazine here. 

Images (borrowed) from Tail Winds website.

Will bike shops replace gas stations in the future?

The Meiners Oaks Bike shop, MOBshop, recently moved to what used to be a gas station and car repair shop. This location has been vacant for 20 years. They converted the car hydraulic lift into a bike rack; auto tire rack into a bicycle tire rack. Year round they offer bike tours and rentals. They even have several bikes with electric assist, city-comfort, mountain, and road bikes.