Singlespeeds on the Coast

Saturday, 12 August, 2006, 19:23

Today was quite the fun ride. I took my Bianchi out to Santa Cruz after bringing it into the shop for a checkup. After parking near Lighthouse Point, I headed up the coast on Highway One, up to Davenport. The last time I did this ride was during the Sentinel Triathlon last fall, so this was a little mellower than that time. This rig can actually handle the hills fairly well, and downhills are forced to be a little slower, since you can't shift into a higher gear. But overall the bike is great, even for moderately long and relatively flat rides.

The weather out on the coast today was absolutely beautiful, very conducive to riding longer distances. So after coming back down the coast, I stopped at the Wharf and ate some California Rolls while reading. The end of the pier is an excellent place to sit and read, despite the throngs of tourons and seagulls.

After that, I headed down through city streets to Capitola, where I sat at Mr. Toots Coffeehouse reading for a while longer. I hadn't been there for a long time, despite the fact that this coffee shop has a place in my coffee-snob history. This was where I had my first espresso drink, many years ago (1995, I think). That was the Mona Lisa Mocha, which is still on the menu and comes highly recommended. Their regular coffee is also outstanding. The location, and the fact that the back patio is there, makes this an amazing place to just hang with friends over a cup of something caffeinated...