(Eroica) California Dreamin'

In yesterday's post, I described life (cycling and otherwise) in New York City, and how overall it's pretty good.  However, there are certainly other locales I find beguiling, and one of them is California.  In fact, that's where I was last week on my family vacation, and the sun must have done a number on me because I didn't go anywhere near a bike the whole time and I didn't even really mind.

Sadly, it's highly unlikely I'd ever relocate to California, unless of course I finally sell my screenplay for a Dimitry Fofonov biopic and attach Steve Carell to star:

(C'mon, can't you see it?)

But fortunately it looks like I'll be headed back out there soon, and I'll also get to ride this time, because look what's coming up in April:

Yes, that's right, I'm riding Eroica California again, which makes me very happy indeed, because last year's ride was positively sublime:

Even though I did the vintage ride on a bike so old I needed to get a tetanus shot first:

And even though I'm so sickly white that I got a nasty sunburn due to misapplied sunscreen, which you can make out on my legs in this photo if you can stand to look at them:

(Photo courtesy of @ultraromance)

Speaking of "eeew":

(What SPF you running?)

Anyway, this year's ride is in Cambria, in the shadow of Hearst Castle, which is all right by me, and not just because the only physical difference between me and the seals that live there is a pair of sweaty bib shorts:

On Saturday I'll do the NOVA ride, which is for modern-day road and gravel-type bicycles:

Then on Sunday I'll do the Eroica Classic on an appropriate vintage machine.

Then, when I'm done, I'll give away both my bikes before I head home (details to follow in a future post), which means you now have one more reason (or I guess technically two more reasons) to do Eroica California this year: a free bike from a semi-professional bike blogger who can't be bothered to take his toys back home with him!

Best of all, I'm gonna rent another minivan!!!

(No, I won't give you a lift to the airport.)

I can't wait.

from Bike Snob NYC https://ift.tt/2U8jgwf