Adam (13) completed his first ride in excess of 100 miles with me last Saturday in Solvang, a little Danish Village about 35 miles north of Santa Barbara. We drove up the night before, loaded up on pasta, made a few last minute repairs and prepared to ride the Solvang Century with about 5,000 other riders. We started at 7:00 a.m. in the cold and fog and finished at 1:13 p.m. Adam crashed at mile ten (his front wheel touched my back wheel and he went down). But he popped back up and soldiered on – once we straightened handlebars – with a bit of road rash on his left shoulder, hip and knee. At about mile 75 Adam started to suffer a bit, but it didn’t affect his speed. We averaged 17.6 miles per hour over the 104 mile ride (not including 18 minutes of SAG stops to grab some snacks and fill up bottles). The scenery was incredible. All the rains have left the countryside looking more like Ireland than California. After we crested the biggest climb on the course at mile 85, Adam got a second wind and we screeched back into Solvang like banshees. This boy has got some legs! We celebrated with some ableskeevers at the Little Mermaid Restaurant and headed back to Orange County with sore bottoms. 5 Beavers to Adam and to the Solvang Century. 2 Beavers to the Little Mermaid’s ableskeevers (maybe we didn’t eat them at the best time).
First SAG stop at mile 20, just after his crash. He doesn't look too happy.
Mile 35 or so, about to get on PCH towards Santa Maria.
Mile 92. Check out the scenery. Lovely.
Mile 93. Adam is cooking now.
Mile 104. We don't even look tired do we?
Adam cranking the big gear at mile 75.
Adam leads out the old man.
