Coyote Creek Attempt

Well with the holiday (in Cali at least) I had planned to try the 14 mile paved Coyote Creek Parkway starting in Hellyer park. Seemed like a nice and easy start to the year and it would be Donna's first "real" bike ride since we bought her a mountain bike early in the year. We've done some mini-trails but nothing more than a couple miles.

For a "city ride" I was very impressed with the parkway. You are never very far away from the 101 but with all the trees and growth you sometimes forget it is there. We went at a casual pace of 10-12mph and got about halfway before we had to stop and turn around.

I've been carrying little first aid kits in every pack I take hiking and biking since 2001 and have never had to use it. Luckily I had one with me today and I needed it: Donna had taken a turn a little too fast and skidded off the pavement into the dirt. Her knees were pretty banged up and one of them was bleeding. Unfortunately all the drugs in the kit had expired (oops) and I had no knife in my pack to cut the medical tape. I could hear Les Stroud's voice in my head saying, "...and of course I always travel with a good multi-tool." Rather than try to tear at the tape, bite it, or take a sharp rock to it I found a lighter in the first aid kit (who knows how old) and it was easy enough to burn the tape (although it surprised Donna when I produced the lighter and proceeded to light it next to her leg).

After cleaning her up we were ready to continue on but then it was brought to our attention that her bike chain had been wedged between the gears and the frame and one of the links was badly bent. Having nothing in my bike pack to repair the chain we turned around. We had to return at a slower pace since her chain kept shifting gears on its own under tension.

So despite that we only got about 15 miles in, it turned out to be a pretty good ride and we will have to return and finish it one day. It was a good test run for my new Shimano pedals (which were kickass) and all the electronics I insist on mounting on my handlebars. Preparing the route in the GPS worked great and it's very easy to read on the handlebars and a good way to journalize where I've been (see link at bottom for route).

My handlebar electronics: GPS, computer, and video camera :)

Donna patching up
The repair

The weakest linkClick for Route: