3 // The Journey Across
My week in LA ended with a chauffeured loop around LA’s best of the east. I’ve said it before, but Australians really do look out for each other. Lachy Morton has been beyond kind helping me find my feet over here, and has introduced me to some amazing networks of people. The LA ride was designed by Scratch Labs founder Allen Lim, his cousin Sean, Angus Morton & a friend of my host, Jack Heston. A wildly random group of people, but I love it. I love that cycling dots together some of the most incidental groups of people. My first rattlesnake, sights of the infamous Hollywood sign and a climb above the clouds into the Verdugos ticked off a damn good week in LA.
The next stop was Aptos, to stay at my work colleague's sister’s home. For those who don’t know, I’m not just a bike rider but also an architectural designer. I work for a Canberra-based office, Light House Architecture & Science. I’m still working remotely whilst on this adventure here in the US, but at a reduced capacity (20 or so hours per week). Aptos is a little bit south of Santa Cruz, which is a pocket of hipster beaches, reminding me a little of Sydney’s northern beaches. Specialized AU (mainly Tim, thanks Tim!), has also been incredible in helping me make connections over here. I was fortunate enough to align a time to ride with Brian Gordon, who is literally the product manager for the MTB I ride, the epic. He showed me around a network of trails in the Nisene Marks State Park. I can see why this guy has developed such an amazing bike, his skills on an XC bike were actually just so damn stylish. Following behind on the slippery trails, I had a goofy crash early in the ride and was like “hehe oops” …by my seventh or eighth crash, I just wanted to be like “omfg I am so sorry you have to ride with me!’. Just one of those days! Hopefully, I can regain some of my pride soon…
The next day, I visited THE mothership. Also known as Specialized HQ in Morgan Hill. Having represented the brand for several years now, I’m a big fan. I’ve drunk all the Kool-Aid and genuinely couldn’t preach their products more. I didn’t realise how humbled I would be by visiting the HQ. On a surface level, the brand is polished, refined & known for its high-performance products. Behind the scenes, it’s just a giant office filled with incredibly talented, interesting and passionate people who just froth bikes, design and innovation.
With the ongoing jeep issues, I then needed a few more days in San Francisco before I began the journey to Colorado. I’ve sectioned off the car dramas as I realize it may be boring to some, whereas some of you have been deeply invested in the Jeeps wellbeing. You know who you are. The short version, is that the Jeep (now rebranded to Jerry) is now as reliable as it could be, registered, titled to my name and ready to survive the journey across, hopefully.
Planning the road trip was actually quite a challenge, there are so many incredible places to see! Yosemite was close, but challenging to get to. Do I go to Lake Tahoe… I don’t want to waste this opportunity to see some amazing locations, but I’m also trying to train for the longest bike race of my life (Unbound)…
I landed with Yosemite plan. I wasn’t sure if I would be driving as far west again on this trip, and I just felt like it was a must. By the time I left San Francisco, it was right in peak-hour traffic. The 4-hour drive quickly turned into 6-7 hours, and when I was beginning the climb to Yosemite Valley, it was nearing 10 pm. I still had a mountain pass to climb, a tent to pitch in freezing conditions & I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I arrived. What are bear-proof lockers, and will I find these in the dark? I had a mini “What the fuck am I doing” moment, contemplated booking a motel at the base, but pulled myself together and continued the drive up the mountain. I found my site, pitched my tent, discovered bear lockers are super easy, and buried myself into my sleeping bag. In the morning, unzipping my tent to discover I am literally sleeping in a bowl of snow-dusted cliff faces was truly mind-blowing. I know I spammed social media with images of my visit, but the valley and monuments are truly one of a kind. I had a slow morning, taking in the sights, walking around some of the lower trails and vowed to return again in my lifetime.
With snow still heavily covering the Sierras, the route east and out of Yosemite was a little tedious, but nothing a bag of m&m’s couldn’t fix. I spent the day crossing California, Nevada, a dip into Arizona before making it into Utah. The Jeep, whilst slowly redeeming itself, doesn’t actually have working AC. So I crossed the desert with the windows down, hair blowing in the wind (and quickly becoming a rats nest), whilst listening to the radio. I’ve found the US has three main stations. Country, lord be thy savior and Hispanic. Where are the basic-bitch channels with my hottest hits?! 10 hours of driving later, and a new found appreciation for country music, I made it to St George. A smaller town on the Utah/Arizona border and on the edge of the Zion National Park. With Unbound quickly approaching, the balance of getting some quality training in, whilst also trying to manage driving 25-30 hours by myself, whilst also trying to take in the sights… was a lot. After St George and the most magical ride into the desert, I made the decision to now take the most direct route to Boulder, Colorado. The next day I made my way up into the mountains of Colorado and along the i70, passing some of the biggest ski resorts… Vail, Breckenridge… all whilst heavily snowing! Incredible. What a contrasting three days.
I’m now in Boulder for the next little while, staying with Aussie Jake McGee and his lovely wife Hannah, who is also racing in the Life Time Grand Prix. It’ll be nice to have a ‘base’ for a while after staying in 10+ different homes/motels in the first few weeks.
if you’ve made it this far, thanks for following along. One month down, and I couldn’t be loving the adventure & all the places these bikes are taking me more.
(and sorry to Alice, this issue is certainly over the 500 word suggested limit)
UPCOMING RACES:
20th May: Rule of Three 100 mile gravel race, Bentonville, Arkansas, thanks to Allen + Scratch Labs Crew
3rd June: Unbound 200 mile, Round #2 of the Life Time Grand Prix, Emporia, Kansas
PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS:
JEEP UPDATE:
I’ve rebranded the Jeep from Jenny to Jerry. All the Jen/Jenny/Jennifer’s in my life are reliable and amazing people. Jerry seems more fitting (sorry to any Jerry’s reading). As you know from my last newsletter, the Jeep broke down in Paso Rambles & I left the Jeep at a mechanic there whilst I was in LA to be fixed. On my journey back from LA to San Francisco, I picked up Jerry with a newly replaced clutch & was trying to be optimistic that this was the end. Whilst back in San Francisco I needed to get the thing registered, and to do so I had to transfer the title. I have learnt far too much about registering cars in the US, and it varies widely from state to state. If you’re ever considering buying a car in US as a non-resident, on a budget, in a time-frame, hit me up. Otherwise, my advice is; don’t do it. Hindsight hey…
Registering the car in California is expensive, but it was my best option as I wanted to have it sorted and legitimized before beginning the road trip. To register the car in CA, you need to get a Smog test done. Similar to a green slip in NSW. Since driving the Jeep, the engine light had turned on. To pass a Smog test, the engine light can’t be on… AaaarGGhhhh…
I called a local SF mechanic, and explained my situation, the repairs I had already done (and had likely been reamed for price-wise) and a little bit about the road trip I was trying to do & that this car only needed to survive 6 months. He told me to come straight in to run a check on what the issue was. I must’ve looked as deflated as I felt, and he pulled me aside, and told me he genuinely just wanted to get me safely on the road. He was a proud American and I felt very sure this was the end of my troubles. Two new tyres, a replaced thermostat, a passed smog & soon I had my own Californian plates, a mostly reliable car - ready to begin my journey.
I had mentally prepared to be alone on this trip, and that there would be many challenges I would have to face alone. I have been crumpled so many times already by the kindness, generosity and welcoming of people. I’m learning I’m never truly alone, to not be afraid to say yes and to just be present in the moment.
