Too Many Cyclists

I've always been irked...well, I've been irked for as long as I've ridden my bike for what others would consider an insane amount of miles, that motorcylists are called "bikers" as well. Because it makes for a lot of confusion. For example, hearing that there is a "bike shop" in a town where you sorely need one, only to find that it is a shop catering to the motorized variety. And not to get my chamois in a bunch, or be that "uptight, asshole in spandex", but WE WERE HERE FIRST! There were bikes well before we stuck motors on them, we deserve that name.

But anyway, fear not, there is a reason and a purpose behind this anti-chopper rant. Presently, I'm sitting in Garberville, CA. A sleepy little town that has been positively over-run by oldsters bedecked in black leather and their chubby wives. Apparantly there's some sort of harley event a few miles south of here. Now, normally I bear motorcyclists no ill will. I get it. Motorcyles are cool, and so are leather jackets. Own on myself. But the novelty has worn off. In fact, it wore off back in the Avenue of Giants when the millionth thirty biker chain gang passed us and honked at us. Sort of soured me on the experience.

Ohh, but let's take a pleasant turn on this post, now that I've said my piece on bikers. We're in California now! It's a pretty rad state, with lots of redwood trees and quite a few mountains and like a bajillion more people than WA and Oregon had. And it's been relatively sunny here as well! That's always a plus. Tomorrow we climb the legendary Legget Hill, the highest point on the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route. Apparantly it's a killer. It's only a 1000 foot climb. Only... Well, we can do it, but it'll probably be a bit tough with the gear we're hauling.

I've taken about a million pictures, and by that I mean almost four hundred. Which is a bit scary, since I only have memory enough for five hundo. California's a big state, and the scenery is going to do a good deal of changing from now until SoCal and San Diego. I'll make the camera thing work, for sure. But I have a feeling the photo album is going to be a bit weighted in the Northwest's favor, just because I got a bit trigger happy with all of the really gnarly cliffs and stuff.

Be sending us your good thoughts and I'll be sending postcards!

Peace and Bike Grease, Hombres!

Mark

PS When I get back I totally want to sit down and just watch a movie in a theatre. Anyone want to see Terminator Judgment in July, if it's still out in theatres? Hit me up, biotchhhhhh!