Getting out of SLO is easy, just follow the ACA map and can't go wrong (I will regret those words). Nice older cyclist - I'm 60 and if I say "older cyclist" I mean someone who has at least 10 years on me - in Pismo Beach steered me onto a good cafe for breakfast.

I also met Gail the Road Angel in Pismo Beach. She was out for a day ride and took me on an alternate set of back roads from Pismo Beach to SR1.

Out of Guadalupe I stopped for a snack with Amber, a Canadian from Vancouver out for a bit of a cycling adventure. She just threw her trusty old town bike into a box and flew to San Francisco and started pedalling south along the coast. She can't shift down to her small chainring and she has a road rear cassette cluster and after the break she effortlessly disappeared up the road ahead of me.

Did I say, just follow the map? Yes, that's right and if I had just followed the map directions I would have been fine going up the Harris Grade Road instead of up SR1 to Lompoc with all the traffic. Now that was a steep climb and into a stiff wind too. Turtle said that one was maybe even tougher than the Salmon Creek grade.

Note to self for next time: don't turn right on to the SR1 - go straight ahead for another two miles and take the Harris Grade Road turnoff - quicker, shorter, easier climb into Lompoc.

Lompoc will never win the California's Prettiest Town competition. Almost got sandwiched by an 18 wheeler in the middle of town, too. He thought there was plenty of room for him, me and the parked pick-up truck. I actually had to stop and grab the pick-up and hang on as he passed - got a real good close up look of his rig. Stayed at the River RV campground - they have hiker/biker sites for $5.00 per night. It's at the outskirts of town, just past the SR 1 turnoff. Amber was there, too. She said she had to stand up in the pedals to get up the Harris Road hill - 3 pedal strokes and I'd fall into a faint trying to do that.

It just so happens that 67 miles is over 100 km, so that's another goal I can tick off for this ride. It was definitely over reaching. My left knee has come to an understanding with my right leg: when it hurts the right leg pedals a bit harder to take off some of the strain.

Think I'll have to go buy some padded cycling shorts tomorrow though .... we will not go into the details on that - this is a G rated family approved blog.