Lost?

Waaaay back in 1993 I did my first ride up the Pacific Coast from Los Angeles to Seattle. More specifically from Playa del Rey to Bainbridge Island. At the time, a period compared often as the Paleolithic era of cycling, we had what was referred to as the Bible of 101. A very thorough guide to riding along the coast from Canada to Mexico. It was called, appropriately enough, Bicycling the Pacific Coast. Written By Tom Kirkendall and Vicky Spring in 1984, and published by The Mountaineers, almost everyone I met had a copy as they forged their way to the next campground, hostel or motel. My copy is so dog-eared you can almost hear the hiss of the morning beach and smell the clean costal air. Took me 22 days that year. I made it in 20 a few years later. And one of these days I'll get back out there and try the more common North to South route, just for grins. And on my road bike. Carrying dual panniers, camping gear and a 40lb backpack is not the most aero way to fly.

Before we started the RCV series I had always wanted to pitch Tom and Vicky on making a doc of the route using their wonderful book as script. Of course now that we all have cell phones, Google Earth and YouTube, using a paperback book as a guide is a little antiquated as referenced above.

Regardless of the detail there are challenges in every city. SF is a nightmare to traverse, LA has some serious quirks and even here in Seattle more than one rider has mysteriously ended up in Ballard when the Burke Gillman suddenly disappears like the Space Needle on a foggy February morning.

The good folks at Garmin, Google and Apple, et al have combined to offer some pretty snazzy gadgetry of late. Keep us from the ignoble fate of having to ask directions. I once trusted my inner GPS in Norcal and ended up twenty miles off course. That was 40 miles total just to get back and resume, something my tired back remind me was, while a good ride, unnecessary. That hot day I really wanted to get in my 100 miles, make camp and pop a frosty one.

Here is another gadget that connects all these dots. I like this one. I am not keen on the training devices (yet) but this app caught my eye. I like it a lot.

Wonder how it will work in Mexico? More on THAT later muchachos and muchachas.