Day 4, Paso Robles to Santa Maria

Rest stop 1 was at Jack Creek Farm & we found some other PG&Ers for a quick pose.

David, Jan, John, Harley & Owen

Emilia, Roadie at Lunch in Questa

You know you will have some uphill pedaling when the hills have names.  Day 3 we conquered Quad Buster, Day 4, the hills are nicknamed the Evil Twins.  We ride on some seldom-traveled roads and have spectacular views.  At the top of the second hill there are home baked goods and time to pose for 1/2 way to LA photos.
Mark & Erica rode a tandem bike this week.  They were one of only 2 tandems this year.  Theirs is a special one, notice the extra small wheels.

Erica, Mark & Glen

We wear our PG&E jerseys on Day 4 because Rest Stop 3 is at a PG&E facility.  The PG&E Community Center on Ontario Rd in Avila makes a great rest spot at the 61 mile mark.  John Lindsey came and took photos of us there.

John Tran, the traditional 1/2 way to LA pose

Larry at the 1/2 way spot

Erica & Mark on their special tandem

Mark & Erica

Erica & Mark, fun poses at rest stop 3, the PG&E site

Day 3: King City to Paso Robles

We woke up a little groggy, after two nights sleeping in tent city, but excited for the upcoming ride. Today we would conquer the hill affectionately known as "quad buster" and wind our way through the scenic landscape of golden California hills.  We wore our retro PG&E jerseys, from last year, and took a few groups pictures before hitting the road.

Back row:  Rick, Glen, Harley, David, Tim;  Front row:  Jan, Owen, Larry

Quad buster was early on in the ride, and proved to be a formidable, but not impossible climb. We got lots of encouragement from fellow riders and fans as we climbed and there was a small welcoming party as we reached the top. For those of us who trained in the Bay Area, we felt well prepared by the numerous hills we've been climbing for the past six months.

Jan reaching the top of Quad Buster

Rest stops are every 9 to 20 miles, sometimes in the middle of nowhere, for refueling, rehydrating, medical, sunscreen, bike tech and other applications I won't detail.

Lunch was another memorable event. We had lunch in the town of Bradley, which hosts a massive BBQ for all the riders to help raise money for their school arts program. There were lots of school children cheering us on as we arrived and taking our orders for lunch.

Harley, Owen, and family in a long line for the special Bradley Burgers

The last stop before reachig camp in Paso Robles was Rest Stop 4 at mission San Miguel. At Rest Stop 4, the volunteers put on an awesome performance, strutting their stuff on the catwalk.

John, Mark & Erica taking a break after the ride

It was another beautiful and interesting day on the AIDS LifeCycle. We all feel so fortunate to be a part of this amazing community and look forward to more adventures on Day 4!!!

The AIDS/LifeCycle riders are welcomed in many towns, but the children of Bradley go all out.