Oh, it was an adventure. We drove down on Friday (three girls and their bikes) and met another from at registration then headed into SLO for a late dinner at Big Sky (?). I was having spinach withdrawal......

Anyways, we check in at Le Petit Soleil and unload our stuff. Cute, overpriced, and noisy B&B in a converted motel. I start cleaning my bike and I've got a broken spoke on the rear wheel! I can't believe it. I built the darn wheels myself and I've never, ever broken a spoke. So, I'm bummed. I don't have any extra spokes with me and I don't want to try to remove it andd retension the wheel for a 100-mile ride. One of my friends finds out where all the bike shops are so the plan is for me to drive them to the start of the century and then go to the bike shop to get a new spoke and then meet them enroute. Of course, the bike shop doesn't open until 9:30am on Saturday. But, it's right across the street from the B&B!

So, I spend Saturday morning hanging out with Barrett and the guys at Cambria Bicycle Outfitters in SLO. He replaces the spoke but tells me the whole wheel really needs to be tensioned. I'd put about 5,000 miles on it since building it this winter and it was one of the first wheels I ever built, so it's no wonder it was a mess!!! Anyways, he basically re-builds the wheel while I hang with customers, discuss bike fit with a woman who didn't believe what the manager was telling her, go to the 7-Eleven to get the guys drink and cookies, etc. Finally, I'm on my way. BTW, big endorsement for the guys at CBO. I'm super-picky about bike shops (since I worked in one for 4 years) and these guys know their stuff.

I decided it was getting so late I'd drive to the lunch stop and ride to meet my friends. I finally get on the bike and back-track on the route until I find them. I see two whales and a tree filled with about 50 vultures on the way -- cool! My one friend is in a hurry so I ride back to ride with the other two. Both seem to be dragging a bit and not too happy.

We roll into lunch. One of my friends has a bad saddle sore from the week before and decides 60 miles is enough -- she's going to drive my car back to the start. The other two are dragging and one just keeps telling me to go ahead. Of course, I drove all the way up there so I could ride with them, so I'm a little annoyed, but oh well. I finally go off on my own and hammer like a nut. Since my friends are on the slower side, they're at the back of the riders, so I just keep passing riders for 35 or so miles back to the start.

When I arrive back at the start, I see my friend who drove my car, but the other two are still behind me. I'm feeling feisty, so I decide to ride back to SLO, make a stop at Coldstone for ice cream, then head back to CBO and the B&B.

On Sunday, I had planned to ride about 70 miles and have my friends pick me up on their way back to SF. It was rainy and drizzly and I lost my motivation, so I went shopping and finally got a spinach salad!!!