Day 10 San Clemente to San Diego

This was a tough one. Good sized group of riders (Peter, Herb, Doug, Luke, Zach and more). We moved at a fast pace despite massive head and cross winds.

We were turned back at one point due to construction and had to backtrack 5 miles and ride on the 5.  So loud. So many cars.

Then 1/2 mile from our exit Sean ran over a nail and huge washer that punctured his front tire and then jammed in his brake bringing him to a sudden stop. 

We had to remove the wheel to get it out. The hole in the tire was big and I doubted a new tube would stay in so I used a 3 inch piece of tire I carry with me as a boot and soon we were on the road.

We then rode through the military camp and it was great to have open roads and quiet.
a
Lunch was at a coffee shop on a marina. It was a good break and we had a nice coastal ride. We evn saw a seal 'walking' towards the beach.  The nice view as soon followed by some more wind and some healthy climbs. 

So it turned out to be a long day and it was good to reach the hotel!

Special appreciation goes to Luke who fearlessly braved the wind for most of the ride giving us much needed shelter. Like a true selfless domestique he got us to the final climb before blowing up.  Luke, we owe you one! 

The evening brought in some good rest and relaxation as we visited Sean's friend  Martin 'Marty' Cooper, the inventor of the cell phone while working at Motorola. His historic first public call happened 42 years ago on April 3 (tomorrow)!  He called his prime competitor at Bell Labs and gloated "Joel, this is Marty. I'm calling you from a cell phone, a real handheld portable cell phone." 

Marty is doing great and was comparing his 10-14 repeats up and down some 130 or so steps to our upcoming ride to Boulevard, Ca with 8,000 feet of climbing. 

For me, I think I'll take the bike ride over the stair steps...

Here's a shot of Sean enjoying a special visit from his kids...

and the glorious sunset! 

Dave