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Presidio View - Summit and Scenic Roads Loop - 1 member in 1 triplog has rated this an average 3 ( 1 to 5 best )
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Jul 24 2024
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 Guides 94
 Routes 840
 Photos 22,055
 Triplogs 1,993

52 male
 Joined Sep 18 2002
 Tempe, AZ
17 Mile Scenic Drive - Monterey PeninsulaCentral Coast, CA
Central Coast, CA
Road Biking avatar Jul 24 2024
chumleyTriplogs 1,993
Road Biking48.16 Miles 2,851 AEG
Road Biking48.16 Miles   4 Hrs   34 Mns   10.55 mph
2,851 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
May solar and wind-turbine-generated power create lightning that strikes my hypocritical pumpkin and launches me right off my automatically adjusting saddle into a gathering of elderly old men bitching about politics on the beach! This triplog combines 4 separate bike rides accomplished by way of a pedal-assisted e-bike :o [-( :doh: :oops: ](*,)

Day 1 was a 20.5 mile loop with ten of my closest professional cyclist friends. Eight were on mountain bikes, two had hybrids, and I was the only loser tourist. Presumably for safety the ebike is "governed" at 20mph. On the downhills I could get it up to about 30, but only while coasting. Any pedaling and it would resist until the pace slowed. The steep uphills were the only joy I had all day, effortlessly blowing by the 20 year old athletes. On the downhills, a super-heavy ebike is not an agile machine and I didn't feel comfortable at much over 25. On the flats, the gearing didn't let me pedal as I would have preferred on a normal bike, and the governor prevented me from keeping up with the others who kept up a pace closer to 30. So despite the uphill assists, I still managed to work up a sweat and raise my heart rate over the course of 90 minutes of blowing by amazing scenery without a chance to stop and look around.

The next day, I recruited 4 others to rent ebikes for a more leisurely take on the same route along 17-mile drive. The weather was clear and made the viewpoints along the route picture-perfect. Rather than doing the full overland loop with the big uphills on the inland climb to the Presidio view, we just did an out n back between Carmel and Point Joe. This ended up being about 18 miles and took a much more relaxing 2.5 hours. All the photos are from this trip.

Because I have to get my e-propelled stats here on haz :roll: I added my ebike rides from Carmel to and from Pt. Lobos [ photoset ] . It was about 5 miles each way and took a huge 20 minutes or so dodging traffic on the PCH.

Honestly have to admit that my initial ebike experience was really enjoyable and I can definitely see the benefit they provide for scenic rides such as this or as an alternative means for getting from point a to point b. I still don't want to see one on a trail ever or listen to anybody pretend that riding one is exercise. :lol:
 Flora
 Flora [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Monterey Cypress
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Brown Pelican
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I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
 

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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