The Tale of the 2008 Holiday Toy Ride
‘Twas the day of the Toy Ride and
all through the lot,
Cyclists were preparing the toys they had bought.
They readied their bikes and assembled their gear,
They filled up their bottles as roll-out drew near.
The bikes were decorated in red, green and gold,
And riders were dressed for
the rain and the cold.
With smiles on their faces, dark
clouds overhead
They listened intently as instructions were read.
“Down Gilman to Rose Canyon - Get ready to go!
And Santa will keep the pace reasonably slow.”
Backpacks and racks were loaded with toys,
And all sorts
of goodies for girls and for boys,
On Manny, On Joe, On
Reggie and Mike,
One in car and three on a bike.
One
mile, then two, then five and then eight,
They rode through red lights where the cars had to wait.
But good fortune was with them for somebody knew,
The police would be there
to escort them through.
With cheers from pedestrians and
honks from the cars,
You’d have probably thought they were Hollywood stars.
They pedaled and waved as they went down the road,
As they arrived at the Center the peloton slowed.
Alas, they got to the place they had sought,
To deposit the wonderful treasures
they brought.
The riders were greeted by Salvation’s
best,
Who offered them food and a warm place to rest.
Reporters
were there with their camera crews,
For the story to be told on the 10:00 news.
From all over San Diego they came to this place,
In hopes
of putting a smile on a little child’s face.
After
filling their bellies and taking some pic’s,
They got back on their saddles and into the mix.
They rode back toward the place they began,
Everything had gone according
to plan.
It sprinkled a little, but the rain stayed away,
Just a chill in the air for most of the day.
The
peloton rolled-in after a job well done,
The mood of the riders was second to none.
Santa had led them the entire way,
And hopefully no one had wandered astray.
The 2008 Toy Ride had been a success,
The cyclists had shown their holiday best.
Congrats to the cyclists who came from far and wide,
Good tidings to all, and to all a great ride!
On Thursday 11-13-08, I rode the Pomerado-78-67-Poway route. I’ve ridden this route about
five times; 3 with Reggie and Edgar. Today I went on my own and rolled out at 8 am from home. It was cool and a bit
windy. From Pomerado, I rode east onto Highland Valley Road. I was surprised because I was able to climb the three
steep pitches just before Bandy Canyon in the saddle. Normally I have to power up those stretches out of the saddle. Last
time I did this on my own I timed myself from the corner of 78 and San Pascual Academy. When I stopped at the AmPm at
Ramona, I was happy because I shaved about 6 minutes from my last ride. There is something to resting after all. I bought
a fruit drink and rode to the Manana Taco shop and used the restroom.
But this story is not about my climbing prowess, which needs a lot of improvement by the way. This is actually about
a couple of bikers I met along the way in Ramona. Riding south on 67, I saw a couple of bikers in the distance. I said to
myself “I’m going to pass those guys”. So I shifted into a smaller cog and sprinted out of the
saddle. Soon they were within a couple of hundred feet when I noticed they were riding with stuff in the back. I slowed
down as I got closer and confirmed that they were carrying blankets, pots, bottles and other stuff tied to transit racks on
their bikes. We exchanged pleasantries and had a little conversation going. I asked where they were coming from.
Abram told me he and Jared got started after having a good breakfast in Julian. I said, “Oh ok”. Without missing
a beat he added “But we started in New York”. I did a double take and in disbelief I exclaimed “Wow,
really? New York?” That’s 2900+ miles folks.
I found out they started on September 5 and had been on the road since. They were just out of college and decided
to ride cross-country. You can read more on their website www.trekkinthenation.com. I was really impressed by their adventurous spirit and unyielding resolve. These guys were riding in sneakers,
using heavy Trek bikes with their stuff just tied to racks, not even panniers. They didn’t even have bottle racks.
They had bottles wedged between ropes and bungee cords. They started out practically as novice bikers and learned along
the way. Wow, what guts, these guys have; with a “just do it” attitude driving them. That’s
hardcore riding; riding in the day, sleeping in their tent in parks or where ever and appreciative of the countless good people
who’ve invited them in their homes to shower and eat. They earned my respect and approval. So I rode with
them at their comfortable pace on 67 and talked some more. They liked my bike; which was very light compared to theirs; plus
they were carrying 40+ lbs each.
As we descended west on the Poway Grade I told them to be careful cause
it was narrow. I was going to lead them to the 56 bike path because they wanted to see the beach. Originally I wanted
to ride with them to the beach but as I waited for them just past the Espola road traffic light, they stopped. Jared started
walking towards me so I turned around. He said that Abram had a flat. I noticed that the tire was on its last
miles; lots of cuts and little punctures-good thing because they were almost at the end of their journey. Bonita in San Diego
was their final stop. I helped take out the tube and watched Jared fix the flat with a patch; but there was more than one
leak. I gave them one of my tubes but I was apprehensive because they had the bigger tires, maybe cyclocross size tires.
They were impressed as I pumped it up fast with my CO2. I took some pictures and down Poway Road we went. Just about a couple
of minutes later there was an explosion; another flat, same tire. We stopped and checked the tube; big hole. Painstakingly,
Jared patched the previous tube and cautiously and carefully mounted the tube and tire on the rear wheel. I rode with
them to Wal-Mart so they could buy some extra patches and tubes. It was only 3 stoplights away.
I was running out of time so I decided to part ways with them. Before I left I directed them how to get
on to the 56 from Poway Road and to the beach. We shook hands and said our goodbyes. As Abram went in the store Jared was
talking about their journey to an attentive, inspired, and I bet, impressed older lady. Oh the carefree adventures of youth;
no time clocks, no kids, no mortgage, no responsibilities. What a glorious challenge they’ve conquered.
Seemingly ill equipped, ill prepared, without any sponsors, somehow they managed to ride through the cold, trek through the
dry hot desert, endure the 45 mph winds in Texas, fixed countless flats, and sleep under the stars. They have accomplished
a ride of a lifetime that many of us just dream of. May they reach the end of their journey safe and sound; God bless,
Abram and Jared.
