Declan's Blog

Erin’s 5th grade class trip over spring break next week is a Ride Across California. We start in Yuma on Monday, then ride and camp our way to Carlsbad by Sunday. Here’s a low tech map of the ride:

This is a little better:

Here’s our model:

I’ll try to blog on the trip, but I don’t know about Internet connectivity in the cacti.

Me, Erin, 75 ten year olds… I know how to spend a week off, baby! 🙂

… but then Don had an idea… 🙂 Let’s find the Eastbound Oceanside bike path, which turned out to be part of the San Dieguito River trail. It’s new and very pretty. It took us from Neptune Street in Ocean side to Douglas Street, which we took down to El Camino Real, back to the coast. El Camino Real has some fun hills!

53.5 miles later and we were back at Robertos and SORE!

Here’s a Google Earth .kmz of the ride.

Cruising along at about 15 mph on the bike and there’s a SNAP and I’m falling towards the back wheel, no support. I hear bike parts tinkling along the road behind me. The reptile part of my brain takes over and I maintain balance and slow to a stop, trying my best to avoid painful, personal injury.

I know I’m a big guy, but should a seat bolt fail like that?

Now I’ve got one more part to add to the kitchen sink in my Camelbak… 🙂

Here’s the ride we did this weekend:

Here’s a Google Earth .kmz file for the Escondido North ride this weekend.

Escondido North Ride

biking, San Diego

I’d been off the bike for a week due to travel and wanted to do a long ride. The Tour de Poway was going on, but I didn’t get signed up. So I decided to explore a new route to the coast from Penasquitos.

I took Camino del Sur north until it ended, then headed west on San Dieguito until it hit El Camino Real. I went North for a short bit to Via de la Valle, then headed out to highway 101. There are some scary parts crossing I5, but I just took it slow.

The route is fairly flat and about 39 miles.

Here’s a Google Earth .kmz file detailing the route.

Look at the cool bike computer the folks at work got me!

They got me some cool cake too:

Thanks guys!

Click here for the rest of the pictures.

I got this from a friend. Looks like a way to promote bike connectors to SR56 in Penasquitos.

>>Joel Rizzo < JRizzo@sandiego.gov> wrote:
>>Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 10:08:49 -0700
>>From: “Joel Rizzo” < JRizzo@sandiego.gov>
[To: field deleted by me]
>>Subject: SR 56 community connections
>>Hey Guys,
>>We are trying to propose that several community connectors will be added
>>to the community plans and the bicycle master plan, but we need community
>>support to do this. These are per your requests, and the requests of others.
>>Currently, we are in the study phase, which will hopefully become design
>>and construction for your two connections, one at Carmel Valley Rd an the
>>other Darkwood Cyn/Penasquitos Open Space.
>>Right now, the Rancho Penasquitos Planning Board is split over adding
>>these to the FBA, and leaning towards a “no” vote at this time. The FBA
>>will pay for these through development, so the community will not even
>>feel this, nor will the developers, as the way it is programmed.
>>Problem is, one major developer sits on the RP board and is swaying the
>>vote heavily in his favor, for less development impact fees. This hurts
>>your interests, and the communities, and the City, but we will do what
>>the community votes for. Your Council Member, Peters, always votes in
>>favor of the planning board, so you need to make sure the board votes
>>knowing your concerns. If you want these projects to move forward, they
>>will need your support at the next community meeting, with yourself and
>>as many people as you can muster in your favor. We will be making our
>>last presentation and a vote will take place.
>>We have done what we can do, as we were beat up in the three previous
>>meetings. There is one more, the first Wed of next month, Sept 7th, at
>>the Sandpiper room, Double Tree Golf Resort, 14455 Penasquitos Drive, SD,
>>CA 92129. Meeting times are usually 6:30, but call me for details. Land
>>use meets at 6:30, and the planning board at 7:30, but we meet at
>>different times for whatever reason.
>>I hope you can still make this.
>>Joel
>>City Bicycle Coordinator
>>619-533-3110
>>If not in, call supervisor Brad Jacobsen at 619-533-3045.
>>Thanks!
>>Joel Rizzo, Jr.
>>City of San Diego
>>Traffic Engineering Department
>>Inter-Agency Coordination
>>Bicycle Coordinator
>>1010 Second Av, Suite 1200
>>San Diego, CA 92101
>>t: (619)533-3110
>>f: (619)533-3131

I did get permission to post this:

Hi – I had this forwarded along to me. Can I post your message on my blog (
www.declan.net )? I’d like to help get word out, but I don’t like posting
someone else’s email without their permission if it wasn’t sent to me
originally.

If it’s ok, I’ll also ask if the http://sandiegoblog.com/ folks will post it.

Declan Fleming
PQ Resident and Biker

Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 16:03:39 -0700
From: Joel Rizzo
Subject: Re: FW: Bicycle Paths in PQ – FYI – Planning Board
To: declan@declan.net

Ok, good luck.

Joel Rizzo, Jr.

City of San Diego
Traffic Engineering Department
Inter-Agency Coordination
Bicycle Coordinator
1010 Second Av, Suite 1200
San Diego, CA 92101
t: (619)533-3110
f: (619)533-3131

Friggin Drivers…

From SignOnSanDiego

Hit-run collision kills bicyclist.

This is on one of my favorite routes.

Heh!