and We're Off!

The first day of the American by Bike Cross Country Challenge was very exciting and challenging at the same time. We got on the road early and almost immediately we were presented with a challenging clime over the hills of Milbrae, Ca to reach the Pacific Ocean. Once we reached the Pacific I took the opportunity to dip my read wheel into the water as I started my journey to the Atlantic.



All of the riders also posed for a group picture.



As we rode up along the coast and through San Francisco California, it was very cold and several people had trouble staying on the course. The directions provided for our route that day were difficult to follow and I ended up getting lost in San Francisco. While I was attempting to find my way back to the course and the rest of the group I ran into a woman with a straw hat who was also riding a bicycle. She told me she knew the area very well and helped me back to the route I was supposed to follow. What amazed me most was that this woman who was very nimble on her bike was 75 years old. It was great inspiration for the rest of us youngsters. :-)

I was by myself for most of the route as I made my way to Golden Gate Park. From there we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge (Video Below) and headed North to Sausalito, Ca.



It was a clear beautiful day and I was so excited to be on my way for such a great cause. The route continued North East through San Rafael, Ca along HWY 37 to Fairfield, Ca which a the North most point of the San Francisco Bay.


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I arrived around 6:00pm and learned that several other riders had also lost their way. My daughter Margarita and son Tomas drove out to meet me around 8:00pm and I was so happy to see them and share the stories of my first day.

It's going to be a long journey but this was a great first day.