Recumbent Riders
News and Ride Schedule
[Last Updated October 13th]
Ride Schedule:
INDIAN SUMMER? Every time the weather forecast has been updated this week they've increased our local expected high temp for Saturday, now listed as 85 degrees. Accordingly, the Third Saturday VCRR Group Ride this weekend, October 16th, will start from the parking lot at Harbor Cove Beach, located near the Ventura Harbor, at the northwest end of Spinnaker Drive (maybe 1878 Spinnaker Drive). Please plan to meet at about 9 AM. There should be space available in the parking lot that early, but overflow is also available on the street; public restrooms with plumbing are open. We're hoping to ride away at about 9:30, with a choice of routes: either down the coast to Channel Islands Marina, up the coast to the Emma Wood Beach overlook at the end of the Omer Rains bikepath, or both. We may separate into two groups, based upon anticipated speeds and distances. The folks who show up can choose a lunch stop for those who are interested, maybe at Pizza Man Dan's or Main Street Restaurant in Ventura.
We plan to have one more VCRR Group Ride during the month of October, on the fifth (10/30) Saturday. The starting venue and suggested route for that ride (hopefully in cooler weather) should be posted here two or three days before it, again basically scheduled for a 9 AM meet and 9:30 AM rideaway. Suggestions are eagerly solicited from anyone who plans to participate; please let me know by phone or email using the data below.
As usual lately, it will be up to each person who visits this site to choose whether to join the group for this ride, with your own (hopefully apropriately updated) individual preferences for masking and social distancing, meet the group for lunch, drive by and wave 'Hi', or meticulously avoid the venues. If any of this confuses or doesn't work for you or if you need any more info please contact me by phone or email.
This is a brief listing of preliminary plans for upcoming rides:
- Saturday, October 16th: Third Saturday VCRR Group Ride – Harbor Cove Beach, Ventura
- Saturday, October 30th: Fifth Saturday VCRR Group Ride – PLEASE INPUT ANY INTEREST OR SUGGESTIONS!
Recent History:
Summer 2021: The Third Saturday VCRR Group Ride of September was planned to start one more time from the Ventura Mission, climbing Rincon Hill to Carpinteria for the turnaround. There was, I think, a new record minimal turnout for this ride, but the guys who did it still enjoyed the pleasant weather atypical of late Summer in SoCal, as well as the scenery along the beach.
The First Saturday VCRR Group Ride of September started (again) from the Ventura Mission. Since a 95 degree temperature was forecast for the last climb up the hill to Ojai, the group of about eight opted for a cooler out-and-back cruise up the coast. With no Pokey Patrol people again this weekend, this gang chose to turn around after their lunch stop at Pizza Man Dan's in Carpinteria, racking up almost 40 miles round trip – to the delight of folks who have been eager for a longer ride with a larger group.
On the Third Saturday of August, seven riders, including one newby on a hand trike, met at the Ventura Mission, and most rode up the coast, turning around at the top of Rincon Hill. Since Hobson Beach was experiencing a power failure, most of the group dropped (literally!) down to the snack bar at Faria Beach before those final few miles back to the mission.
Our First Saturday Ride in August started from Harbor Cove Beach, and we rode down to the Channel Islands Marina before taking a slight detour for a lunch stop at Pizza Man Dan's near the Oxnard Airport. Eight folks showed up to take advantage of yet another inexplicably pleasant Summer day, with temps peaking in the low 70s and a light west wind. The group stayed together for the whole route, and there were no mechanical or routing issues.
For the unusual Fifth Saturday of July, a small group of us rode from the small public parking lot in the Seabridge Marina, located just south of Wooley Road between Harbor Boulevard and Victoria Avenue. We looped around the Seabridge and Channel Islands Marina MUPs, enjoying the cool overcast morning and light sea breeze of early afternoon. We met Deena as she completed her puppy prep school and went to Seafresh, a new location for us, for a very satisfying lunch.
On the Third Saturday VCRR Group Ride we pedaled up and back on the coast northwest of Ventura. Kay and I met riders coming from both directions at our unique landmark on the Old Coast Highway just northwest of the end of Omer Rains bikepath. We rode about 16 miles, with a turnaround at Rincon Beach Park, but most other folks in the group racked up a bit more distance. Most of the group of almost a dozen riders popped down to Hobson Beach Park for lunch on our return. Weather was again almost ideal, starting with a coastal overcast, clearing to a peak temp in the mid-70s with very light winds as we returned to our midivan.
For the First Saturday of the Summer (and July) we opted to start from a new venue: Windrow Park in the RiverPark area of northern Oxnard. Since only a few Pokey Patrol people showed up, we changed from our original plan to ride to east Ventura, making a few loops of the MUPs around the large pits near the river and The Collection instead, before popping into the food court at The Annex for lunch. We had a nice ride (and lunch) on a great early Summer day in SoCal.
6/19/2021: On the Third Saturday this month, ten of us rode from College Park, down the Bubbling Springs MUP to the lighthouse at Port Hueneme. Our Faster Folk added a longer loop out to the southeast so that we all arrived for the lunch stop at Steak & Hoagie together. Barb and Bob logged a few more miles after lunch while the rest of the group pedaled (no motorized cycles this time!) more directly back for a partial tour of College Park before loading up for home. Gerry had ridden over to the start from Camarillo and completed his 18-mile add-on after the group ride. Temps rose into the low 70s with a light west wind sweeping away the last of the morning mist in the afternoon.
6/5/2021: On the First Saturday this month, a dozen folks showed up to ride beginning from the parking lot at Harbor Cove Beach. We first rode down the coast to Oxnard State Beach, and after a brief but very welcome pit stop we rode back up Harbor and the Arundell Barranca MUP to have lunch at Main Street Restaurant. With tummies full and freshly hydrated we started our return by going west and then zooming down Seaward, through the Pierpont residential area and back around the marina to the park. Weather was almost ideal, going from morning mist to light sunshine, in the 60s with a light west wind in the afternoon.
Other News:
RIDE VIDEOS AND OTHER PIX: Rolly has posted videos from several recent VCRR Group Rides for public viewing on YouTube at this link. We are hoping to post more videos over the next few months, and, of course, your feedback is eagerly solicited. There is also a series of older video clips posted on YouTube, on 'TheVCRR' channel, at this URL. There is a VCRR photo archive on Flickr; to view it, start at this URL. Vincent has posted some of our ride pix to the Recumbent Trikes Group on Facebook (one of several).
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T FORGET!: COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS ARE EAGERLY[!] SOLICITED FOR OUR REMAINING GROUP RIDES IN 2021, AS WELL AS FEEDBACK FOR THIS WEBSITE, RIDE NOTICES, PHOTOS, RIDE VIDEOS, ROUTE SHEETS, MAPS, CUSTOM VCRR SAFETY FLAGS AND/OR VIDEO FLYOVERS. We are seriously looking for suggestions for VCRR Group Rides for this year, either in person, by phone or email. We plan, contingent upon feedback, to continue sending email notices a few days before each upcoming ride, at least for the next couple of months. Please let me know if you want to make any changes to our email list.
If you newbies or folks who haven't ridden with the group for a while need help or more information for getting to any of our rides, please email or phone me. Our home phone number – usually the best way to talk to us – is 805-981-0339. If we're not home you can also try my NEW CELL PHONE: 805-612-7662. Text messages will not work on our home phone, and are slightly discouraged for the cell phone. Don't even think about Facebook or Twitter! For convenience my email link is: