PATHS OF PARADISE



A thread appeared last week in the Trikes section of the BentRiderOnLine forum, with the title: Trike Paradise?. After a few folks had announced their preference for various areas mostly touting the presence of extensive Class One bike paths, I felt it appropriate to point out the positive attributes of our area, opting to post it in iambic quadrameter. The second paragraph of my post started out like this:

We don't have miles of Class One trails,
But mild, fair weather which prevails
The whole year long – no ice, no snow –

Shortly afterward, a post appeared noting that my use of the word trail might be interpreted to indicate an off-road single track dirt route. I promptly posted this revision of my original post:

As most folks know, I'm kinda shy,
But feel compelled at least to try
To state a case with this brief note:
Ventura County gets my vote.

We're short on Class One paths for bikes,
But weather ev'rybody likes
Lasts all year long – no ice, no snow –
Plus Summer temps remaining low
As coastal breezes sweep away
The hazy mist at break of day,
Give riding here a real appeal,
And two more factors seal the deal.

Wide, well-paved bike lanes ev'rywhere,
With new green markings here and there,
Make lots of options for a loop
To ride with our recumbent group.
Most drivers are quite bike aware,
So 'incidents' are very rare.
They smile; they leave us lots of space.
For trikes VC's a pleasant place.

More Class One paths, I have to say,
Like those an hour's drive away
Would be like icing on our cake...
But WAIT! Was that a damned earthquake??

As the thread continued to run, a few more folks echoed approval of areas with lots of Class One routes, or suggested new ones, all either ignoring or minimizing the impact of inclimate weather. One person also "highly recommended... the kind [of route] you can point your trike in one direction and not have to worry about slowing down for curves". Following our VCRR Group Ride on Saturday I expounded this expanded exhortation:

I rode today; thoughts of this thread
Kept popping up inside my head.
In August's brilliant Summer sun,
The temp maxed out at seven-one.

Parameters for paradise,
It seems, are somewhat imprecise.
Some think that miles of paths dispel
Concerns for temps like those in HELL,
While others discount Winter snow,
Assuring us that we should go
Up north once Spring at last arrives
For THE best ride of our lives.

I've shared my preference for routes
With climates suiting citrus fruits.
My wife has mentioned one more thing:
Like Brian Wilson used to sing,
"If ev'rybody had a beach...".
Wide spans of water within reach
With ocean view and nice cool breeze
Is what Kay thinks most apt to please.

For some a ride in one straight line
Meets their criteria for 'FINE'.
While my choice, on the other hand,
Is leading our laidback band
On oddly convoluted paths
With corners, turns and curving swaths,
Like Oxnard's neat marina MUPs,
More flat than rolling downs and ups.

However, our group rode today
The old Pacific Coast Highway.
Ventura Mission marked the start;
Two blocks on Main Street to a part
That's Class One: Omer Rains Bikeway
(Sometimes called 'Trail', which some folks say
Is wrong; it was re-paved this Spring).
Then comes a part that's some folks' thing.

Eight miles of bike lane, almost straight,
Past huge RVs (unless the state
Has banned them – which improves the view)
Plus bikes and surfers out there, too.
Fire Station 25: at last
A public restroom, never passed
Until someone who likes to flush
Runs fast inside. Why? What's the rush?

Next comes a path that goes four miles,
Class One, with trikeys beaming smiles,
Right near the beach, above the tide,
It's smooth and roughly ten feet wide.
Bates Beach (The Rincon): turn around,
Then halfway home we hear the sound,
Of tummies rumbling; "Guys, let's eat!"
The Grill at Hobson Beach is neat.

At brunch we meet a few more friends;
Just eight more miles, then this ride ends.
Was this a slice of paradise?
Well, maybe not... but it was nice!

POW Index

August 31, 2020