Some days you wake up to find that one of your favorite bag sites picked up on your wallet release, and you know it's going to be a good day. We're always stoked to be featured on Carryology!
We wanted to make simple, secure wallets, and make them the best wallets for cycling and hiking.
And honestly? Pulling one of these out of your matching North St. backpack just feels like a power move. Bonus points if it's inside of a matching Pittock pouch like some kind of soft, recycled fabric nesting doll situation.
Check out the article to see some of the rad gear we're featured with, then get your order in for one of our scrap-made wallets here.
It's that time of year again! We wanted to share some deadlines to help you get your gear before December 25th!
We strive to build and ship orders so they get to you in time - though we can't guarantee perfect delivery every time, we do have this handy list of dates for placing your order!
| Last Day to Order | (based on lead time) | |||
| Ship Method | 1-2 day | 3-5 day | 1 week | Custom (2 weeks) |
| UPS Ground | 12/11 | 12/8 | 12/6 | 12/1 |
| USPS First Class | 12/14 | 12/11 | 12/9 | 12/2 |
| USPS Priority | 12/16 | 12/13 | 12/11 | 12/4 |
| UPS 3 Day | 12/17 | 12/14 | 12/12 | 12/5 |
| UPS 2nd Day | 12/18 | 12/15 | 12/13 | 12/6 |
| UPS Overnight | 12/21 | 12/18 | 12/16 | 12/9 |
| Will Call | 12/21 | 12/18 | 12/16 | 12/9 |
Other Important Dates
Looking for a last minute gift? Not sure what your bestie's custom colors are? Our gift cards are fulfilled electronically, same day.
Looking for a gift for someone on the go? No worries - the Davis Daypack has been verified as a great gift by one of our favorite go-tos for the best outdoor gear guides - Outside Online.
Design your own custom Davis Daypack or browse our standard selection as a gift for yourself or your friends, and get 20% off your order through 11/15.
The commuter in your life will feel special sporting this waterproof rucksack. For the fabric, choose from almost 30 different colors and pattern combinations, then pick various internal accessories from the brand’s line of attachable pockets and sleeves. The slim profile feels great while riding a bike.
Need storage, but don't have a bike rack? The folks at Around put together this review of their 3 favorite North St. alternatives to panniers! They cover the Fuel Pouch, Pioneer 9 Handlebar Bag, and our Bottle Sleeve!
North St. Bags operates with the goal of continual improvement. We prioritize the slow and steady, the scenic routes, and doing whatever we can to make our gear the ethical, sustainable, and economic choice.
When we tell you we're excited about this new eco-friendly fabric? We're excited.
Enter EcoPak. It's the first and only 100% recycled sailcloth of its kind on the market. Made by Connecticut-based heritage manufacturers Challenge Sailcloth, EcoPak boasts the storm-weathering performance you've come to expect of sailcloth bag fabrics, except it's made from plastic bottles.
EcoPak is VOC free, and is made with a fraction of the CO2 emissions compared with virgin nylon fabrics.
All of that in an eco-friendly package that's still incredibly abrasion resistant, lightweight, and ripstop.
All of our bags and accessories contain components made with EcoPak or other recycled fabrics. Insist on a bag with 100% recycled fabric? Look for our EPX options, available in most styles.
“We love Portland and bikes. So, we put our two loves together, creating a non-profit organization on a mission to broaden access to bicycling and its benefits.
Our vision: to help build a vibrant community where people of all backgrounds use bicycles to stay healthy and connected. We believe that all Portlanders—regardless of income or background—should have the opportunity to experience the joy, freedom, and health benefits of bicycling. This is the motivation behind everything that we do.”- The Community Cycling Center
The Community Cycling Center started in the Alberta District of Portland with founder and mechanic Brian Lacy teaching local kids cycling basics, and have been working to bring empowerment to NE Portland through bicycle education ever since.
They have a ton of programs (seriously, check it out) aimed at improving access to the joy and utility of cycling. They were also one of the first shops to sell North St. Bags, and we’re proud to be able to help support them as a 1% for the Planet giving partner now.
In addition to their regular programming, during the first few weeks of Oregon’s Covid-19 shut down the Community Cycling Center pivoted their resources to serve local residents’ needs. Members of the Community Cycling Center’s volunteer team started by delivering food boxes to 30 low-income and at-risk households. They now make these frontline deliveries to 145 homes in North and Northeast Portland.
For more information on the Community Cycling Center's myriad of programs, to find volunteering opportunities, or to make a direct donation in support, check out their site and social platforms.
The North St. Bags Guide to Choosing a Pannier
How do you pick the right pannier? Like so many great questions the answer is: more questions! This guide will help you ask the right questions, and how to pick the best panniers for your ride.
What are panniers?
There are a ton of different types of bike bags. "Pannier" comes from an Old French word for "bread basket". Fast forward through a few hundred years of technology and language development and you find it's now a blanket term to cover any bag, basket, or box attached to the side of a bike or motorcycle.
North St. Bags panniers are made to work with most standard rear and front racks for bicycles. We may be able to make some accommodations for cargo racks with thicker tubes, or racks smaller than the suggested sizing.
If you have any questions about your rack, reach out!
We also offer convertible backpack-panniers. These are packs with hidden, modular backpack straps that transform the way you carry the bag off-bike. Their versatility makes them some of the best panniers for commuting. Did we mention they rock for traveling, touring, and day trips, too?
How do you say "panniers"?
We have this conversation a lot in the shop, and we can conclusively say: you're doing it the right way. Don't be afraid to have some fun with the pronunciation - we know what you mean, and if we don't, we'll ask. The regional accents on our team mean that we tend to go for "pan-ear", but give us a "pan-yey" or a "paneer"? Don't worry - we got you.
What do you pack?
Each ride and rider is a little bit different, and you know your needs best. Make your own daily commute checklist, including any off-season clothes and accessories that you might not be carrying right now. We have a suggested list below– tailor yours to suit your life.
Suggested Daily Carry Packing List:
What weather do you ride in?
Are you aiming for postal service levels of rain-or-shine, sleet-or-snow commitment? Or do you bring your bike out to soak up seasonal sunshine? There’s no wrong way to travel by bike - you’ll likely find your priorities change over time. Considering what kinds of weather you face will no doubt help you choose the right materials for your bike bag.
We make our gear with two basic kinds of material - a rugged waterproof sailcloth, and a super abrasion resistant, water resistant nylon. If you’re interested in going deep on our fabric choices, you'll find more on that here. Our classic panniers and convertible backpack-panniers are made with both of these in layers. The nylon outer shell protects the cargo and liner from friction, while the sailcloth lining helps keep the interior compartments dry.
The Gladstone Grocery Pannier is a single layer Cordura bag. It boasts light water resistance and heavy durability. The Gladstones pair really well with larger panniers or a convertible backpack-pannier to add extra hauling space.
The Micro Panniers are made with a single layer of waterproof sailcloth. These have a high level of water resistance, rugged durability, and are a minimalist addition to any set up. They’re designed to be extremely lightweight panniers, and are some of our best panniers for bike touring.
How to Choose the Best Pannier for Your Needs
Now that you have your packing list and weather forecast it’s time to talk about finding the best panniers.
We note our bag volume in liters. It's industry standard bag sizing description, but isn't always a clean translation to reality for folks just starting to pack.
I.E. Can’t visualize what 20 liters of clothes, snack bars, and supplies looks like off hand? You’re not alone! If you don’t have a pack to compare size to, grab everything on your packing list and a couple brown paper grocery bags.
Grocery bags are not 100% standard, but most are between 18-22 liters. Knowing this, you can get a good estimate of what you’ll need to pack your daily carry.
Here’s a breakdown of how our panniers size up:
14L | Single layer waterproof sailcloth
"...Perfect in every way. Made with great material, high quality build, and the perfect size for a daily commute." - Adam F., real life Micro Pannier user
15 liters | Single layer water resistant 1000d Cordura
"Easy to install on my rear bike rack and looks great." - Sylvia L., real life Grocery Pannier user
24 liters | Waterproof sailcloth liner & Water resistant 1000d Cordura outer shell
"Strong, solid construction. Big enough to accommodate all my necessary items. The addition of the interior removable pocket helps me stay organized and not lose my essential charging tools. Awesome bags." - Morgan S., real life Route 24 user
"Love these panniers. Ridiculously burly with high build material quality." - April N., real life Route 24L user
Morrison Convertible Backpack-Pannier
22L | Waterproof sailcloth liner & Water resistant 1000d Cordura outer shell
"Best damn bike bag pannier/backpack I have ever owned." - Sam B., real life Morrison user
Woodward Convertible Backpack-Pannier
32L | Waterproof sailcloth liner & Water resistant 1000d Cordura outer shell
"I have used the same midnight Woodward since 2015. On the bike, on the bus, on a hike, weekend trips. It has never fallen off the bike, it has never hit my heel, and it has kept all my gear dry since day one. On top of that it just looks fantastic." - Jackson M., real life Woodward user
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Remember that you can split up your equipment between different types of bike bags. Panniers are great for the big items that you don’t need to access until you get where you’re going.
Pair the versatility of a convertible backpack-pannier with the simplicity and space of a dedicated pannier.
Handlebar bags, fuel pouches, and fanny packs keep smaller items at your fingertips. A trunk bag by itself is a compact and aerodynamic alternative to panniers, or can be paired with a set of rear rack bags for a fully loaded back seat.
If you have any questions about which bag is right for you, we're always happy to make recommendations! Reach out to us and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Travel Well and Adventure Right
-The North St. Bags Team
Help our small business during these uncertain times, take 15% off with code STAYSAFE15
Note from the Owner
Our mission is to create gear which enables healthier choices for ourselves and our communities. And as our community here in Portland changes around us in response to COVID-19, this purpose has become more important than ever.
As of yesterday (March 21st) we've made the difficult decision to shut down our in-house production operations. We've taken this action in order to comply with a stay-at-home order, and to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
We want nothing more than to resume making bags for awesome folks like you, though at this time we can't be certain when that will be. Our top priority is the safety and health of our staff, neighbors, vendors and customers. We hope that this shutdown has these intended effects, and we can all get back to our normal lives soon.
I am responding to emails and our site is still taking bag orders. Please help us out in these uncertain times by ordering that bag you've been eying, or buying a gift card. This will go a long way to ensuring an easy transition back to normalcy for our small, independent company.
We'd love to have a backlog of bags to start working on when our shop opens up again. To incentivize this, I'm opening up a coupon code for 15% off all orders during the closure, just use the code "STAYSAFE15".
Thanks for your support and stay safe!
Curtis
**Update 3/26/2020**
Though the machines are still quiet, I am able to ship items from our small inventory. Shop ready-made bags here, or look for the "Ships 1-2" Days tag. If an order contains only Ready-to-Ship items, I will ship it out to you.
-Curtis
**Update 4/13/2020**
We've spend the last two weeks pushing machines around and sourcing new materials so that we can produce PPE to help replenish supplies at local hospitals (donate here to our PPE Fund)
We've also been rapid prototyping a Cotton Face Mask, which is now available for pre-order.
Our priorities are to make as much PPE and as many masks as we can as long as there's demand (and we can keep getting material in). Bag production has been put on hold, although we still have some inventory which is available to ship out right away.
As an incentive, you can save 15% on your order with the code STAYSAFE15 (code only good on bag orders, not for PPE or masks).
Thanks for your support!
-Curtis
story by CHRIS STRICKLEN
photography by CHRIS STRICKLEN & ZACH PIANKO (@zackpianko)
Chris Stricklen (@creedub) is a Bay Area photographer and cyclist who's constantly on the move around town, up and down the west coast, and beyond; always with a camera in-hand. Last summer, he and his friends embarked on the long distance ride of their dreams - pedaling almost 500 miles from their home city of San Francisco to Los Angeles, with, of course, a few North St. bikepacking accessories in tow.
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In the beginning of the year me and five friends came up with an idea. Little did we know - or maybe it was just me - that this would be a life changing experience.
This master plan was initiated by Kyle’s announcement that he was going to have a vacation during the summer that would give him time to ride at his leisure for about a week. This may not seem like the beginning of anything too extraordinary but Kyle has been in the middle of intense education for radiology school. From sometime around the end of 2017/beginning 2018 he’s been locked down and buried in books. Kyle and I went from riding three times a week on good weeks to three times a quarter if we were lucky.
For me, by the middle of 2018, due to a mixture of several things - lack of motivation, no one to ride with and some sort of attempt to figure out what I still found fun about riding bikes as much as I had been - I had all but pretty much stopped riding bikes entirely. There was no plan to quit and even on a week-by-week basis I would ask myself, “Are we riding this week??? Nah!!” Somehow, by the end of the year I had new inspiration and motivation but I still hadn’t quite gotten the proverbial gears going yet.
When Kyle mentioned his summer vacation and that we should plan a ride that would go through the weekend, that ultimately became the spark that I needed to saddle back up. He had a total of 10 days free time so in my head I felt like a Saturday-Sunday trip wouldn’t quite do his temporary liberation justice. There were all sorts of bike camping trips thrown into the discussion but nothing really sat right with me and the whole time I only had one idea in my head: Let’s ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles!!!
Flashback to 2015 - Kyle, myself and a few other friends had already planned a San Francisco to LA trip down to a T! The only problem was that in the 11th hour the entire trip dissolved as if Thanos had snapped his fingers just days before the trip was to commence. So for me and Kyle I KNEW that this trip had even more meaning to us than just “some ol’ trip”. This was a bucket list item that HAD TO be checked off the list and we weren’t going to let it slide through our fingers this time.
“DOWN!”
“I’m in!”
“Yup! Let’s do it”
“Down!”
It was a very easy unanimous decision. Kyle, myself, Patrick Lee, Gene Torno, Zack Pianko and Rj Agcamaran would be the main players in deciding how, when and where this ride would be going.
It took months of planning and we wanted to make sure that everyone that had supported us thus far was represented well. Amongst the supplies we collected to make this trip go well - lights, on bike nutrition, food, coolers, new kit, tubes galore, tires a plenty - we were able to get our hands on a few North St. saddle bags.
For our little hodgepodge group of hipster minimalists this was THE PIECE! Low profile, sleek and understated and also a unique wrap design that speaks to our nomad aesthetic and attention to detail. Nothing says road trip like a hardy canvas supply wrap. We just happen to have that in saddle bag version.
The route from San Francisco to Los Angeles was planned to be 480-something miles (we eventually made that 490) with 30,000 ft of climbing. We gave ourselves four days to ride this course almost exclusively on HWY 1 with four stops - Seaside, Morro Bay, Santa Barbara and Santa Monica/Venice Beach.
The trip was planned down to what seemed to be the minute of each day. Gene would play the support role and captain of the ship/SAG wagon along with Chelsie, my girlfriend, and Ali, Rj’s girlfriend. These three were integral in our trip and I don’t think we ever missed a beat on anything due to this super team.
Their plan: We would ride for a scheduled amount of time, get photos and content, eat, commence riding again, take another shorter break at a planned stop for nutrition and then ride once again to each day’s final destination.
We started our ride from the Pas Normal pop up store in Hayes Valley, San Francisco. Everyday we planned to leave no later than 8 and we were essentially right on schedule. Everything went smoothly aside from an almost catastrophic crash that I saved which was caused by a very rare mental lapse in a parking lot.
Once the unplanned shenanigans were behind us the ride smoothed out. There were several punches out of the city and through Pacifica, down HWY 1 past Devils Slide and to Pescadero which was our first lunch stop of the day. Zack’s wife and friend along with the SAG crew met us there as this would be the usual routine for the whole trip.
By the time we got rolling again more than an hour had passed. We realized that giving a bunch of cyclist/freelance photographers more than 20 minutes to do anything was a HORRIBLE idea. This first stop could have easily been the first and last day of the trip had someone not clapped their hands at us and said, “Hey! We need to go now!” From Pescadero we rode, more conscious of time, to Seaside.
When you think of HWY 1 you think of the ocean, amazing views of coastline and mountains jutting out of the earth and liberating roads for miles and miles. What you don’t think so much about are the amazing farmlands which is California’s backbone industry. We rode through miles of cliffs and bluffs which farmers brought their agriculture to the very edge of state’s boundaries and its shores. From Moss Landing to our first destination we spent the last 20-25 miles weaving inland through rolling mounds of sun kissed produce and at last the town of Seaside.
For only the second time in my life I would be riding the day after a century. The last time I did this, 3 years ago, it was a very easy 20 mile jaunt through Palo Alto. This time I would be saddled up and committed to another 130 miles with 8000 ft of climbing, a small increase from the previous experience. Our super sag wagon team, as they would soon be named, prepped our food and packed our rental van as we discussed the logistics of the day. From here on out every single detail of the trip was preconceived. On this particular day, Chris Corona (@dirtdrops) was meeting us on the road at Bixby Bridge to shoot some content for us with John and Cory Caletti. In return for the favor we opted to do a large group lunch at Nepenthe - it’s pretty much a must if you plan on driving into Big Sur.
Aside from the promenade through Seaside and Monterey, by the time we past by the 17-Mile Drive my legs were wide awake. My guesstimate from our current location was roughly 40 minutes to Bixby Bridge. So what better to do than to open up the throttle a bit and drive the bus the entire way into the most amazing and unique coastline paved in the world!
Bixby was the dedicated photo location and Nepenthe was nothing short of absurdly amazing, par for the course. And from Bixby to Nepenthe the appetite that we worked up after a very unwarranted 20 minute flat out race pace made all the fancy, premium priced food go down that much easier or “faster” depending on how you look at it. After lunch Corona and the Calettis parted ways from the group and we were back to our team of 8. The rest of the day would not include the pleasantries that the first half had brought us but at this point we were spoiled.
I think it was Ponyboy from The Outsiders reciting the Robert Frost poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay”. It’s a short poem outlining nature’s cycles and how nothing good in life can last forever. If Seaside to Nepenthe was “Nature’s early flower”, then some point roughly 15 miles beyond the southern terminus of Big Sur to Morro Bay, Eden’s grief was sinking, RAPIDLY! What started out as a soft, promising tailwind turned into a non-beneficial gust that was blowing in every direction against us. We knew our Air BnB was situated extremely closely to Morro Rock so when we finally could see the rock across the bay in the distance it should have been a relief but the fact that it sat ominously blanketed in a low layer of fog and mist 10 miles away quickly became insult to injury.
We finally arrived at destination No. 2 depleted, hungry and victim to 260 miles of not-exactly-easy riding. Theraguns and cold beers both became our devices of relief. The atmosphere of our living room was ironically dead. I don’t think anyone spoke a word to each other for the first 10 minutes of our arrival aside from obligatory exclamations of courtesy, “excuse me.” Rj’s brother, who lived nearby up the highway, stopped by to say hello and while our energy was restored to an acceptable capacity our enthusiasm to endure the next two days of riding was nonexistent.
With the biggest day upon us - 130 miles and 10,000 ft of climbing - we began what had become our regular routine of preparation. The super sag wagon team packed our bags once again and the procession of photography commence the same as it had the two days prior.
Heading out of Morro Bay was a blur. Misty and overcast just as it was when we arrived and anyone would have thought, with our spirits so low, that the rest of this ride would be a downward spiral of fitness, energy and morale but somehow, somewhere, between Morro Bay and Orcutt, our lunch destination, all of the aforementioned were actually restored to stable levels.
At our first checkpoint, before lunch, we all conceded that we were actually feeling fine and that today might not be so bad. Gene had wanted to shoot some video of us in there area as we rode through the outer Lompoc and by that point we had ramped the pace up to a very stiff clip up a moderate climb. It was a relief to feel the group, as a collective, come back together when we did as this could have been a pivotal moment in the entire experience.
There was a bit of a snafu in communication for lunch. We had decided that we wanted to have a proper shmorgishborg so naturally, In-N-Out, Our Food and Savior, easily earned top billing on our shortlist of options. The problem was that we thought In-N-Out was in Orcutt, our rendezvous spot but it turned out to be 5 or 6 miles away so we had to wait for the Super Sag Wagon to make the trip to the restaurant and come back to deliver our food 20-30 minutes after we had arrived in Orcutt, a minor set back but I think there may have been a slight cannibalistic nerve developing amongst the group or it could have just been me.
From Orcutt to Santa Barbara we had the biggest portion of the day’s ride directly in front of us - cutting inland to Solvang and then climbing up and over a mountain that was going to add around 2-3000 ft to the ride in roughly 20 miles. With our spirits pretty much fully restored and 70 miles to go we made our way down a connecting highway between HWY 1 and US 101 and as we are making it to the junction the signs read: SANTA BARBARA 35 MILES. The group in unison slowed, freewheeled and we looked at one another as we passed this sign and approached the junction.
“Soooooo? Why are we riding an extra 35 miles again?”
It wasn’t that we didn’t know we were going slightly out of the way on this day but with such a defeat on the previous day the group knew that attempting to harden up just to prove our fortitude would jeopardize the ride that we just restored. The SSW was already in Solvang enjoying the scenery in what is apparently a quaint little Dutch settlement. We called the support van to let them know that we would instead go straight at Santa Barbara to make up some time. I had also been dealing with a mechanical of a broken derailleur cage that desperately needed to be addressed so if we could shave time there was the slimmest chance that I could actually make it to a bike shop in time and get it repaired.
The decision to cut out 35 miles of the ride and actually make it to town an hour or so earlier than projected catapulted our morale and energy to Super Saiyan levels. We needed the SSW to meet us down the highway for our last checkpoint to refill our bottles and from there they would try and find a bike shop that was open AND that also had a new Dura Ace derailleur cage that I could swap. The odds were against us but we HAD TO try.
As we blazed down the US 101 like a military convoy through the desert I noticed that my front tire started to feel a little squishy. I yelled at the group to hold up as we came to a large shoulder fit for a full sized basketball court. And just as we pulled over our Super Sag Wagon pulled up like heli-vac right behind us to refill the squad. The tube change and the bottle refill felt about as fast as a NASCAR pit change and just like that our heli-vac/Sag Wagon re-engaged the mission to find a derailleur cage and we were back rolling down the 101 - spirits still high as ever.
When we exited the highway Chelsie called us to let us know that she found a shop that had a cage to sell us. Although the shop was closed during the weekend and the owner had been out of town he coincidentally had stopped by his shop shortly before Chelsie called, luck was on our side. Turns out that not only was he the fifth or sixth shop that Chelsie called he had also just swapped his brand new DA rear-der for some random oversized doohickey that he got from a vendor. The shop owner offered to stay open as long as it took us to arrive. With not much time wasted my bike was repaired, we were in Santa Barbara and all we had to do was make our way across town to our destination.
After two monumental fortunate outcomes there was no ruining this day. After the new cage was installed we cut through Santa Barbara towards the famed and iconic Gibraltar climb. Instead of taking Gibraltar we took the split to the left and climbed its little sister up what was about a 9-10% mile long climb at the end of a 130 mile day. With morale being at an all time high that climb felt like 3% vs the 10 that it was.
The Air BnB was lavish. An old ranch style home with all the rustic Santa Barbara trimmings and vibes. Paired with a large tv and a large window, which was the selling point for Kyle, this home atop a steep climb and was nothing less than symbolic for the day.
There was only 100 miles left in our trip and now we didn’t want this to be our last day. It may have only been the 5 of us riding but we were an 8-person unit for every mile. I think Gene totally botched the meal that night which none of us noticed. Chelsie had cheered us all the way up the last climb of the day and Ali made sure that every single detail was sewn perfectly into our routine and that everyone has what they needed when they needed it. Our soon-to-be final departure was celebrated the night before with many laughs and drinks and camaraderie, a polarizing moment compared to the previous night that led us to believe that this trip may not have been all that we thought it would be.
If we could turn a 9 hour, 130-mile, 8,000ft ride into the best experience of our lives then riding 90 miles with less than 3000ft should be the bonus track of this entire ride.
“I feel pretty f*cking good. The ride is pretty much flat. I’m down to hammer the whole way.” I professed.
“30 [mph]!” Zack replied.
Zack and I had really bonded over the last three days since our time together previously had been pretty limited. When the pace was entirely out of control Zack or myself was usually the one to blame. Although no one truly bought into the idea of punching it from SB to Santa Monica the general consensus was that we wanted to get down as soon as possible and spend the rest of the time recapping and celebrating this amazing accomplishment.
Queue Theragun. Queue breakfast. Queue photos. And now the last day was officially underway. Because we ended Day 3 at the base of the Santa Barbara mountains we had to cut through town and make our way to the coast where we picked up the bike route. Regardless of how good we felt we always took about 30 minutes to let the legs softly open before we started riding at a good pace and this was no different today. Everything about this day was like the final day of Le Tour save the champagne.
The moment the ride was truly about to start a loud pop followed by a horrendous wheezing sound cane from Rj’s tire. It was completely blown out and destroyed by a screw or some piece of hardware in the road. We called the SSW and they have us an eta of about 20 minutes. Rj had opted to patch the tire and I responded, “If you patch that [tire] and it fails again I’m leaving you.” His tire was without a doubt unusable for anything more than a couple of miles. We were at mile 6 of 90. By the time the van came and we swapped out the tire a considerable amount of time had passed but we had given ourselves a good cushion for such a short ride that not much was lost. We sallied forth, got spun around a few times and even picked up another rider heading in the same direction. As Zack and I were on the front of the ride on the bike path we hear someone call out, “Patrick has a flat and it won’t seal.” With the delay of bad routing and now our second flat of the day we were starting to chew into our timeline but only by a bit. As long as we got rolling with no more incidents we would still make our checkpoint timeline and make it to Santa Monica with hardly anytime lost. Heading through Ventura we made up for a lot of loss time... until we got another flat, Patrick again. At this point, with the detouring and flats we had added roughly two hours to our ride. And although we are a very welcoming group the idea that we were also towing a stranger through all of this was also starting to become discomforting. If we could just make it to the check point we would be fine.
Finally, after 70-something miles we made it to our check point. I can’t speak for the entire group but I think morale had dipped significantly lower than Day 2 by now. The ride was surgey, the stops had gotten out of control, we still had this additional rider and this seemingly flat ride started to feel like an uphill battle.
The last leg of the ride was rolling terrain as we pedaled through Malibu. Each rolling hill Patrick and Rj dropped back significantly. So for three or four rollers Zack, Kyle and I waited for the last two to catch up. By the last hill Patrick and Rj has just about evaporated into thin air.
“Rj hurt his knee.” Patrick reported.
“Shiiiiiiiiit!”
Rj had been battling knee issues for the better part of the year so hearing that it had finally given out on him with less than 10 miles to go was devastating news. We all continued to ride, separately for a moment, trying to assess how exactly we were going to get Rj to the meet up point. Obviously riding in as a group was the only way to end this ride so we all regrouped and Rj one legged the final few miles into Santa Monica.
We eventually arrived at Rapha Santa Monica to have the SSW pick up Rj and take him to the last Air BnB. It was roughly 7 miles down the way in Venice and although the final day went nothing close to planned, we made it.
Due to the fact that when we arrived at our last Air BnB we all had 97-98 miles on our ride it was only appropriate that we made a beer run - on bikes. We went to the local grocery store, I think it was a Ralph’s and grabbed Lagunitas Lil’ Sumpin and rode back to the crib to make the ride an even 100 miles. Anything less than triple digits on this day would not have felt right. Zack’s wife was waiting for us along with the SSW and Rj’s younger brother Brandon.
The plan was to a go out as a group and celebrate in some epic fashion but everything seemed to be moving faster than we wanted it to. The irony of the ride being completely over and time now being harder to manage was somewhat comical. We finally landed on just going to Yard House because it was a easy and all we wanted to do was spend time with each other and no more bikes involved.
Our super team of 8 became a party of 12 or 13 at the restaurant. I can’t remember what was spoken or even what we ordered. The only agreement was that the SSW not pay for a single thing as they were not only the glue but the foundation of our entire trip. They were the defensive and offensive coordinators that sat high above the field planning the trip and calling the audibles where we needed them and to make sure that we, on the field, or in this case, on the road, executed exactly what we needed to in order to make this trip as enjoyable as it was. So the treat was ours and finally we could say that we did it together.
The next day half of the group had to turn around to get back to real life. The other half, although there were no serious obligations, didn’t have much of a reason to stay so we all went back, once again as a group albeit we had picked up an additional rental car. Instead of the 1 or the 101 we took the I-5 as most do and in that stretch of road it became more than evident how far we truly came. We drove past a highway sign once we made it to the I-5 junction: SAN FRANCISCO 330 MILES.
To be cliche, it’s not the trip, it’s the time spent with people you care dearly about. The amount of time and preparation that went into this trip was hours upon hours of trying to figure out the best way to do one thing or another. Six months of planning for four days of riding. We spent more time calculating costs than we spent on the road each day. None of this would have been worth it had we not had the right group of people. Five photographers and three more amazing people.
Nothing in my life will be as epic as this trip was. It was the perfect mixture of chaos and triumph. It was exhausting and confidence building at the same time. The feel of ocean air will always remind me now of the time me and my friends decided to ride every inch of HWY 1 on bikes only. Never once did we get in the van. Never once did we think of quitting. We all had a moment of defeat but we never let it get to us.
It was just one hell of a ride.
We made our first ever rainbow sequin bag exploring the definition of "hi-vis" with bicyclecrumbs
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