Hell, eh

I didn't take off as early as I had planned since I was just getting reacquainted with my packing routine. It's like a religion when you are bike touring, and if you don't do it properly you will pay for your sins. Getting the right weight distribution and where you put the heavy items make a lot of difference in the handling of the bike.

I plotted a route out of the city that strung together as many of the segmented bike paths as possible. There were a few challenging links, but once I got past the Los Angeles River and onto the Rio Hondo, it was clear sailing out of the centre of town.

I was lulled by the cool temperatures yesterday into thinking that today was going to be the same. But as I steadily climbed toward the foothills of the San Bernardino mountains so did the temperature. The afternoon sun on the mountainsides must create a microclimate that heats up considerably farther away from the cooling ocean breezes. I had to stop under trees to keep from overheating several times, but by mid afternoon there was no respite as it climbed to 39˚C (102˚F), well above resting body temperature. I took shelter in a Taco Bell, I must have gone beyond the limit for drink refills. By 5 pm it was somewhat bearable again and I rode well into the evening to make up some distance. I found a cheap motel in Rancho Cucamonga (Bart Simpson must have come here). The somewhat wary motel keeper didn't want my bike touching the walls so I offered to lock it up outside, but when I asked if it was safe, he suddenly let me take it in!

I'm having my butler follow me on this trip :)

With the drought going on, I was surprised to see some water in the Los Angeles River. Usually it's much drier when they show this scene in the movies (where someone always seems to get killed).

The bike path along the Rio Hondo. Love the way it dips below all the bridges, making it more like a bicycle expressway

After a steady climb, a look back at the smoggy city. You can barely make out the downtown skycrapers, centre right

A deluxe bike path atop a reservoir dike. It probably hasn't been filled in years judging by the trees growing on the left

The outer suburbs are equipped with well-intentioned bike routes

This one is one of the most extravagant recreational pathways I've seen

The crosswalks even have buttons at two heights to accommodate people on horseback

Joggers and horses on soft crushed stone, cyclists on the pavement

About a hundred kilometres in hellish heat, and I'm sort of out of the city.