Morro Bay to San Luis Obispo – 20 miles
The victory lap is beginning to feel as long as the race itself, but SLO is the stated end of my bike tour. It’s going to be another short day, just into town to catch a southbound train.
By mid-morning a 20-to-25-naut wind off the ocean is forming whitecaps. The strong wind is unexpected, but it bodes well for my ride, which parallels Highway 1 on Los Osos Valley Road. I bid good-bye to my friends and hit the road.
The fifteen miles of tailwind are welcome, but they still require some pedaling. There is a slight climb and a crosswind as I approach SLO, and I notice how disinclined my legs are to engage the pedals. They are surely over it—over this entire ride—even before the rest of me is.
Up in town at the Amtrak station, all that remain are the selfies. One memorializes my arrival:
Another memorializes our new brand:
And a third, my odometer reading:
“Only 335 miles?” I wonder aloud. “Oh, well, guess I’ll take it.”
I didn’t have to do it fast. I just had to do it.