Kern County Ride

While we love riding in our desert, especially in the spring, you can go up to 90th Street West & Ave L only so many times and not get bored. We scanned the neighboring bike club web sites and found a ride with the Kern Wheelman, a club out of Bakersfield. This club has many rides on the weekends and we joined the Slow Spokes group riding from Caliente to Twin Oaks and back. We were, of course, the only tandem. We left at 8AM and rode with Joe and Raul at the head of the pack... well, we actually left the pack. It is a steady but moderate 15 mile climb to Twin Oaks. We dodged cattle and had a slight head wind but the ride was great.

We stopped at TOGS (Twin Oaks General Store) for breakfast. The four of us ordered while we waited for the others as we were warned about the prompt service. Pancakes and eggs. 

The ride down was sweet and fast. We dodged many more cows and averaged in the mid 20's most of the way down, hitting 30 mph a couple of times. The last 5 miles we faced a fierce headwind as the valley floor had heated up and the wind was racing back up into the canyon. We got caught by a train right at the end back in Caliente. We loaded our bike and said our good byes. Thanks to Richard, the ride leader, for letting us tag along. 

Rob, Joe and Raul.

Here it comes!

We then went to the Tehachapi Loop, an item on Evelyn's bucket list and another place that we have driven by hundreds of times but never stopped. This engineering marvel has a train go under itself around a big loop. We waited for about a 1/2 hour before a train came. It is pretty amazing.

The Loop!

On it's way.