Let us give you a little context before we get in to this…

In 2013, we rode from Santa Barbara to San Diego in ONE DAY – 227 miles – we started with 7 riders and ended with 5.

2014, we rode from Ventura to San Diego in ONE DAY – 200 miles – started with 9 and only 3 made it.

So this year, Ride4Water and The Awarewolfs decided to make the ride a two day event.

2 days / 200 miles / 100 miles a day.

Should be cake right?

We didn’t want this ride to be a TOTAL sufferfest + this year REDEMPTION was on our minds.

So here we go…

***

DAY 1: The First 100 : Ventura to Long Beach

^ At about 8AM we blasted off from the hotel.

^ The first time we really stopped to catch our breath and regroup was around mile 38. We all felt like those first miles flew by! Last year, at this point, we had already endured a crash and FIVE flat tires. Things were going well, team morale was high, and we were almost to the 50 mile mark where our support van and FOOD would be waiting.

^ After tracking down the van, we refueled, and were back on the road.

^ Cruising through Venice and around LAX on the beach is a chill route. Cutting through Torrance over to Long Beach is NOT. We were all sooo happy to see this sign!

^ We ALL made it to City Grounds Long Beach by 4PM!

So the first day was a total success with no flats to speak of and no crashes. After hanging out front of City Grounds for a second, we went to our hotel rooms to rest and recharge for the remaining 100 miles to San Diego tomorrow.

***

DAY 2 : The Second 100 : Long Beach to San Diego

Waking up was rough. Getting back on the bike was even harder.

At 8:30am a few new comers joined us for the final 100 from City Grounds.

After we all met up, some quick coffee and Kind Snacks, we were back on the road again.

^ Some of us were a little more tired than others but we were ALL so motivated to finish the ride. The thing we all had to remind ourselves of is the simple fact that WE WILL GET THERE – JUST KEEP GOING.

^ This was the last checkpoint before either jumping on the 5 South FREEWAY or smashing roughly 11 miles through the barren, hilly, and windy Camp Pendleton.

 

^ In Oceanside, we tried to organize a 40 mile meetup but due to traffic / parking / pace of the pack, it kind of fell through. There were a few people waiting at the Oceanside Pier for us and they quickly merged in and we were all on our way again!

^ This day’s ride was about 16 miles longer and more than DOUBLE in climbing so needless to say, all of us who did the first 100 were feeeeelin it.

^ So you can image how happy we were to see this sign…

^ Ryan Delamater, Ride4Water’s Founder, planned a little after party for us and synced up with his neighbor who 1) it was his birthday and 2) he’s in a punk band so there was food for us and live punk music blasting at our afterparty. Some of us went to Pizza Port, some of us hung out, and some of us cruised home and crashed.

Charlie Sears was the first one to the end zone and he got there at about 7PM.

All in all, an incredibly FUN and successful 4th Annual Ride4Water Summer Solstice Ride.

***

Major THANK YOU to everyone who rode, cheered, donated, or supported in one way or another. We didn’t reach our fundraising goal but that’s entirely OK. Like we stated above, this year’s ride was more / less a ride of redemption and fine tuning. We’re eager to start planning next year’s and have some great ideas on how make this ride eeeven better!

It’s not too late to donate too! :

www.classy.org/r4wss2015

Thanks again everyone!

***

Special THANK YOU to our sponsors :

***

2013 RECAP : HERE

2014 RECAP : HERE

@theawarewolfs #stravaproof : DAY 1 : DAY 2

***

– Photos / words by Charlie Sears @thisischarliesears