At first, 2019’s Tour DuBois mostly spilled over with planned (but unvisited) locations from last year—locations I’d need to drive to—but later on the definition stretched to “anything big and/or noteworthy.” Perhaps there should be more than ten entries here, but that’s how it shook out, and ideally the “tour” definition will continue evolving in 2020!
3/9 Oxnard
All of my ambitions lie in between the sea and sky. Snapped this one on a 30+ mile ride around the perimeter of Oxnard, training for #TourDuBois2019
4/13 Carpinteria
Kicking off #TourDuBois2019 with 19.5 miles in Carpinteria, from the bluffs to the foothills to the beach and back again. Nothing like the 805 in spring, y’all.
4/21 Santa Paula
27.5 mi RT ride out to Santa Paula and back. Not technically a #TourDuBois2019 stop because I didn’t drive anywhere, but I’m tagging it anyway because riding home against a 12mph onshore wind AND through a swarm of bees made it Officially Exercise.
5/5 Santa Maria
Biked a breezy 27 miles around the perimeter of Santa Maria for #TourDuBois2019, including the gravelly, uneven river trail and the straight-shot Orcutt trail along 135. Also saw Nolan Ryan’s least-favorite Little League field.
6/8 Westlake
Picked up #TourDuBois2019 for 23 miles worth of Westlake, Agoura, and Calabasas on the western tip of LA County. Tiny docks, canyon ranches, expensive homes, and asphalt that changes shade at the county line.
6/15 Santa Ynez
Took a 20-mile cruise around the Santa Ynez valley wine country today for my latest #TourDuBois2019 ride. Did a Buellton-Los Olivos-Santa Ynez-Solvang route. Great day for it!
9/22 Point Mugu
Hadn’t planned on doing a 43-mile tour of western Ventura County today but it happened and I’m exhausted. Opened up the #KeirByBike range to a new southeast limit near Pt. Mugu naval base, and smashed through a 2018 ride route in Camarillo that I had to drive to at the time. Today’s mileage just barely tops a 42-mile RT ride to Ojai in 2016, the previous furthest-distance ride I’d done without driving. Not many great shots for this ride but I did snap Round Mountain, sacred to the Chumash and the westernmost (I think?) point of the Santa Monica Mountains, plus some Cold War relics and bonus bounty bougainvillea hidden between Highway 1 and the naval base.
10/15 San Luis Obispo
Brief 24-hour road trip to revive #TourDuBois2019 for 22 miles worth of San Luis Obispo, adding a 7th ride and 5th county to the map. #KeirByBike action happened around the perimeter of town, with lots of morros in view, a few horses, a detour into the Cal Poly campus, and a double-back on Higuera St. Next stop: unhealthy pub food and baseball playoffs on the teevee!
10/26 San Juan Capistrano
Returned to South OC for 19.5 miles in San Juan Capistrano, adding another city to the #TourDuBois2019 map. SJC seems wildly different every time I visit, not least in the constantly-developing backcountry and the constantly-redeveloping downtown (though never at the middle school). Also seemed fitting for #KeirByBike to cruise by the mission at a time so close to its 243rd birthday.
12/10 Ventura
They say (and by they I mean me) “the best thing about accomplishing a personal goal is that you never have to do it again if you don’t want to.” Well, I had a clear calendar and needed to make up some rainy-day miles, so today I biked the 30+ mile Ventura perimeter (aka “the whale”) for the 4th time in 6 years. 7 miles short of a burrito-worthy ride, but otherwise I figure this hometown (after 15.5 years here can I call it hometown?) #KeirByBike gig is ok for #TourDuBois2019
