I initially intended to ride up to Half Moon Bay from Santa Cruz last Saturday. The ocean breeze typically picks up significantly in the afternoon, and the usual tactic for local cyclists is to go north in the morning and ride the tailwind for the return trip.

My really late start meant I was fighting 25 MPH headwinds once I got north of Swift Street on the coast highway. By itself that’s not much fun, but I was also getting blasted from blowing beach sand. Once I got to Wilder Ranch, I abruptly changed my plans and veered inland onto sandy mountain bike trails, where I had a blast.

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