Ten thousand cyclists ” give or take a few ” gathered on the main street in Rosarito at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2005. A new friend and I were about to embark on our first 50-mile bike ride from Rosarito to Ensenada.
We definitely weren’t the most laid-back riders in the pack ” a few coastal kids pulled up on beach cruisers ” but my 1980s hunk of metal and my co-rider’s mountain bike didn’t classify us as cyclists, either. On the contrary, bikers commented, “If I had a boat, that would make a hell of an anchor” and “Wow; you’re never going to make it up the hill on that thing.”
A few seasons later, my friend has now become my co-worker and we’re gearing up for our next 50 miles in Mexico. Both Blake Jones and I now own a key piece of cycling apparel ” fluorescent jackets to warn ignorant motorists ” and I traded in my father’s five-speed for a slicker, lighter hybrid with 21 gears.
I still take an old-fashioned approach to training. I bike to work and so the 1-mile climb up La Jolla Mesa each day pretty much does it for me. You could say that the daily grind has, by default, morphed me into a cyclist, but I see it more as a habit that I’ve fallen into.
Rosarito Ensenada (as the ride is simply called) is fast approaching on Saturday, April 22, and it’s the cherry on top of my amateur cycling/commuting sundae. It’s my break from reality, despite the killer hill, and I’m starting to get a little giddy.
The route rolls along a spacious road through barren coastal landscapes, past vast stretches of empty beaches and miles of open blue sea. For some reason that I’ve yet to discover, developers have barely touched that part of the coastline. Massive condos and “second-home” communities (marketed to American families) are beginning to sprout, but they’re few and far between.
Besides the serenity, speeding along an open highway with 10,000 other adrenaline-charged comrades is certainly refreshing, especially for a solo cyclist who chugs road fumes each day.
In Rosarito-Ensenada tradition, riders throw Starbursts, Lifesavers, chocolate ” anything wrapped ” at children who shout, “Candy! Candy!” in English, along an otherwise empty road. Whole families sit on the side to watch: parents, aunts, uncles, children, lovers, small infants and scrawny dogs.
On my first ride, pottery stores punctuated the open expanse with large, outdoor displays of colorful flowerpots, jars, statues, sundials and iron wrought furniture. The wind was slight, but I did get whiff of dead, rotting dog a few times along the way ” a smell that lingered with me for the entire journey.
The barren landscape contrasted with the distinct personalities that rode through it. Some riders were decked out in the latest cycling fashion and technology: titanium road bikes, clip-in shoes, leather gloves, miniature backpacks stuffed with energy drinks and gel supplements. One cyclist employed his own ingenuity and taped a Ziplock bag full of dried fruit and nuts to his bike. Another rode with disregard for biking apparel, cycling in soiled jean shorts and carrying a heavy, leather bag on his back.
Bikes and other leg-powered machines also abounded in style: road racers, recumbent bikes, cruisers, BMX bikes, tandems, mountain bikes, hybrids and rollerblades all turned together. One young man who had no arms bravely rollerbladed up and down the hills, his long, stick-like legs gracefully and powerfully propelling him along.
The less fortunate mixed with the more advantageous. Superior cyclists had evolved with lighter wheels, wind resilient jackets, oiled machines and perfectly modified foods. They rode faster and finished sooner, but it didn’t seem to matter at the finish line after fresh tacos and a couple of beers. Blake and I drove home feeling satisfied.
The 2006 Rosarito Ensenada, 50-mile bike ride cycles away on Saturday, April 22 at 10 a.m. The ride departs from Rosarito’s main street, Boulevard Benito Juarez. The course is rated “moderately difficult.” Online registration costs $35 until April 17, and $40 until the day of the event.
A fiesta follows the race at Manzana Ocho, Ensenada’s city fair grounds, on Boulevard Costero. Friends and supporters are encouraged to join riders at the fiesta. Shuttles, which will transport riders back to Rosarito after the ride, cost $20 in advance and $22 on the day. For more information call (858) 483-8777 or visit www.rosaritoensenada.com.