Sunday, June 2:  Burlingame, California to Vallejo, California
Distance:  73.36 miles
Total Time:  7 hours 24 minutes
Riding Time:  6 hours 35 minutes

Today was a great start to the ride.  We left the hotel at 7:20 a.m. and headed (counter-intuitively) west, to the Pacific Ocean.  We did the traditional wheel dip in the ocean, which we hope to repeat in New Hampshire on July 23.

Here's the group photo before we headed out:

Here's me at the wet, foggy, cold beach:

Here's a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge, which we crossed this morning:

That's right, you can't see anything.  It was shrouded in fog, as usual, with high winds and 50 degree temperatures.  But it was very cool to ride across it all the same.

The route then took us through Sausalito and into Marin County.  The organizers set up two "SAG" stops (service and gear) on each ride.  They offer mechanical support (I was having gearing problems, which they quickly resolved), and food and water.  This is a typical SAG setup:

Today's was probably the most logistically challenging day of the 53.  Lots of urban biking, and over 40 turns in all.  It was a challenge to stay on the route, and I (and my riding companions) got lost a couple of times.  We all have Garmin bike computers/GPSs but it's not easy to navigate while riding a bike through city traffic.

The weather was typical Bay Area, with a 25 degree swing over the course of the ride.  We finished with a 20 mile stretch through Sonoma to the town of Vallejo.    It was nice to get the first day done, with no major breakdowns or problems.  I was very pleased, as you can see below.