Where the SART Meets the Sea!

I decided last night that today was the day I was going to ride Serena all the way to the sea where the SART begins and then ride back to the gym before work.  When I woke up this morning I looked outside to see what was what and to my pleasant surprise, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  I got my shit together and I was off to explore the far reaches of the SART and get some extra miles in on what could be the finest day of the year.

First off, I noticed right away, the SART gets a whole lot nicer as you get closer to the beach.  Once you're out of Santa Ana and into Costa Mesa, bums, graffiti, and thugs are replaced with people on high end cycles, people walking fancy dogs, and young chicks going for their morning jogs in their $400 workout clothes.  The Costa Mesa to Huntington Beach leg of the SART is like vacation SART and my home section of the SART is like battle zone SART.

Even though the extra leg of my ride this morning added a total of 12 miles to the ride, it was well worth it and after about 45 minutes, I had arrived at the spot where the Santa Ana 'river' meets the mighty Pacific

The spot where PCH crosses the SART in Huntington Beach

I rode Serena out onto the sand to get some sea air into my lungs and to try and take a few pictures without looking like a total doofwad:

Yours truly, pleased with myself after riding the SART to the ocean before work

After a quick rest, I turned around and headed back to the gym so I could wash my sweaty ass before work.  I've gotta admit the ride to the ocean was really fun and is something I'll probably do again on a semi regular basis.  Not only is it a great ride, its pretty satisfying to know you're getting in over an hour of exercise before you even get to work.

Morning greatness on the SART near its beginning in Huntington Beach

Best of all, when I finished my ride, I was surprised to discover my ass wasn't sore, my legs felt just fine, and my speed was pretty good the entire 18.5 miles.  I'd be lying if I didn't feel like I was a freaking bike pro!

In case you've ever wondered where the SART begins, this is it.  Maybe someday I'll head north and find out where the SART ends.