If there’s one thing I’ve learned to cope with over the years, it’s the inevitable hungover road ride. You’re up drinking the night before and chances are, you’ve only had a few hours sleep. What I wasn’t expecting however, during our recent stay in Bakersfield during the ATOC, was to roll out of bed without coffee or breakfast, only to be hammering in a 20+ mph paceline for 10 miles. We stayed with Gareth Feldstein, a local racer, who promised an early morning ride through the oil fields and hills.

The temperature in Bakersfield, much like Austin, requires you to get out on the road bright and early to beat the upper 90’s. We did just that. At 5:30am we rolled out and reeled in 60 miles, around 3,800′ of elevation with an 18mph average. Oh and I ran over a squirrel…

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