The Daily Bread

Date: August 30, 2008
Distance: 30.00 miles
Total Riding Time: 2 hours 47 minutes

Neither of us felt like riding yesterday, but we’re glad we did. We awoke at 7:00 which meant having to fly out of bed, get ready in a hurry, and leave by 7:30 to meet the group at 8:00. Unfortunately, we forgot to grab a food bar before we left and we didn’t stop for breakfast until around 10:30. Fortunately, it was an easy 25 miles and the meal awaiting us at Le Pain Quotidien (“The Daily Bread”) in Claremont was worth every hungry mile.

This was our first visit to Le Pain Quotidien (pronounced “Le Pawn Ko-TID-ee-en”) and it certainly won’t be our last. I was hungry enough to eat one of everything on the menu but, somehow, I narrowed it down to the granola & yogurt parfait, a tall parfait class filled with layers of organic low-fat yogurt and granola, topped with beautiful fresh fruit and a fresh mint leaf.

The wonderful coffee was delivered in a small pitcher accompanied with a smaller pitcher of cream. The coffee cup was a new experience — a small bowl without a handle. Oh, I almost forgot the $4.00 glass of orange juice which tasted fresh-squeezed.

Dorothy ordered iced coffee and a bowl of fresh fruit, and Bill got the soft-boiled eggs with organic breads. They patiently waited for me to take several shots before digging in.

Next time, I’ll order something that includes one of their breads so I can try the Belgian chocolate hazelnut spread and the two jams in jars on the table. I glanced at everyone’s plate, and every dish looked like a photo off the cover of a magazine.

The food was extremely satisfying, but our rides aren’t all about food. Hey, who am I kidding? Actually, they are all about food, but “getting there” is half the fun.

The ride itself was an easy ride along Arrow Highway and the bike trail through Upland and Rancho Cucamonga. The bike trail is nice since it has no cars. On Arrow Highway, we passed 3 dead crows lying on their backs near the curb just blocks from each other — a tell-tale sign of West Nile Virus in the area. We made a mental note of the locations so we can report them to Vector Control.

After brunch, Jim and I stopped at Jax bicycle shop in Claremont to see if they have any Trek 7.x FX series bikes in stock so I can check my size. I’m shopping for a bike to replace my hybrid bike which is too big for me. We determined my size and I rode a Trek 7300 around the neighborhood. We arranged for a test ride on a Trek 7.3 FX, and headed for home.

Back home, I immediately ate a banana (an excellent source of post-ride-recovery carbs and potassium replenishment) and assembled some sandwiches for lunch. Amazingly, I forgot about the frozen homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in the freezer!

As always, another fun ride-for-food with this most fun group. And looking forward to the next one!