The storm yesterday was not quite as bad as I expected. There was a gusty wind and light rain most of the day. From what I heard, the higher elevations had it much worse with much stronger winds. I’m glad I made it down the mountains before it hit. I was still feeling Thursday’s long ride a bit, but needed to get back on the road.

Like Lincoln and Denver, today’s ride through Sacramento was mostly on a multi-use path that followed the American River. The first separated bike path built in the United States was built in Brooklyn in the late 19th century. It follow Ocean Parkway and connects the largest park in Brooklyn with the beaches of Coney Island. It was made with concrete and, over the years, different sections of concrete have settled to different levels. Sometimes, there can be as much as two or three inches between the top of one section and the top of the next section. It makes for a very rough ride. The path is basically useless for bicycles.

Both Lincoln and Denver used concrete for their bike paths. They are new enough that it isn’t a problem yet. In a few years, however, they may have the same problem as the Ocean Parkway path. The Denver path is already starting to show signs of uneven settling in areas. The Sacramento path, however, was made with asphalt. It was smooth even though there were signs of age. I have a feeling, the Sacramento path will probably outlast and be cheaper to maintain than the Lincoln and Denver paths.

The path ended abruptly in Old Sacramento, when it became a replica of a wooden train platform. The wood was too rough to ride over and there were plenty of tourists wandering around without paying attention to what was going on around them. I had to leave the trail for a bit.

As I left Sacramento, the headwind picked up. I rode a short distance to Davis and called it a day. I should be able to get to Napa, where one of my brothers lives, in a day. So, I’m not too disappointed about the relatively short distance today.