Swami's Cycling Club: Guru News

August 2026

President's Corner

Fellow Swami's members, I hope all of you have been making the most of the summer riding opportunities.It's been great to see our regular rides growing in size, and it's also awesome, when I'm on a solo ride, to intersect with so many of you on your own rides.

I'm looking for your thoughts on our regular San Clemente ride. Because Camp Pendleton has stopped issuing new passes, fewer and fewer of you can ride through the base. So, we're considering changing the route to take the 5 between Oceanside and Las Pulgas (7 miles) instead. What are your thoughts? Tell us here and help us understand how this change might affect your participation. As for me, I consider the Surfin Donuts blueberry fritters well worth the highway segment.

Now that we’ve reached the middle of summer, I also want to remind everyone to take extra care that you’re properly hydrated and have all of the electrolytes and macronutrients you need. Don't try to wing it - set yourself up so you don't have to worry about hitting the wall. Some Swamis have also found ways to turn their jerseys into ice vests - another worthwhile summer experiment!

Finally I hope to see you all at our second annual Tour de Carlsbad on August 15. Don’t let the elevation scare you - the groups stay together, regroup frequently, and there are plenty of breaks. You’ll also probably visit parts of Carlsbad that you haven’t seen before, at a pace that will let you take in the views, unless you're competing for the KOM/QOM segments...

See you on the road!

Michael Reich

8/2 Social Ride

On Sunday, August 2, we're hosting our monthly Swami's Social Ride. It’s a conversationally-paced ride where you can meet long-time as well as new Swami’s members. Check out all of the details here. We start and finish the Social Rides at Bird Rock Coffee Roasters in Bressi Ranch (map). Wear a Swami's kit from any year to get a coffee and baked good on Swami’s! Have a classic bike you like to show off? This is the ride.

Route: 33.5 mi/1539’ https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48626897

8/8 Cabrillo Ride

On Saturday, August 8, we’ll ride to Cabrillo National Monument, one of our favorite rides south! Once there, you can ride down to the tidepools and then back up, or stay around the gift shop and take in the views. If you have an annual Cabrillo pass, bring it along - it will provide admission for you and 3 other cyclists. There are usually enough passes to cover everyone, but in the unlikely event you need one, a 1-day cyclist pass is $10 at the gate.

Route: 66 mi/2648’ https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44164504

8/15 Tour de Carlsbad

The Tour de Carlsbad is back! On Saturday, August 15, we'll start from Lost Abbey and ride 54 miles with 6000+ feet of elevation with a twist; we’re staying within the city limits of Carlsbad the entire time!

This route takes you through the city roads in a way we don’t normally get to explore them. As much as possible, we avoid taking the main roads and instead twist and turn you through the beautiful streets of Carlsbad.

We will have designated A/B Group and C and D Group ride leaders that know the route and will set a proper pace for the groups. These ride leaders will be in front at all times and will be calling out the turns and giving a heads up for what is to come but please come with the route loaded on your device. We will be regrouping after the climbs, and there are gas station stops at mile 16 and 30.

Route: 54 miles, 6135′ https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52393254

For more information, see the Tour de Carlsbad event post.