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Category: Cycling

Bikepacking New Brighton SB

Published September 3, 2023 by doug

There wasn’t a whole lot of information online about Bike Camping at New Brighton State Beach, so here are some of my notes after a recent stay there.

There’s not much info on bicycle campsites on the State Parks website. When you check in you get a flyer with some good information:

Bicycle Campsite – New Brighton State Beach

Bike campsites for en route campers only

  • Must have a bicycle* to register for campsite
  • Limit is one night only
  • Check in time is 4:00pm – Check out time is 9:00am
  • Fees must be paid before occupying campsite
  • No guests permitted
  • Use limited to 10 days in a calendar year with a minimum of 48 hours between stays

Failure to comply will result in citation and/or ejection from campground
*Bicycle defined as per CVC 231
Title XIV CCR 4300, 4302, 4323(a)

CVC 231 states:


A bicycle is a device upon which a person may ride, propelled exclusively by human power, except as provided in Section 312.5, through a belt, chain, or gears, and having one or more wheels. A person riding a bicycle is subject to the provisions of this code specified in Sections 21200 and 21200.5. An electric bicycle is a bicycle.

Some more details about the campsite:

  • $5 fee for campsite
  • Flush Toilets
  • Showers
  • Fire pit, wood from camp host
  • Cell Service
  • Bear Lockers
  • Water

Around New Brighton

Capitola Village
A STROLL THROUGH CAPITOLA VILLAGE – Visit Santa Cruz County
A short walk from the campsite. You can walk along the beach on a low tide. Lots of restaurants and coffee shops.

Sante Adairius Rustic Ales // Brewery
https://rusticales.com
103 Kennedy Dr, Capitola, CA 95010
Less than a mile from the campsite. Some of the best sour beers in California.

Pizza My Heart
https://www.pizzamyheart.com/location/pizza-my-heart-capitola-41st-ave/
2180 41st Ave, Capitola, CA 95010
(831) 475-6000
Will deliver to your campsite.

Gayle’s Bakery
http://www.gaylesbakery.com/
504 Bay Ave, Capitola, CA 95010
Best breakfast spot in Capitola

Nob Hill Foods
809 Bay Ave, Capitola, CA 95010
Closest grocery store

Looking for other bike campsites in California?

  1. Go to: Find a Park
  2. Select “By Feature”
  3. Select “OVERNIGHT FACILITIES”
  4. Check: “Hike or Bike Campsites”
  5. Click on “Show Results on Map”
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Serfas Thunderbolt USB Taillight Warranty

Published November 12, 2014 by doug

serfasThunderbolt I previous wrote about how much I liked the  Serfas Thunderbolt USB Taillight. Well now I have even more reason to like it.  A couple of weeks ago, a plastic piece inside the USB connector broke off.  This is the same plastic piece you see on all female mini USB connectors.  I think this is bad design on USB’s part, not Serfas.  I assume it broke because of the almost daily plugging in to be recharged.

I was about to order a new one, but decided to check out their warranty page: Serfas Warranty  I emailed their warranty email address about my problem and got a response within 30 minutes.  They said to mail it in and they would fix or replace it.

I mailed it in and about a week later I got a package at my door with a brand new Taillight.  This is an awesome product from a company who stands behind their product.   I highly recommend it. You can buy the Serfas Thunderbolt on Amazon I’ve already bought one for my kids.

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Bike Lights

Published February 2, 2014 by doug

For the past nine months, I have been riding my bike to work. It’s a little over 7 miles each way. During the summertime, there is plenty of light in the morning and evening. In October of 2013, when it started getting darker earlier, I had to upgrade my bike lights. I ended up with a Lumina 700 for my headlight and a Serfas Thunderbolt for my taillight. I’ve been very happy with both. I’ve had other bikers, people in cars and people on the road ask me about both of them. They’ve been impressed about how bright they are. Here are some more details.

Lumina 700

NightRider Lumina 700
What I like about the Lumina 700:

  • It has three levels of brightness. It’s plenty bright to light up the dark road on my route where there are no street lights.
  • It has a flash mode with I use for daylight riding. It’s super bright and cars can see me
  • It’s rechargeable via USB. I usually charge at night, but when I forget it’s easy to plugin at work.
  • It’s light weight

You can read all the specs at the Lumina 700 product page. It’s a great light and I highly recommend it. You can buy the Lumina 700 on Amazon for $97. That about $20 cheaper then when I bought it.

Serfas Thunderbolt USB Taillight

serfasThunderbolt

What I like about the Serfas Thunderbolt:

  • It’s the brightest taillight I’ve ever seen. I’ve had several people comment on that.
  • It’s rechargeable via USB. I usually charge at night, but when I forget it’s easy to plugin at work.
  • It mounts on the seat post and is very easy to put on or remove.

You can read all the specs at the THUNDERBOLT (USB) TAIL LIGHT. You can buy the Serfas Thunderbolt on Amazon for $36 – $45 depending on the color.

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