This cache is NOT at the stated coordinates.
These coordinates take you to the California Bicycle Museum, at least until it finds a more permanent home. Check the museum's web page if you want to pay a visit, as the hours and availability vary quite a bit.
Why put the California Bicycle Museum in Davis? Maybe because of the city's recognition as a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. Only two other cities (Portland and Boulder) have attained the Platinum level. Scattered around Davis you will find purple signs celebrating this achievement. Look at this page's background image for an example.
To find this cache you must first locate all seven of the seven of the nine* Bicycle Friendly Community signs. The first seven are sufficient to solve the puzzle. I've provided the whole-digit degree and minutes coordinates for each sign. When you find one, note the actual coordinates in DD MM.MMM (degrees and decimal minutes) format. The first digit of the thousandths for each coordinate is a clue to the cache's final location. To avoid errors due to GPS gremlins, add 0.010 to each coordinate before recording that first digit. Ready? Here are the partial coordinates.
| Sign |
North |
West |
| #1 |
N 38° 32. A__ |
W 121° 41.B__ |
| #2 |
N 38° 32. C__ |
W 121° 43. D__ |
| #3 |
N 38° 32. E__ |
W 121° 44. F__ |
| #4 |
N 38° 32. G__ |
W 121° 47. H__ |
| #5 |
N 38° 34. I__ |
W 121° 43. J__ |
| #6 |
N 38° 34. K__ |
W 121° 46. L__ |
| #7 |
N 38° 33. M__ |
W 121° 40. N__ |
| #8 (bonus) |
N 38° 33. B__ |
W 121° 47. H__ |
| #9 (bonus) |
N 38° 34. I__ |
W 121° 44. J__ |
Now let's run a few calculations using those digits.
| O = |
J / I |
| P = |
D - B |
| Q = |
N + I |
OKAY! The final coordinates are:
N 38° AK.HQF W 121° EO.PCM
The search for signs will take you all over Davis, but the final cache is within around two miles of the stated coordinates. Watch out for muggles at ground zero – it's on a popular biking and walking path. The cache itself has a screw-on top – please don't over-tighten it!
Hey, if you enjoy biking around Davis on a Geocaching treasure hunt, try my other multi-stop bicycle challenge, Davis - A Bike-Friendly Town.
* I've confirmed with Tara Goddard, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the City of Davis, that these nine are ALL of the signs. Hey, and my asking reminded her to put the new stickers on the signs so they say 2005-2011 instead of 2005-2007.
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.