Lance invited me to join team F5 with him and his fellow work buddies. I rode Bike MS Washington once before and decided I would only do it again with a team. Well, being part of team F5 made it better than ever. F5 went above and beyond as a host. I felt welcome, cozy, and well-appointed. One of the team captains commutes to work from near where I live. The other team caption made his famous “loaf”. This “loaf” comprised of some 15 or more boxes of rice crispies, cocoa crispies, chocolate chips and a year’s supply of marshmallows. It sat in a large plastic tub, bigger than you would wash your dishes in. One sliced off what they wanted with a long knife. The treat was both delicious and strangely satisfying. He also made tasty (and strong) margs’ for everyone. Many F5’ers rode with their teenage children. Three other riders had white Specialized Roubaix’, just like mine.

Day 1 Recap (more day 1 details below):

Highlights

• Starting the ride first, as an award for being on the “number 1 fundraising team”. Hearing all the cheers and the Harley’s roaring for us.

• The cheerful cheerleaders at the Deception Pass stop, “5-6-7-8-who do we appreciate-THE BIKERS-THE BIKERS”

• The really friendly “Disney VoluntEAR” wearing Minnie Mouse ears who told us all about the route for the rest of the day in pro tour-guide fashion.

• Watching birds crack open clamshells by dropping them on the bike path right in front of me.

• Riding through crops with identifying signage; potatoes, wheat, cover crop.

• The cornfield that advertised, “We have big EARS” and pictures of Alfred E. Neuman’s bastard children.

• The lone beer drinkin’ dude on a truck at the Chuckanut Brewery’s nuthouse cheering us on.

• The couples sitting out on their porch overlooking Padilla Bay and waving Pennsylvania style.

• Aussie Bites at the rest stops.

• The numerous volunteers who watched traffic for us and were fun and cheerful

• The chapter president met us and remembered my name.

• The large number of other white Roubaix bikes like mine.

• That massive flock of birds that took flight right as we passed, turning the sky all around us black for a moment.

• Stopping traffic to cross the Deception Pass Bridge, creating a massive backup and nobody went road-rage about it.

• The flocks of people cheering their brains out at the finish line. This is how the rides should be!

• Watching cyclists do the “I Ride with MS Victory Lap” and not turning into a sobbing mass. Although someone was cutting onions nearby.

• The coolest SAG wagon; a federation starfleet jeep.

• Riding past Lake Erie. I was born in Lake Erie. Who knew I was a west coast native?!

Weather:

The forecast called for 75 degrees and overcast, in line with the weather the whole week leading up to the ride. I felt pretty confident we would be treated with the same pleasant temperatures. It was the last minute that I decided to toss in a rain jacket and a fender. I didn’t bring and sleeves, legs, or any of my numerous warm weather gear. Murphy’s Law, perhaps? I could have easily worn more. Temps barely rode above 65 Saturday, and the waterfront routes ensured it felt cooler than it was. It wasn’t too cold by any means, it just could have been warmer. I wore my rain jacket the second day, mostly for warmth. Turns out I felt plenty warm, and the heavens blessed us by making the rain part of the jacket unnecessary. The best treat of the trip was the lightning and thunder storm. Lance and I got to enjoy the storm of the century from the comfort of my van. Lightning and thunder- an unusual display for the Seattle area, lit up the skies for hours Saturday night. Other Bike MS campers oohed and awwwwed at each magnificent flash. The soft rain puttering on the roof put us right to sleep. Then the magnificent bright flashes woke us up again.

Mechanicals:

None! Can you believe it! Lance rode his ebike and it performed like a dream! My bike gave me no complaints. It may have helped that a certain live-in-barista cleaned my bike up for me before the ride.

Roadkill:

This ride showed us unique roadkill, especially for Washington state. I rarely see any roadside death here: Opossum, rabbit, frog (belly up!)

Day 1 Details:

Day 2 Details:

Photos of the Ride: