Why did I decide to ride my bike in the middle of a 100 degree day? Well, what else am I going to do? I’m glad my rubber didn’t melt consider the heat waves this year cooked all the onion in Walla Walla while they were still in the ground.
Fall time riding
The leaves are nearly all fallen. The color was amazing this year, each leaf’s hue deeper and more vibrant than years’ past. I took a brisk, crisp ride out with Cascade Bicycle Club. This series is called the SNOCO; one that takes place in the fall around Snohomish county. I enjoyed the group quite a bit last year. I forgot how much. This group include a larger percentage of women that usual, many who are in the vicinity of my age. There’s even one who rides with the same socks I do. Pretty good time!
Bike MS Deception Pass 2019
Team F5 is the first team out of the start line chute!
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.
Team F5 crossed the start line first in 2019 among cheers from riders and rumbles from the Harleys. Team F5 raised more money than all other teams in 2018, so everyone really had something to cheer about!
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.
Seattle lightning credit: reddit.com
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:
Another Bike MS Washington?
Map from Bike MS Washington
So…I a friend is thinking about doing this ride with his work team. I did this ride once, and was nonplussed doing it as a solo rider. The ride had such a corporate preference that a solo rider had nowhere to fit in. But…if I could join a corporate team….well, that temps me like you’d never believe! Let’s do this!
The Princess and her Bike
We cyclists are a picky bunch. I left my commuter at work last night. Really I had other things going on that made riding home inconvenient, but I prefer to blame the dangerous windstorm that fell upon Seattle. I decided to take a ride today at the last minute and because of the things left at work I didn’t have my usual gear. I didn’t have a heart rate monitor. There’s no point in riding without one (!), so I had to get out my old broken one that was too tight. I didn’t have my headband, so I wore a beanie that hit my ears such to amplify the wind noise to a frightening level. It took almost an hour to get used to it. I didn’t have my gloves, so I wore the un-padded backup pair I got in Italy. I had to grip hard due to the slick rain and slick gloves and my hands felt cramped for most of the ride. I wore a different pair of socks, just for the fun of it. They were thicker than my usual pair, but oddly enough my feet felt cold and squishy. I didn’t have my nice new prescription sunglasses. I wore an old pair that was too dark. I also felt blind without prescription lenses. I didn’t have my usual water bottles, so I had to use some backups that are harder to open and get water out of. They paired terribly with the gloves, which were slick. I simply couldn’t get a drink with the bottle and glove combo. I got used to all of these changes by the end of the ride, but it took some time. It chuckled to myself. I do the same ride with the same trusty gear so often every nuanced difference stands out. Somehow I survived. Somehow I got to enjoy the majestic views allowed by the clear sky. Somehow I got so soak in the sunshine and fresh air. I know, it’s rough doing the best most fun thing ever.
Spotted: gigantic geese, goats, a very stern and tiny dog, friendly couples taking walks and wishing us “Merry Christmas!,” people hollering “Merry Christmas” out of their cars, tons of fallen debris from last night’s storm, a Santa scarecrow perched on a bench on the side of the road, a large house with a sprawling front yard and what appeared to be 40 or so larger-than-life inflatable holiday decorations.
Ride Time Capsule Tuesday: Reach the Beach 2011 Pacific City, Oregon
Still the best ride ever, 2011’s Reach the Beach did not disappoint. I rode with a group of friends at all different riding levels. A drizzly, cooler ride this year, and still the best.
Ride Time Capsule Tuesday: Reach the Beach 2009 Pacific City, Oregon
I can’t find a previous blog I wrote about this ride, but I’m sure I did somewhere. It was a magical day. I forgot my sunglass and bought a new pair at the start line. How convenient that they were sold there! They turned out to be one of the best pairs of sunglasses I ever had. Zoe and I started out together and quickly picked up the other 2 dudes in the photo. I don’t remember who they were, but we ended up pacelining together almost the entire ride. We all rode at complimentary paces, which is hard to find! There we a few stretches that randoms added to out caboose, making our line 20 people long at one point. Amazing day!
This ride is a fundraiser for The American Lung Association, and remains to this day my favorite route of all time!
RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party) 2018
I first heard about RSVP when I rode the STP (Seattle to Portland Ride) years ago. I decided then that I had to do it. I mean, it has the word "party" in it! Back then, the rider registration filled up early on. It was such a popular ride that a second one was offered. Even though there were 2 options, the dates didn't work in with my schedule year after year. This was my lucky year. The Wooleaters decided to do it again (several of them have done the ride before) and I jumped in. There's something better about finishing a ride that just happened to be on your 'bucket list'.
Distance: 189 (over 2 days)
Pace: enthusiastic tight riding team
Mechanicals: We had a list of strange, but not debilitating 'mechanicals'. I lost my gloves in the rest room at the Lynden rest area. After looking for them I assumed all was lost, but Jessi suggested I check the food table again. After that recommendation, I saw them at the mechanic's tent. Yay! Bryant left his sunglasses in his luggage and had to buy a cheesy gas station pair. They were fabulous. Jessi's fender decided to rub on her tire weirdly. She stopped at a mechanic and they fixed it. Bryant stepped on his fender flap and it fell off. I decided it was due as well, considering all he did was step on it. Abby's fender also made a weird noise for some reason. Then at the very end of her ride her bell fell off the bike and she had to loop around to look of it.
Flats: I got a flat riding out the gate. Literally 2 minutes in. A thorn. Guess I was due.
Wildlife: There was much, but most notable were the black squirrels of northern Washington and at the Canada border. Not much road kill to speak of.
Weather: Smoke from nearby fires made the air quality dangerously poor, with the index over 150 in places. News mentioned breathing Washington air was as unhealthy as smoking 7 cigarettes and that the air was worse then Beijing. But. It lifted Friday morning just before the ride started and sunk again in full force Sunday after the ride was long over. In fact, the drive home Sunday exposed me to some of the worst air I've ever breathed. The temperatures were cool. I wore my new little jacket all morning both days. I could have been more heavily dressed, but I was also fine as I was. I've been inordinately lucky in weather lately.
Snacks: ride stops early on treated us with delicious muffins, scones and hard-boiled eggs. Each stop had stuffed Cliff bars, some sort of dried fruit and fresh fruit option. One stop handed out entire sleeves of Oreo's. Water was aplenty, but some of the spigots ran very slow. Overly sweet Nuun was available at every stop; I took some for the last push of each day. The Canada stops boasted a cookie in a Kiwi box. I excitedly grabbed several, curious what a Kiwi cookie would taste like. Turns out they were ordinary chocolate chip cookies that happened to be packed in a Kiwi box. I grabbed a Rice Crispies treat to save for Bryan. But I ate it at the Chuckanut viewpoint and it was delicious. The best stop wasn't a sanctioned one. Hosted by a family as a fundraiser, perfectly poised that the top of the last hill on Chuckanut drive. Known near and far as the lemonade stand, signs preparing us for the stop started cheering us on miles early. "Clap! Clap! Clap!" they said, and other comments about how awesome we were and how much we needed lemonade. They were raising money for college. I guess in years past they raised money for various camps, back to having their kids, back to getting married, and then on. This family grew up with RSVP going by their house every year.
Meals: RSVP had a clever option for lunch on day 1. Several local businesses offered a "ride meal" that you could exchange with a coupon attached to your bib. You could also exchange the coupon for $7 of food inside the restaurant. We chose this option at the Stilly Diner. Kreg ordered pancakes. I ordered French toast. My meal appeared, a tiny pat of food on a gigantic plate. Kreg's order arrived, massive pancakes bigger than his head. It was not clear how to options priced the same could be so different, but Kreg kindly shared his. He gave me way too much. I drank several cups of coffee from the coffee pot. This is a new thing I never used to do. Once we arrived in Bellingham, we ate at the Brewery. I had a too-sweet cider and delicious poutine. The hotel we overnighted in offered a breakfast in the waiting room of the front desk. It was pretty good. I ate Trader Joe's style hash browns, an English muffin, sausage, and a hard boiled egg. I did not have enough caffeine. The party portion after the ride in Vancouver boasted a beer garden. We sat there for a spell, but they only offered beer so I drank nothing. After that we had another food ticket for the food trucks at the park. After waiting in line for a long time at the choice food truck, they ran out of food so we grabbed some corn on a stick at another, but they wouldn't accept the meal ticket so we grabbed some hot dogs too. After eating all that food, we ate more at a lavish Italian joint in downtown Vancouver.
Videos of the Ride
Photos of the Ride
Many photos credited to The Wooleaters
Ride Details
Note that a programming error from Garmin made day 1 appear to happen on Thursday evening when really it happened Friday morning.
Ride Time capsule: Wooleaters Solstice Swiftcampout
The Tuesday Ride Time Capsule captures past rides that haven't been shared yet. Enjoy!
Abby's ride report said it best. Here are some exerts from the report:
“Jessi, Kristin, Betsy, Amanda and I started our voyage at the Fremont PCC at precisely 8:05 am. Kristin, Betsy & Jessi were slightly late due to a minor mechanical with Kristin’s shifters; I was slightly late as per usual. Amanda was on time as per usual. It was cool and overcast.
We meandered across the Fremont bridge, to downtown via the Westlake trail and got to the water taxi station on Alaskan around 8:45 am. With plenty of time to spare until the next ferry, we ventured up the street to Top Pot Donuts where donuts and caffeinated beverages were purchased and consumed. Some sheep were fed...
...We boarded the West Seattle water taxi at 9:30 am and arrived at Alki Beach approximately 15 minutes later. There was virtually no one out on Alki so we enjoyed a pleasant ride to the ferry...We...continued on our way to the Fauntleroy ferry and boarded.
We arrived in Southworth around 11:30 am, and proceeded to ride out to the campground. No one was on the roads, which had stunning views of the sound and nearby Bainbridge Island. We hugged the coastline, watching herons stalking their unsuspecting prey in the tide flats. The sun slowly started to emerge from the clouds. ”
Photos compliments of the #Wooleaters
Then we rode on to Manchester State Park, our camping destination. Abby's report continues:
“We locked up the bikes and went down to the beach for a picnic lunch. Many delicious snacks were consumed, including ocean-cleaning mussels, Amanda’s no-bake chocolate peanut butter oat cookies, peanut butter pretzel crack and much much more. The sun cast off her cloudy rainment and blessed us with her beaming warmth. Betsy got a little too excited about a wedding party that was taken place at the park shelter and went off to make new friends.
Eric arrived via car around 3 pm and we agreed it would be an excellent day for some kayaking. We rented all of the kayaks available and took a little paddle out around the bay, where we spotted kingfishers, gigantic jellyfish, minnows jumping and a curious seal. Betsy and Kristin ventured into an off-limits government facility that smelled like death. We all turned around and headed back to shore. It was time for more snacks (and booze)!
Eric got to work building a fire that was soon a roaring blaze, and we had to purchase more firewood to keep up with his firebug ways. We had some beer and a stinky fish taste test courtesy of Kristin. For dinner we had orichette (aka cervical cap) pasta with fresh basil, goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic, spinach and stinky fish. Everyone adjusted per their dietary needs/preferences, and all agreed it was one of the best meals they’d ever had the pleasure to eat in the great outdoors. Whiskey was consumed in great quantities and Eric read us a little of The Thirteen Clocks as we toasted smores...Betsy elected to sleep in the hammock, while the rest of us got cozy in our tents.
The next morning we awoke to find Betsy asleep on top of the picnic table — apparently hammock sleeping is indeed an acquired taste. Kristin made everyone a mini cup of coffee in the charming tiny coffee maker Roger found at Goodwill. We spent a leisurely morning eating hard-boiled eggs and oatmeal, and lounging by the delightful breakfast fire that Kristin made. Around 10:45 am we were fully packed up and ready to roll. The sun was out and it was warm but not too hot. A low fog hung above the surface of the water as we rode back to Southworth, and we could see the mist evaporating as the day grew hotter. We rolled into Southworth just as the 11:10 ferry was arriving (30 minutes late) and were pleasantly surprised to be catching an earlier ferry back to West Seattle than we expected. More snacks were consumed. Jessi abandoned us to drink a beer and eat tater tots in the cantina.
The scene on Alki Beach was completely different than the previous day. Small children, oblivious pedestrians and inexperienced bicycle riders created a challenging obstacle course for the Lady Wools, but we wove our way through the crowds without incident and even passed a sexist dude without a glance behind us. We got to the water taxi station at approximately 1:25. Would Abby have enough time to buy some fish tacos at Marination Station before the 2 pm water taxi arrived? It was a very close call, but she made onto the boat with minutes to spare and enjoyed some tiny but excellent tacos on the boat ride back to downtown.
This was just the fuel needed to get back to Fremont. We rode along the Elliott Bay Trail, enjoying the incredible views of Rainier and the waterfront, and not enjoying all the tourists crowding the bike path. We took the ship canal trail back to the Fremont Bridge and Abby encouraged everyone to break the law by racing across the bridge as the bell was ringing for a ship to go through the drawbridge. After this last sprint, it was time to part. We chatted up an older gentleman who was wearing a RSVP jersey and riding a sweet titanium steed that was fitted for travel. Jessi, Betsy & Kristin headed off to Ballard and Amanda and Abby climbed one last hill up to Fremont. The journey had come to an end.
Total mileage: 47 miles give or take depending on starting location
Pace: leisurely
Mechanicals: One
Crashes: One
Flats: Nope
Wool: check!
Sheep: check!
Number of times Kristin attempted to explain the meaning of wool eaters to a complete stranger: At least 3”
Uneeda Bike Ride (with Unicorns on the side)
An example of collaborative planning in the simplest sense. Abby suggested we ride on Saturday (rain was planned to saturate Sunday). Bryant picked the Green River Trail Route (the route proved to be low in wind and traffic). I picked the start time (rain started just as our ride came to a close). We had a delightful finish at Uneeda Burger where I enjoyed a tasty Rhubarb Seattle Cider.
Emerald City Bike Ride 2018
When you start riding at 5:30am in a heavy downpour with 30mph wind gusts...on a Sunday, you know you are going to an organized ride. When you see dozens of other riders on the streets with you, you know it's because they are going to the same ride as you...and that they are only going because they paid for it.
Beautiful start to #EmeraldCityRide! A little light rain isn’t gonna stop us! pic.twitter.com/UDQ0CrvpJq
— Cascade Bicycle Club (@CascadeBicycle) April 8, 2018
We started out wet and chilly. My Showers Pass jacket lost its waterproofing, so I layered another rain jacket underneath...that also lost it's waterproofing. My right arm has streams of water running down my sleeves within moments. I tried to prevent my Reynaud's fingers from acting up by lining my thick winter gloves with hand warmers, even though the 45 degree temp didn't call for that much warmth. It didn't work. Water soaked through to my hands and my precious shifting digits went numb before I even got to the start. Abby didn't have shoe booties and struggled having the same disappointing jacket as me. Bryant had a better jacket, but didn't seem to be any more comfortable. The cluster of a start line didn't know anything about our "souvenir" tickets and lacked the breakfast-y food options I planned for. What were we doing?
The the road started. Riding up the SR-99 viaduct opened up into quintessential Seattle; rain, ferries, the big wheel, The Space Needle (complete with construction), construction cranes as far as the eye could see, sea gulls, Elliott bay. We reveled in the glory of riding on a wide, smooth carless road. What would it be like to commute to downtown, safe from hazards and with views of the Olympic Mountains?
We rode up Aurora Avenue, crossing the Aurora Bridge. This infamous bridge is known for the tragic tour bus collision of 2015 and the bus driver shooting of 1998. Judging by it's outdated design, I can only assume many more died less sensationally over this bridge. On a bike, the bridge felt pleasant and delightful. The road seemed more accommodating on a bike than it does in a car.
Then, it was onto the I-5 express lanes. As we rode of the ramp during Emerald CIty's inaugural ride, I only felt tingling sensations of splendor with increasing magnitude. Today's express lane experience couldn't have felt more opposite. The cold wind howled. Water dumped in regular breaks from the breaks in the bridge above. The dismal view gave nothing to the spirit. And it just kept climbing. The deafening sound from cars on the freeway hurt to listen to.
Then we hopped into the tunnel. Fun again! Hoots and hollers, call and response, bells dinging. I even caught a guy writing graffiti in the soot of the tunnel walls. The day increasingly improved from here. The spirits of each Wooleater lifted. We crossed the finish line, and started the ride all over again. More people seemed to be starting the ride than when we started the first time. The sky got a little brighter, the air got a little warmer, and we started having a lot more fun.
Emerald City Bike Ride Sunday
The Wooleaters and I rode the first-ever Emerald City Bike Ride. It felt so epic being part of a first, that I felt no interest being part of the second. The route enticed me this year, however, and I feel compelled to do it again. We'll be riding over the Aurora bridge, which seems novel, especially since the bf once suggested it as a commute route. More exciting is the route taking us over the viaduct. The viaduct! Can a bike takeover in Seattle get any more epic than that? I don't think so.
Join me in getting pumped for this ride by revisiting posts I made about the first time. And for all of you non-cyclists in Seattle: don't get in a car on Sunday. Period. Especially if you have any interested in getting downtown, or out of town, or anywhere really.
Happy Holidays!
The commuter is all ready for the annual Wooleater Jingle Bell Ride. Totally getting into the holiday spirit. Even playing Christmas songs. It should be a great ride!
RSVP 2018
Cascade's RSVP ride has been on the bucket list since I found out the "P" stands for PARTY! I mean, a ride has to be a good time when it has party right there in the name, right? Well, I am pretty excited. It sounds like the Wooleaters are gearing up to do this ride in 2018, and I already have one foot clipped in!
PSA: Stay vigilant on the road; unseen hazards are all around!
Last weekend I rode with a large group on the east side of greater Seattle; Bellevue, Renton, Issaquah, and neighboring areas. Washington is often considered the friendliest state for cyclists to ride in. I generally agree. The city of Seattle is a city of passive and inattentive drivers, so while it is not a bad city to bike in, I don’t think it’s the best. Outside of Seattle, the roads and the behaviors immediately improve. I am impressed by how I can visibly see the friendliness increasing the farther I get out of town. You can imagine my surprise when a line of vehicles honked, yelled, and flipped off the string of us riders last weekend. We were riding on a wide, newer road with a wide shoulder and no bike lane. The weather was clear and dry. The cyclist in front of me switched gears as the incline switched grade, and his chain fell off. He recovered pretty quickly, and was able to get it back on track with his foot. I didn’t sway, but I did brake suddenly when he lost momentum. I couldn’t see the riders behind me, but they were all aware as they hollered, “Are you OK? Can you get your chain back on?” I have to wonder if the vehicles all honked at us because we were an unorganized mess at that moment (they drove past me less than a minute after the guy’s chain was back on). His whole ordeal lasted seconds, but it caused 10 people to brake and swerve and we all probably looked erratic from the viewpoint of a driver. Some of the riders behind me may have even swerved on to the road, I am not sure. This is the sort of incident that, had any of us been any less attentive or riding any more quickly or closely, could have been a disaster. Just one tire touching another could have meant the whole lot of us crashing. It’s probably more likely that the drivers just had some hate they had to get out of their system, and cyclists made a good outlet. But I wonder if that erratic ripple is what made them honk. I hope not. Often cars assume cyclists need to ride perfectly on the shoulder of a road, without ever changing their course. The shoulder of a road poses several hazards for cyclists that drivers probably never think of. Potholes, wet leaves, broken glass, roadkill, drainage grates, and parked cars are all roadside dangers to a cyclist. In this case, a mechanical issue is another invisible danger that could put a cyclist’s head under a car tire in seconds. We were all riding the safest we possibly could, but some hazards are out of our control. This is my reminder for all travelers to stay ever vigilant on the road, as something might happen to the person next to you that is undetectable yet completely uncontrollable.
Cougar Mountain! Zoo Hill!
I completed my first climb of Cougar Mountain/Zoo Hill! Actually, I very well may have done this climb before, before I knew how “legendary” it was. It’s one of the steepest climbs in the area. I hear cyclists can reach grades up to 20% depending on what part of the road they are on during the turns. A couple of years back, I looked for places to get climbing training nearby, and time and time again this climb jumped up as the best. The numbers intimidated me; what?! 17%?! I can’t keep up on 6% climbs! I didn’t plan the climb, and my legs were already spent from riding the day before, and yet, I did it. I’m pleased with my performance. I didn’t try to go fast, I only tried to keep from stopping. And once I got to the top, I felt surprised that was all it was (You can actually see this, by how much I sped up on the last segment).
Maybe I’ll get to ride it again this year. It will be interesting to see how I perform now that I know what I’m up against.
Look at that Hill!
Thought the heart rate peice was pretty interesting
Just a nice time
There is something infinitely splendid, peaceful and relaxing about being outside. While not exactly "out in nature", a bike ride can connect you to nature’s beauty in a uniquely invigorating way.
Snohomish photo from Cascade's Bicycle Club at Meetup.com
I expected rain to fall all November long, so I doubled over with joy when the sun came out on this ride. Not only did the sun shine, but it warmed the roads so much that I rode in a short-sleeved jersey for a couple of hours! Something to be thankful for!
Photo from Cascade's Bicycle Club at Meetup.com
Bike MS 2016 Willamette Valley Monmouth, Oregon
Ankeny Wildlife Refuge
The Willamette Valley blessed us all this year with its perfectly mild weather, ample sunshine and low winds. I headed out early Saturday morning, in the company of the century riders even though I had no ambitions to ride 100 miles.
I really enjoyed the rest stop at the refuge. I missed it last year, and really felt like I missed out. This years’ ride jersey highlighted the refuge, so I wanted to make sure to take some time to enjoy it this time around.
A line of bikes taking a rest
Early on, some vandals moved the ride signage so a large group of us, including support vehicles went off track! We pedaled in the wrong direction for several miles before the SAG drivers figured out the error. A lot of riders were frustration and angry. I was pretty happy to be in the company of others. I can’t count how many times I’ve gone off track completely alone!
tasty lunch!
The worst part of the ride was when I separated from all the century riders to do my 83. That entire stretch until met up with them again was uphill, with a steady, penetrating headwind. That stretch was also pretty desolate, I only saw maybe one other rider for an hour. But then I got to the lunch stop and it was amazing! While I miss the camaraderie of the sandwich team that used to prepare our lunches for so many years in a row, this fancy catered food was a treat! We had Korean style marinated and grilled chicken, jasmine coconut rice salad, and summer veggie pasta salad. It was all incredibly good and I wanted to eat more and more even though my belly said, “NO!”
Some of the Salem drivers shocked me. Some honked and one yelled, very clearly, out the window as he passed, “Get off the road, asshole!” This was while I pedaled on a marked and divided bike lane. I wanted to ask them what decade, what century, they thought they were living in. Bikes are everywhere whether you agree with it or not.
The token Salem Sno-Kone
I didn’t see Bryan all day, who was driving SAG support on the family route, which didn’t intersect with mine. I also didn’t run into any Slugfish until the very end. The 2nd day made up for that.
Bryan and his SAG wagon at the distillery
The 2nd day was a much more social ride. I ran into Bryan at every stop. I pedaled with at least one or two Slugfish the entire time. I didn’t feel like riding at all, so I stayed at the rest stops for an inordinately long amount of time. I was so disinterested that after the first rest stop, I was 98% ready to call it quits. For some reason, I kept going and finished the route. The highlight of the 2nd day is always stopping at the distillery. We were treated with coffee-liquor ice cream cups. Yum! Towards the end we were showered with a little drizzle. It was just enough rain to remind us how happy we were that we didn’t have to ride in the rain. I also got stung by a bee on my calf. The rest of the ride was pretty good, and then it was time to take down the tent and be finished with another year.
Look! I'm on the list! That's me!
It was a good year for fundraising. In 2015, thanks to my mom's help, I raised so much money I got in the top 100! I got "yellow" numbers and was highlighted on charts of Top Fundraisers around the camp. I felt really proud of having those yellow numbers, even though it was my mom who did the leg work on this one.
Post-ride hurrah! Medal and all!
Check out my donor Thank You letter. It really has been an amazing year; an amazing 15 years.
Bike MS 2016 Escape to the Lake Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Waiting at the start line, day 2 photo courtesy @Roadkill Warriors
My uncle and I left just before sunrise to meet his friend, Dominic, and drive to the start of the ride at Moraine State Park. My father remembers us riding rental bikes at Moraine State Park one time when we visited Pittsburgh in my childhood. This trip makes this bike ride even more full-circle than I originally thought. We waited at the start line for the mass start, something I tend not to do any more during MS rides, but something that adds to the whole experience. We biked the residential areas, small towns, and fields of rural PA to Allegheny College in Meadville. After resting and relaxing from the heat and humidity of the day, Lonnie and I took the ride's school bus ride to the Days Inn. We ate an amazing dinner at Chovy's Italian restaurant and then slept away the day. The following day we biked north to Conneaut Township Park in Ohio. The would-be flat to downhill ride challenged us with a steady and strong headwind. After hanging out on windy Lake Erie for a time, we took a slick charter shuttle bus the long drive back to Moraine State Park to finish the adventure.
Riding in rural, rolling PA. Photo courtesy @Roadkill Warriors
After chatting with folks, calculating ride averages, arrival times, and other distraction-math, and cycling meditations (updownupdownupdown), there is just enough time left over for deep thoughts. Yes, today I am sharing thee deep, deep thoughts brought on by riding Bike MS Escape to the Lake 2016. Read on if you dare:
Deep Thoughts:
All MS rides start the same; inflatable orange arch, music, cheesy DJ cheering on teams and various fundraisers. Nothing will ever beat the start line of the MS Walk in '97 in Avery Park, Corvallis, Oregon. The walk organizer works all year to put on a walk of this magnitude. Sadly, just days before the walk itself, her MS put her in the hospital with no known release date. A friend put her cell phone on speaker and the hundreds of people hushed in silence to hear her voice from her hospital bed. She gushed thanks for all the help organizing the thing. It was such a small phone, but we all heard. There was not a dry eye in sight. I tear up just thinking about it. These rides are always emotional for me. I cry every time.
I got a flat tire just 3.5 miles into the ride. As I pedaled across a bridge, I heard something metallic catch on my rear wheel. It sounded like a metal leaf got stuck in my spokes, something like that. Then I heard the air hiss out of my tire slowly and steadily until I was riding on wheel. I stopped and walked the bike to the edge of the bridge. Several SAG vehicles stopped, not just because the ride has just begun, but because several other riders coincidentally had other issues at the same time in the same place. A friendly guy stopped to lend me his air pump and then proceeded to tell me about how he delayed his honeymoon on account of this ride. He told me he and his new bride in the truck got married just last weekend. They had plans too go to Disney World, but not until after they finished their SAG duties. He used to be a cyclist himself until an injury left him on the sidelines. I thanked him for his dedication and wished him a happy honeymoon. There is an awful lot of dead opossum on this route (day 1). This is ironic because opossum play dead, but sadly the flies and other indicators told me it wasn't a game this time around.
In biking with a pack of the RoadKill Warriors, they do a call-and-reponse chant, "Roadkill"...."Warriors" whenever a roadkill is spotted. The sight of a deer lead to a long line of chanting. They'd also chant a few other phrases, "How long?"....."Too long!" or "How strong?"...."Too strong!" I am not sure which they were actually saying.. There is a strong likelihood both played in the evening.
I have never seen so many families sitting on their porches, in their yards, or on their driveways watching the cyclists go by. While this ride didn't boast a whole lot of spectators cheering us on from the roadside, the porch-side beer-drinking tea-sipping folks more than made up for it. I tried to wave at all of them!
Roadkill warriors were a super fun and friendly bunch. Apparently they partied until rider's village shut down. I could have easily hung out with all of them all day and not run out of things to talk about. Cycling! Travel! Adventure!
That guy yelling, "OH GOD! OH GOD! OW! ARGH!" Was he really suffering that much or was he the kind of guy who just needed to vocalize everything?
I didn't see any teams kitted out looking all slick and fast and pro. I only saw one pace line out of two days, and it was clearly an impromptu one of strangers
I make noise when I ride. I grunt going across railroad tracks and over lumps and bumps. So does my uncle. Maybe there is a gene linked to bike-grunting?
The guy with prosthetic legs who hand-cycled the whole ride rocked it! And, yes, he had some big guns.
Molly saved the day! Her bluetooth backpack pumped out the tunes when I needed them the most, and her conversation was great, too. As was everyone on this ride.
I kind of felt like a celebrity. My rear-facing Go Pro got a lot of attention. Countless guys came up behind me to make goofy faces, giggling. Sadly, once they got up to talk to me about it, I would have to tell them the battery was dead. Sad day. My hair also got a lot of attention. I have it died blue. I also have blue tires, blue spoke nipples, blue valve caps, blue bar tape and blue and orange MS-themed nails. I kind of matched too much.
This ride didn't have any of the signs and posters on all the porta-potties and rest areas spouting facts about MS (symptoms, research, etc.) However, several strangers struck up conversations with me about the reason they were riding. It got around that I came all the way across the country to do this ride, which is kind of a big deal. I shared with them that my mother, the reason I ride, was born and raised in Pittsburgh. And while I have no memory of living there, it was sort of a coming home for me. People talked to me about their cousins, sisters, nephews who had MS. The people I talked to all had a loved family member who had been diagnosed in the past few years. Worry and denial seemed to be a theme, and these folks just wanted to talk to someone who cared as much as they did and and knew what was going on. I told them about how much has changed since my mother has been diagnosed. Since I started riding, drugs have been developed that can prolong the relapsing-remitting stages for decades, and really, the outlook was pretty good for their loved one. I feel like I may have actually helped put a few people at ease. It was weird feeling a bit like the old sage of the ride.
I saw Amish families in traditional dress passing by on horse and buggy. I chuckled to myself; this isn't something you'd see in other states.
On day one, after drinking a lot the night before, I drank 130-some ounces of water and emptied my bladder once. On day two, after not hydrating the night before, I drank 30 ounces of water an emptied my 5 times.
Nearly every intersection had 2 volunteers, and nearly all of them stopped traffic for us riders. It was fantastic to confidently ride through so many intersections. I didn't see hardly any Harley dudes. My uncle tells me there always used to e a whole fleet of volunteers on Harley everywhere you go. I agreed, remembering these trusty HAM-radio Harley dudes from so many rides, They seem to have once swarmed the country and are not completely absent. Where did they go?
There were some really enthusiastic rest stops, but no decorations. The team tents didn't decorate, either. If the chapter asks for feedback, I may recommend that. It may be a little silly, but it is entertaining.
I got a long string of bug bites. They spanned from my left wrist, up my left arm, across my back and over to the right arm, in a perfect line. They are large, raised, and incredibly itchy.
The first day was hot and humid. Sweat dripped from me pretty much constantly for hours on end. I couldn't keep my sunscreen on. I staged ice cubes everywhere I could, and drank a lot of water. I am incredibly thankful for my cooling sun sleeves.
The second day was much cooler, but we were met with a brutal headwind that didn't let up the entire ride. It blew off of Lake Erie and just kept on blowing. When we finished, we rolled over to a park and I was able to see the light green hue of the lake in the distance. It looked like and ocean.
Waiting at the start line, day 2. Photo courtesy @Roadkill Warriors
overnight bike storage at Allegheny College. Photo courtesy @Roadkill Warriors
Happy Cookies!
Food
Food is always one of the most important things about biking.
Snacks:
cinnamon swirl bread! Yum!
The typical PB&J, bananas, clementines, fruit snacks and Quaker chewy bars (borrring).
Pickles (what?! Who wants a pickle while riding? The thought of it makes my stomach turn!)
Snyder's of Hanover snack packs (swoons. I wan to marry this man, if he were a man, and his swarm of tasty snacks)
Udi's or Udu's or Umo's snacks or something like that. They had a tasty parmesan popcorn. This was not just any popcorn, it was "tender baby kernels of popcorn". Whatever that means. Tasty stuff, though.
Lean energy bars and protein bars. I can't remember the brands, but I ate a ton and pocketed more.
Lunch Day 1:
Super delicious pasta salad. They put garbanzo beans in it. Garbanzo beans are my current obsession. They may even trump pumpkin! Some forgettable sandwich.
Roadkill Warriors tent boasted coolers overflowing with IPA's and pop. Yup. They call it pop here. Home-made burgers and dogs, veggie trays with tasty spiced dips, tasty broccoli salad, and a variety of meats and cheeses.
Dinner Day 1:
Green salad, warm table bread, seafood linguine in some sort of flavorful beer bisque type sauce. The drink special, a strawberry lemonade moscato drink in a fancy glass and floating strawberries.
Breakfast Day 2:
Forgettable breakfast buffet at Days Inn. It seemed confused. There was an uncharge, a host, and restaurant seating with napkins. But the food was pretty much the same a the complimentary breakfasts you get at any old hotel.
Lunch Day 2:
The finish line lunch had veggie cabbage tacos on corn tortillas, pulled pork sandwiches on thick buns covered with cilantro and cucumbers, and giant skewers of BBQ chicken. This was easily one of the best last-day MS ride lunches I've ever seen.
Roadkill Warriors at the Ohio border. Photo courtesy @Roadkill Warriors
Lon, me, Dom at the Ohio/Pennsylvania border on day 2. Photo courtesy Lon
Finished! Photo courtesy @Roadkill Warriors
Emerald City Bike Ride Recap
The Wooleaters crew. photo courtesy Chris/Wooleaters
I pedaled my bike down through the lovely Green Lake and Ravenna neighborhoods on a dark and early morning to meet the Wooleaters at the University of Washington. Every cyclist I met along the way was going the same place as me. That comforting sense of camaraderie among strangers is one of my favorite, most powerful feelings. A sea of people, hundreds of people deep flooded the start line in the chilly morning. We waited a while for the whole group to get together, then stood in line for an hour to get to the start of the start line. From the start we walked our way all the way to the SR520 bridge ramp because the roads were so congested with riders. You would think spending so much time moving so slowly would be frustrating, but it's one of the best ways to be waiting; waiting to do something you love.
Waddling the Montlake Bridge Emerald City Bike Ride, Seattle, Washington.
Once we got going on the 520 Bridge, the ride go really fun. The best thing was seeing families out with their children. There were plenty of tweens and school-aged kids, unsteady and insecurely trying to pedal bike that were a little too big for them. The cutest thing, though, was the tiny, tiny children. Children so small the didn't look like they were old enough to walk. Children that barely came up off the ground. Children covered in pink or blue and streamers and helmets, coats, light-up shoes and bikes all color-coordinated and matching. How did they even do any of this? How were they even pedaling? I tried to imagine myself at that age, not only being on a bike, but being able to navigate around some 7,000 other riders.
Crossing the SR520 Bridge Emerald City Bike Ride, Seattle Washington, April 3, 2016 by SheRidesToday.com
Then it was on to the express lanes. Over a bridge, down the center corridor between both directions of Interstate 5, and into the expressway tunnel. This was the highlight of the ride.
Jessica, me, and Abby on Interstate 5. Photo courtesy Chris/Wooleaters
Me with my rear-view sheep. Photo courtesy Chris/Wooleaters
I am not sure which part of being on Interstate 5 I liked better. Was it hearing the cyclists cheer in unison when we got to another cool part of the ride? Was it the amazing views of the city? Was it having the time to absorb Seattle in it's full glory from a vantage point usually seen behind a windshield? Was it the colorful, crisp and sunny day that this first Sunday in April was turning out to be? Maybe it was the strength felt by riding down a center road, straddled by rushing freeway traffic on both sides. The din and fume-riddled stench of all that traffic contrasted against the simplicity of legs silently pumping up and down created a sensation that cannot be described, only experienced. I took out my GoPro and held it in my hand. I wondered if some time in the future, one of the photos from this ride would be taken out of context, perplexing people for hours as to why so many cyclists pedaled on a desolate Interstate. Sure, I've ridden on Interstates before on bike rides like this one, but never before quite this way. Being surrounded by speeding traffic on all sides is pretty incredible.
Biking the I-5 express lanes downtown Emerald CIty Bike Ride, April 3, 2016. Seattle Washington
This post is late in coming because I spent some time trying to piece the video clips together. I used iMove which has changed considerably since the 5 minutes I used it 2 years ago. The video editing software was easy enough, but I had a hard time figuring out where to click and getting my mouse to click where I wanted it to. I am actually impressed with how well they turned out considering how barbaric the editing felt.
Personal stats for this ride vary quite a bit from the sanctioned ride. Less than half of my ride that day was on the actual course, due to getting there and back and following along on a quest for brunch.
Stats:
29.7 miles
3 hrs elapsed time
9.7 mph
26 mph max
61 rpm average cadence
Photo courtesy Chris/Wooleaters