The Salem Bicycle Club Monster Cookie Ride

This ride really started on Wednesday morning. Peacefully wheeling the recyclables out to the curb, picked up the bin, turned and put it down... My lower back went "twiiiiinnnnnnggggg". Ouch. Walked back to the house, changed into street clothes, and drove into work the rest of the week. I didn't run either. I couldn't sit, stand, or sleep comfortably.

Friday evening I took a loop around the block. Not so bad. Saturday afternoon I tried again, and decided the ride was a go, even though I felt the worst first thing in the morning.

Saturday night, Jason calls - he's sick, probably not riding. Sunday am, text message confirming that he's not riding.

I sure didn't want to drive by myself to Salem and drive myself back. Racked my brains for a bit, then realized Susan O had said something about riding. It was 6am, surely she'd be up :-) And she was, and due to computer issues at work, Jeff was not going to ride, and SHE'D be driving herself to and from as well. Other than Fitz, Jeff and Jason not getting to ride, it was a win-win situation.

Lemond was all ready to go (nice, sunny day, fully supported ride. I wanted to go fast.)

We arrived in Salem at 7:30, just in time to visit with Cecil before she took off on her Double Cookie. I picked up Fitz's registration packet (he'd preregistered, but he's got knee issues at the moment), so I was going to be him. Susan registered with no wait. We walked back to get our bikes. Upon return we saw that the line to register was breathtakingly long. At the end of the day, over 1400 riders participated! Wow!

(Yes, the weather WAS nice). Visited with Don, Diane, Nanci, Nanette, Dave, Richard, Nance, Laura, and Patty. As Susan and I were leaving, Dave thought he'd ride with us. I should mention that this is the New and Improved Dave. He was right there all day.

Lots of cookies and other things at the first rest stop. I got some macaroons and the scarce Mexican Wedding Cakes. Yum.

I couldn't go anywhere on the ride and not see someone I knew. I rode for awhile with Kirke J (we talked about brevets), and then Susan C, both of us wondering why the other wasn't riding her new bike :-)

There were the cutest lambs and baby goats just before Champoeg.

I arrived at Champoeg ahead of Susan and Dave, so visited with Ty, Aaron from work, Einar, Gordon, Lisa, Andrew who rode from home to Champoeg, Amy... Jeff and Renata, too. Got my lunch and sat at what was rapidly becoming the Team Bag Balm picnic table. A long discussion ensued about Ibex wool knickers, and then wool shorts. Andrew isn't sure about wool shorts, as he says he started riding when wool was all you could get, etc, etc. I'm sure wool and the chamois have improved since then, although wool does still take a couple of days to dry after washing, and NO, I wouldn't wear wool shorts more than one day in a row, either, unlike a jersey, which lasts a few days.

Dave, Susan, and I then took off, after a trip to the facility, where the men had a HUGE line, and the women didn't. That was very novel.

Lots of farmworkers were tending the hops fields. The hops vines are about a foot tall now.

There was a very gentle tailwind for awhile. Don rode up, and we rolled along together, then he went ahead. I stopped at the end of Don's driveway to visit and pull off the armwarmers, wind vest and knee warmers. The balance of TBB also stopped there over the next few minutes (including Rich and Gayle!) The group that started from Don's house was finished; the rest of us had about 20 miles to go.

Saw the elusive Michael G at the last rest stop. I haven't seen him since the Tour de Bakeries this past fall. The sliced oranges were very attractive here.

The tailwind evaporated, but it was still very nice riding until we got to Keizer. Not that Keizer is bad, but it is riding through neighborhoods. Then onto a main road, off the main road, and through a few more neighborhoods into The State Government Area.

I didn't see Susan at the truck, so headed back to the start point for my finish line cookies. I had an excellent snickerdoodle that was at least 4" in diameter. Visited with Jerry, Dave VG and Edna. Also (recumbent riders) Diane, Jeff, and Mandy. Mandy produced some Advil for my now slightly unhappy lower back. Saw Jerry from work.

Walked back to the truck to find Susan heading the other way for water. Loaded up, changed, Susan came back, and homeward we went.

Sorry no pictures; the camera is out for repair.

5.5 hours total, 60.42 miles, 3:55:00 riding, (1.5 dawdling) with an average of 15.42; my best this year.