Portland Velo Members-Only Century

My cycling club (Portland Velo) hosts a members' century and bbq every summer. This year I signed up to be a course marshal on the metric century; Fitz was going to volunteer at a rest stop. Jason was also a course marshal, so we rode the tandem.

The 17s group started out as a large group, with Jason, myself, K-Rhea, and his wife, all on tandems. Then the 19s, who had mistakenly made the right on Sewell (hey, we ALWAYS turn right on Sewell!), came flying by, and our group got smaller. Oh, well, they'd be back eventually.

I had thought the route would be the same as last year's... but no. Carpenter Creek and Plumlee were added, meaning a significant hill climb (on a tandem. Ouch.). Not to mention the descent...

Visited with Gary G on Carpenter Creek. Lots of wildflowers blooming, and the herd of sheep is bigger.



The climb up Plumlee was ok. The descent was interesting. Sharp curves, warning signs (I figure if there is a yellow speed caution sign, that a tandem shouldn't go any faster than that, a sentiment not entirely embraced by the captain). Then a lot of bicycles in the road and emergency vehicles pulling up :-( The rider was in the ditch, and being told not to move. Good thing, because he'd broken some vertebrae in his neck. He's in the hospital, and will recover.

So, a gentle, controlled finish down to Dilley Road, then off to circumnavigate Hagg Lake. Mike Y had rejoined us by this time, and was lobbying to skip the Hagg Lake loop. I told him to go ahead, but he wanted company. No one was offering, so he stayed with us, singing little songs about not wanting to ride around Hagg Lake.



The loop completed, we headed back out to the Lake Store for a brief break, then east again, crossing HWY 47 to head to Fern Hill, the wetlands, Cornelius, and then autopilot back to Maggies.

We found Fitz at the rest stop on Fern Hill. He had his bike on top of someone's car, and took it down to finish the ride with us.


By the time we got to Evergreen, Mike Y must have been delirious - he was singing little songs about man was meant to travel in internal combustion vehicles.


Back to Longbottom's, where we found snacks. A brief side trip to Bally for a shower and change, and then back for the beer, more snacks, and then the bbq. Ribs, chicken, brisket, sides, dessert... MMMMmmmmmm.