THAT was an interesting training ride

Intervals said my coach.  4 minutes long in a painful state.  I rode into work as usual, then, after work, loaded up the bike (why yes, I *do* train with the panniers and lock and all hanging off the bike) and headed out.



During my 15 minute warmup on SW Sewell, a rider came up behind me and "this isn't Lynne F is it?".  Indeed it was, and I was very happy to see Brian C, one of my Portland Velo riding buddies.  I haven't been riding with PV, so I have not seen him for a good long while.

I told him I'd be zipping off in a couple of minutes.  His comment: "I never thought I'd see you doing intervals."  Me neither.  He allowed as how it was good discipline, having a coach, and he is right about that.

Off I went, with him right behind me.  We got in two intervals (stupid headwind), and at the corner of SW Jackson School and West Union, he went left, and I went right.

Got in most of two more intervals.  The second was cut 30 sec short by a driver who passed me much too quickly and closely with traffic in the other lane, honking to boot.  It was deliberate, so I paused and gave the Washington County Sheriff non emergency number a call (now programmed into the phone).  West Union has two narrow lanes and NO shoulder.  I shall have to investigate other routes, but I still want to get home before too late.

Then ten minutes easy, and I did the last interval on SW Rock Creek.  Except it was gently downhill, and I spun out, because the bike wouldn't shift to the big ring.  I thought I had fixed that at lunch.  Oh well.

Pedaled on home (the training route loops out to the west a bit before heading home, so I get in 90 min riding instead of my usual 45-50).  The bike was not shifting well.  And it is friction, so I did not understand why.  I'd look at it when I got home.

Last hill, Park Way, and the bike was just NOT cooperating.  Stopped, then pushed off again.  SNAP!  Sounds of metal hitting the pavement...

The inner chainring broke.  Wow.  I have never seen that before.  Close inspection revealed that many chainring bolts were gone.  Now that crank has less than 500 miles on it.  Foo.  I am going to get so much ribbing when it goes in to be repaired.

I was maybe 1.5 miles from home, and once I summitted the Park Way hill and crossed Hwy 217, I could coast home.  But I did text the spouse, and he came and picked me up.

Commuting is now off the table until the Gitane is repaired or the Rivendell returns from repair.  I will NOT leave the Sweetpea in the bike racks, and it isn't set up to carry that much anyway.  The bike shop figures they can fix it for me this weekend, so it won't be too long.  I'll drive out with the Sweetpea, and then loop out west on lower traffic roads than West Union.  Spin-ups tomorrow.  I'll have to plot a route.