A co-worker was talking to another one about buying herself a bicycle. As this was right over the cube wall from me, and clearly one of my favorite subjects, I walked around to join in.
She was looking at a Trek Lime - just wanted to ride around the neighborhood. As she lives in the flatlands of Aloha, it would be just fine.
After work, she and another co-worker were headed over to Bike Gallery to test-ride. I thought I'd ride over and join them :-) She ended up riding the Lime and the Amsterdam Electra (both step-through frames). We all ended up riding the Lime and the Amsterdam.
The lack of hand brakes freaked me out some - I haven't ridden a bike with a coaster brake since I was 16 (when dinosaurs roamed the earth). The automatic shift on the Lime was real interesting.
So we all rode around and talked about the various bikes, and generally had a fun time. The Amsterdam is much more fully accessorized than the Lime, and costs about the same, I think. She was thinking about a basket, but "they look dorky!". J. and I told her that baskets were the HEIGHT of trendy right now, and so were city-type bikes.
She was going to sleep on it. Actually, I think she made up her mind, but we convinced her to sleep on it.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Monday, August 6, 2007
MS Bike Tour, Day 2
Being me, I wanted the full meal deal. That meant after a 104 mile ride Saturday, I was all set for the 73 mile ride on Sunday. Fitz thought he'd give it a try as well. He could always bail at the decision point...
We started right at 8am. We saw riders starting earlier (the course did not open until 8), but didn't know why.
So. South out of Forest Grove to loop through the wetlands, up through Cornelius, and into Verboort, for the first rest stop (this route had rest stops averaging 7 miles apart...). Off again, beating against the headwinds north on Hwy 47, merging onto Hwy 26 westbound. Next rest stop at the Manning trailhead of the Banks-Vernonia trail. Bruce tried to give me another water bottle, but I settled for some lube on the chain, and him taking a picture of us.
At this point, the route got...challenging. Instead of heading to where 47 goes north to Vernonia (our northernmost point), we turned on Fisher Road to go to Buxton. Now I've never been there before, but the road goes UP. Then down, back onto 47, where eventually the road starting going UP again, climbing to Tophill. A long grinder of a climb, then down, to the next rest stop at Lee's U-Catch (mile 33). Yummy snacks and conversations with other riders, mostly about the grade of Tophill. Apparently it goes double digits briefly. Also conversation about the upcoming climb, the only one they warned us about.
Yes, right on McDonald. Never done this one before. UP for .9 mile. Steeply up. There was a really nice house with some excellent raised beds near what I thought was the top. Turned a corner and... more hill. Not too much, though, then a long rolling descent. Large roadkill spotting as well. It had been there for quite awhile, and was still in the middle of the road. You'd think there would be some agency that would remove them. Even Bear Grilles wouldn't recommend snacking on this one.
Eventually we came to Vernonia - from the north! I was wondering if we'd ever get there. Rode through - the town was having a major festival, and traffic was at a standstill (I can hear some of you thinking - "traffic jam? Vernonia?"). Then out of town and south on 47, to the Timber Rd turn; another rest stop. Fitz had been ahead of me all day, and was waiting there for me.
Admired the speaker setup for an iPod on a tandem (the stoker looked to be about 10 years old; entertainment needed). Off again, heading for the Hwy 26 crossing. This stretch is over 10 miles, through forests and the occasional farm. No real indication that you are making progress at all. The crossing was uneventful; we didn't have to wait too long. This crossing has no refuge lane; you've got to get across 4 lanes of 55mph traffic (main route to the coast) in one go.
Then through the clearcuts and initial climb to Timber. Fitz: "Is this the Timber climb?". "No, this is the preliminary Timber climb." It must be really hard for those Ford F-250s to make it up the grade, too, considering the number of beer cans, liquor bottles and fast food wrappers they had to throw out to lighten their load.
Then another rest stop just before Timber, at a timber farm :-) I was listening to a couple of women chatting, and one of them is talking about her in-laws from {European country} visiting for a month and her husband {co-worker of mine from European country}. At which point I asked who she was! Turns out she's co-worker's wife, and we had a nice little visit. Small world!
Then off again (any plans of sticking to the 12 miles per hour were long gone by now), and the Real Timber Climb. Fitz had never been to Timber, so he got to see the tiny post office and teeny fire station, all perched on the hillside of the 3 switchbacks that are Timber. Through the clearcut, DOWN (Lynne burns off more brakepads here), then heading to the turn onto Hwy 6. Another longish stretch with no indication of progress and lots of deep NW forest.
Rest stop right after the turn. We had a few more snacks (goldfish looked good), then the 3 mile stretch on the Hwy 6 shoulder. Perhaps not the best route, but unfortunately, the ONLY route. It is only 3 feet wide heading east, with no place to go on the sides. I dislike RVs as much as I dislike hay trucks. They take up the entire lane, have a huge draft, and are driven by people who are not professionals. eeep. Finally the road opened up a bit, and we had more room.
Right onto Gales Creek Rd. Now, the KIND thing to have done, would be to route us into Forest Grove all the way on Gales Creek. But NO. We turned left onto Clapshaw Hill Rd. Clapshaw Hill is one of those in a special category. Hors Category, I think they call it in the Tour de France. It is incredibly steep. Fitz needed one more cog on his bike. I had that cog, but I wasn't sharing. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Then the top, and another brake pad burner down to Hillside, for the last rest stop (M&Ms).
Then the wonderful drop on Hillside (the one place where I will let the bike GO), then the rollers, which are just not spaced well for surfing. South on Thatcher, picking up Gales Creek again in Forest Grove, a brief pass through some neighborhoods, and we were DONE!
More wild cheering and a finish medal. It was 3;38, and we'd started at 8am. Jennifer, the coordinator suggested we get beer NOW if we wanted it. Fitz headed off directly to secure beer and a table; I got my meal and some iced tea. We sat and visited and ate for awhile. That's why the riders started before 8 - they wanted to make sure there was beer when they got back!
As we had to be out of our dorm room by 5, we then headed over and put our bikes in the van, took our showers and checked out. Then we took down the Qualcomm tent (we were just about the very last folks to leave the camping area), and headed home...
And Fitz did the whole thing, too! I think he can do a century, if he can do a 73 mile ride with over 5000 vertical feet!
We started right at 8am. We saw riders starting earlier (the course did not open until 8), but didn't know why.
So. South out of Forest Grove to loop through the wetlands, up through Cornelius, and into Verboort, for the first rest stop (this route had rest stops averaging 7 miles apart...). Off again, beating against the headwinds north on Hwy 47, merging onto Hwy 26 westbound. Next rest stop at the Manning trailhead of the Banks-Vernonia trail. Bruce tried to give me another water bottle, but I settled for some lube on the chain, and him taking a picture of us.
At this point, the route got...challenging. Instead of heading to where 47 goes north to Vernonia (our northernmost point), we turned on Fisher Road to go to Buxton. Now I've never been there before, but the road goes UP. Then down, back onto 47, where eventually the road starting going UP again, climbing to Tophill. A long grinder of a climb, then down, to the next rest stop at Lee's U-Catch (mile 33). Yummy snacks and conversations with other riders, mostly about the grade of Tophill. Apparently it goes double digits briefly. Also conversation about the upcoming climb, the only one they warned us about.
Yes, right on McDonald. Never done this one before. UP for .9 mile. Steeply up. There was a really nice house with some excellent raised beds near what I thought was the top. Turned a corner and... more hill. Not too much, though, then a long rolling descent. Large roadkill spotting as well. It had been there for quite awhile, and was still in the middle of the road. You'd think there would be some agency that would remove them. Even Bear Grilles wouldn't recommend snacking on this one.
Eventually we came to Vernonia - from the north! I was wondering if we'd ever get there. Rode through - the town was having a major festival, and traffic was at a standstill (I can hear some of you thinking - "traffic jam? Vernonia?"). Then out of town and south on 47, to the Timber Rd turn; another rest stop. Fitz had been ahead of me all day, and was waiting there for me.
Admired the speaker setup for an iPod on a tandem (the stoker looked to be about 10 years old; entertainment needed). Off again, heading for the Hwy 26 crossing. This stretch is over 10 miles, through forests and the occasional farm. No real indication that you are making progress at all. The crossing was uneventful; we didn't have to wait too long. This crossing has no refuge lane; you've got to get across 4 lanes of 55mph traffic (main route to the coast) in one go.
Then through the clearcuts and initial climb to Timber. Fitz: "Is this the Timber climb?". "No, this is the preliminary Timber climb." It must be really hard for those Ford F-250s to make it up the grade, too, considering the number of beer cans, liquor bottles and fast food wrappers they had to throw out to lighten their load.
Then another rest stop just before Timber, at a timber farm :-) I was listening to a couple of women chatting, and one of them is talking about her in-laws from {European country} visiting for a month and her husband {co-worker of mine from European country}. At which point I asked who she was! Turns out she's co-worker's wife, and we had a nice little visit. Small world!
Then off again (any plans of sticking to the 12 miles per hour were long gone by now), and the Real Timber Climb. Fitz had never been to Timber, so he got to see the tiny post office and teeny fire station, all perched on the hillside of the 3 switchbacks that are Timber. Through the clearcut, DOWN (Lynne burns off more brakepads here), then heading to the turn onto Hwy 6. Another longish stretch with no indication of progress and lots of deep NW forest.
Rest stop right after the turn. We had a few more snacks (goldfish looked good), then the 3 mile stretch on the Hwy 6 shoulder. Perhaps not the best route, but unfortunately, the ONLY route. It is only 3 feet wide heading east, with no place to go on the sides. I dislike RVs as much as I dislike hay trucks. They take up the entire lane, have a huge draft, and are driven by people who are not professionals. eeep. Finally the road opened up a bit, and we had more room.
Right onto Gales Creek Rd. Now, the KIND thing to have done, would be to route us into Forest Grove all the way on Gales Creek. But NO. We turned left onto Clapshaw Hill Rd. Clapshaw Hill is one of those in a special category. Hors Category, I think they call it in the Tour de France. It is incredibly steep. Fitz needed one more cog on his bike. I had that cog, but I wasn't sharing. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Then the top, and another brake pad burner down to Hillside, for the last rest stop (M&Ms).
Then the wonderful drop on Hillside (the one place where I will let the bike GO), then the rollers, which are just not spaced well for surfing. South on Thatcher, picking up Gales Creek again in Forest Grove, a brief pass through some neighborhoods, and we were DONE!
More wild cheering and a finish medal. It was 3;38, and we'd started at 8am. Jennifer, the coordinator suggested we get beer NOW if we wanted it. Fitz headed off directly to secure beer and a table; I got my meal and some iced tea. We sat and visited and ate for awhile. That's why the riders started before 8 - they wanted to make sure there was beer when they got back!
As we had to be out of our dorm room by 5, we then headed over and put our bikes in the van, took our showers and checked out. Then we took down the Qualcomm tent (we were just about the very last folks to leave the camping area), and headed home...
And Fitz did the whole thing, too! I think he can do a century, if he can do a 73 mile ride with over 5000 vertical feet!
MS Bike Tour, Aug 4-5
Just back from a fun weekend in Forest Grove! As Fitz was a VIP, we had things to do there all three days, so we got a dorm room at the university, which saved a lot of back and forth driving.
Friday after work we drove out, checked in, and attended the VIP reception. It was on the street in front of Maggie's Buns, and Maggie did the catering. Yummy! Visited with other riders as well. Then we set up the Qualcomm tent, so the team riders would have a shady place to meet and hang out. Visited with the UFCW team members across the path, as one of them is a fellow Portland Velo member (hi Scottie!) They have exceptionally cool jerseys.
Then off to our dorm room. We did have a roommate - the delightful Joe, from Dallas, Oregon. We all got our bikes ready for the next day, as we were planning on a 7am start. Putting on all the numbers and organizing the clothing does take time.
Passed by the REI table - Bruce B was working there, and talked us into some free water bottles.
Finally got to sit down and pay the bills, too! There was a mailbox by the cafeteria, so all done!
Up at 5:30, and off to a 6am breakfast. Then over to the Qualcomm tent at 6:45; some folks were there, some were still at their cars. More number pinning, then we had a team start at about 7:20. Our team name was announced, round of applause, and off we went.
I was trying the Rickey method - ride 12 miles every hour. If my pace drops, well, I've just got less time to faff at the rest stops. There were 3 of us planning on doing the 104 mile route, but I did not expect to be riding with the other 2. I'm not fast, just persistent. Preetha was riding the 36 mile route, so I didn't see her after we started.
I met up with the rest of the team at the second and third rest stops, then I was on my own. Not so bad, really.
The climb of the day was Ladd Hill, between the 4th and 5th rest stops. First a long run on Wilsonville Rd (horse country. not a bad road if there isn't traffic, because it is narrow, and there are no shoulders. There was a bit of traffic, not much). Then the left turn onto Bell Rd. Gradually climbing, not so bad... Then the grade kicked up. Then several false summits. Up. Up. Up. I did pause at one point for a couple of minutes, then pressed on. Then a sign - "you have reached the summit, have a cool drink!" Which they would sell us for a dollar. No thanks.
Steep descent into Sherwood (my hands still hurt from braking), and the rest stop. Bruce B greeted me, and made me take another water bottle :-) Visited for awhile, and had a craving for salt, amply satisifed by potato chips. I was thanking a volunteer for being out there - he said his daughter had MS, and they wanted her to get the best treatment available, and more funding for research was a good thing. As it turned out, many of the rest stop volunteers did have MS.
Then through Sherwood, onto Elwert Rd, left at Petrich's General Store, right on Hwy 219... Ugh. Hay trucks. I despise hay trucks. Think a semi towing 2 longbed trailers, piled very high with hay bales. Passing so close I could reach out and touch it (I was trying to get off the road; there was nowhere to go), then turning RIGHT just ahead. You'd think it could have WAITED.
Hwy 219 also has rumble stripped white line and no shoulder.
Then off onto Farmington, Burkhardt, Simpson... Rest stop at the Oak Knoll winery. Cool grass, snacks, drinks. I'm still on schedule, even with Ladd Hill. Off again, now onto very familiar territory - Johnson School, Tongue Lane, Golf Course Rd, the wetlands... I can smell the barn.
Pulled into Pacific University; Fitz and Brent were sitting there waiting and taking pictures. Then through the finish line (wild cheering, a finish medal....). I looped back to tent, visited a bit, then went to the room for a shower, and back to the beer garden. Had dinner with Fitz and Brent, then got myself a massage. Then back for dessert and entertainment. Then it was 8pm, and we were falling asleep :-)
To be continued...
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.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
The Upcoming MS Bike Tour, Aug 4-5
As I wasn't doing another ride that weekend, and being married to the captain of Team Qualcomm... well, I'm participating in the MS Bike Tour. August 4 and 5. It should be fun. Don't know which distances I'm going to ride, but I don't think I have to decide until each morning.
The MS Bike Tour is a fundraising ride for Multiple Sclerosis research, so this is a gentle request for your support, should you feel so inclined.
My page over in MS-150-land is here:
http://bikeorc.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=3780100&pg=personal&fr_id=2510
and there is a "Donate to Lynne" button in the upper left.
Thanks much!
The MS Bike Tour is a fundraising ride for Multiple Sclerosis research, so this is a gentle request for your support, should you feel so inclined.
My page over in MS-150-land is here:
http://bikeorc.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=3780100&pg=personal&fr_id=2510
and there is a "Donate to Lynne" button in the upper left.
Thanks much!
Monday, July 23, 2007
Prague to Budapest - some pictures are up...
eventually this will turn into a real trip report, but here are some pictures from Prague, and the first 3 days of the ride:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/20084214@N00/collections/72157600975963805/
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