"and that's the way it is"

Walter Cronkite had it right.

The year is over for me as far as biking goes. I did stop by the gym for a quick "ride". Enough of a ride to know that three different Lifecycles max out at 372 watts, even though I don't. I don't know where I max out, but in the grand scheme of things I guess it really isn't important.

I guess my hope is to ride more next year. A little over 6000 miles on the real bike is pretty pathetic by real cycling standards.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............10.................10
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
Oct total.....632.....+.........0.....=...........632
Nov total.....352.....+........75.....=...........427
Dec total.....183.....+.......306.....=...........672
2008 total....6347....+......1157....=.........7531

2008
53 rides of 25-49 miles
34 rides of 50-74 miles
10 rides of 75-99 miles
12 rides of 100-199 miles
1 ride of 205 miles
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Twilight Zone?

You find yourself on an exercise bike in your local gym. You think everything is normal until you find that no matter how hard you work you can't seem to make progress. You originally rationalize the situation by saying to yourself "It's a pretend bike, I'm not supposed to go anywhere!". But the fact remains that no matter how hard you pedal, you just can't make the indicators move above a moderate output. Just then you notice it, a sign post up ahead. You have entered the Twilight Zone. No adjustment of your set is necessary.

Than again maybe an adjustment is just what it needs!

Tonight I revisited the Lifecycle in my gym. This time I picked out a different machine after my experience yesterday. Same results. Level 20 is the maximum level, 372 watts is the maximum output registered, regardless whether I'm pedaling at 80 cadence or 140. So much for technology.

I guess I'll have to just self analyze.

Hmm.... I think I worked hard today!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............20.................20
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
Oct total.....632.....+.........0.....=...........632
Nov total.....352.....+........75.....=...........427
YTD...........6347....+......1147....=.........7521
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

beyond the normal

Okay, okay. So there are these guys sitting around in the product design room for Lifecycle and they are doing a bit of brainstorming.
Worker 1: "What should be the maximum readout for our new machine?"
Worker 2: "Oh, maybe 250 watts would be about right."
Worker 3: "I think I read that world class cyclists can generate something like 500 watts"
Worker 1: "Maybe so, but those folks are REAL cyclists. Real cyclists don't ride pretend bikes"
Worker 2: "Okay, that's probably true. Let's split the distance and make them top out at 372 watts"
All 3 workers smile at their brilliance and march off to their supervisor in quest of a raise.

Today I tried to find my maximum wattage. I soon found that the Lifecycle 9500 tops out on level 20. On level 20 with a 95 cadence I was generating 372 watts. If I pedaled faster I still maintained 372 watts. It would seem that the machine isn't designed to register higher than that. I'll look a bit more at the options next time I'm there. Can't hardly believe it stops at 372.... why not 300, 400, 500...or even 350?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............18.................18
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
Oct total.....632.....+.........0.....=...........632
Nov total.....352.....+........75.....=...........427
YTD...........6347....+......1127....=.........7501
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

whatza watt?

One of my favorite subjects in both high school and college was physics. Horsepower, watts, joules,calories, etc are familiar terms to me. Watts always seemed to be a term more related to electrical power and horsepower related more to physical work, but now in the bike world it seems that everyone is measuring biking output with watts.

Today when on the artificial bike in the gym I toggled the readout to show watts. It would seem that I am comfortable with a 135 watt output. I was able to maintain that today for an hour very easily and could likely maintain that effort all day. It amounted to level 7 with a 95 cadence. My heart rate held about 120 bpm. (resting heart rate is ~50 this time of year)

Since it seems that I'm stuck on the artificial bike for awhile I will try to determine what my maximum wattage is. That's when we'll be able to quantify just exactly how dim this bulb is!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............21.................21
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
Oct total.....632.....+.........0.....=...........632
Nov total.....352.....+........75.....=...........427
YTD...........6347....+......1109....=.........7483
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Christmas Eve delayed

On my way to a gathering that was to occur on Christmas Eve....... now rescheduled to this evening. Along the way I stopped at the gym and rode a few miles on the artificial bike. The main roads are pretty clear now, at least in the travel lanes. The shoulders and side roads are still ice covered. After the ice leaves there will be a generous covering of gravel, broken tire chains, and general debris. I don't see good road biking coming for quite some time. :-(





+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............22.................22
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
Oct total.....632.....+.........0.....=...........632
Nov total.....352.....+........75.....=...........427
YTD...........6347....+......1088....=.........7462
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

slush, slop, and still no real bike!

The worst part of snow is when it melts. Yuck.

While waiting for it to disappear it was back to the artificial bike in the gym.
Had a few hours there today so I put it to good use.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............42.................42
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
Oct total.....632.....+.........0.....=...........632
Nov total.....352.....+........75.....=...........427
YTD...........6347....+......1066....=.........7440
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Starting to melt

...at least in the west metro. Still too snowy for bikes. Perfect for indoor bikey gatherings though. A few of us were planning on riding bikes around Portland in Santa suits handing out dinner tickets to the needy then finishing up with a little holiday cheer. It ended up being to slick for bikes, but the holiday cheer was just fine!

I spent a few hours today in the Columbia Gorge in search of an icicle. Mission accomplished! The gorge is always just picture post card pretty, today was no exception.

No bike, just good wishes

I hope that all of you have a very nice Christmas. For those of other persuasions I hope your celebrations are full of joy as well!


No miles today....... just smiles!

It's beginning to look a lot like...............

Christmas............and also a lot like I won't be getting any more miles on my real bike before the end of the year! Pretty hard to bike through 20 inches of snow!


I've probably been driving 5 times the miles in the snow than I do in a normal week. I'm lucky enough to have the right equipment to negotiate the roads and I guess you'd call it a certain level of confidence. With all my driving around fetching people from airports, fixing mother's Christmas lights, shoveling relatives sidewalks, putting snow tires on niece's car, and bringing battery chargers to friends in need, I still have found the time to enjoy the beauty of it all. Be sure to look past the hassles of winter travel and enjoy the views!

That's what I've been doing as I ride the pretend bike at the gym!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............22.................22
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
Oct total.....632.....+.........0.....=...........632
Nov total.....352.....+........75.....=...........427
YTD...........6347....+......1024....=.........7398
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

snow and ice still abound

I drove to San Francisco yesterday to pick up my stranded niece and didn't get back until early this morning. (that's what happens when planes, trains, and buses won't travel on snow) I had just a short window of time before I was going to the Portland Airport to pick up a friend. With all that I only had a short time for the pretend bike. I did manage to get 18 "miles" in.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............18.................18
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
Oct total.....632.....+.........0.....=...........632
Nov total.....352.....+........75.....=...........427
YTD...........6347....+......1002....=.........7376
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Earning my way to heaven ;-)

I was at the gym today in the process of hammering out a good strong workout on the artificial bike as the snow was falling and predicted to fall even harder. As I was tuned in to the local TV station and their nonstop storm coverage they mentioned that the Elks Lodge was in dire need of drivers with vehicles that could handle the icy conditions to deliver holiday boxes to needy folks. I cut my "ride" short and called mom, who used to do meals on wheels and would know the streets better than I, and invited her to ride shotgun. My pickup has 4 wheel drive, 4 studded tires, and chains, cables, winches, etc in the back. No problem getting over the roads. We delivered a veritable treasure trove to a few homes. Most were appreciative.

Here's my mom's neighborhood when I brought her back home. There is about 6" of snow on the ground, with another 4-5 inches predicted before late tonight. Good thing I like snow!



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............19.................19
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
Oct total.....632.....+.........0.....=...........632
Nov total.....352.....+........75.....=...........427
YTD...........6347....+.......984....=.........7358
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

still snowin'

So I'm still riding pretend miles.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............26.................26
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
Oct total.....632.....+.........0.....=...........632
Nov total.....352.....+........75.....=...........427
YTD...........6347....+.......965....=.........7339
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thoughts wandering to a warmer climate

It was 13 degrees at 10PM when I got home last night. The temperature has come up a bit this morning but it is now snowing very hard. My mind can't help but wander to riding bike through the desert!

Finished up the daylight hours in the gym on the artificial bike. Only had a half hour to devout to the "bike" so "sprinted" today.

level 9, race mode, 30 minutes
14 miles


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............14.................14
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
Oct total.....632.....+.........0.....=...........632
Nov total.....352.....+........75.....=...........427
YTD...........6347....+.......939....=.........7313
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Gotta love that artificial bike!

The sub freezing temperatures are still with us, the ice and snow make it treacherous to ride. Even if I had studded bike tires I'd be afraid that one of those cars would slide into me so I was on the artificial bike at the gym again. All in all, it's not too bad to be pedaling away watching TV and looking at all the ice and snow outside.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............23.................23
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
Oct total.....632.....+.........0.....=...........632
Nov total.....352.....+........75.....=...........427
YTD...........6347....+.......925....=.........7299
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It's beginning to look a lot like....................

Well, for those not in NW Oregon just let me tell you that the predicted snow and cold did indeed arrive. It's 23 degrees as I type this, predicted to go into the low teens tonight, and not expected to go above freezing until late this coming week.
Most of the metro area is covered with at least an inch of snow, up to 4", and all of the area is covered with a healthy layer of ice.

No road biking today! I went to the gym and stayed warm while riding 30 pretend miles.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............30.................30
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
Oct total.....632.....+.........0.....=...........632
Nov total.....352.....+........75.....=...........427
YTD...........6347....+.......892....=.........7276
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Warm, dry, and CSI

My biking buddy Erinn and I are trying our best to get out and ride tomorrow but we are met with this for a weather prediction:


(click on photo for full size version)

It looks like the weather will be far from ideal. Let me rephrase that... It looks like it may not be safe to be out on bikes tomorrow. I guess we'll just have to see if the forecast is correct.

In the meantime I went to the gym tonight and took an easy spin on the artificial bike.

Difficulty: Level 7, race mode
Time: One CSI on TV ;-)
"Distance": 21 miles

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............21.................21
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
Oct total.....632.....+.........0.....=...........632
Nov total.....352.....+........75.....=...........427
YTD...........6347....+.......862....=.........7246
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A short ride

But a good workout for sure. My best riding buddy Erinn and I rode from Troutdale to the Vista House and back today. It was only a twenty mile ride but with the brisk wind and climbing (and Erinn setting the pace!) it was a good workout. With the talk of snow coming and the grey skies I dressed warmly....too warmly. The temperature was 45 when we left Troutdale, we saw 51 on the return so it was really quite warm for December.

We rode for 1.25 hours to get to Vista House, it only took 35 minutes to get back, and we even stopped at an overlook to watch the Sandy River roll by for a bit. We had limited time today, Erinn had work to do this afternoon and I have plans to go shopping with my sister.(!!!!)
Though it was a short ride it was still good to be out on the bikes. Depending on if we get the predicted snow this weekend there should be a chance to get more miles over the next few days.

I'll have to start carrying my camera on the bike. I notice, and was reminded today, that I haven't been putting many pictures on the blog lately. I'll make a better effort in the future.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............20...............0.................20
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
Oct total.....632.....+.........0.....=...........632
Nov total.....352.....+........75.....=...........427
YTD...........6347....+.......841....=.........7225
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

WooWho!

As I perused the bike stuff at REI today I note that SlimeLite tubes are now available with 48mm stems. That makes my day! I bought a pair of them and will install them in my Bontragger RaceLite wheels tonight! If they work any where as good as the set I have in my Xero wheels (with Gatorskin tires) I'll be a happy camper.

5 flats in 60 miles last Saturday was 5 flats too many!

BTW, still haven't heard back from ORBike on what percentage of the registration for The Worst Day of the Year Ride goes to the charity "Community Cycling Center". Their silence doesn't bode well for them.

Checking the calendar and checking the facts

I was looking over the upcoming bike events trying to plan my rides. I note that on Feb 15th OrBike is again putting on the Worst Day of the Year Ride. I've had some poor experiences with OrBike events in the past. One of the major problems for me is that their rides are billed as "benefit" rides for a charity but in at least one instance the amount of funds passed along to the charity were an embarrassment.

The ride registration fee is $35 with the event T-shirt being an additional charge. Hardly the least expensive ride. I don't mind that so much as long as the organizers are passing along a sizable donation to a charity I support. I've sent an email to OrBike asking for information on how much of each registration they pass along, or how much total donation they expect to make to the charity. (Community Cycling Center)

With all the charitable organization calls/bell ringing/mailings this time of year I'd remind you all to check into the operation before sending money. How much of my dollar goes to the charity, and how much goes to the cost of fund raising activities is important to me. I hope it is to you too.

Bike fix it day

After the weekend's multi flat experience I finally gave in. My Xerolite wheels have Continental Gatorskin tires and SlimeLite tubes. I never have had a flat with that combination. My Bontragger Racelite wheels have a deeper rim and since Slimelite tubes only come in short valve stems they don't work on these wheels well. My floor pump is just barely able to get a grip, my road pump can't attach at all. I've been running air only tubes without too much trouble....until Saturday when I had five flats, 6 in the last 6 weeks. Today I put Slimelight tubes in the existing Kevlar tires. I stopped by my local bike shop to get some stem extensions so I could add air if needed from my road pump. I'll let you know how it works out.

I cleaned the bike and lubed the chain. I recently bought an Adamo ISM Gel Race Saddle and had planned to put it on as well, but ran out of time for such things.
I'd really like to get another seat post and get it set up so I could swap seats quickly by just changing seat posts with a quick release tightener. Not really an issue on normal rides of 100 miles or less, but might be just the ticket on the 200+ mile one day STP, and especially something like Furnace Creek 508. Give the old tush a different contact point might mid way through a long ride could be a good thing.

No miles today..... no rain, mostly sunny, no wind, no excuses.... just lazy I guess.

Beautiful day, sort of........

It was a gorgeous day for December. Heck, it was a gorgeous day for any season! The sky was cloudless, wind was almost imperceptible, and after a 28 degree start it warmed into the low 50's. Not much to complain about.........except for the FIVE flat tires I got!!!!!!

Cecil Anne just happened to capture the essence of my day with her camera.



Cecil Anne is a pretty speedy rider and ends up with a lot of time to take pictures. See the rest of her photos of this trip HERE.

I just don't get flat tires. With perhaps 6000-8000 mile per year I "might get" one flat. I got one in October when I was riding on the Cows and Capes Permanent with John Henry and Joanne. Today I got 5 more while riding the Three Prairies Permanent with John Henry and Joanne. I'm not sure if the problems are related to riding permanents or with the company I ride with but I've got to change! ;-)

Today I was joining 8 Randonneurs as they finished their quest for an "R-12" which is the completion of a sanctioned 200k ride in each of 12 consecutive months. We started from Newberg this morning at 7:30AM on our way to Dallas for our first leg. I was still in the city limits of Newberg when I got my first flat. Since the Randonneurs where on a schedule with a lot depending on completion I waved them on and proceeded to repair the flat then pedal like heck trying to catch up with them.
I made it to Dundee (2 miles) and had another. This time it looked like it might have been a pinch flat. I repaired it then pedaled away again.

I was working hard trying to close the distance, probably some of the hardest sustained riding I've ever done. With a combination of riding hard and taking a more direct route I was able to catch back up near Dallas. (hey, I'm no Rando, I'm not bound by those rules!)

Being back in the pack was short lived. Within 5 miles of rejoining them I flatted again. John Henry stopped and loaned me a tube (for I had used mine already today) After making sure I had things under control he continued on. Before he was out of sight while inflating the tube the valve core failed. I pulled the tube out, patched one of my old tubes and inflated again.

I again began the process of playing catch up, though playing is hardly the word for it!
I had made my way another 15 miles or so when the now all too familiar sound was heard again. Yup, another flat. At this point I knew I'd never catch the group again today. I repaired the flat and pedaled back into Newberg. I stopped by the local bike shop and bought replacement tubes.

I didn't need to complete an R-12, but really wanted a century. I made sure the light worked and started off on my own route to pick up the miles. I rode a loop down to Hopewell via mostly the Lafayette-Salem Hwy and back up via the roads just west of that.

My flats were over for the day and I was able to ride that loop without issue.
I got back into Newberg at 5PM with my century goal achieved.

I got cleaned up and waited for my Randonneur friends to finish.
They began showing back up around 6PM. All had big smiles having completed their R-12. Congratulations to Vincent, John K, John Henry and Joanne, Cecil, Lynn, Bill, and Sal on a job well done! Bill's smile was a bit tempered as he walked his bike the last few blocks....... because he had a flat tire!

Even with the issues it was a good day to be out on a bike!

Cecil has a good rendition of how the real riders of the day progressed, including a few photos, and a great commentary on narrow minded locals on her blog, check it out.

You can get a recounting of the ride through Lynne's eyes here

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today...........107...............0................107
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
Oct total.....632.....+.........0.....=...........632
Nov total.....352.....+........75.....=...........427
YTD...........6327....+.......841....=.........7205
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

marginally bikey

Beautiful 'm cloud free day but I didn't ride. I'm on the edge of getting a cold and thought it might be best to not be breathing in the below freezing air in large quantities. My bike buddy and I have been unable to connect all week. :-(

Tonight I am bringing Siberian Husky's Furnace Creek 508 DVD to a social bike group's holiday party. It will be the first "public presentation" of it. Siberian Husky reminds me to "be gentle" with him. ;-) As if he need worry!

Tomorrow the risk of aggravating a cold gets shoved to the wayside as I join a group of Randonneurs on their little 125 miles ride!

not winter......yet

The weather gurus are saying it's supposed to be getting colder in the next few days. None of my riding buddies could join me today but I decided I'd better get riding while the riding was still good.

I got in a late morning ride that amounted to 56 miles.

There is hope to get a few more rides in during the next few days, but if the weather people are right I might have to bundle up a bit!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............56...............0.................56
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........6220....+.......841....=.........7098
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

surprised

I witnessed a private armored car company truck squeeze around a vehicle by driving with one set of wheels on a bike lane and the other up over the curb and in the grass.
I thought this is not the way I'd want my employees to be representing MY company, as well as the issue of driving on a bike lane. I noted the number on the back of the truck saying more or less "if you don't like the way I'm driving call this number" which I did, and found it to be no longer valid. I visited the website for the company and sent an email with my concerns. I didn't expect it to go any farther than that.

I was surprised today when the company called me back for clarification of the details. Even if it goes no farther, I was glad to hear that they at least read my email.

Yet another nice November weekend!

I rode this morning with a group that took off from Lakeside Bicycles in Lake Oswego.
It was a good group of cyclists with good bike skills. We rode a shorter ride than I had anticipated but did get some decent climbing in as we rode from Hwy 43 up through the cemetery to the Barbur/Terwilliger area. Finally had a chance to use my 56-11 coming down Terwilliger back into Lake Oswego. I smiled as I pedaled at 40+ mph past those with "lesser gears". The 33-27 side of things got a chance to rub off the spider webs too as I rode up through the cemetery. Some times a triple chainring is a pretty good thing to have!

After our little 25 mile group ride I milled around for a bit and finally decided I had time for a few more miles. The sun was shining, temps in the mid 50's, it was just hard not to ride!

All tolled, 55 miles today before my schedule called me back to duty.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............55...............0.................55
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........6164....+.......841....=.........7042
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bike Pansy season

This time of year there are just those days when that little guy standing on my shoulder whispering in my ear gives a convincing speech on why it's just too (pick one) cold, dark, wet, hard to ride.

22 "miles" on the artificial bike tonight. The bike pansy won the arguement. :-(

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............22.................22
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........6109....+.......841....=.........6987
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

sunny, a little frost on the pumpkin........

.....but after it warmed up a bit it was a good ride. I was going to ride with my bike buddy Erinn today but alas she's come down with a touch of flu. I had everything ready to go so decided to ride all by my lonesome. I rode up to Council Crest and back. A beautiful day for a ride. A little breeze but my direction of travel meant it was a crosswind rather than headwind/tailwind combo. Gorgeous views from the top.

A little Thanksgiving present for y'all.......
I finally finished up my Furnace Creek 508 "documentary" DVD last week. I divided it into 6 pieces to slide in under YouTube's size limitations and posted it there. I've imbedded it into my FC 508 blog posts. Go HERE to take a look.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............46...............0.................46
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........6109....+.......819....=.........6965
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sunny!

Who would think you could have two good weekends in a row in November....
Last weekend was good, yesterday was a good ride......... today was AWESOME!

The original 4 members of our Race Across Oregon team rode from McMinnville to Monmouth to meet with fire staff at Polk County Fire District #1 where a former college roommate of ours volunteered for 30 years. He recently passed away and we thought it would be a good way to honor him.

Nothing like getting a bunch of fast boys together to make for a fast ride. I was made to look like the pansy I am. I had a couple of pulls was all, the rest of the time I was relegated to the rear of the peloton enjoying their draft.

I saw 21 mph far more than I ever saw 16 mph. I haven't checked our average but it was fast.

We ended up with 60 miles..........and more importantly we ended up at McMeniman's Hotel Oregon!

While this is the original configuration of our Race Across Oregon team Terry had other plans and was unable to join us for RAO. However, the picture shows 3 of the members of the 4 Man over 50 team that set a new course record in `08.........by over 2 HOURS!

(L to R, J Murray, Terry, Cary, Kevin)


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............60...............0.................60
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........6063....+.......819....=.........6917
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A great Day

Despite what Adam said!

No wind, no rain, good company, 45 miles!


8 of us rode from Vancouver WA today to "ride to the ride" and join a social bike club on their ride 7 mile around Lake Oswego. It was a good ride! Tomorrow will be another decent ride....two days in a row! In the winter!

Oh, and a PS

Some idiot driver came right at us as we rode in the green bike lanes near the Rose Quarter. I moved over to keep from being run over.... and smacked the driver's side rear window hard with my hand as the brain dead occupant continued on his way past us. One of my social rider companions chided me saying "he probably just made a mistake". No doubt. Drivers mistakes cost cyclists their lives. I've been hit by a driver that "made a mistake" by running a red light. $26,000+ in medical bills makes me very outspoken on bike safety issues...... and accountability by both cyclists and motor vehicle drivers to operate responsibly.



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............45...............0.................23
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........6003....+.......819....=.........6857
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

little time today

Stopped by the gym and did a quick "10 miles" on the artificial bike. The rest of the day was taken up with family commitments. That will change this weekend. I'm on the books both Saturday and Sunday for rides in the 50-60 mile range.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............10.................23
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........5994....+.......819....=.........6802
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I didn't have time to ride the real bike with all that entails....I opted to ride the pretend bike in the gym. I had the lifecycle9500 in "race mode" and kept a 100 cadence for an hour. Ended up working hard (needed to after the Sunday reality check!)and logging 23 pretend miles.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............0..............23.................23
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........5994....+.......809....=.........6802
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thick fog!

It was foggy when I left home this morning and cool, in the mid 30's. I swung by to pick up my bike buddy Erinn, she lives with a little elevation under her and it was clear when I picked her up. However, as we dropped off the hill we were back in fog.

We arrived at Butteville and took off on our planned 60+ mile ride to Salem via French Prairie Rd/Wheatland Ferry/Wallace Rd and return via River Rd/Gervais/Butteville Rd.

On our way back north on River Rd who should we meet riding south but my brother-in-law Dave! He was out for a solo 50 miler. Glad to see him out there riding!

We had thick fog the entire ride. It gave my blinkies a good workout. So did Erinn!
While my training has taken a little time off since RAO to climb mountains, back pack, go hunting, and watch cyclocross she's continued to work towards her entry into an Ironman competition. She kicked my butt today!

We made a detour in the little town of Donald to search for a "sandbox" so our planned 60.5 miler ended up with just over 61 1/2.

It was a good ride, but we both agreed that it seemed harder than it should have been.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............62...............0.................62
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........5994....+.......786....=.........6789
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

a great day to ride

Unfortunately I didn't have much time. I did get a short 23 miles in just before dark....which comes early this time of year!

the sun is shining!

So I got on the bike for the first time in a long time! Not going to set any mileage records this month. :-( I guess that's okay, it's probably good to have a bit of an "off season". Still planning on riding the Furnace Creek 508 next fall though so I can't take it easy too long.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............33...............0.................33
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........5919....+.......786....=.........6705
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Rain, rain....................rain

It's that time of year. I should have been brave....... but it's the season of the bike pansy.

I rode the artificial bike in the gym. TV, earphones, and a puddle of sweat when you're done. Of course there's that hot tub right close by when your done!


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today..............0..............20.................20
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........5886....+.......786....=.........6672

At the Cross Crusade today. What fun!

The day was great fun. There was plenty of mud and plenty of excitement. A cyclocross event is all about fun. There were serious competitors and those in costume. There were special races for kids, some with training wheels! The last ride of the day was for single speeds. This group seemed to have more costumes than the other divisions, and a "more spirited" announcing team!

The clip below is the men's single speed start, followed very closely by the women's start. Many of the guys probably wished the women were delayed a bit more. Quite a few guys got a good look at the gals' toosh as they sped by the slowpoke testosterone deficient rider!

a bike free week

Not "bike free' as in no charge.
"Bike free" as in I won't have it with me. :-(

I'm heading to the Oregon Coast for a multi-day conference. I won't be back until Sunday. On Sunday I will be attending the Cross Crusade event at PIR and supplying the tables and quickshades for our social bike club's BBQ, but I won't be taking the Marin for a romp in the mud!

I thought about taking the bike along to the beach in hopes of getting time to go for a ride, but having multiple duties there I know I just wouldn't get time to ride it. :-(

So, it's off bike for a few days for me.
I'll get back into the swing of things when I return.

A short fast ride around

A short fast ride around the lake. Dodged the rain but the roads were wet. 28 miles

bikes in the rain

I babysat about 55 bikes today while their owners visited the Verboort Sausage Dinner.


Number of cyclists were down from last year, but of course last year was gorgeous weather....today was a bit.....drippy.
The Oregon Randonneurs ran a Populaire to Verboort today. Here's one member, Cecil Anne, checking in.


Portland Velo also visited today, as well as a few riders from Portland Wheelmen.

I took a little time to visit the beer garden this evening, a first for me in 45+ years of working at the dinner. The photo is from the beer garden.

Yet another great fall day!

I took off this morning for a little ramble around the countryside. The weather was perfect, blue sky, light winds, reasonable temperatures!

I headed out and around Hagg Lake, a route I hadn't ridden in many months. When I got back to Forest Grove the weather was just too good to stop riding so I went to Hillsboro and back via the "Snoozeville Populaire" route.

We will eventually get those blustery and wet days, but in the meantime I'm going to ingrain these days into my memory!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............56...............0.................56
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........5858....+.......766....=.........6624

Some good luck, some bad

I joined John and Joanne, Oregon Randonneurs members, who were on their tandem today and rode the Cows and Capes Permanent. We were starting early and on my drive over to the coast I had to run windshield wipers for most of the way. Once I met them in Manzanita the rain stopped but the roads were still wet. They remained so for most of our first 40-50 miles, however, it never rained on us. Before too long the clouds dissipated and we were left with beautiful blue skies with a trailing wind for our ride from near Seaside south to Cape Meares.

A tandem is traditionally slower on the climbs and lightning fast on descents. Their Canondale was no exception. I felt like I was in a Polka-Dot jersey denoting the "King of the Mountain" today as I didn't have to work too hard at all to stay ahead of them on the climbs. They make up for it though by making me pedal hard to keep up as they coasted down the hills at 40+ mph. (I got to use my new 56-11 setup!)

We were on a set route that Rando folks call a "permanent". They can ride it at anytime for credit, but it has very strict rules as to direction and time. We also had to stop to get receipts to "prove" we were on the course. I missed a turn coming off Cape Lookout and was finally informed by a passing motorist that my friends were waiting for me back up the road. That added about 5 miles to my planned trip today!
One of the legs sent us over the Trask river. The sign at the beginning of the road told us "road closed at Trask River", which concerned us but hey, rules are rules. ;-) We rode to the bridge and luckily for us, yes the bridge was under construction and closed to traffic, but there was a construction access crossing that we were able to walk the bikes across.

We had stops along the way for lunch in Tillamook, looking for the colored zip tie "control", and trying to ascertain the answer to the question concerning the distance to the Trask River. (as well as changing a flat tire on my bike!) It's all in good "Rando Fun". We were "off bike" for nearly two hours total, and it was enough to run us out of daylight. We finished about the last 45 minutes in darkness.
It was a good thing I still had the RAO reflective material on my bike! My HID light was safe in my pickup... :( ... but I did have my blinkies. John and Joanne put on the very bright front light and we just pedaled on.

We had a few miles on Hwy 101 as we returned north and were very happy to note that during the day the wind had shifted........ we now had a tailwind again!

As I tallied the score for the day I noted:

Good luck
Perfect weather,
Tailwind BOTH directions,
Good company
and another 100+ mile day on the books

Bad:
Ruined a tire
It got dark on us

Looks like there was more good than bad!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............135...............0................135
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........5802....+.......766....=.........6568

The weather gods are smiling

It's been a great few days and the weather gurus are saying the good weather should hold through the weekend. I've had a busy week but finally got a short ride in today. Tomorrow I join a couple of folks for a ride, and on Saturday I will be going to the coast for 125 miles with 7000 ft! That ought to get me out of this "non rider" situation!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............36...............0.................36
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........5667....+.......766....=.........6433

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A social ride............

........in the middle of a longer ride. I took a tip from my Oregon Randonneur friends who "ride to the ride". I thought it might be a good thing to finally ride with a social bike group I belong to. They were planning on riding 25-30 miles with a coffee stop in the middle. I rode to Gladstone High School where the group had a planned 10AM shove off. We rode into Portland via residential streets and Springwater and Waterfront Trails. We crossed the Steel Bridge and made our way down to River Place where we stopped for a time and had sandwiches, warm drinks, etc. We then made our way back. All tolled, 32 miles with the group, in 5 hours. ;-)
Add that to the 64 mile round trip commute and it was a good day! It started out cloudy and a bit cool, but cleared up by afternoon.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............96...............0.................96
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........5631....+.......766....=.........6397

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sunny afternoon

Perfect afternoon for a ride! I was in Sherwood for a meeting this morning but finished up just before noon. I had my bike with me. I went for a nice 56 mile ride. Perfect weather, just perfect.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............56...............0.................56
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........5535....+.......766....=.........6301

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

dodged a bullet....

....or at least a few raindrops!

After a few days of glorius fall sunshine we had a few rainshowers overnight. This morning looked pretty wet and dreary. There were rain showers playing around in the surrounding hills as I fielded a "decided not to join you" email. What was I to do? I put on my neoprene shoe covers, a Tyvek jacket, and headed out for a ride. ;-) As it ended up it was a good ride. The road was damp but not splashy as I started out but soon dried off. It was cool, but not cold, and I never did get rained on.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............48...............0.................48
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........5479....+.......766....=.........6245

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I have priorities

but ignored them this morning and went for a bike ride! Cloudless October days will do that to a person.

Just cruised around the Tualatin Valley.

(late afternoon update)
I was emailing with my Furnace Creek 508 teammates today and talking about next year's plans. Talk of such things as another run at Race Across Oregon and a shot at Furnace Creek 508. I was leaning real hard towards a solo entry in the Race Across Oregon and there was some talk of a team effort in the Furnace Creek 508.
I went to the Race Across Oregon websiteto get some answers to questions and lo and behold, I note that in `09 RAO and STP are scheduled for the same weekend.

Quite a conundrum. I absolutely love the STP and the challenge of riding all 204 miles in one day. I've increased my average speed each of the 4 years I've participated. It is THE BEST organized bike event I've ever attended.

Compare that with Race Across Oregon where I see a lot of lost opportunities for the organizer to improve. Yes, it would be fun and a great challenge to return to RAO as a soloist and see what I'm capable of. At the same time the impetus for competing in the `08 RAO was to have it on my resume when I apply for inclusion in the `09 Furnace Creek 508. Any participation in the `09 RAO would be after registration was submitted for the 508 so that reason does not exist this year.

So, short version.... I'm really on the fence as to whether I will return to RAO this year. If I don't participate in RAO it will really put the pressure on heading back to Death Valley next October ......and this time bring my bike!

So it's back to focusing on the two year plan.
1)Participate in the `09 Furnace Creek 508
2)Have some fun in the process...ie "more miles and more smiles"

Given that I'd have to miss STP I'm not sure RAO fits into that real well.
Maybe saving the money involved in competing in RAO and put it towards a full effort on FC 508 is the best course of action.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............44...............0.................44
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........5431....+.......766....=.........6197

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Another nice day

The day started off with a trip over to the Cyclo-Cross race in Wilsonville. It was my first time to see one of these. Pretty wild!

After watching the cross race for a few hours I just had to get on a bike. The Harvest Century was also held today. I don't ride OrBike events but the course went with in a few blocks of my sister and brother-in-law's house. I took off mid afternoon following the Dan Henrys for the Harvest Century until I got in the Scholls area then took River Rd to Hillsboro before turning around and making my way back to Wilsonville. It was a nice day for a ride, a little improvement over yesterday only because there was no wind to speak of. Before long the rain will set in but in the meantime it's nice to be out and about.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............61...............0.................61
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........5387....+.......766....=.........6153

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It's October

But today was a very nice fall day. Crisp in the morning with a bit of frost here and there but not a cloud in the sky. Dave and I put on long cycling pants and wind jackets along with long fingered gloves. It was just about right for the weather. As the day warmed Dave took off the jacket, I kept mine on. We had invited several folks to join us, some from a group that advertises that longer distances and hills are to their liking, but alas, Dave and I were by ourselves. There were quite a few other cyclists out enjoying the day also.

We started from Wilsonville and headed across the Canby Ferry then south on Meridian Rd. We got a few miles from Silverton then headed to Scott's Mills then back on Kropf Rd to Lone Elder and Canby. One more ride on the ferry and a few miles and we were back in Wilsonville.

It was a nice 56 mile ride.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............56...............0.................56
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........5326....+.......766....=.........6092

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Remembering how to ride a bike

Late this morning I found my bike, aired the tires, and went out for a ride! After the last bit of time doing bikey things but not riding, it felt good to get out on the road. It was a bit of an odd feeling just out there by myself, green trees around, a bit cool in the fall air, no time clock running. Just out for a ride! I had things on the schedule for today so couldn't ride too long, but it was fun while I was out there.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............44...............0.................44
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........5270....+.......766....=.........6036

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

almost back to normal

I arrived back home this morning at 8:15 AM after the drive home from Santa Clarita. I stopped for a one hour nap near Redding Ca adding 1 hour to the 15 hour drive. Better safe than sorry. :-) I have a few hours before an evening meeting........ back to the grind. I will start sorting through the many photos and video of the Furnace Creek 508 and get them put into some sort of coherent order then put them into the FC 508 blog postings here.

I just want to say once again how much fun the Furnace Creek 508 experience was. I appreciate Mike "Siberian Husky" Arenberg and Tom Eller for taking a chance on me and allowing me to share in the fun. Tom has crewed many RAAMs (Race Across America) and it was quite educational to see first hand how an experienced crew member sets things up and operates. I learned a lot of things from both Mike and Tom that will help me when I ride the FC 508.

It was very interesting to be observing a rider rather than riding myself. Having ridden long distances (though not nearly 509 miles!) I knew a lot of what he had to be going through. When I'd see him stop pedaling for a moment and stretch I knew exactly how he felt. When he came to incredibly rough sections of road I knew exactly how that felt too. I can appreciate the effort that Mike put into this major accomplishment. I am happy that I in some small way helped make that possible.

Driving up Hwy 99 on way home after FC508. Great time, great guys. I am now in Merced

Mission Accomplished!

Finished.....509 miles, 35,000 ft of climbing. Placed about 29th of 91 solo riders. What a stud Mike Arenberg is!

It's going to take a few days to get all the photos, videos, and data sorted and compiled. Check back here for a lot more information when it's available.

Update:
Finally got the DVD put together.
Here's a lower resolution version of it.

36 miles to go with

36 miles to go with about 3000 ft of climbing. It is quite warm, but managable. He's going to make it!

They call this pavement?

They call this pavement? Unbelievably rough!

(click on photo to enlarge.....posted via cell phone so resolution is not that good, but take my word for it, it was like riding over golf balls!)

through Baker ts at 8:48am,

through Baker ts at 8:48am, Tough ride.....tougher rider. Currently at mile 387. Blue sky, light wind, ROUGH road!

been a tough night..

been a tough night..t storm etc but making it (posted via cell phone)

Update:
The first 24 hours of the Furnace Creek 508 we almost behind us. The weather during the first day had been challenging and yet at the same time helpful.

At the start of the race the sky was mostly clear. The elevation was 1100ft. By the time we started climbing in the San Francisquito Canyon we got into thick fog. At times we couldn't see 100 ft. The wind was blowing about 20 mph and the fog. It was raining very lightly along with all this. The road was wet and slippery.

The riders had started with cool morning air so most wore armwarmers, legwarmers, or if lucky a light windbreaker........ but from my position 24.4 miles in at the corner of Elizabeth Lake Rd and Johnson Rd (el 3330ft) I saw a lot of wet, cold, miserable riders. They had crossed a 3740ft summit to get to where I was so the descent had chilled them.

I had positioned myself there to find out what Siberian Husky wanted. Yellow glasses? Clear?, Windbreaker? Long pants? Full fingered gloves?......... scarf and fur lined boots????? I had a walkie talkie with me and would communicate what we needed to have ready to the crew chief Tom, sitting with our support van up the road a good mile. I had dug my coat and long pants out for this duty and was very glad that I had packed them along!

Siberian Husky came by at 8:41AM, I ran along side as he climbed the hill just long enough to get the answers he needed then radioed the information to Tom.

As we crossed over Johnson Summit we rose out of the fog to see a blue sky with about 50% cloud cover.

The map shows road names like "Avenue D", "90th Street", and such, but this was definitely rural hill countryside.

Siberian Husky was riding in a very stiff crosswind, perhaps 25-30mph and had the very deep carbon rims of the Zipp 808 wheels to deal with. At 49.5 miles in, at Bacchus Rd, we traded out the front Zipp 808 for the Xero XR1 so that the wheels wouldn't catch so much of that crosswind. We left the rear Zipp in because it would take longer to change and wasn't as critical to handling issues.... we hoped. Mike also took off the warm clothes he had put on during the drizzle and fog.

At this point Siberian Husky began "The Windmill" climb, an effort that would bring him to 4150 ft elevation.



(more updates to come later)

time station 1, 83,6 mi

time station 1, 83,6 mi 11:39 am 4:39 elapsed

Rider doing well. Joshua Trees

Rider doing well. Joshua Trees and 25-30mph tailwind and new smooth pavement. Bikes at 40mph!

foggy, 150 ft visibility, 15-20

foggy, 150 ft visibility, 15-20 wind, wet

We are RACING!

We are RACING!

Inspection day.

Inspection day. The excitement builds.

Here's our rider, Mike "Siberian Huskie" Arenberg


Our rider, like all Siberian Huskies, is getting anxious to start this show.



I wore my Race Across Oregon t-shirt today. (not my team shirt..saving that for the finish line, but rather the event shirt) Glad I did. At the FC 508 that event is quite a buzz. Met the Two Person Team 50+ course record holder. Met the Recupright record holder. ....they got to meet the 4 Person Team 50+ course record holder! ;-)

Tonight we attended the riders meeting. Really too much about who the organizers are, why they are doing this, why they've done such a good job. There was 90 minutes of that, followed by 30 minutes of mostly telling us the rules that we already have written in our race book. The room was about 20% too small for the number of folks who attended. Ah, all just sour grapes I guess.

Tomorrow we will be up early and head over to the starting line. This will be so much fun!

Travel day

6:51 AM No bike.....but still bikey!
Having left home early (2AM!)daylight finds me in Nothern California on my way to the Furnace Creek 508. The adventure has begun!

11 AM, in Sacramento. Almonds, melons, and rice in the farms. I guess I'm not in Kansas anymore! About 400 miles to go.

1:20 PM Mile 685 into my journey, citrus and aquaducts abound, also some pistachio orchards!.

3:11 PM 120 miles from LA, remarkably vacant. There is just nothing out here except powerlines and cell/microwave towers. Even in the more desolate areas of Oregon if a freeway intersects with another main road there will be a few support type business....gas, cafe, auto repair. Along this stretch there was nothing...absolutely nothing. Just miles and miles of dust and irrigated agriculture. No farm building or anything. Oh, there was one very large feed lot. Probably 80 acres under roof, mountains of hay stacked outside, several thousand beef animals. A noticeable brown cloud was riding the wind from the direction of LA. I sure wouldn't want to be breathing that air everyday.

4:55 PM After 932 miles, I have arrived in Santa Clarita!

Then proceeded to prepare for the ride. After getting most of our stuff ready we walked down the block and took the opportunity to unwind a bit.

Left to right,
Mike "Siberian Husky" Arenberg, Tom Eller, and me.


Over the course of the race I'll give updates from my phone. I'll get back on here and spruce up the layout after we finish up.

1st weekend in October

I'm still my father's son, I grew up knowing this is the opening weekend of deer season here in Western Oregon.
It's also the weekend for the Kitsap Color Classic, a nice little bike ride put on by the Cascade Bicycle Club.

Which will I be doing?

Neither!

I'm taking off tonight for Southern California! I'm a last minute addition to the crew for Furnace Creek 508 competitor Mike "Siberian Husky" Arenburg. It's a big endeavor both for rider and crew. I missed out on most of the planning since I'm a late addition to cover for a member who had to drop out. Just travel alone is daunting, a day to get to Santa Clarita, 2 days to follow the rider to 29 Palms, a day to drive back to the start where my pickup will be sitting. A day to drive back home. I am told by previous competitors that riding the 508 is a life altering experience. I guess for we crew members it will just be an adventure! ;-)

I added up my monthly totals for September. As pathetic as 338 miles is, it would have been even worse if I had not logged 166 miles last weekend! Mountain climbing, hiking, hunting..... so many things to do in fall in Oregon!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today..............0...............0..................0
Jan total.......98.....+........402....=..........500
Feb total.....385.....+.......220....=...........605
Mar total.....659.....+........41.....=...........700
April total...629.....+........57.....=...........676
May total.....642.....+........23.....=...........665
June total....804.....+.........0.....=...........804
July total....933.....+.........0.....=...........933
August total..732.....+........23.....=...........755
Sept total....338.....+.........0.....=...........338
YTD...........5222....+.......766....=.........5992

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

shame on Jack

On my way to a meeting last evening I pulled through the Jack in the Box's drive through. The Jack in the Box is a newly opened establishment in my little town.
As I was waiting for my fix of cholesterol I noted the dining room hours posted on the window, as well as that the drive through window was open 24 hours. Then noted that they would not serve me if I was on a bike or walking "for my safety". I was invited to call 1-800-955-5225 if I had any comments.

I did so this morning. A very nice woman with a southern accent took my call. We had a very nice conversation where I explained that I may be riding my bike by early in the morning before the dining room is open and would want to swing through for breakfast or a warm drink. I asked why they discriminated against my mode of transportation.

She explained that cars might not see me and that if I got hit they'd be liable. I asked if she thought I was any safer riding on the street to get there, and that they were the only drive up window I had seen with such a notice. I noted that McDonalds was right across the road and did not have such a notice.

She tried to play into my sympathies and said "shame on McDonalds for not caring about cyclists". I responded "shame on Jack in the Box for not welcoming and accommodating cyclists. I would think the addition of a light to illuminate the window area would absolve them of any claim that the area wasn't safe for cyclists.

You might want to call that number if you also share these concerns.

In the meantime, I'll go through McDonald's drive through, whether in my car or on my bike. I think they understand me better. ;-)