An easy end to the month

My sister is a member of a Hood(Portland) to Coast walking team. As such she is in full training mode and goes for walks in the neighborhood regularly. This morning was in the low 60's, a very welcome change from the hot mornings of late. Instead of going for a big ride (because I have plans for today and didn't have time for a long ride) I pedaled along as she walked.


Here's the route:
OK, so for some reason Mapmyride.com won't load the map on this one, but you can click HERE to see the route.


She notes that the small out and back towards the end was a neighborhood garage sale that needed scoping out!


That's the end of the riding this month for me, a new record that is likely to stand for some time if not all time. The next two months have significant time that I won't be getting many miles. Wrong timing for someone training for Furnace Creek but so it goes.

Close enough to 6 miles to call it that. It was a nice way to end a big mile month.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............6...............0..................6
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total.....1322.....+.........0........=......1322
Year to date...5592.....+.........30.......=......5622
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A surprisingly nice ride today!

I hopped on the bike this morning with only one goal in mind, to get 24 miles in and bring my monthly total to 1300 miles! I had no plan where to ride, I was just riding.
This is what I ended up doing:



I didn't bring a camera with me this morning since it "was just a short ride" and no plans to be anywhere scenic. Alas, I should have had it with me. The views from Tooze Rd and Ladd Hill Rd were stupendous! I'll try to get back out that way and get some photos in the near future.

The weather was cooler this morning than it has been and it was very comfortable riding. Even with the climbing early in the ride it wasn't all that bad. There was nearly 2100 ft of climbing on this trip and the majority of that came in the first half.

A good 26 mile ride, I'll have to put it on my "should do again" list!

UPDATE: 3PM

It was in the upper 90's as I twisted my niece's arm to go for a ride this afternoon. What finally got her on her bike was an offer by me to buy her a frozen treat if she'd ride to McDonalds with me. Yes, there are closer McD's but I wasn't buying unless she made it to the Tualatin McDonalds, about 6 miles away.



She made it....


....and I bought the frozen yogurt!



Add another 14 miles with 864 ft of climbing to my day's total




+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............30...............0.................30
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total.....1316.....+.........0........=......1316
Year to date...5586.....+.........30.......=......5616
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Another hot one

I rode from Wilsonville this morning leaving just shortly after 8AM. I jumped on I-5 for the ride over the Boone Bridge then exited and headed towards Champoeg Park. Before reaching the park I took a left on Butteville Rd and rode to Gervais. The hot weather has really made the hops reach for the sky. Here's the hop fields near Crosby Rd.
I eventually arrived in Salem and made my way to the Oregon Fire District Director's Association office where I checked in with the folks there. (I'm on the board of directors).
After a brief visit I filled my water bottles and proceeded back north. I took a turn on Cummings St putting me on the Monster Cookie Metric Century course and taking me out to Windsor Island. I was very surprised to find a very fresh coat of chipseal.Not bad as far as chipseal goes, but still a lot rougher than the previous surface, and not all that fun to ride on. Windsor Island Rd winds through some pretty productive farmland. Here's a field of green beans.

I continued to pedal on. Here's my "dashboard".
I made a stop at Champoeg Park on the return to refill my water bottles. While there a dad and his daughter pedaled in. They had started in Eugene several days before and were riding to Tacoma. Just the very minimum of gear, obviously NOT Randonneurs! I presumed motel stays but didn't ask. The older gentleman, a black man, said he looked at his life a few years ago and determined that he would eventually die with money left over so decide to start bike touring. He and his daughter have toured Viet Nam, Cambodia, Patagonia, Canada and a few other places on a bike now. When I grow up I want to be like them! :-)

It was warm, I had more than 75 miles on this warm day and was looking forward to the end in Wilsonville. That's when this showed up:
That meant a 12-15 mile detour through Canby and some pretty serious climbing in the neighborhood of the Canby Ferry to get back to Wilsonville. After pedaling about a half mile toward Canby I changed my mind and went back to Boone Bridge and became a pedestrian on the shoulder of the south bound lanes....with me walking my bike north across the bridge. I stopped to take this picture of the Willamette River as I crossed.

After the brief stint as a pedestrian I hopped back on the bike and made my way up Wilsonville Rd completing the ride.

It was 103 when I finished at 1:15 PM!

Here's my route:


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............79...............0.................79
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total.....1276.....+.........0........=......1276
Year to date...5546.....+.........30.......=......5576
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

just like Death Valley

This morning at 8AM it was 79......I was thinking "gee, this is just like it was in Trona at 8AM when I went for a ride in Death Valley a few weeks ago." I listened to the forecast and they were predicting a high near 105, once again I thought "gee, that's within two degrees of how hot it was in Death Valley when I rode through Furnace Creek" I looked to the north and saw the Tualatin Mtns....and I think "gee, almost like Death Valley, except not nearly as long of pulls. After doing some painting for one of Mom's neighbors I hopped on the bike and rode for dem dar hills.
Almost like Death Valley, but the roads were a LOT smoother!

It was one of those days where I get a song stuck in my head and it just keeps playing. Today's stuck song was this, not a bad song if you've got to have a one song playlist!


I rode along Evergreen to Cornelius Pass Rd. I jumped across the Sunset Hwy then took the new roads through the industrial parks to West Union Rd
then turned left on Old Pass. Took a left on Old Cornelius Pass Rd, another left on
Rock Creek Rd and climbed that to Skyline. I took Logie Trail down to Hwy 30
and rode to Sauvie Island to utilize the convenience store there.
Jumped back on Hwy 30 and rode east to Newberry Rd and climbed back up to Skyline. I took Skyline
back to Old Cornelius Pass Rd and took that down to Phillips, then right to Shute Rd and back to Hillsboro.
I took it slow today. I was in no particular hurry, and it was hot. 98 when I got back at 1PM. 101 as I'm typing this at 2:15!

As I pedaled down Shute Rd I came across this:
Certainly a blast from the past. Both vehicles from the late 50's early 60's. Wasn't close enough to the operator to see his vintage! ;-)

The Garmin tells me 3585 feet of climbing, 40 miles, and 2604 calories burned. Oh, and a 13.9 mph average! Yup, took it easy today!



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............40...............0.................40
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total.....1197.....+.........0........=......1197
Year to date...5467.....+.........30.......=......5497
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

going to be hot today!

Good thing I got out for a reasonably early ride!

It was already feeling warm when I pedaled off this morning at 7AM. I took a reasonably flat route from Hillsboro to Wilsonville and back. I had left a cell charger at my sister's house and decided I might as well pedal there!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............56...............0.................56
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total.....1157.....+.........0........=......1157
Year to date...5427.....+.........30.......=......5457
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A warm day

I attended Paul's Sunday Social Saunter Series but Paul didn't ride today, he had a tough ride yesterday and had a broken bike to show for it.


He did however leave us a route and following protocol we started off with an easy saunter suitable for all levels of rider. We began at Scholls Heights Elementary and aimed for Jenkins Estate. We did modify slightly and ride up Grabhorn Rd, which ended up being a stretch for one of our riders. Lesson learned, even "relatively easy" hills can be a challenge for those not accustomed to hill riding. Here's Charles and James riding up Grabhorn Rd on our way to Jenkins Estate.


Once there we looked around a bit.


Then turned back since we had to meet those joining us for the extra mile option.


Having learned a lesson, we rode down to Farmington Rd then out to Tile Flat .......and AROUND the hill instead of OVER it on our return!

Once back at Scholls Heights Elementary we said our goodbyes to Charles and said hello to Eric and Art who joined James and I for more miles. Paul had given us a cue sheet and map outlining a ride of about 30 miles up in the Mountain Home area.
In true Paul's Sx4 fashion, we modified the route, this time before even spinning a pedal! We all wanted more than 30 additional miles. We opted for a ride out to Hagg Lake. Our route took us up Blooming-Fernhill Rd. Here's James and Art working their way up.

Followed quickly by Eric



Before too long we were at the lake. It was a great day there, not too hot ...yet.



We stopped at the Lake Stop Store on the way out and took a brief food and liquid break. We continued back to Scholls Heights noticing as the day heated up. (eventually getting to the mid 90's)

When we got back to Scholls Heights James had set a new personal best for most miles in a day with nearly 80 miles total. Congratulations to him! Art and Eric had 15 miles less since they hadn't joined us for the first ride out to Jenkins Estate. I was not content to stop with 78 miles so I rode to Tualatin via Roy Rodgers Rd and Sherwood. I rode out Oregon Street, turning on Tonquin Rd then out once again to Graham's Ferry Rd. I made my way to Tualatin where I stopped at McD's for a large soda with LOTS of ice! After a brief rest I pedaled on my way. I took a few different roads back, mostly because I was looking for a few more miles to make sure I got my century in, and also because I generally like a varied route rather than out and backs.

Here's the Tualatin River from the Shramberg Bridge on Roy Rodgers Road.


I soon arrived back at Scholls Heights with my century complete.

5500 ft of total climbing, most of it in the first 50 miles.

A good day, good friends, good route




+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today...........101...............0................101
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total.....1101.....+.........0........=......1101
Year to date...5371.....+.........30.......=......5401
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A nice evening for a bike ride!

I was to lead a ride for my social bike group tonight billed as an "after work ride". It was supposed to start at 6:30PM but by 7 still nobody there but me. Not being one to shy away from solo riding I shoved off for the hills. I rode Dick Rd to Valley Vista to Old Cornelius Pass to Rock Creek to Elliot to Skyline then down Johnson to Logie Trail to Helvetia. By the time I finished riding around the side streets of the neighborhood I had logged 37 miles.......with 3300 ft of climbing........and rolled over 1000 miles for the month!

There is something really good about July in Oregon. Long daylight hours coupled with nice weather and scenery make riding a joy.

Here's a tall trestle for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line over Dick road. Being from a long line of local Oregon natives stretching back more than 100 years I knew Matilda Dick, and her son Oliver. Both now deceased but their name lives on as a name on a road that passes their farmstead.


Though only a few short miles from bustling suburbia the urban growth boundary has so far saved this area from urban sprawl. How long it can be preserved is a good question that we all need to answer.
(an older time remembered along Dick Rd)

(along Phillips Rd)
(Rock Creek Tavern at the intersection of Old Cornelius Pass Rd and Phillips Rd)

(a view as I begin climbing Rock Creek Rd)

(a view across the Columbia River of Mt Saint Helens from Skyline Rd)

(a late day view from the descent of Logie Trail)

It's a nice route that I don't seem to have time to ride often enough.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............37...............0.................37
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total.....1000.....+.........0........=......1000
Year to date...5270.....+.........30.......=......5300
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

New one month mileage record

I rode to the ride today to join members of my social bike group on a rather hilly but very scenic version of the weekly "Paul's Sunday Social Saunter Series".
(Paul leading us out)

I got my 100 miles in today and that pushed me to a new monthly mileage record. My 100 mile route had 6817 feet of climbing according to the Garmin. There's still plenty of month to go yet!



I began my morning with a 2 1/2 mile ride to McD's for a "deluxe breakfast" before tracking the course on the GPS. I rode from Wilsonville over Bull Mountain to Scholls Heights Elementary School where I met the rest of today's group. We rode westerly and made a climb of Iowa Hill just to the south of Cornelius.Beautiful day to be on a bike!

When we got back to Scholls we stopped at Smith's Berry Barn for our first social stop of the day.



Some had coffee, some other treats, and some just visiting time. 2 members decided they had enough hills for the day and opted for a return trip to our starting location. The rest of us turned south and headed up to the Mountain Home district via Seifert Rd. That's a pretty respectable climb! We ended up back at Scholls Heights were 4 of us decided that a cold adult beverage sounded good so we made our way down the road a way to Ruby Tuesday's.



While there a couple other members of our social bike group called and said they had missed our start this morning but had gone on their own ride and were now having a cold beverage on the other end of the same shopping center. We pedaled over there and twisted their arms to join us on a bonus mileage plan.
The weather was just too nice not to extend the ride a little. 4 of us made a second run out to Forest Hills Golf Course then returned adding about 30 miles to the day.
We made our second visit to Ruby Tuesday's. Gotta love these social rides!



The route I took to get to the ride would have given me 95 miles for the day. I "just had to" make a few turns to add miles and bring me up to that magic century mark.

Ended up with 100.16 miles, including the breakfast run.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today...........100...............0................100
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total......963.....+.........0........=.......963
Year to date...5233.....+.........30.......=......5263
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Over the river and through the woods....revisited

A slightly different route, but the end points were the same.



I got a late start this morning because I had some issues with some flights I had booked and needed to get them straightened out ASAP. Once I got on the road the morning calm had dissipated and there was a slight head wind developing. I still managed to get my 27 mile commute completed in a mostly respectable 1 hr and 37 minutes.

On the way back home this evening I had a full blown tail wind. Rarely directly at my back but close enough to give a great push! Again I took a slightly longer route home taking a turn on Oregon Street in Sherwood then turned on Tonquin Rd to Graham's Ferry. Followed that to Bell Rd then Wilsonville Rd. A little circuitous rambling brought my day's total to 60 miles.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............60...............0.................60
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total......863.....+.........0........=.......863
Year to date...5133.....+.........30.......=......5163
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Over the river and through the woods...............

to grandmother's house I go. More precisely, indeed a grandmother (and great grandmother) but she is MY mom. The river I crossed was the Tualatin and I crossed it twice each way. There was a small wooded area near Sherwood but it hardly counted as "through the woods". I commuted today to my mom's house to do a "honey do" for her.
River Rd near Hillsboro is closed due to construction so I jumped over to Hwy 219 adding just a bit to my ride there this morning giving me 27 miles. After spending the day laying a slate patio I rode back via a slightly longer route once again riding Graham's Ferry Rd. The ride back was 32 miles bringing the day total to 59. Cool morning air made riding faster very comfortable and a tailwind late in the day helped keep the speed up on the return. I ended up with a 21 mph average for the trip.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............59...............0.................59
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total......803.....+.........0........=.......803
Year to date...5073.....+.........30.......=......5103
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Short social ride

I joined a member of the social bike group this evening for a short ride. The plan was to ride 30-40 miles but a later than planned start made for a shortened version.
We began in Tualatin and rode out Martinazzi before taking a slew of residential streets, bike paths, and packed gravel trails, finally coming out at Ibach Park where we jumped on Graham's Ferry and rode to Wilsonville Rd and back. We ended up with 18 miles......didn't even look at the average speed, probably about 11 mph!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............18...............0.................18
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total......744.....+.........0........=.......744
Year to date...5014.....+.........30.......=......5044
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

STP Finisher!

For the second year in a row I decided to return to the STP course and ride with the two day riders on their way to Portland. Today I started from Holladay Park, the STP finish, and biked out Hwy 30 to Longview then turned around and joined the sea of two day riders.

I started off from Portland at 6AM. It was very quiet that time of morning in the city. Roads were empty, and the finish line festival was only inhabited by those servicing the blue rooms. I pedaled briskly towards Longview. I met my first Portland bound rider at 8:15AM, near Scappoose. Before I reached Longview the opposing bike traffic had become a torrent of riders. Some with smiles, some with looks of determination. Those with looks of despair probably made a few phonecalls and never got on their bikes this morning!

There was a heavy mist to very light rain falling for most of the middle 40 miles or so of my 100 today. Not enough to make the roads splashy or feet wet but enough to make bike tires throw gravel and debris back up at those who dared follow too close.
With some of the two day riders having less than optimal riding skills it probably wasn't such a good idea to follow too closely anyway! ;-)

I could out ride most of the riders today, especially on the hills. Big deal though, right? If I'm riding Furnace Creek I'd better be more suited to riding hills than the average recreational rider!

With the rain, and the 300 miles in the last two days I was ready to get back to the festival and putz around with other bikey people. When I got back into Portland I pushed hard away from every signal and stop sign. I was up and out of the saddle.......why I don't know. I ended up with 5.25 hours for the century, again pretty respectable. And for the second year picked up a "Finisher" cloth medallion to compliment my "One Day Rider" medallion. :-)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today...........101...............0................101
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total......726.....+.........0........=.......726
Year to date...4996.....+.........30.......=......5026
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Seattle to Portland by bike. One Day Riders!

Dave and I were up early to make sure we were on the line and ready to go when the 4:45 AM start happened. We got up at 3AM, ate our "ride breakfast",and checked out. We were down to the start location by 4AM and topped off air in the tires, dropped bags at the appropriate trucks, and then talked bike with other riders.

We moved to the line about 4:20 and had our front wheels on the line and handlebars pressed against the yellow ribbon. We were like horses anxious for the starting bell! This was Dave's second STP, but his first try at a one day ride, I'm sure there were a few butterflies! He had trained well and I had no doubt that he'd make it, and make it easily.

At 4:45 the organizers said "go" and dropped the ribbon. Dave and I...and few hundred other earlybirds, were off. Our plan was to ride quickly, but carefully, until we got out of the mayhem that is often part of the first 10-15 miles or so. We pedaled within a few bikes of the leaders all the way to the first food stop at REI, 24 miles in. We heard one crash behind us as we made our way through some sharp descending curves as we neared Lake Washington but luckily we weren't involved. The sunrise over the lake is very pretty but we didn't have much time to enjoy it. We were moving quickly and in close quarters.
We made a very short stop at REI then continued a brisk pace. "The Hill" at mile 50 barely slowed us down. Neither of us resorted to the small chainring of our triple cranks. Even with a couple of water stops we arrived in Centralia, 100 miles in, at just under 5 and a quarter hours actual time. My Cateye said we had a 19.7 mph riding average, not shabby for a century. We had the advantage of a very light tailwind but still not a bad average.

That wind gradually shifted around to become a headwind and pick up a bit of intensity. It would be our unwelcome friend for about our last 75 miles or so. Temps were in the upper 70's to low 80's but with the head wind it was plenty warm.

The training rides Dave and I had done had paid off. As we'd pedal on the flats invariably faster riders would gain and pass, but if they approached as we approached a hill we would soon see them falling back! :-)

We both pedaled hard when we needed too, and smart when we could. We fed and watered well. We had sent a "drop bag" ahead to the Castle Rock mini stop. In the bag we had some fresh clothes and special treats that we thought might be good to eat at this stop that was 137 miles into our ride. Once again this proved to be a very welcome thing to do. Something special about nice dry socks and riding clothes as well as some food that you don't get at the standard food stops!

Before long we were in Longview and pedaling toward the Longview Bridge. It seems as maybe there was some work done it. The famously rough road surface and expansion joints didn't seem nearly as bad this year. I didn't see the road littered by water bottles that had rattled loose as in past years.

We were back in Oregon and only a 50 mile ride down the shoulder of Hwy 30 was between us and the rides end now. We poured it on. Yup, a bit tired, but it seemed that others were more tired. The little hills on Hwy 30 didn't slow us down much or even necessarily cause us to shift a gear. Before long it seemed we were entering Portland. Dave had dropped back a bit and was no longer in my mirror. I could smell the barn though and kept pushing. I made my way up the Montgomery Ward hill without dropping to my small chainring. I pushed hard from red light to red light, crossed the Broadway Bridge and stood on the pedals as I pedaled hard up away from the Willamette River. I wanted to beat 5PM if at all possible.

I didn't quite make it, but did manage to be able to say that in 5 years of doing STP (always in 1 day) that each year I've arrived back in Portland earlier than the previous year. ......clarification......... last year I had a faster overall average with a strong 19 mph..and brisk tailwind! This year with the 70 miles of varying headwind my average dropped to 18.6 but I took less time off bike and finished earlier in the day.

Dave wasn't too far behind me.


We walked around the finish line festival a bit before retiring to the beer garden where we relived the day while waiting for other members of our social bike club to ride in.



With our .9 mile ride to the start line we rode 203 miles today.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today...........203...............0................203
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total......625.....+.........0........=.......625
Year to date...4895.....+.........30.......=......4925
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On the way to STP!

Dave and I are taking the Portland Wheelmen's bus up to Seattle for STP. A very reasonably priced way to get a person and their bike up north! The picture is of Dave in the window seat with another cyclist in residence next to him.

the last hurrah

Well, before leaving for Seattle and the STP anyway!

I met a member of our social bike group for a ride planned to be of about 50 miles but with no preplanned route. Before taking off we both came up with a ride to Hagg Lake as a good option for today.



The weather was nice for riding, not too hot, not too cold, not too windy. If only STP can be as nice!

It was a more social pace today. I averaged 15.6 for the 69 miles. We stopped for buffalo burgers and teriyaki at Cooper D's in Gaston. The proprietress of this small town eatery was impressed that we had cycled from Hillsboro to Gaston. When she heard the plans for the rest of the weekend she about fainted! (didn't have the heart to tell her about October plans!)


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............69...............0.................69
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total......422.....+.........0........=.......422
Year to date...4692.....+.........30.......=......4722
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A cool day compared to the weather of the last few weeks. A perfect day to go ride some hills!



The wind was out of the south today. Hope that doesn't hold until Saturday. That would make a 204 mile LONG bike ride into the wind for STP!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............38...............0.................38
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total......353.....+.........0........=.......353
Year to date...4623.....+.........30.......=......4653
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

90 days

or pretty close to it. Time is ticking. Excitement builds. Trepidation never too far away. Unfailing confidence still supreme.

bored

I had a lot of errands to run today but I did have my bike with me. About 11 AM I was feeling a bit down, had a few set backs, and sort of lost direction. None of my friends answered their phones. I decided I should go for a short ride. I was near the ride I did last Thursday when I joined Luis for his afterwork ride. The 23 miles with some hills sounded just about right.

As it ends up, Dave invited me to join him on his commute to work tomorrow giving me the opportunity to repeat last Wednesday's ride, but alas, I have a morning commitment.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............23...............0.................23
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total......315.....+.........0........=.......315
Year to date...4585.....+.........30.......=......4615
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Paul's SX4 Hagg Lake ride

I joined 6 other members of our social bike group on Paul's SX4 ride. (Sunday Social Saunter Series)

We rode from Scholls Heights Elementary School out to Hagg Lake where we joined others who were just there for either a lap on MTB bike around the mtb trail or a 10 mile lap of the lake via road. As it ended up, both who showed up at the lake chose to do MTB. Our trip leader has a touring bike that does double duty so he joined the other two on the single track. As it ended up, the single track was a dangerous place to be today!



The weather was very nice. It was markedly cooler, with a high in the mid 80's. The wind shifted to out of the south, a sign of impending wet weather, and we picked up some high and scattered clouds. Our route didn't expose us to a headwind too often so it was all good.

We made it out to the lake without incident and took up residence at a lake side picnic table where we had our lunch and divided into those who would dirt track it, and those who were dyed in the wool roadies for the day.


After eating a fine picnic lunch we continued around the lake.


After a circuit of the lake we took an alternate and slightly less busy route back to Scholls Heights. We stopped for water refills from time to time, here at Forest Hills Golf Course.


We continued along through the countryside.



and found that fresh fruit is indeed a treat!




Before long we arrived back at Scholls Heights and most said their goodbyes. A few of us decided that a slice of pizza and a cold adult beverage would be a good way to wrap up the day. It was!




+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............65...............0.................65
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total......292.....+.........0........=.......292
Year to date...4562.....+.........30.......=......4592
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Independance Day

It is predicted to be another very warm day, a perfect day for all the events of Independence Day. What fun would it be to be watching fireworks with an umbrella or wearing a warm coat at the family reunion picnic along the river?

I took a very easy short ride this morning. I had a partial family reunion of sorts and rode my bike along side as my sister went for a morning walk.

A whopping 5 miles, at a 4.1 average!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today.............5...............0..................5
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total......227.....+.........0........=.......227
Year to date...4497.....+.........30.......=......4527
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Shhh.....Brian's Super Secret Ride

7 of us took off from Scappoose today following our social bike club's illustrious leader on what he calls his "super secret ride". (Brian, our grand poohbah!)
It was a warm day with temperatures in the low 90's, however with the copious shade it wasn't all that bad.


We ended up with 65 miles, 15.1 mph average, 11,881 ft of climbing, and burned through 6658 calories. A very good ride with great company. We all ended up at Ixtapa for margaurita's and "the best Mexican food I ever ate".



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............65...............0.................65
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total......222.....+.........0........=.......222
Year to date...4492.....+.........30.......=......4522
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Local Ride Night

A half dozen of us were led by Luis late today on what was billed as an "after work ride". It was 95 degrees as we took off, 85 as we finished. We ended up with a little time to unwind at Cornelius Pass Roadhouse. It was a good ride, 23 miles with 2843 ft of climbing. Dave and I rode a flat little 10 mile out and back on Evergreen as a warm up. We ended up with a 15.7 mph average and burned 2272 calories.



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today............33...............0.................33
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total......157.....+.........0........=.......157
Year to date...4427.....+.........30.......=......4457
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The value of nutrition

I took off very early this morning on short notice to join my brother-in-law on his 20 mile bike commute to work. Unfortunately he didn't know I was coming........and I didn't know his route! I arrived at his work shortly after he did. It was such a nice day I decided to ride more even though I only had one water bottle with me, no food, and no money! Here's where I went:



The Garmin software, "Training Center", tells me the total miles was 124.36, it goes on to say that I burned 10,475 calories, and climbed a total of 16,314 ft.

I took it a bit easy since I knew I was going to be running on empty. Dave lent me $10 before I pedaled away this morning. That got me a good breakfast at Village Inn Pancake House with a few bucks to spare in reserve for later in the day.

The San Diego Tour Guide had spent a good deal of time helping me navigate in San Diego and really went above and beyond by supporting me in my crazy riding in Death Valley. It would have been nice to have returned the favor today by showing the Tour Guide one of my favorite rides, as well as a stop for breakfast along the way!

Having fueled up I decided to head eastward towards the Columbia River Gorge. The ride out was uneventful while at the same time being enjoyable. I only had one water bottle with me so I kept an eye open for opportunities to refill it. I didn't have much trouble keeping hydrated today, but it was straight water, no added goodies.

The new bike made it up to Chanticleer Point like a champ.


I rode to Multnomah Falls where I used my remaining monetary supplies to get a corndog, the only thing on the menu that I had enough to cover!

I continued on my way eastward out past the recently reopened Oneonta Tunnel.

I rode as far as I could without getting on the freeway. That amounts to a few miles beyond Ainsworth State Park to a dead end after crossing under the freeway.

Surprisingly, winds in the Gorge today were light, almost imperceptible. I turned around and began the return trip. Just before reaching the Oneonta Tunnel I came across two "grandmotherly type" women, one had crawled have way under their car. I stopped and offered to help. I had no tools or supplies of any kind with me but figured maybe I could do something. A plastic splash pan had come loose under the engine and was dragging on the road. To make a long story short I used some gauze from their first aid kit to tie the offending piece back up and send them on their way. Just trying to earn my way to heaven!

The waterfalls today were in fine form.


I was bonking hard. My stomach was growling, my legs were cramping, I was tired. I just kept pedaling along because there was no other option. Once I got to Troutdale I pushed along pretty hard because I was to meet Dave back near the Rose Garden and join him on a 28 mile return ride to Wilsonville......via Pete's Mountain! I didn't take time to refill water along this last leg and paid for it a bit. I really was in hydration deficit by the time I arrived at his work.........with 2 minutes to spare.

We rode along the waterfront on the Springwater Trail. Near Oaks Park Dave gave me a Cliff Bar from his supplies. I downed it quickly, I could have eaten a dozen of them!
Just before beginning the climb of Pete's Mountain Dave handed me his last treat, a strawberry Cliff Shot. Dave led the way up the climb with me just trying to hang on.

As we made our way out Mountain Rd just east of Wilsonville Dave was out in front by a good half mile. Dave has beaten me back to his house the last two rides. I saw him attacking the hills hard. I knew he was going for a threepeat. I was tired, I was hot, I had already ridden over 120 miles with temps in the upper 80's,..........but I had this new carbon bike and some pride. Dave was NOT going to beat me today. I dug deep and tried to close the gap. He made the turn onto Advance Rd and I had closed the gap to 1/4 mile. There are some tight turns on a descent. I have a little less trepidation on descents than Dave does. I hit the hairpin corners a little faster than Dave did, and as he began the climb out of the little del I carried enough momentum to catch him before he reached the top. I continued to pour it on because I was NOT going to let him "reach the barn" before me. I wasn't sure I could hold out, but was going to do my best.

There are some big roller coaster hills on Advance Rd. The first one being the biggest. I got a good run at it, but with tired legs it wasn't quite good enough. Dave caught me again just before the top. We traded the lead back and forth a bit.
He had the lead as we hit the second roller coaster but not by much.

It is said that all is fair in love and war.........what they don't tell you is that some times all is fair in friendly competition between brother-in-laws. With just a few blocks left Dave was ahead by about 40 ft. He continued straight ahead to take the road that cars take. .....I turned left 1 block earlier, inched my way around a locked gate across the road, and pedaled HARD. I pulled into his driveway about a minute ahead of him. Enough to break the string!


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles
Today...........124...............0................124
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total......124.....+.........0........=.......124
Year to date...4394.....+.........30.......=......4424
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++