Double Trouble

      I haven't been on the bike much lately, as readers of my blog have probably noticed.  A series of  "other things" have been taking priorities.  I enjoy Double Trouble, a non competitive double metric century mostly on the Race Across Oregon course (ie Hilly!).  I was wondering just how well I would be able to get over those hills, but it wasn't a race, so off I went.

     My friend Julie and I teamed up for the event as a ride and tie team.  The event centered around Maupin, located in Oregon's High Desert.  Despite being on the dry side of the Cascade Mountains, the morning was damp with a light rain falling.

       Julie is a bit smarter on the bike than I am, I took off on the first leg of the ride, UP Bakeoven Rd. while she shuttled my pickup up the route.  We began the ride about 8:45 AM and it rained very lightly until noon. Like most of the riders, I did not have fenders on my bike.  I didn't have rain gear along but didn't find it necessary. I had booties on, full fingered gloves and a windbreaker.  That was enough to keep me comfortable for most of the ride.  The rain was constant, but so light that my windbreaker was enough to keep me dry and the tires never threw up a rooster tail. I pedaled the section from Shaniko until the Clarno Summit. In that section is the sinewy descent into Antelope and it was a cold ride down.  My only exposed skin was on my face, and before reaching the bottom I had what felt like a brain freeze headache.  I welcomed the long climb up to Clarno summit, knowing that I would get warmed up.

     I at least had my windbreaker on.  Another rider wasn't so lucky.  He reached Antelope shivering uncontrollably.   He was our guest in the warm pickup for the remainder of the ride.

     Julie and I continued our trading back and forth on bikes.  Though it is not a race, almost every attendee has racing in their blood. There can't help but be a spirited competition. Julie and I finished by mid afternoon, reaching all our goals.   She ended up riding 53 miles and I rode 59.  Though we rode nearly the same distance, as mentioned earlier, Julie is a bit smarter. I rode all the bigger hills.  The climb both ways out of the Deschutes Canyon were mine, as were the climb out of Antelope and the Clarno Summit.  It's all good, we both ended up the day with smiles on our faces.

 ...............road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle........total
Today..............59...........0................0............0.............59 Jan..................93..............0...............0.........0..............93 Feb................411..............0..............0.........0............411 March.............653.............0..............0.........0............653 April..............696..............0...............0.........0............696 May...............900...............0...............0.........0.............900
June..............484...............0..............0..........0...........484
July..............1300................0...............0..........0.............1300
 Aug................638.............0.................0..........0.............638
 Sept...............232..............0................0...........0.............232
 Oct................59...............0................0...........0...............59
Total...........5222.............0...............0..........0.............5222