Gravel

A meetup group I belong to scheduled a ride for those that wanted to get a taste of the current gravel riding craze. I have a mountain bike that has had very little use, in fact it has had slicks on it since 2009 when I brought it to the Furnace Creek 508 to use on the rough section of Kel-Baker Road. I spent yesterday afternoon swapping the knobby tires for the slicks.

I spent some time washing the bike, cleaning and lubing the chain, and adjusting the brakes. I filled the water bottle and loaded the route on the Garmin. I was ready to go!

Later in the evening I got a message from the group organizer that the ride leader did not want me on his ride.  It seems that a guy that I've never met has some preconceived notions about me.

No worries, I'm an early riser and figured I could go ride the route and be finished before his group started out at 10 AM.  He can tell me I can't be on his ride, but he can't tell me that I can't ride my bike on public roads.

I was on the route by 8:30 AM, plenty of time to finish up before the group would be starting at 10AM,

I pedaled west from Amity and within 2 miles came to an unplanned snafu.  Road crews had the road closed to automobiles as they dug up the asphalt to work on a culvert. I sweet talked the crew to allow me to walk my bike around the work zone.

I continued on the route which had a few gravel segments that were easily negotiated on my mountain bike.  The gravel was smooth enough that I'm sure I could have negotiated it on my rain bike, which has 28 cm tires on it.  In its previous life it came with cyclocross tires which would have been perfect.

I kept moving along, mindful that I wanted to be finished before the meetup group got on the route. I did not want to have the ride leader tattle on me.

I finished the loop and made my way back up toward Amity.  I crossed back over the work zone.  I had made such good time, and the route was short enough, that I really wanted more miles.  I took the loop out by Lehman Farms. Now that I was off the "official" route I took some time to stop and take photos of the Willamette Valley agriculture.  My lady friend has never been to the USA, let alone Oregon, and is fascinated by what is grown here.

Rye grass, grown for lawn seed

Tall Fescue on the left, and filberts (Hazel nuts) on the right.

Hazel nuts (aka Filberts)

Wheat (Trigo for my amiga)

Oats (Avena for my amiga)

Hops! 

I got finished with my bonus miles and high tailed my way back up the course.  I almost made it.
When I was 4 blocks from finishing a line of bike riders was heading my direction.  I lowered the visor of my helmet and looked downward as I passed by.

I didn't get a call from the organizer, so I assume that I didn't get tattled on. ;-)

I loaded up the bike and took a detour across the Wheatland Ferry.

After crossing the Willamette River I continued on into Keizer to visit with some friends there that I hadn't seen in awhile, then made my way back north.

It was a good day

.......Road Bike........Rollers.......MTB..........Lifecycle......Total

Today ......0.................0.................31.....................0............31

Jan.........0.................. 0..................0.....................0..............0

Feb.........0..................0..................0.....................0...............0

March.......0.................0................0.....................0...............0

April.......0.................0..................0......................0...............0

May.........0..................0................80....................0..............80

June........63..................0................31....................0...............94

YTD..........89...............0................111.....................0.............200