I sold it to a guy near Aloha and drove it out there today. I tossed the fixie in the back.
I dropped the pickup off very near the El Monica light rail station. I had the option of doing a multimodal ride back, but the weather was nice so I started pedaling toward home. I hadn't mapped my route, but figured I'd just navigate by sense of direction!
I was planning on accessing the Fanno Creek trail to cover most of the distance without having to ride on roads. I was riding in a southeasterly direction when I came across the Westside Trail.
It was heading south and I figured that might be a good way to get across the Tualatin Valley Hwy.
It did get me across the busy highway, but it follows the power transmission lines, UP and DOWN over every hill, (Williams Mtn, Sexton Mtn )instead of around the contours like a road would do. I was on my fixed gear bike!
The grades on some of the switchbacks reached 11%. I can generally handle an 8% grade on my fixed gear bike, and when I am in bike shape maybe even an 11% for a short distance. Today was not one of those days. I walked the bike up in a few places.
I kept pedaling south, knowing that I needed to move eastward if I was going to access the Fanno Creek trail. After a bit I started seeing signs for streets that I recognized. Rigert Road, Barrows, Scholls Ferry, and I could see the power lines bending west. It was time for me to brave roads with cars! I got on Scholls Ferry and and pedaled (north!east) to get to a known Fanno Creek access point. If I had known the roads better there were better ways to get there.
I hadn't had lunch today yet so I took advantage of a Carls Jr that I passed.
I survived the road with bike lanes and started south on the Fanno Creek trail. People were out enjoying the trail and rivers today.
.......along with ducks!
Now that I was on flatter ground, (and my tummy was satisfied!) I was making better progress.
I was soon nearing Tigard.
Followed very quickly by riding through Cook Park.
I arrived in Tualatin, where I'd now have to get on Boones Ferry Rd for the last 7 miles. The same stretch of road where a car ran into me breaking my arm a year and a half ago!
I took extra care to never go past a driveway or side street when a car was overtaking me. When I got to Wilsonville I took a longer way rather than the direct route, because I was trying to minimize risk.
I survived, but it isn't much fun to ride with such fear.
.......Road Bike........Rollers.......MTB..........Lifecycle......Total
Today ......23.................0.................0.....................0............23
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................59....................0..............122
July........86...................0................78....................0..............206
August......24..................0.................0.....................0..............24
September...23..................0.................0.....................0..............23
YTD.........222...............0................218.....................0.............440
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