Update

Well, it has been a long time since I updated my blog.  I have acquired 2 new bikes and hardly ride the poor old Volpe any more.  I’ll probably put it up on craigslist for sale this week if I get around to it.  The old gal is just taking up too much space in the garage and not getting ridden.  In fact I really don’t like riding that bike at all anymore.  The brakes were never that great, even after upgrading to linear pull brakes in the front, the stopping power is just not there.  When you are as big as I am brakes become very important.

In November of 2011 I order a new bike from Co-Motion in Eugene Oregon.  This has been my dream bike since I first saw one on Cycle Oregon in 2010.   I rode 2 CO’s on the Volpe and loved that bike, but as soon as I got my Co-Motion Nor’Wester the old Volpe just couldn’t keep up. Though the Volpe has a 52 chain ring and is faster on flats and downhill because I can crank longer before spinning out and I’ve set some nice PR’s on the Volpe…   The Nor’Wester has won out over all and is a keeper.  I love the color and the fit.  I’ll have to post a photo sometime.

My second bike to help replace my do-all Volpe is a Soma ES.   I half bought it because it was the right color, a deep red metallic and because the sizing is very close to that that of my Nor’Wester.  I had fun building it up and selecting the components.  It is mostly a Shimano 105 build, but has an Ultegra front derailleur as it was actually cheaper than a 105.   It is a great bike though a bit heavier than my Co-Mo.  The frame and brakes fit 28mm tires just fine and I’m sure I’ll be setting some new PR’s on it.

Now I just need to get back to riding Rando!  I definitely miss it.

Rando Tips

Here are a few of my thoughts and tips for Randonneuring

Rest stops

-          Get your card signed first

-          Drink a bottle of water

-          Eat if needed

-          Fill up water and use rest room

-          Check for saddle sores and reapply chemise butter if needed.

-          Stretch get going again

-          Don’t say more than 15 minutes if you can

Tires

At a minimum I would run Schwalbe Marathon supreme front and rear.

http://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/schwalbe-marathon-supreme

An upgrade from that would be to run the Marathon Plus on the rear

http://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/schwalbe-2013-marathon-plus-700c

if you want even more go Marathon Plus front and rear.   Marathon tires are legendary for durability, and not getting flats is critical!  

Chemise Butter

I’ve tried different brands.  I have gone to just using Bag Balm, it is lanolin, has skin protectant and won’t sweat off like chemise butter.   I’ve been using if for the last year and it is great.   It will seep through your short on to your seat and anything else you sit on so bring a towel for the car.

Saddle sores

-          Fastest way to heal them is 10% benzoyl peroxide cream (acne cream)  works great.  Just wash and dry at least 2x a day and apply 2x a day.  It will bleach out your shorts.

-          If you need to heal even faster you can also put on drawing suave at night, but wear some old shorts as that stuff stains everything it touches

Lights

-          2 is 1 and 1 is none

-          I have 2 of these.  One on my helmet and one on my handle bar. 

-          http://www.princetontec.com/eos-bike

-          There might be some better ones out there now, but you absolutely need a helmet one for night riding so you can see street signs and when to turn. 

-          I also carry a separate head lamp in my bag for tire changing etc…

-          I put extra batteries in my bag.  I put a rubber band around them in sets of 3.  Used ones I don’t rubber band back together I just throw them in the bottom loose.

-          Tail lights 2 on my bag and 1 on my helmet.  Also some reflective things on my bag and body.

Nutrition

-          I usually hit either subway or a grocery store on 300+ rides

-          Typically get a turkey sandwich, mixed fruit bowl, bag of chips and Peach Ice tea

On Ride Nutrition

-          I use hammer gel.  I buy the big bottles and then refill squeeze bottles from REI.  The hammer bottles suck

-          http://www.rei.com/product/796288/humangear-gotoob-bottle-3-fl-oz

-          I usually take at least 2 -3oz bottles and also a bunch of other gu etc…

-          I find that gu can get me recharged and give me 10-15 miles of energy on 2 packs.

-          I drink a lot water to start then mix in water and Gatorade etc.. later on.   Switch to Ice tea for the caffeine as well.

 Bags

A nice front bag is awesome.  you can get into it while riding and some are big enough making them all you need.   Also they have map / cue sheet holders built in.   Problem is they are expensive! More made for serious touring

I use this bag for 300 and greater Rando rides.

http://www.carradice.co.uk/index.php?page_id=product&under=range&product_id=33

I use a bagman rack with quick releases and like it a lot. 

 Nice small front bag.  http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/bavbb.htm  not too spendy.

Spendy bag that you’ll need  a front rack for.  http://www.wallbike.com/berthoud/berthoud/berthoud-frontbag-basic

Oregon Banks-Elise 200km Brevet

March 30, 2013

              What a great route this is.  The day started just before sunrise the temperature was a little cool but you could easily get by with short fingered gloves.   The route starts and finished on the Banks-Vernonia trail, which is a great way for a Brevet to start and finish, no traffic and fairly smooth payment.   I convinced my friend Ed to ride this Brevet with me which made for a great introduction to Randonneuring for him.

                The first 11 miles or so is a gentle 1% uphill climb, followed by a quick descent into Vernonia.   After a quick control stop you are back riding again taking to the low traffic back roads from Vernonia to Mist, Brikenfeld and finally on to Jewell.   Along the way the road is mostly smooth and almost entirely flat which made for a very quick first 100km.  There was a lot of fog which is probably how the community of “Mist” got its name.  

Upon approaching Jewell you come upon the only confusing section of the ride, you need to continue straight to the Jewell Elk Refuge rather than turning on 103 to head toward Elsie. I’m pretty sure Ray the event host said something like that at the start of the ride but I couldn’t hear him.  Anyway, a mile or so after the intersection we came to the Elk Refuge where there were dozens of kids doing an Easter egg hunt.  Off in the distance a heard of Elk was just leaving the field.  

A quick stop at the refuge to answer a control question and we were off again backtracking to 103.  The ride southwest on 103 follows the placid Nehalem river along a slightly undulating road.   After about 6 miles you spot the elegant highway 26 bridge then duck under it before turning on 26 for a quarter mile ride to the Elise store and bakery.  There were a few riders (Del, Michael, and maybe David?) ahead of Ed and I at the store but only by a minute or two.  I think most everyone got a pastry from the bakery / general store and ate out on a picnic table.  I had a day old cinnamon roll which was still yummy.  Though within 5 miles of leaving the store I was bonking pretty hard and had to watch Ed and Michael ride off.   I struggled on and did a few Gu shots.  By the time I reached Brikenfeld I was feeling pretty good again.  A bit further up the road I came across Ed who stopped to adjust his bike computer.  From there on Ed and I rode together for the last 30-40 miles.  

The route back to Vernonia is pretty flat and went by quickly.  Ed and I stopped at the first gas station in town, where Del, Michael and a guy on a blue bike (didn’t catch his name) were just finishing up and getting ready to leave.  We refueled and headed out just after the others had left.                

The return trip on the Banks-Vernonia trail went by quickly, the gentle uphill the first 10 miles went by quickly and soon we were zipping down the final 10 miles to Banks.  Along the way we past a lot of other trail users including horses and families out for a stroll or ride.  Thankfully we dodge the few toddlers on bikes that wandered in to our path without incident and finished out the ride in high spirits.

RAMROD 2012

After my 5 page report on Death ride, I’m working on doing a brief report on RAMROD.

In summary, Great route, Great Scenery, Great Volunteers and Awesome payment!

Started at about 5:40 am.  Saw my friends Jon and Cathy in the parking lot.  The first 50 miles of RAMROD are pretty flat and fast.   The biggest deal this year was the fog, it was pretty thick and the condensation was dripping off my helmet.   There were a number of pace lines that I passed or who passed me.  At one point about 20 miles in I looked back and saw a full on Peloton coming, I felt like the lead out group on the tour about to be chewed up.  They caught me and slowly passed, I ended up in the middle of about 50-60 people, huge double wide pace group that still felt pretty comfortable as there was so little traffic on the road that the whole lane was available.   I rode back there for a while until the gal next to me needed to “rest” and wanted to go faster.  We were about 12 miles out so I told her to let me out, grab my wheel and hang on.  That was fun!  Lead a breakaway of about 10 people went into TT mode, never saw the pack again. 

First rest stop at mile 33 I saw my friend Cathy briefly and was able to buy a pair of gloves.   Cathy got going a bit before me so I didn’t get a chance to ride with her.   Got going again and had a quick trip to the 2^nd rest stop at mile 54ish.  Meet up with Cathy and we rode together well into Mt Rainer National park.  It was really nice to ride with her.  We passed a few people and I would call out on your left, then Cathy would say hi to them and mysteriously each person would say seemingly melt and say hi back sounding really friendly.  I felt like I had a good will ambassador following me around.   Somewhere on the first climb Cathy dropped off sticking to her climbing pace as I rode off up the hill.  The first climb is not too bad, lots of curves and straight sections past waterfalls and open vistas of the park.   I needed to find a place to rest and found a trail head with a restroom and stopped in there for a bit.  I was thinking that there needed to be a water stop soon.  Of course about another ½ mile down the road there was one and it was also the top of the first climb.

From there it was downhill through a nice section of the park, before starting up the second and smallest climb.   More great scenery and smooth roads ahead!.  Just as the climb was starting it passed through a control section where people recorder your number.  Not sure why they do this.   A guy at the control said we were at the top and I thought he was joking, but turns out we were.  Following that was a great descent interrupted by a few sections of gravel.  The gravel slowed you down some but it wasn’t an issue. 

That took us down past a ranger station and I thought we were exiting the park.  Most of the day I really didn’t know where I was relative to the cue sheet, as I didn’t have an odometer.   We made a left turn and a veteran rider said we were starting the big climb and there were steep sections ahead for the next 7 miles or so.   Heading north on WA 123 we did climb quite a bit but the grade was pretty easy.  I stopped along the way to stretch my hamstrings / back.   Stopping to stretch for a few minutes took care of my back issues and kept me ridding well compared to death ride.  Really I would say I had no back issues.   After a while a guy on a Lightspeed passed me and pointed out where we were going.  I was heads down riding and didn’t notice off in the distance you could see the road winding upward.  The climb looked really nice and my spirits picked up, I stayed with the lightspeed guy for a while.   After a bit another water stop appeared and he people there said it was 2 miles to a tunnel and then 2 more to the top.  This was uplifting and the last 4 miles of the climb went by quickly.  At the top another rest stop from here to lunch was 9 mile descent on beautiful pavement with shallow curves.  I zipped down and had a ton of fun.  Had a quick hand prepared deli sandwich for lunch then off again for the final 40 some miles back.  The final 40 miles trend downhill and were good road.  I meet up with a guy on a Cervelo TT bike and we traded pulls,  average speed was near my maximum all out speed and we zipped along.  About 8 miles out I ran out of “Gu” inspired energy and had no more to eat so I slowed down and coasted in with a few other guys chatting as we went.    At the finish line a guy announces your name over a loud speaker.  Some friends and family awaiting the arrivals of their loved ones clapped for riders as they came in.  Jon was alongside the road waiting for Cathy and cheered me on.   What a great day.

DDR 400km May 26, 2012

Desert (Windy) River Randonneurs 400km May 26, 2012

This is the same ride / route that the DRR held did last, it is a nice route basically an out and back with a variation in the middle.   The ride starts in Richland Washington, heads west to Prosser then on to Toppenish before turning north to Yakima.  From there the route meanders through the Yakima River valley climbing 3-4 hills before reaching the turnaround in Ellensburg.

The ride started at 6am I was up at about 4:30 and headed to the starting point about 6 miles from my hotel via the excellent bike paths that run along the rivers and connect the Tri-Cities.  The day was clear and cold and I was happy to have put on a t-shirt under my Jersey.

Having ridden this same route last year I was well prepared for wind and rain in addition I studied the route and mapped it out several times so I wouldn’t get lost.  An inevitable part of randonneuring is making a wrong turn at some point during the ride which I always do.   This one came early as I missed the turn outside of Benton city and continued on for another ¾ mile or so before figuring out I was off course.

Having gotten back on track I poured on the speed, it helped that the road I was on was slightly downhill enabling me to cruise pretty fast.  I even had a chance to ride in my new aero bars which I bought to help beat the Eastern Washington wind and as an alternative place to rest my hands during these long rides.  Along the way I passed 2 other riders before reaching the control at Prosser where I met up with Ron as he was preparing to get going again.  I was quick at the control and Ron invited me to ride along with him.  Together we headed out to the next stop in Toppenish which was a blessing as it is about 30 miles of flat road and head winds to get there.    Along the way Ron and I got into a rhythm of changing off the lead every mile together we managed to keep our speed up averaging about 17 mph.   We made a quick stop in Toppenish before heading on to the next control in Wiley City.  At the Wiley market Ron made a very funny discovery.  He had texted his wife that he was riding with a guy name “steve”.   She texted back perfectly describing me.  Turns out she had been my physician at work who I went to see after doing the DRR 600km event last year.  I had remembered she told me her husband was also a randonneur but I failed to put two and two together when Ron told me where she worked.  Just goes to show you what a small world it is.

From Wiley we rode up to Yakima and then entered the Yakima River Canyon.  The canyon is probably the prettiest part of the ride but also the most difficult.  There are 3-4 hills and constant head wind.   Even with a tail wind it is a difficult road.  Ron and I pressed on through meeting a local rider along the way who joined our little pace line and took a turn pulling for us which was a welcomed break.

We arrived in Ellensburg and made the traditional stop at Safeway eating our lunch/dinner before heading out again.  On the way back through the canyon we passed the other 4 riders still heading to Ellensburg.  All seemed to be doing fine and we exchanged smiles and waves in passing.   Along the way through the valley we had to climb the hills in reverse but had some great descents of a mile or more.   Ron pointed out that everyone was a hero when there is a tailwind.  The first 5 miles or so after lunch I was feeling pretty crummy and Ron was pulling, then thankfully I started to feel better and we kept going.   Traveling with Ron helped a lot he pulled when I was feeling crummy and I pulled when he was feeling crummy.  We took a few breaks along the way to look at the river from the summits of the climbs.  I needed to dig out more “Gu” as I forgot to load my pockets at the last stop.  Ron enjoyed the breaks also and took a moment to fuel up on “Gu” as well.   Once out of the canyon the hardest part of the ride was over, only a few minor climbs remained and a lot of flat ground.   We stopped at the Nob Hill control getting some food at Mc’Ds.  I had a small chocolate shake and Ron sat down for some food.

From there we headed east, I remember last year putting on my lights at this point but this year Ron and I were well ahead of where I was last year.  The final 3 legs of the ride are 20 miles, 30 and 30 miles respectively.  The distances are nice and the road generally flat making it generally a nice ride.  Along they way we stopped at two gas stations and a Mc’Ds where I had some chicken strips and fries.  We took one last break at Benton city before taking on the final climb of the ride then racing down the road full speed back into Richland.  When we got to the last control point Ron had to call me back to slow down as I just about passed the turn in.  Ron and I finished up the ride having ridding 17hrs and 18 minutes.   Overall it was a very nice ride.  

There were 6 of us that started out the ride on May 26^th.  One of the riders that I met at the starting point was Jared Carr.  He was there with his wife Kelley who was going to meet him later in the day at one of the controls for lunch.  I remember noticing that he had his Road ID on his left shoe and that he was riding a Specialized.  I saw Jared twice again on the ride.  Once just outside of Benton City heading west.   He was moving along well and we exchanged hellos, he was smiling and seemed to be enjoying the ride.   I saw him again about 4pm he was past the half-way point in the Yakima River Canyon.  We exchanged waves and smiles, he was doing well maybe 15 minutes behind the next rider from what I could tell his spirits were up.  He was through the hardest part of the ride and I’m sure he was looking forward to the break in Ellensburg.   Jared was hit and killed by a car at about 12:30 am on May 27.  He was about 30 miles from finishing the ride. 

Cycle Oregon 2011

Wow it has been over a year now since I published a blog and a lot has transpired!

In September I participated in my 2^nd Cycle Oregon riding from Sutherland to Cottage Grove, to Reedsport, down to Bandon, then to Powers, Riddle and Back to Sutherland.   Cycle Oregon this year was different from my first time. Not quite as magical I guess as there were no new surprises in terms of what the event offers.  Same great food, beer, route support, vendors, people and of course the ride itself was wonderful.  This year I wasn’t as strong a rider as my first CO.   I was still plenty fast and rode with Ed and Mike a lot as well as meet a new friend Peter from England who also rides steel. 

                The best meal of the week was between Reedsport and Bandon where we stopped at a park overlooking the ocean and they served fish tacos that were incredible!  They were more like fish burritos and they gave me two which was 1 too many!  But they sure were good!

One of the best days on CO for 2011 was day 6 Powers to Riddle.   This was the big climbing day with 2 large climbs back to back followed by a nice downhill and a flat finish into Riddle.  For this day I traded my Volpe in for a Trek 6.9SSL from the trek demo truck.  I thoroughly enjoyed riding the Trek, one person asked if it climbed the hills on its own and to tell you the truth it seemed like it actually did.

                At CO of course I saw several really cool bikes included several Rivendells and  Co-Motions.  The bikes that really caught my eye this year were Lynskey’s, I there were only a few of them but I really liked their look and being Ti their weight!

May 21 Desert River Randonneurs 400km

Special thanks to Paul for organizing another great ride, the route was scenic, rural and easy to navigate!   Very special thanks to Cathy for volunteering and staffing the controls!!

I was up at about 4:30am ate 2 big muffins and had some Power-aid before heading to the starting point for a 5:30am check in.  The ride started out at 6am all the riders about 9 or 10 of us were in good spirits and the weather was very nice, slightly overcast and cool.   The first control was only 30 miles away in Prosser though it was a steady uphill grade into 15-20 mph head winds the whole way.   I averaged 14.75mph.  Along the way I rode with a new guy on a New old school bike with down tube shifters and a simplex rear derailleur.   Also passed by the Madcatr’s house, it was funny last time I was out here to see him I thought it would be a great place to bike!    At the Prosser Conoco I had a V8 and topped off my Gatorade.

The next control was the Safeway in Toppenish 31 miles away.  The route was only a few turns and a 25 mile stretch along a rural route.  About half way there my back really started to hurt and I stopped for some Advil.  At this point I was riding with a guy from Texas and we traded off drafting for a bit.  Once my back started hurting I couldn’t keep up and he slowly pulled away, I caught up with him again at the Toppenish but after that never saw him again.     At the Safeway Cathy was waiting with water and pain pills, she gave me a few Aleve and that took care of me for the rest of the day.    Refueling here consisted of a California Dreaming sandwich, Dorito’s and large Snapple ice tea. After I ate everyone else had already moved on so I headed out again.  My average speed dropped down to 13mph.

The next control was in Wiley and 25 miles away.  Again a fairly easy route to get there, basically up north track road to Yakima then west to Wiley.  Along the way there was a construction detour in a little town.  I turned off to follow the detour and was chased by a group of dogs, they were kind of lazy though and I easily pulled away from them.   The detour route wasn’t well marked so of course I got off track.  Ended up making a wrong turn which cost me about 5 extra miles.   Thankfully the VZ navigator on my phone worked and I was able to see a map of where I was and where I messed up.  Retracing my steps I returned to where I got off course and was able to pick up North Track Rd again.  At about this time it started sprinkling but not too heavy.  Awhile later I rolled in to Yakima and it really started to rain, I thought of putting on my pants but decided not to.    The ride out to the Willey control took longer than I expected and so I stopped again about 7 miles later to check my phone map.  I was still on course and made it to the control.  36miles, 2.6hrs, my speed dropped to 11.4 mph.    Still I caught up with a few other people at the control.   Ate a grandma’s cookie, a V-8 and some Gatorade.

After Willey the route headed pretty much due north to Ellensburg. By now it had really started to rain and I put on my rain pants.   Along the way it passed over the Yakima river which was really nice though very swollen.    After passing through Selah the route followed the Yakima River Canyon, which was incredible scenic, though there was pretty good head winds  and it seemed like it was all up hill. 

 Basically because it was!   See diagram D1.   About 4 miles into the canyon I stopped and had a PB&H but that didn’t help much.  I need to find a new on the road power food.  My the time I got to Ellensburg I was spent and was barely rolled into town.  47 miles ~ 11.7mph.

Diagram D1

At Ellensburg I found several other riders Including Theo and another guy eating in the Safeway.  Of course Cathy was there with water and to sign our control cards.    I got a double meat California Dreaming sandwich, a large ice team and a sticky bun, forgot to buy chips.    Theo and the other guy took off and were heading down the road before I finished eating. 

Leaving Ellensburg I was feeling great,   I zipped down the main street keeping up with traffic at 25-30 mph.   The route back through the canyon was pretty much all downhill except for the 3 climbs in the canyon.   Along the way I passed Susan and Paul coming in as well as one other guy.  It was nice to see and wave to them as we passed.    I kept up my pace and the miles flew by, of course until I hit the hills and then slowed to climb them.   Through the canyon I could see another rider in front of me, I didn’t know who it was and wasn’t trying to catch him, though I would gain ground on the flats only to lose it on the climbs.   Riding in the canyon in the evening was very nice, the winds were light though since the weather changed it was back to a head wind.

Rolling back into Yakima and down 1^st street I could see the rider ahead of me again a few lights up.  I was still feeling pretty good and managed to catch him at the corner of Nob Hill.  Turned out to be Theo who weighs about buck nothing hence why he kept pulling away from me in the canyon. Turns out he had a flat which is probably why I caught up to him.  Anyway we started chatting and rode on to the next control.   I ate another muffin and got some more Gatorade.  A homeless seeming guy was checking out my bike, thankfully Theo was there to watch it for me while I used the rest room.    40 miles, 13.7mph.

Nice building in Yakima

For the rest of the ride Theo and I rode together which was really nice given it was getting dark and the conversation and companionship helped to pass the time.  We couldn’t figure out what happened to the other guy from Ellensburg, I never saw him, we just figured he was ahead of us still.

The ride to Zilla was really nice, 20 miles, 15 mph.  It was really nice in that Theo is great at reading the cue sheet and I pretty much stopped reading my all together and just went off his comments and the map in my head for the rest of the ride.  At the control I asked the guy if he had seen any other riders, he had not, so apparently Theo and I were out in front.

The next control was Prosser 29.3 miles, 13 mph average 2.25 hours.  Prosser took forever to get to.  Finally arrived there and hit McDonalds.  I had a quarter pounder with cheese fries and a Coke.  Theo got some fries. 

30 miles to the end!!  We were at Prosser just before midnight and had only 9am to finish the ride.  It was quite tempting to find a hotel and go to sleep for a few hours before finishing up the ride in the morning.  But we pushed on. 

The Final push back to Richland wasn’t too bad; it basically consisted of the OIE and Kennedy roads, split in two by Benton City.  Theo was on it with the cue sheet and navigated us back without issue.  We almost missed on turn on the OIE but I remembered seeing some train engines in the morning and knew we had to turn around. 

Overall we finished with a time of 19 hours 58 minutes.  I had about 17.75 hours of total ride time.  Total distance I rode was about 256 miles and average speed was 14.4 mph