VA's annual Christmas light ride

Night lights and no rain!

Craig, me, Bennett, Allan, VA and Davey (Bennett and Davey are VA's kids)
Washington Park
Davey is headed to Paris in two weeks
Taisez-vous, jambes

snow biking

Clapshaw Hill

Rode with Portland Velo yesterday up near the foothills of the coast range.  I got in 127 miles this week and it's December!

Christmas riding

Between a couple of Portland monsoons (1.43 inches of rain one day, then 1.15 the next), we got a short ride in before it started pouring again.  58 degrees ain't bad for December 12th.

Dec. 6th ski-biking

 We've recently had a strong east wind out of the Columbia gorge.  That keeps the temps low, but the sky clear.  Craig and I took a short turn through the west hills and up 53rd yesterday.

Looks like a scene out of Blair Witch Project

I recently returned from Klamath Falls.  I couldn't live there.  I couldn't ride and couldn't even run!

Paisley looking out of the garage in Klamath Falls

View out my Mom's backyard

Other good reasons to ride a bike

OK, so I was out riding the Fairmont loop with VA and Allan today and came upon some guys cutting down a maple tree.  Free wood a sign said!  I drove back up and the guys helped me load up about 1/2 cord of nice (pretty darn wet) maple.  It won't be ready to split until next August!

Rainy riding, boring blog

We really are riding this November, but mostly with Portland Velo or some short rides on our own.  Yesterday we rode with Velo and I got a flat (rear tire) 4 miles out.  Bummer.  I sent everyone on ahead.  Why does changing a tire with an audience seem much harder?  Anyway, we rode about 40 miles out in the Forest Grove area, a little rain, some sun and A LOT of gravel laid down from last weeks storm.  Craig got his bike out of the truck last night and his rear tire was flat with a through and through slit.  Today we both had to replace our back brake pads.  We're trying all weather brake pads, salmon for wet conditions, made by Kool Stop.  Winter riding is hard on the bike.  My cassette is a mess.  I need a new one anyway - a 11/27 would be a nice change from my 11/25.  The following pictures are on Stringtown Road off Highway 47.

Allan

VA

Craig

Once again Wes from Australia has sent me a link to a good article about Optimizing Tire Pressure For Your Weight.  Interesting enough, it comes via Seattle's Bicycle Quarterly.  Check out the magazine and their blog.  Another great resource.  Thanks Wes.

Today at Washington Park

Down Under

It may be fall here, but in Australia, they are gearing up for spring and summer riding.  Wes sent me a link to the Team Degani 3 Peaks Challenge March 13, 2011.  235 km, 5334 vertical feet of climb.  A UK rider comments on the web site that this course rivals any European Gran Fondo!  Wow.  Seems these Victorian Alps would be the perfect place to do some riding while we're slogging through the cold, wet conditions above the equator.

'That being said', (I tend to overuse that particular voguism to change subjects) we have decided to go back to Spain next June and ride in the Cantabrian Mountains and Picos de Europas (above outlined in red).   Another 'shut up and ride' week.  532 miles, 50,300 feet of gain, 7 days.  Starting near Bilbao, we'll be south of Santander on Day 3 where Lola's family has a house.  Hopefully they can meet us for the night.  

November 13th and NOT 68 degrees

53rd Drive gnome house

VA and I managed to get some good rides in this week, including the MAC Wednesday ride out Terwilliger to River View Cemetery.  The pavement was covered with leaves and we couldn't enjoy the usual fun descent on the marked bike lane through the cemetery down to Macadam.  In addition we were honked at by an irate minivan driver for not using the bike lane on Terwilliger made dangerously un-rideable by fallen leaves.  Catching up to her at a stop light I managed to 'converse' with her about the fact that honking does not help, nor was she going to get to her destination much quicker.

On a good note, Craig's x-ray this week shows healing and he is back biking.  Well, sort of.  He's been going to spin classes in the morning and today we put on all our rain gear and winter clothes, strapped the fenders on and rode about a mile before turning around.  44 degrees, looking through lenses made opaque by a cold mist, we decided that this was not a good day for a first ride status post clavicle fracture.  Allan and VA, however, are out riding with Velo this morning.  Nothing stops them.

Once again, Cycling Tips has some pretty good posts.  Posted this week is a pretty good video, Cycles of Life,  created by a high school kid from Christchurch for his media class.

November 4th and 68 degrees!

Trail bypassing the first tunnel on Cornell

This week we've seen fall riding at it's best; fantastic weather with temps in the high 60's. This weekend the forecast calls for rain with snow levels dropping down to the 2500 foot level.  A bit hard to believe after riding with the MAC coaches yesterday in near 70 degree weather (they have started Wednesday noon rides!) and then today a nice ride downtown for lunch with Craig, home via Cornell to 53rd and up to Skyline via Thompson.  I planned on going home, but took a little detour when a group of guys, one of whom I know from the MAC rides, were headed out Skyline.  It was too nice a day to quit and I was able to join their pace line to Skyline Elementary. Their pace too brisk for me to keep on, I turned down Kaiser headed toward Old Germantown where my front tire was flatted by a big piece of glass.  The bad part is I forgot that my tools were with my rain bike at home.  Luckily another rider came along and loaned me his and I was on my way.  A good reminder to always make sure you have enough gear to change a tire before you go out.

A cute pumphouse spotted off 53rd

The view up 53rd

The Semaine Federale, is being held in Bright, Australia, the week before the Alpine Classic.   Wes just forwarded me the information about this week long 'festival of cycling', which is based on the event of the same name held in France every year.  Cyclist can ride everyday, from a central location near Bright, January 16-22, choosing from three levels of rides. Seems a good way to get in shape for the Alpine Classic on January 23rd plus a very good way to sight see.  Events are organized by the cycling club, Audux Australia.

Yesterday we rode with Velo - a 43 mile ride out to Tile Flat and Holly Hill.  I expected good weather and rode my good bike without fenders.  A mistake.  It rained the whole time.

Today's weather was cool and dry.  The trees around Portland are gorgeous.  I did short a city ride and rode over to my friend Lois's house.  Took out my old steel bike with fenders to test it out.

Bright red foliage spotted across the street from Lois's house

The Last Wednesday Night Ride

Our Wednesday night rides are over for the season, to be resumed when daylight time returns in April.  Sonia and VA joined us for our last ride, again up to Council Crest via Terwilliger Blvd.  By 6:04 it was getting dark and riding home via Hewitt Blvd, our tail lights looked like something out of a Christmas scene or as Fixie Joe* mentioned, a disco.  He even started singing 'YMCA'.  I love these rides.

Council Crest
Mark, Cheyne, Judi, VA, Sonia, Fixie Joe* & Coach Shari

*Fixie Joe is a name picked for Joe by Craig.  He occasionally rides a single speed bike (not a fixed speed bike as Craig originally thought) and can beat most of us up a steep incline with one gear.  He's a really nice, young guy who is a Major in the US Army.  Joe has served in Iraq and Afghanistan and is currently teaching ROTC at University of Portland.  You can count on him to yell out 'car up' or 'jogger up' in a tone one might hear in basic training.  He also teaches a 'boot camp' at U of P; I have to go!

Shut Up Legs

Our Australian friend, Wes, sent me a link to one of the best cycling blogs I've recently seen.  Called Cycling Tips, and written by a cyclist who moved to Melbourne from Canada in 2005, it's full of "tips, hints and tricks" that the author has gleaned from many bike trips in both Australia and around the world.  A recent post, 'Shut Up Legs', offers a t-shirt and also some pretty good videos of Jens Voigt (who coined that phrase).   Today's post has information about exercise and the heart.  My favorite, and the reason Wes sent me this link, is of a ride through the Victorian Alps.  Wes aptly states, "it's all blokes but the The Ride and scenery are stunning".  It has peaked my interest in riding the Alpine Classic, a 250 km ride January 24, 2011 in Australia, covering most of the same terrain.   

Portland Velo Club

Nothing like a group ride to motivate one to get up early to ride in the rain.  Portland Velo Club does just that.  This group has organized rides during the week and every Saturday morning.  Each Saturday a rider can join one of 3-5 different ride groups based on average speed, all led by a Portland Velo leader.  Today we started out in Hillsboro, meeting at Longbottom Coffee off Evergreen Blvd at 9 am*.  Portland Velo rides rain or shine.  Today we had a 41 mile 'rain' ride.  A bargain to join at $25/year, the site provides maps, information for riders, 'deals' for gear, etc.  I hope to snag a new Showers Pass rain coat when they are offered; my current one envelops me in a virtual sweat bath.

*10 am once we go to standard time.

More fall riding

Our MAC group rode up to the Pittock Mansion Wednesday night via Cornell, Westover and Beulah Vista Drive, a route that is part of the Tour de Flanders I wrote about last May.   A nice aspect of Portland is that one can ride some pretty interesting terrain and never leave the Portland city limits.  From the Pittock Mansion we rode over to Council Crest.  Mark's Garmin picked up our loop nicely.

View of downtown Portland from the Pittock Mansion
Mt. Hood in the distance

Pittock Mansion

Mark, Cheyne and Coach Mike
Council Crest

Yesterday, Sonia talked me into riding with the Thursday 'lawyer' group.  This group meets at 12:15 pm every Thursday from Pioneer Courthouse Square and rides for a little over an hour up to Cornell and Thompson.  A big group of about 35 riders, a few 'fast' guys split off Thompson at 53rd (steep!) and hooked back into the 'slower' group near the top of Thompson.  I laughed as this group easily sprinted by me on that last part of what I already thought was a hard climb.  No pictures - no time.

I like these rides because they push me to a level I wouldn't normally do by myself.  It's also really fun to be in a large peloton of serious riders, sometimes the only sound being the whir of the bikes moving along.   

I'd like to think that these rides incorporate some of Chris Carmichael's fall and winter workouts that he writes about in this month's Bicycling Magazine.  "One workout a week involving short, maximum efforts will retain enough of your VO2 max power that you'll experience rapid and substantial gains when you ramp it up next year."  The unstructured version of this workout that Carmichael uses in Colorado is "a neighborhood circuit that includes a short hill; I hammer up the climb, roll around to the base and go again." (Bicycling Magazine, November 2010)

Update on Craig; he's two weeks post accident and walking almost normally now.  He is getting tired of guarding his right arm and limiting movement, but I find it highly encouraging that he's talking about bike camps this winter.  Now that has to be a good sign!!

MAC rides

We've had a really good season riding with the MAC coaches.  Yesterday was the 'Bridge Ride'.  Great weather, although we had a bit of a cold start.

Coffee break at Riverplace on the Willamette

Our Wednesday night rides are winding up for the season.  Last week's ride took us through the West Hills of Portland and up to Council Crest.

Council Crest at dusk

'The Record Collector'

Check out the article about Craig in this week's Portland Mercury.

Fall riding

What could be better?  A noon ride on a splendid fall day, followed with a latte in the sun.  In addition, Craig is improving every day.  His ortho doc says 'do whatever doesn't hurt'.  

Bike accident

Craig got new aero bars Tuesday so that he can ride without worsening the numbness he is experiencing from ulnar neuropathy, or 'handbar neuropathy'.   He went out to Sauvie Island Wednesday night after work, caught an edge while going a pretty fast pace and took a 'spectacular' fall, as descibed by a woman who stopped to help.  He actually declined a ride back into town and rode his bike about 10 miles to his car.  I was on a hill ride with the MAC.  Craig called me when he was done,  told me he had fallen and couldn't get into his car.  I found him hobbling by the side of his car, looking fairly beat up.  I managed to get him in the car and when I saw him shaking, I decided to take him to the ER.  X-rays confirmed a non-displaced fracture of the distal right clavicle and thankfully, no breaks in the pelvis or hip.  He'll be in a sling for the next 6-8 weeks.  Anyone in need of some cheap aero bars?

Leaving the ER in paper scrubs

MAC Hill Climb Championship 9/29/10

Course map. 

Top of MacNamee, ready to descend to the start

Getting ready at the bottom of MacNamee at Highway 30

Results?  3rd to last.  Excuse?  Chain fell off twice.   Sour Grapes.  Probably wouldn't have made a big difference anyway, except for overall time.  Mark won in the Master's division!

Hood River Weekend

Mt. Hood

A bunch of us went up to Hood River this weekend.  Saturday we rode the Hood River Harvest Ride, two loops,  including Lost Lake and Cooper Spur.  75.6 miles, 6421 feet of gain.  This is one of my favorite rides.

Old growth forests heading up toward Lost Lake

Cycle chicks, VA, Nancy and me

Lost Lake, Mt Hood in the distance

I spent the night at Tom and Ann's house in Parkdale.  We set out early Sunday morning to ride in the Gran Fondo Hood River.  The weather report called for rain starting at 7 am, but we woke to dry skies.  Four of us completed the 100.5 mile course that takes riders out to the Dalles followed with a gradual climb through a beautiful area carved by the world-famous Missoula Floods.  Our pace line nearly rode over a large rattlesnake sunning itself!  We headed to Dufur and then up a 20 mile hill which summits under Mt. Hood.  8320 feet of gain.  

6:30 am, view of the north face of Mt. Hood 

Where was Craig?  He has an ulnar 'handbar' neuropathy involving the right little and ring finger which started on Day 5 of our Spain/France trip.  He's been told to stay off his bike until the feeling comes back.  Anyone have any ideas/solutions?

Today's Oregonian article about Cycle Oregon mentioned a web site for a physical therapist from Eugene who is riding this week.  She posted some good stretching exercises for those of us that are experiencing some stiffness after a long summer riding;  Bodywise PT.

Bald Peak weekend

Bald Peak State Park
looking NW towards Gaston

Summer is winding down fast.  Portland had some great riding weather this weekend and the MAC Saturday ride's route was out to the Bald Peak area to Chehalem Hill.  Bob showed up on his cool Eddie Merckx bike, VA on her new Independent Fabrication bike.

We enjoyed a nice 38 mile ride with a fun descent down Chehalem Hill.  Sunday I set off by myself to Bald Peak again, this time going up the normal route to Bald Peak State Park, home via Gaston and the Hillsboro area.  72 miles.  If one wants some extra miles, and starts early enough, they could take the Haag Lake exit off Highway 47 and take a turn around the lake before going into Gaston.

Cornfields off North Valley Road near Gaston

Spotted in Cleveland, Ohio

Ohio License plate
'Birthplace of Aviation'
Badger X 

String of bad luck

After the Wednesday night MAC ride, I came back to my truck, which was parked at Germantown and Skyline, to find that someone had bashed in the back window and stolen my purse.  I never take my purse on rides, but had errands to do beforehand.  After spending all day cancelling credit cards, opening up a new checking account and getting a provisional license, a gas station in N. Portland called to say they had the purse.  'They' pretty much cleaned it out, but left my MAC and 24 Hour Fitness Card, Costco, AAA and library card, along with various store cards.  Gee, thanks.

Later I found out that Art, our friend that fell Sunday, had two pins placed in his upper trochanter yesterday to prevent necrosis & further damage.  4-6 weeks off the bike.

We leave today for LA to take our daughter to college.  Driving our 'new to us' Volvo.  It might be nice to be off a bike for a few days!

Ride slow going down slick hills

Just got news that our friend Art does have a hairline fracture of the trochanter.  Good  news is he should be able to ride in 2-3 weeks but his doctor said, 'no falling', which seems obvious enough.   

A riding weekend

Saturday we rode the Vine Ride, a nice ride that gives a rider the option of 35, 70 or 100 miles out in the Oregon wine country.  We opted for the 70 mile ride and completed the course with a quick 19 mph average, courtesy of a nice pace line made up of the usual suspects plus one enthusiastic, athletic 18 year old who's only ridden for a year.  Rolling hills for 2300 feet of gain.    After a cool start, the sun came out and we enjoyed a nice barbecue on the lawn at Newberg High School.

Today was the Portland Century.  Starting at Portland State, we rode out the Springwater Corridor and headed up to the Bull Run area out of Sandy where Portland gets our famous water.  The weather wasn't cooperative and we had cool temps accompanied by scattered showers.  Suffice it to say, the first rain of the season made for very slippery roads.  There were three crashes, one of which involved our friend, Art.  He fell descending a steep hill, slipping on a rainbow colored slick of oil on a tight left turn.   After checking him out, he attempted to get on his bike, but going up the first hill couldn't put pressure on his left pedal and we had to call for a van to get him back to Portland.  X-rays are pending but we really hope his injuries are minimal and that he'll be at our usual Wednesday club ride.  I heard the other two crashes involved possible clavicle fractures, so maybe Art will be lucky with only a large hematoma on his left hip and some bad road rash.  Art's first comment after he fell was, "I ruined my new kit!"  He was speaking about his new MAC club shorts and jersey.  He was also concerned about the condition of his  bike.  A true biker.

Coming back into Portland was an adventure with a west headwind coming up the Columbia River on Marine Drive, congestion with many riders coming in from the 25 and 50 miles route, along with some rain.  99 miles, 5300 feet of gain.

I decided I'm not an urban rider.  My favorite rides usually require a drive.

Clare and Judi at the finish line, Portland State University

Update - Good news; Art's x-rays were negative!

Destination rides

Washington Park Rose Garden with
a view of downtown Portland

I love rides with a purpose.  Today I headed from home and went up to the Washington Park Rose Garden. The roses seem to be at their peak this time of year, a bit surprising since it's mid August.

After touring the gardens I headed down to NW Portland to my second destination - lunch with Craig.

Council Crest Park looking West toward home

Third destination -  Council Crest Park.   Makes for a nice 20 mile noon ride.