Michael Wolfe’s “UGB” 200k permanent is the closest-in randonneuring route to where I live in SE Portland. So when busy February abruptly arrived, I decided to ride it again (the second time in 6 months) on the 6th of the month.
Like last September, David Parsons joined me (I think this is his favorite route.) But instead of riding his Xtracycle, he brought along a more conventional Soma. Also joining us was Edward Groth. Last time I rode a brevet with Ed, he rode a fixie for 300k. This time ‘round, though, he had multiple gears.
Unlike last September, this February's trio rode mostly together for the entire 125 miles. From the East end of the Hawthorne Bridge, we rode out the Springwater Corridor to Boring, traversed some hills beyond Barton Park on our way to Canby, rode the freshly-paved bike path through Champoeg Park, and enjoyed a coffee break at Chapters Bookstore in Newberg. We continued on North Valley Road to Gaston, returned to Skyline via Helvetia, the Rock Creek Tavern, and Old Cornelius Pass, then descended Thompson Road to Cornell. By this time, it was dark and starting to drizzle as Michael’s route meandered cleverly through a non-driveable transition between Cornell Road and NW Raleigh St. Once on Naito Parkway, we ended up having to wait for a long freight train, after which we crossed the Willamette River to finish at Root’s Brewery (on SE 7th Ave). There Ed's friend Stephanie and a few other friends provided an excellent welcoming committee.
The most encouraging thing about the ride was not our overall time (11 hours, 10 minutes), but rather my actual on-bike time (9 hours, 20 minutes), which was a couple hours less than the same route last September.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
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