Three Capes 300k

My 5th annual ride of the 3 Capes 300k occurred on the 26th of March. Even though I have finished all five of ‘em, each attempt has produced a much different result:

 2007: 16 hours, 41 minutes
 2008: 19 hours, 5 minutes
 2009: 17 hours, 55 minutes
 2010: 14 hours, 53 minutes
 2011: 15 hours, 50 minutes

This year’s 2011 edition started familiarly enough … Westbound in pre-dawn Forest Grove. I stayed up with some faster riders (a number of them from Seattle) out to Stringtown Rd, but once again fell off their pace up Gales Creek Rd. I was passed by a few more riders going up to Timber Road, but didn’t dawdle at the turnaround contrôle. Ascending up the Wilson River Hwy took longer that I anticipated. And then I struggled on the long descent to Tillamook. Last year I was able to catch John Kramer’s and Mike Richeson’s wheels during that segment, but this year I couldn’t keep up with anyone, and was in fact passed by about a half dozen riders.

Once in Tillamook, I made relatively quick work of the contrôle at the Shell station (less time-consuming than Safeway), opting to eat a micro-waved burrito on the run rather than waiting in the store for it to cool.

clara at the coast, a photo by tangocyclist on Flickr.

I heard it was rainy in Portland that day. The Oregon coast, however, was only intermittently drizzly, and actually quite pleasant. It was my Ahearne’s first trip to the Pacific Ocean, and she did quite well.

‘Round Netarts I rode some with PPB veteran Joel Metz, then closer to Pacific City I was joined by Lesli, Sarah, and John Henry. They eventually pulled ahead, and by the time I arrived at the Stimulus Espresso Shop, a long time-sucking line had formed between them and me. I forged ahead (falling down in the sand on Pacific City’s main drag), and once again did the quicker Shell Mini-mart contrôle thing.

leslie, sarah, john henry, a photo by tangocyclist on Flickr.

On Little Nestuca River Road, I enjoyed the company of Seattle Randonneur Noel Howes (riding a pretty 650b Belinky), then forged on ahead to Sheridan before stopping for fuel (which included some Muscle Milk … closest thing there to Ensure). Stopped to take a picture at the Ballston contrôle of three faster riders (John Henry, Tim and Bruce) who had a real good paceline going. Then my last stop (before the finish) was at my favorite porta-potty in Dayton, where I added a layer of clothing and reflective gear.

Again, last year I was able to catch a wheel (of a nice SIR rider) almost all the way from Sheridan to Forest Grove. But this year, it was all solo. Soreness in my left knee kept me from pushing very hard. But I did keep pedaling, and managed to finish well under 16 hours. Only about one hour of that time was off the bike.

My photos from the ride are here on Flickr.

Birkie 200k Report (2011 Edition)

The Oregon Randonneurs regularly put on the “Birkie 200k” near the beginning of each season. The organizer(s) change(s) from year to year, the refreshments at the first contrôle in Vernonia vary a bit, and the weather is inconsistent at best. But the route always stays the same: Forest Grove – Vernonia – Birkenfeld (via a detour to Keasey Rd) – Vernonia – Forest Grove. This year’s version was my 5th Birkie. Last year I pre-rode and organized. This year (on March 12th) RBA Susan France did all the hosting duties.

There seemed to be a little more “energy” this time ‘round, perhaps because it’s a PBP year, with a corresponding number of riders you might not see otherwise. But what made this ride special for me was that my coach decided to come along. Mr. Brian Abers is not a randonneur. In fact, his email address has the word “kilomonster” in it, with no reference to multiple k’s or anything of the sort. His main bases of operation are the gym and the velodrome. Nonetheless, he was determined to get a firmer grasp on the nuances of long-distance cycling. Thus, he signed up, joined RUSA, and rode 200k with me.

The weather this year was a bit on the wet side … not oppressively so … but wet enough that Brian was wringing out his gloves after the first 36 miles to Vernonia. I was wearing a pair of SmartWool liners underneath mine, so that while my hands were wet, they were still warm enough, and I could still reinsert my fingers into the gloves as needed. In addition, I happened to bring a backup pair just in case the first pair got unmanageably wet. I gave those gloves to Brian for the remainder of the ride. Evidently, they did the trick.

Abers cruisin' a photo by tangocyclist on Flickr.

I was able to give Brian a running commentary about various riders and bikes along the way. “Oh, there’s Ed. He rode out to the start from St. Johns; last year he rode his cargo bike out here and served everyone fresh French press coffee in ceramic mugs.” Or “There’s Joshua. He built that nice traditional-looking bike with 650b wheels.” After Vernonia, we rode with PBP veteran Joel Metz for a while, listening to his 2003 PBP hallucination stories about being chased by dinosaurs. And a few miles out from Birkenfeld, “Oh, that must be Ken Bonner. He came down from Vancouver, Canada. He’s really fast.” (Of course, Brian’s really fast, too, but on a very different playing field.)

After a couple small purchases at the Birkenfeld General Store, Brian and I headed back along the river-hugging Nehalem Hwy towards Vernonia. As we approached the town, we agreed stopping at the Black Bear Café would be prudent. Inside, Joshua B., Michael J, and a few others were seated down for a proper lunch. After a couple futile attempts at using Brian’s and Joshua’s phones (I had left mine, complete with un-memorized phone numbers and email addresses, at the start in Forest Grove) and two cups of cappuccino, we were on the road again. The temperature in Vernonia at this time was 46 degrees, only 6 degrees warmer than four hours earlier.

Brian and I tagged along with Joshua’s and Michael’s group for a while on Timber Road. This was probably the most pleasant part of the ride, particularly when the sun finally came out. The group gave some nice protection from the wind, and also offered some nice eye candy (in particular, Jeff Moore’s new Ira Ryan). It seems as though more and more randonneurs are investing in beautiful purpose-built bikes.

A Rare Dry Moment a photo by franco650b on Flickr (used with permission)

At some point on Timber Road, Joshua and his group momentarily pulled over while Brian and I forged ahead. We caught up with Mike Richeson of West Seattle, with whom we hop-scotched the rest of the way back to Forest Grove. Brian was quicker up the hills around Timber than me, or more accurately, he was physically unable to ascend as slowly as me. But aside from the hills and a few pulls, Brian was basically on my wheel the whole 200k. (He’s really good at that.)

We made relatively quick work of the Glenwood contrôle on Hwy 6 (as did Joshua’s and Michael’s group a few minutes later). Then it was Gales Creek Rd back to Forest Grove. Brian and I shared pulls for the last dozen miles, with Mike R. in our wake. According to Brian, I really pushed hard for the last 3 or 4 miles. Guess I could smell McMenamins Grande Lodge, and on some level, knew exactly how much energy there was to expend. Brian would say later that I was spinning fine, but that he had to resort to mashing a bigger gear in order to maintain speed on that last leg.

Cards signed, ride done (in 9 hours, 50 minutes), bikes put away, it was time for beer, food, and an assessment. In the McMenamins bar, Brian shared some good observations, notably with regard to my shifting, the way I approach hills, and my tendency to periodically surge.

As it turns out, this was my fastest 200k, and only my second one under 10 hours. (Actually, I did a 213k out of Olympia, WA last July in 9 hours, 54 minutes. So that one’s average speed was slightly higher.) If Brian hadn’t come along though, I’m sure my time on this Birkie 200k would have been significantly more.

And the reason for this madness? I wanna finish PBP! Preferably with some sleep! And also without the hallucinations of last June’s OBM1000k.

More pictures here on Flickr
Lynne's report
Lesli's pictures
John Henry's report
Tom Quinones's report

lanterne rouge in the dirt

I first heard about the Dalles Mountain 60-miler (which happened on March 5th) from Ed Groth, who was organizing carpools and sleepovers for this fire-road-populated cycling event about 90 miles East of Portland. But if I was gonna do it, it would be spontaneously. After all, with hernia repair recovery going slower than anticipated, and a “Bike Tattoo Day” (put on by my cycling team) supposedly happening the same day, my options were staying open.

Well, “Bike Tattoo Day” got cancelled, and the hernia irritations were being mitigated by ibuprofen. So I managed to get my ‘cross bike somewhat prepped and out to The Dalles in time for the 9:00 start. The only thing I neglected was swapping the 32mm slicks for some cyclocross tires.

announcements a photo by tangocyclist on Flickr.

The Dalles Mountain 60 was put on by VeloDirt, apparently a loosely organized trio of Portlanders who like to ride their bicycles on dirt roads throughout the rural Northwest. What I mean by loosely is that there was no sign-in sheet and no registration at the local coffee shop in The Dalles from whence the ride started. However, there was a riders’ meeting to describe various aspects of the route, and there was a stack of cue sheets pre-stuffed into plastic baggies!

In addition to Ed, some other people I knew at the start were his friend Steph (who didn’t ride this event), Theo (a randonneuring fleche teammate last year along with Ed), Rob A. (another friend of Ed’s who I’ve rando-ed with), and Nathan (the trainer with Brian’s House of Pain, where I work out). ‘Twas looking like quite a diverse group of riders, most of whom I didn't know.

After crossing the Columbia and heading East on Washington State Hwy 14, the route turned up Dalles Mountain Road, which was the first big gravel road climb of the day. I had fallen behind most of the riders a few miles up when my rear tire flatted. Local Portland bike builder Rob Tsunehiro and a friend stopped to make sure I was okay. Sure wish I’d taken a picture of his bicycle with a really nice front rack and headlight mount. Farther up the rode, a rider on a Salsa ‘cross bike had broken his rear derailleur, and was fixin’ to coast/limp back to The Dalles.

rob tsunehiro a photo by tangocyclist on Flickr.

If I was slower than the others uphill, I was much slower on the rutty, muddy downhills. I’m sure those wide-ish slicks didn’t help. Ed later noted that the while the roadies had a speed advantage going uphill (cuz of lighter weight), the mounting bikers could descend considerably faster. Meanwhile, my descents on the muddy roads were super cautious and hardly any faster than my ascents.

Things flattened out on the back side of the mountain, and after a combination of some more gravel and pavement, I turned onto Hwy 97. A few riders (including Rob T.) were doing a return chug back up Mary Hill Loop Road, having found the road closed further down because of an un-forecasted car event. I joined these riders on the descent down Hwy 97 to the Shell station near Hwy 14. At this refueling break, I bought batteries for my camera and was able to take my first pictures since the start in The Dalles.

In anticipation to the possibility that Mary Hill Loop might be closed, there were alternate directions from Hwy 97 on the cue sheet that directed riders East out to Stonehenge Dr. But none of the riders that I left with from the Shell station went that way. Instead, they flew down Gore Rd. for a shorter trip to the bridge crossing into Biggs.

I, on the other hand, visited Washington’s version of Stonehenge for the first time. It’s a miniature version of prehistoric monument found in England, and built as a memorial to World War I casualties. The road from there is also a nice descent to Maryhill, then Biggs Junction.

end of old moody rd a photo by tangocyclist on Flickr.

The next gravely ascent was up Old Moody Rd, which starts where the Deschutes River runs into the Columbia. There were sections where I was barely able to keep pedaling. But pedal I did, until able to coast down to Fifteen Mile Rd. From there, it was mostly rural pavement all the way back to The Dalles.

At 4:00 PM I arrived at the coffee shop from where the ride started. There were no other cyclists, nor cyclists’ cars, nor evidence of any cyclists having been there … except for one passerby who asked me, “Was there some bicycling event going on here earlier today?”

On the drive home, I stopped half way in Stevenson, WA at the Walking Man Brewing, where I was serenaded by bagpipers during a well-lubricated dinner.

More photos are here on Flickr.

Grab Bag 200k, + Ahearne Update

The first weekend in February would be my first attempt at a 200k since the hernia repair surgery 9 ½ weeks earlier. It would also be Clara’s (the Ahearne's) first brevet.

I joined probably three dozen other cyclists in the pre-dawn hours of February 5th in Newberg. Some of them would ride 300k (on 3 different loops starting and ending at the local Travelodge). But most of us were content to ride “only” 200k.

The route started out in a northwest direction. I managed to stay up with some fairly fast company for about 10 miles (till around Patricia Green Cellars on North Valley Road), but then faded to a more customary pace the rest of the way to Forest Grove. I missed one turn in FG (didn’t recognize Main St at the

maggie's
Originally uploaded by tangocyclist

appropriate time), and ended up riding a bonus mile or two. But it was still early enough for Maggie’s Buns not to be too busy. Considering all the food I packed (the Acorn Rando Bag has more capacity than what I’m used to), I bought only an Odwalla smoothie, mixing most of it with the orange juice/Emergen-C in one of my water bottles.

Rode much of the next section to Sherwood with Lonnie Wolff (from Utah, with family in Oregon), and listened to some of his PBP stories. At one point, my front wheel started to wobble, and I discovered the skewer had come loose. Lonnie forged ahead while I investigated a few new noises on my bike.

barista
Originally uploaded by tangocyclist

Once in "downtown" Sherwood, I was happy to find a new Sesame Donuts. Evidently, they’ve expanded their family business from Raleigh Hills to Tigard and Sherwood. (They still do all their baking in Raleigh Hills.) I was particularly delighted when the guy behind the counter made an authentic Italian espresso macchiato. This made for a rather extended break in the ride, as there were also riders to talk with, and pictures to take.

The hilly rural roads between Sherwood and Newberg were new to me. And steep. The lower gears of the bike seemed to help, though, as I actually passed a couple riders heading up Kruger and Chapman Roads. After stopping for another photo session at the cemetery at the top, I headed back to Newberg and tried to make relatively quick work of the half-way contrôle.

Back out on the route, I rode quite a bit again with Lonnie Wolff. Turns out we have common interests in motorbikes as well as pedal-bikes. We chatted for most of the way to Gun Club Road (past Lafayette) until my fender started rattling so much that I got off the bike in order to inspect things. Couldn’t find anything, but boy did coarser pavement make things noisy. It was about this time that I also discovered the wire from the front generator hub had severed. Not good! This meant I would have to hustle for the rest of the route in order to get back to Newberg before dark.

This part of the ride in the countryside around McMinnville was new to me. I saw signs for quite a few unfamiliar wineries. [Note to self: Must return here with pinot-friend Barbara.]

greg & taylor
Originally uploaded by tangocyclist

There was another contrôle at Muddy Valley Road, where I was caught by late starter but speedy Greg Olson. We rode to Sheridan together, got our cards signed at the local Dairy Queen, then started back towards Newberg. Once on Bellevue-Hopewell Hwy, Greg offered to stay with me so I could see once it got dark. But by now it looked as though I would make it back by dusk. And if I didn’t, I could just wait for someone with lights. I bade Greg farewell, and he sped away on the remainder of his 300k ride.

Worked pretty hard through the debris-strewn shoulder of Highway 99, made it through Dundee, and then finally reached Newberg (still able to see…barely).

Marcello and Kathy had tasty lasagna, hot soup, and cold sodas waiting at the finish. Very nice indeed. But what I was really craving was … a beer. A nice craft brew. For the last half hour of so. Nonetheless, I partook of Kathy’s excellent food, then considered stopping at Max’s Fanno Creek Brewpub in Tigard on the way home. But by the time I passed through there my craving had abated, so I ended up driving the additional 10 minutes straight home.

I dropped off Clara with the mechanic the next day. When he finally had a chance to look at her, he commented “you pretty much shook loose all of the fender and rack fasteners, I’m now concerned about the type of blue loc-tite I’ve been using…you are riding the hell out of your bike!... you shook it up real good…Also, how many miles have you logged on your bike so far?”

The answer: 423.

A few more pictures from the ride are here on Flickr.

Ahearne

first day
Originally uploaded by tangocyclist

On December 9th (2010), I took delivery on a new handmade bicycle, one made by Joseph Ahearne here in Portland. I had been on a wait list for a couple of years. It could have been longer, except that I wanted it by the beginning of 2011 in order to prepare for Paris-Brest-Paris (which happens in August). Joseph was interested enough in having one of his bikes in PBP that he agreed.

Joseph actually started the build in September, after I was fitted by the well-known Michael Sylvester. Joseph didn’t cut the tubes until Michael sent him dimensions. This bike was to be built for comfort, made entirely of steel, with randonneuring in mind. I wanted the bike to be durable and stable (not twitchy), carry a front bag, but also be as light and fast as all those other long-distance considerations would allow.

The bike acquired a name (and gender, I suppose) during the build. I chose the name “Clara,” after pianist Clara Schumann, wife of Robert Schumann, and friend of Johannes Brahms. Clara Schumann, besides basically being the breadwinner of her family (though her concertizing), also mothered eight children. She also championed Robert’s music after he passed away, which probably contributed to his eventual and long term fame.

Ironically, my relatively spontaneous hernia repair surgery was scheduled during the month Clara was finished. That made the actual delivery (nine days after surgery) oddly surreal, anticlimactic, and ultimately frustrating. Recovery took longer than I was hoping, so that while the bike was pleasant to look at, I was only able to ride it about 24 miles during the first month.

video drop-off
Originally uploaded by tangocyclist

After a follow-up fitting with Michael Sylvester, I returned the bike for a new shorter handlebar stem. (Evidently, the Campy levers pushed my hand position out farther than calculated.) My first “real” ride on the bike was 25 days after initial delivery, when I rode from Joseph’s shop in close-in North Portland out to Movie Madness (on SE Belmont…returning a holiday video), then all the way back home.

Clara is my first bike with Campagnolo shifters. So while they feel great, they still take getting used to. But I love the little thumb levers for shifting to smaller gears, plus the absence of cables sticking out perpendicularly from the shifters.

I anticipate that Clara will take some growing into. I trust she’ll be comfortable in the long term (as I’m not particularly confident of my body’s ability to know that based on here-and-now comfort).

I rode Clara about 280 miles in January, the most significant day being a 58-miler, part of which included a 47-minute time trial ‘round Sauvie Island. (Yes, I removed the Acorn front bag for that part.) I’m still not up-to-speed after so much time away from cycling. But hopefully that will change.

My Ahearne photo set is here on Flickr.
Joseph's pictures of the bike are here on Flickr

hernia repair

For several years doctors had expressed concern about my hernia. But I never had it looked into … that is until the last week in November (right before Thanksgiving). Around that time I felt some minor discomfort in the lower abdominal area, and finally decided to follow up on my doc’s referral.

Presented with my cycling plans for Summer 2011, the hernia specialist convinced me to schedule surgery sooner than later. I had to weigh completing a 3rd consecutive R-12 (36 straight months of cycling a 200k or longer event) against minimizing problems that could arise ‘round PBP time (1200 km from Paris to Brest and back next August). I opted for the latter, and scheduled the “hernia repair surgery” on December 1.

The surgeon made it sound like no big deal. Minimally invasive “bilateral laparoscopic” is what he called the procedure, and I was under the impression I’d be back to my old biking self by the end of the month. When a nurse called later with specifics about the operation, and asked “You have scheduled time off work, haven’t you?,” I got the first hint that this was bigger, more time-consuming deal that initially envisioned. The bigger-deal-ness was confirmed when I was later told that I would need to be driven home from the hospital afterwards, and that I should have someone stay overnight during my first evening at home.

before surgery
Originally uploaded by tangocyclist

Three good friends (Amy, Cynthia, and Megan), all of whom have busy lives of their own, ended up playing tag team in order for someone to be with me throughout the procedure, plus the first night at home. I originally planned to bicycle to the hospital, but instead just biked to work, from where Amy picked me up and drove to St. Vincent’s Hospital. Check in took a while, as did preparations for the surgery. Amy was still there as they put me under. And when I came to (a couple hours later), there was Cynthia, prepared to load me in her car.

preparing to leave
Originally uploaded by tangocyclist

“Coming to” (in the more complete sense) didn’t happen quickly, though. So it was still a few more hours before I could be stood up and walked to the car. In fact, by the time I was released, Amy had returned to the hospital, and took me home.

It was painful to get in and out of bed, and in and out of a car. Other than that, I was basically okay, as long as I didn’t lift anything. After a couple days of Vicoden, I switched to Advil and Ibuprofen, which I continued to stay on for quite a while, especially after Laurel Leverton convinced me that it was important to control was inflammation in order for healing to occur. I returned to host the Sunday tango practica on December 5th (but only as host and DJ, as Megan taught the lesson), and to work on Monday the 6th. I tried bike-commuting to work about a week later, but the lower right abdomen felt a little funky afterwards. Many nurse-type friends put the fear of God into me about not aggravating things prematurely, saying that the messiest procedure is often the second surgery, to repair a first one not taken care of.

a tradition continues
Originally uploaded by tangocyclist

During the last third of December, five family members visited me for the holidays. I still had to take care with lifting and such, although I managed to bring home a Christmas tree via Xtracycle. Total cycling mileage for the month was less than a mere 14, though. So the consecutive monthly 200k randonneuring ride streak ended at 35. And the healing process looked to be closer to six weeks rather than three.

Skyline-Vernonia-Scappoose 200k

Come November, I was basically done with big rides for the year. But I still was looking for a 200k to keep my 3rd R-12 in tact. I thought about riding an SIR permanent out of Centrailia, but when Ed Groth expressed interest in joining me if the ride started close in, I selected the Skyline-Vernonia route that starts in the St. Johns neighborhood of Portland.

After posting my intentions on the Oregon Randonneurs e-list to do this ride on Saturday the 13th , Lynne Fitzsimmons and David Parsons joined up. Lynne lives close to me, and offered to drive me to the start. Riding to her home sounded easier than riding and/or taking the Max, so I accepted. When the two of us arrived at Starbucks in St. Johns, Ed, David, and Ed's friend Adam were already there. Departure time was scheduled for 7:00, but is was closer to 7:25 and quite drizzly when we actually left.

riders writing
Originally uploaded by tangocyclist

The route ascends through Portland's Washington Park on the way to Skyline Blvd., and then goes over to Old Cornelius Pass Rd. I was feeling a bit on the sluggish side and lost sight of the other riders between Helvetia and North Plains. But we regrouped at Maggie's in Forest Grove.

On Timber Road on the way to Vernonia, Adam and Ed discoved an abandonned ATM machine below the side of the road. Adam actually took the time to call the 800 number on the machine, found out that the Southern California bank it belonged to wasn't interested, and then discovered the machine had already been gone through. In the meantime, Lynne, David, and I forged on through the drizzle.

21st & main
Originally uploaded by tangocyclist

After lunch at Black Bear Coffee in Vernonia, we continued over to the Scappoose-Vernonia Hwy, which ascends for most of nine miles before heading back down to Hwy 30. David, Lynne, and I lost track of Ed and Adam at this point, and did our nocturnal exploration of the farmlands between Scappoose and Sauvie Island as a trio. Back on Highway 30, we found Ed while warming up at a local Texaco station, and trusted that Adam found his own way back. (Adam wasn't doing the ride for rando credit.)

The four of us were headed back on Highway 30 at a pretty good clip when my rear tire started to soften. While Ed, Lynne, and David forged ahead, I stood up in the pedals for the last five or so miles to lessen the weight in back, thus avoiding changing a tire in the rain, and losing only a few minutes of time to the other three.

After celebrating strong rides all around, and the completion of my 35th consecutive 200k or greater monthly rando ride, Lynne drove me home ... and in the process ... got her first tour of my place on the westside.

Took a few pictures that are here on Flickr.