Subterranean Homesick Randonneur Blues

The Wreck of the Old 520

2011-02-08T01:46:00.000-08:00

According to Wikipedia, The "Old 97", a Southern Railway train was en route from Monroe, VA to Spencer, NC when it left the track at Stillhouse Trestle near Danville, Virginia on September 27, 1903. The wreck inspired a famous railroad ballad.

Apologies

Well they give him his orders in Lumberton station

Sayin' Mark you're way behind time

This is not a perm, this is old 520

You must put her into Sunset on time

Then he turned around and said to his black, stealthy, motor

Shovel on a little more coal

And when they crossed to South Carolina

Watch 520 role

But it's a mighty wet road from Garland to Shallote

With a straight on ten mile wind

It was in that wind that he lost his Ensure

Hear what a cry he made

He was in that wind makin’ twelve miles an hour

The dog came up out of a dream

He was found in the ditch with his Lanticeptic

Covering his bits with the cream

Then a telegram come to Seattle station

And this is how it read

Well that great big rando that did the audacious

He's lyin' in Lumberton dead

So now all you ladies

You better take a warnin'

From this time on and learn

Never speak harsh words to your true lovin' rando

He may leave you and never return.

Order Beer Glasses by Dec 1st.

2010-11-21T16:09:00.000-08:00

Well, it appears that bikes and beer do indeed go together!

Based on all the e-mails I got back, I'm happy to do a group buy.

Here's the deal:

Glasses are $10 each. You can pick them up at the solstice ride (you will be there, right) or at my house. For people who live out of town, I will mail them for $5 per order.

In order to try to get them in time for the solstice, I need your payment by December 1st.

Oh, and while it is very very likely that I have these by the solstice ride, I'm not going to promise.

You can either send money to paypal

So that's not too many days out. Order before midnight tonight.

Buttons and Beer Glasses

2010-11-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

No not beer goggles...

So I was ordering up some solstice ride buttons from my button guy (everyone has a button guy, right?), and I was surprised to see the package arrive marked "Fragile."

What's this? Are buttons now fragile? Should I be careful not to over inflate them? Can they no longer be jostled on a lapel without failing catastrophically? Should I save them for event day and stick with pins for more pedestrian efforts?

No, rest assured, the buttons are as tough as ever.

My button guy decided to throw in a lovely etched beer glass as he has some new production toys to play with. For SIR, I'm sure it was a toss up between beer glasses or a demitasse. After concluding that a demitasse would be insufficiently manly to appeal to a wide audience, he went with the beer glass.

So why am I telling you all this? Well, first, I wanted to show off the buttons which can be yours for the princely sum of zero dollars if you come to the solstice ride.

Second, if there is sufficient interest in obtaining your own SIR beer glass, I'd be willing to handle a group buy.

Let me know if you are interested in beer glasses. (Beer not included.)

email thatsrando at gmail dotcom

Solstice Ride and Festivus Celebration

2010-10-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

Bring your own cue sheet and signed waiver, and I will give you a card at the start.

When: We are running two rides:

Saturday night December 18th to Sunday morning December 19th.

And Tuesday December 21 to Wednesday December 22nd.

8:30 PM (20:30) start for both rides. If we ride slowly enough, we will see the sun rise near the finish.

Where: Redmond-North Bend-Leschi permanent 606 STARTING IN REDMOND at Peet's Coffee.
Peets is at 17887 Redmond Way, Redmond WA.

Cue sheet is here: Link

Registration form is here: Link

This route touches enough places to get coffee and giant slabs of salmon that we will be OK in the middle of the night.

Last year, Mark Thomas was the instigator of a silly fun ride -- the first annual SIR solstice ride.

Here is last year's ride report.

I will have permission from the permanators to handle the paperwork. You bring a signed waiver and a cue sheet, and I'll have a card for you.

Email me at thatsrando at gmail dot com if you need anything.

The actual winter solstice this year is at 3:38 PM Tuesday, December 21^st. We are running a version on the weekend as well as a Tuesday night for the purists in the group.

The Winter Solstice "occurs exactly when the Earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun.Though the winter solstice lasts only an instant in time, the term is also colloquially used as midwinter or contrastingly the first day of winter to refer to the day on which it occurs. More evident to those in high latitudes, this occurs on the shortest day, and longest night, and the sun's daily maximum position in the sky is the lowest. The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days.

Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied from culture to culture, but most cultures have held a recognition of rebirth, involving holidays, festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations around that time."

I think Tap captures the shear massiveness of the event:

What this means in practice is that it's going to be dark. And cold. And probably a bit moist.

This also means that riding all night with your friends will be stupid fun.

But wait, there's more!

Festivus "is a secular holiday celebrated on December 23. It was introduced into popular culture by the TV show Seinfeld. The holiday's celebration includes an unadorned aluminium "Festivus pole," practices such as the "Airing of Grievances" and "Feats of Strength."

We aired some grievances last year without being fully aware of the Festivus miracles we were experiencing. Yes we did, and we're pretty much still friends.

So, come play.

Bring lots of stuff to make you visible.

Bring a friend. We are hoping to get a bigger group to add to the the silliness. I'm not promising anything, but it is possible that there will be support at one of the controls for the weekend ride.

This is gonna be great!

Cascade 1200 Mad Libs

2010-07-06T06:11:00.000-07:00

OK Gang,

I couldn't help noticing how everybody's experience on the same ride can be so different. Sure, we are on the same course, but we are spread out over hours, and our abilities cover quite a range. I thought I would help out and give a template everyone could use to describe their experience. Play with a friend!

Cascade 1200 Mad Libs

(Explicative)! That was quite a ride!

I tried to describe what a 1200K was to someone, and they seemed a bit (Adjective). After I told them 1200K is (Number) miles, they exclaimed, "Heck, I wouldn't even take a (Vehicle) that far!

Lining up at the start, I was oddly both (Emotion Adjective) yet (Emotion Adjective). Once we rolled out, I felt better and settled down to the task at hand. It was fun chatting with the fast guys as we rolled through familiar roads towards Issaquah.

Over the course of four days, I went through some pretty big swings. At times I was (Emotion Adjective), (Emotion Adjective), and even (Emotion Adjective).

I suppose the worst was when I needed to stop at the gas station for some (Over The Counter Medicine); until it kicked in, I was pretty sure I would DNF with (Disease). (Name) reminded me I had (Number) hours in the bank, so I shouldn't panic. That was good advice; I bounced back over the next few hours.

Riding along each night as the full moon rose was a wonderful experience. I rode for hours with a moon shadow version of myself keeping me company.

You can get some good stuff at mini-marts; who knew there were so many calories in (Food) or (Food).

The control workers were (Adjective), (Adjective), yet (Adjective). When I was (State of Mind) they fed me a combination of (Food), (Food), and (Beverage) that sounds horrible, but it really hit the spot.

The third day was the hardest for me; it lasted (Number) days. There were (Number) tough climbs, but it was the heat that really got to me. At times if felt like it was (Number) degrees.

I really liked riding with (Name) and (Name) from the local club as well as the guy from (Country) and the woman from (Country). They made the time pass quickly. I'm glad we were able to avoid the (Animal) that attacked us on Loup Loup pass.

On the way down Loup Loup, I got (Name of Song) by (Name of Band) stuck in my head. That seemed appropriate, and I sung out loud as the miles passed.

As I got to the top of the last pass, I thought I was home free. Just then, I got (Sickness) and thought I was done again. This ride just kept coming! I mean, right up until the finish, I suspected my (Bike Part) or my (Bike Part) which started squeaking would finally give out, but it held. I had an extra in my drop bag, but it would be no help on the road.

As we approached the finish, I didn't feel my sore (Body Parts Plural) and (Body Part) at all; I just felt great. I pedaled (Adverb) for the first time in days. My (Body Parts Plural) are still numb, and I wonder if I will ever feel my (Body Part) again. I have never been scabbed on my (Body Part) before; that's a first.

In total, I suspect I slept (Number) hours, while the (Adjective) guys were able to get quite a bit more then that.

I've been (Bodily Function) and (Bodily Function) pretty much constantly since the finish. (Name of Prescription Medicine) and caffeine seem to help.

Looks like I'll be going to (City) in 2011. What an experience that will be!

Thanks again, SIR.

Cascade 1200. The Opposite of Room 101

2010-06-15T23:14:00.000-07:00

So, in about a week and a half, I'm going to line up with about a hundred like-minded people and head off on the Cascade 1200. Some of you know better than I do what I'm getting into, and some of you have no idea.

I have some idea, but I'm going to take it as it comes. Heck, a butterfly in Uganda probably just put into motion a set of events that will determine how hot it will be. It's out of my control.

I'm not gonna kid you; this is going to be an interesting four days.

The Cliff's Notes version goes like this:

The ride is 1240Km. (770 miles) One has 93 hours. For a guy who grew up in Joisey, that's about the distance from Trenton to Jacksonville, Florida. Sure, it's a good hundred miles shy of the distance from Urumqui to Tashkent, but you get the idea.

You could think of it as about 413.3 laps around Green Lake, but then you might go crazy.

I've been known to tell myself, "heck, it's only one lap around Green Lake to the next control, you can do that." Unlike Green Lake, I doubt there will be Spuds fish and chips on the ride. Ensure, Cliff Blocks, chocolate milk, Double Shots, PB&J, rotating hot dogs (for display purposes only), and Payday bars will probably appear in abundance, but I'm guessing there will be no Spuds.

Here's the deal: I'm not as ready as I hoped to be, but I'm ready.

I'll start off easy, and then I'll back off.  I'm going to eat this elephant one bite at a time.

My bike is good to go. I'm bringing the Waterford. I flirted with bringing a lighter bike, but after the 400, I never got around to tweaking one to work better on long distances. My Waterford just works; I forget about it. It is the bike I've used on three 600's and a 1000, and it is the one I'll take this time. I like the way it rides with some weight in the bar bag, and I like the way it handles when I hit a pothole at night on day 3.

A couple of years ago, I worked the first overnight control on this ride. I had just completed my first series, and I didn't think I'd ever attempt anything as audacious as the Cascade.

Of course I knew I would attempt the Cascade; I just didn't admit it to myself. They gave the workers shirts that year with a big heart attack looking route profile on the back and a map of the state; it feels sort of odd wearing it.

Come on Kid, have just a taste; you can stop any time you want. But look, all the cool kids are doing it. Come ride a Populaire; it's free. Here's a shirt, Kid; sure you can wear it. No big thing.

I don't know how this is going to turn out, but I know arriving in Whitefish, Montana last year was a feeling you can't buy for all the tea in China.

I rode the Flying Wheels century last weekend with a friend who did his first century. The course overlaps with some shorter loops, so you get to climb the last hill with people of all abilities who are out there doing it. Some were walking or sitting on the guard rail. Some were just goofing off, but they were all out there. Good on 'em all, as they say.

I know a couple of guys who have held the national 24 hour record and have been competitive in RAAM; I'm not one of those guys.

For me -- for right now -- this is the hurdle. The bar is magically set just right. It is exactly hard enough. It's the opposite of my Room 101. Sure, I'll probably peek at the room along the way, but I'm not going there.

DFL>DNF>DNS

Link to Cascade 1200

Link to Seattle International Randonneurs

Munchkinhead Micro Fleche

2010-04-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

It's a stick-close-to-home weekend as The Momster is off doing her doctor thing. Lizzie and I decided to do a microfleche. We were a team of two. We had one control at IHOP. Surprisingly, Ralph and Carol didn't show up with bananas or cookies. Those guys don't volunteer enough!

There was no fire, but other than that, the similarities with last weekend were spooky.

Both rides had most excellent graphics:

We rode in close formation:

We carried all our junk in fancy bar bags:

Snacks were eaten by us. (passive voice points) I'm partial to sparkle polish lately:

We both rode single speeds today (hers was the pink one):

We stopped for pictures with our buddies:

We took naps when we needed them:

Lizzie has applied for a RUSA number, and we are waiting for ACP to validate the results. Before she fell asleep, she said something about using this as the first month of an micro R-12.

Let's First Play, "That's Rando!"

2010-04-18T23:29:00.000-07:00

Normally we start with the ride report and save "That's Rando!" for the end. Not today. We will get to the ride report, but let's start in the middle this time, shall we?

Greg's cabin was about 65 degrees warmer than it was last year. Hold that thought.

After the ride, we went over to Vinnie's cabin for some dinner and beer. Of course there was no real reason to let Vinnie know this ahead of time, and knocking on the door is so 1970's, so we all just showed up, made ourselves loudly at home, and did our best to wake up Vinnie.

Vinnie, of course, woke up all smiles and started cooking. Pots were rattled. Knobs on the were turned. Bottles were opened. The passive voice was used by many.

The cabin was a bit chilly, and I'm not sure if Vinnie wanted to practice Kent's Flammable Frito Fire Starter Trick, but pretty soon the kitchen was nice and warm. We had a nice crackling fire going which would have been nice if someone had intended to have a fire. It turns out that not only do Fritos burn nicely but so do really big bags of chips left on the stove if you turn the stove on.

The oven knob is a completely different knob than the stove knob. Who knew?

Question: How many randos does it take to put out a fire?

Answer: One, but the others do pause slightly in the conversation to comment.

It's sort of like changing a flat when the whole pack is still together but with less urgency.

I didn't get a picture as I was a bit preoccupied, but Mark said my Photoshop ban would be removed just this once for good behavior to create this somewhat embellished reenactment.

You will be happy to know that we managed to put out the fire, warm up the cabin, and save most of the chips.

That's Rando!

Oh, and we did a bike ride. It was wet. Then it was night. Then some of us slept. Then it rained. A lot. Then we ate. A lot. Then we had a big banquet and told stupid stories.

No question the Fleche is one of the best rides of the year. Thanks so much to Ralph and Carol, my fantastic team, and the rest of the crazy folks in the club.

I'm tired, so I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story for now.

An Open Letter to Fatty -- Let me in, and I'll do two laps.

2010-03-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Fatty,
Due to an administrative error (I forgot), I failed to sign up for the 100 miles to nowhere. But, you see, I would still like to ride. What can I do? How about you let me in, and I'll do two laps?

Pretty please?

For those of you living under a rock (the real world) you may have missed the call. Here.

"The 100 Miles of Nowhere is a race without a place. It’s an event in which hundreds of people participate . . . all by ourselves.

It’s a very strange thing where you pay $95 for the privilege of riding your rollers, trainer, or a very small course (like around the block) for 100 miles. And then the profits from your entry go to LiveStrong, to help them as they help people, worldwide, in their battles against cancer."

Besides, I will have my army of devoted readers (two or three people) barrage you with e-mail asking for you to let me in.

Friends, email fatty@fatcyclist.com and ask to "Let Joe Ride Nowhere!"

Sincerely,

Joe "Wanting To Ride Nowhere" P.

Bellingham 200K

2010-03-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful spring day in the Pacific Northwest. Fenders were left home once again. A guy could forget where he lives if this keeps up. We had a fantastic route with about 80 riders. That's a pretty big gang given the chili feed was last weekend and there is a 300 next week. I hear something about a big ride on the other side of the pond next year; I wonder if the turnout has something to so with that.

It started off much colder than I expected. I think it was just at freezing when we rolled out. Since we were starting at a grocery store, and I didn't have any booties, I stuffed a plastic shopping bag in each of my shoes; they worked really well, and they are light. Rapha could print these up in pink and sell them for beaucoup bucks.

At the first control, Vinnie had a busted cable. It turns out he busted the cable because his shifter was buggered. We set him up with a two speeder, and he hung out for the rest of the ride.

I finished with the fastest guy today. Thing is, he rode to the ride, finished, and then rode back twenty or so miles to ride back with us, so technically, I finished with him. That's my story.

But really today was all about hanging out and being social. Being at the back of the pack gives one a chance to see the archeological evidence of the ride. This pretty much sums it up.

Thanks guys for a most excellent day.

Oh, and here are my two favorite shots from the chili feed.

Maggie says "talk to the hand!"
Now, let's play, That's Rando!

At first, I was pretty sure Dr. Codfish's busted water bottle would win. Then, I was liking the subtly counterbalanced PBP / Bike Snob pins. I thought it was game over.

Unfortunately for the Good Doctor, Noel figuratively threw his bike at the line for the win when he emerged from the penultimate control with this beautiful Bic lighter. I'm not sure if he had some old inner tubes upon which he planned to vulcanize pre-WW2 patches or if he was planning a pig roast at the finish, but clearly, this belongs in everyone's kit.

Weasels Ripped My Fleche

2010-03-01T21:43:00.000-08:00

The Seattle International Randonneurs Fleche is all set for April 16th-17th. Ralph and Carol have been herding cats, and they mentioned that some of you may not have signed up yet. Are you kidding me? Don't wait. Order before midnight tonight. Carol will throw in free powder coated mini-donuts at exactly the right secret time. I promise.

Last year was my first fleche, and you just can't have more fun freezing, throwing up, emitting greenhouse gasses, and generally goofing off with your friends for 24 hours. It's not possible. Robert's ride report gives a fair summary of the Painted Fleche experience.

Here's just a taste, an amuse bouche, if you will:

"Greg and Joe were harassing each other most of the way and everyone in the group seemed to have problems with gas. I suppose I should say that they didn’t have a problem letting it go. Honestly, this is the smelliest ride I have ever been a part of. That includes my trips through farm counties."

But wait. There's more!

After the finish, we camped out in a nice comfy hotel. The next morning, we relived the whole thing while listening to live church revival singers. I tried desperately to replenish the calorie deficit from the day before. Bacon was involved. Serious bacon. There were eggs as well; I'm sure of it. I may have seen a fruit.

At brunch, everyone told ~~lies~~ stories about the ride. Everyone from escargot to montagnards got medals. I know!

So, if you are on the fence, sign up already. You'll want to get a start on the planning; the only thing that takes longer than riding a fleche is planning a fleche.

We hope to see you at the finish. We will be out there, as will all the zombie truckers.

Weasles Ripped My Fleche

(Greg, Bill, Don, Ken, Joe)

As the Wikipedia entry reports, quite nicely:

"Frank Zappa recruited artist Neon Park to create a subversive image based on a cover story from the September 1956 issue of Man's Life, a men's adventure magazine. After showing Neon a copy of the magazine, Zappa inquired, "This is it. What can you do that's worse than this?"

Neon's answer was to craft a parody of an advertisement for Schick brand electric razor based on the "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" theme.

PegoRando

2010-02-21T20:38:00.000-08:00

So there are a few bikes in the garage, and I decided to make one of them a lighter rando bike. Dario Pegoretti might just say, "No soup for you!" if he saw this. Or he might just smile and say, "Good on 'ya." I'm betting the latter, except he'd probably say it in Italian.

I'll put some better pictures up later, but she's a great ride. Thin wood fenders. Schmidt hub. Berthoud bag. All-weather all-day goodness.

Did the Alps again today with Vinnie, Kole, and Greg. It was a stunningly nice day for February in Seattle. Last time I rode the Alps, I had a tough go of it, so today was especially rewarding to clear my head.

I managed to hold back early and save something for (Lake) Alice (Road.) Alice and I have a bit of a stormy relationship. Last time I visited her, she was not so nice. Today she decided to play Good Cop so that I will come around again. I think she's toying with me, but I'll take it.

We just got back from a week in Calefornya, and when I got home, I had a nice surprise from Ron in NJ. He sent me this most excellent jersey, which I decided would feel right at home on The Alps. At the finish, I could swear I heard the jersey say something. It sounded like, "Yeah, Buddy, do that ride five more times in oppressive heat, and then you can wear me."

One of the riders in this picture did the ride. I think he's the one pulling the group through the night with a creaky bottom bracket.

Who knew that wool jerseys handle drool really well. I suspect there will be a few more Seattle Randonneurs at the next iteration of the ride.

Thanks Ron!

Oh, and it just wouldn't be a blog post without a shot of the little one.

Great day.

New Year's Resolution

2010-01-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

Well a few of us headed out on New Year's day for a 200K from Olympia that went out and back along the Hood Canal. Once again, it was wet.

We are pretty sure people in cars thought we were doing our one ride of the year as part of some some quickly fading new year's resolution.

Dr. Codfish set the hook, and we all rolled out in good spirits.

Codfish and Boothby beat me to the Blog.

It never ceases to amaze me how comfortable one can be in lousy conditions with the right clothing. Some clothing, however, is just not right.

One really really rotten piece of clothing are my Gore Bike gloves. They have a small issue when they are wet.

No big deal, but when wet, you simply can not put them back on.

The liner gets so sticky it's just impossible to get your hand back in. Well not impossible; you can work your hand back in over, say, a couple of hours. Perhaps I'm not using them as intended, I mean who would ride Gore Bike gloves on a bike in the rain; that's just crazy.

Ok, whining out of the way.

The guys at Hoodsport Coffee Company win the best coffee control award. They are just the friendliest folks ever.

The control in Brinnon was a little less cozy, but they had this beverage that sure seemed like it would get you home; I went with the microwaved Frappuccino instead.

It was pretty windy, and at one point a big branch came crashing through the trees and landed on the road in front of me. Luckily, only this moss landed on my cue sheet. For you kids on Facebook, you already know that it's only rando if I ate it or used it as insulation in my shoes.

I was well fed on bagels at this point in our little adventure, so I didn't even think to eat it. Perhaps it would be a good substitute for the miracle trace elements found in Endurolytes? In the Pacific NW, the moss grows on all points of the compass. Sadly, you can't navigate by moss.

Boothby was a bit smug about his dry clothes in Hoodsport. He was smug enough that Ken, Lyn, and Chris attacked on this hill when they realized that his pannier, avec wet clothes, weighed about as much as Don.

The Boothby is the official winner of That's Rando! Congratulations, Don!

I almost didn't have a winner because I couldn't take my hand out of my glove to get a picture. At this point Ken took pity on me and lent me these really cool gloves that you can actually use in the rain. I know!

Anyway, here's to Don's 60 pound pannier. Good on you Raleighdon!

Winter Solstace 200K.

2009-12-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

No, Munchkinhead didn't ride the 200k, but she did play in the snow. With the requisite kid picture out of the way, we return to our regularly scheduled ride report.

Mark sent out an innocent enough e-mail, and 13 or 14 of us showed up at Peet's Coffee ready to roll at 9:00PM.

Mark:

"Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day in the year and then miss it." - Daisy in the Great Gatsby.

"I'd hate to wait for the longest night of the year and then miss it." - Me

"Here we go (all night long)" - David Byrne

"You know the night time is the right time." - John Fogerty

Enough already, you get the point. All night permanent Sunday night to greet the winter solstice at 9:30 Monday morning.

Easy pace; hang out at Denny's (80km) and Shari's (140km). Like a fleche in the winter.

Meet at Redmond Whole Foods for a 9:00 PM departure. Permanent #606-Redmond-North Bend-Leschi-Redmond.

BYO route sheet, registration/waiver, warm clothes, and good lights.

Leave good sense at home. Won't be helpful.

(There was a complete lack of Photoshop this year. All of these images are straight from the camera.)

TRFKAF did a nice report here.

We rolled out into a pretty good rain. I'm always amazed how comfortable one can be in nasty conditions with the right clothing. If you read the rabbit's report, I also overcooked the descent to the valley; it was an odd mixture of not enough breaking with a fear of applying too much breaking with no visibility. It turned out OK, but I think I'd carry oh, about half as much speed, next time.

We had a guest along for the ride -- world famous blogger and wet weather clothing tester, TRFKAF. Cecil came too. I had not ridden with Cecil and Floyd since the Berkie 200 in the Spring. Believe it or not, we agreed that the Berkie was much wetter. Yeah, no kidding.

TRFKAF likes to snuggle with a Planet Bike Superflash. Seems reasonable.

We spent a bit of time stinking up the grocery store in North Bend. I think this was just after midnight. Robin looks tired, which I don't understand; he checked the "go fast" box on his Waterford order form. Somehow I missed that box. I will need to talk to Richard about that.

The researchers at Very Big Sports Food Company Of America would not be happy with Vinnie's food selection here. Real food; it's for controls.

We later stopped at a less luxurious gas station control in Newcastle. We made up for the food with extra stink. This stop was a bit odd. It felt like we were in a movie about all the strange things that go on at a mini-mart in the middle of the night. We did our part to contribute to the scene.

We've been talking about these burritos all fall. I have not tried one twice yet.

Mark brought along a weather appropriate pen. "Rite in the Rain."

Robin brought along his "go fast" pen. He claims this is the secret to his speed. I'm going to buy one and attack!

It didn't matter what kind of pen Steve had. His control card was a bit moist.

And now let's play, That's Rando!

When we got to the finish, there was no question, no question at all, who today's winner was. Vinnie isn't one for records, but he likes riding his bike with his friends. I did spy a tiny little extra smile as he handed in his card.

From Geoff to the SIR List:

Congratulations Vincent !

Monday morning Vincent broke the legendary Dan Driscoll’s 2007 record of 21,244 K in RUSA rides. Vincent now has 21,307 K of RUSA rides for 2009… and he’s not done for the year! It is fitting that Vincent broke the record on a truly rando ride – the first annual (?) Winter Solstice ride … riding through the night, in the rain, with a dozen other odd ducks.

When you then add in his international riding – the Granite Anvil 1200, t he Sydney-Melbourne 1200, his riding in the Pyrenees – and the PAC Tour Mountain week, it is simply astounding.

It’s been great riding with you this year !

Geoff

Chapeau, Vinnie!

When is 480 = 200?

2009-12-05T23:12:00.000-08:00

I wanted to get my December R12 in the books early this month. It rained yesterday, and then it dropped below freezing. The roads were pretty darned icy, and they were icy for a long time. I left the house with a normal bike, but it was so slick driving, that I went home and grabbed the freshly built 1971 Roberts with studs shown here in repose.

Greg pointed out that quite a few people signed up. Most showed up. Some started. A few finished.

He is going to make a nice flow chart illustrating the decision process and the relative brightness of the different choices. I don't suspect the finishers will come out on top.

Vinnie, with a killer jersey, had not ridden since the 1200 in Australia that finished the day before yesterday, so he was in.

We ate healthy as usual.

There was a beautiful sunset over Lake Sammamish.

It was a great day. A couple of riders went down in Renton on the ice. After everyone checked out OK, some smarty pants told Greg that he was really glad he crashed because he needed to stop and pee. Said smarty pants does not take credit for this line, as Greg has heard this before.

I was really really slow with the studded tires, but my 480 studs helped me feel safe on my 200K. Yeah, I'm sort of a belt and suspenders guy.

Today's That's Rando! winners are everyone who thought about riding, didn't ride, rode, DNF'd, or finished the ride. Group hug.

This Just In: Brad Still Out Of The Office!

2009-11-25T20:14:00.000-08:00

Sometimes on rides, blackberries and iPhones come out at controls. Today was no exception. People check up on news, wives, facebook, etc. Sometimes people even navigate with these things.

Today, we checked in early and often just to make sure Brad was still out of the office. He is. We refrained from calling his assistant and asking if he could come out and play. Hopefully we will see you soon, Brad.

The parrot is thriving, and there are hats near the university.

Mark likes to ride his bike.

One of the best things about the convenience stores -- besides the rotating hot dogs (for display purposes only) - are the things posted on the bulletin boards. Heck, you can find real estate agents, tire chains, and lost dogs on these boards, but today we found this.

Pretty much sums it up.

Vinnie and gang, if you check in before the big ride, give 'em hell.

Y'all have a great Thanksgiving, OK?

Hors Categorie

2009-11-23T22:45:00.001-08:00

So Kent offered to lead a mixed surface ride. He knows dirt; it says so right on his jersey. After a Metro bus brushed me back on Newport Way -- what's up with that? -- four of us rolled out at 10:00 sharp from Issaquah.

It was windy here a few days ago.

Kent said something about being on I-90 for one exit. At each exit ramp, however, Kent would check the traffic and cross over to stay on the highway.

The three of us in the back were cracking ourselves up as we just kept heading up to the pass.

"I wonder if he's going over the pass?"
"Which pass? There's more than one pass if you keep going."
"I think he will bang a right in Polebridge."
"Nah, I think he needs to start in Banfff this year."
"I think it's a test to see who complains first."

Perhaps 4-5 miles from the top, Kent pulls over and lets us know we missed the turn. Everyone was really upset. It took a while to recover. Well, not really.

Before we knew it, we were bundled up and buzzing down the Iron Horse trail.

Which took us to coffee in North Bend.

And back to the brew pub in Issaquah.

There were two Stumpjumpers of different vintage on the ride. They both roll about the same.

Now let's play "That's Rando!"

There was some serious competition today. From just a few players, there were many worthy entries. I'll highlight just a few.

This pink beverage like substance had a list of ingredients that went on like a grand randonee. If your body needs it, it's in there. It matches Rapha colorways and Pedro's pink tire levers. Lizzie voted for this one. Bravo.

There's not much that good Chicago blues can't cure. I imagine Hound Dog Taylor could write a few mean blues on any number of rando issues. Most days, this would be a clear winner. But this was not most days.

Kent's cheese wedge won hands down. It's an "Hors Categorie" entry. Many state transportation departments have even placed signs on the road honoring Kent's cheese wedge. They typically put them on the hardest climbs to salute the effort. Well played, Kent.

State Of Clear

2009-11-21T15:26:00.000-08:00

I recall from a pseudoscience class that L. Ron Hubbard claimed if you follow Dianetics you can reach a state of clear and see all your past lifetimes. Well I don't know about that, but I thought clear would be nice.

This bike started out life in the early '70s as a 27" Roberts touring bike. When I got it, it had cantilever brakes and a ton of rust. It was a beautiful British racing green color with decent Roberts decals which I'm a bit fond of.

The problem was that I really wanted to be able to swap wheels around and the brakes were in the wrong place for 700c wheels. I suppose this was like a 650b conversion but bigger.

I tried to get Dr. Boxer to take his torch to the bike and do a bunch of braze-on moving, but he's too busy, so I got out the dremel and some cutting wheels and grinding stones and had at it. That's kind of rando, no? I'm actually glad that Dan was too busy to fit this in because it means people are jumping on new Boxer bikes. You should sign up for yours before he has really long wait list, no?

Anyway, once I hacked off the canti studs, I knew I'd be in for a repaint. Seattle Powder Coat blasted the frame clean and put on a nice gloss clear coat for $150 plus tax. It would cost $25 less if I didn't have them mask the chrome dropouts. When I left the bike, I thought it was pretty likely they would call and say they blasted through the frame because it was so rusty; I had that happen with a Paramount track bike on high school.

I fit in some big fat studded tires and went on a run to the coffee shop today. It rides great. It has a huge wheelbase, and some very very slack angles.

I like the way it turned out.

Munchkinhead likes it, but she's just silly.

Wheel Building 101

2009-11-06T22:05:00.000-08:00

Greg decided that it's about time he made up a fixed commuter bike. As part of a highly negotiated deal, I ended up with another Brooks saddle and a promise to put together his wheel.

Lizzie was all done moving the barbells up to the attic, so I put her to work.

Seriously, though, I am so proud of her. I showed her the pattern, and she put all the spokes in the hub for me. She also put the first couple of sets of spokes through the rim before she went back to her regularly scheduled pomegranate munching.

Three Rivers Cruise 200K. With Bonus Tooth Fairy

2009-11-01T20:20:00.000-08:00

Munchkinhead is in on the secret of the Tooth Fairy's identity; she thinks it's pretty cool since most of her friends don't yet know. She was out collecting rando food last night.

Beautiful ride today. Started at the civilized hour of 8:00. Thanks Don!

My burrito, on the left, with a food-like-substance wasn't as cool as the other which was carried in.

These were on the counter at the same gas station with the burrito-like product. There is definitely a Craig Ferguson joke here involving Hollywood Boulevard.

Surprise! Greg's way ahead and on his crackberry at the control.

Great day, gang.

Now let's play "That's Rando!"

An excellent group of competitors today. This color coordinated bungee ensemble is both stylish and practical. However, this contestant was removed from the competition when it came to the judges' attention that he received professional clothing consultation on his socks from an actual bike shop.

This sporty Look had a multi-tiered laminated fender structure that would make Jaja proud. The photo isn't so good, but if you look closely, you will see eight - count 'em, eight -- stays supporting the structure. These aerospace grade rivets would make the harshest FAA inspector proud. Clearly someone has CATIA 6 and finite element models of this beauty. Notice the clean lines at the joint which must have been made with some kind of a cutting tool.

Ruling: Too nice.

Now, I have spent many miles studying the next loose assemblage of fender parts, and it was a contender for today's prize. In contrast to the entry above, time was not wasted to actually cut the extension; why bother when simply tearing off a jagged chunk of fender is so much quicker?

It's got some serious elements -- color matched zip tie, duct tape, electrical tape, and inverted old bottle flap.

Sadly, the ruling: Too sloppy.

Now, this wing nut mudflap fitting is just right.

As Python would say it is like a stream of bat's piss. It shines out like a shaft of gold when all around is dark.

Today's winner. Well played. Simple. Elegant. Functional. Rando.

Trail-a-Bike

2009-10-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

Munchkinhead and I went to the pumpkin patch and BikeWorks. Then we did a trail-a-bike ride to Starbucks today. Not the worst day ever.

The Eleven Year Old Bullet Belt

2009-10-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

So John and I decided to ride permanent 531 today. You basically ride all over the place for 200k. You start on Mercer Island, roll around Lake Sammamish and then go south to Renton, past the salt mine, down to Orting, up to Seattle, and then do a victory lap around Mercer Island.

I've been getting over a cold, and I really wanted to get my R-12 on, so to speak, but there was no way I was going to play with the big boys in the hills today, so the flattest ride that starts closest to my house was on the play list.

We did this ride two times last winter, and I remember walking in snow and ice on one ride as well as sucking it up in dumping rain on the other ride. Today was crisp (couldn't resist) but clear.

Every time I've ridden within 10 miles of Orting, I get yelled at; I expected today to be no different. Last time I pulled into the Safeway in Orting, the local soccer club hit me up for a donation. No, I'm not going to donate since your dad just tried to hit me with the mirror of his truck and your sister just called me a "teenage mutant ninja turtle." Yelling at me keeps my donations to a minimum; call me crazy.

But today, not one person yelled at us. However, there were three kids, about eleven, doing their best to be tough hanging out at Safeway. I'm not sure if they were playing grunge-death metal-goth-skinhead-hipsters, but I suspect they are not going to be running for higher office any time soon. The best bit was that one of them was playing with a bandolier of very real looking bullets which he wore as a belt when it was time to leave.

That's just not going to end well.

The contrast with the QFC on Mercer Island was pretty severe. Sure, the kids on Mercer Island are more likely to bring down the next Lehman Brothers, but they appear one heck of a lot less disturbed.

We met one other disturbed person as the Seahawks game got out. We timed our ride past the stadium perfectly.

After she smacked and punched her I'm-guessing-by-now-ex-boyfriend in front of three cops, they gave her the chance to walk away many many times. But no, she thought it would be a great idea to pick a fight with the cops. I doubt it ended well for her, but at least she didn't have a bullet belt.

Let's play "That's Rando!"

Sadly, no contestants had anything sufficiently rando today. However, the judges of "That's Rando!" have awarded this entry from the SIR road clean up as this weekend's winner. Congratulations, mystery winner!

Baby Blue Baby

2009-10-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

Well I finally got around to finishing up the Luigino. I took all the parts off a Cinelli that is now for sale. I went sort of old school...well at least all aluminum. It's a keeper.

Before:

After:

Munchkinhead approves:

Hamburg Cycle Chic

2009-10-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

So I spent last week in Hamburg. I had a pretty nasty cold, but I still had a chance to walk around a fair amount. This was the most bike-friendly city I have been in other than Amsterdam. I'm talking real transportation. The downtown sporting goods store had a bigger section of lights, bags, fenders, baskets and other utilitarian gear than just about any shop I have been in.

The little bike above marked one of the ubiquitous bike lanes.

Oh, and the locals look pretty chic as they putter around on those bike lanes.

I took these shots in just a few minutes around rush hour in the heart of town.

I think there may have been guys on bikes too. I don't recall them, but there appears to be a guy on a bike in this shot of the dedicated bike lane lights.

This cool bike may even be piloted by a guy:

Functional.

I'm pretty sure if you are reading this blog, you already know about the inspiration for this post, but just in case you don't know the master, click here.

Tout a Gauche

2009-09-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

Il ne marche pas. Je marche.

I thought about calling this Ernesto and Dario's Excellent Adventure, but it wouldn't really tell the story. If it were a weekday, Ernie and Dario's Day Off would have been in serious contention.

I went out for a 200K with Bill today. It was a beautiful day a few tens of degrees hotter than last weekend. The mountain was out in full force, and it made us think of our blue shirted brothers on the 600K. Good on ya' guys!

Today's goal was to redeem myself from my DNF on the 100K and to get another R12 month under my belt. I held my tongue and didn't point out all the places we changed flats last weekend.

The Alps is basically the same route as the 100K with a bit more suffering. It's got about 9000 feet of climbing.

And then there is Alice.

The climb up to Lake Alice comes about 90 miles into the ride, and you have already had a few climbs to soften you up. The Zoo, Somerset, Tiger Mt., Squak Mt., etc. "Oh," he said, "I forgot about Squak; I suppose we'd better do that before Starbucks."

But Alice is the cruel one. At least she is with me. Bill gets along with Alice just fine. With me, she starts out nice enough. In fact, she's kind of easy at first, but she hides her evil ways from view until it's too late. Once she gets mean, she just never backs off -- not even a little -- until she's just plain old done with you. Then she spits you out and invites you back to play anytime you want. Oh yeah, she's around; just swing by and see her. You don't even need to call.

Bob B. went to France this summer and came home with some new vocabulary. Tout a gauche means all the way to the left. It means you are already in your lowest gear and there is nowhere else to go. Tout a gauche wasn't enough today.

I ended up cramped like a...like a...well like a big cramped thing as we hit Lake Alice road. I have never ever walked on a climb. Never. I've gone really really slow, and I've stopped to rest before, but today I walked. At least I was moving forward.

Still, this ride is a totally different experience on a sunny day with enough daylight. When I rode this in the winter with Greg, who was off jumping out of a perfectly good airplane today, we finished after dark, and we were wet and cold. Today it was pretty good advice to leave my vest and arm warmers in the car.

Last time, I forgot one of my shoes and got bonus miles riding to my house with a big honkin' boot on one foot. This time, Bill fell for my cunning plan to leave my cue sheet home. This way he had to stick with me. Thanks Bill.

Continuing the trend of riding with others with stellar jerseys, Bill pulled this out. "Oh, this little thing? I just threw it on; it's nothing, really."

I'd have Lizzie build you a retaining wall for a jersey like that.

Let's play, "That's Rando!"
Bill and I went light today, so the contestants were few and the pickings slim. The best entry would have to be my flashlight and Very Large Corporation of America badge holder map clip:

Unfortunately, the international judging committee of "That's Rando!" deemed the entry insufficiently rando to earn an award. They refuse to cheapen the award with such a trival entry, and decided no entry was worthy today. The Russian judge abstained. I suppose that's how they earn their lavish salaries and international acclaim. While obviously disappointed, I understand and respect the judges decision, and I will strive to fight another day.

Best DNF Ever.

2009-09-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

Today was my first Randonneur DNF. I ended up riding with Chris and Robert, and I could not have had more fun. Tires and tubes did us in. This was my second or third Mountain Populaire 100K.

But don't you rando guys carry everything you need? One would think so. Between the three of us we had a metric crapton (about 2.2 thousand pounds for those of you from the UK) of tires and tubes, but it wasn't enough. I suspect we also had enough patches to construct a new tube from scratch. We used our last tube where the course was pretty close to the start/finish line, so instead of venturing off to Carnation, we coasted down the hill and called it day.

Notice any excellent color matching?

Did I mention it rained? This wasn't cooling mist rain; it was full-on Stevie Ray Vaughn Texas Flood rain. Boy was it fun.

Just before we got to the parking lot, Chris decided to lock his rear wheel and slide around for a while before pulling over to the side of the road. Who knew those Paul brakes were that strong? Oops, it wasn't the brakes. A couple of miles before, I mounted my spare tire on his wheel for him because the bead was a bit funky. I didn't do such a good job. We had just enough time to check it out and watch the tube burst out before it blew up. Most excellent.

Thanks so much to the orgainzers.

Now let's play, "That's Rando!"

As you might imagine, a 100K in the rain was ample hunting grounds for the next winner of "That's Rando!" I'd like to express my gratitude to all who played today; you put forth an excellent effort. For a while, this entry of the rear facing front bag (complete with wheel sucker map window) was in contention.

But then, during the first of many, many flat stops to work on Chris's stunning Tournesol:

I noticed this chunk of fabric missing where a rat ate his Berthoud bag. Clearly today's winner. Nobody else bother playing:

Dirt.

2009-09-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

So I tried my first single track today. I had a great time, but I think I prefer a little more riding with my rides. It was wet, slippery, rocky, sandy, muddy, and rooty. I suspect rooty isn't in the dictionary; well it should be. My front shifting got a little sticky; I wonder why? Did I mention it was fun?

While I was falling all over with my fancy-pants 29er, Christian was having no problems with his cross bike.

And for today's edition of That's Rando!, I present this rust proof, rattle proof, color coordinated fender mount. It brings a tear to my eye.

Oops, I did it again!

2009-09-04T17:29:00.000-07:00

I am such an addict. This showed up on a couple of the forums today. It just had to be my size. I just got the frame, fork, and headset, so I think I'll pull the parts off something else which I will release into the wild. This one is a keeper.

Every Jersey Tells A Story, Don't It?

2009-08-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

So there I was, yesterday, riding along in a slight mist just enjoying the morning. I was in a slight mist, I suppose, because I only had a couple of shots in my latte. Well, I also had two cups of tea before I left in the dark, but that hardly counts.

The guy behind me in line at the ferry terminal coffee stand had held nothing back and ordered his with five shots. Count 'em. Five. I vowed to redeem myself as the day went on. We randos know how to pace ourselves. Yeah, sprint out of the first turn, and order five shots, buddy; we can go all day.

But I digress. I was also in a mist, because I was in literally a mist. It felt great after some of the hot weather, and we were all fendered and flapped appropriately as we headed out on permanent 536 -- Hood Canal 2.0. I was not around for the beta version of Hood Canal or even Hood Canal 1.0, but I can assure you that 2.0 is bug free.

Mark had a spiffy new jersey on, and the thought went through my mind that he had to earn that one. Then I noticed what the other guys were wearing. As the old joke goes, I don't think they picked these up on e-bay. Again, Anne, I really don't ride that much. I submit exhibits A through F:

And, yeah, that's two different PBP jerseys. There were only six of us on the ride. I was sporting my Glacier jersey -- The Last Best Place, or as I was taunted, simply:

As the day went on, everything cleared up, and we stopped for coffee here and there. No question over the course of the day we crushed five shot guy. I submit exhibits G and H:

Let's play, "That's Rando!"

Rando is all about what works. Some people put together coffee-table-book stunning machines. Others ride ubiquitous Trek 5000s with mind blowing speed. An old rattle can '70's bike works just as well as anything. They are all rando.

I love it when people kludge together something that works with apparent disregard for aesthetics, but in their disregard, one finds a thing of beauty in function. The Bonzo Dog Band, once said, "Baby, you're so far ahead it's beautiful!"

As the first in a series, I submit this beautiful Pinarello with a classical hand tooled clothes pin:

So I'm supposed to update this thing?

2009-08-17T20:34:00.001-07:00

I had the best of intentions. My dog ate my homework.

Well, you see, first I was going to do a ride report from RAMROD, but Matt beat me to it.

Matt rode to the ride, so he wins big time on style points. But I did shamelessly swipe these pictures from his Flikr site:

I had a very fun ride at RAMROD this year. It seems I know a few cyclists now, so this was a pretty social event. I've already forgotten about the heat and the usual cramping.

Then I started writing a blurb about Fatty's wife and Susan passing away, but I couldn't find the words. Fight like Susan.

Oh, I went and bought myself a honest to goodness mountain bike. If you hadn't noticed, I like bikes. I'll sell one of the road bikes in the garage to pay for it; I suppose it's like Kent's catch and release program for bikes, but I have a few too many keepers.

I am learning a whole new language. For you kids out there, I've got a hard tail 29er. It's got gears and a suspension fork. Sure, I thought I was headed for a rigid steel single speed, but Bob B. asked, "if you only had one road bike, would it have gears?" and that sealed the deal. Bob rode the Mountain 600 last year on a single. He was polite enough not to say, "you need gears." Bob, not so much.

And for someone who makes it a point to do all my own wrenching, you will be happy to know I didn't know how to take the wheel off to put the bike in the car. Excuse me Mr. Mechanic, but I just bought this fancy pants bike, and I could use your help taking the front wheel off. I'm such a newb.

Lastly, I'm going to be famous! Well not really, but I'm psyched. Showers Pass, who makes the best wet weather clothing this side of the Pecos, was soliciting photos for their 2010 catalog. I sent them this picture, and they said they want to use it. How about that my Painted Fleche brethren? We're in the phone book!

But wait, there's more! Unbeknown to me, my riding buddies Ron and Barbara in NJ sent in a picture I took on a Brevet back east which was also accepted. Nothing like a waterproof camera.

That's all folks.

Portland to Glacier. Yes, that Glacier.

2009-07-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

Sometime last winter I was on a training ride listening to a few riders chat about how magical Portland to Glacier was. While dodging posts in the bike path, I was stupid enough to say something to Mark like, "Wow that sounds amazing. I'd love to try that. If they run it, I'm in." I must have had a sufficient amount of caffeine that morning, because I think I had the rando equivalent of beer muscles.

Perhaps I had not clearly thought this through, for without much fanfare word went out that the ride was on. I pretty much had to go, right?

You see, I really was planning to spend not so much time on the bike this year. A few months later, Greg and I were wasting time at work, and one of us mentioned that we dropped the "megaton bomb" at home by casually saying we were thinking about the megameter ride.

Before you knew it, train tickets were in hand, hotel reservations booked, and I couldn't escape the gravitational pull of the ride.

(Somewhere on the third day of the ride, Karl mentioned that looking at altitude on his GPS was interesting because even a small decrease in elevation would bring on a significant increase in speed. The reformed physics major in me replied something along the lines of, "Yeah, well gravity isn't strong, but there sure is a lot of earth." After I said that, I realized I was pretty incoherent. But I'm getting ahead of myself.)

I had never gone over 600K, and I had a pretty miserable 400 this year, so the idea of a thousand was pretty scary. I asked everyone I could what's different going over 600, and everyone offered up their best advice. Still, I had the impression that you just can't describe it.

Vincent, Mark, and Geoff pre-rode the route and added some seriously useful comments to the cue sheet.

I asked Vinnie for advice, and he ominously told me to save something for the third day. He was optimistic as ever, but he warned me that I already had my easy ride for the year.

So, how did the ride go? It went great. I almost DNF'd in the heat on the first day. I was able to sleep a bit each night. My foot hurt so badly, I must have ridden 100 miles with my foot on top of my shoe. My bike worked wonderfully. I was able to eat the whole ride, which I am learning is everything.

I don't normally ride with music, but on the first day, I was burning up on a long section of road. It was hot. Hot. I was rationing my water. I turned on the iPod shuffle which, perfectly and randomly, started playing Elvis Presley's Burning Love. Priceless.

Lord almighty,
I feel my temperature rising
Higher higher
Its burning through to my soul

Ooh, ooh, ooh,
I feel my temperature rising
Help me, Im flaming
I must be a hundred and nine
Burning, burning, burning
And nothing can cool me
I just might turn into smoke
But I feel fine

Its coming closer
The flames are reaching my body
Please wont you help me
I feel like Im slipping away
Its hard to breath
And my chest is a-heaving

Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love
Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love
Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love
Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love

You know that church with the hose a couple of blocks off course noted on the cue sheet? VERY GOOD information.

I slept on a park bench for 20 minutes to avoid the heat on the third day. The third day went on for something like three days, by the way. The passes were the easy part, but the endless big rollers just never gave up.

I experienced the fractured scablands up close and personal.

Stealing a line from Nick Bull, I crossed the railroad tracks and left behind something that would have horrified the leave no trace crowd. I too am sorry.

Riding through the night, with a clear sky in Montana and seeing a shooting star and the milky way when I was just about in was magical.

I had a short-lived state of euphoria after nuking a dark chocolate Frappuccino in a convenience store that conveniently stayed open a few extra minutes for those two crazy guys on bikes.

When I finally pulled into the hotel in Whitefish, I was all verklempt. (Extra points for using that in a sentence.) Yes, I really want to go to Paris, but it's OK if I don't make it. That's really how much I enjoyed this ride.

Burgers and beer are excellent in Whitefish. So are the pizza, the ice cream, the cherries, watermelon, eggs, bacon, toast, OJ, coffee, lattes, and the scones. Food on the train, not so much.

Amtrak is a lot like the 77 bus, and it's a great place to pick up all sorts of tricks for dealing with your parole officer. (Your P.O. to the in crowd).

Thanks so much for running this ride again. Thanks for the help from the pre-ride and the others who helped get me through. Thanks for all the help holding down the fort while I was out playing.

I'm really really glad I brought a camera, and I tried to take a ton of pictures. Here are some teasers, but the rest can be found here:

https://www.photoshop.com/user/theplatzners

I'm Not Dead Yet

2009-07-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

So, I need to write up a report and post some pictures from the Portland to Glacier ride. That really was a big deal experience for me, so perhaps I'm hesitating on the write-up.

In the meantime, I'm happy to report I have survived The Death Ride.

At the beginning of the year, I made this my goal. I tried, honest I did, to lose some weight, and I trained as much as I could. I did not think I would ride a series this year; instead I was going to spend a little less time on the bike, and try to get faster. Well, that's not how things turned out, for I did the series, and then it just wasn't possible to avoid Glacier.

Anyway, it turns out that I was ready for The Death Ride. My Pegoretti is a whole lot lighter then a fully loaded brevet bike, so it really did feel a bit like "race day." You mean I don't need to carry everything? You are going to have food and water all over the place? Sunscreen? Porta-potties without lines? With toilet paper? Honest? Sweet!

I rolled out early with lights and extra clothes. I loved the morning riding. The first couple of passes could lull you into a sense of complacency and lead you to think that this would be, as one rider remembered, "frighteningly easy." Even though I was pumping in various electrolytes at an alarming rate, I started the first mild cramping on the third pass. Cramps dogged me on and off the rest of the day. I suppose I'm just not used to 5% humidity. So, it wasn't easy, but it sure was fun.

The most fun, by far, was the descent back off Ebbett's Pass. It was technical with off-camber turns and bumps; there were a couple of places where you could be launched into the void if you were not careful. It just went on forever. On most passes, I'm always floored how fast you get down for all the effort going up; it was not the same on Ebbett's. The descent went on and on. Then, it went on some more. Then you ate lunch and went down some more after that.

I think I saw Mr. Boothby going to other way, but I'm not sure. Let me know if you heard some random guy yell, "go Boothby" as you flew down Monitor.

The compact with a 34 29 low gear was perfect.

I should have brought the pop up and camped at the start.

The driving was a bit much, but I got to eat lunch at Crater lake and nap in a beautiful park next to a river near Mt. Shasta. No, it was not the worst experience ever.

I was at the top of Carson Pass on a bike once before. It was 1983, and I was on a blue Raleigh Pro with full camping gear and a 42 28 low gear heading east.

Nobody gave me ice cream, a sticker, or a pin at the top in 1983.

Apologies to Bob Dylan

2009-07-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

Vinnie's in the basement
Mixing up a supplement
I'm on the pavement
Thinking about a condiment
The man in the control
Card out, sign off
Says he's got a Rohloff
Wants to get it paid off

Look out kid
It's somethin' you did
God knows when
But you're doin' it again
You better tuck down the mountain way
Lookin' for a new friend
The man in the Riv-dale cap
With the big Ben
Wants eleven speed chain
You only got ten.

Maggie comes fleet foot
Letters full of black soot
Talkin' that the heat put
Cramps in the legs but
The clock ticks anyway
Maggie says that many say
You must ride in early May
Orders from the RBA

Look out kid
Don't matter what you did
Ride with frozen toes
Just try No Doz
Better stay away from those
Who might just expose
Keep a clean nose
Smell the wool clothes
You don't need a weather man
To know which way the wind blows.

Get sick, get light
Hang around the overnight
Get a food bite
Fix the flat right
Drink some Ensure
Watch the car door
Get out and ride some more
Tell your friends about your saddle sore

Look out kid
You're gonna get hit
No users, cheaters
Six-time anciennes
Talkin' 'bout Parisiennes
Girl ridin' so cool
Lookin' for a new fool
You can ride a beater
Turn miles into meters.

Wake up, keep warm
Free beer, rain gear, learn to spin
Get dressed, obsessed
Try to be a success
Climb up, climb down, ride fixed
Just spin, don't shift
Twenty years of schoolin'
And they put you on the fleche trip

Look out kid
Your gonna want a Schmidt
Better jump over manhole
Hold on to the handle
Might wear sandals
Try to avoid the scandals
Don't wanna be a bum
You got to sleep some
The pump don't work
Cause the vandals took the handles.