July 15-17, 2011 - Cycle Oregon Weekend
Training for the ride is over rated. Gerri Sue and I rode up Rocky Butte Wednesday and the ride was Saturday. Yeah, that’s enough training for any ride, even a week ride. You don’t want to over train. We walked through the Grotto (tranquil gardens run by the Catholic Church), bought a coffee and back home - 28 miles in four hours. I will be just fine - only 75 mile days.
OK, so I am a not very good at cleaning my truck and I wanted it clean for the bike ride. It had been two years since I cleaned the inside – no, I don’t throw candy wrappers, receipts, etc. out the window. They go on the passenger’s side on the floor. When I take someone someplace, they move them over so they have someplace to put their feet. Well, it got so bad that when I took Ilene with me to the store, she stayed in the truck and cleaned up the paper while I was buying something. The next week she rode with me again and something was said about “I thought I cleaned this last week.” After washing the outside, shampooing the carpet, and Ilene wiping the dust out, I miss my old
truck .This one is way too clean for me. It just doesn’t have that “lived-in” feel or the smell from the recycling center. That was such a good smell!
It was Thursday and I was leaving Friday. My bike was not ready to go and I was not packed. I don’t do well if I am not under pressure. 24 hours until Gerri Sue and I would leave for the Cycle Oregon Weekend. Time for lunch and Perry Mason - plenty of time to change my tires, grease my chain and pack.
The camping was at the Willamette University campus and was across the street from the State capital building – about 100 yards from my tent. It was a nice day. Oregon’s capitol in Salem has a lot to look at. We looked at an old cast steel water fountain and some new things, the flags, and then we went inside and looked at the murals on the walls and the portraits of the different governors.
In the evening there were two live bands and Jonathan’s introduction to different groups that helped biking. They told us there was bad news and there was good news. The good news was there was only going to be a 30% chance of sun. Soon my sleeping bag was calling me, and off to a very interesting night – trains that blow their whistles and sounding like they were coming through the tent, young kids driving by yelling very, very loud, and last but not least a real good rain storm. The rain made the drain pipes on the buildings rattle very loud. I got a good night’s sleep. Things like that don’t bother me because it’s just like where I live.
The weather was so good at home when I left that I almost didn’t bring my rain gear. Saturday morning there was a mist type rain that only lasted until about 2 p.m. I don’t know whether I got wetter from the rain or sweating. I wasn’t cold but I had prune-like fingers and feet like most 69-year old people have. It was a great day for riding. The views from the pass (peak elevation 1, 782 feet) showed trees that looked like they were 10 feet across and through them you could see Christmas trees on as many as three ridges over. There were planted flowers, just acres and acres of them, miles of white daisies, orange, and purple flowers. One rider said that this one field of yellow flowers was grown just for the oil. There were lots of wheat and lawn grass, hops, blueberries, and other berries. It was the Willamette Valley but the pioneers called it “Eden’s Gate.” Oh yes, we can’t leave out the smells. You could smell the flowers, the green trees, and one diesel truck who stepped on it really hard to pass. There was one smell that smelled like clams at the ocean and there was a smell of manure being put on the field. You know the one I am talking about? MOO!
We went back to camp, had a nice hot shower, and listened to a band, meeting, and another band, drank a beer on the capitol’s grounds. It is the first time they let anyone sell beer on the grounds at the capitol and I just had to have one so I could say I did it.
The second night was dejavu (however that’s spelled) except for heavier rain. The good news for the next day was 60% chance of sunshine. I hoped they were right. WRONG! It rained on the way to breakfast and didn’t stop until I was home. We did the 40 miles, not the long one. It was a flat day, but I was just getting too damp (WET). It was a real good ride except for all the moisture.
One thing you have to remember: All the bad days make the good days seem that much better - Besides anyone can ride on a sunny day.
www.mrbontheside.blogspot.com
Training for the ride is over rated. Gerri Sue and I rode up Rocky Butte Wednesday and the ride was Saturday. Yeah, that’s enough training for any ride, even a week ride. You don’t want to over train. We walked through the Grotto (tranquil gardens run by the Catholic Church), bought a coffee and back home - 28 miles in four hours. I will be just fine - only 75 mile days.
OK, so I am a not very good at cleaning my truck and I wanted it clean for the bike ride. It had been two years since I cleaned the inside – no, I don’t throw candy wrappers, receipts, etc. out the window. They go on the passenger’s side on the floor. When I take someone someplace, they move them over so they have someplace to put their feet. Well, it got so bad that when I took Ilene with me to the store, she stayed in the truck and cleaned up the paper while I was buying something. The next week she rode with me again and something was said about “I thought I cleaned this last week.” After washing the outside, shampooing the carpet, and Ilene wiping the dust out, I miss my old
truck .This one is way too clean for me. It just doesn’t have that “lived-in” feel or the smell from the recycling center. That was such a good smell!
It was Thursday and I was leaving Friday. My bike was not ready to go and I was not packed. I don’t do well if I am not under pressure. 24 hours until Gerri Sue and I would leave for the Cycle Oregon Weekend. Time for lunch and Perry Mason - plenty of time to change my tires, grease my chain and pack.
The camping was at the Willamette University campus and was across the street from the State capital building – about 100 yards from my tent. It was a nice day. Oregon’s capitol in Salem has a lot to look at. We looked at an old cast steel water fountain and some new things, the flags, and then we went inside and looked at the murals on the walls and the portraits of the different governors.
In the evening there were two live bands and Jonathan’s introduction to different groups that helped biking. They told us there was bad news and there was good news. The good news was there was only going to be a 30% chance of sun. Soon my sleeping bag was calling me, and off to a very interesting night – trains that blow their whistles and sounding like they were coming through the tent, young kids driving by yelling very, very loud, and last but not least a real good rain storm. The rain made the drain pipes on the buildings rattle very loud. I got a good night’s sleep. Things like that don’t bother me because it’s just like where I live.
The weather was so good at home when I left that I almost didn’t bring my rain gear. Saturday morning there was a mist type rain that only lasted until about 2 p.m. I don’t know whether I got wetter from the rain or sweating. I wasn’t cold but I had prune-like fingers and feet like most 69-year old people have. It was a great day for riding. The views from the pass (peak elevation 1, 782 feet) showed trees that looked like they were 10 feet across and through them you could see Christmas trees on as many as three ridges over. There were planted flowers, just acres and acres of them, miles of white daisies, orange, and purple flowers. One rider said that this one field of yellow flowers was grown just for the oil. There were lots of wheat and lawn grass, hops, blueberries, and other berries. It was the Willamette Valley but the pioneers called it “Eden’s Gate.” Oh yes, we can’t leave out the smells. You could smell the flowers, the green trees, and one diesel truck who stepped on it really hard to pass. There was one smell that smelled like clams at the ocean and there was a smell of manure being put on the field. You know the one I am talking about? MOO!
We went back to camp, had a nice hot shower, and listened to a band, meeting, and another band, drank a beer on the capitol’s grounds. It is the first time they let anyone sell beer on the grounds at the capitol and I just had to have one so I could say I did it.
The second night was dejavu (however that’s spelled) except for heavier rain. The good news for the next day was 60% chance of sunshine. I hoped they were right. WRONG! It rained on the way to breakfast and didn’t stop until I was home. We did the 40 miles, not the long one. It was a flat day, but I was just getting too damp (WET). It was a real good ride except for all the moisture.
One thing you have to remember: All the bad days make the good days seem that much better - Besides anyone can ride on a sunny day.
www.mrbontheside.blogspot.com
posted by Byran on the side at 11:54 AM
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