I like to ride my bicycle - for long distances. I have earned the California Triple Crown and finished the Furnace Creek 508. My goals include qualifying for RAAM and ...(read the blog to find out).
"The bicycle has a soul. If you are able to love it as it deserves, it will give you emotions you will never forget."
Mario Cipolini
"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride."
John F. Kennedy
"The important decisions in my life I make while out riding my bike."
Former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi
"Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever.” Lance Armstrong
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Not the Watermelon Ride Report
Smiles after 154 miles!
4:50 comes early in the morning, but I had to pick up Mark and be down at the town of Independence at 6:00 am. We were riding the Not the Watermelon Ride.
The Watermelon Rides were started years ago by John and Karen Poole as a training ride for the Seattle to Portland Ride (then) at the end of June. Later, Martin Doerfler redesigned the routes to include a 200 mile option, which was Oregon's first organized Double Century.
Unfortunately, the Salem Bicycle Club was unable to recruit a coordinator for this year's ride, so it was canceled. I was not in a position to volunteer, as I have in the past, but I was unwilling to let the ride go without some remembrance. Because of this, the Not the Watermelon was born.
After a limited and low key 'get out the word' process (I emailed a few friends), two veterans of the early Watermelon Doubles stepped forward - Mark Janeba and Rod Beckner. Now, a double century, 200 miles, is a long and difficult ride, and I have been off of the bike for the month of May, I was not ready to ride a full double. So the ride was shorten to a more reasonable distance - 145 miles. Instead of starting in Salem, the ride started south of Salem, in Independence, so we could follow Martin's original route to Mohawk and Colburg.
So, at 6:09, Mark and I headed off toward Jefferson with Rod Beckner joined us.
Riding so early in the morning on Riverside Drive toward Ankeny Wildlife Reserve, but it must have been rush hour for farm workers. Pulling into Jefferson, Rod joined us. As we crossed over Scravel Hill and headed south toward Brownsville, Rod and Mark traded stories about the early Watermelon Doubles. Most had to do with wind on Peroia Road and the "Peroia Road Effect".
Enjoying a morning tailwind, we made very good time to Brownsville. There, we stopped at the market with newly waxed floors. Mark discovered this when his cycling shoes slid out from under him. Luckily, no harm was suffered by Mark.
We left Brownsville by reversing the Strawberry Ride route and headed toward Crawfordsville. This lead us to the only serious hill of the day - Crescent Hill. At the beginning of the climb, I let Mark and Rod know that I was going to climb at an easy pace and take my time to enjoy this hill, or in other words, I was going to be slow. They were nice and waited for me at the top of the hill, where we entered Lane County.
The descent off of Crescent Hill was fun, but it lead to an enjoyment of speed that forced us to ride hard all of the way to the Mohawk General Store. A longish break ensued with vast consumption of calories.
Riding along Hill Mckenzie View Roads, we came across lots of cyclists enjoying the nice, warm weather. One of whom was Mark Newsome, my Race Across Oregon teammate.
After eighty miles, the real fun of a long ride begins, especially when you are riding north on Peroia Road into a strong head wind. But Peroia Road and head wind go together. Peroia Road is thirty miles long, and we stopped three times. The first was in Colburg for water. Next we stopped in Harrisburg for rest and food. Lastly, we stopped at the Peroia Road rest stop for rest.
Sign in the town of Harrisburg
Albany, was our next stop and last stop. Knowing this, we stopped at a Mexican Restaurant where we enjoyed quesadillas.
Leaving Albany, it seemed that the wind was dying down. It was not gone, but the riding was easier. Life was good, that is until the bee came along.
Just before Buena Vista Road, I felt an insect enter my helmet via a vent. "Stopping" I called out and pulled over the the side of the road. Off came the helmet and it was then that I made the mistake of the day. I used my hand to wipe any insects off of my head. This just transferred the bee to my hand where it stung me between the index and middle fingers. Ouch! I pulled the stinger out, got back on the bike and started pedaling. There was nothing else I could do.
After a quick ride through Buena Vista, except for the Buena Vista hill, we arrived back at Independence. Mark and I were finished, but Rod still needed to ride back to his home in Jefferson.
I was feeling good at the end of the ride as well as Mark and Rod, but we were very glad that the ride was over. Well, almost over for Rod.