[OrRando] A sunny 300 - the view from the back

[cecilanne at comcast.net]

Thanks Bert for organizing a great ride.  

This was my first 300K, and my longest one-day ride in all my years as a cyclist - 35 miles longer than my last record of 151.  That may not seem much mathematically, but psychologically it was quite a challenge.  Those 35 miles represented at least 2, and more likely 3, more hours in the saddle than I had ever spent.  I was counting on my Brooksie, and my well-calloused butt, to pull me through.  That, and maybe a tailwind if I could find one.

The morning started well - I never really got to sleep (note to self, next time I stay at the GL, I am bringing the industrial strength ear plugs) so getting up at 4:30 wasn't that hard.  Wandered into the lobby at about 5:00AM to find some really hot water for tea, yay!  At about 5:20, Keith from Salem pulled in, soaking wet.  he had just ridden the 50 miles to the GL from home, and would ride that same 50 back after the 300K, and maybe find another 14 miles somewhere along the way to make it a triple-triple . . and people say I am obsessive about riding . . .

Riding out of Forest Grove in the dark was a lot of fun, as was retracing the route up to Timber (almost).  At mile 18 I met up with the "fast" group on their way back down to HWY 6.  A mile later, it was the "almost as fast" group coming down.  That was the last I saw of ANY of those folks.  Just before the Timber control a big dog barked at me.  I gave him a friendly "Woof!" back, only to have a very angry (and possibly nuts) woman screech at me from the house beyond that if I barked at her dog again she was going to let him loose at us.  Niiiiiice . . . . . 

I never did find that tailwind, but I buddied up with my friend Andrew Black, who was trying out randonneuring for the first time.  Me, personally, I would have started with a populaire, but hey, if anyone could do a 300K with no real "training," it's Andrew.  Anyway, about 20 miles into the ride, Andrew mentions that the longest ride he'd done this season was less than 50 miles.  It's a good thing that he commutes to work up to and over Skyline and back every day!  So Andrew and I "poodled" along, as he put it, and concentrated on not burning out too soon.  Lots of stops to fuel and hydrate, more stops to, um, get rid of the results of all that fueling and hydrating.  Not as many stops to take pictures as on the Birkie, but some.  Andrew got a couple of flat tires (or the same flat twice, as he put it) and decided to just put on the new tire he had brought with him (Bike Friday-sized tires take up very little space . . .).   We made pretty good time through to Tillamook, but the c
oast climbs took a lot out of us.  We were  getting pretty tired and pretty hungry by the time we hit Grande Ronde, and decided that we should get someting to eat at the casino.  Besides, it looked like the heaviest rain of the day was about to hit.

At the casino we couldn't find any bike racks.  When I asked if they had any, it turned out the only ones they had were way at the far end by the loading docks.  Apparently gamblers don't ride bikes.  We ended up locking them together and leaning them against the wall in the foyer.  I made sure security knew they were ours and wouldn't have them towed.  The casino deli wasn't bad.  Gardenburgers, cottage cheese and chocolate milk made me a happy girl.  Andrew had fish and chips.  That would not have been my first choice with over 60 miles left to go . .  Andrew took the time to patch his tube, and I changed into the spare shorts I had brought (never underestimate the healing power of  fresh chamois after 120 miles).  I had also brought extra socks, but never needed them.  Never needed my rain pants, either, but did wear my rain jacket (the ubiquitous Showers Pass) most of the day - more for warmth than anything.

We were somewhere outside of Amity when the sun went down.  We donned all our reflective gear and switched on the lights.  I am still working out a good light set-up.  The Bianchi really is not designed for touring and so I am doing a lot of jerry-rigging.  I was using my DiNotte ultra-5 as a headlamp (and blinding everyone who looked at me), but next time I will attach it to the bike.  Somehow.  But as it was I had enough light that I could go about 20 mph and feel comfortable within my zone.  And frankly, by then, I would have had to have a tailwind the strength of Hurricane Katrina to hit 20 mph.  

Riding through Wine Country in the dark was a strange experience.  All the roads I knew so well all looked, well, they looked wrong.  I was sure that we had made more than one wrong turn and I kept making Andrew check his GPS.  It turned out that we had only made ONE wrong turn :-).  There wasn't a lot of traffic and what cars did pass us did so with room to spare (unlike the guy in the white pickup at the coast that deliberately strafed everyone and nearly hit Andrew while he was changing a flat). We finally pulled into the GL just after 11:00 PM, too late for the soaking pool but with plenty of time for beer and food.  

Final stats:
304.17 km (that wrong turn)
17:08 total time
13:24 saddle time 
(3:44 wasting time)
14 mph/22.5 km avg
9,204 calories

Anyway, here are some photos:  http://tinyurl.com/2z9f3t 

Cecil

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Bert Lutz" <bert_lutz at hotmail.com>
> With an ominous forecast, 58 riders clicked in and began the ORR 300K route
> from the Grand Lodge in Forest Grove yesterday at 6am.  After an initial
> gloom, the day became truly spectacular with temps and sunshine forcing
> clothes changes in Netarts and earlier.  Even the control workers in Netarts
> found the weather almost uncomfortably warm.  By dusk, the weather cooled
> but the day remained mostly clear with an occasion shower to remind us that
> we do live in the NW after all.
> 
>  
> 
> The ride provided perks and challenges for all.  Beautify scenery, just
> enough climbing to make the descents fun and fast, smooth flats for
> tailwind-assisted, high-speed valley runs.  Susan's' modifications to her
> original design removed the unpleasant bits from last year's route and
> provided the riders with an opportunity to answer that ever popular
> question, "What is the name of the defunct general store in Ballston."  For
> those of you who rode, go ahead, impress your friends with you new found
> knowledge.  For those of you who missed the ride, that info will have to
> wait until next year.
> 
>  
> 
> Big thanks to the volunteers who made things work yesterday.  RB Buschman
> and Marcello Napolitano staffed the rider check-in.  Marcello fulfilled a
> lifelong fantasy of being a traffic cop as he directed riders to the first
> left turn of the day.  RB stopped the energetic riders at the base of the
> Timber climb at the first control.  Rickey Smith provided and dispensed
> calories at the Netarts control, drove the entire course and joined us at
> the finish control.  Susan France provided a great route and ever present
> help at the start and finish.
> 
>  
> 
> Some stats.  58 riders started on Saturday.  63 finished including 5
> pre-riders and 1 DNQ who finished outside the time limit.  11 women and 52
> men.  There was a even distribution of finish times ranging from 11 hours to
> 20 hours.  3 tandems and 4 recumbents.  Climbing of 7000 to 8600 ft
> reported.  Countless smiles.
> 
>  
> 
> Congratulations to all.
> 
>  
> 


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From: "Bert Lutz" <bert_lutz at hotmail.com>
Subject: [OrRando] A sunny 300
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