Ride Around Washington: Day 2

Day 2: Tonasket to Chelan - Monday, August 5

Today I discovered what a difference having good tunes makes. For Father's Day this year, Susie and the kids gave me a bicycle headlight with a built in MP3 player and speaker. It mounts to my handlebars and blares my music as loud as I need it freeing me from distracting and dangerous ear buds. 

I've been using it for two days now and I'm playing an eclectic mix that probably only I would love--lots of 80s, a few classic rock tunes, some current pop hits, a few worship songs, and then some bluegrass. I like bluegrass. Who knew?

Those tunes are keeping me positively motivated on long climbs--three tough ones today--distracted from the heat--it was probably close to 100 on the pavement along US97 today--and focused on the road ahead even with bust freeway traffic. 

Now that I've made it through the playlist twice, it's time for more songs. Good thing Susie is coming to Leavenworth and bringing my laptop so I can download more songs to it. 

The downside however is that I'm climbing these hills at a good pace, I'm smiling and feeling chipper. So as I passed one cyclist today long, hot, arduous climb, I whisked past her and hummed out, "On your left! Good morning!" 

Her reply: "Ha! Yeah right!" Her lack of enthusiasm did not cause mine to wane. As hot and tough as those climbs were, I really enjoyed today's ride. 

When we reached Aswell Dam on the Okanogan River for our afternoon water and food stop, I pulled into the parking lot and remarked to a group of cyclists lying in the grass, "Any of you got any butter? Cuz I'm toast!"

Our final descent into Chelan gave me time to consider my options upon arrival. Go straight to camp which is on a ball field with no shade OR make a beeline to the Chelan Starbucks. If you know me, that's a no brained. Java Chip Frappucino all the way. That's my recovery drink!

Distance: 84.26 miles

Time: 5:26

Avg: 15.4 mph

Max: 35.8 mph

Ride Around Washington: Day 1

Day 1: Sunday, August 4 -- Lake Curlew State Park to Tonasket

Up an at 'em! It's time to ride! But dang it's early. 5:45am on my iPhone alarm clock as I rub my face and prepare to embrace the day. The sounds of tent zippers opening, bikes being prepared, quiet and not-so-quiet conversations are all around me. 

The blue sky and several puffy clouds is an indication that our day will be a good one. After tearing down the tent, packing my bag, and loading it on the luggage truck, Bryant and I headed up the short hill to breakfast. I had plenty and knew I needed the fuel. 

The view of Lake Curlew was a serene backdrop to our bacon, eggs, oatmeal, and coffee. 

After breakfast, the four of us--David, Jim, Bryant and I--rolled out of the park, turned left and headed up State Route 21. On our left I spotted three deer bounding through the woods as if they were leading the way.

The early miles were easy. All downhill on a slight grade. We passed through Malo, passed the Antique Truck Museum (not open until 10am) and checked out the ghost town of Curlew. Lots of property for sale here. Everything is closed. 

Then we turned west along the W. Kettle River Road. The road follows the peaceful Kettle River with rolling hills dotted by pine and fir trees to the north, just a handful of miles from the Canadian border. 

Our climbing began around mile 30 or so as we ascended up to Chesaw for lunch. This tiny community has a store, a tavern, a multi-purpose community building where a church service was concluding, and not much else. 

After lunch we climbed another nine miles to Sitzmark Ski Area for water and snacks. As I arrived, I could see a giant anvil-shaped thunder cloud to the north with a deep blue-purple sky behind it. I figured it was headed our way and I wanted to stay ahead of it. 

The good news was we had a 25-mile descent to take us into Tonasket. That was going to help. I rocked that downhill. Another cyclist, an older guy, was inching towards me as I checked my rear view mirror. I decided I was not going to let him catch me. So I turned on the heat and kept pushing it toward Tonasket. Some more downhills, a little flat section, a few rollers. Faster and faster. The other motivation to keep going fast was the impending storm cloud moving south from the Canadian border. At the end of the descent as we turned south onto US 97, he caught up to me and thanked me for the fun ride. Sometimes it's fun to try to catch another rider. He sure tried. Just then a flash of a lightning bolt hit the ridge to the west. I rode the remaining few miles through town to our overnight camp at History Park in downtown Tonasket. 

had the tent up under a tall fir tree before the rain came down. I beat the cyclist and the rain. That's a good Day 1 in my opinion!

Ride Around Washington: Pines to Vines

Day 0 - Saturday, August 3, 2013

Who signs up for a 447 mile trip that requires you to be the primary mode of transportation--that mode being a bicycle? That same 447 miles could easily be covered in a day by a car, a motorcycle, a bus, or any other motorized contraption. But no. I'll cover that distance by bike. And I'm excited to do so!

Joining me on this excursion are three other motor-deprived friends--Bryant Sabandal, Jim Nelson, and David Johnson. Another 220 cyclists from Cascade Bicycle Club will also make the trek. 

Our route is Lake Curlew State Park in North Central Washington just 50 or so miles from the Canadian border, south through Tonasket, Chelan, Leavenworth, Yakima, Bickleston, and finishing at Mary Hill State Park on the Columbia River. 

Today we loaded bikes on a semi, luggage on a bus, and sat back for an all-day drive from Seattle to Lake Curlew State Park. After arriving around 4pm, we set up our RAW tent city, relaxed in the late afternoon sun, then enjoyed dinner from the mobile kitchen that feeds 225 hungry cyclists each morning and evening in an hour and a half. 

Following dinner, a short rain cooled the air and gave me an opportunity to relax inside my brand new, never been used $99 REI tent. So far, so good. 

At 7:30 we gathered for our nightly Rider's Meeting where we met the RAW organizing committee, received our map and route cue sheet for Sunday, had the requisite safety discussion (pass on the left, stay hydrated, paceline with caution, etc.)

After the meeting, we got ready for bed and most of the camp was asleep in their tents by 9:30. I finally drifted off to sleep lulled by the quiet snoring coming from the tent behind me. Thank goodness for earplugs!

How to Get Great Service on Your Next Bike Ride

It seems to me that road cyclists understand the importance of serving others. We do it all the time in our pacelines: pointing out road hazards to the rider behind us, offering hand signals for our next turn, offering spare tubes to a rider with a flat. It's part of our culture. At our core, we're "cycling servants."

This past Saturday's ride showcased our cycling servant culture. And it was a joy to watch it all unfold.


Our ride began under baby blue skies. Finally. For our coldest April on record, we were rejoicing that today's ride would be in temps broke the 65 degree barrier. After I shared a brief devotional message for this Easter weekend and then prayed, we hopped on our bikes and headed west along the Burke-Gilman trail into Kenmore. We were headed to Mukilteo for our favorite coffee and lunch stop on this circuit—Red Cup Café—overlooking the Mukilteo ferry terminal and Possession Sound.

The route weaved through Kenmore and Briar and then we jumped on the Interurban Trail. I've mentioned before that the Interurban Trail generally follows the route once used by the Interurban Trolley that ran from downtown Seattle to Everett from 1910 through 1939. I like this paved trail for two reasons. It's not well known so there are few other cyclists, walkers, joggers, dog owners crowding it. And it's not well known so often I'll have cyclists with me experiencing it for the first time. For Bob D., who usually rides in the south end, that was the case. New territory for him.


We were pedaling toward Martha Lake behind a Walmart when I heard the call from behind me, "Flat!" Kimberly had flatted—or as the British like to say, "punctured." We pulled to the side of the road and I casually mentioned to Kimberly to give her tire to Mike as he was the champion tube changer on our team. Five flats on one ride earned him that title. Mike didn't miss a beat and gladly donned his rubber gloves and pulled out his tools. Kimberly's tire was repaired in record time. Unknowingly, Mike had just set the theme for today's ride. Serving.

Before we left our impromptu stop, a middle-aged man in a blue cargo van called over to us. "Are you a cycling club?" I walked over to him and told him yes, we're from Eastside Foursquare Church. He was looking for a cycling club to ride with. I gave him my card with a map on the back and invited him to join us some Saturday. Serving. This is feeling good.


We pressed on to the north, back on the Interurban Trail as it parallels Interstate 5. We passed Everett Mall, Casino Road, and were descending a small hill and about to turn left onto Beverly Blvd. when I heard what sounded like a gunshot. I looked behind and saw Jim pulling off the road. No blood. But instead he leaned over his bike and inspected his rear tire. Not only did he have a flat—our second for the day's ride—he had a rear rim that had splintered.

The rim was original and hadn't been replaced since Jim bought the bike several years ago. The brake wear had worn through the rim and caused it to break much like when a sidewall on a semi-truck rips away from the rest of the tire. He held the splintered and frayed rim in his hands and we all gathered around brainstorming a solution. There was a Bicycle Centre bike shop 2.2 miles north of us. Too far to walk. Should we call his wife? (We all have at some point in our riding career). A taxi? Maybe a guy in a pickup truck would come by and give Jim a lift, I thought out loud.


Not a moment later, a minivan with a 4-position bike rack on the back carrying a single road bike and the passenger window down rolled to a stop at the traffic light next to us. Mike ran over to the van and explained our situation. The driver quickly nodded yes and pulled into the parking lot next to us.

We introduced ourselves to Zack and thanked him for stopping. We couldn't have planned a better solution. Zack was more than willing to give Jim and his bike a ride to the Bicycle Centres shop. The rest of us would pedal on and meet him there. Talk about service. This guy was an answer to prayer. One cyclist gladly serving his fellow cyclists. This was real serving.

By the time we reached the shop, Zack was just about to drive away. We shouted our thanks and then went inside to find Jim and his bike eyeing a new pair of rims. Since the repair and installation was probably going to take an hour, the five of us with bikes intact decided to ride on to Mukilteo. We would either meet Jim back here or give him directions to catch up with us.


I found a quick route to get us back on course and soon we were flying along Mukilteo Boulevard under warm sun and bright blue sky. At Red Cup Café, we placed our orders, sat back in the sun, shared good conversation, and enjoyed our coffee and sandwiches. As we were finishing, Jim phoned. His bike was done. I gave him directions for the 5.5 miles between him and us. Within 20 minutes he made his appearance at the Red Cup complete with brand spanking new rims. The best part, now Jim could finish the ride with us... all the way back to Bothell.


So our thanks goes out to Zack. The guy driving the white minivan, carrying a bike rack, and arriving at just the right time.

Thanks for serving your fellow cyclist.

Riders: Jim, Bob D., Mike, Kimberly, Randy, Bob H.
Distance: 50.8 miles
Time: 3:31
Flats: 2
Servant-hearted Cyclists: 2 (at least)

Sharing and Oversharing on the Red Brick Road

I suppose this is all my fault. I began today's ride by sharing something. I shared with Ken and Randy why I was riding today on very little energy. I was on a liquid diet and hadn't eaten anything since Saturday evening. I explained that later today I would be "clearing the fuel lines" to prepare for a procedure tomorrow.

(Oversharing.)

Randy and Ken knew all about this from their own personal experience. I don't know if they admired me for cycling today on no fuel or thought I was crazy. I took a swig of my Gatorade and hoped the two bottles would be enough.

A few minutes later, Tenille and her boyfriend Brad arrived and greeted us. They were a bit panicked and hurrying to change and get their gear ready. Our ride was set to start at 1:00 but she thought it was at 1:30. So, Ken, Randy and I shared some more conversation while we waited. (Sharing.)

Tenille pulled her bike off the roof rack and I immediately noticed it was her old ride. She had left the new Orbea Orca at home. I shared my disappointment. (Sharing.) We all wanted to see this new, shiny bike and experience a ride with Tenille on a "real road bike." Brad's bike was a mountain bike with slicks. As I shook hands with him and welcomed him to our group, I shared my suspicion that Tenille left the fast bike at home so he could keep up. (Sharing.)

I casually shared with Tenille and Brad that I was going to make today an easy ride—in part because Brad wasn't ready for the torture we sometimes offer—but also because I was on very little fuel. She wanted to know why. So... I overshared.

Immediately, she named the procedure. "Oh! You're having a..." Her recent classes in Anatomy and Biology and whatever else taught her well. She shared how she even got to dissect something related to this procedure. (Nice.)


Time for a devotional and prayer before we headed out. Each of us briefly talked about the morning's sermon and the power of the cross as we looked forward to Good Friday and Easter. (Sharing.) Then I prayed for our ride and for our group. Off we went.

Our ride headed over to Woodinville and onto Rt. 202 through the winery district. I noticed several people walking along the sidewalk with wine glasses in hand as they visited the various tasting rooms sharing a glass of wine. (Sharing.)

As we continued on, a light rain began to fall and then soon turned to hail. The scattered clouds over the valley made the showers and hail very localized. All I had to do was turn right, get onto the Sammamish River Trail, and we were out from under the clouds and in the sunshine.


We entered Redmond and passed Redmond Town Center. I could smell Claim Jumper before we even saw it. Man, I'm hungry. I took another swig of Gatorade wishing it was maybe a cheeseburger. We rode on and reached a streetlight where all five of us regathered. Hearing my complaints of my hunger pains, Tenille asked if I was allowed to eat a gel? I didn't think so but when I saw she had an espresso flavored one, I couldn't resist. I traded a raspberry gel I had on hand and took her espresso gel. I thanked her for sharing, ripped it open, sucked it down, read the ingredients, and then figured my doctor would have said that energy gels aren't on the list of "clear liquids." No matter. I felt better already.

Route 202 turned to the east up a long incline and then a short descent where we turned left onto 196th Avenue NE, also known as the Red Brick Road. This historical road contains the longest stretch of exposed historic red brick highway in King County. We stopped next to the bright blue historical information sign and posed for a group shot. Then we hit the bricks.


The red brick surface is bumpy, bone-jarring, and teeth-chattering. On the upside, you get a nice hand massage as your handlebars rattle back and forth. On the downside, the road is about a mile and a half long. After a quarter mile, Tenille loudly shared, "Okay, I'm about done with the bricks!"

Not me. I pressed on, snapping photos and smiling in the sunshine. I love sharing this hidden road with those who didn't even know it existed much less ridden it. At the end of the road, we headed back to Redmond for a coffee stop at Victor's Coffee.


We pulled into Victor's Coffee and I purchased a tall Americano. A far cry from my now prohibited white chocolate mocha. As I exited, I noticed that Tenille and Brad were without drinks. Since she was the one who asked about the coffee stop, I inquired why. No cash, she explained. Victor's apparently doesn't take plastic. I had four bucks on me. So I willingly shared what I had with Tenille. (Sharing.)

As we sat outside Victor's chatting, I got to know Brad a little better as he shared about his work, education, and where he lived. As the temps dipped, Tenille shared how she was getting cold. I offered to dump my Americano down the back her jersey to warm her up. (That really would be oversharing.) Brad mentioned that would be a lot like what happened on Saturday at the gun range in Issaquah when a very hot spent cartridge went down Tenille's shirt. "Yeah! I got burned! Look, you can see the burn mark!" She then proceeded to unzip her jersey, pull at her collar and show a bright red mark just below her neckline.

A few inches lower and that would be... Oversharing.

Ken's moment of oversharing came when he mentioned that he still couldn't get that song out of his head. He's been practicing the drum part to it and now it was firmly embedded. What song? "Telephone" by Lady Gaga. Ummm... Okay. Thanks for sharing.


We jumped on the bikes and headed out of Redmond. As we neared the Sammamish River Trail, I polled the group. "Who's ready for at least one hill today?" No one objected, so I shared my hill with them—the Willows Road hairpin hillclimb up to NE 132nd Street. At the top, we heard the tones of an ice cream truck. Kids were running out of their apartment building with cash in hand to buy some overpriced ice cream novelties. They weren't sharing. Not with us anyway. I was hungry enough to eat five or six.

Now we were on the home stretch. Apparently Randy was in a hurry because he had a Skype call scheduled for 4:30 with his new long-distance flame. Earlier he shared with us a photo on his cell phone of her. Cute gal. She calls him "pooky." He calls her "babe." (Oversharing.) But I did appreciate Randy's prayer for me for the procedure tomorrow. That's good sharing.

Our remaining mile or two was through a neighborhood near Eastside Foursquare Church. The scent of an early spring barbecue wafted through the air. "I can't stand it!" I shouted. My friends urged me onward. "You can do it, Bob." I was thankful for their shared support.

Finally we arrived back at Eastside and I thanked everyone for enjoying the ride with me. I had made it. But man was I looking forward to a visit to Red Robin tomorrow. Before I pulled away, I offered to share on Facebook the photos that would be taken tomorrow at the doctor's office. No takers.

That would be oversharing.

Riders: Randy, Ken, Tenille, Brad, Bob
Distance: 25.5 miles
Ride Time: 2:05
Average Speed: 13.3 mph
Max Speed: 38.0 mph
Average Climb: 3%
Max Climb: 11%

Hills, Coffee, and Rain

Today's ride had all the earmarks of an early spring ride: jackets, shoe covers, fenders, coffee, and rain. When we departed Eastside Foursquare Church, the question at hand wasn't "Will we get wet?" It was "When will we get wet?" Fortunately, the first half of our ride was pleasantly dry.

We headed south through Juanita and the Kirkland waterfront. I was a little surprised to see several die hard walkers and joggers already out along Lake Washington Boulevard. I daydreamed for a minute and imagined how this same stretch of roadway will be packed with runners, sun bathers, and moms pushing strollers in just three short months. Today, the number of sun breaks and sun bathers were the same: zero.


Our first climb took us into Yarrow Point. I turned to David at the foot of the hill and said, "Smile, I want to take a 'before' photo." I knew the climb would be arduous. At the top of the climb, he was still smiling. That was either out of pride—not wanting to show his exhaustion—or out of joy—it's just plain fun to tackle these hills!


Our route continued through Clyde Hill, Medina, and Old Bellevue. These less traveled roads through Bellevue offer more opportunity for conversation as we rode two abreast and chatted our way along Meydenbauer Bay. Hill number two loomed ahead as we turned off of Main Street and past Wildwood Park. The Lake Washington Bicycle Trail launches you out of downtown Bellevue on an out-of-the-saddle, quad-burning, lungs-heaving climb. At the top, we curled over our handlebars speaking in two or three-word sentences until everyone had summited.

Now for the fun part. Our route rockets down and around stately homes on well-treed lots through the Beaux Arts neighborhood. Peekaboo views of Lake Washington are caught as we raced through this shaded community just north of the I-90 interchange.

At the I-90 Bike Trail entrance, we regathered and noticed we weren't the only cyclists out today. Another group of 7 or 8 riders came on by. They, too, were risking the rain. So far, so good. We're all still dry. We crossed I-90. I glanced northwest across the water to see Seattle in the distance. It was a palette of gray. So different than the view from this same point in mid-August.


Once we reached Mercer Island, we followed the trail that parallels I-90 until the Tully's Coffee was in sight. We gladly rolled into the parking lot, set our bikes beside a table, placed our orders and sat down outside to enjoy our coffee and the fruits of our labor.

Just when it started to rain.


Riders: Jim, David, Bob, Sally, Gary
Distance: 30 miles

Two Spokes Short of a Full Wheel

Any cyclist who has been at the sport for awhile knows that a pre-ride safety checklist is important. Even a good "once-over" will save you a lot of trouble down the road. Here's a good example:

Pre-Ride Safety Inspection
Before each ride, perform a safety check of your bicycle. This only needs to take a minute or two, but will help prevent avoidable accidents.

Check the tires for proper inflation (marked on the side of the tire). Check the tire treads for excessive wear or other damage, such as embedded glass or other objects.
Check the brakes. Spin the wheels to check for rubbing and then apply the brakes to ensure they stop the bike smoothly and evenly. Check the brake pads for excessive wear.
Check the cables and housing to make sure there is no fraying or splitting.
Check the wheel quick release levers to ensure they are secure.
Check for any loose parts or other mechanical problems.
Do a slow-speed ride and inspect bicycle, brakes, and shifting before you leave your driveway

You should also make sure you have ALL of your cycling gear, including your helmet. Two of our riders didn't do that today. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Jim, Mike, Ken, and a new rider, Peter, joined me for today's beautiful ride. Our expectations were high as this was the first dry day in many. Last week's scheduled ride was a rainout. So we were overdue for our EFC Cycling Club ride.

As we gathered in the parking lot and prepared for our pre-ride devotional and prayer, Mike exclaimed, "Oh! I can't believe I forgot it!"

"Forgot what?", we all asked.

"My helmet."

Sure enough, the man was helmetless. He decided he would drive home and since he lives just a block or two from today's route, he would meet up with us a few miles into our ride. We shared our devotional and prayed for the ride then headed out under a bright sun.

Our destination was the Snohomish Bakery & Café in downtown Snohomish. It's a favorite among cyclists. We rode along the Samammish River Trail and past UW Bothell's campus. Within a few minutes, riding north along 35th in north Bothell, we met up with Mike. "Nice hat!" we all shouted.


With helmet on head, Mike joined our ride and we continued north into Mill Creek and up to Seattle Hill Road. Seattle Hill Road has a wonderful sweeping descent down into the Snohomish Valley. The Cascade mountain range was visible in the distance. The wind was blowing from the north, but the sun was bright and I had warmed up sufficiently from the early miles. As we crossed Highway 9 and neared the town of Snohomish I saw a bright blue road sign that read, "FOOD". I knew our Snohomish Bakery stop wasn't far away.


We turned onto 1st Street and suddenly Jim picked up the pace. I hadn't seen Jim ride this fast all day. Ken commented that it was as if the horse could smell the barn. Snohomish Bakery & Café was in sight and Jim knew it. Or maybe he smelled it. Or maybe it was that sixth sense that all cyclists have: pastry detection.

We parked the bikes outside, gathered around the bakery counter and placed our orders. Jim and I would share a cinnamon roll large enough to feed four but just right for two hungry cyclists. As we chatted around the table talking about upcoming rides, past victories, and future events, Ken piped up that he really wasn't riding well today. He felt sluggish. I quizzed him to see if he was sick or just experiencing "early season deficiencies."

"How do you feel at Spin Class?"
"Fine, just great.", he said.
"Have you been sick at all?"
"No, been feeling fine all week."
"Then it's your bike. Check the brakes. It wouldn't be the first time a rider has complained about feeling sluggish only to discover their brakes have been rubbing for the last 40 miles.", I replied.

We exited the café and Ken examined his bike. Sure enough, as his wheel spun, it hit his brakes and eventually slowed to a stop. Almost like I've done this before, huh? Riding with the brakes on is like pulling a cinder block behind your bike. It's a drag.

We biked up the street to Snohomish Bicycles and Ken handed his bike to the mechanic. The mechanic showed Ken the bad news. He had two broken spokes. The wheel was way out of true. That's why it was hitting his brakes.

Remember that pre-ride checklist I mentioned? That's why you check your bike. Riding with two broken spokes is like riding with a square wheel. And dragging a cinder block.


As we left the bike shop with Ken's remedied wheel, he was a new man. Like weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He rode anew. Jim pulled alongside of me and said, "Maybe Ken should give us a head start." Sure enough, within five minutes, Ken was easily 200 yards out in front of us. I finally caught him at the next intersection and asked him how he felt.

"Wonderful!"

So next time you head out for a ride, do yourself a favor. Make sure you have your helmet. And make sure your wheel has all it's spokes.

You don't want to be the rider who's "two spokes short of a full wheel."