Seattle To Portland 2012

[jyl]

Anyone riding this?

On the Portland Wheelmen bus from PDX to SEA. Bikes loaded in a following truck. Lot of fancy new aero carbon. My 30 y/o Peugeot looks pretty modest in this crowd.

I think I'm prepared. Been riding for a couple weeks now with my bike set up and my saddlebag packed exactly as they are right now. Sort of the "don't change anything at the last minute" idea. Got my spares and toolkit, energy bars, rain jacket, battery to drive the iPhone for a weekend, credit card and cash.

Wasn't sure what spares and tools to carry. Settled on a few tubes, patch kit, old-school Silica frame pump, spare shift and brake cables, tire levers, a couple Allen keys, screwdriver, itty-bitty adjustable wrench (one of these days, I'll get around to replacing every hex bolt on the bike with an Allen head bolt), spoke wrench, Swiss Army knife, and a spare set of pedals. Yes - I've had the binding mechanism fail on clipless pedals. I figure the aid stations on the route probably have cables etc, but not pedals.

My bike is modest and so, frankly, has been my training. I've been riding at least 100 miles/wk for the last month, and that - plus some padded shorts - will just have to do.

One thing I've left to chance is the mid-point lodging. I couldn't decide where to stop. I figure I'll decide tonight, throw my bag in the appropriate truck tomorrow morning, and then just hope I can find a patch of ground in the afternoon for my tent.

Anyway, if there are other PP'ers riding, I'm on a white Peugeot with orange and black bar tape (think Tony The Tiger) and black saddlebag, with a headlamp on my white helmet. Say "hi" and give me all your water!

[gatotom]

Awesome ride, in the early 90's my wife, oldest son ( about 13) and myself rode this 3 times, the last time for me was the one day ride.

I would have to say that ride at least 130 miles the first day because you will be really saddle sore and the next day isn't too bad then. Totally take advantage of the 50 mile stops for food and drink but don't stay longer than 15-20 minutes or your legs start to crap up.

I think the worst hill is about 130 miles into the ride and its about 1 mile long, the rest is easy hills. You get to go over the Longview bridge.

You will see all kinds of equipment out there and all types of riders. The one day attracts the hardcore riders that know how to draft and ride in a straight line and these freight trains fly, easy 24-26 mph ave. But they are all disciplined at taking that 50 mile fuel stop but they eat, drink, take a leak and always add some more Vaseline to the bottom.

Its a fun ride, enjoy but think about putting new tires and cleaning the chain. I would ride this again if I had more miles in the legs, maybe next yr.

[vash]

you have to carry everything? i would add a CO2 tire inflator system and toss the hand pump. i'm sold on them. pumping is "tire"ing..hahahha.

have fun!! how many miles? how many days?

[jyl]

Chain cleaned and lubed - check. Tires about six months old - err, not check. Oh well.

Trucks carry your luggage.

I went the opposite way. Tossed the CO2 inflator, replaced with frame pump. Last time I had a flat, my CO2 inflator was empty. I think it had leaked. I had to go knocking on doors until I found someone with a bike pump. So then I started carrying extra CO2 cartridges. I looked up tires fills per cartridge, and realized I'd want to carry three extra cartridges for a 200 mile ride, to be safe. Screw that. A pump is lighter.

[scottmandue]

Very cool!

I got to get my fat a$$ on my bike more often

[gatotom]

Don't over think this ride, there are plenty of followers on the route that are supporting riders. Raise your arm and someone will eventually stop for you.

Throw that pump away and get a couple of CO2 inflators, ahhhh, that is why I always give myself new tires for a long ride, lesses the chance of flats but if you hit a chuckhole or tacks or glass, no new tire will help, maybe.

Also make sure your wheels are trued to perfection, makes for a smoother ride, your butt will thank you.

[gatotom]

On tires, I am totally old school, I still ride sew-up tires, no clinchers. So when I flat I just tear off the tire and slap on the spar under my seat, I only carry one tire and 2 large CO2 to fill it. I ride at 175 psi.

[vash]

just googled it. looks like a blast. not alot of big hills to climb and that makes it GREAT!

have fun..remind me..i might need to do this next year. my wife can drive to seattle and pick me up..then off to vancouver. 200 miles will tear up the soft spots.. you have anti chafing stuff?

[jyl]

We should do a Pelican team next year. Assuming there is a next year for me.

I have a little tube of "chamois butt'r". No idea what I'm supposed to do with it. My shorts have no chamois, no wool, nothing that wasn't made in a refinery.

[kanadary]

i've done the ride a few times. its a nice ride, watch out for the novice on the Puyallup hill.. they tend to stop right in your path and if you're clipped in... ask me how i know.. ouch! the part i don't like is hwy 30, boring.. have fun. it's going to be a hot one.

[Grog]

When you are in longview don't block me from getting to work. I will run you over. I have to work this weekend, as much as I like riding the motorcycle, I always take my truck on the STP weekends. The dually's scare bike riders on the bridge and the black soot is good for there lungs. Now that you hate me, I will tell you that should all be in green. Ride safe.

[herr_oberst]

Have fun John.

[nettles503]

Have a great time, John.

[Laneco]

Did STP back in the 90's and would love to do it again.

Do watch yourself on Longview bridge. If someone spins a tire on the metal grating they crash - into/on/near you. Just pedal smooth. That is, if the bridge still has metal grating.

This is a fabulously well supported ride. Do they still give Tyvek jackets? I had mine for years before I tore it in a cyclocross race. That was a great jacket.

angela

[Grog]

I have been crossing that bridge since 1990. I don't remember it ever having steel grating. Tbe deck was replaced a few years ago, all concrete now.

[jyl]

Yes, have the Tyvek jacket. Here it is.



After four hours on a bus, I got to Seattle. *The lady seated next to me was going on her 14th Seattle-To-Portland ride. *She was an example of how tattoos don't age well. *I'm sure the coiled snake in barbed wire on her calf was *****in' when she was a hot blonde twenty, but at fifty it looked like something to biopsy. ***

In fact, most everyone I saw on the buses and later at the University of Washington dorm - convenient Friday night lodging - was on the older side. I'd say the 40s to 60s y/o contingent outnumbered the 20s and 30s group by 8 to 1. I would say that, for young singles looking to meet and mate, road cycling looks like a loser activity.

Our bikes followed on a truck. *There were six or seven buses and a like number of trucks. *Most of the bikes were new aero monocoque carbon fiber machines. *There was another vintage Peugeot on "my" truck. *A 1980 PXN, which was a very high end model back in the day. *The owner (stout older gentleman) and I stood around and geeked out for awhile. There were also two very fast looking Bachetta carbon fiber recumbents. *The rider of one (attractive 50s-ish lady) was the owner of Coventry Cycle Works, the recumbent and trike specialist in town. *She told me that coast-down tests show these bikes with their lay-down riding position are so aerodynamic that a fairing provides almost no benefit. *I guess I won't see those bikes once the ride goes.

The buses dropped us at the University of Washington campus, from where the ride leaves tomorrow morning. *I'd forgotten what a beautiful campus this is. *Kind of like Cal Berkeley with ferns and rainforest. *I found my dorm room for the night. *Two beds, two desks, two closets, a view of the football stadium. *The dorm rooms are in clusters of five, each cluster having its own bathroom, lounge and balcony. *In the hall there are tiny, closet-like rooms marked "typing" and "study". *It looks like kind of a fun place to spend a year or two.

Tonight I get to eat dorm food! *My room came with board, apparently. *I'm sort of looking forward to it. *I only brought one book, "The History Of Early Rome", a small paperback crammed with dense, dull print, guaranteed to provide reading material for a lifetime. *Some all-you-can-eat D hall food will be a nice break from life on the Tiber.

[fanaudical]

Good luck! Should be a great ride.

[jyl]

With time to kill, I went wandering. *The UW campus is even bigger and prettier than Cal. [Insert picture of bucolic university quad lined with stately temples of learning.]

A useful way to sight-see is to go looking for something in particular. *I remember I spent a week in Madrid visiting every slot car track and slot car store in the city. *This took me to lots of out-of-the-way places that weren't the Prado. *Nowadays I go looking for a bike shop. *"Siri, where is the nearest bike shop?" *

Down by the marina, there is Recycled Cycles, which should be a Seattle institution if it isn't already one. *At least a hundred used bicycles, including plenty of interesting vintage rides. *An Eddy Mercxx, a genuine Raleigh Team Professional track racer (in the course of my search for one of these, I've learned to identify the fakes), a Schwinn Paramount, Colnagos (plural), a sweet Gitane, and more. *

The bins of used parts were productive, yielding some brake parts I need. Someday, I'll take the train up here, arrive bike-less, and plan on buying a vintage bike to ride the STP on the following day. **That would be a trip with just the right amount of randomness. *A nice rainstorm would be cool too. *

There were a lot of tempting ethnic food places in the U District. *Korean, pho, sushi, gyros, ramen. *Hungry! *But I was saving myself for dorm food, and trotted back to the campus where I learned that dormitory dining halls are a lot nicer than when I went to school.



Back in the room. "Traditionally Rome was founded in 753 BC but even antiquity there had been many variant dates proposed, ranging from 814 to 729 BC, before Atticus and Varro established a conventional chronology." *Oof. *I can't believe this is the only book I brought. *

[jyl]

Arrived in Centralia a little before noon. 5h:48m ride time. 98.9 miles by GPS. Avg spd 17.0 mph. I don't know if that includes pushing the bike around rest stops? Not sure how the app's "stop detection" works.

I got in with some one-day groups for the first 50 miles, and made good time. Next 25 miles was solo and feeling good, still holding 19 mph. Last 25 miles was solo and getting tired, plus some headwind, plugging along at 15-16 mph.

About the riding, I have only a couple of observations.
- Riding a long distance in semi-rural Washington state is pretty boring. If this were a solo ride, I'd have fallen asleep.
- The main distraction is the scenery. There isn't too much, but what there is, is excellent. I mean, take healthy fit women, dress them in tight shorts, put their behinds in the air and have them pedal. It's a recipe for success.
- I would give my Taiwanese Brooks Swallow clone saddle a "B". On the positive side, I never needed the Chamois Butt'r. On the negative side, after mile 75 I was standing up to coast, for fear of losing my sexual functionality. I don't think this damn thing is going to "break in" any more. I've been riding it every day for at least six months. I'm going to try fiddling with the angle and, failing that, will be in the market for a Berthoud or similar.
- There is one "big hill". It is only moderately hard, and just one mile long. The first-timers talked about it so much on the ride - are we there yet? How long is it? I hope I don't have to walk it! - it was like waiting for Jaws. Then he turns out to be fish and chips.

Okay, I specifically stopped in Centralia, against the advice of every STP veteran I talked to, because I didn't want to miss the beer garden and spaghetti feed. But I also was told to eat eat eat at every free food stop. So I did. I had two bananas, a cliff bar, a quarter bagel, a turkey wrap, some grapes. I'd packed a beef sub sandwich and ate that while riding. I had a plastic cup of trail mix in my jersey pocket and ate half of it - I pelted my wheel suckers with the other half. Result: I'm stuffed. I'm actually bloated. Totally not hungry. I guess I'll go choke down a beer anyway.

[Laneco]

If memory serves, day two is MUCH prettier than day one.

Have fun and stay safe!

angela