We've been without a second car for over a year and things are still going really well. Biking has become a new hobby and being without a car has, in a roundabout way, been a boon for my health. Assuming I ride to work daily, I go about 60 miles on the weekdays and gain over 3,000' in elevation. I also frequently go on rides with friends, Dan and Brett, on the weekends. Most often, going nearly 50 miles. In early summer, Dan and I rode up bald peak. I had to stop a few times in the middle of climbs, they were too long and our pace earlier had been too hard. The views from the ridge road on top are stunning. You can look down into the valley and there is a great view of Hood. Carol and I need to drive up there for a picnic when the weather is nice. Coming down was a little harrowing. Dan was flying around a corner, but when I got there I braked hard because I missed the apex and lost my nerve. Shortly after, there was a long downhill, where I remember hitting 50 without pedaling. After those long weekend rides, I get home feeling like mush. I move slowly and on Monday while riding to work again, it is a little more painful.
I had a great time riding the rim of Crater Lake, with our friend Tyler, when we went to camp at Diamond lake earlier this month. The ride is approximately 32 miles and the elevation gain is 3,800 feet, very challenging. We both made it, but it took about 4.5 hours. The ride around the rim is never flat. The uphills are long, but the downhills are exhilarating. During one downhill coasting, I managed to hit 40.8 mph. The views while going around the lake are amazing and I feel like I got more out of the trip having ridden the rim than if I had just driven to the visitor's center. We were going to meet up with the others for a hike, but if we had gone hiking, they would have had to drag us most of the way. Carol went on a great hike above the visitor's center for an amazing view.
For the future, I plan to continue my bike commute, but hope to get involved in more organized rides. I had considered doing the Portland century, but that was the weekend of our camping trip. FYI - a century is a ride where you do 100 miles in a day. There is always next year, and I look forward to sometime doing the Seattle to Portland, the bridge pedal, some centuries and maybe put together a trip with a group of friends and bike the Oregon coast south of Lincoln City. Hope to see you on on the roads soon.
I had a great time riding the rim of Crater Lake, with our friend Tyler, when we went to camp at Diamond lake earlier this month. The ride is approximately 32 miles and the elevation gain is 3,800 feet, very challenging. We both made it, but it took about 4.5 hours. The ride around the rim is never flat. The uphills are long, but the downhills are exhilarating. During one downhill coasting, I managed to hit 40.8 mph. The views while going around the lake are amazing and I feel like I got more out of the trip having ridden the rim than if I had just driven to the visitor's center. We were going to meet up with the others for a hike, but if we had gone hiking, they would have had to drag us most of the way. Carol went on a great hike above the visitor's center for an amazing view.
For the future, I plan to continue my bike commute, but hope to get involved in more organized rides. I had considered doing the Portland century, but that was the weekend of our camping trip. FYI - a century is a ride where you do 100 miles in a day. There is always next year, and I look forward to sometime doing the Seattle to Portland, the bridge pedal, some centuries and maybe put together a trip with a group of friends and bike the Oregon coast south of Lincoln City. Hope to see you on on the roads soon.
1 comment:
My super star. Love you.
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