Adventure Cycling Intro to Cycle Touring 09-14AUG2009 ?????
The rating is not intended to rank this ride with the other rides that I have done, but simply to make note that as a course, it deserved five stars. We met in a park just outside of Eugene, and then have 1.5 days of instruction in how to do cycle touring. On 11AUG, we all drove to the Eugene airport, hopped on our cycles, and headed in one giant loop, down to the beach, and back and forth across the Coast range. All in all, it was very negotiable, with quite easy riding, save for a bit of sweat making it up the hill on the first day.
Here we are getting together on the first day. Much of the event was centered around eating, and one of the first chores was to eat. It was fajitas the first day…
Then, there were hours of instruction by our fearless professorin, Joyce, with eager students paying close attention…
We learned how to pack our bicycles, with Joyce showing us her personal inventory.
Here’s our route
Finally, we’re all together and ready to ride…
Not even an hour into the ride, we were already stopping for something to eat…
I didn’t take any photographs of the hill on the first day. It was the hardest. Here are the first troopers, arriving on the other side of the hill….
Ben takes a firm command of the road
The General eager for a break after Heartbreak Hill
Instructor Pete in good form
The Doc not sure where the hill was
At the end of the day, our tents went up, and we ate again. The camp host was a little grouchy, so we had to be real nice… Here is Q, happy to be camping, and ready to prepare his garbanzo bean salad…
The next day, we hit the beach…
Sabrina rolls in a bit later, followed by Nancy and Joyce…
We learned how to wash our stinky clothes…
and had a chance to watch the sunset…
The General is off for another day of riding. The ride along the coast through the Cape Perpetua Recreational area from Waldport to Florence was most stunning, and far better appreciated on a bicycle than in a car.
We stopped at Mo’s in Florence to eat. You might notice that the only photos are of Pat (the General) and myself. That is because we were a touch ahead of everybody else for most of the trip. The last day, we let Ben lead, and he took off like a jackrabbit.
Here is tent city, the last day. We went out to eat at Franks.
You might notice that last photo shows some poor soul we found who was starving, so decided to feed him. He was quite happy afterwards! After a misty breakfast and Lisa getting her obligatory coffee, we were off again, today, re-crossing the coast range to back home…
Ben and Ken
Even instructors get happy on summits
Ben and Pat trying to hold up a logging truck
The ending… here are the four dudes, responsible for setting the pace, and making sure the road was clear for the rest of the cyclists.
What did I learn? Joyce would ask if we learned anything. Ja wohl! I learned that I really like bicycle touring. I’m ready to do it again, asap! I learned a lot of do’s and don’ts. It nicer to learn in a group, than out totally on your own. And, Adventure Cycle Association does an awesome job of putting things together for such a venture. My only complaint about the trip is that there is too much emphasis on food. When I am out camping, I like to leave the food as a minimal activity, and not as a major center of activity. Thus, it would have been nice to not have to have somebody preoccupied with the next day’s meals.
Get on their website and sign up for a tour. Loose a little blubber. See the world in a fashion much nicer than in an automobile. Have the time of your life.
Total stats for this ride…
10AUG 10 miles, 500 cal, 200 ft ascent, 40 minutes
11AUG 49.4 miles, 3427 cal, 1432 ft ascent 4:10 minutes
12AUG 37.2 miles, 2602 cal, 787 ft ascent, 3:10 minutes
13AUG 46.4 miles 2940 cal, 1288 ft ascent, 3:50 minutes
14AUG 53.6 miles 3500 cal, 1420 ft. ascent, 4:40 minutes
Total 196.6 miles 12969 cal, 5127 ft ascent 15:50 minutes pedaling
