Crusty Cassette

Doug's Flickr front page has some pics from his ride to Halfway, Or.

While we were fighting wind on the Palouse last Sunday, Doug thought he had a better idea. He planned to ride from Joseph to Halfway, Or, stay over night and ride back the next day. Here's his story.

Doug's says . . .

Read your write-ups of the weekend rides......sounds like a good time. Were the winds worse than what we had?

My Joseph to halfway ride was "interesting" The ride out wore me down big time......I put in 93 miles but I felt it so much more than the century we did....I was completely shot. When I finally made it to the motel I just laid on the floor for 30 mins or so trying to recover. I did have a GREAT meal later at a lil gourmet restaurant. Very surprising to find such a place in this tiny Oregon town. The next morning my front tire was flat. This was my 2nd or 3rd puncture on this tube so I decided to put in a new tube instead of patching the old one. So, I thought no problem and proceeded to change the tubes......then I put the pump on and started to inflate the tube.....funny I noticed that the tube was not inflating!!! I put my ear down close to the pump and could hear a leak coming from the pump where it mated with the tube. I adjusted the connection a few times and still no go. I tried several more times to get the pump to seal without success. At this point I figured my rubber part in the pump that forms the seal must be abraded to the point that it would not seal. So I hit the two gas stations and hardware store in town to see if anyone had a pump or fitting that would connect to the tube fittings.........Nothing......uhoh! Then I thought hey maybe if I wrap the tube stem with teflon tape that might help it make a seal.....so I mess with that for 30 mins or so and still nothing. Finally I am forced to admit defeat and called my wife to have her come get me.........she showed up 4 hrs later and we drove home......I was pretty bummed and she was not thrilled having to drive all that way. I thought I was prepared tool wise but I never thought my pump would fail.

Oh well live and learn....hehe.

I took the mtn bike out last night and headed up George creek ( the dirt road that takes off to the left at the base of cloverdale grade)......that is one steep SOB let me tell you.....I did the math from my GPS numbers and the avg grade is 10.5 % with several sections around 13%+....... I managed to make it to the top without stopping though.....whew!

Rory watches as we catch up. We got lots of practice climbing hills on Sunday. And to make it the perfect workout, we rode into a dandy headwind from Palouse to Colfax.

More Litnel photos

More Lapwai Loop Photos

Jim called for reversing the Tour de Lentil route and like so many lemmings we joined in.

Read the Full Story

"I'm thinking of adding 35 miles and making it a century."

Doug was doing what I asked, letting me know when he was ready for a century. But would I be ready? I suggested we start and finish the Tour de Lentil in Uniontown. Sounded like a good idea a the time.

But my mileage has been down and I haven't done a century since June 23rd. I figured I could do it but I'd be beat. Doug, I knew, would skip through it just as he skipped through Deary to Deary.

For his first ever century ride, Doug hadn't gone looking for the easiest opportunity around. The mind tends to blur all those hills and rollers into one blended image. On the bike, however, each one is distinct and requires renewed effort.

Uniontown was setting up for the flea market making it tough to find a parking spot. Doug and I found each other and took off into the morning chill. I thought about putting on those leg and arm warmers but I'm glad I didn't. The day never got into the 80s but I like short sleeves at 60. To help keep us cool a breeze came up while we waited at the ball fields in Pullman for the official ride to begin.

I looked about for cycling friends and so onlly strange faces. Finally Jim and Wanda appeared and then form out of nowhwere, Wendy. On a bike. She asked about Debbie and Linda. Sadly I had to tell them I dddn't think anyone else was coming up from the valley.

By start time that breeze was a wind out of the north west. That meant thet easy part on Almota road riding toward Wilbur Gulch was not easy. Doug didn't seem to mind the wind. We passed a couple of groups and were passed only twice before the Church stop. After that I don't think anyone passed us. We found ourselves on the Colfax-Palouse highway pretty much all alone. I misremembered the route thinking I was closer to Palouse than I was. Instead I found we were on a long slight incline. Doug took the lead at 20mph. I tucked in behind and hung on.

By Palouse I was beat. We had 65 miles and a pace over 17 mph. We had stopped only briefly. I was ready for a Largent nap in the park. Doug was ready for a break as well.

I did manage to get him to lie down for a second or two by modeling the behavior but he was up bouncing around again in moments. And I could never get him to slow down like Steve.

We traded pulls for awhile back to Pullman. But he almost lost me on the last hill. We were catching a small pace line and at first I thought he'd tuck in on that hill, but he didn't. So I had to go around too. We managed to stay with the leader who had dropped his group and then Doug was off again. but now it was downhill into Pullman and a break.

We opted to skip the ball fields in favor a stop at DQ where I got a break and a Pepesi. I needed the caffiene.

The head winds were still with us when we left Pullman and I expected to have them until Johnson Hill where the road turns a bit more easterly. A mile or two out I spotted another cyclist closing fast. He was freshly minted grad student spinning out to Colton and back. The winds became tailwinds but it was still all I could do to stay with Doug and the fellow in the Montana GrizzlyHe rode on to Uniontown with us before heading back. My computer said 100 miles, but Doug's GPS needed another 1.5 miles. We headed out Thorncreek road to give him his miles.

Today was not only Doug's first century, an impressive effort under 6 hours--no wonder I was beat, but also Doug's birthday. Happy Birthday, Doug.