Crusty Cassette

Where did all of riders go? I showed up at Dismores in Pullman ready for a cooler Palouse ride with Jim Kenyon, however I was the only person to show up for the ride. Jim showed up a few seconds after me. We headed out on the first loop toward Waiwai then turned to Albion and back to Pullman, first loop approx 25mi. Temps were in the 60's and I stopped by my rig for some arm warmers, Then off to Moscow were we stopped at the Breakfast Club for a bite to eat. If we had a larger group we probably would have changed to a different place as they were really busy. We then headed to Troy on the Latah trail, which I have never ridden, with a tailwind to Troy. We stopped at the convience store for drinks and headed off to Moscow and Pullman, now with a pretty stiff headwind. The temps had warmed to perfect riding weather. Jim and I had a good ride, Jim said I pushed him a little which is good. Total days milage 71.5 mi. I hope that more riders show for next Sundays ride again on the Palouse.

Next time I do a camping trip, I won't need to worry about what to pack. I'll just pack Jim.

McCracken does know how to camp right down to the Starbucks Coffee, individual cups brewed, and the commercial 'smores sticks.

Truth to tell, Jim'd rather live on his bike camping than at home. Claire thought she'd married a crazy man, she explained during campfire chat, when his plan to excavate a basement beneathe their small Orchards home to make room for their first born began to include a swimming pool.

I knew Jim was dangerous when her signed up for RAMROD 2007 before he'd even done a century. It hammered home when I teased him with Native Planet only to discover he'd signed up for that too. Yes, there was a time when McCracken was quite the cyclist, though this year he has been distinquished more by his absence than presence on our club rides.

Next year will be different. He'll have a goal--RAMROD 2009. To make sure he'd have company, he talked me into guaranteeing myself a ticket to ride by volunteering this year. Al Coons also got suckered in and both Linda and Claire also volunteered. Apparently Claire will go anywhere as long as she has her air mattress to sleep on. And, of course, Linda just wants to go anywhere.

So that's how I found myself making 800 deli sandwhiches on Thursday at the Crystal Mountain food stop. We were setting up at 9, saw our first rider at noon, and our last sometime after 6 pm.

The riders were 38 miles from the finish in Enumclaw and had done the worst of the climbs, Cayuse Pass, and were over a hundred miles into the ride. The volunteer ladies kept complaining that all the riders seemed young, male, slender, and rested. But by 2 pm the great belly of the snake of multi-colored cyclists had reached Crystal Mountain. We were ready. But even at 25 secs per sandwich, we couldn't keep ahead of the mass of hungry cyclists. The line snaked out nearly to the road from within the Snopark we had set up in.

And then we ran out of bread.

It could have been ugly but everyone was in a good mood and didn't complain about sandwiches on lettuce. We had plenty of fruit and cookies and several times took a tray of goodies up and down the line.

The weather was grand though cold at the start and hot for a couple of hours in the afternoon before it cooled off again. Riders complained of the head winds too, but don't they always?

Finally the ladies arrived and by the end of the day all the women of the volunteer crew had made a pact to use their lottery bypasses to ride RAMROD next year rather than give them away. They've all promised to start training like right now.

I've done many organized rides with support. It was nice to take my turn at providing some support. The riders really appreciated our work and wanted to know if we were all planning on riding in 2009. In the hat of the moment, everyone committed. I think, maybe even Claire. I told her now she's required to ride.

Jim had lured me into volunteering with the promise of a ride on Friday but the weather turned wet Thursday night and stayed socked in. Abotu 10:30 we decided to ride from White River camp ground to Sunrise at 6400 feet. Turns out to be about 12 miles of climbing. Wasn't much to see through the mist and fog so we drove up Saturday morning which was more clear though not perfectly so. Jim said the mountain was just shy this week.

The descent was blood curdling. The mist only made me colder and I didn't have long fingered gloves nor a balaclava like Jim. Once below the mist, though, I warmed up enough to want to ride more. Linda and Jim and I rode out to the park entrance and back for 30 miles. Al headed home.

I'll expect to see more of Jim and Al and Linda on long rides next season. You can start now guys.

For the Ride of it. Corrie

More pictures and three videos

Jim's Pics

I just want to get this ride over.

That was Doug.

Somewhere there's a grain truck driver who'd be pleased when we were off the road.

Doug ought new deep rims and is experiencing flats. To make it worse he's still running tubes with short stems. Very difficult to get a pump to latch onto the valve.

His first flat was at the top of Web Ridge.

Doug, Tom, Dave and I were about to make a clean break with the rest of the group who had started with us at 7 at the boat launch.

Roy Stephesn complained of his back and planned only to do Lapwai, but told us at Barre Road he'd probably turn back at Web Ridge. Jim McCracken, the missing McCracken, discovered that you really need to ride your bike now and then to be able to do a century. Linda decided the pace was too much and was joining Jim for the Lapwai Loop. Jim and Linda spoke of doing Lapwai Loop but showed up The Thuderbird.

And Chris made a guest appearance riding through the way golfers do but he never gave warning. Suddenly there he was having started late and he'd just as suddenly disappear after the Casino adding the necessary miles for his century.

Back on Web Ridge Doug struggle with changing his tire when a woman hopped out of her pickup asking if we were just changing the tire. She warned us that "My husband hates bikers." She warned us that he was driving a grain truck and would likely be along right away. She thought we should be moving right along. this provoked some speculation as to what he might do. Was he armed? Was he going to drive us off the road?

This is why we do advocacy. I understand a driver's frustration at slow moving traffic. I share it when I drive. I know that grain trucks are working vehicles. Yet we share the same public roads. So long as we do so legally and courteously, the grain truck driver has no more right to complain than I do when I get behind a farm vehicle moving from field to field along the public highways. We need to speak up for our right to use the roads and raise that awareness among the grain truck driver's of the world. In the meantime, keep an eye for grain trucks.

Doug needed air up his front tire again at Winchester. And again at highway 12. Before we reached Arrow Bridge, we had to stop and change the tire again. It was enough to make a guy want to get the ride over with.

Linda called as we were leaving Winchester and we were puzzled that they were still just in :apwai. Linda and Jim did climb part way up Winchester before Jim began to cramp and they decided to turn around. They had lunch and continued around Arrow. Linda added Red Wolf and turned in 75 mph herself.

The temps were fine on the prairie especially with a bit of a head wind to cool you off. We made pretty good time despite the head winds. But by the Casino the heat and wind and distance were beginning to show. Chris would jet off in search of a sub 6 hour century. Doug skipped the frontage roads but we caught him back on the bike path so we finished together.

Finished? Chris was off already adding miles. Dave was doing the same. Tom doesn't have a computer on his new Lemond--don't ask me how he gets his wheels to turn without a computer--and when I reported 94-95 miles, he headed out after Dave. Seems like he wasn't willing to call it a century-another mileage junk?

I was feeling pretty good but I soon discovered that I had little left when I climbed onto Southway. It was hot though the winds in my face kept it from being blistering. But then the wind in my face ate into my enery. Getting home was a challenge.

Last Saturday Tom and I did 110 mmiles at 18mph and I felt better then than I did today. 100 miles with a tailwind on the rolling hills of the Palouse are not the same as 100 miles with Winchester Grade and a headwind--Doug, your Karma seriously sucks.