tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61062616874879014462024-02-07T10:47:20.558-08:00Lewis County CrawlerA cycling and woodworking blog, from Lewis Co, WA and other musingsReneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-38539019899229487412010-04-28T09:26:00.000-07:002010-05-07T13:53:53.774-07:00Gearing up the shopAs a newer woodworker, I got into this craft with existing tools and am working towards proper tooling and setup.<br />One thing I have learned is that having a tool in a particular category does not mean that you have a woodworker ready one.<br />For example, I have been given or inherited the following tools:<br /><ul><li>Craftsman miter saw -- this saw was so worn, the play made an accurate cut impossible. I gave this one away.<br /></li><li>Skill Worm drive circular saw -- this saw has built many houses and taken a beating, nothing is at 90 degrees anymore. Plus it only takes 6 1/2 inch blades and is very heavy I am selling this.<br /></li><li>Delta Benchtop drill press -- this thing is so not straight, that you can see the bit wobble with the naked eye. I tried removing the chuck and cleaning it and tried to knock it back into place but, no good. I need to sell this.</li><li>Craftsman 1/3 HP router -- This thing only had a 1/4" collet, and the base had play in it. The part that immobilized the collet to remove loosen the nut broke off. I gave this away</li><li>Craftsman 5 in grinder -- Being only 5 in wheels, you cant buy replacements. The hard wheels in this would only burn a chisel or plane blade. I sold for $10</li></ul>Some tools that I bought over the years:<br /><br /><ul><li>Craftsman 10" table saw -- this is fine for light home remodel but with a thin aluminum fence and non standard miter slots this thing was not made for precision. I sold it for $100<br /></li><li>Black and Decker Jig Saw -- what an awful tool. The blade deflects terribly to the point that you get a random bevel on every cut. I gave this one away.</li></ul>One fortunate thing about all of these lame tools is that they gave me time to play and learn before investing in tools. If I had jumped into buying sooner, I probably would have made poor choices, (I still might, just less poor).<br /><br />I have started down the purchasing path and have already messed up some:<br />I bought a Lie-Nielsen Low Angle Block plane but the one without the adjustable mouth. Oops!<br />I thought that I could get by with just a shop vac for dust collection and got the Dust Deputy to keep the filter clean. What I have found is this is fine for sanders, hand held routing, biscuit joiners and other small things.<br /><br />So far I have purchased the following based upon budget and reviews:<br /><ul><li>Dewalt Random Orbit Sander -- works fine for a ROS </li><li>Bailey/Stanley #4 with corrugated sole -- I tuned this up and it works really good. Very little rust was on it. The blade was in great shape. Everything flattened out nicely.<br /></li><li>Ryobi belt sander that is a knock off of the Bosch model -- I like the low profile design that works well upside down and has plenty of power.</li><li>Porter-Cable Biscuit Joiner -- works great and is easy to use.</li><li>Kreg R3 -- not as fancy as the K3/K4 but does the job, I am not a production shop so I speed is not everything.</li><li>Veritas Mk2 honing Guide -- Works great<br /></li><li>Rigid 6" Jointer -- Works real well<br /></li><li>Rigid 13" planer -- I am very pleased with this, the preset depth gauge for dialing into common dimensions and the lack of snipe make me happy</li><li>Worksharp 3000 -- I tried the sandpaper method and the oilstones I inherited and they were real slow. With all the chisels I inherited, I wanted something to get me close to sharp faster. I am pleased with this tool. However, I plan on adding an 8,000 waterstone to finish the job.<br /></li><li>Rigid 10" Compound Miter Saw -- does its job, I skipped the laser attachment.<br /></li><li>Rigid 2 HP router -- Overall I like this router, it is light, the soft start makes it smooth. And having dual bases and compatibility with Porter-Cable Accessories are winners. My complaints are:<br /></li></ul><ol><li>The Magnesium tends to tarnish and whatever is forming on it makes it harder to move the base in relation to the motor.</li><li>The plunge adjustment is awkward, would be better to have it built into one of the grips.</li></ol>I ordered the following items in the last 2 weeks:<br />Penn State Dust Collector 1 1/2 horsepower Dust Destroyer, I was impressed by how quite this is and it runs on 110 power. The bag is a 1 micron.<br />Saw Stop Contractor model with the cast iron wings, professional fence and 52 capacity -- A well made saw that will meet my needs and if my fingers ever touch the spinning blade I could never forgive myself for not having a SawStop<br />Bandsaw - Grizzly G0457 14" band saw -- great reviews and a lot of band saw for the money<br />Dust Filter -- Jet AFS-1000B -- got a 1 micron filter and remote and not too pricey<br />Drill Press -- Rigid 15" Floor Drill press -- another review winner for accuracy and economy<br /><br /><br />I will try and post some pics and reviews in the futureReneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-59811648042736122582010-04-21T09:44:00.000-07:002010-04-21T10:00:32.383-07:00Guild class: Introduction to Handtools notesLast Thursday, I attended the second class in the 10 part series. This one was on handtools. I found a lot of good information in the class. Especially when combining this class information with podcast, blog and magazine information. Here are some of the things that I found the most interesting.<br /><br /><ul><li>The presenter prefers the Japanese style of marking gauge. With the wide fence and a knife instead of a pin for making the mark, this is better in his opinion. He finds the pin style to tear the fibers rather than slice them.</li><li>He also recommends Japanese chisels to Western chisels, he feels they stay sharp much longer. His suggestion is to go for a mid-priced set.</li><li>For old Stanley planes, he states that the chip breaker is really a blade stiffener. If it is tight to the blade and within a 32nd to the bevel that the original blades are plenty thick enough.</li><li>I learned what I was doing wrong when trying to put a cutting bur on my scraper. I was passing the burnisher along the length of the edge, whereas; I should have been performing a 'slide and pull' motion. This will pull the bur while rolling it.</li><li>Card scrapers come in different thicknesses. The thinner the blade the more gentle you can work with it.</li><li>He recommends the <a href="http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?grp=1257">Lie-Nielsen Iron Miter</a> plane for use with shooting boards.<br /></li></ul>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-48998777518552942932010-04-16T09:29:00.000-07:002010-04-16T09:53:39.129-07:00Guild of Oregon WoodworkersI recently joined the <a href="http://www.guildoforegonwoodworkers.com/">Guild of Oregon Woodworkers.</a> In one month, I feel like my $36 of dues has been paid back. With discounts at local stores, low cost classes and seminars, networking with other woodworkers and a large library to borrow from. They even have a mentors you can request help from.<br /><br />We meet once a month. Last one was at Cascade Specialty Woodworking which makes custom wood arches.<br /><br />Next Month will be at <a href="http://www.alturafurniture.com/">Altura Furniture</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.alturafurniture.com/images/home_splash_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 273px; height: 203px;" src="http://www.alturafurniture.com/images/home_splash_2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I am also taking the Introduction to Woodworking class. More on that to comeReneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-89311275164875981312010-04-16T08:32:00.000-07:002010-04-16T09:12:50.246-07:00Woodworking the beginningI have got the woodworking bug of late. So it is time to start adding this topic to my neglected blog. Now for the back story.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">How did I get into woodworking?</span> A series of factors combined.<br /><ul><li>I grew up around wood. My dad was a contractor and my grandfather a carver. My childhood home was near the Vail Weyerhaeuser logging camp. </li><li>My father instilled a 'do for yourself' ethic. I have a hard time hiring someone to do work that I feel like I might be able to do it.</li><li>My 100 year old house is in need of a kitchen makeover</li></ul>Combine all of these with the inheritance of many tools and the idea to make my own custom cabinets came easy. I created a plan to learn how to make cabinets, acquire the tools and practice the skills.<br />Upon opening up this door to woodworking, I could not leave it at just cabinets though. Shannon Rogers from <a href="http://rogersfinewoodworking.com/blog/"><em>The Renaissance Woodworker</em></a> refers to himself as an ADD Woodworking, where he wants to try and do every aspect of woodworking. I would say that would refer to me as well.<br /><br />The net is full of information on on the topic. Combine that with podcasts, magazines, books, DVDs and TV Shows and I have spent many many hours studying.<br /><br />At this point my practical experience is low. Just when I was really getting going, I broke a bone in my hand while roller skating. Oopsie-doodle! I have one furniture project under my belt (which I will post as a separate article).<br /><br />For this reason, I thought it would be good to chronicle someone as they really embark on the journey. I will try and post my learning, shop outfitting, successes, failures and projects.Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-48490071971530048782010-02-16T12:03:00.000-08:002010-02-16T12:11:01.104-08:00Back againIts been a bit, but time to return to this blog. The times I had to blog in the past were those times when it was impossible to do so. When I had access to the blog, it was at the times when riding, geocaching, rock-hounding and woodworking would lose what time I had to devote.<br />Now, blogging can be done anytime, so expect regular postings.Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-67124349246460960482009-02-02T09:01:00.000-08:002009-02-02T09:30:24.353-08:00Jan 24 ride to LaceyTemperatures were in the low 30's but the air was still. I was a little nervous about the cold but felt my gear could handle it. I set out at 9:20 AM with a pannier full of geocaches to hide. Making good time I was quickly north of Centralia on 507 contemplating making a call to Centralia City Hall to ask them to sweep the shoulders to city limits. The bike lanes are hazardous due to the large accumulation of gravel from the snow and also the gravel haulers from the gravel pit at county limits.<br />I often think these thoughts while riding and then forget when I am not.<br />-- This blog is good for a reminder --<br /> I just called the City Utilities (360) 330-7512 and asked. They said they would put in a work order for it.<br />-- Back to the Ride<br />Making the usual stop at Schaefer Park I observed someone painting out the gang graffitti. While having a goo packet, I thought there just might be room for one more geocache in the park. I quick check on the GPS and, yes one would just fit.<br />Continuing on 507 i crossed the Skookumchuck River and a few things in the road caught my eye.<br />There were coins all over. I got off the bike and started gathering them up. All told there was almost $13 of change in the road. That is a lot of road kill money!<br />As I child, I used to have dreams where I would find a penny and then just at the edge of sight was another. This would continue and escalate until I was picking up quarters and dollars all over. Then I would awake disappointed. This time reality imitated a dream and there I was picking up so much change, I had to dump a load to be able to pick up more. Last years road kill money total was $18.68. It is February 2 and I already have $14.53. There is a good chance that this year will win out over last.<br />After 20 minutes of money gathering, I was off again, I had not gone far when I saw some emu in a field and had to stop and look. I tried to get a picture but none turned out.<br />My riding was progressing quickly but the time was racking up, I made a couple more side trips to hide some more caches and found a bunch of stolen mail dumped on the roadside before rolling into Tenino. Here I planned to stop and have another gel packet, use the restroom and find a cache.<br />While throwing away the gel packet, I spied a on of those expensive art sketch books on top of the trash. Being a picker upper of such things, I leafed through it to see what art someone would discard. It turned out it was only half used and contained some high-shcoolers art work. I removed those and kept the unused half.<br />In going after the geocache, it turned out to be further off the path than I had time for, so I tabled it for another time and pushed on. The bike path included many stops to hide caches, look around and spot some watercress. I made a note of the watercress location for later harvest.<br />The ride ended at 1 PM. 40.23 miles in 3:11:25 ride time.Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-58825112659626102112009-01-26T08:54:00.000-08:002009-02-02T09:01:22.563-08:002008 RecapI finished 2008 with a whimper. My goal of 5,000 miles was not met, I rode 4473.93 which I should still be proud of. I also learned that I need to be careful of burnout.<br />Mile goals for 2009:<br /><ul><li>3600 annual miles</li><li>more miles on bike than car</li><li>5 round trip to Portland</li><li>average speed does not matter</li></ul>The biggest impediment to riding is finding the time to ride. During the week in Portland is the easiest time slot. There is nothing else going on and the only things in the way are work, daylight hours to some degree and weather to some degree.<br />My favorite ride however, are the long distance adventure rides. These are hard to schedule because the time I can do it would be on the weekends when I am at home and then they compete with family time.<br /><br />A couple things on the Blogger tool. It is hard to find time to put posts on here as blogging also competes with family time. Work blocks access and I don't have a computer in Portland. Typing up posts on an iPhone is too much of a chore. Maybe someday the iPhone will support a Bluetooth keyboard. To make matters worse, sometimes Blogger will decide not to save anymore and my post will be lost. I need to work on using the email posting method to get them into the blog.<br /><br />At this point I have only done the Chehalis to Lacey route from home and commuter miles in Portland for '09.Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-73457629953649162942008-10-17T12:42:00.000-07:002008-10-17T13:09:47.310-07:00iPhone apps that make cycling adventures better<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-aPetR6QsQsfvLoe8Gv9tV5TJVeQlDozE4Vyp3KV9_XHJ3pz2NE9U3xGP7LKXSW3X2JtJP79hcXmYhC3cwf1CprwR_2xojz3TbGuixNLKRP-R5p59TL3tpNji7RMk2__eF5JEGm6MRly/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-aPetR6QsQsfvLoe8Gv9tV5TJVeQlDozE4Vyp3KV9_XHJ3pz2NE9U3xGP7LKXSW3X2JtJP79hcXmYhC3cwf1CprwR_2xojz3TbGuixNLKRP-R5p59TL3tpNji7RMk2__eF5JEGm6MRly/s320/photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258216359227391986" border="0" /></a><br />As you can tell, I love my iPhone and now that there are custom apps you can do all kinds of neat stuff. Besides having the ability to take calls and snap photos, the apps bring real power to this phone.<br />Here are some of my favorite ride supporting apps:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.garafa.com/GPSKit/Home.html">GPS Kit</a><br />This app collects GPS information and has 4 main components. 1. A dashboard that is customizable where you can see things like: Average Speed, Altitude, Bearing<br />2. Ability to record tracks so that you can publish a journey.<br />3. A waymark recording screen to save a location.<br />4. A map view.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLPlpkTU_nMz4I-ZJ5cw-SeExPw561qG3fCiAE5C8pwq62ZhmJxR2JWnVJlJeL0fXAvetWgm6WIGJpxT1Pf5OVCUrYf_MZy3FTs7FpWhijW3KTK_DNT-EbmHMsvq_tgzPhgX_A9UTjt_v/s1600-h/ss+003.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLPlpkTU_nMz4I-ZJ5cw-SeExPw561qG3fCiAE5C8pwq62ZhmJxR2JWnVJlJeL0fXAvetWgm6WIGJpxT1Pf5OVCUrYf_MZy3FTs7FpWhijW3KTK_DNT-EbmHMsvq_tgzPhgX_A9UTjt_v/s320/ss+003.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258216667056678546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.geocaching.com/">Geocaching</a><br />This is the official app from GroundSpeak. Makes it easy to look for caches nearby.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3OK5Auf8gwKac0H5RkMovaFU-IGXDoYWYB0tpOCMUucrGeqAXn1CXdkAF8kiPZaz9GR2X3QlsGlN6OSd4cW2k_T-sIIdgi2qETG5y3yFY9_EgcBnwmHUFp1NMhbsto3zJOUzuN73c5MF/s1600-h/ss+006.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3OK5Auf8gwKac0H5RkMovaFU-IGXDoYWYB0tpOCMUucrGeqAXn1CXdkAF8kiPZaz9GR2X3QlsGlN6OSd4cW2k_T-sIIdgi2qETG5y3yFY9_EgcBnwmHUFp1NMhbsto3zJOUzuN73c5MF/s320/ss+006.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258216848203246578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://wiki.xkcd.com/geohashing/Main_Page">GeoHash</a><br />This is an app to calculate your nearest Geohash locations and map them.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQD-Y1DhE78tr95lLwTnA7-jYWu2mHS6eGfxnFANJnyHlsdTWRRCyCcCeFnZD1PQprtCBEN-0_LAYzCb9nYWFvSUqplPAVsaQBcpO0_MVHMwJh6BK-sZVWT9YtOaR8_bY2G-9rzHE-BUGy/s1600-h/ss+007.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQD-Y1DhE78tr95lLwTnA7-jYWu2mHS6eGfxnFANJnyHlsdTWRRCyCcCeFnZD1PQprtCBEN-0_LAYzCb9nYWFvSUqplPAVsaQBcpO0_MVHMwJh6BK-sZVWT9YtOaR8_bY2G-9rzHE-BUGy/s320/ss+007.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258216916923799938" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://iphone.weatherbug.com/iphone/">WeatherBug</a><br />There is more accurate weather forecast info on Weather Underground but WeatherBug makes checking the rain and wind so easy.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-sw7FcVN0D24orfvTAGu-GV2hG0EreiEQr3OSSSJFEA_AlOa8wA54YIbrRRaa9Wh6DtuP_l7EKAKRZh3W7imKKsYvxTdblFKoSFZxLqkhPIbl2Hugz6tznxn-uwHu2avS8R_LCFetaQD/s1600-h/ss+002.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-sw7FcVN0D24orfvTAGu-GV2hG0EreiEQr3OSSSJFEA_AlOa8wA54YIbrRRaa9Wh6DtuP_l7EKAKRZh3W7imKKsYvxTdblFKoSFZxLqkhPIbl2Hugz6tznxn-uwHu2avS8R_LCFetaQD/s320/ss+002.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258216571810183458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />EverNote<br />This is a great app that allows you to record 'stuff' like pictures, text and voice notes. When making a note from the iPhone, it adds your location to the note.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD68Vbjo5gOmViRluYYYp4c1NRaY8iTW50q-vCDTiyotFY7V91CYscm9Wk0mjNKBELrrTdMjDf-hXqZ7fJ0nddQFXfjHgPxTcy-y9n4w4PjSX4yJTL4C1r-6sgBZz2FU1i9Q-l3KUAU8vo/s1600-h/ss+004.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD68Vbjo5gOmViRluYYYp4c1NRaY8iTW50q-vCDTiyotFY7V91CYscm9Wk0mjNKBELrrTdMjDf-hXqZ7fJ0nddQFXfjHgPxTcy-y9n4w4PjSX4yJTL4C1r-6sgBZz2FU1i9Q-l3KUAU8vo/s320/ss+004.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258216770530646098" border="0" /></a>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-47605833665012545242008-10-17T10:23:00.000-07:002008-10-17T10:58:43.978-07:00October Geocycling<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjEsjSt54cB6wL3bLonBnI-1DrPDpqQ4DLnT4I4poqDSekwZNVCR7xpEyZF98Axn2b3JZJVf23vZEfY9tnNvLIPl4Ogm5sSAOTld6hbklAJ3VESYs8yVwzODqsOWmH0Kh8uAevLn3SiKz/s1600-h/now+072.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjEsjSt54cB6wL3bLonBnI-1DrPDpqQ4DLnT4I4poqDSekwZNVCR7xpEyZF98Axn2b3JZJVf23vZEfY9tnNvLIPl4Ogm5sSAOTld6hbklAJ3VESYs8yVwzODqsOWmH0Kh8uAevLn3SiKz/s320/now+072.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258182729300487826" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It has been an while... I will try harder to maintain a posting rate. With working out of town and having this site blocked by work and being busy while I am home and finding time to ride, it is not easy carving out time to write posts.<br /><br />In the last couple months there has been a few things occurring:<br /><ul><li>July was such a month of miles and personal bests that I started to burn out and loose motivation.</li><li>August was busy with swimming and other activities that got in the way.</li><li>I was able to upgrade my iPhone to a 3G in a cost positive way.</li><li>Which led to <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/">Geocaching</a> as a new hobby, since I now have a GPS on my phone.</li></ul><br />The result is that I am riding fewer miles and going much slower but with many new distractions to the rides. I incorporate geocaching with riding and am also doing cycloharvesting. That is my name for riding along and finding fruit trees along the roadsides. This year there is a lot of fruit and it has a better flavor and quality than years past. With the iPhone, i can take waymarks of good trees and am building a Google myMap of these.<br />Suprisingly, or not, my enjoyment of riding has increased with these extra activities.<br /><br />One ride this week reached the sublime. I did a 45 mile ride out Bunker Creek and Lincoln Creek on Monday and then Tuesday I thought that I would, 'take it easy' and just fill in local caches.<br />The route ended up being 33 miles and including a leg up to Connor Rd in Thurston County to get a cache at <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=b4c0cd41-a13b-4039-8d74-e0454527ad9a">Mary A Cogdil's gravesite</a>.<br />Some other finds along the way were an antique anti-aircraft searchlight and another antique <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhms5XX2EzBhaEKROxD_0tsbb5fFS07Vg942CjzRkiOdU7b1UKTUi1PNqhBRGwKXMFdQZD6F_lpVUh6i7wpQWDMJWLXqwZht24_9TeKGiIHV3II-4MrD9dIB55wVvxqmPMwZ97zzpF-_B7v/s1600-h/now+037.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhms5XX2EzBhaEKROxD_0tsbb5fFS07Vg942CjzRkiOdU7b1UKTUi1PNqhBRGwKXMFdQZD6F_lpVUh6i7wpQWDMJWLXqwZht24_9TeKGiIHV3II-4MrD9dIB55wVvxqmPMwZ97zzpF-_B7v/s320/now+037.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258182927040181538" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZG8e4vZh1_asxzjIj5sIAdp66eYEixKsA95_PK8pZNuqczlzJL5HjeMJ5r_zncES2eI_rAK6MwwuvC0HRZOg3bLWz09ClvL2-XNnc2MKz1pmugWcD3Syz16RqSfoZQn9Oolo5Nwk-cvNm/s1600-h/now+041.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZG8e4vZh1_asxzjIj5sIAdp66eYEixKsA95_PK8pZNuqczlzJL5HjeMJ5r_zncES2eI_rAK6MwwuvC0HRZOg3bLWz09ClvL2-XNnc2MKz1pmugWcD3Syz16RqSfoZQn9Oolo5Nwk-cvNm/s320/now+041.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258183221198257762" border="0" /></a>glass insulator for my <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KGhn98Ive_auOJ06V88xwO7xR5qu2O-IL0xXoznQTw0fvloZR1dFER7Pv91V7TrTufQglYW19UcR_2zAfarZHkS_96B9LAVewfr86p_hZjTyxHIp7Rtx5Wwx6EaJPVNQObbfa68TJlFO/s1600-h/now+149.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KGhn98Ive_auOJ06V88xwO7xR5qu2O-IL0xXoznQTw0fvloZR1dFER7Pv91V7TrTufQglYW19UcR_2zAfarZHkS_96B9LAVewfr86p_hZjTyxHIp7Rtx5Wwx6EaJPVNQObbfa68TJlFO/s320/now+149.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258183071536378018" border="0" /></a>collection.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSukkhfck8hbwd-rUmyfwz2EHwt97sNz9hUbd17GQvqoiZntrhi7Kff2kQFqb8-jAV7bRxIuQGFKHNzUPiHXOHuq44H2BnYRdgwnaWG7TxNkx-VPFqvDNJy245ZlyfXMMP-H6U0Fof2wkE/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSukkhfck8hbwd-rUmyfwz2EHwt97sNz9hUbd17GQvqoiZntrhi7Kff2kQFqb8-jAV7bRxIuQGFKHNzUPiHXOHuq44H2BnYRdgwnaWG7TxNkx-VPFqvDNJy245ZlyfXMMP-H6U0Fof2wkE/s320/photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258182594199457890" border="0" /></a>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-27523945372742720182008-08-01T08:20:00.000-07:002008-08-01T08:58:51.186-07:00Bike web tools that I like<div id=":f3" class="ArwC7c ckChnd">Doing a lot of bike riding and being of a geek nature, I like to turn details of riding into data.<span style="font-size:85%;"> <p>There are several good websites that are of assistance to a rider, here of some of my favorites:</p> <p><a href="http://www.bikely.com">Bikely</a> -- find and map routes</p> <p>I have tried other route making tools but bikely is the one that I have stuck with. One of the main reasons is that it does not lock up when accessing from work. I like the features of mapmyride better but it seems to always lock up at work. With mapmyride it will create the turn by turn directions for you whereas you have to enter them by hand in Bikely. Another annoyance of Bikely is that I have to do a password recovery every time I need to get to my routes. It does not matter what computer or browser or password, when I go to login it says that my password is wrong. I have searched for others complaining about this problem but have not found anyone else with the problem.</p> <p><a href="http://mycyclinglog.com">MyCyclingLog</a> -- log your rides and obsess on the numbers</p> <p>I often laugh at myself that I probably ride 30% of my miles because I am trying to beat some personal record or goal. But hey, whatever gets you out and riding, right?</p> <p>It also has a section to enter your bikes and track your maintainence. This is great for seeing how many miles you have on a set of pedals or whatever. </p> <p><a href="http://maps.google.com">Google Maps</a> -- Bikely uses Google maps but there are features that it does not like the terrain and street view. These are great tools to see what hills you are climbing or if lazy like me, find a less steep route. Street view, if available in the area that you are riding, can be used to show if a street has bike lanes, where there might be bike racks and such. Also, with a custom map, I can track which roads I have ridden to make it easier to find an unexplored one.</p> <p><a href="http://www.twitter.com">Twitter</a> -- let people know where you disappeared to</p> <p>Using Twitter I can post my route and at rest points update how far along I am. This way if I dont turn up home, my SO knows where to look for me. In case I get tired, pull a stupid and ride off the road into a ditch or something. Or answer the 'when you gonna be home?' question.</p> <p><a href="http://bicycletutor.com/">BicycleTutor </a>-- Maintenance How-Tos in video format</p> <p>This guy is great and has made a series of videos of hot to perform maintaince on your bike in an easy to follow manner. </p> <p><a href="http://www.sheldonbrown.com/">Sheldon Brown</a> -- Bike Info God</p> <p>No list would be complete without a nod to the late Sheldon Brown. Here you can find answers to so many of your cycling questions.</p> <p>Anyone else have a good web site that helps them?</p></span> </div>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-444186756938290552008-07-30T13:22:00.001-07:002008-08-01T08:20:28.234-07:00Price of old data<span style="font-size:85%;"> <div>Last night the weather was very mild for late July (65 degrees) and begged an after work ride. I also needed some miles to break 700 ridden in a month. Using a book from the library <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Best-Bike-Rides-Around-Portland/dp/096182901X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217447422&sr=8-1">Best Bike Rides Around Portland</a>, I picked a route that looked interesting </div> <div> <br /></div> <div>The route was modified to originate and end at my front door plus on route I decided to reverse the ride so that the nicest part would be saved for last.</div> <p>The first half of my ride would go down the Springwater Corridor and then skirt Clackamas to the west down to High Rocks area of Gladstone. The book referred to a pedestrian bridge over the Clackamas River that looked excellent. The ride to get to the bridge was not as near as I anticipated. Mostly the shoulders were wide and the pavement good. </p> <p>The problem arose when I got to the bridge and it was barricaded off for 'repairs'. So much for the nice half of the ride. I asked a woman walking past and she said the bridge had been closed for years. </p> <p>That is what I get for not checking the info from a book written 17 years ago.</p> <p>As I rode the Springwater Corridor trail on an aluminum frame bike I once again steamed about the terrible paving. Was this thing terrible from the beginning or did it decay to this terrible state over time? If it was bad from the start, how did it get approved? If it went to garbage over time, why was the contractor not sued to fix it? In my opinion there is some corruption or incompotence in the Portland City Hall regarding roads and paving.</p> <p>Overall the ride was good and it put me 40 miles closer to my mileage goal.</p></span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-77728662706125651192008-07-25T10:07:00.000-07:002008-07-25T10:23:16.334-07:00Setting goalsGoals seem to be a great motivator for me. I am so goal driven that I create goals when there is no need to. Here are 3 related to cycling that I am working on.<br /><br />1. Ride every rural through road in Western Lewis County. I have informally added all of Lewis County and Cowlitz and Thurston to that list since I am getting close to meeting my goal.<br />Below is a Google custom map that tracks this goal.<br /><br /><iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=105285307557242458912.000452a13baba63f690cf&ll=46.625884,-122.91534&spn=0.913027,0.619269&output=embed&s=AARTsJp4DCFzE4IQn-9l2c2R1ylDrTxuDQ" scrolling="no" width="425" frameborder="0" height="350"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=105285307557242458912.000452a13baba63f690cf&ll=46.625884,-122.91534&spn=0.913027,0.619269&source=embed" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br /><br />2. Ride over 5,000 miles this year.<br /><a href="http://www.mycyclinglog.com/">mycyclinglog.com</a> has a goals section where you can set a goal and track the progress.<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Here is mine so far.</span> <table style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);" class="noborbox" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="head"><a href="http://www.mycyclinglog.com/goal_detail.php?gid=846">2008 5K</a> </td> <td class="inr"> <a href="http://www.mycyclinglog.com/goals.php?gid=846"><img src="http://www.mycyclinglog.com/images/icon_edit.gif" alt="Edit" border="0" /></a> <div id="delete_846" style="display: none;"> <form action="/goals.php" method="post"> <input name="form_type" value="delete_goal" type="hidden"> <input name="gid" value="846" type="hidden"> <table class="noborbox" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr> <td><input value="DELETE" class="btn" type="submit"></td> <td><input value="CANCEL" onclick="nd();nd();" class="btn" type="button"></td> </tr></tbody></table> </form> </div> <a href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="doDelete(846)"> <img src="http://www.mycyclinglog.com/images/icon_remove.gif" alt="Remove" border="0" /></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" class="cgray"> 5000.00 mi between Tue, Jan 1, 2008 and Wed, Dec 31, 2008 </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" class="cgray"> [All] </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" class="title"> Progress: 64% </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" class="cgray"> 3204.73 mi at 12.80 mi/h </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"> <ul><li>A distance of <b>1795.27 mi</b> remains.</li><li>At current average speed, <b>140.3 hours</b> of ride time required.</li><li>An average daily distance of <b>11.22 mi</b> required.</li><li>You should have completed a distance of <b>2827.87 mi</b> by today.</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table>3. Monthly mileage goals.<br />I set a goal every month for distance.<br />The distance goals often get me on the bike for no other reason than to rack up some more miles towards my goal. Heaven forbid, that I should every get behind on one.<br /><br />The goals also spice up riding, they add an extra feeling of accomplishment. Now, if I could convince myself to set a weight loss goal....Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-23274642109124490932008-07-14T14:38:00.001-07:002008-07-14T14:38:10.967-07:00Chehalis to Gresham (CTG)<div>I decided to go ahead with the ride. My desire to ride it was greater than my distaste for the STP. </div> <div>Group rides are not my thing and such a large group ride is even less interesting to me. I prefer just tooling along and getting lost in the surroundings and stopping when I feel like stopping. Having a constant stream of cyclists deters my enjoyment since I have to pay close attention to the road and the other cyclists. Stopping becomes more complicated, is the stop mobbed with people, are there lines for the bathroom. Starting is complicated too, you have to time your start. Even riding is harder, there were many times where someone would pass me and slow down or pull out in front of my and break my rhythm.</div> <div> </div> <div>The weather forecast was for 90 plus temperatures. I decided to make an early start of the ride to beat the heat and if possible get ahead of the pack of riders (at least for a while). I started out at 5:07 AM, with 46 degree temperatures. I began the ride just wearing, sandals, shorts and a sleeveless and got pretty cold. Temperatures were going to climb soon so it was not a big deal. The route took my usual south plan to cross I-5 on park. On Meier Road I came upon a fresh deer carcass with a large vulture standing over it. I tried to get a pic of it with my iPhone camera but the vulture would not let me get THAT close.</div> <div>Exploring Military road was part of the route. I was not expecting it to be very nice but was well pleased with the southern half. Lots of nice wooded sections and ridge views. I will have to work in more routes that include S Military Rd.</div> <div>At the intersection with SR 506, my route combined with the STP route. One of the first bikes I encountered was a tandem with a radio attached to it. Fortunately, after passing them, I did not see them again and nobody else had a radio. Riding SR 411 with all those other riders was not my idea of fun at all, the previous time riding it was way nicer.</div> <div>Surprisingly, then I got to Riverside park in Kelso, I was expecting to wait in line for the restroom and deal with the mobs but they were all herded into the south part of the park and I had the north side to myself. </div> <div>Continuing on, the bridge crossing was tough because it was single file and I did not want to hold the people behind me up so I pushed harder than I wanted to. On the other side the tailwinds were blowing pretty good so it was easy to rest and ride. The pace really picked up and I sailed along at about 17 mph average for the next 30 miles with a stop at Prescott Beach park to eat lunch and fill water bottles. I had the park to myself.</div> <div>After Scapoose, the tailwind died, the heat was in full swing and the terrain got a little bit more hilly. Combined with it being near the end, riders started to really slow down and many were on the wayside. I slowed my pace and stopped to make sure I was still sweating (not dehydrated).</div> <div>Once on the edge of Portland, there is a tap by City of Portland, I filled up on water, wet down my head and set out. Most of the final approach is downhill or flat and I blazed into town. </div> <div>Finishing time for 100 miles was 6:54 riding time and 8:01 clock time.</div> <div>The final 11 miles to my apt I took real slow and stopped to hang out in a shady park and get dinner.</div> <div>I arrived at 3:36. </div> Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-85154839746879168392008-07-14T10:18:00.001-07:002008-07-14T10:18:10.235-07:00Up to Oly for a BBQ<div>On Saturday, I rode up to Oly for a Barbeque at Alx's sisters house. This ride was unremarkable except for 2 things.</div> <div>The Thurston County portion of SR 507 was just chip and sealed. It is amazing how much extra soreness gets transferred to your rear end, riding on this kind of surface.</div> <div> </div> <div>The main the to remark upon is this was STP (Seattle to Portland) weekend and there were 10,000 riders heading south while I was heading north. I grew quite tired of hearing "Your going the wrong way". I was annoyed seeing them ride 4 abreast and block traffic which turns motorists into anti-cyclists. I was vexed to see lots of 'energy' product packets discarded on the roads and paths. </div> <div>Worst of all though, was riding north on the Tenino-Yelm bike path upstream of them.</div> <div>They took over the whole thing, as if being in the STP entitled them to take everyone else's use of the facilities. I vowed to avoid the STP route on the ride weekend next year. Kinda ironic that it is bikes that would keep me off the road and not cars.</div> <div>Once I turned off onto the Chehalis Western bike path, I was so relieved and the ride enjoyment shot up and my stress started to dissipate. Being around the STP riders was bad enough that I contemplated cancelling my planned ride to Gresham the next day since it was traversing the route of STP most of the way. <br> </div> Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-53586459057230206662008-07-09T09:56:00.000-07:002008-07-11T09:20:58.082-07:00King Road rideMonday's ride explored a road that I have been wanting to ride for several months and finally got to it. King Road connects the Boistfort valley with Winlock. In order to get there you have to make it up and over the 1000' Buckhorn Hill. The climb is unpaved, which is good but also bad.<br />I say it is good because I do not like to see the planet paved. The bad rating is because this section of road is remote enough to make the ride free of human noise where it not for my tire on gravel.<br /><br />The ride started out at 7AM and was a rather cool morning of 46 degrees with light fog. I wore some pedal pushers and socks. A long sleeve and vest over the sleeveless top rounded out the cold compensation. But upon setting out, I was thinking maybe I should have broke out some of my winter gear. Brrrr<br /><br />The route plan was to head out on SR 6 to pick up SR 506 at Boistfort Rd. Near the turn, my hamstrings were getting tight and so I pulled off to take a stretch.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXOtN7Q7s5L5UFF0_nqIhzSlLmUmjNZrVRPepqQyo-7h7ch28tFsR46kS2UN7-u8-UwAO5BY0FR6nRoDu7sEXnMlIXNd84iekMY0DXfjF-_bhJl6O0XsQg6vfZ9QsgiT9FdlDQI2Zc8Dh/s1600-h/June+11+015.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXOtN7Q7s5L5UFF0_nqIhzSlLmUmjNZrVRPepqQyo-7h7ch28tFsR46kS2UN7-u8-UwAO5BY0FR6nRoDu7sEXnMlIXNd84iekMY0DXfjF-_bhJl6O0XsQg6vfZ9QsgiT9FdlDQI2Zc8Dh/s320/June+11+015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221783905496007042" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Many strange things can be found discarded on the sides of roads but my find here was one of the stranger ones: a pasta machine.<br /><br />After turning onto SR 506, the road soon crosses over the South Fork Chehalis River. On the bridge, I spotted a beaver or nutria swimming in the water. It noticed me and submurged when I stopped to look.<br /><br />The turn off to King Rd is shortly after Curtis, but I go lost in the scenery and passed it. On a whim, I decided to see what was down Beaver Creek Rd. The beginning portion passes fields and then a logged over section. A bit beyond, there are some nice homesteads and one new one. The new house was home to 3 loose and rather large dogs who gave me a bit of trouble but I managed to keep them off.<br /><br /><br />I then backtracked to King Rd and started down. I was not at all dissapointed. It immediately made it in my top 5 beautiful roads to ride. A few miles in the pavement stops. I came upon a deer in the road, when I tried to ride past it, it fled up the road in front. I got tired to scaring it, so I stopped and waited for it to walk off into the woods. Once the climb up Buckhorn Mtn began, the grade was gentle enough to make the climb not ardous. Additionally, the route was mostly heavily forested and shelterd from the sun.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvioE2TT_7_Uy69t4faoMGHWVtyse-ohEatWXg2TmcEZCT_X-SoJUBFDVGUxnoul2c68BdEdGKa-R-CC14DXAdUIcV4lxytLOyICUE4m_IHFNMqruZovQTQTeQEei3jzHqNI5xmGaf_-nO/s1600-h/June+11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvioE2TT_7_Uy69t4faoMGHWVtyse-ohEatWXg2TmcEZCT_X-SoJUBFDVGUxnoul2c68BdEdGKa-R-CC14DXAdUIcV4lxytLOyICUE4m_IHFNMqruZovQTQTeQEei3jzHqNI5xmGaf_-nO/s320/June+11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221790528811421058" border="0" /></a>The pavement returns not too far into the descent and the upper part is spectacular. As the elevation drops human blight increases. So far, I felt sluggish and made slow progress. I also started late, so I decided to take Sears Road to shorten the ride. This road begins in a deforested section and goes under power lines but ends back in the forest where it connects to Hale Rd.<br />I stopped and picked up a deer skull on the side of the road for the kids to see. While doing so, I saw another skull a couple feet away, this one was a gopher, I believe.<br /><br /><br />Hale descends to Tennessee Rd at Evaline, I decided to continue to SR 603 then take Jordan to Mill through Napavine and down Rush to Neuwaukum Valley Rd. I am trying to ride all of the rural though roads in western Lewis County and this route would finish off Hale and 603 and pick up Mill Road. On 603, I saved a snake from getting killed on the road. It was a very healthy youngster and it quickly fled to the bushes.<br />Mill Road was interesting, the outer portion is isolated feeling even close into Napavine, but then you come around a corner and are at a lumber mill (hence the name of the road). The rest of the ride was unevent and into strong headwind.<br />Total miles :40Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-16208033981020077772008-07-09T09:36:00.000-07:002008-07-09T09:55:37.041-07:00July 4th ride toTacomaWe made our annual trip to Alx brothers house for the 4th. I rode it.<br />This time the route that I created was way better and safer. The weather was near perfect too.<br />Temperatures hung around 61 until getting into Tacoma and I had a light drizzle/rain for about an hour and half while riding through Tenino up past Yelm.<br />Some notable events on the ride:<br />I was passed on Reservation Rd by a large group of Harley bikers and they all gave me a salute while passing me.<br />On Old Pacific Highway a bird and butterfly flew right in front of me in a swirling, twisting struggle.<br />While I watched the butterfly managed to avoid getting eaten.<br />I also got to see a dragonfly grab a ladybug out of the air in Tacoma.<br /><br />Here is the cue sheet<br /><table id="cuesheet"><thead><tr><th>Cumulative</th> <th>Distance</th> <th>Where</th> <th>Notes</th> <th colspan="2"> Direction </th> <th>Elevation</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody><tr> <td>0mi</td> <td>0mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>Head towards Centralia on Market</td> <td>E</td> <td>77°</td> <td>216.5ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>5.43mi</td> <td>5.43mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>Continue on SR 507 to Tenino</td> <td>NNW</td> <td>360°</td> <td>183.7ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>16.77mi</td> <td>11.33mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>R on Old 99</td> <td>E</td> <td>82°</td> <td>269ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>16.9mi</td> <td>0.13mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>R on Park Ave</td> <td>NE</td> <td>38°</td> <td>269ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>17.22mi</td> <td>0.32mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>At the Park get on Bike Path</td> <td>ESE</td> <td>90°</td> <td>278.9ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>31.35mi</td> <td>14.14mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>At end of bike path cross parking lot and L on Yelm Hwy</td> <td>NW</td> <td>309°</td> <td>354.3ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>37.95mi</td> <td>6.59mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>R on Reservation Rd</td> <td>NE</td> <td>34°</td> <td>292ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>40.86mi</td> <td>2.91mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>R on Old Pacific Hwy</td> <td>NE</td> <td>28°</td> <td>52.5ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>44.38mi</td> <td>3.52mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>Get on I-5 N and go past weigh station to Exit 118</td> <td>NE</td> <td>41°</td> <td>229.7ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>45.99mi</td> <td>1.62mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>Center Drive</td> <td>NNW</td> <td>340°</td> <td>252.6ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>49.16mi</td> <td>3.16mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>L on Dupont Steilacoom Hwy</td> <td>NNE</td> <td>0°</td> <td>236.2ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>53.78mi</td> <td>4.62mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>R on Rainier</td> <td>E</td> <td>85°</td> <td>72.2ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>54.2mi</td> <td>0.42mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>L on Balch</td> <td>NNW</td> <td>326°</td> <td>108.3ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>54.26mi</td> <td>0.06mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>R on Lafayette continue as Chambers Creek</td> <td>ENE</td> <td>54°</td> <td>62.3ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>57.03mi</td> <td>2.77mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>L on 64th</td> <td>W</td> <td>270°</td> <td>252.6ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>57.41mi</td> <td>0.39mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>R on GrandView</td> <td>N</td> <td>0°</td> <td>226.4ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>60.25mi</td> <td>2.84mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>R on 27th</td> <td>S</td> <td>161°</td> <td>193.6ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>60.51mi</td> <td>0.26mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>L on Sunset</td> <td>NNW</td> <td>359°</td> <td>255.9ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>61.7mi</td> <td>1.18mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>R on 6th</td> <td>ESE</td> <td>108°</td> <td>137.8ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>62.31mi</td> <td>0.62mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>Cross Park & Ride lot and right on Trail</td> <td>NNE</td> <td>3°</td> <td>334.6ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>62.49mi</td> <td>0.18mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>R on Scott Pierson Trail</td> <td>ESE</td> <td>95°</td> <td>298.6ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>62.63mi</td> <td>0.14mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>L on Skyline cross Ped bridge and continue</td> <td>N</td> <td>0°</td> <td>328.1ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>63.14mi</td> <td>0.52mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>R on 17th</td> <td>ESE</td> <td>105°</td> <td>364.2ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>64.08mi</td> <td>0.93mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>L on Shirley</td> <td>NNW</td> <td>359°</td> <td>397ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>64.54mi</td> <td>0.46mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>R on 30th</td> <td>E</td> <td>82°</td> <td>426.5ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>66.17mi</td> <td>1.63mi</td> <th><br /></th> <td>L on Cedar enter Alley on right</td> <td>NNW</td> <td>332°</td> <td>275.6ft</td></tr></tbody></table>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-7030448730308951652008-07-02T11:38:00.001-07:002008-07-02T11:38:15.986-07:00Chehalis to Portland<div>On Sunday I did the ride I have been contemplating for months. The day was forecast to be quite hot (90's) so I set out at 5:50 AM.</div> <div>It was 62 degrees and the roads were empty. I felt strong and prepared. I stated my ride in shorts and a sleeveless top and was well coated in sunscreen. The plan was to cover as much ground without overdoing it.</div> <div>I chose a route that would cover some roads that I have wanted to ride for quite some time. Plus I would pick up some more roads in SW Lewis County. To start, I would head south on Jackson Hwy and then pick up Coulson Rd off of SR 508. Coulson is a nice road and soon I was crossing over SR 12. The neighborhood degrades in this area and I passed a lot of unkempt homes. At Park Rd there is an overpass on I-5, it was so infrequently used that there were weeds growing in the seams of the road here. The route continued on Mienkler and Nevil roads into Winlock.</div> <div>At Winlock I made a bathroom stop and filled my water bottles. The ride headed south on Winlock-Vader Rd and the sun was starting to feel a little warm. Halfway down the road, 2 dogs came after me, one from the front and one behind. My Halt spray took care of the trailing dog and a firm command solved the other one. </div> <div>The road ends at a store, I borrowed some of their shade and ate an egg salad sandwich that I had got at Winlock Egg Days on Saturday. SR 506 climbs out of Vader and connects with SR 411 (Westside Hwy) here. This was one road that I was excited to ride. It did not disappoint. Lots of good scenery and nice riding. Most of the road was in shade so I comfortably cruised along thinking that I was going to have a fairly easy day.</div> <div>Halfway down this road I needed to make a pit stop and there was a pull off area with some paths to the river that looked like a place to stop. I pulled off and rode to the back side of some trees. As I was stopping a branch laying on the ground, popped up and wedged through my spokes. If I had been going any speed, it would have done some damage. Whew!</div> <div>Toward then end of the road, I cam upon a rooster scratching on the side of the road. He was beautiful and would have probably won a prize at the fair. He will probably end up a road pancake or in a coyote's stomach.</div> <div>I reached my first planned rest at Riverside County Park at 9:30. This stop is at 47 miles which put me close to half-way. My mood was great, energy was great and the weather was still mild. I ate a banana, a hash brown and drank a bunch. Then refilled my water bottles with Gatorade mix in one. Now was also good time to reapply sunblock.</div> <div> </div> <div>Riding into Kelso was not as bad as I had figured it would be. Yes there were not really much bike infrastructure, but on a Sunday morning, traffic was light. I decided to continue up the main road to cross I-5. Once on S Kelso Drive, the shoulder was covered in debris but the pavement was smooth and the shoulder wide. This route continues as Old WA-99 and the shoulder goes away but so does most of the traffic as well. The heat was quickly mounting now and any shade was a real relief. The sad part is just as the shade was most needed it was becoming less and less. This ride would be much better as a South to North in high temperatures. </div> <div>After passing through Carrols, the road follows along the cliff that overlooks the Columbia and required a couple of stops for pictures. There was a lot of Cicada noise from the trees here, which was my first time hearing them and knowing what it was. I can see why the Mid-Westerners comment on the sound, it gets in your head. It is somewhat like the sound from a bike rear wheel when coasting but in a higher register. </div> <div>After the descent into Kalama, I stopped at the little park at the south end of town and ate 2 bean and cheese burritos and filled my water bottles again. I also packed my helmet (too hot now) and tied a wet handkerchief on my head.</div> <div>The roads south of Kalama seemed to confuse me and I spent a lot of time stopping to recheck my route. At one stop, I had pulled over into a gravel area. Out of laziness, I tried to ride to the pavement and my front wheel washed out and I re sprained my wrist a little.</div> <div>The heat was starting to get punishing now and the big climb up Lane Rd was waiting for me.</div> <div>When I finally got there, it was much more than I anticipated in difficulty. The steepness and length of the climb was pretty decent but coupled with the heat and the lack of trees to provide shade made this a grueling push of my bike up the hill in 100 ft sections. </div> <div>It took me probably an hour to make it to the summit. I was very grateful for the downhill section into Woodland.</div> <div>The temperature in Woodland was 91 and I was feeling it fully. I stopped at a gas station to fill water bottles and get some rest and a chocolate milk. There were worries at this point about completing the ride. I still had 30 miles to go, I was so tired that the easiest thing was to keep going since I did not have to make any decisions that way.</div> <div>After dragging along and getting to La Center the clouds had started forming and the sun went behind a cloud. This was such a huge spirit lifting! The clouds felt like a sign that I was going to make it. On Timman Rd, I laid down on the shoulder and rested and ate a PowerGel packet and some candy. </div> <div>The ride through north Clark County was once again the worst part of my ride. The roads have no shoulder and several vehicles passed very close and fast. My emotional state was very poor at this point and the rush of fear from the dangerous passes got me very angry. To top it off, a truck passed and the passenger of the truck sprayed me with what I hoped was just water but sent me over the edge. I stopped and raged on the shoulder and vowed never to ride in Clark County again before continuing the ride.</div> <div>Once on 72nd, I had my climbing and scary road situation behind me and started to make good time again. But then a different pickup passed me and I felt water on my face and my first thought was that I got sprayed again. But then I realized that it started raining, I laughed and reveled in the wash of cool rain. This was a great pick me up.</div> <div>I limped through Vancouver and over the I-205 bridge. Once on Marine Drive the lightning started and the rain grew more intense. I was so tired that I longed to be done. The last few miles felt like forever but after 11:50 I had arrived! What a feeling of accomplishment.</div> <div>Total distance: 114.75 miles.</div> <div> </div> <div>After ride thoughts:</div> <div>After doing a lot of 50-75 mile rides and a couple over 100 miles, it seems that the crossover point where the rides go from complete fun to a drudge is about 65-70 miles. For a couple days after this ride, my thoughts were to keep my distances down to below 70 miles but by Wednesday, I was planning another century ride. The extra distance may not be fun but the challenge is an attraction of it's own.</div> Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-42283935564373134642008-06-24T21:13:00.000-07:002008-06-25T10:39:06.561-07:0060 mile route of 2 hills and 2 valleys<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi256HTeCn7MzEcBHwjUAKIBijEusrYi0FaF_E1-n7mijPSyecWHy4zDH9oSzbjgJCTwOPQb8cgSvx7dKd6eBvTix3B3wA8r_8CZ_P3NxAB7zFP0N2pI8Z_mfWz5QU14fAuCiySWP4PpU2_/s1600-h/June+08+035.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi256HTeCn7MzEcBHwjUAKIBijEusrYi0FaF_E1-n7mijPSyecWHy4zDH9oSzbjgJCTwOPQb8cgSvx7dKd6eBvTix3B3wA8r_8CZ_P3NxAB7zFP0N2pI8Z_mfWz5QU14fAuCiySWP4PpU2_/s320/June+08+035.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215671190257480498" border="0" /></a><br />Today's ride headed northwest into Thurston County and then hooked south. Combined with Sunday's ride this has been the most scenic week of riding that I have done yet.<br />I headed north on Airport Rd and then turned onto Military from Mellen. This allowed me to get on Cooks Hill from a different direction and the choice was a good one.<br /><br />Graf and Blanchard roads follow a creek and the climb is easier than the 12% grade up Cooks Hill Rd. The traffic is much lower as well.<br />After topping Cooks Hill the route dropped down to Galvin. This town was really slammed by the flood.<br />After a couple turns, I headed north on Old 99 towards Grand Mound. The shoulder on this road is wide and smooth and was recently swept so it was real smooth. I quickly came to Old 9 turn off. The road goes past the Maple Lane Corrections campus and to my turn onto James Rd. This road is probably the aesthetic low point of the ride.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4KEmJBtyihAVpPmHTfuzHoaGI-Xav0h24VEpqjjRACRuJVuZRK8wDmRkmELT-iQd3H5UO9Q6GccGdexZv9tkddt5ZXQIAthd7TCTpMQoq_ms4ebLlGpkrYfGRzhM2wibfu8zoR0yjCQ5r/s1600-h/June+08+037.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4KEmJBtyihAVpPmHTfuzHoaGI-Xav0h24VEpqjjRACRuJVuZRK8wDmRkmELT-iQd3H5UO9Q6GccGdexZv9tkddt5ZXQIAthd7TCTpMQoq_ms4ebLlGpkrYfGRzhM2wibfu8zoR0yjCQ5r/s320/June+08+037.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215874892530042194" border="0" /></a>Once I turned onto Independence Rd the scenery improved again. But the moment I crossed into Lewis County the scenery and the quality of the pavement improved dramatically. The ride so far had been real easy and I was in that <span style="font-style: italic;">back-road bliss</span>ful state that comes with exploring a new road that is sparsely traveled and lined with forests and neat farms.<br /><br />At a creek crossing I noticed a well made beaver dam and tried to take a pic but it did not turn out.<br />The valley ended all too quickly and I was climbing up and over to the Lincoln Creek valley. My route only traveled on Lincoln Creek for a mile before I turned onto Ignalis Rd and up and over to Bunker Creek. This area is just a row of long narrow valleys with ridges separating them.<br />Bunker Creek Rd is one of my favorites, since it has all of the right things: very low traffic, nice pavement, beautiful scenery and a gentle grade. A couple times on this road I scared deer in the road.<br />I turned onto Ceres Hill Rd. This part I was a little nervous of. There were unpaved parts and I was going over a 1,000 foot hill. I also wondered if there were any problems at the far end due to flooding. Soon, my worries were over, the road started out on a gentle grade. I spotted a family of raccoons in someones yard with a cat watching them on the porch.<br />When the road turned to gravel, I was surprised at quality of it. I had no problems riding up it. The only annoyance was the occasional car that kicked up dust. The crest of the hill offered outstanding views of the valley below.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKhEQpHPsrejwi8QPSHbj4_ISgL0wRVUJgpIVq6VqsuGLXJ7w_CLY5OdI2lyTRe1vEOyKzUs8YKvj5iYFEjEjAXAb_BPr5rMeShEuYbHQudZgwEbCca9d39_UBPOYHJeJRo7X4sGarUBA/s1600-h/June+08+034.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKhEQpHPsrejwi8QPSHbj4_ISgL0wRVUJgpIVq6VqsuGLXJ7w_CLY5OdI2lyTRe1vEOyKzUs8YKvj5iYFEjEjAXAb_BPr5rMeShEuYbHQudZgwEbCca9d39_UBPOYHJeJRo7X4sGarUBA/s320/June+08+034.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215874528495306530" border="0" /></a>If there was an issue with this road it was the descent portion which was also gravel and a steep grade with hairpin turns. I took it slow and made sure that I was unclipped from the pedals in case I went down. Fortunately, it ended without mishap. In the valley the road crossed the South fork of the Chehalis River, the bridge somehow survived. There was a large salvage operation going on here. The flood had piled up massive amounts of wood and they were grinding it up and loaded it in trucks. The smell of the ground wood was divine. I stopped and gulped large amounts of the scent.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJ0OT8MEM34dSfrunhK6TpblW7GicuU0wgfclxrevP9VExQiVRoNdlZxdIzkKJIqw0m5p2jlibzOa5yl8dsAazITxVHJB9ikj65iSfSVprWYH-BfyosOAkZFqxx38SOuW0Qt9oQv6e2-R/s1600-h/June+08+033.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJ0OT8MEM34dSfrunhK6TpblW7GicuU0wgfclxrevP9VExQiVRoNdlZxdIzkKJIqw0m5p2jlibzOa5yl8dsAazITxVHJB9ikj65iSfSVprWYH-BfyosOAkZFqxx38SOuW0Qt9oQv6e2-R/s320/June+08+033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215874160756570242" border="0" /></a>The road ends at SR 6 along a forested section. I stopped to look at a sign showing how high the water got in the December flood.<br /><br />The ride on SR 6 was a bit aggravating. The pavement is good except on the shoulder. The shoulder is also full of debris from logging trucks which pass by on a frequent basis. Once the road reaches Adna the shoulder gets better but I had had enough by then and did not want to cross the bridge over the Chehalis which has no shoulder in the traffic level that was out. I turned onto Twin Oaks and rode that, I again flushed a few deer and came to the end at SR 603.<br />My choice here is to either climb the 12% grade to get on Tune Rd or attempt the gravel railbed that is a walking trail. I chose poorly and took the rail bed which is coverd in pea gravel and bigger rocks and weeds. Riding was miserable and the Teasel tore up my legs. Chalk that up to a never do again.<br />Overall, the ride was outstanding and my hill climbing for the day was one of my best yet.<br />By combining parts of this ride with parts of Sundays ride, an idyllic route could be constructed.<br />I will report on it once I design it. First, I need to explore Lost Valley Rd and Pe Ell-MacDonald Road.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><!-- Bikely on-my-site code. --><br /><div id="routemapiframe" style="border: 1px solid rgb(208, 208, 208); background: rgb(119, 85, 85) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; overflow: hidden; width: 450px; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; white-space: nowrap;"><br /><span style="padding: 2px; display: block; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-family:verdana,arial;font-size:11;" ><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Independence-Bunker-Ceres">Independence, Bunker, Ceres</a></span><br /><iframe id="rmiframe" style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; height: 360px; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" src="http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Independence-Bunker-Ceres/embed/1" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="100%"></iframe><br /><span style="padding: 1px; display: block; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; text-align: right;font-family:verdana,arial;font-size:10;" ><a style="color: rgb(221, 221, 221); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.bikely.com/">Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com</a></span><br /></div><br /><!-- Bikely on-my-site code. -->Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-36023346608529099552008-06-23T10:15:00.000-07:002008-06-23T13:29:26.655-07:0055 mile loop to Vader<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJ8lmbFeR1kt2-lAFtwbDkXy9WDMyGnNeRm1EX8u16SapDeu9-QT3eN10MG9MUB9r4uw8bUYK9F1joy5aoBV4fSslVt2eBsV7lDzZkzmmDWpAZ-82N93bujbFiZH3hXYythAWfXCU0N7l/s1600-h/June+08+008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJ8lmbFeR1kt2-lAFtwbDkXy9WDMyGnNeRm1EX8u16SapDeu9-QT3eN10MG9MUB9r4uw8bUYK9F1joy5aoBV4fSslVt2eBsV7lDzZkzmmDWpAZ-82N93bujbFiZH3hXYythAWfXCU0N7l/s320/June+08+008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215176736392023602" border="0" /></a><br />On Sunday, I took a ride that I've wanted to take for a long time. To head out to Curtis Hill and then follow SR 506 to Vader. I was a bit nervous since I would be out on pretty remote roads with no cell phone service so if something went wrong I would be on my own.<br /><br />I finally did it and was it worth it! The most beautiful ride, that I have done in Lewis County.<br />I started at 10 AM on a Sunday so there were not many cars out. The ride begins by heading down SR 6 which has nice wide shoulders as far as Adna. The last mile or 2 were rougher but not bad. Then the turn off on Curtis Hill Road, this was my first time on this road and the hill was as tough as I heard it was. I had to stop several times on the way up. The crest of the hill was built up with McMansions.<br />Down the other side was a fast descent though a forested section and drops into the valley. The next 20 miles pass through nice farms and forested sections that bring a very contented state.<br /><br /><br />I had a nice tailwind and was just effortlessly gliding along in a state of near bliss when it was shattered. At 1246 Wildwood there was a large dog in the road barking and to my dread there were 3 others in the yard. I dismounted and used my bike as a shield and yelled at dog to STAY!.<br />At this point a second dog came at me and this was the one that really put a scare in me. He was about my size and was just on the other side of my bike all bristling and snarling. Fortunately, I had my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Halt-Dog-Repellent-1-5-oz/dp/B000AOA420">Halt!</a> and gave him a squirt. The spray had an instant effect and the dog whimpered and went back in the yard. I backed the other dog down and left the scene.<br />My bliss was gone and it took a while for the adrenaline rush to subside.<br />The next problem was a truck coming down the road that I could hear from a mile back. Once it got up to my I found out why. It was full of teenage boys and they were running on a bare rim.<br />This part of the road was secluded and the passengers in the back stared at my as they passed.<br />About a quarter mile up the pulled into a side road and got out of the truck and fanned out in the road. I did not like the looks of what was going on, were they trying to jump me or what? I stopped and turned around and went a little way down the road trying to decide what to do. In the meantime, they got back in the truck and took off. I waited a bit and then continued on my ride. I closely watched the gouge in the road left by their bare rim to make sure they were not waiting for me somewhere. As the miles passed, I saw pieces of their rim lying in the road. Near Ryderwood, I passed them on the side of the road. I was doing about 35 mph on a long descent at this point.<br />Once I came to the turn onto the Vader-Winlock Rd, I stopped at the store and had a V-8. I was feeling great again, now that the problems were behind me and I had some very pleasant riding still to come.<br />Overall the ride was very easy, though I still struggle with hill climbs and there were several extended ones on this ride.<br />I look forward to riding in this area again.<br />After the ride was over I contacted the Sheriff's office to report the dog incident.<br /><br /><!-- Bikely on-my-site code. --><br /><div id="routemapiframe" style="border: 1px solid rgb(208, 208, 208); background: rgb(119, 85, 85) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; overflow: hidden; width: 450px; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; white-space: nowrap;"><br /><span style="padding: 2px; display: block; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-family:verdana,arial;font-size:11;" ><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/To-Vader-on-506">To Vader on 506</a></span><br /><iframe id="rmiframe" style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; height: 360px; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" src="http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/To-Vader-on-506/embed/1" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="100%"></iframe><br /><span style="padding: 1px; display: block; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; text-align: right;font-family:verdana,arial;font-size:10;" ><a style="color: rgb(221, 221, 221); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.bikely.com/">Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com</a></span><br /></div><br /><!-- Bikely on-my-site code. -->Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-63927066537822913932008-06-23T10:12:00.000-07:002008-06-23T10:15:20.660-07:00Posting Dry SpellIt has been a bit since the last post. This is because work blocks my access to Blogger and I have been away from home. Riding has still been occurring.<br /><br />I am now at the point where a 50 mile ride is no big deal. I still a poor at climbing hills though.Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-53515124631535085162008-05-30T09:19:00.001-07:002008-05-30T10:06:23.034-07:00Why I rideI got the idea for this from a post on Kent Peterson's blog discussing tire choices for Brevets. Sorry, but now I can't seem to find the article.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><p>He talked about what is important to you in a ride determining tire choice. That got me thinking about what is important to me in a ride. </p> <p>I have also thought about this topic after riding the Lewis County Historical Ride. I carried a lot of stuff and rode a touring bike which made for a heavier bike than most of the other riders. Also, most of the riders were in groups and rode in pace lines. I finished the ride last.</p> <p>Did I choose the wrong bike? Should I have gone with a lighter one?</p> <p>Upon reflection, I decided that I did not. I could ride a lighter bike and finish faster but that was not my goal. I could have rode in a pace line and gone faster but again, that is not what I want from a ride.</p> <p>What I want from a ride is the following:</p> <p>* I want to explore and see new things on a ride</p> <p>* I want to be able to ride all day and be comfortable</p> <p>* I want to get lost in thought</p> <p>* I don't want to deal with mechanical details on a ride</p> <p>* I don't need to be first, I am only competing with the clock and myself</p> <p>* I want to see birds and animals and flowers</p> <p>* I don't want to have to stop at a store on my ride (restrooms excepted)</p> <p>With this in mind, I choose my bike well. I am comfortable and it absorbs the road vibration well.</p> <p>I sit more upright and can see things easy. I can carry what I need to complete a ride.</p> <p>My bike is reliable. Solo rides are fun for me. Looking at the back of someones tire is not my idea of an enjoyable ride, I would rather spend the extra energy to not have to pace line.</p></span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-30489811246270890862008-05-28T11:43:00.000-07:002008-05-28T11:43:01.540-07:00Road Kill Money<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIHzVN-3ZyKSnUfX1dWTDNlsLw41tegaWFFdRyUO3mC8k_hHrhFz6094zLprzWty7kLeI780TB6xiqOFyxaKkBjHR14lKdUxz-rk-fg4YYPHTnYqqpKJuYBHkUYW5y2JCMTTLhB4dtBxU/s1600-h/today.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIHzVN-3ZyKSnUfX1dWTDNlsLw41tegaWFFdRyUO3mC8k_hHrhFz6094zLprzWty7kLeI780TB6xiqOFyxaKkBjHR14lKdUxz-rk-fg4YYPHTnYqqpKJuYBHkUYW5y2JCMTTLhB4dtBxU/s320/today.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203646201301753858" border="0" /></a><br />That is what I call all of the change that is laying in the road.<br />I have made a game of picking this stuff up as I come across it. My year to date total is $10.98.<br /><br />I pick it up for several reasons:<br /><ul><li>I am helping put it back in circulation</li><li>It adds another layer of interest to every ride</li><li>Self-challenges like this are fun</li><li>It increases attentiveness to objects in your path. To avoid crashes and flats</li><li>Spending it is fun, some of the money is so battered that it makes the cashier look at it closely.</li><li>The most interesting though is the internal conflicts that arise. Do I want people to see me stoop for a penny? I am riding in a good rhythm, do I want to break it for a nickel? Was that gum or a quarter, is it worth turning around to see?<br /></li></ul>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-79348462830947484342008-05-27T09:22:00.000-07:002008-05-30T09:43:00.129-07:00Chehalis to Oly and back<span style="font-size:85%;"> <p>On Sunday we were invited to a BBQ at Alx's sisters house. I immediately jumped on the idea of riding there and, hopefully, back as well. I set out at 10 AM and made it there at 1:00PM. </p> <p>My route goes up SR 507 to catch the bike trail in Tenino. I can follow the trail 21 miles into Olympia. It is only 1.5 miles to their house from the trail.</p> <p>Everything was ideal. The temperature was 58 and overcast and only a slight breeze. </p> <p>The ride up was a new record for me of 15.33 mph average.</p> <p>The return ride was almost as fast at 14.83 mph average. On my return ride, evening was setting in and on the bike path I got to see some quail and a vulture close up. My bike was quiet enough that I got close to them before they noticed me.</p> <p>Total miles for the day: 77.6</p></span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-81295420574567204532008-05-25T09:32:00.000-07:002008-05-30T09:40:39.126-07:00Loop out to Salkum<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQg5uVrOvj-XLqrkHvwGgywfUqES4L53YNeptI0DYvvyQ8gShvhkf45L72CKqfnXet7WdNjrxxC9Mu6EG7nYcFuGJWTZL59K1P0tLl_WQX2s4p4cyU4-OoSGQjR1ElwXSBppg9kLa566Z4/s1600-h/Salkum+016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQg5uVrOvj-XLqrkHvwGgywfUqES4L53YNeptI0DYvvyQ8gShvhkf45L72CKqfnXet7WdNjrxxC9Mu6EG7nYcFuGJWTZL59K1P0tLl_WQX2s4p4cyU4-OoSGQjR1ElwXSBppg9kLa566Z4/s320/Salkum+016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206211091346415682" border="0" /></a>On Saturday, I wanted to do a route that was over 50 miles. I decided on a ride out to Salkum. The LCHR went out there and I really liked some of the roads. I decided to enjoy them again. <span style="font-size:85%;"> <p>To start out, I headed south on Jackson Highway at 6 AM. The temperature was 46 so I wore tights and a long sleeve shirt with a vest. I stuck with half-finger gloves and no ear cover since it was forecast to warm up when the sun crested the trees. I brought along shorts.</p> <p>I was feeling weak and slow and the cycle computer confirmed it, though I felt like I was going faster than the readout showed. </p> <p>Only a couple miles down the road, my hamstrings started to get tight so I stopped and stretched and checked my seat height. For some reason, my seatpost has been sinking down into the tube. My check confirmed that the seat was low again so I adjusted it, this improved my hamstring problem.</p> <p>By mile 6 I entered into a fog bank. My glasses got foggy and my shirt got damp but it was nice otherwise. I turned left on North Fork Road and headed to Tauscher Rd. I had not been on this section on Tauscher and wanted to see it. The road was wonderful and the fog lifted, I crosses some real nice forested area and had to take some pics.</p><p><br /></p> <p>One of the pics is of this weeks flower: the <a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty/iris/pacific/iris_tenax.shtml">Toughleaf Iris</a>. This variety is only found in Washington and Oregon.</p> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSSr-_4W_vqxyh2fRq60bIilet7R_7kGxohVDgf_H_SPeVcUopgrWFE_o-TEZ3oOhi0IjkMTJeBaQVlVt75fulYQ2h8cjs6jJx2a2P7Jxk37k7yXDU1vsyj8Y_e2UgZqySJhGT-tR6NLr/s1600-h/Salkum+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSSr-_4W_vqxyh2fRq60bIilet7R_7kGxohVDgf_H_SPeVcUopgrWFE_o-TEZ3oOhi0IjkMTJeBaQVlVt75fulYQ2h8cjs6jJx2a2P7Jxk37k7yXDU1vsyj8Y_e2UgZqySJhGT-tR6NLr/s320/Salkum+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206211374814257234" border="0" /></a>After the pictures, I climbed up to Middle Fork Rd and turned left. Shortly after, the sun rose over the trees to shine upon me. I opened my handlebar bag to switch to sunglasses when I found that one of the screws had fallen out of an arm and they would not stay on my face. I stopped and attempted a fix with a tiny stick, which ended up working for about 20 miles. The sunglasses problem got me thinking. It isn't only the bike that I need to focus on for reliability on a Randoneur ride but ALL of my equipment. If this had been a super bright day and I was on a 300K riding east, things would have been bad. While I was dealing with the sunglass situation, I also noticed that the bike computer was set on 'bike 1' which is my MTB. No wonder I was going so slow! I switched the setting to 'bike 2' and continued on.</p> <p>At about the 16 mile mark, I turned off of Middle Fork onto Deggler and descended into Onalaska (ONY). The town was as quite as the roads had been. Deggler Rd turns into Leonard Rd and heads up a big hill. I felt fortunate that I was turning left part way up the hill onto Burchett Rd. After turning though, I quickly came to rethink my happiness for this road. The surface was in bad shape and I soon was riding though an area where the residents were the type that are not so enjoyable to see.</p> <p>The type where they fill their property with broken things and put up threatening 'No Trespassing' signs. I saw a couple that were real gems, the signs had large Confederate Flags and lots of writing . I wanted to take a pic of one, but the resident was sitting in his yard, so I thought otherwise. But I found one that was close <a href="http://rowdyrebel.com/detail.lasso?id=37&-session=csasigns:18125C8B0cd1c29A82QkXY2433DE">here</a>.</p> <p>This road continues as Lacamas and then Shanklin. I stopped on the Shanklin portion to eat a gel packet and some dried apples. Then I turned left on Stowell and headed towards Salkum which is about at the halfway point on the ride. I needed to use a restroom by this time and was hoping to find one to use in Salkum. Finding a restroom seems to be one of the problems that I run into with riding in a lot of rural areas. I reached town at 8:30 and none of the places with one were open. I also ran into problems with Bikely maps here. It showed Wilcox Rd as going though but it did not. But I got a chance to stop at the cemetery since it was Memorial weekend. I backtracked to Fuller Rd and headed west. A mile or 2 down the road I came across a store with a porta-potty and took care of my need. I also changed into shorts since it was warming up.</p> <p>At the end of Fuller, I turned right on Spencer Rd. This is the road from LCHR that I really wanted to ride again. It follows along the Cowlitz River and good for seeing wildlife. This time a spotted several <a href="http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Mourning_Dove.html">Mouring Doves</a> and a bird that was brilliant yellow and red with black wings. I tried to take a picture but it flew away. Further along the road, I spotted a patch of watercress in a stream, yum! </p> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqc1zsVjRAI2UcVmzhAxuPkZ1VVZS31iltDe5iPvbvWPzzWJy0zXTOnirLrMR5GwSkKMim3FQItSyXrv9q8BocxnffxXj_idn_cMeZXinjUGIqlKziLS-3_CDO17Ozh1XElvjzcLDUGEI/s1600-h/Salkum+014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqc1zsVjRAI2UcVmzhAxuPkZ1VVZS31iltDe5iPvbvWPzzWJy0zXTOnirLrMR5GwSkKMim3FQItSyXrv9q8BocxnffxXj_idn_cMeZXinjUGIqlKziLS-3_CDO17Ozh1XElvjzcLDUGEI/s320/Salkum+014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206211533728047202" border="0" /></a>This road ends at the Cowlitz Mission and I took some time here to wander the cemetery and take pictures. Then I turned onto Jackson Highway and headed home.</p> <p>Total distance: 55.82</p> <p>Avg MPH: 12.11</p></span>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106261687487901446.post-17301832246291783692008-05-23T10:56:00.000-07:002008-05-23T14:08:05.531-07:00Weekly ride recapThis week had very diverse weather. On Sunday and Monday temperatures were in the mid-80s.<br />Tuesday through Thursday was rainy with temperatures in the low 50's.<br /><br />When the temperatures are hot, riding is harder to me. I don't handle being hot well.<br />Although, I whine about it raining this time of year when I start to expect dry, it makes the ride easier, since I don't have to worry about overheating.<br /><br />Sunday coming back from Amtrak was uneventful.<br /><br />On Monday, I came up with a route to bike class that would add distance and make for some exploration. I headed out the opposite direction (East and South) to connect up with the <a href="http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=679&action=ViewPark">Springwater Trail</a>, I could follow this 15 miles into Portland and connect with the <a href="http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=679&action=ViewPark">Eastbank Esplande</a>. The Springwater is nice for several reasons. It allows for riding with less car interaction, this means quieter and mostly safer. This trail has some problems though, the paving is poor through most of it, wavy and bumpy. Along the riverfront it can get very crowded when the weather is nice like the day I rode it. There were lots of mini-Lances straining to beat each other like there was some race going on. There are also LOTS of joggers. I joked to myself that they must be evacuating the city by foot. The combination of the racer wannabes and the joggers makes for an uneasy mix and takes away any enjoyment of the scenery.<br />The Esplanade is more casual but just by a bit. I noted a couple places on this stretch that will make for good hot weather escapes.<br />After the Esplanade I climbed up Lloyd to 15th and to class. NE Portland has a strange wind blowing. It was a swirling 25 mph wind, with a lot of dust in the air. I half expected there to be some funnel cloud forming.<br /><br />Class was about servicing headsets. I cleaned and greased mine. There was enough leftover time to also replace my bottom bracket on this bike. It was very work out.<br />The ride home was quite an improvement to not have a creaking headset and sloppy play in the BB.<br />Total miles: 44<br /><br />Tuesday was one of my rest days.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7CmVBxqyXpkCkpggJtrgSBoicuUUJUblUTidMX4NKl6ju366V_1jtc7KUiQoVOUwFmQbT2vlJHHRAg3w2Ykuel_qNTE-ezv15iuOHOi3fkaQAAKHS8VzU7rbFmq_mbl-AclBeBHfXpqm/s1600-h/today+019.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7CmVBxqyXpkCkpggJtrgSBoicuUUJUblUTidMX4NKl6ju366V_1jtc7KUiQoVOUwFmQbT2vlJHHRAg3w2Ykuel_qNTE-ezv15iuOHOi3fkaQAAKHS8VzU7rbFmq_mbl-AclBeBHfXpqm/s320/today+019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203644268566470642" border="0" /></a>Wednesday I decided to ride up the gorge to <a href="http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_150.php">Crown Point State Park</a>. The ride is a steady climb to a vista with 800 foot cliffs down to the Columbia River. It is a great view and a very beautiful ride. It started raining at Corbett and kept it up all the way home.<br />Total miles: 36<br /><br /><br /><!-- Bikely on-my-site code. --><br /><div id="routemapiframe" style="border: 1px solid rgb(208, 208, 208); background: rgb(119, 85, 85) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; overflow: hidden; width: 450px; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; white-space: nowrap;"><br /><span style="padding: 2px; display: block; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-family:verdana,arial;font-size:11;" ><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/141385">one way to crown point</a></span><br /><iframe id="rmiframe" style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; height: 360px; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" src="http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/141385/embed/1" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="100%"></iframe><br /><span style="padding: 1px; display: block; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; text-align: right;font-family:verdana,arial;font-size:10;" ><a style="color: rgb(221, 221, 221); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.bikely.com/">Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com</a></span><br /></div><br /><!-- Bikely on-my-site code. --><br />Thursday was a rainy and cold ride downtown. I made my usual stop at one of the food carts for dinner then locked my bike and headed for the station. Train was on time and I got to Chehalis a few minutes early.Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888114067531063205noreply@blogger.com0