"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting '...holy shit...what a ride!'"
- Mavis Leyrer of Seattle, age 83
It’s no secret that I support the Kerry/Edwards campaign. So last week when the president of my company told me he was traveling to Portland to endorse the campaign with several other senior executives from outdoor industry companies, I jumped at the chance to help, hoping I would get to go along.
As the event - a press conference with Senator John Edwards - got closer, it became apparent to all involved that my assistance would be valuable, so I made sure my suit fit and packed for a trip to Portland.
The event was held at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, OR - about 13 miles south of Portland. It never really occured to me that security would have to be really tight. I mean this guy’s just a senator, after all. But as you can see below, they pulled out all the stops.
We spent some time setting up the backdrop, or rather climbing the backdrop. (When was the last time you saw a guy in a sport coat and dress shoes on a climbing wall? Sportiva ought to find out what kind of super sticky rubber they put in his dress shoes...) Then we waited for Edwards’s arrival.
He shook hands with all of the CEOs/senor executives, and then the president of our company gave a short speech on why supporting the Kerry/Edwards campaign was good for business. Edwards spoke briefly about healthcare and criticised Bush for saying he’d like to run the government like a business, but then creating a $3 trillion deficit. If a normal CEO did that, he’d get fired!
It was all over in a very short while and we were ushered in to the school gymnasium for a townhall meeting.
Talk about an incredible experience. He didn’t say anything we hadn’t heard before, but anyone who gives presentations could learn a lot from watching him work a crowd.
And just like that, it was all over and I found myself driving home. Back to the real world today!
The first two days of our Big Ride are back to back 100-milers (aka “centuries"). Having never ridden 100 miles in one day, I got the bee in my bonnet last week to try doing it, just to see what it was like.
Let me tell you - it’s no piece of cake!
Nick and I started our ride bright and early at 7:10 a.m. this morning. We left our house on Rose Hill and rode down through Kirkland, over Finn Hill to Log Boom park in Kenmore. Ten miles over relatively easy hills; no problem. We met up with several of Nick’s bike racing teammates at the park and continued west on the Burke Gilman Trail to the University District and then south to Leschi. This section was almost completely flat and quite enjoyable.
I sort of lost track of the miles between there and Issaquah, but our route went over Mercer Island, south to Renton, and over Newport Hill to May Valley. For those of you who live and bike in the greater Seattle area and haven’t been in May Valley yet, I have one word: GO! It’s an inspirational rolling, twisty road through beautiful farm country that connects Newport and Issaquah. Early in the morning traffic is virtually non-existant, making it one of the best Puget Sound area roads to ride on.
On this particular day, however, traffic was heavier than normal. Not that we minded though, because all of the cars that passed us were 1920s vintage race cars! We were buzzed by 50 or so of these neat (loud) old cars before getting to Issaquah. (I was kicking myself for not bringing the camera.)
With 55 miles under our belts, we treated ourselves to lattes at Tully’s Coffee - a much needed break - and continued back towards Redmond.
At this point, we knew we needed to get about 30 more miles in...but where to go? Most of the fun rides from Redmond are too long and I don’t really feel up to much more than 100 miles. We ultimately resorted to riding out to Fall City and back. On the way out there we passed the Happy Valley Grange where we were reunited with the vintage race cars. They were so cute all lined up in front of this classic country grange. (I kicked myself harder for forgetting to bring the camera.)
By the time we got back to Redmond, my legs were toast. It was all I could do to ride up the hill (4 miles) to our house. The kicker came when I got to the house and realized I still had 2 miles to ride to make it an even 100 miles. Nick left me to ride this last bit on my own. (Where’s the commitment?)
Finally at 3:30 in the afternoon, we finished our ride.
In retrospect, I’m glad I did it. I know what it takes mentally to keep going for when your legs are screaming at you. Will I do it again willingly before the ride? Forget it.
My uncle sent me a link to a fun Web site for creating Kaleidascope images like the one above. No brain power required, but good mindless fun for a few minutes!
The more I ride my bike, the more annoyed I get with cars who do not respect cyclists on the road. I’ve been yelled at, called nasty names, accused of being where I shouldn’t be, almost run off the road by large vehicles like dump trucks and SUVs, and even told that I shouldn’t ride on the road by my own mother!
After talking with my husband and a Superfeet employee who regularly commutes to work by bicycle, I’ve come to think the problem is two-fold: First, motorists in general are uneducated about the laws regarding safe driving around bicycles. Comments like “you shouldn’t be driving an unlicensed vehicle on the road” are proof of that. And second, cyclists exacerbate the friction by not obeying the laws of the road that apply to them.
I think a little education on both sides might go a long way to making a happier world for both bicyclists and motorists. I reread the Washington Driver Guide’s section on driving safely around bicycles again and learned a couple things:
Bicylces should not pass on the right side of vehicles in traffic at intersections. Motorists turning right may not look for or see a bicycle passing on the right.
Cars must pass a bicycle the same way they would a car. They must allow at least three feet of space when overtaking and passing a bicycle, even if this means waiting until there is room to move into another traffic lane.
When riding at night, the bicycle must have a white headlight visible for 500 feet and a red reflector visible for 600 feet to the rear. A flashing taillight or a steady red taillight may be used in addition to the red reflector.
If you’d like to review the Washington Driver Guide’s section on bicycles you can download a 2-page PDF right here! If you have the gumption, print off a couple copies to give to your riding and driving friends.