Father's Day ride

On Father's Day we went out for a ride with J's parents on the Chehalis Western trail in Lacey.

As usual, we had a great time riding with J's parents.  Their folding Dahons only have one speed, but on flat trails like this one they're able to keep up really well.  They actually did better on the short unpaved part of the trail than I did, and rode over it no problem.

The trail is really well marked, so we knew we'd ridden 6 1/2 miles when we got tired.  We stopped at a clearing where another cyclist had stopped to take in the view.  He was riding a recumbent, and told us that the last time he'd been at this same spot - admittedly a few years ago - there was an old rusting truck in the brush and a cougar on the hillside looking down at him.  We didn't see either (good thing - not sure how I'd react to a cougar), but it was really pretty.

For the last 1 1/2 miles I decided to keep a steady cadence and pedal the rest of the way back - no breaks - and I managed to do it.  Not sure I need to do that when we're out for fun, but it's a nice challenge I might try out on weekday rides.

When we got back to our cars we were definitely tired.  13 miles is a long way when you're doing it under your own power, and it was our longest ride yet.  Even though I felt it, I think we can keep this up and even go for longer rides.  I may work up to an Oregon coast ride yet.

More to learn at Cushman

A few weeks back, on a warm afternoon, we headed to Gig Harbor to ride the Cushman trail.

This trail is somewhat momentous to me because it's the first one I rode last year when I complained the entire time, and generally thought I would die.  I learned later that cycling could be much more fun on a flatter path (until I was in better shape) and on a bike and saddle that fit me.  Then this year when we test rode our first bikes, we rode on the Cushman trail, and it confirmed for me that riding was fun when done with the right equipment.

In town, the trail joins with local roads, and there's no separate bike path. I also learned that I really like riding on roads.   There's something about being on pavement that's meant for wheels.  I didn't even mind sharing the road with cars, although I generally gave them a wide berth.

I also confirmed what I'd already guessed - I suck at climbing hills.  Part of the trail is very steep (8% - which feels like a lot!) for quite a ways.  It's fun going down, but painful going back up the other side.  On each hill, I at least got into the right gear to climb (granny!), and made it about halfway up before I had to finish the climb on foot.  I didn't really mind, per se, because it didn't take long before I got back on the bike.  But still - I've got a ways to go.

Along the way, we stopped in at J's grandparents, which was a treat.  They both got on their folding bikes and rode around the parking lot at their complex with us.  We just went round and round with them, but I think we all felt like kids again.

Oregon is crazy for cycling

In early June we packed up our stuff and our bikes and headed south to the Oregon coast for a camping trip.  Along Highway 30, we saw the first of many cyclists on this trip -- among the many long-distance cyclists we saw heading east were at least five different tandem bikes.  I've never seen so many tandems in one day.

We stayed at Cape Lookout, which is basically west of Tillamook.  After settling into our cabin, we hopped on our bikes and rode on the trails to the nearby beach (although not on the beach), then we headed off to explore the campground on our bikes.  As usual, I loved peeking into everyone's living situation while riding around.  I was impressed at how many other campers also had bikes with them.

During our trip we encountered many long-distance cyclists (randonneurs?) with pannier racks stuffed full of stuff on the back and often the front wheels, too.  I was amazed at how they were able to climb the pretty steep coastal highways on their bikes.  I wanted to shout encouragement out the window, but didn't - maybe next time.  I'm nowhere near being able to ride the miles they do (yet), but I think I'm adding an Oregon coast bike trip to my bucket list.

Later during our trip, we again rode through the campground, then followed a road until it was no longer paved, and was basically a 4x4 packed path over gravel, sand, and vegetation.  I loved "off-roading" on my bike.  It felt like we were exploring an area lots of people wouldn't.  We also rode around the trails near our cabin, and basically just acted like kids.

Oregon inspired me to get into cycling even more.  It takes a different mentality to decide to explore a hilly coastline on your own power, and I suspect that the sights you see while cycling the coast are even more wondrous than what we see from our cars and short hikes.