The Importance of Street Names in Route Planning

I should have known that the route was going to be a good one when the organizer said we'll start out going up Summit and then hit Alpine. These streets are named this for a reason. What do you expect from a guy that is nicknamed the mountain goat of the group!

We had a nice group of 7 today and four of us wore the Club jerseys. It is fun to see them on the ride. The other two regulars on the ride, bought the jerseys but just haven't picked up theirs. We have a great core group and it was a day to celebrate one of our members turning 40!  The new guy was nice and outclassed us with his ride.

It is not the best boost to the ego to learn that there's an ex-pro on the ride that is at the fitness level where one could contemplate climbing a 19,000 foot high mountain in Peru. Then to find out that effort was done without Oxygen. Of course to add insult to injury, I didn't know this until after the ride.

The ride was great until my freewheel seized up 15 miles into the ride. We were on SW Fairmount Loop at the time and we thought it could be fixed but alas it was too far gone to coast on. The timing was okay, we were only 5 miles from the house and the Sag Wagon was ready to roll with the kids at the neighbors house. I ended up taking the bike in for service and am hopeful for warranty support.

The post ride stop at the Muddy Rudder was a great way to share a recap of rides gone past and a do a little planning about this seasons offerings. The unsupported century to the Bridge of the Gods has to be on the list and some shorter rides to get more neighbors out with the Club. I am going to need someone to hang with me in the back of the pack if I don't get my fitness up.

Ronde PDX on Oregon Field Guide

A nice 6 minute video for those that haven't heard of the Ronde. A couple of my favorite quotes: We're all a little touched in the head.

College Street at Mile 27 was my deathnail last year, not this year!

Snow Rides

It's snowing! Alert the news channels, it's time for an overreaction of media proportions. A friend of mine posted about a snow ride today on Facebook and it made me think about organizing a ride (when the snow melts tomorrow). I doubt there would be interest in a snow covered ride, sorta like cyclocross?, but is there? Comment if you care to or go to the FB page.

Bertha's Ride Led by Issac

It was one of those days where the rain bikes hit the streets and the winter gear got a true test of its effectiveness. Mat displayed his brand new gloves and I was pleased with the arm warmers I had added late in my preparation for the ride. It was also one of those days I would have bet the house that Chris' Cervelo and its amazing paint job was not going to make an appearance. This ride gave us a chance to see what we were made of and while that sounds like we were tough, the conditions weren't all that bad. 43 degrees and raining isn't bad when you're burning 1,000 calories an hour.

Bertha's Ride with SCC Jan 14, 2012 - Details

The first part of the ride got us heading uphill through Happy Valley and an elevation climb of 550 feet in 1.5 miles. That's an average grade of 7% for a pretty good stretch and a gradual climb. The rain seemed to let up after we made that ascent and that's when Issac started putting the hammer down on the group. For safety, I slowed down a bit to lag behind, with the bright light in the back like a wide load warning car. This doesn't mean I was the wide load. It was a no drop ride, so we eased up a bit near the end when the pack was lagging a bit behind the leaders. All in all, a spirited ride with a great group that endured some rainy conditions, but had a good time. You know the conditions aren't too bad when I had to break up a conversation about hair products.

Rule #9 was the keeper of the day, although we didn't really get a full dose of icicles in the water bottle. Rule 23 wasn't far behind and when I got home one of my big toes was nearly ready to fall off. I am not complaining, it's just a fact. Cheers!

Rides the week of Martin Luther King Jr holiday

I am thinking we should honor Martin Luther King Jr with a nice long bike ride. The question is where to go. It would be ideal to ride the Boulevard named after him, but that's probably not in the cards. Who's game for organizing the ride?

Following Lions - Getting Ready for De Ronde

Ronde PDX is an epic ride that should be on the calendar for everyone in the Club.

It's a true test of fitness and this ride was clearly part of the inspiration for the jerseys and the Club in general. We knew we had something when seven of us showed up for what was to be a crazy journey through the hills of SW Portland. I know I wasn't clear that it was going to be such a tough ride and remember telling the wife that we'll have just a few hours to complete the 60 some miles. Yet, 60 miles takes a bit longer when you're going along at 4 miles per hour like I did today. Chasing a Few Lions 01-08-12

It was a fantastic day for a ride with the fog letting go to sunny skies and a crisp day to be on the bike. I will post the full length of the DeRonde per my GPS when I find it and figure out what day the ride will be for 2012. Officially in 2011, there was no ride as the website says.

What we're about...

Sellwood Cycling Club represents a group of neighborhood folks that wanted to share in the fun of getting out together and riding when their busy schedules allow. We share a love of the neighborhood and of cycling. A lot of us started out as commuters and now enjoy longer rides and some of us are riding ‘cross. The club is equal parts social and cycling and is open to anyone in the neighborhood that wants to join.

Have comments, let me know!