Hood River – Day 1

September 9, 2013September 9, 2013 / Paula+Timothy / Leave a comment

Our friend Bob had been telling us for months about the great riding in the Hood River/Columbia River Gorge area of northern Oregon, so we were thrilled when he suggested that we join him and his wife for a weekend of cycling and sightseeing.

What an epic weekend! Natural wonders all around us – starting with the torrential rains and fireworks-style lightning on our Thursday night drive from Seattle. That was an adventure all in its own right – a major weather event that knocked out electricity all over. Neither us had ever seen lightning quite like it, even from a safe distance. These were explosions of light, pretty much right over our heads, as we tried to navigate through the sometimes blinding rain (including side trips in search of a gas station with power. Running out of gas in those circumstances would have been unfortunate indeed.)

The weather weirdness continued Friday morning, which was fine as it gave us a chance to explore downtown Hood River (more on that in a later post) and enjoy the fogged-in vista from Bob’s friend’s house.

By afternoon, the skies cleared enough to allow for perhaps the best 30-mile loop ever — a Mosier/The Dalles circuit climbing 3,338 feet over 31.8 miles, featuring virtually traffic-free roads, a bike path through a state park, a meaningful climb, and an equally meaningful descent. It doesn’t get any better!

Timothy and Bob strategize at the start of the ride.

Heading out of Mosier.

And the climbing begins.

The skies clear up …

… Sort of.

The drama of the skies was really alluring.

Continuing down the road …

… to a lookout point describing the area.

Another view.

Great jersey.

More great skies …

… and great grasses …

… and great rock formations …

… and grasses and water.

Very nicely executed shoot-backwards-while-riding photo.

This one was shot forward while riding backward. (Kidding.)

More nature.

Americana.

Horse.

While climbing, we met a guy who lives just over the crest.

Over the top and headed back down.

And when we got back to Mosier, Bob and Dana’s dog Oliver served as the welcoming committee …

Whidbey with Bob, John and some new friends

September 3, 2013 / Paula+Timothy / Leave a comment

We can’t seem to get enough of Whidbey Island, so we headed back on Labor Day for a little 68-mile jaunt (5,600 feet of elevation gain, give or take). This time we joined our friends Bob and John, and along the way picked up new friends Paul and Ken and, for awhile, the amazing Scott.

Several stretches made for some terrifically fun pacelining, and the climbs and wide-open descents were a blast too. And of course, the Whidbey scenery.

Scenery at the start of the ride.

Even better.

Riders gather at the start.

Ride leader Alexa, far left, gives some pre-ride instructions.

More of the group.

Paul, far right, joined our group partway through.

Bob, John, Paul and Ken

John and Bob

Bob

Hey, it’s hard to shoot backwards while riding.

John hams it up

John and Bob again

And again.

Paul, Ken and Timothy

Great paceline, guys!

And from the side.

Long and unwinding road.

Shadows.

More shadows, winding down the ride.

We were delighted when Bob happened upon the Timbuktu Java Bar & Gallery in Freeland — featuring a nicely attired stuffed giraffe, terrific proprietors, the ultimate in smoothie lusciousness, and a just-right chicken-and-rice concoction.

Ken, Tim and Berry Berry Smoothies

John, Paul and not-Ringo.

This place is a delight. We will make it a destination in the future.

Proprietor of Timbuktu, and his great chicken dish.

And serving as a true inspiration was Scott, a relatively new rider who dropped from 260 pounds to 170 since January by eating well and exercising.

Scott kept his old driver’s license as a “souvenir.”

The NEW Scott.

Scott on the road.

He’s amazing!

Of course, any time you get to go home via ferry, it’s a very good day indeed.

Paula’s Hampsten Strada Bianca debuts on Vashon Island

September 1, 2013September 1, 2013 / Paula+Timothy / Leave a comment

For Timothy, bike rides serve as bike expos as much as rides. Until February, Paula regarded this ongoing Study Of The Bicycle in a tolerant sort of way, nodding bemusedly and feigning some degree of interest. Her view changed dramatically when, at the end of the Chilly Hilly ride, she came upon Tim examining a piece of bike art stunning in both its simplicity and its detail. Paula started obsessively examining every detail of what she learned was a Hampsten Strada Bianca. It was LOVE. “I want one!!” she exclaimed. Tim did his own version of bemused tolerance.

Tim being Tim he immediately laid out a Quick History of Andy Hampsten, winner of the 1988 Giro d’Italia and the Alpe d’Huez stage of the 1992 Tour de France.

“Now I REALLY want one!!” Paula said. And then around the corner came the bike’s owner, who described the joy of working with Andy’s brother, Steve, on the design and execution of the bike. Everything top-notch. Everything personal and done to exacting detail and standards. And—a bonus—all based right here in Seattle, at Hampco Towers, AKA Steve’s garage. Which pretty much sealed the deal, not for the convenience (though the convenience was very nice) but for the whole Seattle Thing (complete with fenders of the highest quality.)

Back home, Paula beelined to Hampsten Cycles’ website. More perfection. She researched Andy. Ditto. She read up on Steve. Same. She checked out the reviews. Could it be any better?? (NO.)

Tim, continuing to be a bit entertained by this sudden fascination but certainly up for a trip to Hampco Towers, set up an appointment with Steve. He figured we were just going to get the lay of the land. He’s also much more deliberative than Paula, who knows what she wants when she sees it. That afternoon, much to Tim’s surprise, she put down a deposit.

Strada Bianca in lugged steel (Columbus Spirit). Outfitted with Shimano Dura-ace 11-speed mechanical components, with the exception of the Ultegra long cage rear derailleur which allows for a wider range of gears. Pistachio with red accents.

And this weekend, she rode it on its glorious debut on Vashon Island.

Paula’s first impression? In two words: Utter Joy. It fits perfectly and rides exquisitely. That incomparable experience of the bike and the rider joined together as one, total control, power, fluidity and grace, handling with ease the climbs and glorious descents and zipping along most merrily on the flats.

Stupendous.

And, of course, it got rave reviews from the other riders. They were lusting. The very first comment: “Beautiful bike! What year is it?”—a perfect compliment for the intentionally old-school design.