So the days getting shorter and the shadows and nights getting longer are reversing, so too should my ever expanding waistline. But that's not how it goes unless I, the most responsible person of me, does something about it. I have this hypothesis about exercise. It's nothing new, nothing I ever think of ever is, but I experienced it and thought of it on my own. Therefore, it's MY idea. I call it "excercise momentum". Like I said, nothing new. Anyway, if I don't find initiative to get excercising (aka, riding my bike), IT don't happen. What does it take to . . . take that first step/pedal stroke? It takes putting on your "fat" pants and struggling to get the top button near the hole or snap that fastens the damn things together! It's just not RIGHT!
So this morning I slipped into my jeans and buttoned them up and . . . exhaled. No rivets popped, the button fly buttons held and although my thighs look like they've been painted in some weird blue jean textured paint, I was able to move, somewhat "comfortably" (and I use that term . . . er, rather um, loosely). (Would that be an "anti-pun"?) Anyway, I put my belt on and notice from the worn notch holes that although I've been fatter, I've also been thinner! This last summer was probably our most bicycle active summer ever yet, we um, self medicated? ourselves into a rather redundant routine. As you may or may not know, we (mostly I) was suffering from "In-Law-festation". Finally, in October, we were free, except for a nasty habit of having more than a glass or two of wine or beer a night.
Now that the "Holidays" are over, it's time to take stock and see beyond our noses (and bellies) to where it is we're heading. High blood pressure, early onset of type two diabetes, ever increasing weight, heart trouble and a complete lack of will to do anything about it? NO! Not for me and not for Lisa. We're free, remember? That means we've got our house back and all we have to do now is get our lives back. So first things first. Cut down on alcohol! Cut down on large caloric holiday dinners (that's easy now). And, start riding/excercising more.
I gained about 7-10 lbs. this winter mostly due to the fact that I pulled my hamstring just above and behind my knee in the last outdoor soccer game of the season. It was October, a tad cold and I'd played the first half on the field as a forward. The second half I was in goal and on a particular breakaway with mere minutes left in the game, I started to sprint out of net and . . . POP, I went down hobbling and a hollering. That meant no racquetball for about four months, no riding for about a month, and no indoor practice until January. So, sit, watch football/soccer/movies/whatever and have a beer or four! Voila, GAIN FRICKIN' TEN POUNDS!
So today, I turned on the switch. I got on Kandi and I rode. Check it out:
http://earth.google.com/kmlpreview/#url=http%3A%2F%2Fbbs.keyhole.com%2Fubb%2Fubbthreads.php%3Fubb%3Ddownload%26Number%3D973744
Monday, January 17, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
New Year? Bring the Mutha ON!!
Last year started with Lisa having to have back surgery for a herniated disk, our best friends announcing they're getting divorced and we were having our share of stress with a houseful of live-in family. Last year saw the passing of a couple of friends. Bruce Phillips lost his struggle against cancer and Bob Boardman was gored by a mountain goat. Lisa's Uncle Wally and Aunt Evelyn also passed. Then her sole remaining aunt, Aunt Nancy, was diagnosed with cancer. And, I get a call from my aunt, Tante Carmen, telling me my cousin Sabina passed from her brain tumor that she'd been struggling with for years. No wonder I wasn't feelin' too festive.
This year better be better. Last year, just as we get back from Canada, our heat pump compressor seizes up. This year, this morning in fact, our sidewalk was oozing water. When we get home from work, our neighbor calls and mentions that it looks like we have water leak at or near the meter. I call the emergency water utility folks. The water dude comes and diagnoses that we definitely have a leak and it is on our, not the city's side of the connection. Nothing changes on New Year's day. I'm not even gonna bother askin', I'm just gonna expect whatever's next. It's 2011 and I'm still emotionally hung over from 2010. I'm too exhausted to give two sh!ts at this point. People are still shootin' one another. Hate is ever present. Lies rule the airwaves. Idiots believe 'em. There're more and more idiots voting for f%#k's sake. AND, THEY'RE BREEDING!! Tell me where is sanity?
But then, there're times when the sun hasn't quite crested the horizon. The "Breakfast in America" sky peaks past the colorless clouds and an indescribable mandarin color highlights lower hanging clouds which makes me smile uncontrollably. Thoughts of the state of our misguided affairs on this fair planet exist not in my mind during those tender and brilliant moments. That's where I live the most. Moments like that. Moments when my wife laughs uncontrollably at my attempts at humor or she smiles with dancing eyes, that's when I feel alive again. We rode into the dawn this frigid morning wearing our polar fleece balaclavas we just purchased. Our bikes were well illuminated and . . . we got gear! We were literally coverd head to toes. It was a good ride. Believe it or not, it helps take the pain away.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Night Rider in the PNW Winter Wonderland . . . of Constant Near Death
So you put your bike away . . . for the "season". Yeah, I hate big oil and my ever expanding winter waistline too much for that! Besides, I own a single speed Specialized Langster (Jack-Jack) with an aluminum frame and a boffo beefy chain. Just spray 'im down, when the garden hose ain't frozen and your good to go tomorrow. If however, the hose is froze', no biggy, just ride! Spray later. Anyway, I've been meaning to generate a "Got Gear?" page to list what I think are essential components for riding in the winter, at night, in the cold, and the dark, and the wet, and the scary--did I mention dark?
Now understand, those of you who live lower than the 48th parallel, night in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) starts promptly . . . around 4PM or so. Whenever the sun goes down, dark happens. And around these parts, it's damn early. Same with the sunrise ('cept in reverse). That happens, when its not cloudy--which is like one day a week--around 8AM. Do the math and we're talkin' 'bout a scant 8 hours o' daylight and . . . (24 minus 8 equals) about 16 hours of, "where the hell did the road go?" Just add a constant drip o' the wet stuff and voila! You've got the PNW winter plus or minus friggin' cold. Oh, and then there's cold--ours is a wet cold almost constantly--and then there's cold-cold. Cold-cold is where the temps drop below 0 deg C or 32 deg F (for you non-canuckleheads).
So, in order to ride around these parts anytime after say, September, one needs to gots some gear! So here's a list:
Now understand, those of you who live lower than the 48th parallel, night in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) starts promptly . . . around 4PM or so. Whenever the sun goes down, dark happens. And around these parts, it's damn early. Same with the sunrise ('cept in reverse). That happens, when its not cloudy--which is like one day a week--around 8AM. Do the math and we're talkin' 'bout a scant 8 hours o' daylight and . . . (24 minus 8 equals) about 16 hours of, "where the hell did the road go?" Just add a constant drip o' the wet stuff and voila! You've got the PNW winter plus or minus friggin' cold. Oh, and then there's cold--ours is a wet cold almost constantly--and then there's cold-cold. Cold-cold is where the temps drop below 0 deg C or 32 deg F (for you non-canuckleheads).
So, in order to ride around these parts anytime after say, September, one needs to gots some gear! So here's a list:
A good ridin' rain jacket:- I own a one or two but my fav is a Showers Pass Touring Jacket
- A GOOD pair of ridin' gloves:
- To be honest with you, I still, haven't, found, what I'm lookin' for! I got three pair of winter riding gloves but none of them work for my poorly circulated finger tips for one reason or another.
- My first pair are from Trek and they are split finger or "lobstah" style gloves. Their okay but not water proof.
- My second pair are from GoreTex called Gore Bike Wear Alp? gloves. They are the best pair I have but I still get the frozen fingertips on occassion.
- This year I bought another pair by Castelli but they are tighter fitting and don't work as well as the GoreTex gloves.
- Silk inserts that I purchased while skiing in Banff, Canada have made a huge difference when combined with my GoreTex gloves. They replaced the latex gloves I was using when the temperature dipped below 17 degrees F last winter. But, I'm still in the market. BTW, the GoreTex and Castelli gloves cost over $60 each pair so I didn't think I was skimping. But, I guess I need to do a bit more research before I find that truly stellar pair. Stay tuned.
- December 2011 - I bought a pair of Omni-Tech gloves from Columbia Sportswear. They're supposed to be "heat reflecting" AND "waterproof". At over $90 a pair, I'm hoping they'll do the trick. So far, I've ridden in 28 degree F this winter and have just noticed my finger tips getting cold. That's using the silk liners mentioned above too. I'll post when I ride longer during colder to really test these babies out. So far however, these are the BEST to date!
- A descent pair of ridin' pants:
- I own at least three pair and only one for the serious stuff. (BTW, it's nearly impossible to buy a descent pair. They're either made in Europe or Asia which makes them unAmerican friendly (we're large people). Or they make a descent pair and go outta business (we large people don't buy lots o' ridin' pants). Or they make a descent pair and don't wanna go outta business so they change the damn dimensions to gain Euro market share, which means they no longer fit us large folk.)
- My first favorite pair are from former SuperGO (now Performance).
- My windstopper severe weather favs are from Performance.
- My most comfy cool weather pair are from Bellweather which I bought a few years back. When I recently ordered two more pair, I was severely disappointed to find out they changed the dimensions such that when I grab my handlebars, I get a severe case of plumbers crack. Not so good feeling in winter weather.
- My other pair are from BlackBottom and they just plain don't fit my calves. Anyone want a pair? Must be of stocky build with massive calves (way more massive than mine).
- December 2011 - Bought my first pair of bib longies from Performance late last year and loved them so much, I bought two more pairs at $69 each (on sale). They're all I wear now. Love 'em! (I don't have to sneak on suspenders to keep them from rolling under my . . . uh, er, roll.)
- Pull-on Sleeves:
- Lisa and I purchased a pair of Sugio pull-on sleeves this summer and we've never looked back. Why in the world did we wait sooo long? We love-a-love-a-love 'em! 'Nuff said.
- A descent pair o' ridin' shoes WITH a descent pair o' shoe covers:
- I own a pair of NW MTB shoes w/ GoreTex and
- A pair of hideous but comfy neoprene covers
- Head gear:
- This winter my favorite purchase was a polar fleece balaclava. It nullifies the need for facial hair which although somewhat comforting at times, facial hair's got nothing against wind. And, it's damn itchy at times. I wear my balaclava when the temps dip below 40 degrees F.
- When it's a tad warmer, I've a polar fleece head band/ear muffs for the forehead and ears.
For the mid forties to low fifties, I wear one of the coolest things I've purchased a few years ago and I swear by these things. They are ear covers by 180s. They even fold up flat and I park them in my jacket breast pocket for easy, ever ready access:- Eye wear:
- I used to wear those cool but cheap $10 safety glasses until I started having issues reading street signs. Then I got some prescription lensed Adidas sport glasses with minimum frameage. I recommend some clear shades for cloudy days and night riding and some polarized "fish finder" type shades for the sunnier days. The polarized lenses let you see into cars with tinted windows or severe glare. Seeing where the driver is looking keeps you alive.
- I also have a rear view mirror mounted to the side of my helmet to see whats coming, who's not gonna give me any room and whether or not that jerk behind me is gonna right cross me.
- Lights:
- No lie, I'm lit up like a friggin' Christmas tree on steroids! If I ever get hit, it won't be due to some lack of visibility issue. In the fog, I'm a pulsing orb of freakish photonic . . . fervor. At night, I have planes trying to land on me. I'm tellin' you, I'm LIT UP!
- I've a Cateye Uno strapped to my helmet looking forward so that when I turn my head, I'm pointing the mother at folks coming from their driveways, cross streets and into my lane of travel.
- Strapped to the rear of my helmet, I've a Planet Bike blinky taillight. Again, a turn of the head and those coming up from behind get red flashiness scorching into their retinas.
- For
the ability to actually see the road and its ubiquitous associated debris, I've the Nite Rider MiNewt.700 (lumen) Dual light kit. I upgraded from the 400 (lumen) kit this year for my birthday since I ride greater distances (solo) than my wife and my route is typically on Deathwood, er Edgewood Dr. Lisa got my 400 kit and she's almost always riding with me in town along mostly lamp illuminated streets. Besides, 400 lumens is pretty potent lighting anyway. 
Strapped to the back of my bike bag/commuter lunch box/breifcase is a CatEye TL-LD1100 taillight. It's a bad mamma jamma of red photonic funkiness that has several blinkiness options.
This year, I turned the big Hawaii Five-O. My nephew bought me a set of really cool spoke mounted lights that blink red or change colors constantly. So for T-Bone prevention, I've these cool do-dads by CatEye called Orbit lights.- Speaking of T-Bone prevention, I also bought us a complete set of Armadillo All Condition Tires with reflective sidewalls.
- Oh AND, as my bike has the butterfly style handlebars, I also purchased and installed those little end tube blinkies. It gives me a wider appearance when vehicles approach from the rear.
- Sound:
- For that audible presence, I purchased another coolest thing EVER, a refillable marine horn that fits into one of my two water bottle cages. Seriously, this thing has saved me on numerous occasions. Sometimes yelling isn't an option. For example, a mean dog comes at you and you just know he means business. Instead of wailing to the top of your lungs, which may be spent from riding effort, wait until the last second and reach down and pull the trigger on this bad boy. Then watch the dog do a 180 and run from you. Or, if a distracted driver is drifting into your path of travel, wake them the hell up with a 100 decibel blast. Mostly, I'm warning folks at intersections who don't see me for whatever reason. It works damn well and you can use your own bike pump to refill it.
I purchased all of this stuff over the years and received some as gifts. Yeah, it all comes with price tags, but using the money I'm saving from NOT buying gas at or above $3 a gallon, it can be done. Furthermore, don't skimp. This is your well being we're talkin' here. Life, limb and comfort are at stake here so be smart, consume responsibly.
Monday, October 4, 2010
The Late GREAT Bruce! (a.k.a. Bapster/BAPman)
The following is a message I sent on 9/14/10 about one of my most cherished acquaintances:
It is with the greatest sadness that I send you this news. Some of you already know. Bruce Phillips has passed. It is hard for me to write this as he was a very special member of the Port Angeles cycling community. He lead us to victory in Cascade Bicycle Club’s Summer Bike League for 2009. I took great pride in having his support for our efforts with regards to cycling in our fair city. I will deeply miss him.
He inspired me since the day I first saw him on the Olympic Discovery Trail. I was riding with my wife, Lisa and we were at the base of the Morse Creek climb when I threw a chain on my Cannondale trying to downshift a little too vigorously. We had just passed him on the trestle. He was riding his single speed. As I called out to my wife that my chain had come off, Bruce passed us and commented, “Gears SUCK!” That, I came to find out, was a very Bruce thing to say.
Later that year, we were riding the now defunct Olympic Cycling Classic and he passed us again, on his single speed . . . again, on the climb up Deer Park Rd. I tried to catch him but even with all the gearing combinations my 9-speed could muster, he was too strong. That’s how I want to remember him, “too strong”. And that’s why his passing is so difficult for me. Eventually we met over beers and discussed each other’s biking exploits. His cycling resume was full and accomplished. I told him about what I was trying to do for cycling in Port Angeles. He was enthusiastic about my advocacy.
Our lives touched ever so briefly, but he clearly had an impact on mine. I respected his uplifting demeanor and ability to cut to the chase and keep things simple and in perspective. Our community has suffered a huge loss in the passing of Bruce “Bapster/BAPman” Phillips. I wish I’d’ve known him sooner, longer, better. Nonetheless, I feel fortunate for having met him at all. I’m sure right now he’d tell me, “Forget all that sh*t about me and JUST RIDE!”
Thank you Bruce . . . for keeping it real.
Randall
FYI here's the obit:
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 11:32 AM, PDT
Bruce Alan Phillips
Surrounded by his family, friends and loved ones, Bruce passed peacefully away Friday September 10, 2010, after a courageous battle with cancer at his home in Port Angeles, Wa.
Bruce was born on June 30th, 1952 to William and Barbara Phillips in Roseburg, Or., and raised in Coos Bay/North Bend where he graduated from Marshfield High School in 1970. Shortly after high school, he went to work alongside his father at Menasha Paper Co. where he eventually became a Journeyman Millwright. After the closure of the Menasha/Weyerhaeuser Paper Mill in 2003, Bruce moved to Port Angeles, where he was employed at Nippon Paper as a Journeyman Oiler/Millwright.
All his life Bruce was an avid gardener and outdoorsman, enjoying hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, skiing, bicycling and running. He completed numerous races, including the Boston Marathon. After several years of mountain bike racing, Bruce turned to road cycling, completing over 10 Cycle Oregon’s, 8 STP’s, 4 RAGBRAI’s and many century rides. He was very active in the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Oregon, where he taught bicycle safety and was instrumental in the cycling community in Port Angeles.
Bruce will be dearly missed, not only by his immediate family, but by his family of friends in the Port Angeles, Kirkland, Wa. and Coos Bay, Or. areas. Those friends that ran, walked, hiked, biked or worked with Bruce, were very important to him and dear to his heart. It was with them that he shared his greatest accomplishments, it was with them that he drew his strength and happiness and it was to them that he entrusted his life.
Bruce was preceded in death by his father William “Bill” Phillips.
He is survived by his mother Barbara Phillips and Bud Holmes of Mesa, Az., brother Steven Phillips of Longview Wa., sister K’Lynne Allsop of White City, Or., sister Mary Tabler of Portland Or., uncle Richard Bailey of Astoria, Or., nieces Ashley, Jordon and Kayla, and great nieces Tejah and Sydney.
A celebration of life will be hosted by friends Brian and Mo Mittelstaedt on Saturday October 2nd, 2010. For information and details, go to brianmo2002@gmail.com or call 360-452-2390.
Remembrances in Bruce’s honor may be made to Hospice of Clallam County and the Humane Society of Clallam County.
To view or sign Bruce’s guestbook at Drennan-Ford Funeral Home, please go to www.drennanford.com
In the words of the late great Bruce “Bapster” Phillips:
It is with the greatest sadness that I send you this news. Some of you already know. Bruce Phillips has passed. It is hard for me to write this as he was a very special member of the Port Angeles cycling community. He lead us to victory in Cascade Bicycle Club’s Summer Bike League for 2009. I took great pride in having his support for our efforts with regards to cycling in our fair city. I will deeply miss him.
He inspired me since the day I first saw him on the Olympic Discovery Trail. I was riding with my wife, Lisa and we were at the base of the Morse Creek climb when I threw a chain on my Cannondale trying to downshift a little too vigorously. We had just passed him on the trestle. He was riding his single speed. As I called out to my wife that my chain had come off, Bruce passed us and commented, “Gears SUCK!” That, I came to find out, was a very Bruce thing to say.
Later that year, we were riding the now defunct Olympic Cycling Classic and he passed us again, on his single speed . . . again, on the climb up Deer Park Rd. I tried to catch him but even with all the gearing combinations my 9-speed could muster, he was too strong. That’s how I want to remember him, “too strong”. And that’s why his passing is so difficult for me. Eventually we met over beers and discussed each other’s biking exploits. His cycling resume was full and accomplished. I told him about what I was trying to do for cycling in Port Angeles. He was enthusiastic about my advocacy.
Our lives touched ever so briefly, but he clearly had an impact on mine. I respected his uplifting demeanor and ability to cut to the chase and keep things simple and in perspective. Our community has suffered a huge loss in the passing of Bruce “Bapster/BAPman” Phillips. I wish I’d’ve known him sooner, longer, better. Nonetheless, I feel fortunate for having met him at all. I’m sure right now he’d tell me, “Forget all that sh*t about me and JUST RIDE!”
Thank you Bruce . . . for keeping it real.
Randall
FYI here's the obit:
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 11:32 AM, PDT
Bruce Alan Phillips
Surrounded by his family, friends and loved ones, Bruce passed peacefully away Friday September 10, 2010, after a courageous battle with cancer at his home in Port Angeles, Wa.
Bruce was born on June 30th, 1952 to William and Barbara Phillips in Roseburg, Or., and raised in Coos Bay/North Bend where he graduated from Marshfield High School in 1970. Shortly after high school, he went to work alongside his father at Menasha Paper Co. where he eventually became a Journeyman Millwright. After the closure of the Menasha/Weyerhaeuser Paper Mill in 2003, Bruce moved to Port Angeles, where he was employed at Nippon Paper as a Journeyman Oiler/Millwright.
All his life Bruce was an avid gardener and outdoorsman, enjoying hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, skiing, bicycling and running. He completed numerous races, including the Boston Marathon. After several years of mountain bike racing, Bruce turned to road cycling, completing over 10 Cycle Oregon’s, 8 STP’s, 4 RAGBRAI’s and many century rides. He was very active in the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Oregon, where he taught bicycle safety and was instrumental in the cycling community in Port Angeles.
Bruce will be dearly missed, not only by his immediate family, but by his family of friends in the Port Angeles, Kirkland, Wa. and Coos Bay, Or. areas. Those friends that ran, walked, hiked, biked or worked with Bruce, were very important to him and dear to his heart. It was with them that he shared his greatest accomplishments, it was with them that he drew his strength and happiness and it was to them that he entrusted his life.
Bruce was preceded in death by his father William “Bill” Phillips.
He is survived by his mother Barbara Phillips and Bud Holmes of Mesa, Az., brother Steven Phillips of Longview Wa., sister K’Lynne Allsop of White City, Or., sister Mary Tabler of Portland Or., uncle Richard Bailey of Astoria, Or., nieces Ashley, Jordon and Kayla, and great nieces Tejah and Sydney.
A celebration of life will be hosted by friends Brian and Mo Mittelstaedt on Saturday October 2nd, 2010. For information and details, go to brianmo2002@gmail.com or call 360-452-2390.
Remembrances in Bruce’s honor may be made to Hospice of Clallam County and the Humane Society of Clallam County.
To view or sign Bruce’s guestbook at Drennan-Ford Funeral Home, please go to www.drennanford.com
In the words of the late great Bruce “Bapster” Phillips:
“It sucks to be you” BAP
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Summer? Summer . . . Please Don't Go!
"Fogust", Mike said. Fogust indeed! In fact, it was Fogust in Julyvember. You know, that month between Fogust and Junuary. Yep, it has been one of those summers thus far. From our house, to the waterfront, the temperature can be 10 to 20 degrees different. We had some heat in July, but only about one week's worth. In any event, at least the weather has been stellar for just about every event ride we've done this year. And we've done our fair share again this year.
We'll missed the Ride the Muse as it will no longer be sponsored. That was the toughest ride we did last year. However, this year's Ride from Seattle to Vancouver, BC and Party (RSVP) win's top toughest ride honors for this year thus far. We (Bruce, Shelly, Lisa and I) even think it was the toughest ride we've done yet. That's because we faced 25 mph headwinds traversing Skagit Valley on day one. We rode over 110 miles that day, climbed in AND out of Snohomish Valley and faced the sawtooth profile of Chuckanut Drive. Last year we complained about Chuckanut and even called it names "F@#kanut Drive" (thanks Bruce S.). This year, even in the heat of the day, we relished it as it relieved us of the incessant pounding of the wind. We climbed, eight climbs to be sure, but we also glided the scenic descents and were able to recover. There was no such solace in the wind. One had to actually stop and dismount to catch any sort of break. The wind was heinous and relentless.
Our troop consisted of Bruce's wife Kathy, son-in-law Kyle, daughter Allison and grandchild Everett. Kyle and Allison rode but Allison had to abandon day two due to . . . let's just say equipment issues and leave it at that. We all had lunch together in Arlington at our favorite burger joint and motored on. Lisa and I cruised into Bellingham and headed straight for Boundary Bay brew pub. We had our well deserved and well earned savory beers as well as a succulent hummus plate. Then it was off to the hotel to shower and regroup with the rest of our troop Kyle soldiered on for day two and made it to Vancouver by 2PM. Lisa and I made it by 2:38 while Bruce and Shelly, well, made it a TAD later.
Fun was had by all recounting the journey at dinner both nights. And, I want to personally thank Bruce S. for the wonderful dinner meal in Vancouver, BC. Thank you Bruce! The sable fish was . . . delish. May the wind ALWAYS be at your BACK and may the trail rise up to meet you. Bruce ended up having to replace his entire . . . tire due to a rather horrendous gouge (can't remember which day). Luckily, there was a service repair vehicle moments away and he got it all, as my father would've said, "squared away".
We (consisting of Lisa, Shelly and I) also tried something new this year. Daring and bold and carbon footprint conscious, we rode home from Vancouver, BC. We're town mice, not city mice. We visit the big cities, but we're far more comfortable just living in our little town of Port Angeles where almost everything is within walking distance. So, the idea to ride through Vancouver across the Fraser River, twice (north and south forks), unassisted by 'Dan Henrys" seemed a bit daunting at the time. But hey, I'm a map guy. So this should be easy for me, right? Yeah, but add my wife and our friend Shelly and a heap or two of doubt and we gots ourselves a good ole fashioned ad-venture!
This particular adventure wasn't so straight forward as one might think. We had a busy city to traverse, a few rivers to cross and a couple o' ferries to catch. So I did my research. I wanted to avoid the George Massey Tunnel (GMT, not to be confused with the Canadian tax of the same abbreviation) as it involved catching yet another means of scheduled transportation, a "free" shuttle service. University of British Columbia has collaborated with Google and put together rather awesome website that serves the greater Vancouver cycling community and visiting cyclists as well (http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/transport/cycling/bikeways/planner.htm).
It will map your route from one given point to another using various criteria you can input. Least hills, shortest path, bicycle lanes/routes, greenest, least congested route, etc. are all filters you can enter to determine which route gets generated on the map. AND, you can export it as a kml file and print the directions. Be sure to check your ink supply before trying to print it at home instead of the office! I ended up having to write them down on a piece of paper . . . with a pen. I know, right?
I chose this website over some of the others like Bikely.com or MapMyRide, etc. because they were all rather random and somewhat anonymous and who could I sue if something bad happened along a given route? Just kidding! I looked at some of the routes others posted on those sites but couldn't be sure they were do-able by bike. How do I know if some joker in a car turned on his/her GPS and routed an impossible route for cyclists just for spite? Anyway, the UBC/Google site gave me satisfactory detail and info to calm my anxiety. Like I said, I wanted to avoid the GMT crossing but to do that added about 20 miles to our route. After riding over 180 miles in two days and listening to the sole two women I'd be leading I wisely decided that the shortest distance made the most sense.
The Cycling Planner had a link to the GMT which gave less than clear directions to the shuttle service pickup site on the north side but did give a schedule that I ultimately misread. Hey, I was thinking about allot of things . . . to think about . . . and stuff! I read the schedule as every hour on the hour except noon. I didn't think we'd be getting there any later so I kind of missed the part about not having any southbound service at 2PM. So sue me! (no, don't, not really please). The northbound service was every hour:thirty on the hour:thirty, except noon:thirty and . . . I wasn't really paying attention to that one because it didn't affect us since we were heading south.
But, the ferry service at the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal does operate every hour on the hour. I still haven't figured that one out yet as it takes 1:35 minutes to cross. They must be using four(?) vessels. Anyway, back to the shuttle at the GMT, we left Vancouver around noon and followed my handwritten directions to the shuttle service pick up on the north side of the GMT. Oh, and, I chose this route because I was able to use Google Earth's "Street View" to actually traverse the part where we pass the signs that are posted along the road that takes us directly to the place where shuttle picks us up. You can actually read the signs in Street View.
Lisa, Shelly and I got there at 1:38. There're benches and a big sign with the shuttle service hours of operation (which I neglected to read clearly yet again). Luckily the shuttle driver drove up and dropped off a single bicycle rider from a northbound transit just a minute or two later. He asked us if we knew there was no shuttle service until 3PM. "Umm, er, no", we said. We (Shelly) immediately tried to bribe the guy with a 20 spot. Inevitably he capitulated and we got through the tunnel to the other side (but you didn't just read this part, understand?). He totally saved our bacon! (you didn't just read that either, okay?). From there, we headed on to the ferry terminal at Tsawwassen and caught the 3PM ferry (schweet!).
When we got to the other side, we headed straight to the Stonehouse! Ya kinda gotta take a left and then a right once you cross the bridge over the terminal entrance road. Anyway, it is our (Lisa and I) favorite endpoint for the Lochside/Galloping Goose trail. We also like the Sooke Bay Inn(?) at the end of the western extension of the Galloping Goose. We grab a late lunch and . . . a beer though I've yet to get too excited about ANY Canadian beer. Unfortunately, they're a bit like Belgium in that regard. We take our time and head straight south on the Lochside Trail all the way to Victoria where we end up staying at the Empress for the night. We arrive at sunset. Another stellar weather day and night on our trek. We clean up and bop out to the Banker and Bard Scottish Pub for some liquid refreshments and entertainment.
The next day consisted of breakfast, trying to find Shelly a top and catching the 3PM ferry home. Oh, by the way, did I mention that the Canadian ferries DO NOT serve beer? Yeah, apparently, their crossings are too long (over an hour) and since most of their passengers drove onto the ferry, they found it unreasonable to serve beer and/or wine. Bummer! Even the Coho doesn't serve beer. They'll sell you liquor via the duty free service on board, but cold beer and wine, not so much. So, you can purchase a fifth of whiskey or vodka or scotch and . . . and what? Well, you get my point.
And there you have it. We traversed the daunting route from Vancouver, BC to Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. Now Lisa and I can catch a couple of ferries, a free shuttle service for cyclists and cross a few bridges to downtown Vancouver from little ole Port Angeles and back without use of a car. Mass transit and bicycles only please. Pretty cool. We'll be trying this again in the near future to watch some Canuckle-headed hockey games for sure.
We'll missed the Ride the Muse as it will no longer be sponsored. That was the toughest ride we did last year. However, this year's Ride from Seattle to Vancouver, BC and Party (RSVP) win's top toughest ride honors for this year thus far. We (Bruce, Shelly, Lisa and I) even think it was the toughest ride we've done yet. That's because we faced 25 mph headwinds traversing Skagit Valley on day one. We rode over 110 miles that day, climbed in AND out of Snohomish Valley and faced the sawtooth profile of Chuckanut Drive. Last year we complained about Chuckanut and even called it names "F@#kanut Drive" (thanks Bruce S.). This year, even in the heat of the day, we relished it as it relieved us of the incessant pounding of the wind. We climbed, eight climbs to be sure, but we also glided the scenic descents and were able to recover. There was no such solace in the wind. One had to actually stop and dismount to catch any sort of break. The wind was heinous and relentless.
Our troop consisted of Bruce's wife Kathy, son-in-law Kyle, daughter Allison and grandchild Everett. Kyle and Allison rode but Allison had to abandon day two due to . . . let's just say equipment issues and leave it at that. We all had lunch together in Arlington at our favorite burger joint and motored on. Lisa and I cruised into Bellingham and headed straight for Boundary Bay brew pub. We had our well deserved and well earned savory beers as well as a succulent hummus plate. Then it was off to the hotel to shower and regroup with the rest of our troop Kyle soldiered on for day two and made it to Vancouver by 2PM. Lisa and I made it by 2:38 while Bruce and Shelly, well, made it a TAD later.
Fun was had by all recounting the journey at dinner both nights. And, I want to personally thank Bruce S. for the wonderful dinner meal in Vancouver, BC. Thank you Bruce! The sable fish was . . . delish. May the wind ALWAYS be at your BACK and may the trail rise up to meet you. Bruce ended up having to replace his entire . . . tire due to a rather horrendous gouge (can't remember which day). Luckily, there was a service repair vehicle moments away and he got it all, as my father would've said, "squared away".
We (consisting of Lisa, Shelly and I) also tried something new this year. Daring and bold and carbon footprint conscious, we rode home from Vancouver, BC. We're town mice, not city mice. We visit the big cities, but we're far more comfortable just living in our little town of Port Angeles where almost everything is within walking distance. So, the idea to ride through Vancouver across the Fraser River, twice (north and south forks), unassisted by 'Dan Henrys" seemed a bit daunting at the time. But hey, I'm a map guy. So this should be easy for me, right? Yeah, but add my wife and our friend Shelly and a heap or two of doubt and we gots ourselves a good ole fashioned ad-venture!
This particular adventure wasn't so straight forward as one might think. We had a busy city to traverse, a few rivers to cross and a couple o' ferries to catch. So I did my research. I wanted to avoid the George Massey Tunnel (GMT, not to be confused with the Canadian tax of the same abbreviation) as it involved catching yet another means of scheduled transportation, a "free" shuttle service. University of British Columbia has collaborated with Google and put together rather awesome website that serves the greater Vancouver cycling community and visiting cyclists as well (http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/transport/cycling/bikeways/planner.htm).
It will map your route from one given point to another using various criteria you can input. Least hills, shortest path, bicycle lanes/routes, greenest, least congested route, etc. are all filters you can enter to determine which route gets generated on the map. AND, you can export it as a kml file and print the directions. Be sure to check your ink supply before trying to print it at home instead of the office! I ended up having to write them down on a piece of paper . . . with a pen. I know, right?
I chose this website over some of the others like Bikely.com or MapMyRide, etc. because they were all rather random and somewhat anonymous and who could I sue if something bad happened along a given route? Just kidding! I looked at some of the routes others posted on those sites but couldn't be sure they were do-able by bike. How do I know if some joker in a car turned on his/her GPS and routed an impossible route for cyclists just for spite? Anyway, the UBC/Google site gave me satisfactory detail and info to calm my anxiety. Like I said, I wanted to avoid the GMT crossing but to do that added about 20 miles to our route. After riding over 180 miles in two days and listening to the sole two women I'd be leading I wisely decided that the shortest distance made the most sense.
The Cycling Planner had a link to the GMT which gave less than clear directions to the shuttle service pickup site on the north side but did give a schedule that I ultimately misread. Hey, I was thinking about allot of things . . . to think about . . . and stuff! I read the schedule as every hour on the hour except noon. I didn't think we'd be getting there any later so I kind of missed the part about not having any southbound service at 2PM. So sue me! (no, don't, not really please). The northbound service was every hour:thirty on the hour:thirty, except noon:thirty and . . . I wasn't really paying attention to that one because it didn't affect us since we were heading south.
But, the ferry service at the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal does operate every hour on the hour. I still haven't figured that one out yet as it takes 1:35 minutes to cross. They must be using four(?) vessels. Anyway, back to the shuttle at the GMT, we left Vancouver around noon and followed my handwritten directions to the shuttle service pick up on the north side of the GMT. Oh, and, I chose this route because I was able to use Google Earth's "Street View" to actually traverse the part where we pass the signs that are posted along the road that takes us directly to the place where shuttle picks us up. You can actually read the signs in Street View.
Lisa, Shelly and I got there at 1:38. There're benches and a big sign with the shuttle service hours of operation (which I neglected to read clearly yet again). Luckily the shuttle driver drove up and dropped off a single bicycle rider from a northbound transit just a minute or two later. He asked us if we knew there was no shuttle service until 3PM. "Umm, er, no", we said. We (Shelly) immediately tried to bribe the guy with a 20 spot. Inevitably he capitulated and we got through the tunnel to the other side (but you didn't just read this part, understand?). He totally saved our bacon! (you didn't just read that either, okay?). From there, we headed on to the ferry terminal at Tsawwassen and caught the 3PM ferry (schweet!).
When we got to the other side, we headed straight to the Stonehouse! Ya kinda gotta take a left and then a right once you cross the bridge over the terminal entrance road. Anyway, it is our (Lisa and I) favorite endpoint for the Lochside/Galloping Goose trail. We also like the Sooke Bay Inn(?) at the end of the western extension of the Galloping Goose. We grab a late lunch and . . . a beer though I've yet to get too excited about ANY Canadian beer. Unfortunately, they're a bit like Belgium in that regard. We take our time and head straight south on the Lochside Trail all the way to Victoria where we end up staying at the Empress for the night. We arrive at sunset. Another stellar weather day and night on our trek. We clean up and bop out to the Banker and Bard Scottish Pub for some liquid refreshments and entertainment.
The next day consisted of breakfast, trying to find Shelly a top and catching the 3PM ferry home. Oh, by the way, did I mention that the Canadian ferries DO NOT serve beer? Yeah, apparently, their crossings are too long (over an hour) and since most of their passengers drove onto the ferry, they found it unreasonable to serve beer and/or wine. Bummer! Even the Coho doesn't serve beer. They'll sell you liquor via the duty free service on board, but cold beer and wine, not so much. So, you can purchase a fifth of whiskey or vodka or scotch and . . . and what? Well, you get my point.
And there you have it. We traversed the daunting route from Vancouver, BC to Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. Now Lisa and I can catch a couple of ferries, a free shuttle service for cyclists and cross a few bridges to downtown Vancouver from little ole Port Angeles and back without use of a car. Mass transit and bicycles only please. Pretty cool. We'll be trying this again in the near future to watch some Canuckle-headed hockey games for sure.
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