Reach the BEACH

[Ticia]

Thought I'd start a new thread for this special occasion since we ripped off the cookie thread so badly.

Dh says I should go for the reach the beach ride so we can have a little family vacation out of it :D. I'm still thinking it will be too much to juggle...unless I talk my dear friend into attempting the fun with me. The mention of beer at the Pelican pub practically sold me :p So post all your Reach the Beach comments here people!

[papawizo]

When is Reach? Is the Pelican in Pacific City at Cape Kawanda? If so, I rode through there Saturday. It was a beautiful day and the sights were great.
PW

[HardyWeinberg]

http://rtb.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=256132

[Deanoldo]

I did the 35 mile mountain bike option with my wife years ago. In fact, I didn't even own a road bike back then (I'm a semi-converted MTBer..) The off road section was just gravel roads, so a person could do it on a cross bike if they wanted to... There were a couple of really steep sections, but the views could not be beat. It just hasn't fit in with the schedule, so I haven't done it again. I do remember sitting in the pub there on Cape Kiwanda... drinking beer and watching the Trailblazers fold up like a cheap lawn chair against the hated Lakers..... ;)

Dean

[nwduffer]

Thinking about it...might even get my single speed buddy to do his 2nd ride ever on this one :)

Paul

[keithm0]

Kasia & I registered yesterday; we're doing the 100-ish mile ride from Portland.

[Ticia]

Paul,
How was your friend the next day? I hope he didn't have to hit the Glucosamine too hard :p. I'm starting to consider this ride. I'm sick :(, no I'm not, yes I am...in denial. With 3 kids who have been sick for the past week I don't know *why* I believed it would avoid me:rolleyes:. I'm trying to stay optimistic. I'll be heading out on a group ride in the morning if my body doesn't succumb.

[cdotbois]

Paul,
How was your friend the next day? I hope he didn't have to hit the Glucosamine too hard :p. I'm starting to consider this ride. I'm sick :(, no I'm not, yes I am...in denial. With 3 kids who have been sick for the past week I don't know *why* I believed it would avoid me:rolleyes:. I'm trying to stay optimistic. I'll be heading out on a group ride in the morning if my body doesn't succumb.

Optimism is half the battle!

[nwduffer]

Paul,
How was your friend the next day? I hope he didn't have to hit the Glucosamine too hard :p. I'm starting to consider this ride. I'm sick :(, no I'm not, yes I am...in denial. With 3 kids who have been sick for the past week I don't know *why* I believed it would avoid me:rolleyes:. I'm trying to stay optimistic. I'll be heading out on a group ride in the morning if my body doesn't succumb.

He is doing great...I think a little tired and a little sore (big surprise) in the 'lower regions' but he's just an animal that way. If you said 'hey, a bunch of us are going to sit in a tank with no oxygen and see who can make it the longest,' he'd be in. After a meal at their house early on in our friendship, around 10 pm he said, 'well, I'd better get ready for my run." I couldn't figure out if he was going to the late night athletic club or what, but him and some buddies were running from East Salem up to Silver Creek Falls, and back! He was strapping on his hydration pack and running shoes! Insane!

I'll still probably get him some more gears for this ride though...

Hope you're feeling better.
Paul

[gew0419]

Here I sit one week away from the reach the beach event. It's going to be my first looooong ride on my bent I got at the beginning of 07. Last year on my 51st birthday I decided to go for a 51 mile ride. By the time I got home I had gone 67 miles. At the end of it I felt great and decided I could do more. So here I am a year later getting ready to do 100 miles. I sometimes think I am sick or crazy, but I am really looking forward to it. I don't know if I will be the only bent on the ride...I hope not. I may come in dead last (or just dead) but I am looking forward to sharing a beer with any of you bent or up right riders who are going to be there. I'll be easy to spot. I'm the old bald guy on the ez sport who is constantly saying oh, ow, ouch!!!

[keithm0]

I'm *so* looking forward to this ride! Here's an unofficial map of the 100-mile route: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/or/portland/447411367 (I made this by cobbling together the various route fragments on the event web site).

Kasia & I went to Pacific City a couple of weekends ago for an unrelated event. On the way there we drove the 100-mile route. The route meanders through forests, orchards, farms, and small towns. It should be a beautiful ride.

[Ticia]

I'm also really looking forward to this ride. It will be my first century :)

[CliftonGK1]

Keith, you and Kasia have fun with RtB tomorrow! Pictures, please!
I'll take some pix and collect pix from the rest of Team Bio-Rad at the TdC up here in Seattle.

[Ticia]

:cry: I have puking sick children, thus I'm out for the ride tomorrow. I'm so sad:(. Being a Mommy takes priority over the bike ride planning once again. Have a good ride and I expect pictures. Have fun everyone:D Have a beer for me:thumb:

[gew0419]

what a great ride yesterday!!!

[cdotbois]

:cry: I have puking sick children, thus I'm out for the ride tomorrow. I'm so sad:(. Being a Mommy takes priority over the bike ride planning once again. Have a good ride and I expect pictures. Have fun everyone:D Have a beer for me:thumb:

Aw, you missed the Cookie, too. Well, so did I, but I made this one! Just got back. Will update: pictures, etc.

It was my first century, too. Almost made it two coming back. Longest ride I've done before this was 35 miles, not counting 45 miles spread throughout one day commuting errands back and forth.

[keithm0]

Quickie Ride Report:

* My bike had mechanical problems (misbehaving rear disc brake), which took time to repair. We planned to start as soon after the 7:00am registration as possible, but we didn't hit the road until about 8:40 (we were some of the last to leave)
* More mechanical problems (misbehaving rear derailleur), repaired at first rest stop.
* It was hot. Very hot. Too hot. The official highs were in the 93-95 range (30 above normal). At one point the temperature readout on my friend's cyclo computer (while cruising on sun-baked asphalt) showed 104.
* Kasia & my friend Emily dropped-out at the 50 mile point due to heat exhaustion.
* My friend Mike made it to about the 95 mile point before dropping-out due to time pressure.
* The rest stops where rather close together -- I would guess they averaged 13 or 14 miles between stops. Still, I managed to completely drain both of my watter bottles several times.
* I made it to Pacific City just in time to jump on the 7:00pm bus back to Portland. No time for beer, shower, beer, food, or even beer :(.
* When Kasia got on the SAG wagon, I forgot to get the sunscreen from here. I was sweating so much the sunscreen needed frequent renewal; I now have nasty sunburns on my arms and just above my knees.
* We'll definitely do this again next year, but we'll a) plan our stops more efficiently, and b) sacrifice a goat to the weather gods.

Overall, I'd say the ride was well organized and mostly well marked (although I have a few suggestions for next year). The volunteers were all friendly and helpful. I only wish I'd gotten to PC in time to party.

[Ticia]

Aw, you missed the Cookie, too. Well, so did I, but I made this one! Just got back. Will update: pictures, etc.

It was my first century, too. Almost made it two coming back. Longest ride I've done before this was 35 miles, not counting 45 miles spread throughout one day commuting errands back and forth.

:( I know I just cannot try to actually plan something or the bike Gods/Goddess' work against me :notamused: My poor daughter can finally keep food down after 48 hours...poor thing.

Good for you!!! You made it that is amazing that you did a century and your longest consecutive miles have only been 35! Awesome:thumb:

[Ticia]

Quickie Ride Report:

* My bike had mechanical problems (misbehaving rear disc brake), which took time to repair. We planned to start as soon after the 7:00am registration as possible, but we didn't hit the road until about 8:40 (we were some of the last to leave)
* More mechanical problems (misbehaving rear derailleur), repaired at first rest stop.
* It was hot. Very hot. Too hot. The official highs were in the 93-95 range (30 above normal). At one point the temperature readout on my friend's cyclo computer (while cruising on sun-baked asphalt) showed 104.
* Kasia & my friend Emily dropped-out at the 50 mile point due to heat exhaustion.
* My friend Mike made it to about the 95 mile point before dropping-out due to time pressure.
* The rest stops where rather close together -- I would guess they averaged 13 or 14 miles between stops. Still, I managed to completely drain both of my watter bottles several times.
* I made it to Pacific City just in time to jump on the 7:00pm bus back to Portland. No time for beer, shower, beer, food, or even beer :(.
* When Kasia got on the SAG wagon, I forgot to get the sunscreen from here. I was sweating so much the sunscreen needed frequent renewal; I now have nasty sunburns on my arms and just above my knees.
* We'll definitely do this again next year, but we'll a) plan our stops more efficiently, and b) sacrifice a goat to the weather gods.

Overall, I'd say the ride was well organized and mostly well marked (although I have a few suggestions for next year). The volunteers were all friendly and helpful. I only wish I'd gotten to PC in time to party.

Keith,
I bet the heat got to a lot of people...us NW'ers aren't used to such high temps. 104!!:twitchy: Yikes:eek:
I see you really missed the beer:p...I hope you got one when you were back home :lol: Good for you for making it through to the end and I hope Kasia and your friend didn't get too sick :( Heat exhaustion is the worst feeling. You get so mad knowing you could go on if you weren't just totally zapped from the heat. So frustrating.

[CliftonGK1]

It wasn't even triple digits on the Tour de Cure, and there were some people who SAGged out from the heat.

I felt worst for this kid around the 50 mile mark who spent the morning trying to hang with the Amgen paceline and blew up really hard. As in, got off the bike and sat in the middle of the road while someone fed him e-caps and water until the ambulance got there.
Another few people made it to the top of the hill at 92 miles, hit the rest station, and sat in the shade for a long time.
The heat this weekend was brutal all across the area. I'm waiting to see some ride reports from the Randonneurs' 3-pass brevet.

[cdotbois]

I didn't find the heat to be too bad, and I am definitely more of a freeze to death than a burn to death person. We left from Corvallis at 7:30 after getting a ride from Salem as the route from there is much more pleasant, and when we stopped in Logsden at 10:30 or 11, the temperature was already 85ºF. It wasn't overwhelming, though. I drank plenty, probably refilled my two bottles 3 or 4 times each way, but I wasn't clammy or sweating hardly at all. There were lots of shaded areas on our route, and of course, the closer to the coast we got, the cooler it became. Others in our group of 4 said they were dripping like mad at other times, though, so heat was definitely an issue for some.

After a few troubles, only two of us made it into Pacific City at 5:30. We broke a spoke early on after riding through 1/2 mile of gravel on Logsden Road, which we eventually got trued enough so it wouldn't rub on the fenders but was still giving some feedback each revolution. One of our riders cramped up a little past halfway and ended up stopping in agony after we made it over Neskowin Mountain, so he took off from Neskowin with his wife to go home and another rider stayed with his spouse at the motel.

This was my first century, and I liked it pretty well. The route in had some really cool pieces of road that I'd call the nicest I've ever ridden. We averaged 14 mph something despite our troubles, and sometimes we'd be bustling at 20+ to catch some bunnies. =)

Pacific City was a grand site, with all the bikes and the cheering as we crossed the line. While I wasn't exhausted from the heat, I was definitely dead tired and hungry when we got there. By 5:30, we could tell the party was winding down, but there were still bunches of cars on the beach and hundreds of bikes parked in the racks. I couldn't have asked for better weather, but no doubt, others would have preferred less heat. It beats the rain however, I say.

The ride back was equally as pleasant. A little cooler, and we saw much more riders coming that way. (Our way in wasn't designated RTB.)

Here are the routes we took in and out:
Route going out from Corvallis (http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1908651)
Route coming into Salem (http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1908703)

And some pictures:


Leaving from Salem
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/th_3c8cf96a-1.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/3c8cf96a-1.jpg)

Some opted to walk the gravel on Logsden Road.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/th_5e09e70f.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/5e09e70f.jpg)

The roads were consistently pretty smooth and traffic-less, not counting 101. We hardly had a car back the whole time both days.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/th_3b8bf346.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/3b8bf346.jpg)

The Siletz River was so blue!
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/th_7a4c8626.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/7a4c8626.jpg)

Crappy spur of the moment pano from PC. I was super tired and wasn't thinking of my placement, so this really doesn't show much or represent the energy that was to be felt down on the shore. All the people were closer to the beach and not in the picture. There really was great camaraderie.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/th_4c427423.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/4c427423.jpg)

A better pano of our balcony at the Neskowin Resort. Beautiful night. I actually put the roll away out on the deck and slept out there.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/th_cfe92a3c.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/cfe92a3c.jpg)

The morning was cooler and foggy but no rain. It cleared up awfully quickly as we moved inland,
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/th_a20e4561.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/a20e4561.jpg)

so it really ended up being like this once we got onto Little Nestucca Highway
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/th_07201fd5.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/07201fd5.jpg)

The surfaces were good on that road, too, until Hebo road I think. Rough, plus intermittent grooved pavement then.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/th_75fcd897-1.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/75fcd897-1.jpg)


There were a lot of nice little bridges along the Nestucca River.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/th_91798e2e.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Reach%20the%20Beach%2020080517%2020080518/91798e2e.jpg)

[formulaben]

Doh! :cry: I wish I could have been there...oh well, just a couple more weeks until the Doc clears me to ride (I hope.)

[Ticia]

Great pictures, it looked like a wonderful ride.

[gew0419]

Great pictures, it looked like a wonderful ride.

It WAS a wonderful ride. Also my first century. Maybe not my last. I'm getting a lot of pressure to do the Cycle Oregon. It sounds like a blast, and now that I know I can do it. I am considering it.
i left the start at 7:30 and got to PC at around 5:40.
I didn't know it got that hot, but I do know I was drinking warm water most of the trip. I don't think the rest stops were too close together...but that's just me.
At mile 73 or so I stopped and laid down in the shade and was sure I was going to die there. Instead I prayed and got back on my Sun EZ-sport and got the strength to make it the rest of the way.
All the volunteers at all the rest stops were great. I only wish they would have had some ice somewhere along the way.
The beer at the Pelican was GREAT! I met some really nice people along the way. Everyone was so encouraging to me and to each other. WHAT A GREAT EXPERIENCE! One I will never forget.