Tandem Cycling - NWTR McMinnville

Hello from McMinnville, OR. Trudy and I just finished the 65-mile medium ride through fabulous Oregon rolling wine country. There are at least 350 tandem teams, and we were spread across the entire width of the road just like a European pro race on the first climb out of McMinnville (oops). We were following a quad with husband, wife, and two kids and they were just zipping up that hill. The kids (couldn't have been older than eight or ten) high-fived each other when they hit the summit. Later we passed a tandem hauling a trailer containing Mattie the Dog (he had his own license plate). Some very light showers about mid-point, but warm. Tailwinds out, headwinds back home, as well as some steeper climbs near the end.

Fabulous organization; they even had this cat over at one of the stoplights whose job was to push the button for the green light, and this was just on the 2-km way to the mass start from the registration area.

Hot tub at the Red Lion after the ride, then over to McMenamin's Pub for a pint before the ice cream social. Life is good...

L.

Looks like it rained some on the 4th, and more on the 5th?

How was it overall? We're new to the tandem world, and thinking about going next year.

We rode both days as well - and will be riding out of West Salem today where we are staying with our friends.

We were there on Friday only. We rode the 65-miler and you are right; there were headwinds coming back and the hills seemed a lot steeper on the backside. Talked to the people with the quad, leapfrogged the people with the dog trailer, also saw a triple. We were told that there was a quint there too, but we didn't see it. On the way back to Carlton we were passed by a 6-tandem paceline that was really cooking. It tried to rain a couple of times but not enough to get us wet. Had a great time.

Here's a few. I'll post more tomorrow.





Guess who?

On the way back to Carlton we were passed by a 6-tandem paceline that was really cooking. It tried to rain a couple of times but not enough to get us wet. Had a great time.
That musta been our bullet train. :thumb:

Hey, if it don't rain, it ain't Oregon. ;)

That quint is awesome. They've got a fortune in S&S couplers on that beast.

Though, I can't imagine stopping that thing with rim brakes in a panic situation.

I don't think they went very fast. but then again, I didn't actually see them riding on the road.

More pics:

Xtracycle bus on US 97 North, on the side of Upper Klammath Lake, mobin towards Bend, OR.


Us!


This one weighed 26.5 lbs fully built (w/ pedals & cages), double chainring


Another Machiatto

Roads in OR are amazingly well maintained. The roads we rode on were worlds away from what we have in NorCal. California, keep dreamin'!








Us and the rack guy.


Happy 4th!!

Great photos! Thanks for giving us that print at the banquet. It was nice meeting you and your wife. We had a great time and you are right - the roads are incredible and the roads we did on the 50 miler we did on Sunday were even better. Can't wait for the next two rally's!

Madame Butterfat ! I remember you guys, we did some turns in the small pace line on Friday 80 mile ride and again next day you two fallowed us to the one of the rest stop , we were moving at good clip!

We rode blue/white fade Co Motion Robusta with US national jerseys on 4th of July day & blue white jmatch jerseys on Saturday. Rode are sure smooth in the Willamette valley and hardly any trafic! great Fun!
See you guys next year!

Les & Cheryl Korcala
North Bend, Washington

We rode both Friday and Saturday but needed plenty of stops with our young son on the back. The weather was fabulous - For Friday, some sun, lots of clouds in the sky, a very light drop of rain. Overcast but warm on Saturday and again a very light drop of rain.

Ryan's trailer had his/its own name placard and it was fantastic how many people said hello specifically to Ryan as we were being passed on the road. Ryan loved the attention and kept looking back down the road waiting for the next team to pass us. Thank you!



A big thanks to Southwest Airlines - 5 bags in total - 3 bags were bikes - 1 bag for helmets and stuff and 1 clothes bag for the three of us and zero issues from the Skycaps and Airline.

Madame Butterfat ! I remember you guys, we did some turns in the small pace line on Friday 80 mile ride and again next day you two fallowed us to the one of the rest stop , we were moving at good clip!
Thanks for the pull! Hopefully we'll be in better shape next time and we'll return the favor. :thumb:

The Evergreen Tandem Club's official photographer (the president's wife/stoker) took 300 photos of the NWTR. If you were there, you're probably in one of them.

http://sports.webshots.com/slideshow/564078608NbOjNk (http://sports.webshots.com/slideshow/564078608NbOjNk)http://sports.webshots.com/slideshow/564078608NbOjNk (http://sports.webshots.com/slideshow/564078608NbOjNk)

Thanks for the links swc!

Some favorites:

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(http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2634942970043069569ipcZJw)



(http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2100163780043069569mluonr)



[URL=http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2037964550043069569pfjinh] (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2144599180043069569rPDhiE)

Thanks for the links swc!

Some favorites:





My wife and I agree 100% :)

Great shots!