Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Worst Day of the Year ride report (w/ photos)

Portland has an annual tradition in the Worst Day of the Year ride (http://worstdayride.com/). It's an 18-mile urban trek through the city, with plenty of rest-stops, and is known for its costumed riders and a fun party atmosphere.

There is also a longer 40-mile "challenge loop" that sends you over the West Hills out to Hillboro and back. I had originally planned to do that ride, but this morning I went outside around 7 AM and experienced some chilly rain, and decided to stick with the 18-miler. Ironically the rain stopped by the 10 AM start time and it was sunny by the end of the ride. Oh well...

I did not show any Portland spirit with a costume, but I've decided that I definitely need to put one together for future rides. I'm thinking a Cthulhu (HP Lovecraft) themed outfit would be fun. :)

Anyway, onto the photos...

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/worst_day_ride_feb09/00005_G.800x600.jpg

A sea of cyclists at the start. The total number of riders reached their limit of 3,000.

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/worst_day_ride_feb09/00012_G.800x600.jpg

Bzzzzzz!

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/worst_day_ride_feb09/00015_G.800x600.jpg

Riding along the waterfront MUP.

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/worst_day_ride_feb09/00017_G.800x600.jpg

Crossing the Broadway Bridge.

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/worst_day_ride_feb09/00022_G.800x600.jpg

Riding up N Williams.

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/worst_day_ride_feb09/00029_G.800x600.jpg

Some showed more spirit than others...

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/worst_day_ride_feb09/00031_G.800x600.jpg

A victory meal of spinach lentil soup and bread.

Enjoy,

Scott

...I'm thinking a Cthulhu (HP Lovecraft) themed outfit would be fun...

Looking forward to it but mind those dangling tentacles ;)

Judging by the sand storm reports on bikeportland you've had the worst weather already.

I find it amusing that the last couple worst day rides had really nice weather.

Looks like a fun ride.

Enjoyed the pictures...well, up until the spinich lentil soup that is. LOL

I find it amusing that the last couple worst day rides had really nice weather.

Yeah... it freakin' sucks. The ride never lives up to its billing. My wife and I went out riding the day before (Valentine's Day) and we got snowed/sleeted/rained on.

I had my hopes up when I left on the Worst Day Ride- dark, cold & windy. But the wind was a tailwind through the Pearl District and Washington Park. Great! A tailwind up a 10% grade! Ya-hoo-freakin'-skippy! I managed the whole climb with only one short stretch on the granny ring. The wind kicked me sideways a bit on the descent into Beaverton, but I was cruising comfortably when we hit the rest stop at REI in Hillsboro.

The climb going back was uneventful, but the overcast was breaking up by the time I got to Skyline Blvd. It wasn't enough to dry out the roads, so I took it easy on the descent back into town. It was getting sunny when I got back to REI in downtown, so the rest of the "urban" course was a yawner, aside from dodging a couple of parent/kidback/trailer trains.

Dang it, when they advertise the "Worst Day of the Year", I want to see some carnage! Rain! Hail! Plague of locusts! Cats living with dogs, genuine Armageddon stuff! If I wanted sunshine, I would have stayed in Southern California!

Oh, wait:
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//090216/483/68f69fcf0a7f4dfc9f963a5e2b4a1909/