#14 ~ Day Off In Baker City
 

Hi
I am here in baker city and taking a earned day off. Yesterday i did find tires however i couldnt fins a 32 only 37's I only wanted to buy one tire but didnt want mis matched sizes especially loaded and going down Mc Kinzie pass in a few days most likley i the rain again according to the weather dude. Sooo i ended up making a deal with the bikle shop guy for 2 tires and he let me use the bike stand and and any tools i wanted to work on my bike. got the tires mounted and decided to put new brake pads on also. My brakes still had some ware on them but were pretty close to needing replaced. I changed them and can now not think about that.

Lastnight i was hungry for what else? Chineese food ( i could live on that stuff) I walked over and got a nice meal and couldnt finish it so i had the rest for lunch today.

got up early today this pacific time zone is so cool i can sleep late and it is still early when i get up. called a friend and had a ncie chat with her was nice to hear her familiar voice again. Last night i called the sister also and got a surprise I had a check for 181 dollars from a place i did some coaching that i forgot all about. This is good timimg as i had a bill also for 176 bucks for gravel i bought from the township. i guess i tall really does come out even in the end.

just hanging out today I worked on the bicycle took it all apart cleaned the drive line lubed everything and adjusted all the cables and shoudl be good to go in the morning. The weather is changing again it is cooler now and chance of rain. this after noon and tonight but sunny tomorrow. YThe nights are going to get into the upper 30's next few nights.

Tomorrow the ride takes me over 3 big hills not quite mountians. all top out at over 5,000 ft but i am starting at almost 3,000 ft for the first one so it isnt as tuff as it could be. The choices are stop short between the second and third climb and camp behind a store i know about or continue over the 3rd and get into Prairie city where there is camping in the city park. next day I aim for Dayville and the church has a hall available to touring cyclists to stay in with a kitchen and showers. then on to sisters and mc kinzie pass unless i drop down into Bend i most likley wont see a computer for a while when i get to Florance out on the coast That shgould be 4-6 days depending on some things like weather wind and what i decide to go see off the route.

C/F

I finally got to catch up today. I agree that your adventures should be put into a book, maybe a how to book for those of us who would like to be like you one day. I just completed the Cream City Century ride a few days ago. It was my big accomplishment of the summer. That combined with the 75 mile Miller Ride and 62 mile River Edge rides along with a few other long rides have really made for a great summer of biking in spite of the mostly cruddy weather we had earlier.

Look forward to hearing more when you return. Be safe

Have we ridden so many miles yet that we've lost count? I'd love to hear some statistics...how many miles, how many days, how many rabid dogs chasing you, how many calories you think you consume a day, how many near misses by motor vehicles, how many sunny days, how many rainy days... Oh, yeah, any heart rate statistics? (You know me, I gotta ask!) KK

Catfish,
It's great hearing tales of the great wide West and sharing them with students. They just eat it up.
We really miss you. Glad you got some cash, I know the feeling. Would you mind if I printed out your log
and let others read it? Also, someone named Jeff asked how to get in touch, so I gave him this address,
he seemed like an okay guy, someone you might be interested in talking with whenever you get back.
Remember, stay in the saddle and squeeze those knees on the way down.

Ellen

CR
you are doing great on the bicycle I stuill remember the ride we took together last summer you ar very strong and fast. The creeam City ride is one i allways wanted to do and never had the opportunity yet keep turning those pedals
C/F

KK
I just knwew you would be asking about stistics. I want to ask you about the results iof those power cranks you were training with a couple winters ago.

Miles so far is like 2,000 I think i am at 41 days but i would have to check my journal to be sure. Ribid dogs i can count on one hand I am forcefull with them and usually scare them more than they scare me these days. A while back maybe last tour i met a guy named Mike and he had a partricular way of dealing with dogs. When they cam afterhim he let them chase him untillthey got tired or at the end of their territiory then he would turn on them and start chasing them and screaming and snarling at them it was quite a sight to see, but you most likley had to be there, calories per day a lot think of the fuel it take3s to turn pedals for a one day ride. 60 to 80miles per day then again the next day and again the next It seems like i spend more money on food then shelter. I sleep outside in a lot of free places and sometimes pay to camp or a motel.

Near misses with vehicals? a few most drivers respect a touring biker some do not respect anyone. One trucker in particular abouit ran me off the road ther was no place for me to go i was right on the edge of the road and then ther was a drop off into a ditch the opposite lane was open for as far as you could see he coul;d have moved over even a few inches. Instead he decided to teach me a lesson i guess. if this rig had been any closer it would have been on top of me. i could see him looking in the mirror so i gave him the ole finger.... then he blew the air horn and i gtave him the whole arm! he began to slow diown with the jake brake and i thought ok here we go a show down but i am thinking he decided it wasnt worth his time and he jacked it back up and kept going. but realkly most driovers are very good about givuibg space where there is roopm for them.

Going up some switch backs i am clogging along at 3-4 mph and if i can find a place to move out of the way i do otherwise i hold my line. I tell you some of thes trucks pulling duble trailers cause a problem. on a fast section of hy as a truck comes by the slip streem pushes you out twords the edge of the road so to compensate yopu steer slightly twords the truck to keep going in a straight line if you dont realize it si a dubble trailer then during the gap between the two all of a suden there is no force pushiung yopu outword and you are headed towrd the truck it takes quick action to keep going straight.

When a truck comes by too close for comofrt because there is no place for hiom to go you look straight ahead and hold your line if you look at the truck you will veer that way.

Sunny days rainy days? i dont know lots of sun lots of rain some times HOT HUMID windy rainy cold wet its all there I take what ever i get and deal witrh it. Some days i leave ion the morning in the rain because it is better than jsut hanging in one spot geting wet and it getrs better as the day goes on sometimes i make a mistake . If it is froggy i stay off trhe road.

Heart rate stuff.... yea we can have greatr lengthy disscussions about that. you and I have similiar views about training with HR and understanding AT I got new thoughts on stuff cioncerning that and what i discovered with these rides now.

Hey Ellen,

if someone wants tro read send them here and let them make a post. i really enjoy logging on and finding some one took the time and interest to leave ame a message... thanks for checking in