Mechanical failure made me miss the ride. OK, so it was user negligence, but whatever.

Threw a chain on the way to the ferry going down pine st. Rear wheel locked up, I went down, chain was jammed in between the cog and the spokes. After 15 min or so of trying to yank it out I gave up, that thing was really stuck in there. Took it to the shop later in the day and they had to loosen lockring and cog to get it out.

So my chilly hilly ride ended before it even started, but I learned a painful lesson to check my chain tension more often.

I plan to at least go out one weekend soon and ride the route though.

I was the only person who was untrusting enough to stay with his bike. One person hooked a carbon bike to the front of the ferry by the handlebars, and it was blowing in the wind. Made me cringe.

There were a lot of pirates.

I was surprised how many people got off to push up the hills.

man, thats sucks.

if you go, i'll go with you, i'd love to do it on my fixed gear

Frog Rock!

I hung around on deck with my bike, but only because I don't like going in and warming up, then having to get used to the cold again.

Pirates? Do you mean bandits? (people riding the route w/o registering). Point83 runs their annual FHR (effing Hills Race) on the same day, over the same course, every year. Supposedly they don't use the CH stop. The rest of the course (ferry, roads, fundraiser stands) are all open facilities and technically anyone can use them.

I'm never suprised to see people walking up the hills.

I agree and I was one of them. As a person who used the forums "history" to judge how hard the course was/is, I think that it should be made clear that there ARE at least two nasty hills on the course. Many history posts claim the course is "easy" - its not. At least not to the newbie/heavy cyclist. Many, many people pushed up those hills and to disregard them as "minimal" is doing a dis-service to the hobby and the attraction of long-term riders who may feel less that worthy for pushing on the hills.

I had a few people comment to me that they "had to push on some of the hills", my reply, "be proud, you are out here in the freezing cold and traveling around an island under your own steam - an awesome accomplishment"...

Most of the hills are minimal. There are the two right and proper buggers that are nothing to sneeze at. Between the temperatures, layers of clothing, and the fact that it's many people's first outdoor ride of the season, there's no wonder as to the pushing. Especially when I look at the bikes being pushed: Lots of racing rigs with standard cranks and leeetle teeny cassettes. Not really a hill-stomping setup.

With this year's weather you're right, though; anyone who stuck it out should be proud of themselves. It lived up to the Chilly part of the name with a vengeance.

There were about 50 to 75 people on the ferry I took ( going west ) with Jolly Roger "flags" tacked to their backs where the Cascadia folk had there numbers. I asked someone what club they were with, but didn't understand the mumbled response. Would that be Point83? I've been invited to ride with them ... but haven't (yet).

Yep, that was them.
They're entitled to having their own fun, but I've never understood the necessity to do so at the expense of another club. (Even if that club is CBC)

I guess I'm just not punk any more.