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Blackberry Bramble
Bridge Pedal
Chilly Hilly
Community Cycling Century
Covered Bridge Tour
Ice Cream Classic
Blackberry Bramble – 1999
We rode the Black Berry Bramble Century last weekend in Eugene. It was an excellent ride, 100 miles and a lot of uphills. We rode on a Burley tandem mountain bike. I guess my problem is I do like to smell the roses and water a tree or two. That is what it's all about. It was a good training ride, excellent food breaks, excellent tech support and a lot of great people running it. This year was the first annual and there was about 180 riders. Oh yeah!!!! Excellent, great and juicy BLACK BERRY PIE and ice cream after a hard day's work. Do it next year you'll be glad you did.
Lorren
Bridge Pedal – 1999
This is a FUN ride. Only the miles count as training for CO. At least you will keep your knees loose.
On the long ride, you will only gain around 1200 feet, and most of that will be slow. The only "significant" hill is the approach road to the St. Johns Bridge.
That said, the Bridge Pedal remains a kick. Expect lots of little people with streamers on their handlebars. If it is strange and people powered, it will be there. Expect to see innovative home-built bikes.
It is one of my MUST rides every year.
Curt Coleman
This ride is really a blast! It's strictly for fun, though. You have to allow for a lot of folks who are not "serious" cyclists or very experienced at riding in groups. I always hope they will have a great time and want to ride more! It's a great event for promoting bike commuting and recreational cycling in the city.
Susan Christie
Bob and I will be doing the long ride in the middle of the "slow" pack and maybe we will see you somewhere. We will have our 12 year old with us and his average speed on the flats is around 12 mph. This is a great ride to introduce the younger family members to cycling and get them "hooked" on it. Lots of fun and excitement. Kind of a carnival atmosphere.
Last year for no good reason both Robbin and I broke spokes on it - mine was about 1/2 mile into the ride. His was just after the St. Johns Bridge. We both managed to finish just fine. Talk about weird coincidences!
Rox Heath
This is definitely the best way to do the bridge ride - I always take the largest, heaviest, slowest piece of machinery that I own. It's usually good for a few conversations & I have no mindset whatsoever of riding hard, sucking someone’s wheel & missing the entire reason for the ride.
Ken Cregger
The boys and I will be in the "slow" group, too. (They don't ride much so 12~13 mph is about all I can coax/cajole out of them <g>.) But we'll be there!
Igor....
You'll be lucky if you get to ride that fast for much of the Bridge Pedal! In a mob of 10,000 bikes, speed is definitely not the focus. It's a carnival ride--lots of fun, socializing, high spirits, and hilarity, a sense of community feeling, and great joy that the cars are gone, for this brief moment in time...
People that try to take it seriously, as some kind of sporting event, may not have very much fun.
Susan Christie
Be sure and bring your camera! It is great to stand on the top deck of some of these bridges and take pictures. Last year the fire boat was out spraying water, too.
Saw a lady with her dog in a milk crate fastened to the back of her bike. And we saw a lot of "differently-engineered" bikes. Also saw several of our friends we had no idea were going. At least in the main pack, people are out for amusement and entertainment.
Rox Heath
All you local Portland area riders know everything there is to know about the Bridge Pedal event. I checked out the website and found no information about the ride just the registration form and pictures. I can't make it but I would still like to know the purpose of this ride besides a great time. Why so many people?
Nanette Hoheisel
Matt and I live in Corvallis and we've been to the last two Bridge Pedal events. It seems to me an important purpose, in addition to having a great time, is to celebrate mainstream bicycling (not elite sports cycling, mountain biking, etc.) and to give it some visibility. It's to point out that bikes are an important part of the transportation mix and that cycling is a healthy and fun activity.
The main thing, though, is just to have a wonderful time biking the bridges of Portland free from motorized traffic, for this brief moment in time... People love it! All kinds and ages of riders, with every skill level.
Susan Christie
According to the brochure from Bridge Pedal the beneficiaries are The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA), The Willamette Light Brigade (WLB) and Providence Health System supporting services for older adults.
Check out the BTA at http:www.bta4bikes.org
The WLB is a non-profit volunteer organization whose mission is to light the Willamette River bridges in Portland.
For me, one of the big draws is that the top decks of the Marquam and Fremont bridges (the big ones) are completely closed to motorized traffic. Two years ago a couple got married on top of the Fremont and had tables out with wedding cake for all who wanted. Just a big fun time with bikes as the focal point!
Pete Miller
Also, the Marquam and Fremont bridges Pete refers to above are Interstate freeway bridges that we don't normally get to stand on to look at the scenery from. Just zip across in a car (or get stuck in a traffic jam). Anyhow, they are very tall and offer beautiful views.
Rox Heath
WHAT IT IS:
This is a ride to have fun with. This is a ride with which to savor really good views of the City of Roses. This is a ride to make your cycling statement to Portland and Oregon. This is a ride to witness the lunatic fringe of non-conventional bikes and cyclists. This is a ride which allows you to view every kind of bike.
WHAT IT IS NOT:
This is not a ride you should do for intense Cycle Oregon training. This is not a ride in which you can go as fast as you might if nobody else was around. This is not a ride to challenge your long distance riding skills. This is not a ride to challenge your long - steep hill climbing skills.
Bring your camera and build your own rogues' gallery of Psycho Oregon riders - - in addition to capturing those unusual views of Portland.
Curt Coleman
The Bridge pedal is a blast - it gets you used to the idea that not everyone on the planet neeeeds to average 21 MPH
Ken Cregger
Chilly - Hilly – ers – 2001
The day was beautiful indeed!!! I made the mistake of wearing my polar fleece lined winter cycling pants since I was scraping ice off my windshield before leaving Olympia. After a few hills I was terribly overheated so while I dressed down in the sun on top of a hill, I decided to get down to my shorts. Didn't for long though. As usual, the Chilly Hilly stood behind its name! Right after I ran into Don "yes him" Bolton and Jason Penney at the first rest stop I had my winter pants back on!!
Very crowded event this year, the sunshine brought cyclists out from everywhere. I saw several problems because of the number of riders and hills. Mostly this scenerio: If you got caught in a pack of cyclists going up a steep hill you were usually in trouble. (I really tried to stay away from packs). A cyclist would either sway in front of you trying to keep his/her balance at such a low speed or they'd give up on the hill entirely and stop, without sparing a second to look behind them. Either of these situations would make you stop in your tracks so you wouldn't crash into them or the rider next to you. Then of course, try getting back on your bike in the middle of a steep hill with several cyclists around. No way, you're walking like it or not. I had a great time, but this year was a little too crowded for me.
Nanette "Greatful for the sunshine" Hoheisel
Saw Jim & Ann Morrow and then Ted & Nancy Magnuson at breakfast. Ann - so sorry you didn't get to ride.
Saw Nanette on the ferry, both ways. Dave said he saw Don Bolton, Jason Penney and another friend of ours, KB, rode with them until an uphill. Then so long.
The weather could not have been better for Chilly Hilly. This was our 3rd one and definitely the best, weather wise. Mid 50's in the sunshine - upper 40's in the shade. Great views. But a gazillion people. I think the highest number I spotted was 3543. It did get kind of hairy in the crowds on the uphills. Just had to really watch all around you. There were a couple downhills that could have been REALLY fast, but I had to brake because of too many people ahead of me, or, in one case, one person ahead of me who was all over the road and didn't hear my "on your left", so I just stayed behind, braking. Was too nice a day to get upset with anyone. Only bad part of my day, was losing my cycle-computer. I assume on one of the downhills, probably the one where I hit a small hole and I bounced pretty good. Felt something hit my foot - thought it was a rock; guess not. So now I'm going computer shopping, again.
Good to see everyone, and really looking forward to seeing more of you on the road sometime real soon.
Edna
What a beautiful day! Sunshine, clear, snow caps on the Olympic mountains, light breeze, and an air temp cold enough to freeze those things off a brass monkey.:-)
The route has several awesome viewpoints with a lot of just normal (for the Pacific NW) roads. Would have been a good ride but there was the matter of several thousand other cyclists on the same road at the same time. Many of these riders had no group riding skills so the recipe was for close shaves, unexpected stops, and sudden unplanned lane changes.
I managed to avoid two near short staining moments and kept a civil tongue too. (I must be getting old).
It was great seeing Cathy again and riding with Jason, too (well, when I could actually stay with them.) Their overall time was 12 minutes off mine :-( I just didn't quite have the zip on the hills Sunday. I wonder if being ill and not riding much for several weeks prior threw me off that much or if they have made that much progress.
Jason dropped us big time on the first half. I stayed more or less with Cathy for awhile till she motored off on one of the more notable climbs. I ran into Jason at the mid point rest area and we rode much of the remainder together until he motored away several miles from the finish.
This ride is a lot of prep for a short 32 mile pedal. On the other hand it’s over 1900 ft elevation gain. The KOA I parked the RV at was just off what amounts to over 30 miles of paved bicycle trail and I wish I'd had time to explore that. Perhaps *that* will be a motivator to go up next year and take an extra day to do a warm up ride.
Ran into Lisa R at registration, heard Slug Sr (AKA "Bob") holler from within a mass of riding "pylons" during the early going and saw Nanette "goosebumps" H at the mid point rest area.
Was it fun? Sure. Was it a bit too much cycle traffic? UH HUH! Will I do it again? Not certain. Maybe if I get in a good ride the day before.
Don "tired today" Bolton
Note: This ride was cancelled in 2001.
Community Cycling Century (Forest Grove) – 2000
It starts from the Forest Grove high School.
As to routes, unless they change what they have done the past four years... It's a figure "8". The 100 milers do the 60 mile loop return to start, rest, leave out on the 40 mile loop. So you can intend 100 and turn into a slacker at the end of the first loop. Never tried that, instead I always ended up hammering to get back before lunch closed at 4:00.
This is an easy century, I'd guess less than 2,500 ft elevation gain. Worst part is the afternoon breezes/winds heading out to or back from the Jackson Quarry/North Plains area. Normally I leave the triple at home and bring the double for this ride, but I've got its primary wheelset in the shop and its backup wheelset is so rough riding :-(
I'll be the short middle aged guy with the ear to ear grin and a chrome plated looking GT roadbike with blue wheels. If I think soon enough I'll affix my ride mascot to the rear of my Camelback. Could be the Cookie Monster, or Puffer Cow (A dog toy gone bad).
Don "the things you do for lunch" Bolton
Well, five rogue bulls took to the road from the West Union school at 7:15 Sat AM. Interesting to be the "sweepers" on the course...
The ride in a a nutshell... HOT, HEADWINDS at the finish, flat tire city, and did I mention HOT?
The herdlet...
Andrew "0% body fat" Black,
Lonnie "bionic legs" Wormley,
Jason "Xena's trainee success story" Penney,
Ira "I'm right behind you" Pollock,
Don "exploding tires" Bolton
We joined up with the 40 mile loop at mile 13.8 according to last years map and I, at least, was relieved to see the fresh Dan Henry confirming the course hadn't changed drastically. We rolled into the North Plains rest stop long before they were opened and were greeted to Lonnie's rear tire flatting upon our departure.
The rest of the ride to the official start finish was uneventful and we pulled into register at 9:15 ("darn, can't do the hunnert, we're too late") :-). We soldiered along around Hagg Lake eventually reeling in and passing some of the later starters though we had to be among the tail end of the group at the Gaston rest stop.
After leaving Gaston, the course follows a two way "spine" for a long stretch out to Yamhill. Along this stretch we saw a number of familiar faces headed back, Gordon, Bob Heath, Amy to name a few. Last year it was drizzle city thru this section and Jason was stunned to find that "hill" there. (Heat makes that climb a little less tolerable). Approaching the Yamhill rest stop we spotted Edna and Janice heading back.
After the rest stop we headed back out on the road that passed the Willakenzie Winery? Was someone confused there? Pleasant stretch, good 18-20 mph pace, Lonnie languishing several feet off my rear wheel <*BLAM*>! My rear tube exploded like a shotgun blast, (Jason and Ira about a half mile back heard the blast, Lonnie complained of ear damage) the force of which threw my rear tire half off the rim. Control was not possible and I just hoped I'd get stopped before I splatted. Somehow I remained vertical, I don't really know how, however.
I had the same thing happen to my front the night before as I was topping off the pressure *twice*. I ended up replacing the rim tape (the stock Spinergey ribbon had recessed deeply into the spoke holes (tubes were shredding on the rim side)) I figured I'd replace the rear's rim tape as a precaution after the ride. Well, I replaced it in the heat with assistance from four backseat mechanics :-)
Up to this point I had been into a pretty good flow, but now I'm wary of my equipment, forgetting to drink enough and, well, just falling apart (but not quite yet showing the signs). Six miles out from the 62 mile loop finish we encounter Edna and Janice with Edna attempting to fix her seriously holed rear tire for the second time in a hundred yards.
Given that my last ride required I buy a replacement tire en route and the exploding tube antics the night prior I had packed two folding tires just in case. I mounted one of them on Edna's wheel and let her have the honors of pumping it up. (If you have been counting this is the fourth tire I've mounted in less than a 24 hour period. My thumb has its skin split open from the efforts (and I'm partly deaf in my right ear.)) :-)
Back at the official start finish I drank a cola (bad idea.) Shortly upon leaving my stomach began to cramp followed quickly by my hamstrings. At this point we were fighting pretty nasty headwinds. Lonnie and Andrew fortunately took pity on us in the caboose section and took several "regroup" stops so the rolling wounded could catch up.
We rolled back in at close to 5:30 :-( Really only a shade over 7 hours riding time, between the mechanical mayhem, visiting at the school, and the regroups on the finish we had made OK on the road time.
Lonnie, Andrew, and Ira had a few more miles to go as they rode their bikes to our start point and begged out on the tavern burger blast. Got to meet Jason's wife and some of their replacement units while alternately cramping and stuffing my face.
Suddenly, I remembered I hadn't shut off my Vector (cumulative ascent descent and overall time.) I was calling out the total numbers to Jason when the waitress returned with our drinks (poor girl thought I'd put a stopwatch on her). Even worse is when she showed up with the food as then I was wracked in pain with a leg seizure and couldn't move so she could put the plates down for a moment..
All told 3200 plus feet of climb. Not quite as flat as I thought.
Upon inspection I found the rear tire had sustained sidewall cuts during my explosive dismount so I had to toss away a tire with only 107 miles on it. I let the bike shop replace this one and well the tube exploded:-). Some how we had tried to mount a 650 tube (instead of a 700) I mentioned to the mechanic that the size didn't look quite right as he stretched it over the wheel he murmured something about it being relative with these tubes.
Don "so where are we riding this Sat? <*BLAM*>" Bolton
Community Cycling Century (Forest Grove) – 1999
It's very much fun (of course this an unbiased opinion, even though I belong to TNT, the group that sponsors it)! We did it last year and plan to do the metric again this year.
The course is very pretty. On the 60-mile loop, you do a circuit of Hagg Lake and then continue through rolling farmland down to Yamhill before returning to Forest Grove for lunch. Then it's off for forty miles through North Plains, hitting Helvetica and Jackson Quarry Roads. This is not a flat course by any means but it's certainly doable. I don't recall what our total elevation gain for the full course was last year.
Last year there were some WONDERFUL chocolate cookies at the North Plains rest stop - I recommend an early start...
Amy C. Buondonno
Team Tangerine Dream
I have done this ride every year since its inception. Last year, it was my first organized ride on a double chainringed bike. It has hills, but they are short and I can't remember anything all that steep, and nothing long.
If the sun is out IT WILL BE HOT. HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE!
It is a very scenic route, the loops both start and stop at the same point (so you can decide after the 60 miler to pack it in if you begin to fade). My favorite part however is a stretch of downhill in the Jackson Quarry area, Its like a European alpine roadway.
This event has a fun feel, the people manning the rest stops seem to be really enjoying themselves. I remember a tropical theme at one of them. That and large water squirting devices to take the edge off the heat.
Don "I'm there, for the long ride" Bolton
Hope to see some of you there.
I'll be the troll like humanoid with a scruffy attempt at a beard on a polished aluminum GT road bike.
Don "Mongo like road bike" Bolton
[a.k.a. the Forest Grove Century]
Since no one else has written about this ride, I'll throw in my $0.02. This ride is set up to be either a metric century (62.8 mi) or an English century (159 km, for the Englishly impaired). I'd never done it before, but it's been a while since I did one of these longer rides, so I figured it was time.
Saturday in the northern Willamette Valley was typical biker's luck: dense clouds at about 600 ft and rain. "Scattered showers" my ass, this was _rain_. But at least it wasn't cold. After 20 minutes on the bike I was a) wet and b) warm. All things considered, I felt pretty good. I mean, I only had to wipe my glasses every couple of minutes in order to see :-)
[Tecchie note: My foot booties did their job in protecting my feet from road spray, but moisture wicked into my shoes via the socks. Do you suppose something like gaiters would have helped?]
The way this ride works, you start at the high school in the morning, do the 62.8 mi, and end up back at the start. If you're rarin' for more, you do another 40 mi loop from there.
The morning was absolutely _gorgeous_. After a brief spin around Hagg Lake (well, OK, 21.4 mi) you head south through Gaston and then southeast of Yamhill. I'd never biked down there before. This is classic Oregon wine country. Quiet country roads, rolling hills full of vineyards. The cloudy weather actually meant that the colors had full saturation, so the scenery was extremely vivid. The clouds gently brushing the tops of the hills add a quintessential Oregon touch.
I shouldn't give Hagg Lake short shrift either. I'd heard about this ride, but it's a bit south and west of my normal circuits, so it was a first for me. After a bit of a climb to get to the rim. it's a quiet (but somewhat rolling) circuit.
The afternoon run was almost an anticlimax. At lunch I pulled out the afternoon map and started to laugh. You see, the route went right through my favorite training area: North Plains, Jackson Bottom, Mountaindale, and Roy. I could predict the Dan Henry's most of the afternoon. I had to remind myself that there's a good reason I spend so much of my time there: Jackson Bottom is some of the most beautiful hill country near my house. [It's a cryin' shame there is so much new construction up there.]
Much of the route reminded me of when I was doing so much stress-reduction riding before my divorce. You know, exercise your troubles away? Enough time has elapsed now that I felt like I was reacquainting with an old friend. And that hill on Jackson Quarry going up to Mason Hill Road? I remember when that hill was my absolute nemesis. Saturday, I got to the top and wondered, did _that_ hill actually make me go anaerobic? Sometimes being older doesn't mean being weaker.
After the ride, I was the dirtiest I think I've ever been. Everything--jacket, clothing, camelbak, and even the seat bag--had to be washed. I spent the better part of an hour the next day cleaning the bicycle.
I was surprised to see that my heart rate was not nearly as elevated as it's been on my previous strenuous rides. Actually, I think that the Larch Mountain climb, though much shorter (46 miles), was a greater stress on my body than this century.
And I was a bit concerned during the ride that I wasn't drinking very much. But chromatic feedback at the porcelain throne gave me confirmation during and after the ride that I wasn't dehydrating; it's a lesson to me about how much my water requirements can vary. I drank about 12 oz an hour on Saturday. Contrast this with a ride in hot weather I did a month ago where 24 oz/hr left me temporarily dehydrated.
On a personal note, this ride was a last minute thing for me. Early last week a buddy of mine called and said he was feeling discouraged about his riding strength. [No names, here, it's not important.] I know him well enough to figure this was all psychological. I knew that he'd never done a century, and I gambled that this century would be pretty easy, so I talked him into doing it. Remember what Jonathan Nicholas wrote? "Anyone can bike 8 mph, it takes determination to do it for 12 hours." It really is a _psychological_ thing.
It just seemed unreal to me, with the kinds of doubts I had about doing CO12 last spring, that I would be supporting someone else. When Don "Eat My Road Spray" Bolton caught up with me, I would have loved to let him be the rabbit (for me to chase, since he's a lot stronger than me), but I knew that _I_ had to be the rabbit that day for someone else.
And yes, we finished the century (of course), and he's grinning ear-to-ear now. It's a great thing to tell your girlfriend and your work buddies, "Oh, I was busy Saturday; I rode a hundred miles." If they aren't cyclists, the look on their faces is precious!
For me, it's clear that I will need a new goal for next season. Perhaps the 200 mile Seattle-to-Portland?
Thanks for listening to my ramble, and keep the rubber side down...
Jason Penney
HEY? WHERE WAS EVERYBODY?
Sheesh, a litle rain, and ridership falls through the basement. You know, CO just may have days like Sat was (training is training).
Good ride, spent part of it playing "tag" with Jason and Dave. I watched them pull out as I was getting ready. Caught them at the entrance to the Hagg Lake loop. Lingered a bit on the climb and finally dug back into my normal pace and took off. I over-ate at the first stop (while waiting for them.) This allowed them to reel me back in later on the second leg after stomach cramps set in. After the second stop the cramping passed and I got down to business. (In retrospect I probably shouldn't have taken some of those rollers in the big ring as I paid for it later)
I pretty much ran on my schedule and had a 15.5 avg at the end of the 62 mile loop. Lost some of my steam on the 40 mile loop and finished at 3:31 with a 14.9 avg.
Talking with some of the TNT folks at the end I learned the ride will probably break even this year and this is probably the last one with the lunch being served.
It was wet, but not miserable. As Jason noted, the cloudcover seemed to enhance the beauty of the countryside.
Don "where were you?" Bolton
Mike and I were there, and we looked at this event as good practice for wet weather riding and a test of our mix and match protective clothing. We decided that SealSkinz waterproof socks are pretty cool things and that we made a good purchase of a pair of Bellwether vests at the bike show in spring.
Unfortunately, we also got LOTS of practice at fixing flats in the road:
1) On a standing climb in Hagg Lake, we picked up a piece of glass in the front tire and put in our one spare tube.
2 and 3) Down the hill and up again - and we pick up glass in our back tire. Mike patches the hole, then discovers that the slow leak we've been fighting is from a snake bite. Unfortunately, our patch kit is devoid of large patches so he applies our last round patch the best he can.
4) Down and around and back up - and the patch on the snake bite starts leaking. That tube is trashed, and Mike applies a glueless patch to the front tube we had just removed. This holds as we get out of Hagg Lake. On the way to Gaston the SAG stops and asks if we're the tandem team whose having flat trouble, and sells us a tube and patch kit for $3. A thousand thanks!
5) About three miles before the Yamhill rest stop, the glueless patch blows out. In goes the new tube.
6) Back at FGHS we have lunch and regale our TNT clubmates with our tales of woe. When we get outside someone said, "You won't believe this, but your front tire went flat just a minute ago." We have to admit that we thought someone was playing with our heads (which would have been really hilarious), but when we got home we found that the valve stem had torn.
Yes, two spare tubes have left the garage and are now in the trunk sack.
Team Tangerine Dream
Captain Mike "Some men pump iron, I pump tires" Buondonno
Stoker Amy "I am Woman. I hold bicycle." Buondonno
1998 Custom Co-Motion Double Espresso
And on a side note to all .......Stay away from hot dogs at these lunches!! I learned the hard way later on and remedied the situation and Jason and I went along our merry way. I do think that I saw Don sleeping behind a tree at the top of one of those climbs....could it be??
Dave Stranahan
Weren't me. Too wet, no thermarest, no hairdryer.
Don "besides, that’s not my territory" Bolton
Thanks for the riding tips, Don...It made all the difference along with Jason's prodding. I am going on my Bald Peak attempt once again with my new knowledge today.
Once again, thank you. I was just joking about the tree ya know.
Dave
I knowed ya was jokin (figured you took the re-broadcast of my troll and ran into the forest with it) :-).
As to your "hot dog launch" episode (we have ignition), now you know why I wait till the end of the century.
Glad if I could be of help.
Don "Houston, we have a problem" Bolton
The only thing that got me was that darn hot dog. I had prepared a whole cantelope in 2 zip locks, cliff bars, cliff shots.....but the sound of some real food was too much. I lost my appetite for hot dogs now. Everything else worked out fine for the ride.
Dave
Covered Bridge Tour – 1999
For all of you looking for a fantastic Cycle Oregon Training ride, the Covered Bridge Bicycle Tour is at 7am this Sunday, Aug 15. It starts at Timber Linn Park in Albany and is almost 100% rural roads through scenic Linn County farmlands and historic covered bridges, and moderate hills (absolutely nothing like the Toture 10K). There are traditional 100 mile and 100 kilometer routes, but also 55 kilometer and 15 kilometer family rides. It includes well stocked rest stops and a "hot" lunch. Timber Linn Park is a few minutes off on exit 234A on southbound I-5, and 233 on northbound I-5.
Joe Monteleone
Here is my knowledge on local camping.
The closest camping is the Blue Ox RV Park which is almost next door to Timber Linn Park. It's mainly an RV site, but they might take tents 541-926-2886. If you can get a reservation, this would be my first choice.
There is also the KOA Albany-Corvallis west of I-5 on exit 228. It has tent sites and is only about 15 minutes away. 541-967-8521 My second choice.
Lastly, there is camping at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Corvallis. They have grass to camp on but I don't think the showers are the nicest around. They are a good 30-40 minutes away. 541-757-1521 An alternative.
You could also call Linn County Parks and find out where their closest camping park is located. 541-967-3917 Could be an unpolished diamond. Might also try Marion County Parks. I don't have their number.
Good Luck!
Joe Monteleone
President, MVBC
I have stayed at the KOA mentioned above. At the time I had a tent trailer and found the traffic noise a bit much. The park has berms built around it but they only seemed to amplify the noises. Does have a pool, though.
Don "there is also a kennel nearby" Bolton
I rode the full century on the Covered Bridge Century, and I want to thank the MVBC for putting on a wonderful ride. All of the people I came in contact with were friendly, helpful and seemed to really enjoy what they were doing.
Next I want to thank Dave the "Slug" for all of his help, encouragement and for having a sense of humor at least as warped as mine. I know he was on the road for at least 2 hours more than he would have been, had he not hung back with me. This was my first century, and I found out how far 100 miles can be. I did 48 miles on Saturday, so I would at least have two days with decent mileage back to back. I did OK until about mile 65, and there was a fairly long hill of about 4 to 5%. I rode about 1/4 of the way up and then I had to walk for 15 minutes or so. I managed to ride the rest of the way up. At the crest some kind soul, from the MVBC, had written "THE TOP!" in chalk right in the middle of the road. To Whom It May Concern; THANK YOU! Shortly after that Dave offered to lead, so we had a non-rotating pace line with guess who in the rear. I think he saved my life, well at least my day. It made a huge difference to these tired old legs. So, with Dave in the lead and me watching his wheels we pedaled on back to the start point. It was a good feeling to see the parking lot, for two reasons. One, it meant that I didn't have to pedal anymore, and two, I had actually ridden 100 miles, which is 32 over my longest ride up to that point.
It was also fun to meet some more CO people. I met Don (the quipper) Bolton, Mike W., the legendary Capt. Dink, Janice and Ted and I saw what might have been Andrew’s bike. There was a Harry Perry bike at the first Scio rest stop. I kept looking to see who was riding it, but Dave made me get back on the road before I saw who it belonged to.
Tailwinds to all,
Phil Ford
First, I want to congratulate Mr. "FOS" Ford for completing his 1st century. This is a guy who only started riding in February and is going to do CO!!!
2nd, I would have finished earlier...but SO WHAT!!!! Sometimes we have to be more supportive and encourage each other...
3, Phil did GREAT...I only caught him WHINING a couple times... If he got tired, it was not apparent as he kept up his pace...True he slowed a little on some of the big hills but: Isn't that what happens when you get old???
The ride was excellent...good support...well placed rest stops and friendly people, not to mention the beautiful country...I won't hesitate to do this ride again.
It was nice to meet more CO people. We are getting close and I am getting more ex-cited!
Looking forward to see more of y'all!!
Dave (X-slug) VG
Both Dave and Phil had eloquent words about the Covered Bridge Bicycle Tour. There is almost nothing to add. The CBBT is certainly one of the more beautiful and well-supported day rides I have done in 20,000 miles of riding in Oregon and Washington. The comments by Phil and Dave regarding the people are right on the button. And, did you notice the SAG wagons? They were all over the place! Some of the other clubs would do well to study how the Mid Valley Bicycle Club does it!!
They all deserve a great big "YOU DONE GOOD!!"
Curt Coleman
Ice Cream Classic – 2000
Well my four day camping trip to La Pine has ended. Stayed in the La Pine State Park campground. GREAT place! The Deschutes river runs through it, lotsa trails along its banks, my doggies went nuts throwing up rooster trails of dust and water as they darted and ran endlessly thru the landscape.
DUST! Be prepared sportsfans. If it ain’t water, rock, pavement, or flora its gritty dusty dirty. I ended up using a single pair of socks and shoes for the dog excursions cause I couldn't see getting more then one pair of socks that dirty.
The Ride...
The Ice Cream Classic is put on by Sunnyside Sports of Bend. Ride leaves out of Sunriver, goes up by the ski lodge at Mt Bachelor, then drops down the backside going by Elk Lake and finally turning back toward Sunriver at FS40 and ending at just over 60 miles and 3,000 feet of elevation gain.
To say this ride is breathtaking is an understatement. After a five mile or so warm-up from Sunriver the climbing begins. It's a gentle slope at first and good speed can still be maintained for a few more miles till the grades steepen. Start elevation is appx 4,200 ft and you punch over the crest at appx 6,200 onto a glass smooth roadway with serpentine bends going downhill fast. I tucked into the aero bars and hit 49.8 just coasting free. (We'll be climbing this on CO [13]. I expect it'll be a tad slower. Ya think?)
You skirt several lakes, having awesome views of mountains as backdrop while working a seemingly endless ribbon of rollers, the Deschutes winds back and forth into view along this stretch. This year FS40 had been recently re-graveled for chip seal and was posted closed due to the bridge being out (Megan this is where we fed the mosquitoes last year while freezing our toes in the Deschutes). The bridge was crossable on foot and the chip seal was just annoying for three miles. Though you gotta picture... Chip seal, uphill, and headwinds, hey this is fun right?
Anyhow, I'm not sure if it was the ground up tailight lens, the three mile island of chip seal, debris from the bridge span bike-n-hike, or some other evil doings that opened an almost half inch wide gash in my rear tire, but at appx. mile 47 in the middle of a hill climb it let go in a big way.
I booted the tire as best I could and got another 10 miles before it let go again. This time the SAG truck was just on the horizon and I gave a thumbs down, got assist in the form of a new tire and rode in probably an hour later than I would have without the adventures....
This ride is put on by a local bike shop. All 5.00 of your entry fee is consumable at Goody's ice cream parlor in Sunriver's plaza. They clearly mark the course, provide a sag (with mechanic and parts!). The Bend cycle bunch do a peloton and blast by in the first few miles and then you ride through the miles in awe of the natural beauty occasionally encountering the riders out to really enjoy the land.
The SAG driver is an ex racer/employee of the bike shop and currently is a schoolteacher, but loves doing these ride support things. Seems like he is everywhere all the time. On the road he merely took my name and some contact info so I could pay for the tire *later*. I caught up with one of the shop personnel at the ice cream parlor and paid up.
It's informal, low hassle, fun, through awesome countryside, and in many respects, better supported than most club rides (in terms of course sweep and roadside assistance). It’ll be on my 2001 calendar.
La Pine state park is isolated and there are several paved roads that intersect with its entry road, I was able to take one of them into the town of La Pine on a brief (altitude acclimation) bike ride I took Sat afternoon. There are lots of options around there. The town of La Pine has some really good restaurants (at least the Cinco de Mayo Mexican and Hunan Chinese ones are excellent)
Don "this should be the 2001 TBB campout weekend" Bolton
Page Last Updated: March 2, 2003