A Vacation of B's

A week and a half ago, my four younger siblings and I, along with three friends, went to Bend, Oregon for the Cascade Cycling Classic, an annual stage race that takes place across three days (for the non-pros). This was definitely a vacation full of things that start with the letter "B":

- Bend (obviously!)
- Bicycling
- Burgers
- Beer

And some things that do not start with the letter "B":

- Shopping
- Music
- Movie watching
- Sleeping

The first day we were there we just got to relax. The racers (Nano, Jason, Andrew, and Jon) went on a ride to loosen up their legs for the next day while the rest of us slept in. It was so nice to have a break from getting up to go to work!

The road race took place on Friday. It was a difficult course with a LOT of climbing packed into the first and last few miles of a 71-mile route. Joe, Abba, our friend Kate, and I drove to the feedzone at mile 50 to hand off water bottles to our racers. Joe took the above picture of us girls while we waited for the cyclists to come by. I'm sporting the scarf I picked up from AE the day before - I love that scarf!

There was a great little spot by the road overlooking a creek. Joe and Abba took advantage the opportunity to sit in the shade and relax.

Here's Joe preparing for a water bottle hand-off. The day couldn't have been more beautiful, it was sunny and warm without being too warm - a little miracle considering we were on/near Mt. Bachelor. In fact, the race ended at the Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort but it was so warm that no one need any layers even though there was still snow on the ground. I think I just don't understand how Oregonian weather works.

Here are some other pictures from the day:

My youngest brother, Jon, was in the Category 3 group. The rest of the racers were in Cat 2, so after the 3s went by and we had given Jon his bottle, we followed the pack to the finish.

 

This was the view for a good portion of the course. Jon did great and held a good position in the peloton until 10K to go, when he was dropped on a hill.

This is my post-race "paparazzi" shot of Nano - doesn't he have a great look on his face? I think it says "Get those annoying cameras out of my face" perfectly!

Nano and Jason (teammate from Down Under!) debriefing after the race.

Waiting for Jon to come into the finish. We had passed him on the road but he arrived only about 20 minutes after we did.

And there he is!

Stay tuned for Thursday when I'll be reviewing the brewery we ate at on Saturday, along with the beers I purchased!

AMGEN Tour of California Stage Two Finish

Early yesterday afternoon, one of my coworkers and I left work to pick up a snack at a store a few blocks from our office building. While walking there, we noticed a lot of police cars and a blow-up arch and other things that seemed strange. Then I remembered that the AMGEN Tour of California was happening this week and I realized that they were preparing for the cyclists to roll into Sacramento for the Stage Two finish of the race!

As soon as we got back to the office I searched on the internet and found out that the riders would be arriving in Sacramento between 2:40 and 3:15PM. When it got close to that time, I grabbed my camera and headed out to watch the race. Unfortunately, my camera batteries were low and so I wasn't able to get very many good pictures. To make matters worse, my knowledge of the course was not only insufficient, it was also incorrect, so while I thought I was close to the finish I was actually about 3 blocks away from it. I realized this soon enough that I was able to be pretty close to the finish in time to watch it, but I wasn't able to get any decent pictures due to the crowds.

Anyways, here are some of the pictures from yesterday, unedited because I am too busy with finals to worry about making the pictures look better, haha.

The crowds start to gather to watch the riders enter the last circuit
portion of the race. (The course was set up so that after the cyclists went
under the arch, they would do a few laps around several city
blocks before the actual finish.)

The peloton enters the lap portion. Note that the blow-up arch is no longer
there. The wind had blown it over about 2 minutes before the riders arrived
and volunteers had to work quickly to remove it from the roadway.

The crowds watch the live video coverage of the race and wait for the
cyclists to come flying past.

Here is the arch from the first picture, all collapsed on the sidewalk.

The cyclists zoom past the crowds about 1 block past the finish line.

Ben Swift receives the leader's jersey.

Stage Two Podium

Pro cyclist signs a fan's page. Not sure who this is, but I think he was
important. Also note the Chico Wildflower t-shirt that the fan is
sporting. I have the same one!

Finals Are Taking Their Toll

It's been unusually quiet around here for the past few days. And if you're wondering why, it's because I (Adri) am in the midst of studying for finals. So far I've taken two of my four final exams, but the most difficult ones are still ahead. Tomorrow I take my French exam and Wednesday night, I take my final exam in Recreation & Leisure. So expect content to continue to be sparse until then :).

Speaking of Wednesday night, in case you hadn't heard, the National Ride of Silence is taking place at 7:00PM in cities all across the nation. Even if you're not a cyclist, chances are you at least know one, so I encourage you to participate. I, unfortunately, will not be able to participate thanks to that blasted final.

A Visit to the National Cycling Hall of Fame

A few weekends ago I had the opportunity to visit the U.S. Cycling Hall of Fame in Davis, CA. Here are some of the pictures I took while there:

The first bicycles were operated by standing over them and running. Doesn't seem very efficient, does it?

An example of the first braking mechanism.

A bike designed to be as light as possible. So cool looking!

A bike made out of bamboo. Crazy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bicycle ridden by Major Taylor.

The Story of How a 3 Year Old Came to Have a Large Scar on Her Wrist

Last week I posted about how much I enjoyed riding in the bike buddy. However, there were two times when riding in the bike buddy caused my short life to flash before my eyes. For the first 3 years of my life, my parents had a gorgeous Newfoundland named Jason. He was a gentle giant, and he absolutely loved nothing more than to run alongside my parents when they rode their bikes. Once they began riding with me and my baby sister though, Jason had to stay home. But one day my mom decided Jason could come. She tied him to the bike seat post, and off we went. All was well until Jason spied a cat, and surged forward with all 100+ pounds of his concentrated energy. As the bike buddy surged forward, a wheel caught on the curb causing it to flip on its side. My sister and I were dragged for half a block before my parents could regain control of the dog and right the upended carriage. Fortunately we were unharmed.

Jason was stuck at home after that. One would have thought forever.

But a few months later my parents decided he had learned his lesson. This time they tied him directly to the bike buddy, I assume that they thought that since the bike buddy was heavier he would have to behave. Once again, Jason spied a cat. He began to run away with such force that he flipped the bike buddy completely. I was upside down, looking at leaves and debris rushing inches below my head as my Dad obliviously continued pedaling, unaware of the carnage behind him. I heard my mom screaming at both Dad and Jason to stop. Finally they did. My mom rushed to my side. Fortunately my head was fine, but my arm had flopped out and I had a nasty cut on my wrist. I still have the scar to this day. I actually think it looks kind of cool :)

That was the last time Jason ever joined us on a bike ride.

The Day I Was Upstaged By a One-Legged Man

Since before my birth my parents were avid bicyclists. I went on my first bike ride when I was only a few months old. Until the age of 6, bicycling with my parents was a blast. I would sit contentedly in my “bike buddy” watching my Dad's legs rhythmic pumping. As I reclined in relative comfort sporting a be-stickered helmet, I could sip from my water bottle as the world rolled past.

All this changed once I learned to ride without training wheels. At first the rides were pleasant. A Saturday morning leisurely ride to the local bake shop for chocolate croissants. The Sunday afternoon ride to my favorite park. But one Sunday morning my parents decided I was ready for The Ride. My parents rode their bikes to church almost every Sunday. They would wheel them into a back room (my Dad was in leadership at church, so he had keys) and we would change into more appropriate attire before the service started. These rides were great when I was relaxing in the bike buddy. It was a much more daunting affair when I was maneuvering a bike of my own. I just googled the distance, and it was over 5 miles. One way. This might not seem that far, but keep in mind that 1. I was a little child. 2. It was hot. 3. I had a one speed bike. 4. I was only a child!!!

The ride to church was fine, exhilarating even. But as we wheeled out of the church parking lot around lunch time several hours later, it was a much different story. The ride home seemed to go on and on and on. We rode up a steep hill onto the levee. Rode down a steep hill, then up another. Finally I began to sob, begging my mom to stop making me ride. My mom turned a deaf ear to my pleas. Instead, she rode behind me prodding me forward whenever I tried to stop. I whined and cried. She urged me on. This pattern continued for some time. Suddenly, another bicyclist zoomed past us. I glanced up through my tears in time to notice that he only had one leg. I was silent for a moment, as I watched him speed off into the distance. Then I opened my mouth to resume my whining but was interrupted by my mother: “If he can ride with only one leg, you can make it the last mile home without whining. Now Pedal!!”

I think my younger self may have missed the moral this story offers, as I resented the one-legged man for several years after.