2020 Coffeeneuring Review

So here’s the 2020 Coffeeneuring Report, documenting my return to this event after a couple of years absence due to travel, life changes and then this year's craziness. The theme for the event this year is One Good Thing, and that includes the convergence of cycling, coffee and camaraderie that Mary inspires, particularly timely this fall.

All of the rides took place on Y-Rod, the yellow Rodriguez described in my last post of this blog, and on Planet Earth, the one home that we share.

Ride #1 -- Bay to Breakers Ride with Max in SF - 10/11/20 - Pleasant ride on a rented bike from the Inner Sunset to the San Francisco waterfront, the baseball stadium where the Giants play, and the Ferry Building, and then out through Golden Gate Park to the Java Beach Cafe, a popular spot worth a revisit.  I had a latte, Max ordered a regular coffee, and we split some baked goodie.

Ride #2 - Ride Around Seattle - 10/17/20 - Regular route with a stop at Caffe Umbria for an americano and chocolate croissant.   Excellent!  Still, a bit sad to be in Pioneer Square with no weekend crowds due to the pandemic lockdown.   Stopped at a new park on the Portage Bay waterfront on the way home to enjoy the views.

Ride #3 - North Lake Loop - 10/22/20 - Another routine route, around the North end of Lake Washington with a return across the 520 bridge, which is always a highlight.  I stopped at old standby Caffe Ladro in suburban Kirkland  for a muffin and a latte, always great.  What was not great was the conversation started by a guy in a cowboy hat who dissed the Seattle mayor, kept calling me “son” (I’m 67 and a grandpa), and then bragged about he and his vigilante buddies protecting Kirkland with their automatic weapons from the “mobs of looters” who threatened their cute shops and bars.   I told him what I thought, got on my bike, and headed back over to the Anarchist Jurisdiction.

Ride #4 - 520>Medina>Mercer Slough - 10/25/20 -  Returned to the Eastside to scout another route, and stopped for a latte at the Bellden Cafe.  Terrific route, but I’ll find another place to stop next time I’m in the neighborhood.   

Ride #5 - Silver Lake>Snohomish>Everett - 11/1/20 - Spectacular two-volcano day and great ride with Larry and Mike out along the Snohomish River and then into Everett.  Coffee from the gas station parking lot espresso stand near our start.  Great ride, forgettable coffee.   

Ride #6 - Victory Lap around the North End of the Lake! - 11/7/20 - Same route as #3.   First rest stop included someone setting off fireworks!  Hoped to run into the Kirkland Vigilantes to see how they liked the election results, but they weren’t there.   Instead, plenty of happy people dancing, waving signs, shouts, high-fives (virtual!) and other expressions of joy.   Americano from Starbucks, but what the heck, that’s not what made this ride special!

Ride #7 - Magnolia>Myrtle Edwards Park>Seattle Center - 11/11/20 - Saving the best for last, the Magnolia loop, with refreshment from Petit Pierre Bakery, a fresh-out-of-oven blueberry muffin and an excellent latte just hit the spot.

Bonus Coffeeneuring #1 - Ride Around Seattle - 11/15/20 - A blustery Sunday ride around our city, headwinds on the way out along the lake, and tailwinds along the waterfront on the return, with a stop for a fine latte at Uptown Espresso by the Olympic Sculpture Park.   the barista gave me the news about the return of the COVID restrictions that the Governor announced that morning, and was worried about the shop having to close again.   What a strange time we live in, and I’m grateful for the health for me and my family, as well as for this  Coffeeneuring community, and for the dedication, generosity and good cheer we all receive from Mary, Queen of Coffeeneuring!

Link to Coffeeneuring Facebook Group --->  https://www.facebook.com/groups/335575683253788/user/719931016 

Instagram --->   https://www.instagram.com/papahazama/

New Bike Review

After three weeks and some 430 miles, here are my first impressions of the Rodriguez Rainier.  The bike is fast, comfortable and fun.  R & E gave me a custom fit for my odd-shaped body, and built a bike that was more upright, with a smaller frame, and shorter reach than I was used to.  The result is that the ride is faster up the hills, more comfortable to get into the drops on the handlebars, and easier to pedal on longer distances.   The bike's lighter weight has taken some time to get used to, a little squirrely on the descents and in crosswinds, compared to what I rode for the past ten years.  The yellow color is more visible, but also shows the grime and dirt.   Some say that it can get mistaken for a station-free ride-share Ofo bike.

I made a couple of adjustments from the standard Rainier Limited set up. I swapped the Panaracer Paselas for Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires.  The result is more weight, a wider profile, and a steadier ride, especially on rough surfaces.   I added a Brooks Cambium saddle.  There was no need to break it in, and the fit was comfortable from the start.   Other changes including installing a kickstand.  Yes.  Much, much easier, and now the bike won't fall over when I lean it against stuff.  Another touch was Swift's Bandido handlebar bag, spacious enough for my clutter and food.

The result is a good bike for everyday rides, for MORE or LESS hills in the evening, and for the last three big rides, Flying Wheels, the Kenmore-Sultan schlep, and a glorious Kent-Enumclaw CTS #11, through the foothills, farmland and NW Woods.

So far, so good, and I'm pleased with the choice.

Keeping It Simple and Some Other Stuff

A few bike-related pieces that have caught my attention recently......

Kent Peterson laments the complications of modern life.


This video about the SF Randonneurs' Adventure Series makes you want to ride long distances to nowhere.  More here at SFR's home site.


And, about ten years and maybe 20,000 miles ago, the Blue Riot's debut was reported here.     Now that I'm getting ready to take the plunge on a new ride, it's a good time to be nostalgic.

Sequence of Odd Choices

As Lydia Kiesling wrote,  '....life is nothing if not a sequence of odd choices vaguely considered...'

Cycling, Teaching and Getting Past the Nope.

Alyson works on the negativity.    Lots of parallels in coaching, teaching, and Alyson's writing is always worth a read. 

Why Drivers Hate Cyclists

Thoughtful comments by the Reno Rambler on the never-ending friction between those who use different modes of transportation.

Life Hacks and Rules for Living

Lots of Life Hacks and Rules for Living out there, and some are worth repeating, noting, while others are best ignored.    Here are a few.....

• Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson  - "Get yourself a really good bullshit detector."
• Russ Roberts - "Learn to enjoy saying, I don't know."
• Megan McArdle - "Be grateful."  and "Always order one extra dish at a restaurant, an unfamiliar one."
• Tyler Cowen -- When shooting the basketball, give it more arc than you think is necessary.  Consistently.
• John Perry Barlow - "Remember that your life belongs to others as well."
• Stewart Brand  quoted by Steve Jobs - "Stay hungry.  Stay foolish"

Others have things worth saying....

• Lloyd Kahn on old age.
• Anne Lamott on perfectionism.
• Henry Miller on turning eighty. 
• Jose Texeira - "I No Longer Have Patience."
• Mario De Andrade - "The Valuable Time of Maturity"

And maybe my favorite set, Satchel Paige - "Avoid running at all times."  and "Don't look back.  Something might be gaining on you."

The World as it is in 2018.....sort of.

From Ursula Le Guin's blog.....The Wall and Constructing the Golem.   Worth a read in light of her passing and the current regime in power in the USA.

And other observations regarding the State of the World 2018, from Bruce Sterling and Jon Lebkowsky.

2017 Bike Recap

2868 miles in 2017, 300 more than in 2016, and more than any other year for which I kept records.   100 rides,  15 more than 2016.  But, only 700 more feet in elevation.  So, more rides, over shorter distances with fewer hills.   Lots of rides to Locks, Sunset Hill, Golden Gardens — a staple and a favorite.   

Rides to remember—>

• New 520 bridge.   Game changer, route changer, easy access to Eastside, where there are better bike lines, longer segments and fewer stops.  
• STP - Faster times than in previous several years, rode train back to Seattle.   Staying at EconoLodge is old.  We’ll put a big 'we’ll see' on 2018.  But Cascade says I’ve done nine of these, including 3 in a row, so there’s some momentum there to continue
• GR2R - 1st one was wet and cold and we had a few rain outs along the way.  But we had a big turn out of new riders and Cascade RLs.  Successful series, and I'm organizing the 2018 editionl
• Chilly Hilly - Signed up but didn’t ride - too wet, cold, and windy for me.
• Snohomish County rides with Dorothe, Cheryl F, Larry, et al.   Thoroughly enjoyed when I rode, especially the ride through Tulalip and farmland.   
• Completed the coffeeneuring challenge.
• Bike share rides in Tampa, Austin, and even Seattle, plus excursions in Key West and the Bahamas.
• Scouted and began rides out of EdCC in SnoCo for exercise during the day.  Want to do more of those in 2018, including some more commuting.
• Mid week Less Hills rides during daylight savings time.  
• CTS - I got burned out on this.  Ride leader work, rules and roles, waiting for the slow riders, etc., all served to make me grumpy about this, which I've done for several years.  

Goals for 2018?  Keep pedaling and enjoy the ride!

2017 Coffeeneuring Challenge Report

The 2017 Coffeeneuring Challenge has been completed, is in the books, and I'm ready to report.  Some of the rides were solo.  A couple were with the Cascade Bicycle Club, but those events hardly qualify as 'organized,' in the sense of a race, century, fund-raiser or the TdF.  This year, I tried to avoid large intergalactic retail chains that have metastasized across the commercial landscape, and instead patronize the local shops, preferably those who also baked their own goodies.

Here's the rundown:

1.   Lundeen Coffee Company in Lake Stevens, Washington, after a 41 mile route with the CBC from Lake Stevens to Granite Falls and then returning via Marysville.   The coffee shack was right across the street from where we started and, coincidentally, we finished.  Drank my standard, a double short Americano, here balanced on my saddle.

2. The next day, a 30 miler solo stopping at Zeitgeist Coffee in Pioneer Square, Seattle.   A must for ambiance, flavor, history, java and their molasses cookies.  I've stopped at Zeitgeist every year during the Coffeeneuring Challenge.  It's worth it.

3.  And, the following Sunday, a similar route took me to the SODO neighborhood (South of the Dome, which no longer exists).   This time, 32 miles and a stop at Macrina Bakery, followed by a visit to The House that Griffey Built, and a return on the Ship Canal Trail.  Autumn is a great time for cycling in Seattle.

4.  Again, back with the Cascade Bike Club, and again with the "Steady" pace group, also known as the slow riders.   We started in fog, with the sun breaking through as the group approached Warm Beach.  Coffee this time #4 at First Class Coffee in Arlington, WA., at rest stop on 40 mile ride in Snohomish County. 2X Americano at coffee stand adjacent to a cannabis shop.  We were downwind from a chicken ranch, but the retail staff at the cannabis shop assured us that that the aroma was better inside their establishment.  We chose to ride on with just caffeine in our system.

5.  Once more, rode the next day, and this time a regular route used for training, city exploring, with a stop at the venerable Larsen's Bakery, a Ballard institution.  Kringle and a double-short Americano to boost my tired legs over the 2nd half of the 23 miler.

6.  Raining, windy, chilly and I needed to go to the library, so I put on the rain jacket, rode up to return a book and pick up the next read, and stopped at the Grateful Bread for a coffee and a cookie. 

3 and a half miles, but hey, it got me out of the house.

7.  It's now November, it rains in Seattle, but in between storms and showers, there's still good cycling, and today, 25 miles out to Sunset Hill, the Chittenden Locks, and back via the Ship Canal trail to Byen Bakeri, for a 2X Americano and some amazing goodie with a Scandinavian name that had sugar, butter, almond paste and puff pastry, and the clear winner of treats for this year's challenge.

So, that's it.  7 rides.  All on the Blue Riot.  7 coffees, all at independent stores, some with excellent bakeries.   All rides took place on Planet Earth, and in all instances, I kept to the Spirit of Coffeeneuring, even on those two excursions that were scheduled group rides.  Our gratitude, thanks and admiration for the Goddess of Coffeeneuring, and once again it is an honor participate with the international community of coffeeneurs in harmony, peace, goodwill, and friendship.   

No Chilly Hilly for Me!

Woke up, looked outside at the rain, the cold (35 degrees F!), saw the breeze, and decided, no.

I wasn't alone in not going.

Here We Go Again

How many times have I done this ride? I've got a record in Garmin Connect from 2010, a ride report from 2008, but am sure that was not the first time.   What I do know is, I don't need the map.

Chilly Hilly is always an adventure of some sort, and this year the weather is supposed to live up to it name.  I've pedaled about 125 miles this year so far, with 3,400 ft of elevation gain, and will add to that before next Sunday.    Here we go again.

2016 in the Rear View Mirror

52 miles on the last two days of 2016 were my attempts to get the New Year off to a better start than 2016, a difficult year for all on a global level, with too many losses to bear and the national prospects dim and foreboding.

I rode about 300 fewer miles in 2016 than the previous year,  the result of travel, both for work and family.  By far, the best reason to travel was to see our first grandchild, Miles in San Francisco.  And, while traveling, I got to bike in Brooklyn, Denver and Austin, the latter two using their Bike Share programs.   For the first year in the last four, I was not able to complete the Coffeeneuring challenge, but still had fun doing so.

The Blue Riot took me to Portland on the STP, and I rode over the Columbia River in Pasco, Washington.  One of the clear highlights of the year was the Emerald City ride, over the newly constructed 520 bridge on the first day the span was opened, a celebration with 7,000 others.  And, of course, there was the Chilly Hilly on a cold and wet day last February, a ride that normally lives up to the name.

For the year, my mileage totaled 2,568 miles, plus or minus, gained about 113,000 in elevation, and actually rode 85 times. Longest one day ride was Day One of the STP, 116 miles, exceeding the CTS Century and Kent-Enumclaw loop, both part of the Cascade Training Series where I volunteered as a Cascade Ride Leader.

I stayed healthy, stayed upright on the bike, and aside from the Coffeeneuring challenge, had no DNFs.   Those are victories.   The Rivendell Bleriot continues to be my go-to bike, for recreational and sight seeing rides, for the occasion commute, century, mosey or two-wheeled therapy session. Here's to more of the same, only more so, in 2017.

2016 Coffeeneuring - An Incomplete

The 2016 Coffeeneuring Challenge took me to a number of new cafes, bakeries, and outlets.  While I didn’t complete the requisite 7 trips, due to a number of factors, including travel, weather, other responsibilities and distractions, I had fun, rode with friends, enjoyed coffee and goodies.

Here’s the list:

Preseason Coffeeneuring on the Kitsap Color Classic at Viking Brew in Poulsbo, on September 25.  2X Americano at about halfway on a 57 mile jaunt.   Good pick me up when I could use one.

Coffeeneuring #1 - Zeitgeist Coffee in Pioneer Square in Seattle.  October 8.   2X Americano and a molasses cookie.  A rainy day and they let me bring my bike inside.  Always bike friendly, always great coffee

Coffeeneuring #2 - Iced latte at Mellow Johnny’s in Austin, Texas on October 15.  Yes, this is Lance’s bike shop, which I visited while on business in Austin.   Rented a bike using the Austin Bike Share program, toodled around Lady Bird Lake.   

Coffeeneuring #3 was completed on October 22, as part of the Seattle Pastry Rides series, one of Cascade Bike Club’s free group rides.   We rode from Gas Works Park, down along Lake Washington, and then up to Beacon Hill, before dropping into the SoDo neighborhood to Macrina Bakery.   Here’s a map.  2X Americano and an apple turnover.   Lots of bikes, lots of riders, and the bakery was even more crowded with the Sounders match nearby.   

The next weekend, on October 30, the Pastry Ride Series continued, and this time in the North End.  We stopped at Grand Pere Bakery in Mountlake Terrace.     Best goodie of the series, an almond croissant as big as a baseball glove, and another 2X Americano to keep me going as the rain started. Coffeeneuring #4.  

Coffeeneuring #5, November 6, I got separated from the group on a ride out to Alki Point in West Seattle, but stopped at Top Pot Doughnuts to regroup and refuel, coffee and bacon maple bar.  37 miles, and well worth it.  

Then, life happened.  I didn’t ride for a couple of weeks.   Rainy weekends, no time during the week due to this thing called a job, family obligations, and national events were distracting, to say the least. Finally, back on the bike in the rain on November 20, but the last coffeeneuring, past the deadline, was last weekend, November 27.  A North End loop, and a stop at Larsen’s in Crown Hill, for a pick-me-up before heading back in the drizzle.

Yes, that’s seven rides in total for coffee this fall, but not within the time frame allowed, so no completion of the challenge this year, after having done so in the past four years.  

A bit of a disappointment, but the spirit of coffeeneuring continues into Winter and the New Year. Always be coffeeneuring!

Coffeeneuring Recap - 2015

For the third straight year, I can count the Coffeneuring Challenge as part of my cycling adventures.  One of the many positive aspects about this world-wide event is to be a part of a greater community, to share experiences, to keep riding as the days get shorter, the weather, in our part of the planet, colder and wetter, and the temptation to park the bike and sit on the tukhas greater.  And, with the preponderance of events of tragedy, meanness, pettiness, and violence that have crossed the radar in the past months, Coffeeneuring is a powerful and necessary positive counterbalance to the universe's tendencies toward entropy and madness.

My mileage and intensity drops after the riding season ends, generally with Kitsap Color Classic, but the goal to keep riding during the winter months is helped by participating in this.

So, here's the recap.

Preseason #1 - Ashland to Jacksonville, Oregon.   Grande double iced mocha at Good Bean Coffee.  41 miles round trip and average temperature was 95 degrees, further complicated by smoke and haze from Cascade wildfires.  Blue Riot received compliments from locals and bike-friendliness rating of shop exceeds expectations.

Preseason #2 - Kitsap Color Classic.  Cascade Bike Club's fall end-of-season ride involves a ferry ride from Edmonds to Kingston, and then a jaunt around the Kitsap Peninsula.  I rode the shorter route, 38 miles, and enjoyed a muffin and ferry boat coffee on the voyage over to the start.  Blue Riot met up with the World's Smallest Viking. Washington State Ferries's crew always do a great job with all of us on our bikes and again, and their bike-friendliness exceeds expectations.

OK, down to business.  Coffeeneuring #1 - 2X short Americano at Starbucks with a Rice Krispie Treat.  34.9 miles on Cascade's Free Group Ride series, Saturday mornings in Snohomish County.
Starbucks' bike-friendliness meets expectations, but then again, they handled the caffeinated peloton's rush with good service, smiles, and sustenance for the balance of the ride.

Coffeeneuring #2 - A familiar route to Phinney Ridge Starbucks, 2X Iced Mocha, then out to Golden Gardens, across the Ballard Locks, around Magnolia Bluff and through Seattle Center on a warm October Sunday.   32.5 miles.  This Starbucks has no wi-fi, but does have pleasant tables shared with Red Mill Burgers, a must when we get around to organizing Burgerneuring.

And now for something completely different for #3.....Keeping on track with the challenge involved riding while I was traveling, and in this instance, to the mile-high city, Denver.  I rented a Denver B-share bike, rode the Cherry Creek and Platte River Bike Trails to Confluence Park, stopped at the REI Flagship Store for a tall iced coffee, fine ambiance, and finished by cruising around the downtown area.  About 14 miles, mile high, warm, friendly.

#4 in the series was combined with Cascade's Seattle Pastry series of rides, and this one took the group from the Central District, over the University Bridge to Green Lake, and then out to Ballard, the Locks, and Magnolia, for a stop at Uptown Espresso, the Home of the Velvet Foam.  2x Americano.  Parked outside with all the other bikes, across from the Magnolia Farmers Market.  Simpatico.  27.4 miles.

For the next two, a couple of Coffeeneuring standbys.   #5 centered around a visit to Zoka Coffee, complete with a Zoka Bar and a 2X Americano.  Zoka Coffee always is filled with U of W students taking advantage of wi-fi, studying, reading, surfing the internet, etc., and no exceptions on this rainy Sunday.  Zoka sponsors a cycle team, so they like bikes.  Followed this up with a Lake Union>Locks>BGT loop.  Two weeks later, and on another rainy and windy Seattle day I rode to Zeitgeist in Pioneer Square, a 29 mile loop.  Apple fritter and coffee, for Coffeeneuring #6.  The baristas tolerate bikes inside, as do the other customers, and bike friendliness at both venues meets expectations.

Finally, on the Sunday after the tragic events in Paris, the 2015 Coffeneuring challenge was completed with a visit to the Starbucks at Seattle Center, a 26 mile loop on a sunny Sunday.  The French Tri-color Flag was flying atop the Space Needle, putting all of our coffee bike rides into proper perspective.  As the Coffeeneuring World Map reinforces,  we are part of a large community of cycling coffee friends and neighbors,  and are grateful for being a part of something larger than ourselves, something fun, healthy and contributing to the greater good.

Cycling Savvy

Lots of good stuff here.....http://cyclingsavvy.org

And, their videos are here.....https://vimeo.com/album/1881848/

The Thoreau Calculation

Wise words from Kent Peterson.....

STP - 2015

Another successful STP this year, as measured by smiles, good times both Day 1 and Day 2, good time over the course, lack of collisions and falls, and friends met along the route.  Sure, there were the usual STP frustrations, crowds on the road, bad cycling behaviors witnessed, the Dirty 30, the last 50 miles before crossing the St. John's Bridge into Portland, but the good far outweighs the bad.   When asked how many times I've done this, my response is that the right number of times to ride STP is N +1.

What worked:

• Getting an early start on Saturday, which was cloudy and cool relative to the extraordinary heat in the Great NW from the previous weeks.   
• Riding with another CTS ride leader to have some company, swap stories, and share the way-finding.  Using Google Maps to get back on track when we missed a turn.
• The training prior to the ride.  I've put more miles on the bike than in previous years, so the 12 hours in the saddle on Day 1 was doable.
• Route changes - riding through JBLM and stopping for lunch by the aircraft, quiet roads by the ammo bunkers and shooting ranges (!), guarded by the young soldiers, but a strong upgrade over SR 507.
• Overnight in Napavine.  That means climbing the Napavine hill at the end of Saturday, allowing for a much easier start on Sunday with rollers, countryside, and quiet roads.  And, avoiding the circus at the Midway point in Centralia.
• CTS and other connections to the broader community.  Always great to see friends and fellow travelers en route.
• Sensible eating, plenty of hydration, Starbucks stops.   Breathing and stretching.   Laughing and smiles.  Rest stops, snacks, and sites.  You know, 'Eat before you're hungry, drink before you're thirsty.'
• The Blue Riot.  No breakdowns.  No flats.   The only mechanical issue was loose handlebar tape.  Quiet, comfortable ride.  Best bike ever.  Terrific contrast to the carbon, titanium, pseudo-racers.
• Cascade's organization.   Medical staff to keep us healthy and Outriders to keep us safe and in line created a presence that made riders feel comfortable.  Heard many compliments from locals and more importantly, from out-of-towners and first-timers about how impressed they were with the Club, the support they received and the 'feel' of the ride.  And, heard many times how well CTS prepared riders for the experience.  The thank-yous were gratifying and give me the encouragement to do it again next year.

STP is one of those group experiences where everyone projects their own perspective and experience onto a larger stage.  It's intense, 205 miles, 10,000 riders, each with their own baggage to pull, reasons for riding, things to prove to each other and to themselves.  Emotions can run high among those in the peloton, but the perspective of accomplishment, confidence, camaraderie and having fun overcome the discomfort and the snarkiness that some express, at least for me.  Next year, again.

CTS 2015 - Wrap Up

CTS 2015 concluded today with a Full Lake Loop, and a fine one it was, with a cooler day than yesterday, a thunderstorm in Bellevue (first real rain on the series this year!) and Dante's Inferno Dogs for a treat at the Tailgate Party at CBC HQ at the end.   It's great to see the riders get stronger and more confident as the series progressed, and we should be in good shape for STP, (route map here,) and the other challenges ahead.  

How did we get here?  Rather than riding Flying Wheels with the crowds, I pre-rode CTS #9, a new route this year, the Magnuson-Everett. The cue sheet starts at Cascade HQ, runs through Richmond Beach, Woodway, Edmonds, Mukilteo, South Everett, then down into the Snohomish River Delta and out to Snohomish, which is a popular destination for cyclists in the North End. From there, a return to North Everett, along the Everett waterfront, and then return to Magnuson via Mill Creek and Bothell.  It's a hilly route that combines urban, suburban, and rural miles, lots of lights, twists and turns, and it turned out to be a challenge a week later for the group.  The weather was warm and sunny, and several riders bonked, with a few more complainers.  The pre-ride took me 6.5 hours, the real deal was over 7, with 10 hours elapsed time, due to stops, regroups, etc.  A definite challenge, and one that I'll repeat in a couple of weeks on CTS Rides Again.

CTS #10 was the Kent-Enumclaw Loop, a 90 mile ride through SE King County with great views of Mt. Rainier, but with family in town and a bit of vacation on the calendar, I passed this one up.  Next year.

CTS #11 is the CTS-Century and rather than the table-top flat ride to Flaming Geyser park, this year a new route from Cascade World HQ down to Renton, out the Cedar River trail, over to Hobart, and then up the Sammamish Valley to Issaquah, Redmond and Woodinville, a trip up the Paradise Valley to Maltby, and then return via the SRT and the BGT.  The cue sheet says 101, but my results claim only 94 miles.  More hills, more scenery, a challenge on Paradise Lake Road near the end of the ride, and my first flat in several years, all marked an exceptional ride, an upgrade over the previous years' capper, completed in 7 hours and 20 minutes.

Lessons learned.....Eat right.  Clif Mojo Peanut Butter Pretzel, banana chips, PB&J, and some fruit kept me from bonking.    Hydrate.  Water, water, water, once in a while with Nuun,  all to keep the fluid levels right.  Midweek rides help a lot.   NERD, MORE and even a commute once in a while keep the legs fresh.  Ride all the rides I can, and be consistent.  Be patient, friendly and supportive to the newbies.  Watch for wildlife, including hawks, eagles, osprey and herons, as well as point out the other marvels of the region.  "And, we get to ride our bikes here!"

Next up, CTS Rides Again and the STP.  1,556 miles so far this year, 43 rides, 74K feet in elevation gain, which compares well to last year at this time, 1,317 miles, 36 rides and 56K feet in elevation.

CTS 2015 - So Far

Crossed the 1K mile year to date and it's a good time to reflect on the CTS rides, plus others from this year.  The Cascade Training Series is designed to help riders prep for the STP and other events and I signed up to lead to get the legs and my wind back to where they should be.  The Chief Coffeeneur writes about how to train for a century in this piece, but my plan involves little more than getting the miles, getting the rhythm, eating better, riding more consistently, and tweeking the bike to improve comfort.

To that end, the last tune up included new shifters, tires, a new rear wheel as the old one had a crack, plus removing the fenders, thus insuring that the first ride following would be wet.

Here are some of the CTS ride highlights...

CTS #1 - Out and back to Seward Park from Cascade HQ at Magnuson.  Similar to several of the Getting Ready to Ride routes from the previous two months.

CTS #2 - South End Loop - From Renton, around Mercer Island, and then down past Seward Park and the Boeing Plant to start.  A new route for the series and a nice addition.  The Mercer Island section has a sustained set of rollers that always gets the legs warm.

CTS #3 - Mercer Island Loop - A combination of 1 & 2.  Can the nice weather continue through the spring?

CTS #4 - Now the fun begins with the Eastside Urban Loop.  44 miles, with a Bellevue P & R start, meaning that we get the Medina rollers first, a segment on the new 520 trail with new smooth pavement, then the Kirkland hill, the SRT, and ending with the Newport Hill.  Lots of anxiety among the newbies for this climb at the end of the route, much huffing and puffing, but most made it.  I waited for one rider at the top, who was working through some severe health challenges, gave her encouragement but also advice about riding at a pace where she'd feel comfortable.  Cascade may be about SMART riding, but CTS is also about learning to have fun in addition to training, and sometimes that means dropping back a pace.

CTS #5 - Circumnavigating the Lake - A touchstone, a marker, a formative assessment.  Again, nice weather helped.   The big challenge here was getting over the Montlake Bridge before it was closed for the Opening Day of Boating Season.  Made it with ten minutes to spare!

CTS #6 - Marymoor-Snohomish Loop - A favorite.  Starting from Marymoor, up and over the ridge into the Snoqualmie Valley, out to Monroe, rural roads to Snohomish, up the hill to Maltby, through the Paradise Valley and home to Redmond.  Farmland, climbs, warm weather, rollers through the forest, what's not to like? At 60 miles, a good stretch and really the culmination of six weeks of training.

Missed CTS #7 -  I was here instead, and got some miles in on the Miami Beach Bike Share plan.

CTS #8 - 73 miles.  A fine route with the hills and climbs in the first part, and the second half mostly a descent,  but it's more complicated than that. Rain showers at the start, ride leader had a flat as we got the go signal, grumbling from other RL who thought I was leading to fast a pace, and then someone else said we were going too slow. Sometimes the rides are like this, more of a schlep than a glide. Cooler, cloudy weather, but we made it and brought 'em back alive. Plus a stop at the Black Diamond Bakery is always a treat.

More to come in the coming weeks leading up to STP, but what are we trying to accomplish?  Emulate Platty Jo?  Rando? Try to keep up with Lynne?   At this point, it's not just about the bike, staying in shape and healthy, viewing the scenery, and enjoying the ride.  But this year, CTS, Getting Ready to Ride, and Dorothe's North End rides in winter all have have made me feel better with more miles earlier in the year than in previous ones.   Keep movin.....