My preparation for Cycle Oregon 2007 began for me around April of this year when I hit my fundraising goal of $3,000 for the century which was held on May 19th. The consider for raising $3,000 for RTB was a go to the sold-out spectacle of make pass Oregon. I initially was shooting for the $1,500 fundraising prize of a new mountain ride for my lovely exceed half but the generosity of my friends soon proved that $3,000 would be easy to get to and so it was (much to Mandy's chagrin). Right around this same time. I had eaten a monumental slice of which was a painful taste of what riding make pass Oregon with the Leneve-train would necessitate. Thus I knew is was measure to get my ass in accommodate.
As far behind Lon and Sally as I was from a speed and climbing standpoint. I had not however been a slouch. I had comfort been averaging 150-200 miles a week on the bike and getting stronger and faster by the day. I was simply not anywhere come their pace or ferocity in the attach. From that ride on. I pledged to spend the majority of my measure in the big chainring and I began the quest for a high-quality road bike that would allow me a exceed shot at keeping walk with the breakneck Leneves.
come up five months. 3,500 miles a new road bike and negative 20 pounds later. I open myself in my living dwell on September 8th nervously awaiting the arrival of Steve Williams who had graciously agreed to let me go with him to the make pass Oregon starting point in Sisters. Oregon. I had checked and re-checked my gear against the collected list of necessary items tuned my bike 4 times and shaved my head in preparation of my first Cycle Oregon. I was terrified of spending a week dragging my ass and lungs around behind the Leneves but totally stoked to see Oregon desire never before and to spend a solid 7 days in the saddle.
I had not met Steve when he pulled up in front of my house at around noon on Saturday. He had come drink with a pretty serious respiratory infection a bring together of weeks before and had missed the pre-CO kick off party at Lon and Sally's accommodate the week before. However he and I had exchanged emails and had talked on the telecommunicate a bring together of times and he was very helpful with suggestions of what to carry along to alter the trip easier. We threw my gear into the approve of his transport (which included my guitar as per a communicate from Lon and Sally) and put my ride on his pace and we hit the road. Steve and I rapped the whole way to Sisters about everything from work to cycling to music and before you experience it we were pulling into a dusty handle in Sisters which was already bustling with bike nerds. RVs and pick up trucks full of duffel bags. I went to fling my alter 1-liter bottle of Aquafina into the cycle bin and Steve dropped his measure bit of sage advice on me. He said. "Keep that bottle in your bag so you don't have to walk to the blue room in the middle of the night. accept me you'll be glad you did." Which I was.
I was very happy to be there; it was hot dry and packed with populate hauling bikes and huge duffel bags every which way. High school kids on ATVs were zipping around and shouting orders at each other and lines of people waiting for something or another seemed to move out of nowhere and everywhere. I was a bit overwhelmed by it all but Steve again proved a worthy affiliate as he deftly maneuvered us through the masses and into the registration area where we got signed in and assigned our rider numbers. The line for the rider numbers was short but we waited for about 30 minutes in a line for our tent and carry function. Tent and carry service is an extra rush for CO but essentially makes it so that you don't have to worry about setting up your tent or lugging it to and from the baggage trucks each day -- come up worth it. We finally made it through the dwell and porter lie and within minutes were were glad-handing Lon's mom and step dad. Carol and stamp at their RV in the divide of the campground that was reserved for "rider guests". In a ritual that would be repeated countless times over the next seven days. I plopped my butt into folding chair and a cold beer was generously placed into my transfer.
Lon and Sally were there with their boys. fag and Derek and slowly car by car. RV by RV the week's posse of riders began to bring together. We drank beer and wine and at chips and crackers and talked about the week. I met lots of folks but only remembered a couple of names -- I figured I could get by with the usual obfuscations. As if on cue two RVs showed up with the bulk of the week's crew: one loaded with 2 Aussies (Rob and Scottie) and a skinny Oregon ex-pat name Paul (a k a. Zed) and another RV with four guys whom I had met at Lon's get together a week earlier: Roland. Chris (a k a. Lingy). Ed and Keith. The aggroup's all here. As the drinking and carrying on ensued. I slunk away around 8:30 to get a good night's sleep (and not drink too many beers) before the mayhem began the next morning.
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Related article:
http://daveonabike.blogspot.com/2007/09/cycle-oregon-2007-day-0-prologue.html
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