Getting Serious About Cycling

With two more bike tours under our belt in 2007 we were really getting the cycling bug. So much so that we wanted to do more than two the next year and even started training for next years rides by riding in the winter time. Fortunately where we live the winters are conducive to riding as the roads are almost always bare and dry. Not much rain or snow falls but the temperature sure does! So for Christmas we got each other cold weather cycling gear to meet that challenge. Also, my wife decided it was time to get a true road bike sometime before we tackled more cycling tours.

The annual spring sale in early 2008 at our favorite bike shop lured us to their 20% off. My wife was drawn quickly to their extensive line of Raliegh models, the updated 2008 version of my entry level Cadent in particular. While she test rode that model and other brand names she was leaning toward the Cadent until I suggested she ride the Raliegh Carbon Cadent. I had test ridden this bike before during previous visits and it rode like a dream. The overall carbon fiber frame with its unique geometry like the triangular shaped top tube take the road vibration away. If you want a smooth enjoyable ride, the Carbon Cadent is definitely worth considering. After my wife rode it she said the entry level Cadent was a "want to have" and the Carbon Cadent was a "gotta have!" She was reluctant to buy it however because the cost of the Carbon Cadent was double that of the entry level model. Then again it is not an entry level bike, it's higher up the ladder of the Raliegh line. I convinced her to buy the Carbon Cadent now; if she didn't, she would be wishing she did and ultimately comeback to "upgrade" someday. She agreed and got the Carbon Cadent at a very good price.


What surprised me that day was my wife asked me if I wanted to upgrade to a carbon fiber bike as well. When your a married man and your wife gives you an opportunity like this, you don't look a gift horse in the mouth. You grab that gift horse by the ears and kiss it square on the mouth! Like my wife, I test rode several different makes and models. I was initially going to get a Carbon Cadent myself but felt compelled to buy something different. The Carbon Cadent's smooth ride was extremely attractive but I learned that day that I'm addicted to speed. The two bikes which became my front runners were an Italian made Bianchi and a Spanish made Orbea. The Bianchi I rode had a smaller frame than the Orbea but was much smoother, almost as much as the Carbon Cadent but a tad quicker. The Orbea, much bigger at a 60 cm frame seemed to fit me better and felt stiffer. The Orbea seemed quicker than the Bianchi and more responsive. On the Orbea I felt like I was riding a tall horse that went fast and climbed easy. Riding the Bianchi I felt like I was too big for the frame. Long story short, I chose the Orbea Onix.

In the six months or so which I've owned it, I've probably ridden more miles than the two years combined with my old bike. Don't get me wrong, I still love my Raliegh as it is a great entry level bike. But I have a new love in my life now and it is my Orbea Onix.

A Much Shorter Post

My last few posts have been pretty long so I'll keep this one short.

The 2007 Dam2Dam (half century) was one of the most enjoyable rides I've done. Maybe because it wasn't nearly as hilly as the Tour de Whidbey which I rode the weekend before. There were no mechanical problems or flats. No overeating or physical ailments. The only thing I can nit pick about was the weather was cooler than the year before.

Three things that make Dam2Dam a great bike tour is the route, organization, and the friendly people. The route is very scenic, low traffic, and not extremely hilly. The break stations are well equipped and the after ride barbecue is awesome! The volunteers and fellow cyclists are always friendly!

The Dam2Dam is a fundraising event to support the Mike Utley Foundation which is dedicated to finding a cure for spinal cord injuries. I am planning on riding again in the 2008 tour and need your help to participate. For those who would like to contribute to the Mike Utley Foundation in my name you can do so by following this link: http://www.mikeutley.org/shop/product.esiml?PID=4 Please be sure to type Dave DeVere in the rider's name box before you click on the add to shopping cart button. Thanks!!!

Learning the Hard Way

My wife and I did two half century bike tours in 2007, again both in the month of September. The first one which this blog is about was the Tour de Whidbey on Whidbey Island. My wife and I spent a good portion of the summer that year cycling or training as some call it. It entailed several 40 milers in the Walla Walla area, a mountain stage from Dayton to Bluewood Ski resort, and a return trip to Friday Harbor where we logged well over seven miles this time. I felt well prepared in my conditioning for the Tour de Whidbey. All of this would be negated however by a few poor decisions and a little bad luck.


The ride started from a large commercial farm located near the center of the island. We arrived on time and ate the pre-ride breakfast which was included in the event fee. The breakfast was simple, pancakes and link sausage. I had three of each and then I made my first poor decision. Overeating. I would have been fine if I would have left my breakfast at that but one of the event volunteers came by our table with more sausage and asked me if I'd like some more. I said sure. The volunteer said, "Here have the whole plate" which had six link sausages on it. Stupid me not saying no to free food and greasy food at that, I downed every single one of them. This came back to haunt me right from the start of the ride with my stomach feeling like a grease filled balloon. The discomfort was hard to describe. It was like a cross between wanting to go to the bathroom and mild nausea. I felt like the character Fat Bastard (from the Austin Powers movies) on a bicycle.


So right from the start I didn't feel well. To make matters worse, the weather was "iffy" that day. The weather forecast was cool, mostly cloudy and it looked like there was a good chance for rain. So preparing for the worst I layered up. I wore three quarter length cycling short that went below the knee and layered up on top. A long sleeve cycling jersey under a light cycling jacket under a cycling rain jacket. Needless to say I was not cold on the ride but probably experienced the closest thing to male menopause in the form of hot flashes sporadically throughout the ride. This was due in part to two things. The weather and the geography of Whidbey Island.


A light rain fell a couple of times but not enough to warrant the rain jacket. We went from overcast cold to partly cloudy warm to sunny and hot. As the day progressed, the sun would come out to stay. Depending on the location of the island, we experienced no wind to extreme stormy wind. Then there was the geography.


Let me start off by saying this, if you like cycling up hills Tour de Whidbey is for you! As I would climb up a hill I would get hot. Really hot! So I would start unzipping layers and since I was wearing three layers I had alot of unzipping to do. Then came the descending which got really cold so I'd start zipping back up again. Zipping and zipping and zipping... . The weather and gorging myself like a pig however would not turn out the worst things of my day surprisingly. My worst enemy that day would turn out to be my bike itself.


Prior to the tour I took my bike in for a tune up. From a practical standpoint this is a sound decision. The mistake I made was that I did not test ride my bike prior to the tour. I learned the hard way at the Tour de Whidbey that my bike was not tuned up properly. In fact, my bike was in better condition before the tune up then after. It became horrifyingly clear right from the get go that it was not shifting properly. It was skipping gear rings on the rear cassette and when I applied torque on my pedal strokes for climbing, the chain would come off completely. I counted seven times during the ride my chain came off and every time it was climbing hills. My joy didn't stop there however. There was even more suffering to come.


It wasn't enough to just have shifting and chain problems though. My right pedal was adjusted too lose. This caused the cleat from my right shoe to pop out of the pedal several times. On scenic stretch along the waterfront, lined with nice houses I started my attack on a low rolling hill that curved to the right. Pedaling hard and fast up the hill, my cleat came out of the pedal again which this time threw my foot forward like it was shot out of a cannon in a kicking motion. My foot hit the rim of my front wheel since it was turned slightly to the right for the curve. After impact my foot came downward where it caught a spoke which sandwiched it between it and the front fork. The pressure from that caused my right foot to shoot back out from the wheel and back to my pedal. So basically in the middle of a full sprint, I kicked the "you know what" out of my front wheel. Mind you this all happened in just an instant and I almost crashed trying to regain control. Thankfully I was wearing cycling shoes with soles that do not to bend at all. That protected my foot from being folded in half. With a bruised and slightly lacerated leg I examined the wheel. I had bent the front rim and it was now rubbing against the front brake. Great... Just great. Now I had to cycle half the remaining tour with a bent rim giving me even more rolling resistance climbing the hills of Whidbey Island!


On an up note, I found a remedy to eating an insane quantity of pork sausages. That remedy came in the form of a peanut butter and honey sandwich on white bread which I consumed at the first break station. That sandwich soaked up all the grease in my stomach like a sponge. Within minutes I was feeling much, much better.

Despite my hardships I did enjoy the Tour de Whidbey. To encapsulate the fifty mile ride here is the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good was the beautiful scenery despite the weather. You could see the Puget Sound for about 80 percent of the ride and the break stations were well equipped with friendly volunteers. The bad was the island. Whidbey Island is one hilly son of a... well you know. The ugly would be the route. I don't think it is possible to have a route on Whidbey island to avoid all the hills, but shame on whom ever decided to make one of the longest legs of the route on a busy state highway. Not only that but through an active construction zone as well! On one stretch of the highway my wife pointed out to me an actual paved bicycle path that ran parallel for a couple miles. We found an access point to it and used the path instead deciding it was safer. Of all the bike tours that I've done I still think Tour de Whidbey was the most dangerous from a traffic standpoint.

On the last major hill before the finish my wife pulled off to the side of the road and doubled over in pain. I ushered her and her bike to a near by wide spot across the street since the road we were on had no shoulders. She was complaining of generalized pain throughout her body and had visible shortness of breath. I told her to try and concentrate on her breathing because it appeared to me like she was about to hyperventilate. To this day I still don't know what affected her. We rested there for a good twenty minutes while she sat on a large boulder and regained her breath. Still in a lot of pain, she rode on the last mile to the finish.

Tour de Whidbey 2007 turned out to be quite an adventure in cycling.

Fat Dumb and Happy

The last Saturday in September 2006 was my date with the Dam2Dam and my first ever bike tour. Being new to this whole thing I wasn't sure what to expect. What I did know was this; I would be biking with my wife and one of my best friends from work and that I would be pedalling fifty miles. So in other words; I was fat, dumb, and happy.

I had been training on average between 16 and 24 miles a week three weeks prior to the event and was starting to get comfortable with my new Raliegh Cadent. I liked that I had been cycling on a regular basis before the Dam2Dam. I was starting to get into what I call cycling shape. The more I did the easier it became for me to bike at distance and climb hills. This was a confidence I needed before this event. Unfortunately, my first cycling tour had somethings to teach me and I quickly became aware of some of the nuances to the sport.


It was cool but clear morning in Wenatchee that day. My wife and I arrived about half an hour late to the event due to my not being able to find Lincoln Rock State Park. Lesson number one when it comes to a bike tour, know how to get there! Running late just added to the stress of an unknown event not mention irritating my wife which also increased my stress level for that morning. After arriving to the event and parking we quickly got our gear together and cycled to the registration kiosk. This is where we hooked up with my friend which helped lower my stress level since I now knew he didn't start without us. We collected our event numbers which we pinned to our jerseys and collected the event goodie bag. And a goodie bag it was, it included a Dam2Dam water bottle, a Dam2Dam tyvek windbreaker, and a X-Box 360 video game just to name some of the cool gems in the bag.


We started out of Lincoln Rock State Park and headed north on SR 97 towards Chelan. I still remember the large number of cyclists on the highway as we almost immediately started down a moderate but long hill. The first 13 miles went by rather quickly as it was predominately a gradual downhill to the first break station located at Orondo Park. By this time the sun was high enough that it was warming up and becoming quite comfortable.


Early on between the start and the first break station I rode with my friend from work who had a fairly quick pace. At first I was nervous I wouldn't be able to keep up with him as he was in much better shape than me and had done these events before. I was able to keep up and we passed several other cyclists ahead of us. While keeping pace with my friend, my wife was falling further and further behind. I was made aware of this at the Orondo break station and told my friend to bike on without us from that point. I didn't feel too bad since he came across a local friend at the break station and they biked the rest of the tour together. I learned lesson number two, stay with your wife on bike tours!


My wife and I enjoyed the first break station as I marvelled at how well stocked it was. It wasn't really well stocked but more like over stocked! There were several ice chests and buckets filled with bottled water and every flavored sports drink that Powerade could provide. Of course being in Wenatchee there were boxes of Washington apples, cookies, granola bars, crackers, sandwiches, oranges, and bananas. I was a bit in awe by the overall volume of food and drink. I remember thinking they are definitely not going to run out. It was like this at the second break station as well.


After having an apple, cookie, banana, and Powerade my wife and I ventured on to the halfway point. The journey was as pretty as it was uneventful. There were a few hills along the way that my wife and I struggled a bit to climb but nothing we couldn't handle. Getting closer to the halfway point which was the next break station, we travelled down a large hill which turned into a long flat. As we approached the second break station about a quarter mile away I waved to my friend who was going the opposite direction as he had just left there and was returning back to Lincoln Rock to complete the fifty miler.


So far so good, my wife and I were at the halfway point and were no worse for wear. We took in more nourishment at the second break station and we were on our merry way back to the start/finish point. About a mile after leaving the break station on the flat stretch just before the ascent up one of the more significant hills on the route I heard a noise that made my stomach turn. That sound was a sudden gush of air and my rear tire going instantly flat. I think I struck some small metal debris on the shoulder and it made a small slash in my sidewall. While I examined the outside damage to my tire I remember thinking, well I'm done. I had with me some tire levers and a patch kit but I knew the cut to the tube was beyond repair. That's when I learned lesson number three, bring a spare tube!


In the haste of the moment I told my wife to bike on without me and to drive our truck back to get me. My wife agreed and biked up the hill and was soon out of site. Not long after loosing site of my wife and as I was walking my bike up the hill it occurred me, that was a stupid thing to do. First off my wife didn't have the keys to get in the truck, I had them. Secondly this was a fully supported bike tour and eventually I would get some help from one of the SAG vehicles. So off my wife went leaving me in the dust both figuratively and literally as I'm walking my bike up a hill with the day starting to get hotter. Lesson number four, don't make hasty decisions! Not only in bike tours but in life itself take a moment to review all of the options available to you before making a decision. As I made it to the top of the hill my luck would change and one of the greatest workouts of my life was about to begin.


In a large dirt turnout at the top of the hill sat two older women in an SUV with a bike rack mounted on it. A SAG vehicle! By the looks of the two women I wasn't overly confident they could help me repair my bike but a ride to the finish was definitely in the cards. About the same time I made contact with the SAG vehicle a young married couple from Everett also biking the tour asked me if I was okay. I told them I had an unrepairable flat and no spare tube. The man said, "No problem you can use one of ours." He asked me the size of my tire and I told him it was a 700 by 25. The man took a spare tube from the seat pack from his wife's bike. I remember his wife made a comment to him which I don't recall but I remember the man examining the tube and saying, "Hmm. Don't worry hunny. This tube is the wrong size for your bike anyway." The man from Everett assisted me as I started the repair process and asked me if I'd be alright. I told him that I could take care of it from here. I thanked him and he and his wife were on their way.


As I was replacing the tube I was thinking how embarrassed I was for being ill equipped but also thankful for that couple's generosity. I was also thinking that I've got my work in store for me since the SAG vehicle left and I had to catch up to my wife who by this time was now a good twenty to thirty minutes ahead of me.


About ten minutes after the Everett couple departed I was back on the road and on a mission. Catch up to my wife before the finish. It was a challenging goal and one I wasn't sure I could accomplish. Sure my wife cycles rather slow when she is cycling for fun and enjoying the sites but I know she can go much quicker when she puts her mind to it. After all she is in great shape working out at the gym six days a week with RPM classes scattered throughout her workout week.


With 24 miles ahead of me, I started pedalling hard and riding aggressively. I knew I had to treat this like a marathon and not a sprint but if I didn't push my pace to the highest sustainable limit I would not catch my wife. Within a matter of minutes I was passing riders of all ages and sizes. After about 10 to 15 minutes I caught up with the Everett couple that assisted me. I waved to them and shouted thank you as I passed them on a large downhill. After about 30 plus minutes I started looking far up the road trying to spot my wife. Primarily I was looking at helmet color and bike shape. I would spot a cyclist that fit both criteria in the distance and use that as my motivation to pursue. This occurred about four different times each time not being my wife before arriving back to the Orondo break station.

As I was approaching the Orondo break station which would be the last rest stop before the finish, I was hoping I'd catch her there. On my approach I was scanning the cyclists looking for my wife but did not see anyone who fit the bill. I knew I needed to stop at the break area as my water bottle was about empty and I needed to re-fuel my body. The pace of the last 12 miles pretty much demanded it. If I had to continue at that pace I would definitely need it. As I was devouring breakfast bars, bananas, and Powerade it turns out I would. No wife. She was not at the break station. So after topping off my water bottle I was back on the road in about five minutes.


Still scanning up the road I came across a few more candidates that looked like my wife in the distance. Both times not her. It was beginning to look like I wasn't going to catch her. As I was approaching the long final grade up to Lincoln Rock State park which curved up and to the right I was starting to feel the physical toll of riding hard for 24 miles. Scanning the grade about a third of the way up I spotted what really looked like my wife. So with the last major hill ahead of me and my legs feeling very tired my mind told my legs something they didn't want to hear. I decided to attack the hill.


Pedal stroke after grueling pedal stroke I started up the hill. I passed a cyclist who attempted to draft my wife up the hill but couldn't keep pace and trailed off. Just past the half way point up the hill success! It was my wife cycling hard up the hill. I moved to her left and passed saying just the word, "hello" on my way by. The look on my wife's face was priceless and worth all the suffering I endured to catch up to her. The look was disbelief. I waited for her at the top of the hill and we finished our first bike tour together.

Some Catching Up To Do

A few years back in the summer of 2006 my wife decided to do a bike tour on behalf of a friend who became paralyzed from a motorcycle accident. The tour was called Dam2Dam and is located in Wenatchee Washington. The ride wasn't until the end of September which was a good thing because my wife didn't have a bike so I suggested she get one. She purchased a bike from REI which was a hybrid type. Not a true road bike or a true mountain bike but could do equally fine on both terrains. Years later she would get another bike but that's for a future blog. At the time I only had a mountain bike and thought that would be adequate. Boy did I find out quickly how wrong I would be.


Fortunately we decided to train with our bikes during our sixth wedding anniversary at Friday Harbor on San Juan island of the San Juans in Washington State. While my wife cycled just fine on the island, I discovered how difficult riding a mountain bike on the road is. The rolling resistance from aggressive mountain bike tires on pavement is grueling, especially if your cycling for distance. I would venture a guess that I did not bike more than seven miles before I said no more. I came to the exhausting realization that I needed to get a road bike and quickly.


With only three weeks before Dam2Dam and less than seven miles of training under my belt I purchased a road bike a day or two after returning home from our Friday Harbor holiday. I went to a local bike dealer and purchased a 2006 Raliegh Cadent. The 2006 Cadent is an orange and silver entry level aluminum alloy bike. I went with entry level because I had not ridden a road bike since I was a teenager and I wasn't sure how much cycling I would do after the tour.



On my test ride with the Cadent it became instantly obvious I needed this bike. Compared to my mountain bike, riding the Cadent was effortless and very comfortable. While I was shopping for my "economical" bike the bike shop owner was doing his job by showing me the elite road bikes he had for sale as well. By economical I mean my bike cost me just under $800 and that was with the store owner giving me a discount. By elite bikes I'm talking about bikes made completely of carbon fiber that didn't just cost a thousand dollars but thousands of dollars! Probably because of the sticker shock I was skeptical when the owner told me that once I got the cycling bug in my blood I would be back to buy one of his elite bikes. Surprisingly enough his comment would be prophetic because like my wife two years later, I would do just that.

With my new Raliegh Cadent purchased I had some peace of mind knowing that the Dam2Dam tour would be a little easier for me to accomplish. Still with no significant amount of training under my belt I was in the same position I am with this new blog Adventures in Cycling, I had some catching up to do.