10 things we learned touring the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway. A collaborative blog.
- Ben is an under-exaggeranger when it comes to bikey journeys. When he says the day’s journey is 60 miles, he really means 80. When he says the ride is flat, expect some hills anyway. And when he says there’s a little hill coming up, expect to see Mt. Everest.
- Kyle has a grasp on languages. Near the beginning of our ride, Kyle says, “Hey, what’s the name of this area again? It’s some French word.” Ben: “Uh… the French Prairie?”
- Your legs can handle quite a bit of mileage. It’s the butt-igue that really gets to you. Especially Day 2, after having ridden 78 miles the day before. Apply Butt’r liberally. And re-apply, if necessary.
- When you see bee boxes, ride on the other side of the road, with your mouth closed, and sunglasses on. And pray that none fly into the vents of your bike helmet.
- If you are a young lamb, stay near your mommy. Bald eagles are very big and have big claws. And they will fight over you.
5. Some bikelists carry bike pumps that they know how to use properly. And others carry bike pumps that they don’t know how to use and cannot actually be used on their tires, but just want to look hardcore. *cough* Kyle *cough*
4. God loves us. Giving Kyle a flat tire in Brownsville was very considerate. And so was giving us the bright and cozy Corner Café – where we watched a downpour while eating warm soup and amazing chocolate cake.
3. Two new useful terms were coined on this trip. The first is “Hoo-day”, and is a noun. The proper usage in a sentence would be, “Wow, that restaurant looks really good, but I don’t think we can go in there smelling like hoo-day.” Kyle thinks hoo-day is a French word. The second term is “Idaho” and is an explicative. Kim started using this term as she was going over bumps on a loaded bike with significant butt-igue.
2. Trains are the cheese. And everyone should travel by train more often. They are quiet, comfy, and cheap. We are composing this blog while reclining in our faux leather seats and munching on snacks and listening to our iPods.
1. Lorraine is hardcore. While the rest of us bikelists have done a tour before, she accomplished more daily miles in her first tour than we did last year. Almost 150 miles in two days… while carrying a questionable bike pump for fashion. But she didn’t put it there, so that doesn’t make her less hardcore.
I want to go on a 150 mile bike trip.
ReplyDeleteSheesh. Ya couldn'ta waited a few weeks???
( ;