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MY BLOG IS MOVING!
» Don's Sunnyside BlogMy blog is moving to a new address. It is going to be in house on the Sunnyside Sports .
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"THE MAN, THE LEGEND" OR THE KIDMAN.
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It turns out, after checking some results etc next year will make thirty years of Mountain Bike Racing for me. When I started out I wasn't any good to tell the truth. I had no idea how to go down a hill. I seem to remember at the Whiskeytown Downhill (which took me over four hours and it wasn't downhill) that children on tricycles were passing me on the first descent. My friend Tom Pickett assured me I could do better and he took me out and gave me some pointers. My next race I did a little better and by the end of the 80's I was an accomplished "downhiller". The down hills back then were more like easy Super Ds, but it is what we had.
I digress. I have been doing this for quite a while now. When I finished the Sisters Stampede Race on Sunday Alex McClaren called me a legend. In the photos of the race the caption under my photo is "The Man, the Legend". Well I don't feel like a legend and in fact the term "man" isn't what I think of when I ride a mountain bike. The name for someone like me comes from Kathy's sister Jan. When Kathy and I got married all those years ago, Jan was a teenager. She wasn't sure what the husband of her sister was. A real grownup or still a kid, so she called me a Kidman. That is what I am when I ride my mountain bike a kidman. I just happen to have been doing longer than most others. I still love it. I look forward to every ride. It is hard to explain my feeling other than it is what I felt when I first started to ride a bike when I was a kid. The exhilaration of the downhill, the sweat and feeling of the muscles working on the uphill. Why do I like it more than road biking. Well I don't really, other than we just don't have many roads in Central Oregon that do a bike justice, at least for me. I like the curves, the jumps the fun. I do not like to mindlessly do long workouts. That is why I don't run, or do triathlons. This is not to dis those sports or activities. My exercise needs to include fun, because I am a kidman. I have never grown up. I like a session at the Lair when I ride. Yesterday I had to check out "Funner". It is open and it still funner than most other trails. Some will read this and say, but Don I know you do intervals on the trainer, isn't that mindless exercise? Yes it is, but I keep those sessions as short as I can so I have time to do fun riding later. In fact this year I found a place to do my intervals on my mountain bike. It is a sweet uphill which means a sweet downhill afterwords. The Kidman in me found a way to make the intervals fun also.
If you see me out there be ready to have some fun.
Don -
Tour of California
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I watched most of the Pour of California this year and I was really impressed with the Medalist, the organizer of the Tour of California. When I was a young lad growing up in the Bay Area we rode most of the roads that are currently used in the ToC. A ride up to Mount Hamilton was about 100 miles for us as we had to ride across San Jose and then up to the top and then return. There was no public transportation you could take a bike on back then and even if there was we would not have used it as riding was the point. When we found Sierra Road we thought that was cool. I doesn't really go anywhere you see, but it was steep. To put a mountain top finish up there would not be easy as there is nothing up there, they would have to take over the whole road and of course get permission from the people who live there. Something like us using Skyline road for our Cascade Cycling Classic only even more difficult. When Chris Horner read about the this finish he was excited as he realized the ToC had become a real race in the sense of the Grand Tours. Throw in Mt Baldy and the ToC was a perfect place for the almost 40 year old to shine, and shine he did. What he did came as no surprise to anyone who was at all close to Chris. He lost some weight, he trained hard, and he hinted that he was ready. He already proved last year that he can be the strongest rider on Radio Shack by finishing 10th at the tour, after acting as head support for his leaders who all faded away at the end. So yes I loved the Tour of California and all of its stages. That being said it could be better if it was held in the time of year where the real mountains of California (the Sierra Nevada) are free of snow. Those are the mountains that can rival the the Alps, Pyrenees and Dolomites for scenery and mountain roads. I am not sure that will ever happen or even if it needs to happen.
Phil at one point said Mt Baldy was like going into the Pyrenees or the Dolomites. I have to differ, as wonderful as the ToC was it did not rival the Grand Tours for mountains. I have included a couple of photos make my point. There is a reason thousands of us travel to Europe every year to ride the magical roads they have over there. The best way I can explain it is to say the roads in Europe are like single track for road bikes, our roads are mostly double track. In the Giro yesterday Nibaly, who is one of the best descenders attacked at the top of one of the passes and gained a minute on the downhill. This would not happen on our roads, they are too straight. The top photo is the ToC, and the middle is the Giro. Thanks for reading
Don -
CONTADOR !
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If you have been following the Giro this year you will know Alberto Contador is in the Maglia Rosa. I am not going to comment on his current drug problems but on his race style.
What you could have noticed is the way Contador has gotten the "Pink Jersey". He has done it exactly the way he has always raced. With daring attacks at times when most contenders would be content to wait. A few bonus seconds here and a few seconds by leaving the other favorites behind. He has managed a minute plus lead before all the hard stages have even started. This is what I would call smart and daring racing. It is also what he did in 2009 when he was a teammate of one Lance Armstrong. Only then every move was questioned. Was this good tactics, was he a good teammate. What Contador is is daring and willing to follow his instincts more than the ear phone. He goes when he feels it is right. The funny thing is he rarely makes mistakes. His instinct is good. I hope those who questioned his tactics in 2009 or even his attack of Andy Shleck, last year in the great chaingate controversy, will see that is who this racer is. He goes when his body tells him to. He can't help it. It is also how he wins.
Again I am not defending Contador just explaining him.
If you haven't been watching the Giro now is the time to start. The fireworks are just about to start in what may be the hardest grand tour ever.
Don -
WOUTER WEYLANDT
» Don's Sunnyside BlogIt is somewhat presumptuous to think I can write something meaningful about the death of Wouter Weylandt. In fact I probably can't. What I can do is express my feelings. Death is all around us all the time, the issue with this death is it happened in an activity that celebrates life not death. The juxtoposition of the two what makes it so hard. I was on a week long bike ride when someone rode off the highway and died at the scene. I was next to his wife, standing around a fire celebrating the survival of a difficult day of riding when we heard the news. One moment we were all excited at the prospect of another day if riding and the next second we were in shock, in too much shock for me to actually feel anything. It was only hours later that I was able to feel the loss and saddness which comes from such a shock.
Cycling is a dangerous sport, and in my mind especially road riding. We are out among the iron death machines (cars), and just the fact that when we ride we like to be close makes this sport, which I love, so dangerous. We try to ignore and to pretend the danger down not exist, but it does. When there is big wreck in one of the local bike races many times there are statements of blame and accusations of " amateur" riding. Well that is because those involved don't want to accept that cycling is inherently dangerous.
I am not quitting the sport I love, but I do not try to hide the fact that any thing can happen at anytime. What I learn from events like the death yesterday ismsimple for me. Go out, enjoy our sport but to also respect and to accept the personal responsibility of what we do.
My heart goes out to all of those who knew Wouter. It is a sad day for all cyclists.
Don -
FORTY YEARS TODAY!
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It was forty years ago that Kathy and I got married. I am not sure where all those years have gone though. We have been married longer than many of my friends have been alive and I still can't figure out how that could have happened so quickly. I remember like it was yesterday when I first saw my sweetheart. It was at our University's hiking club (The Boot and Blister Club) which met in the Wildlife Building (room 206). Not to relive our history I just want to be clear I remember the moment as clear as when it happened. I was 18, and like all 18 year old I was pretty sure I knew most of what I needed to know.
I guess the one thing I did know and still know is that Kathy was the love of my life. No it hasn't been all roses since then, but it has been special an our life together has been full of love and happiness.
I am a sucker for weddings. I guess I have the hope that all young people will find the love of their lives, get married and live happily ever after. The ironic thing is when we got married we didn't really believe in the institution of marriage. We did it to appease family members and to make our lives easier. Now I do believe in Marriage. I think the commitment and the love that goes into a marriage is well worth the effort.
Last year I went to two weddings and I hope that Serena and Ben and Matt and Ruth have long lasting relationships full of adventure, love and joy. I even watched the Royal Wedding, well the highlights anyway. Being part Canadian gave me the right to enjoy the royal couple (yes if you didn't know The Queen is also the head of state of Canada). It was refreshing to see two people in love getting married instead of two people in a marriage of convenience. Kate is the first commoner to marry the successor to the crown in over 350 years.
So I hope love conquers all. I also have a few friends who I think should marry. I would be foolish to know who should marry and who should not, but because my marriage has been so wonderful I think others should be able to share what we have had. I am an optimist for sure.
Here is to love, joy and happiness
Don -
3rd BETTER THAN 1ST?
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Yesterday I raced in what I think was my 15th Mudslinger Mountain Bike Race. There have been 23 and there were a few years when I wasn't racing mountain bikes. It is not my best race. I am not good on pure climbs and some of the descents are steep and muddy with roots, something I don't have a lot of practice with. So why keep coming back. Well it is because it is the best run race in the state. Mike Rlpley is a professional and his races reflect that. He is low key and always has a kind word for everyone. His races start on time and the results are immediate and usually accurate. I have won at Mudslinger once, and been on the podium various times. So not bad for a race that doesn't suit me.
Yesterday I was third and it was maybe the best race I have done in quite a few years. I had a terrible start. Do to no ones fault but my own I didn't understand how the start was going to work. I got behind a small crash and decided to stay in the back. It turns out we were racing pretty much from the gun and the neutral start I thought was happening was really just a rolling closure. No wonder everyone was going so fast. I was dead last when we hit the first single track. I had to walk a bit because it was so crowded others were walking in front of me. I got on the first climb and decided what the hell I had nothing to loose so I would just beast every climb and push myself harder than I normally would. I caught my first 55+ in about 10 minutes, sweet I wasn't last anymore. I kept going hard and then in one of my favorite sections called the Panama Canal I was flying some of the only mud of the day. I came out to a road and just killed my self on a small climb and then I could see four more 55+ers. They weren't as close as they appeared because road goes up these 20% stair steps. I got the first one, then the second, the third and then the forth. I was really hurting but I knew the climb kept going through a clear cut where one could see for quite a distance and what I wanted them to see was me disappearing up the hill. I never look back so I don't know what my gap was but again I was really pushing myself..
I managed to get to top and then I cleaned a really difficult single track descent. I felt really good about that. I am going to give most of the credit to my Fisher Superfly 29er though. It is amazing through roots and steep slippery trails. I never caught 1st or 2nd and I am not sure I would have even if I had had a great start. Both of those guys are stronger than me on climbs. So I was quite happy with that 3rd place. I really pushed myself and my body reacted well. I did fade a little at the end but not enough to loose any places.
So even though I was unhappy with my bad start it maybe turned out for the best. I tested new waters in going hard and I now have the confidence to try that again. Thanks to Mike Ripley for putting on such a class event and thanks to the racers in my group who always go hard and never make it easy to get on the podium. -
OFFICIAL COMPLAINT ABOUT THE WEATHER?
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Well not really, whining never improves things and complaining about the weather is one of the most useless energy drains I know of. So instead I will give observations. This is the coldest and wettest Spring I can remember in Central Oregon, that would be the last 37 years. One thing that is different now is the weather forecasts are much more accurate than even 10 years ago. It seems when it says it is going to rain or be cold it does it. In a practical sense what this does is make us more miserable because people not only complain about today's weather they complain about the weather to come. We have always had cold springs but we also had hope for warmer days ahead. Today we can see on our phones, our Ipads, our computers and the newspaper that the weather will continue to be cold and wet for the next 10 days (actually on the day I am writing this it will be cool but dry). No hope in other words.
Here is the good news. It should have been colder and wetter this year. Most people know about La Nina and El Nino. This is when the Pacific is either warmer or colder than average. As a side I wonder if the Pacific is ever average? This year was La Nina and that means cool and wet. However it was a very strong La Nina and most climatologists were predicting wetter than it has been. So we got off easy. La Nina has pretty much gone away so in a a few weeks the weather should improve.
Most of us complain about the weather because they can't do the things they want to do. Sunbathe, ski, ride bikes, play golf and in Kathy's case garden. I happen to be in the bike riding school of whining. I don't whine though. Instead I ride my mountain bike. In Central Oregon Mountain Bike riding is enhanced by wet. The snow seems to be melting so I go out and enjoy what we have. Nice sticky wet trails. I raced in the thick mud last week and happened to win my race. This was because I love the mud. So the weather was my friend.
One disclaimer. I go to Spain every Spring for a real taste of Spring, flowers blooming, ripe oranges hanging on trees and days of sunshine. I know when I come back it will be cool and wet but at least I have tasted what most Central Oregonians are missing.
Instead of whining go out and do the things that our weather is good for, Spring skiing, Mountain Biking and maybe a trip to someplace warmer would be a good thing.
Don -
What about this Johann Van Summeren?
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Ok I admit it I didn't pick him to win, I always pick Juan Antonio Flecha. Juan is Spanish and always in the thick of things. Is it a surprise that Van Summeren won, well not to me. When he attacked out of the Arenberg and the favorites let him go I told Kathy that is a mistake as he has done very well here before (5th and 8th to be exact). Anyone who has finished in the top 10 has to be considered a favorite. He is from Belgium, he is strong. Back when Carlos Sastre won the Tour and Evans was second remember all the talk about the Lotto team being too weak to help Cadel. Who took Cadel to the bottom of the Alpe it was Johann Van Summeren. Over the Alps over the Croix de Fer. Johann was there when needed. No it was not a surprise but it was special. I think Garmin, after a poor tour of Flanders, knew more than we did. Thor was on all he needed was a team mate capable of winning in the break. That way he didn't need to work. I think Garmin felt Cancellara would bridge and Thor would win, but Cancellara is human and Van Summeren came through. Cancellara did prove he was the strongest human after dropping his group riding up to the chase and then out sprinting all of them. With that showing you can see why Garmin was sure he would bridge.
Fabio Cancellara has to come to terms with himself though. He is so strong he can drop almost any rider at will. There is no incentive to work with him on long breaks. It is not about honor but about suicide. Drafting is usually the great equalizer but Cancellara has proven he can drop the strongest of the strong by just accelerating. We all know that so the only defense is to stay on his wheel and do no work, and in Garmin's case have a card up your sleeve like Johann Van Summeren. The photo is from when he was fifth in the Paris Roubaix in 2009.
Thanks for reading.
don -
HOME, AND MORE THOUGHTS AND THANKS
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I am home after three weeks of cycling, visiting friends and having another cycling moment of my life. One of the best things about living in Bend is I get to come home to my favorite place in the world. I do like to travel and I do love road riding in Mallorca, Mountain biking in Scotland and of course watching and participating in Tour of Flanders will be a highlight of my cycling life forever. Bend is still the best, and being back with my best friend and sweetheart of 40 years is wonderful.
Watching The Tour of Flanders of live was very special. I have to thank the great folks at Quality Bike Parts and Lazer Helmets for hosting me and the other USA dealers. Rebecca did a great job of keeping track of us and making sure we all had food, bikes, and entertainment, a special thanks to my roommate Adam. When you find yourself in Belgium in a typical hotel (small rooms) and you have an unknown roomy it is a pleasure to get along as well as we did. It turns out we both love cycling, and we both have a sense of humor. Those two things go along way. He also has an awesome camera and with that camera he got some great shots. Thanks Adam. I would also like to thank Todd Cravens from Quality. In the first hour of the Cyclo sportiv version of the Tour we hooked up together, and though he was stronger than me he waited at every hill top and allowed me to "suck his wheel" for many a kilo. Though I am a Europe veteran it was great to have someone to share the experience with. That made a big difference for me. Thanks Todd.
The photos show more than I can explain about watching the race. We were in 4 places, the staging area, two spots on the road and the decisive "Muur". The Kammelmuur is where Cancellara dropped Booned last year and this year it was when after getting a minute lead he an Chavenel were caught. We got to see the moment when the group came together. That was special. We were sitting in a VIP tent having a gourmet meal while the race was going on. They had at least eight big screens with the race. Between our first course and main course we ran outside and watched the race go by and then back to the tent for desert and the end of the race. This was special. Being in a tent full of Belgians watching a Belgian win was very cool. It was also satisfying to see my favorite Juan Antonio Fletcha animate the race early on and of course see the BMC team real back Cancellara. I was disappointed with the Garmin team and I am sure they were. They had no one in the break at the end and though they had some of the strongest they did not play a role in the race. I am sure they are going to rethink their strategy for Paris Roubaix.
The last thing are the bike lanes in Belgium everywhere. There is no debate in Belgium about bikes. They are used for transportation period and there is a place for them to be. They don't have as many rules over there about safety though. They figure people can take care of themselves. I included that photo with the bike lane to show how much they care about bikes. That road is not wide enough for a bike lane in our world. Over there they put the bike lane and expect the cars to respect the bikes in the road. The cars have to pass the bikes when it is safe.
One bit of irony. We went over as the guests of Lazer Helmet. Their headquarters is in Antwerp. In Antwerp there are thousands of bike commuters every day using designated bike lanes and paths throughout the city. I did not see one commuter using a helmet. If Lazer could get that market they wouldn't have to export a helmet to any other country.
Another point of interest was the helmet use in Cyclosportif version of the Tour of Flanders. I would say over 90% had helmets. I was surprised with that many.
It was a great trip which ended with Adam Craig sitting in the seat next to me from Denver to Bend. He was in Colombia racing in the Pan/Colombian mountain bike races. We got to catch up, share some photos and thoughts. So once again it is amazing to come home to Bend after seeing some of the greatest the road riders in the world and sit and chat with one of the best mountain bikers in the world who just happens to live in Bend, my home town.
Thanks for reading.
Don -
I was ...
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I was at the the Tour of Flanders yesterday. We saw the staging area, and managed to be at three spots on the course. The first two it was more of the atmosphere and feeling the racers go by and seeing all the pageantry . The entourage, the helicopters flying by and of course the wind of the peleton.
The last stop we were on the Muur. This was where Cancellara and Chavenal were caught after a long breakaway. They were the two strongest riders out there.
I am getting ready to catch a flight so enjoy the photos and I will have a follow up blog soon.
See you at home.
Don -
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Muur
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Today was on of the most amazing riding experiences I have had. I rode the tourist version of the Tour of Flanders. Flanders is the Flemish speaking part of Belgium. I was joined by 19,000 other cyclists. Basically rode with more cyclists today then all of my lifes rides combined. Lazer Helmets USA along with Lazer in Belgium is hosting 10 dealers from the USA to ride today and watch the Tour of Flanders tomorrow. By the way I am picking Juan Antonio Flecha to win.
Then photo is of the Kammelmuur. I hoped that is the spelling. That is the most famous of the famous climbs. It is where Cancellara left Boonen last year. While I was going up I was visualizing the races I have watched. I felt like I had been on this climb before. Tomorrow I get to see if he can do it again.
This is going to be a short blog as I have to get up at 5 tomorrow and go to the start in Bruge. I will fill you in with all the great friends I have made and more stories from Flanders.
Don -
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WORST TYRE I HAVE EVER RIDDEN ON
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I actually rode on that tube and tyre for about two miles. I was expecting a blowout at any second, but I did make it back to the trailhead. I was fortunate enough to have gone to Alpine Bikes in Innerleithen to rent a bike. They sent me out on a Trek Remedy 9.9. One model up from my bike at home. It is not after one can hire a bike better than the one at home. Alpine Bikes is my favorite bike store in the Tweed Valley. There are some other nice places to hire bikes and get them repaired but Alpine has always come through for me.
I wanted to show the difference between "natural trails" and "man made trails". Natural trails around here can be pretty old walking, hunting, sheep or 4x4 paths. Man made trails for mountain biking are constructed much like road is. The trees are cleared and a rock base laid. Then "features are added. Some features seem very natural, some are adds just for fun and some, well the build was trying too hard and actually seem out of place. Trail building like this in Scotland is pretty new. The first trails were built around 1998. The designers have learned from the past and, as this has been so popular, trails have been built for all levels of riders. The first trails were built for the more advanced riders, now trails are built for everyone. There are downhill trails, cross country trails, free ride trails practice areas everything.
Because it rains so much here these trails are designed to be used in all weather conditions. No closing the trails here because of a little rain.
The locals ride the natural trails when it is dry and the man made trails when it is wet. The parking lot at Glentress seems almost full every time I am here. Mountain bikers travel from all over Great Britain to ride these trails.
For me being able to ride no matter the weather makes for a great holiday. All I need is my raincoat and contact lenses.
Thanks for reading.
Don -
MAN MADE TRAILS
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NATURAL TRAIL
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VIEWS FROM THE HILLS ABOVE PEEBLES
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I am on my second leg of my European Holiday. We left Liverpool a few days ago to drive up to The Borders in Southern Scotland. I am staying with Andy and Ros in their flat in Peebles. Scotland has been named The best Mountain Bike Country by IMBA many times. The Borders has led the way with many areas with specific mountain bike areas. The most popular are called the 7Stanes. These areas all have man made all weather mountain bike trails. This means they are designed to be ridden in heavy rain. If you know any locals they will take you on a ride with "natural trails". These are trails made by land rovers, old cattle drives, hill walkers and sheep. You will need a dry day to ride these trails to not get stuck in deep mud and cause damage to the countryside.
It was natural trails we were on yesterday. We started in Peebles up an old old forest road, we then turned on a 4X4 track and then a combination of walking, sheep and cross country trails to the top of a ridge. Then it was over 6 miles of spectacular downhill. I have been told about this downhill hill before but this was my first chance to ride it. The views from the top spectacular, like many hills in Scotland. It was a calm day, unusual for around here, some sun and dry.
Today is a different story. We have a wet day so we are off to the man made trails of Glentress and Interleithen.
I happen to be with the Mountain Bike Ranger who is the caretaker of these trails, Andy Wardman. It is nice to have a guide to keep show me the best of the best in Scotland.
Thanks for reading.
Don -
MOUNTAIN BIKING IN SCOTLAND
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SPRING IN GREAT BRITAIN
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CLOSE UP OF SCULPTURE
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My stay in Mallorca is over and I am on the second leg of my holiday, England and Scotland. When Andy flew over to Mallorca he had to fly from Manchester, England as there were no flights from Scotland. That meant on the way home we both flew back to Manchester. Ros, Andy's girlfriend cheerfully picked us up and off we were to Liverpool where Ros's parents live. Barbara and Frank welcomed me like a long lost friend. Though we had never met before we felt like we knew each other.
A quick tea and off we were to see the sights and visit with Barbara, who was in Liverpool getting ready to sing in a concert, Mozarts's Requiem. Then it was time to see the sights. A couple of Cathedrals (Anglican and Catholic). A modn shopping area and then to the famous Cavern District and the Cavern Club, made famous all those years ago by the Beatles. Liverpool was full of people of all ages enjoying the night life. The Cavern Club was packed as were many other pubs and dance spots.
A quick dinner at Everymans and then off to the concert.
A combination of daylights saving and a late night made for a late morning. It was off to the beach and the outdoor sculpture. This sculpture consists of 100 bronze statues made from the artists own body. It is quite disconcerting to see all these naked men looking out to sea.
This afternoon we are off to Scotland. The sun is out and England is looking its best. Green, trees blooming, and daffodils everywhere.
The photo of the Beatles music sitting on the piano was not staged, that was the music on the piano when I walked in. And, yes, everyone in Liverpool calls everyone love just like we learned in Help and A Hard Days Night.
Thanks for reading,
Don -
Art on the beach
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Sculpture
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LIVERPOOL
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Soller Deia Binisalem by donoso@bendnet.com at Garmin Connect - Details
» Don's Sunnyside BlogSoller Deia Binisalem by donoso@bendnet.com at Garmin Connect - Details
This is more a blog about new technology than where we went yesterday. The first year I came to Mallorca I bought a prepaid phone card so I could call home. Though I do speak Spanish it was difficult to navigate through all the different voice menus and make a call to the USA. Kathy, on the other side of the world had a new cell phone, but she was at a workshop in San Diego and the hotel where she was staying was out of range for her cell phone carrier. The result being we didn't communicate for over 10 days. Today I use Skype, I can see her face live over the Internet and it is easy to get hold of her and for some reason it is free.
Maps, that is another thing that has changed. The first year we all had maps, but we had to guess which were the best roads, now they have a special cycling map with the best routes already picked out. Of course there is the Garmin. John Riley, my friend from Wisconsin, just wrote to me and announced he and Margaret are going to be in Mallorca next week, not knowing I was already here. He wanted to know if I had some good suggestions for routes, in case the Trek Travel routes were too tame. All I had to do was send him my Garmin downloads, just like the one on this blog. He can then download them to his Garmin and not have to worry about where to go. It is amazing how quickly things have changed. Though it is fun to make fun of all these gadgets, and how people are obsessed with cell phones, GPSs and computers they have made my traveling easier. It doesn't make the riding more fun, but it does make finding routes a little less stressful and I like to share my experiences with you at home and that is simple in this new world.
Thanks for reading,
Don -
Magical
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I can't help but use that word magical. This photo was taken close to sunset as Andy and set off for a night ride. We were half way up first climb and I looked back and that was the view. I have seen this view many times but this one was special.
It seems kind of crazy to do a night ride when we have all day to ride, but it is an adventure to ride at night ( we have some very good night lights). There is no traffic so in some ways it is safer. On this day Andy was getting in In the afternoon and we wanted to watch Milano-San Remo on the television. It was over at 5:30 so we rode at night, we, wouldn't have had this view otherwise.
Yesterday we decided to see the scenic coastline between Valdemosa and Soller. We stopped in Deia for some food and drink. Deia is one of the most beautiful towns on the island. It sits almost one thousand feet above the Mediteranean Sea, mountains behind and the sea below.
Today we are headed out to another spectacular view, which is the lighthouse on Cape Formentor. Two small climbs and a tunnel gets to the point furthest north and east. On a clear day one can make out Menorca in the distance. Like I said this place is magical.
Thanks for reading,
Don -
Serious planning
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It seems like a map is part of every conversation when one is on a bike holiday. In the morning at breakfast in order to plan the day, at all the stops just to make sure we are where we are supposed to be and of course at night at dinner so we can recap the days route. With the advent of the Garmin GPS we also have to email what we did and of course check it once more for ourselves just to be doubly sure we actually should be tired.
The other part of a bike holiday to Mallorca is the cafe. Should we stop in Bunyola, or wait until Soller. Maybe we should stop at every bar we see and have cafe. Some of the cafe is perfect, some not. Imalways have cafe con leche. Coffee with milk. Most of the time it is just the way I like it.
In the next photo you can see what Mallorca looks like from about 1500 feet. The mountains you see are full of windy roads with climbs from 5 to 15 kilometers. There is also lots of flat land to ride in. It is one of the reasons I like coming here. Hills to go hard, have fun on the descents, and look at the scenery. Flats for those days the legs need s rest but you just feel the need to get out.
The last photo is how we try to recover after a lo g day in the saddle. The pool is cool, though not ice water, so we stand in the pool for about 10 minutes. Don't know if it works but it seems to. I took that photo from my hotel room. I felt like some National Enquirer photographer.
I am asked why do you always return to Mallorca every year. Travel is many things to different people. For me it is not about adventure but about seeing old friends, enjoying the sunshine in March and getting in some fun miles on the bike. Mallorca is the best place I have found for that so I keep coming back. It is a long way but I find it worth it. The last few days I have been catching up with my friend Neal from Leeds in Great Britain. I only see him once a year so it is good to see how he is doing. A few minutes ago I was walking down the street and I saw our head waiter from another hotel we have stayed at. He recognized me stopped and said hello. Kind of nice.
Right now I am sitting in the hotel waiting for Andy to arrive. I spent some time with him last fall but I haven't been in Mallorca with him for a number of years. That will be fun. We actually met here in Mallorca six years ago I think.
Take care and thanks for reading, and a note to Matt, those are chainrings on the pillow. Special 42 tooth chainrings from the states. Better than mints.
Don -
Typical day in cycling paradise!
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What is this
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Here I ...
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Here I am in Mallorca for my 10th time. Though we generally have pretty good weather here there are days when it rains. Our first day was like that. We landed I bright sunshine, something I have not seen at home in a while. What was more remarkable was in Barcelona it was pouring rain. We were all quite hungary and my bike was still in Newark so we went to have lunch at my favorite Don Corleone's. Sitting in the sun drinking a cafe con leche. This was the experience I was waiting for.
I was extra smart this year and put my shoes, pedals and helmet in my carry one bag. I went to the bike shop after lunch and picked up a rental bike. I was ready to go before the others had finished putting their bikes together. We started out and all looked fine. There was the odd dark cloud around but it looked clear. Well what we were in is what is called a sucker hole. After about 15 minutes it started to really rain hard. We gathered under a tree, put on our rain coats and headed back to the hotel. Our shoes were soaked, along with everything else. The photo of the shoes on the wall is my invention. I used some hangers to suspend the shoes in front of the vent. Dry shoes in the morning.
The other photo is my bike bag. When we returned from our first day out my bike was enroute to the hotel. Even with the rental bike it was sweet to see my bike in one piece.
Today we had another problem. Joe's bike had a shifter problem that was not repairable. We took it to my favorite shop and they were willing to get the part from their sisters shop, and have the bike ready by tomorrow morning. They even loaned us a bike so Joe could pedal the. 40 ks back to our hotel. Ciclo Gomilla in Binisalem. The same kind of service Sunnyside would give. It looks like sun for the next few days, I will try to get some more photos and more stories.
Don -
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SHOE DRYING 102
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ON HOLIDAY
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Tomorrow I head for another adventure across the Atlantic. It has become an annual event for me, spring riding in sunny Mallorca. You can see by the photo why I go. It is, as my friend Baltimore Bob says, magical. Windy roads, lots of friendly cafes with very good Spanish cafe. I really look forward to this trip. This year more than most. We had a dry and warm January. When I wanted to ski I was on my bike. Then winter came back and we seem to have had snow, rain and cool weather for about a month now.
I have been on my skis but by March I am ready for some cycling. Barb and Lew are joining me again along with Joe and Deborah, my good friends from Portland/Seattle. I was telling Serena, who came last year with her husband Ben, that I had a fantasy world where all my friends came every year. I won't mention them all but believe me I have many friends who I have met on bikes in Mallorca and now we are friends. Serena and Ben are not coming this year, neither are Kevin, Ali or Pete. One very special friend is coming and that is what I am really looking forward to. Andy, my very good friend from Yorkshire, but who lives in Peebles, Scotland is going to be my roommate. I usually see Andy once a year, but he has not come to Mallorca for a few years now. It will be fun to show him some new roads, and of course ride the old ones again. Andy is just 30 and I seem to be over 60. I don't know why we get along but we do something about being kindred spirits. We aren't really even a lot alike. But we get along and that is the part of the holiday I am looking forward to the most. I also get to visit him and Ros in Scotland for a few days as I needed a place to stay between Mallorca and my trip to watch the Tour of Flanders.
The hardest part for me is simple it is leaving home and my sweetheart. It would seem that after almost 40 years of marriage we would be glad to part, but it isn't like that. We do have different likes and dislikes and while I would rather be on my bike she would rather be in her garden. She does travel but not as much as me. So off I go, with a bit of a tear in my eye. This year I started taking piano lessons and I find playing music quite emotional. I practiced today for the last time until I get back and I was so sad afterwards I started to cry. I guess it is good to love my music and my piano teacher (Kathy) so much.
I am all packed and now we are spending a quiet day together. Not really doing anything much. That is what I will look forward to when I get home. Some more quiet time.
I will be writing from time to time about my trip. Thanks for reading.
Don -
TECHNOLOGY ? PELLIZOTTI? WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT
» Don's Sunnyside BlogDave suggested I write about Franco Pellizotti (he lost his appeal and was suspended for two years from bike racing this week), and Susan suggested I write about new technology. I am not going to say too much about Franco. He didn't test positive his blood values were suspicious. I do not have much to say really. I do know when I had surgery 10 years ago my hemocrit level was over 50. I don't know why but I would have been kept from racing. I guess the bottom line for me is they are really just guessing he took drugs. Does not seem fair.
Technology next. Velonews has decided that 29er bikes are the innovation of the year. I guess that is cool, but I am pretty sure they have been around for a lot longer than this year. That being said I got mine this year and, yes, it is cool. I am not the born again 29er owner though. I have a Trek Superfly 100 Elite. It weighs in at 23 pounds with pretty big tyres. It goes fast up hill and it seems to do everything else pretty well also. It doesn't have those 29er issues one reads about. It goes around switchbacks, it does a wheelie as well as I can manage, it rides over rocks and through snow better than my 26 inch bike. It only has 100mm of travel but with the big wheels that seems like enough. I also have 26 longer travel Ibis Mojo HD. That really flies downhill but my Trek is still a fun descender. What I am convinced is it is a better race bike and a great long distance machine. If you haven't ridden one you should give it a try, even If you are small. Two of the best female mountain bikers from the USA both ride 29ers and they are 5'4" and 5'2".
Now one last bit of technology. Fischer Skis have been selling a ski called the zero for a fe years now. It has only been available as a race classic ski. An expensive quiver ski. It has had lots of success though. Next year they will have a wider version called the super light.
I have had a chance to ski on that ski a couple of times and I am duly impressed. It feels like a wax ski. Fast, no noise and good kick. I really feel this ski is going to be the ski of choice for those that classic ski at Meissner and Mt Bachelor, or even more as I used this ski through some fresh snow and it worked quite well. Time will tell but this seems like a real revolution in the nordic world.
I am off to Europe next week. I will be writing about our adventures in the blog so keep abreast. I am looking forward to some warmer days on the bike. Thanks for reading.
Don -
SUNNYSIDE SPORTS FAMILY
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Sunnyside Sports is where I work. I also am the majority owner. Sometimes this is difficult because I think of all of my coworkers as friends first. That being said Sunnyside Sports is not a place to hang out. It is about hard work, treating customers with respect and getting the job done. Those that see all of this fit in. We have just hired four more coworkers. I did none of the interviews, one I hadn't even met until her first day of work. This was on purpose. I am trying to get out of the day to day running of Sunnyside Sports. My goal is to have exchanged ownership of the Sunnyside by 2015. I want the decisions to be made my the new owners not the old owner.
Sunnyside is my other family. Family is not all about play, it is about growth, working together and being there for others when in need. That is how I feel about Sunnyside. We have been hurt, like all families, by this attitude, but we have also been rewarded. I do not let the being hurt distract me from what we have tried to do. We have monthly meetings and at these meeting it is very apparent how well we all get along. Many modern businesses use the term "team". I see all the time in ads for recruitment that companies are looking for "team players". At one time I thought that was a good term but I have come to the conclusion that when a company is looking for a team player what they really mean to say is someone who will follow orders and do as the boss says.
Sunnyside needs those attributes also to a point. What we really want is more. We want people we can work with in the day and then go for a ride with on the weekend. We want more than team players we want family members.
When it was just the two of us (Gary and I) it was pretty easy. We worked almost every day and we both knew we had to give a lot to make Sunnyside work. Now there are 16 of us (at least that is my count). I realize a group of 16 is harder to deal with than a group of two, but it is still my goal to have Sunnyside a family style work place.
I am excited with our new faces (Jared, Andrew, Bruce and Katie) I hope they fit in like the other 12. I hope to go on rides with all of them and do the fun stuff which Sunnyside is all about.
Sunnyside was named because we are on the Sunnyside of the Mountains. I like to think of the song though and think that Sunnyside is about the Sunnyside of life. -
DOES DON ONLY RIDE HIS BIKE?
» Don's Sunnyside BlogIf you read my blog you may get the idea that all I do is ride a bike. I ride in Spain, France, Scotland and of course the USA. I race, I ride for recreation, I work on bikes, I test ride bikes. I have won some races and done well in many others. So part of the answer is yes I love to ride and at 60 years I am not ready to quit.
However riding is not all I do. I happen to work for example. I am part owner of Sunnyside Sports. I really do work full time. I love working here and I am proud of what me and the rest of the Sunnyside Crew have accomplished here.
I read quite a bit. The unusual part of that is I read mainly in Spanish. I do this because it is an easy way for me to keep on my Spanish language skills. I always have a book I am reading, right now I am reading the complete Sherlock Holmes. Why in Spanish? No real reason other thanI found it and it is a fun read.
I am learning the piano. This is really what this blog is about. I took piano 30 years ago but I found that practicing with my teacher in the room was not satisfactory. It wasn't her fault it was mine. I wanted some privacy when I practiced. So I stopped. Kathy (my piano teacher who I happen to be married to) recently moved her piano studio to out of our house. As soon as she did that I started piano again. It has been very fun and lots of work. I practice very diligently, almost every day for at least 1/2 hour. The first few lessons consisted of very simple tunes (of course one can wonder why Ode to Joy is the most beautiful and the most simple of tunes).
Part of my lesson is playing duets with Kathy. I knew this was part of class as I have heard Kathy give hundreds of lessons. What I didn't know was how I would feel about it. Playing music with someone else is on top of my list of things I have done, and playing with Kathy was even more special. I can't really explain how I felt. I can tell you what happened though. We we playing the theme from Dvorcak's New World Symphony. I had practiced this peace very hard. When we were playing it sounded like real music to me and Kathy and I were the ones doing. That was the point I started to cry. I mean real crying not just choking up. This was the real thing.
Like I said I have medals at world championships, I have raced in front of the hometown crown and done well. I have never broken down from joy before though.
A special thanks to Kathy who helped me make this happen.
Don -
ADVENTURES ON THE MOUNTAIN BIKE
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Not every ride but on many mountain bike rides there is a sense of adventure. I like long mountain bike rides that take me far from home, deep into the woods, high in the mountain etc. Places that put you on your own. On a bike this is different than hiking because we have the added factor of falling and mechanical break downs. It is all part of the fun for me. Being prepared, having a well running bike, and having fun and pushing the limits without crossing into the danger zone. I have crossed the danger zone but it is not a place I want to be.
Yesterday Jody, Jacob and I decided it would be fun to ride the Alpine Trail in Oakridge. We have been having great cycling weather for the last three weeks and there were great reports of the trail conditions. I checked the weather and it said mostly sunny, but cooler and windy. That seemed fine. On the drive over we were seeing showers of snow and rain but there were some breaks in the clouds so it really wasn't too bad. We got to the trailhead in Westfir and decided it was a go.
We started of on some sweet singletrack along the North Fork of the Willamette River. It was in perfect condition. We then decided on the climbing on the 1912 road instead of the 1910 road. This meant for more singletrack along the river. It was sweet, but just when we saw the end of the trail coming there was a small sign warning us of unstable trail conditions ahead. Well what it was is the whole trail had washed out. There were two bike angels standing on the other side of the washout. We formed a human chain and ferried the bikes across the abyss and safely made it to the other side.
We then started the long climb to the top of the Alpine Trail. It actually was warm as the sun came out for moments. Of course when we got almost to the top it decided to snow. Not hard but it was snow and that meant cold.
We stopped on top, had a little food, put on what what dry clothing we had and, after checking the map, started our descent. The Alpine Trail actually starts with a climb. This was a blessing because it allowed us to warm up again.
The descent was epic and fun. The snow didn't affect the traction, and though the hands and feet were not warm they were not frozen either.
I probably wouldn't have started this ride if I would have known the weather conditions before hand. But all three of us arrived at the car with big grins on our faces, once again proving the added adventure added to the enjoyment more than detracted.
Here is a GPS Map of the course. -
TOUR OF FLANDERS
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I have spent over 30 years in this wonderful bicycle business. I have always tried to the right thing, be a responsible business person and give back to the sport and activity I love. MIke said the other day that all my vacations include riding my bike. That is not 100% true but close to it. My life is surrounded by my love of all things bike.
In 2005 I was given a chance to watch the Tour de France. It was unexpected but it was an experience of a lifetime. I have my friend Kent Mills to thank for that. In fact I have so much to thank Kent for I wrote about him in a blog some years ago.
This time I am getting a new opportunity the Tour of Flanders. If you don't know about the Tour of Flanders let me explain. It takes place in early spring (April 3 this year) and it is the biggest race in cycling crazy Belgium. It is a one day "classic" race. That means lots of steep short hills, cobblestones, maybe some rain and wind. For the spectators it means beer and yelling.
I get to do both. Well kind of both. The day before the race there is an amateur version. There will be 20,000 cyclists trying to get up the Murs and cobblestones. Many of them expros and neopros. I will be with them. I would love to see if I could pedal up all the steep hills but my guess is it will be crowded. If you look at the photos you will that even the pros end up running.
Last year Fabian Cancellara won this race, and Belgium hero, Tom Boonen was second. Cancellara won in such a dominating fashion that he was accused of having an electric motor on his bike. This is not a joke. There is technology out there to give a rider 100 watts for about 20 minutes. The battery would be the size of a double A and the motor would be in the seat tube.
I doubt he had an electric motor but he did have extra help for sure. His legs are like an extra motor. This year I get to see in person if he can repeat or if Tom Boonen can hang on or some other "classic rider". I will have been on the course and will know a little how it feels.
The Tour of Flanders is my favorite race on the calendar. It has some crazy steep hills, it has cobblestones and it is in Belgium. What could be better. I will let everyone know how it goes. Thanks to Quality Bicycle Parts and Lazer Helmets for this chance of a lifetime.
Don -
OBR 2010 SILVER LAKE
» Don's Sunnyside Blog24th OBR and it still is as fun as ever. Sunnyside has been involved in OBR from the start. I never really thought about growing older with the ride but that is what happened. I was in my thirties when it started and now I will be 60 in a few months. There are some on this ride who were on that first ride and I can say it has been fun to have this 20 + year connection. This ride is more like a family reunion than anything.
This year we are doing the same route we did 10 years ago, some eastern Oregon, some cascades, some western Oregon, with the jewel of Oregon thrown in -Crater Lake. This is my favorite route. I feel lucky to get to do it twice. The photo is our camp. Lots of colorful tents, and if you were here you would hear lots of laughter. That is what this ride is about, nice roads, and laughter. Good times. -
WHERE DID WINTER GO
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Just a few short weeks ago it looked like there would be no mountain biking at horse ridge, Cline Butte, or really anywhere in Central Oregon. Well that changed fast. A few vey warm days with some wind thawed out Horse Ridge, the sweepers have been out so many of the roads are clear of cinders, today it was almost 60.
Though the skiing is quite good still the snow is very thin at Meissner and Mt Bachelor is closer to 70" than the magical 100. This doesn't mean winter is over, and I remember this happening frequently, the main difference is we went from cold, snow to warm dry in a couple of days. It was so quick. I love the winter, the snow and the cold. I also love to ride my bike. I am enjoying both sports right now. Skiing a couple of times a week, riding a couple of times. I went on my third road ride of the year today. I stopped and took a photo of the North Sister, just west of Tumalo State Park. This is a special place for me. The first time I rode "Shevy/Tummy" I remember this view. The mountains seemed so close, like you could touch them. So white, so perfect. They still are.
Don
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FIRST RIDE OF THE YEAR
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I always take a brake from cycling after cross season is over. For me it is a forced brake as I don't have the burnout syndrome. I always want to ride. That doesn't mean I want to go out in the rain and snow and freeze, but if the sun is out and roads or trails are ridable my heart sings out to me "lets go ride". The last month wasn't hard not to ride, we had snow, cold and blustery weather and then I got a cold. So today with some weather coming in this week the sun and the dry roads beckoned. Out I went. Yes my fingers were cold and the wind on my face burned, but after a while the sun warmed me up.
It was one of those perfect winter days, no wind (big chainring most of the time) and the white of the Three Sisters was startling. If our weather was like this all winter it would be easy to get into cycling shape. That won't be the case. More storms are moving in as I write this and skiing will be the preferred way to to enjoy the central oregon out of doors. We will have more days like yesterday but the first one is special. -
REST TIME
» Don's Sunnyside BlogI am writing this blog on a new device, my new iPad. I don't really like talking about new high tech stuff but this one needs a short explanation. I bought a kindle before I went to France last fall. On the way home it was stolen from me (ok I left it on the plane). If you want to more you will have to ask.
I was going to get a new kindle, but I did a little research and I found out the best selection for Spanish Language literature is from Barnes and Noble. I pretty much only read in Spanish and it is hard to find a huge selection in Oregon. Powell's is pretty good but I read a lot, maybe forty books a year. Amazon was weak, lots of trash. With the IPad I can get books from a almost anyone.
I am still learning how this thing works, but as I figure it out it will get easier.
This is my period of rest. No hard workouts, no long rides in the cold, and it seems no blogs. I think the no blog thing comes both with rest and with the season. Even though we pride our selves at Sunnysidesports in being a 12 month store Christmas is still a busy time. Through in cross nationals, birthday parties, team parties there isn't much time. I also started to coach this month. That is two more days out of my time. So I don't have anything profound to say. I will leave it at I hope you all have a prosperous new year full of love, good health and wonderful adventures. Turning 60 has helped me realize that time is the most valuable thing we have, please don't waste yours, as there are many others who would love to have some extra time.
Don -
TURNING 60 YIKES!
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I don't think turning 60 is a big deal in itself, what really bothers me is how close I seem to 70. 70 seems old even to a 60 year old. Am I going to start wearing plaid pants and striped shirts, funny hats you can only get at old man stores ( I don't even know where those stores are), will I wear my pants high and act old, or will I grow out my hair, put it in a pony tail and try to act young. Will I continue to skate on my skis or will I get out my ancient pair of wooden touring skis, my knickers (this is a North American word for three quarter pants), and funny old man hat and shuffle around the trails. It is scary to think about all of these changes. In order to prevent all of this from happening I have hired some young people to keep me normal. If my pants are too high, my hat too old or if they notice any other sign of aging they are instructed to set me straight.I have few rules of mine own which I also follow. My choice of dress is the same now as when I was in high school. Levis 505s 34/32. As long is these fit it means I haven't put on weight, I haven't put my waist too high and the pant hem too high. I wear t shirts, usually medium. Again this is preventive fashion. If I went into Macys looking for a polo shirt or some kind of button down shirt I might be tempted to make a fashion statement. At 60 this could be dangerous. I will stick to levis and t shirts. The one change I did make a few years ago was to wool t shirts. They still look sharp but you can actually go to an opera in a long sleeve wool t shirt. They look like an expensive turtle neck. My car will stay a stick shift. I think at some point people of my age decide to make things easier and not shifting is one of those things. I will keep the stick because if I forget how to use a clutch then I really shouldn't be driving (this is actually how I feel about all drivers). I will continue to cross race and ride my mountain bike. These are really activities for the very young, so I my thinking goes if I do things for the very young I will feel very young.So I am turning 60 but the truth is I still feel around 18. I met my sweetheart when I was 18 and everytime I see her it is just like the first time I met her and fell in love. So I will try to be dignified, not grow a ponytail, not get a tattoo, not start wearing fashion from the 60s, no piercings, no new sports car, nothing like that. But I will also continue to have friends that keep me thinking young, stay healthy and active so I can do the activities I love and I will continue to feel 18 everytime I see my sweetheart. I will let 70 take care of itself. -
LIFE AFTER CROSS
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I was talking to Damian today about post Cross season feelings. I feel fresh, strong and glad it is over. No intervals on the trainer for sometime, no rides in the cold and snow unless I feel like it, lots of cross country skiing and even some rest. I started coaching last week and that was a blast. Last year I didn't coach and I really missed it. It was the first year I didn't coach for over 15 years. This year I am coaching for the Bend Endurance Academy . This is because I get to coach at the Meissner Ski Area, our community ski area. Meissner Ski Area has been one of my dreams for over 20 years. I don't take any credit in making it happen other than encouraging the Tumalo Langlauf Club to make it their mission. Today it is real. The parking is lot is full almost every morning, and the people who ski there are part of who makes it happen. I love skiing there for many reasons. One is the terrain is perfect for the average skier, two the weather is more conducive to skiing than higher up. The storms not as big, and the snow is drier, three, it is 15 minutes closer to town so a quick ski is more convenient. I went for an early morning ski today and was able to ski for an hour and a half and still get to work by 9. The sunrise was spectacular and no I wasn't the first one up there. If you don't ski at Meissner you should give it a try. They groom on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. If it doesn't snow you can still get some super skiing on the days they do not groom. You will need a snow park permit ($30 a year), and though they don't charge for skiing it costs $1800 a week to groom. So donations are in order if you like it. Next year Cross Nationals are in Madison, Wi. They are in January. That means three more weeks of training in the cold. I think I am going but I will wait and decide for sure next year. In the meantime I will be resting, skiing and enjoying the winter I love so much. Don -
DAY AFTER
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I try to race enough each year so every race has balance. I also try to peak for certain races, this year there were two races I was aiming for State Championships and National Championships. I do like to perform well at every race though. It is about balance for me. One of my problems with the Olympics is they only happen every four years and a bad race means you have to wait four years for redemption. That is too long. It is much better to have lots of important races, try to peak for the important ones and then base your year on the whole season. The word Balance comes up again.When I lined up to race yesterday I felt that Balance and I also felt a strange calm. This was unlike last year when I lined up. Last year I raced to participate, after a Fall season of recovery from a ruptured disc. This year I lined up to race as one of the competitors. Trying to win, trying to podium, trying to do the best race I could. My start went well. I was top 10 off the pavement, in the first 30 feet of mud I was around 8th, after the first tricky icy turn I was 7th and with the lead group. The guy ahead of me was having problems in the mud so I went around him on a pretty aggressive pass through a big lake of icy water. Then it was on to number 5. I had my race face on, the crowd was cheering for me as if I was a pro in a World Cup race. I caught and passed him in some deep mud. I had to go hard and out of the "line" to do that. I felt like I would keep going as he also was having trouble in some of the more technical sections, the places where I was flying. But no, he passed me back just before a steep short run up and got a couple of seconds on me. I was thinking I would get him again but it was not to be. I raced hard kept way ahead of 7th and ended up finishing 6th. This was maybe the best race I have raced in a cross race. I had visualized my race, did all the things I said I would do went hard and ended up in my best National placing ever. It was a great way to end this season and believe it or not I am looking forward to next year already. Today it is off to help my teammates in the pit, cheering and just support. If you click here you can see some photos of my race. Rich Wolf, one of my teammates was out there as my personal photographer. There were so many of you out watching and cheering me one that I really can't name all of you. It means so much to me. I go a little harder every time I hear my name. Yesterday I used all of that extra energy to have my best race ever. -
For the next chapter click here ...
» Don's Sunnyside BlogFor the next chapter click here and read Kathy's point of view on my racing. -
TOMORROW IT STARTS
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Tomorrow at this time I will be in the process of doing a seed Time Trial for my race on Thursday. The TT course is not ideal right now. It is covered with crusty snow that makes it hard to peddle, more of a power course than a technique course. The first climb, which is ridable in the dry is now just a long run in the snow. The second climb is hard because even the approach is not ridable. Tomorrow it could all change. It is supposed to rain and be in the 40s. This will soften the snow and maybe make the climbs more bike friendly. That being said we all have to do the same course and I will be ready. I don't have a huge field so the TT is not the end of the world anyway. It will be a good warm up for me the day before the real race. I am not really in favor of the TT, but I am not sure seeding by order of when one registered is any better.I feel strangely calm this morning. I don't normally get that excited by races anymore anyway. I race a lot and it is the norm to be standing on the start line every week. That makes racing easier for me. Less stress, just another day. That doesn't make it less important it just makes it more normal. I know I will have lots of friends cheering for me and I know I will give it my best. I have prepared for this as well as I know how. If you are one of those who will be watching on Thursday I want you to know I hear every shout and word of encouragement. It makes a big difference to me. I have been racing a long time and in that time I have made many friends. Those friends are the reason I race today. I don't have any national titles to my name, but what I do have is hundreds of friends in the bike world. That is my legacy and what I love about this sport. This year I was in Scotland racing and I had a whole cheering section, I was racing in Portland earlier this year with Dave Guetler the owner of River City Bicycles (the main sponsor of the Cross Crusade). He was laughing because everyone was shouting for me and he was in his home town. This is my bragging. Yes I have had success racing and I have won my share of races, but if someone wonders who I am, I will say I am the one that the crowd was cheering for. I don't know how that all happened. I think of myself as shy and not very outgoing, but I love my sport and those who choose to share it with me. That love has paid off. I will be racing this week in front of my home crowd and I am looking forward to that. I will also be out there cheering for all my friends and I think that is just as important.See you at the races.Don -
THE BIG DAY
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In one week I will be lining up to race my event in the USAC Cyclocross National Championship. Last year, though I raced, I wasn't prepared as I had spent 12 weeks recuperating from a ruptured disc. This year no excuses. I have trained well, raced well and frankly I feel great.I am not making any predictions as age group racing is always a bit of a gamble depending on who shows up. I just want to go out and give it my best. I want to test my self, see how hard I can go and hopefully if all goes well finish in the top 5. There a few factors that will help or hinder me. One is, I am not a great runner, if there is one set of barricades and one run up per lap I will be fine, if there is more running than that I will have to make up for it on the bike else where. Two if is snows and there is snow on the course I will be at an advantage. I like riding in the snow and I like to think I am good at it. If it turns to slush then it will be more difficult for me as slush is not hard technically just hard. If it is solid ice that could help or hurt. I like ice but it is too slick no one can ride it and it becomes a run.I can't predict what the course will be like, nor can I predict what the promoters will do to the course. It will be fair as we will all ride the same course at the same time. Like I said I am looking forward to this year. Last year was an experience I will never forget and this year I should be able to race like I am capable off. If you want to watch it is 8:30 am on Thursday December 9th. It is the first race of the National Championships. I will be nice to be done early so I can help my teammates, it is also nice to go first so I won't be thinking about it all the time. Thanks for reading.Don -
STATE CHAMPION, A GOOD FEELING
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
First of all for those of you who wanted to know about Ashtabula it is located in the heart of where our Steel Industry is and was and it is where some steel cranksets were made in the 60s and 70s and maybe later. They were heavy and strong.After my long drive and racing last week I was quite tired. That was part of the plan really. Training is a fine line between getting faster and getting tired. The idea is you get tired and then you recover and are stronger than before. Last week I was tired . I was supposed to be tired. This week I was supposed to be stronger than ever. I rested Monday and Tuesday, did a short workout on Wednesday and then rested some more. Saturday morning I could tell I was not the same as last week. Mentally I was ready and my legs had that spring in them. After the drive over to Salem and doing my warm up lap I wasn't so sure. The course seemed extra slippery and riding up the hill I was a little flat. I got down to the business of a real warm up on my trainer. Legs were fine, no pain they just wanted to go. I lined up thinking about a cool line I was going to use at the start. We started in the mud and most people were going wide on the first turn, I decided to cut the corner short. Start on the right and then cut straight across to the stake. It worked perfectly and I had the hole shot. I hit the pavement to mud a little to fast but held on and kept my position up the climb. Ron went around at the beginning of the second climb but I was ready. When the dirt climb turned to pavement Ron let up and I attacked. A little gap. I didn't manage to really drop Ron until the third lap when I really gaped him. My legs worked like they were supposed to, getting orders from the brain and then obeying. State Cyclo cross champion for the second time in my life, the first was in 1998. So 12 years ago. In those years I have maybe 10 podiums so I am consistent but wins are special. Last year when I was injured (ruptured disc) I had hoped to recover by the State Championship race. I didn't recover so this race is a year late and very rewarding. Nationals are coming up and I am feeling ready for the challenge. Not much philosophy in this blog, but I must thank Ron Strasser for making me honest on Saturday. He attacked me and kept coming back to me when I bobbled or made a mistake. Winning is only as good as your competition. The photo is of me and Ron on top of the steeper first climb. As you can see he was not giving this to me.Don -
BACK AT HOME
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I spent a wonderful day and 1/2 with Bob, Marianne and my mom and then it was back to the west coast. Not to bore everyone with airport stories I will just say my flight from DC to Portland was delayed but Joe was still there to pick me up around 11 pm. I guess that is why friends are called friends. I left for my drive at a cross crusade race and that is how I finished it. After spending the night at Joe and Deborah's cute flat in NW Portland we all drove out to Estacada for the last Cross Crusade Race of the year. While I was warming up my legs could feel the block of intervals, 45 hours of driving and a cross country flight. No excuses though. I got the hole shot, Ron made a tricky move in a bottleneck by getting of his bike and running. I was left 10 seconds behind and that is how it stayed. I can't complain though. I rode hard and didn't really make any mistakes. My bike, that Mike had gotten ready performed perfectly, my clothing that Kathy had washed and Serena had brought over were all there and I was headed home.A two and a half hour drive is much easier than a 45 hour drive. Kathy had a big smile on her face and she had to show me her latest gardening exploits, even though it was dark. The kitties wanted to be fed and didn't really care that I was home though Ariel did come over later and give me rub.Thanks to everyone who made my trip a little easier and it is really nice to be home. I have included a couple of really super photos my friend (I like that term), Jeff took at the last two races. -
MADE IT ACROSS AND A FEW MORE THOUGHTS
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I made it to Massachusetts yesterday around 7pm. That made for a couple of hours of night driving, but I finally pulled into my brothers driveway. It was a welcome sight to say the least. I have been here many times and it was not only good to be done with the drive but to be somewhere that was familiar. It is very peaceful and quiet here in Western Mass. More so than in Bend actually. He lives in the middle of what seems to be an endless Forest of mixed conifers and deciduous trees. After a meal of mom's meatloaf and Bob's wild blueberry pie it was a welcome sleep in a familiar place.I try to keep negative thoughts out of my blog. It is not that I don't have them I just don't choose to share those thoughts here. That being said I am not going to say much about the drive from Wisconsin to Pennsylvania. There was lots of traffic, and it was stressful for me. It was good to get past Buffalo New York and into more of a large forest. There was still plenty of traffic but it was more mellow. I haven't crossed the country since I did so with my Dad in the mid 60s. I wonder now how my dad managed all those years. He was a good driver and maybe it was peaceful for him. Not for me. Though this was an adventure I will be glad to be home for a long stay.I have included some photos. Some are state signs, one is a photo of a Mayflower Truck, on of the companies my Dad worked for, the sign of Ashtabula is for you to figure out. If you do leave a comment.It is over to Boston tomorrow and a flight to Portland. The last cross crusade on Sunday and the short 3 hour drive home. Sorry to all of those on my way that I didn't visit. I really didn't think I was doing the Northern route until after I started. Thanks to all of those others who helped my make this possible.Don -
THOUGHTS ON THE USA
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When I was leaving Portland Damian told me maybe I would see that a vacation in the USA could be as good one in Europe. Though I love going to Europe I also love the country I live in. This four day drive close to our Northern Border has been quite interesting, and there are some places I would like to return to.Here are a few thoughts that came to me as I sat in the car for almost 10 hours yesterday. One, It is so nice to drive on highways not wrecked by studded tyres. Either lane is flat without the dreaded grooves that we have in Oregon. Studded tyres are not allowed in most states because they ruin the highways and make them more dangerous.Two, The Montana of my memories (I was born there) is not the same as the Romantic Montana of today. Today Montana for many is the land of fly fishing, hunting, hiking and the Rockies.The Montana of my youth is one of big vistas, rodeos, wheat fields, and oil rigs dotting the skyline. Though the fly fishing mecca exists, the Montana of my memories is still there. It is a lot like Oregon in fact. Most think of Oregon as a wet forested green part of the Northwest, but is eastsiders know it for something different. Montana is called Big Sky Country for a reason. That is my Montana.Three, Why haven't they discovered coffee out here in the midwest.Four Desolate North Dakota is a beautiful State. This is my first visit to ND. It was the only state I hadn't visited other than Hawaii. Now time for some motel intervals.Don -
INTERVALS ACROSS AMERICA
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My mom is moving to be with my brother. This is a long and complicated story but I really thing she will be happier living there. My task at hand is to drive her new Toyota Corolla to her. Bend to Wendell Mass. 3000 miles and over 40 hours of driving. The last time I went across the USA was with my Dad in the 60s. He was a long haul truck driver and his sons went with him in the summer. This is kind of like reliving that. I am also trying to get in top shape for Cross Nationals and driving 10 hours a day is not how one does that. I decided on bringing my Ritchey Break-a-way Road bike and an indoor trainer and do a "block" of intervals this week. That would be 2 sets of 4X4 today (one in Cour d'Alene and one wherever I end up).I am going to try and document the trip with some photos of interesting things in our country.Yesterday I won a cross race in Portland so there is a photo of the seriously fun mud and me. Then there is the photo of the clouds to west (western wet Oregon) and the sun to east (eastern dry Oregon), and if you look close at the last photo you can see a replica of Stonehenge. This is the first of strange things you will find in America. I will try and get photos of any others I find. The first day was OK. Instead of a three hour drive to Bend after racing it was a six hour drive to Idaho. Today will be through Montana, this is where I was born and it is always good to see home.Don -
The Giants win the World Series
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
This blog is really about a boy who loved baseball and the Giants and not about the Giants who just won the World Series. I am not sure about being a sports fan. I don't follow traditional sports anymore, but once I did. When I was a boy I played sandlot baseball with my friends, I went to a few Giant games at Candlestick Park and during the summer I would carry my transistor radio and listen to the games as broadcast by Russ Hodges and Lon Simmons. Willie Mays was my hero. He was always the best in my mind. In 1962, after a three game playoff with the hated Dodgers, the Giants made it to the World Series against the more hated Yankees. I was in Jr High at the time and we were listening to the game in our home room. It wasn't just me that thought this was a big deal. It was the 9th inning with two outs and two on, (Willie Mays and Matty Alou). I remember all of this as it was yesterday. Stretch (Willie McCovey) was at bat. He hit a screaming line drive that was caught by Bobby Richardson, the Yankee 2nd baseman. Richardson was playing out of position and should (are there shoulds in baseball) have never have made that catch. Series over, dreams for an 11 year old also over.Now almost 50 years later the Giants have won. Time does heal. There is no logic to this scenario, this is a different team, different owners and different time, but somehow it matters. I can't explain it I can just feel it. That 11 year old finally has his world series win and somehow the world is a better place.Don -
Halloween and One Year
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
I am in Astoria at the annual Cross Crusade Halloween races. Our team stays in a rented house for the weekend. There are 10 of us and this is the third year we have done this. It is a good way to be with friends, and teammates. Community dinners, breakfasts and lot of support out at the race. We have our tents set up on the course so in the rain and weather we have a place to cheer and stay dry. The first race was today and it was an important date for me. One year ago I was here as a spectator as I was injured with a ruptured disc. I could walk around the course, ride my trainer and enjoy the spirit of the team. I couldn't race though, I could only watch. I totally enjoyed my weekend but I was thinking in one year I will be back. It is one year and I am back. Today I won my category for the second week in a row. These are tough guys who do not give me an inch. I was in third for a few seconds as we all stuck in traffic when we caught the young 50 year group. I soon made it to the front after a brutal climb and fast descent. Then it was a matter of trying to catch as many 50 years old as I could. I managed about half I think. I am very thankful to be out here racing. I love to race cross and last year was tough for me. What a difference one year makes. This year I am winning races, last year I was barely walking up stairs. I had a lot of help and support to get here and I appreciate all of it now. Tomorrow is another race and I am sure Ron, Ken, Amory and the others will be there to keep me honest. I will go hard and remember that just one year ago I was on the sidelines. Thanks to everyone and see you at the races.Don -
FIRST CROSS CRUSADE IN OVER A YEAR
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If you like pictures of sweet Scottish girls look at last week's blog, today is about some mud racing and fun. It was so muddy I was thinking they should have added a surcharge to our entry fee. PIR (Portland International Raceway) has two coursed. The wooded technical course we use for the GP races and the Open behind the bleachers course we use for Cross Crusade. The Cross Crusade course needs to be muddy to be truly fun, and yesterday was all of that. The good thing is the sun would come out ever so often to dry and warm things up, then the rain would return. In my race we started in the sun and then it just poured. I had my contacts in and a couple of times mud got in my eye and all I could see was a brownish haze. They added a new older category this year so I get to race in the 60+ group. We start 15 seconds behind the 50+. This is an interesting group. The faster members have been racing for years and have similar skills to the pros, the slower ones are somewhat new to cross and haven't developed those skills, and believe me it is hard to develop new skills at the 50+ age. The faster 60+ racers have to navigate through the slower 50+ and then fight with the faster ones to keep moving up. Part of the strategy in a race like this is to pass at the right time so the racers behind are slowed by the traffic. I managed a rookie mistake and came out of my pedal. So I started dead last. It took me a lap and a half to pass Ron and get into the lead. It was then a matter of pushing past the racers in front and getting some distance. Ron Strasser (the nicest man in bike racing) made me earn my victory. It was sweet to be on top of a cross race again. Last year I sat out most of the season with a ruptured disc. I managed to race at nationals but I thought of that as an honorary start. This year I plan to be fit and ready. This was a good step. -
CROSS IN SCOTLAND
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
After 10 days in France and 4 fun days in Scotland it was time to test the legs. I was doing a Scottish Cyclocross Series race at Strathclyde County Park near Glasgow. This is also the same sight Scotland's Theme Park. I am not sure what the theme is, Marty suggested it is rust. It was cool day and the park was full of fun enthusiasts, riding ferris wheels, roller coasters, even some kind of water slide.We were on the other side of the parking lot in a large grassy field along side a wooded creek. It was perfect for cross. This was more of a Cross Crusade 10 years ago. I started with the 40+ racers and I really didn't know what to expect. I was borrowing a bike from a new friend, Simon Muir. I had met Simon in Bend last August and told him I would be doing this race. He offered me a bike to use so I accepted. It fit me perfectly with even the brakes being left rear (standard british practice). My start was OK and then I just generally moved up through the field. I still don't know how I did place wise, but my body felt good, a little back tightness on the last lap is all. I had be chasing a couple of younger lads and finally made my move on the last lap, but then a rookie stumble over the barriers allowed both of them to pass me at the finish. I had just put on my spikes and the barriers were a little higher than what I am used to. I was tired and sprinting and just couldn't quite pull it off. I was asked by a lad doing the race report if I would ride a practice lap with a helmet cam. I did and it will be posted soon on the British Cycling sight. When I get results and the video I will add them to the blog. I was well chuffed on how I rode. Another similarity to cross crusade was the cheering. Andy, Ros, Simon, Marty and Paul were all there giving me encouragement but then I started to hear some other folk. The announcer was telling the crowd I had come over from the United States to race, so I got extra cheers then, but still there were more voices. It turned out Pete, Ali, Eifa, Ione and Kevin all showed up from Selkirk to cheer Andy and I on. They had called that morning and said they couldn't make it because Eifa had been not feeling too well. It was great to be able to see them one more time before I went home, and it was so nice they came just to cheer us on. Andy had a great race also. He has been taking it easy for a couple of years letting a health issue take care of itself. He started off calm and ended up a respectable 5th place. He looked like he is getting ready to go a little harder soon. After the race it was hot flasks of water put into tea cups, sandwiches and lots of talk. I got a couple of photos of Eifa and Ione hanging out, riding bikes etc. It was a good way to end my fall holiday. I am now at home catching up, doing laundry and getting ready for the Ochoco retreat. It is great to be home, be near my sweetheart, see the kitties and eat some of our chickens very fresh eggs. You may notice I am not in my Sunnyside kit. This is because in Scotland I am an honorary member of team Velo Moulin. It looked odd to me not wearing my usual kit.Don -
HOLIDAY INTERLUDE-SCOTLAND
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You don't come here for the weather, in fact I rather enjoy seeing the clouds on top of all the hills that surround the Tweed Valley. One of the nice things about Scotland is one doesn't have weather anxiety. That is when you are on holiday and you are expecting sun (France, Spain, Bend etc) and you get rain. Here you expect rain and dress for it. If the sun comes out then all the better. Today we are going for a road ride, I will bring my rain coat, but ride we will. Tomorrow is a cross race. How cool is that, to be able to travel over here and do a cross race. I arranged to borrow a bike last August when Simon Muir, a friend of many of my Scottish friends was in Bend. We were out to dinner and I mentioned I was going to be doing a cross race. He said he would be there and if I needed a bike he had and extra. So tomorrow is all figured out.Yesterday was a group meal. This seems to be a tradition when Don from Oregon comes to Scotland. Pete and Ali organize this event. Friends from the Borders and beyond seem to show up. Pete cooks a meal, friends show up. There is lots of talk, laughter, and catching up. I invite everyone to visit Oregon, and we all promise to meet in Mallorca in the Spring. We are all true friends.Today was a group ride, a real group ride. All levels of riders. We stayed together, stopped and bought some cheese at a farm, and afterwords it was "tea" at Pete and Ali's. Tea in Scotland means a meal, probably a big one. We had soup, buns, tuna, cheese from the farm, tea and coffee. More talk, more laughter, we relived the Shleck-Contador moment from the tour. Disagreed a bit, but respected the others opinion. More fun and socializing. Here is the ride we did. It was everybit as good as any ride I did in France. Somewhat cloudy, no real rain, 3000 ft of climbing without any big hills. I can't leave this post without a mention of the lassies or bairns. This is Ione and Eifa, Pete and Ali's two beautiful daughters. Ione is 4 and 1/2 and Eifa is 2 and 1/2. When I walked in yesterday Ione grabs my hand and upstairs it is to see her room and all of her stuffed animals. I was charmed for sure. It is nice to see these girls grow up so happy and I am afraid that Ione has the early signs of bicycle disease. She has a skut and a real pedal bikes which she loves to ride. Tomorrow is a cross race near Glasgow, with the whole entourage coming to cheer and race. I will then pack and come home on Monday. This has been a great week. If any of you think this sounds like a good holiday let me know as I am thinking about a trip here next year. We would road bike and mountain bike and visit and have tea. Don -
AND THEN THERE WERE THREE
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This years France trip seemed to flash by, as compared to last year. I am not sure why. It could be the late arrival of Linda's bike which caused concern, it could have been the cold that seemed to go from person to person, it could have been the general strike in France which led to many of the group leaving a day early so they wouldn't get caught up the the trains not running. I guess it was all of these things. Deborah, Joe and I were the last to leave. Deborah and Joe were not leaving Paris until the 14th so they had one day of cushion and I had changed my flight from the morning of the thirteen (which would have taken me home) to an afternoon flight to Scotland so I could visit some friends. The point being all three of us had an extra day to ride. We needed to be in Brive so we get the train to Paris, so we sent our baggage with Andy and Ros (my English friends who were in France with us) in a taxi to Brive. If you have been paying attention to my blogs of France you will know that picking the correct road is quite easy. Stay of the Red and Yellow roads and stay on the white roads. There had to have 5 or 6 ways to Brive. We picked the one that seemed the most interesting. The day dawned beautiful, and off we were. About half way we had coffee in Martel (a medieval merchant town over looking the Dordogne River. Then it was off to Brive. We went by the most amazing castle yet, and when we were close to town we let the madame (my gps) get us to the gare (train station). She did well, she took us off the main road up the steepest road around and right to the Gare and our hotel. Andy and Ros were there along with all our baggage. Andy and Ros went off to get on the replacement bus (the train was on strike) and we packed our bikes up. Later it was out to town. Brive is another one of those marvelous French cities with a bustling downtown situated in the medieval old town. The restaurant we picked was very good. It was a great way to end a wonderful trip. The trains were running the next morning and we arrived in Paris no problem. I got to the airport, a short flight to Edinburgh, Andy and Ros arrived minutes later and now I am in Peebles. Here are some photos to enjoy. Thanks for reading.Don -
WINDING DOWN
» Don's Sunnyside BlogThis trip has seemed too short, it has been actually. The National Strike that is coming on the 12 has most of our group leaving a day early. I think that is too bad as this trip was planned to be a little short anyway. I think a trip is just right when you feel you are leaving a day or so early. We also had the threat of rain today so many in the group rented cars and went off to see some sights too far to ride to. I am sure they are enjoying themselves, but a car is not a bike.I packed 6 bikes today getting them ready for the trip home. It is always sad to say goodbye to a place as wonderful as St Cere. I will be back though. I am not as prudent as the others and I decided to stay and take my chances with the strike. Tomorrow we will ride to the east and see some new territory, then on Tuesday three of us will ride to Brive while a taxi takes our baggage. We will then pack the bikes and take trains to Paris. While everyone else will be going home I am headed to Scotland for a few days. My friends Ros and Andy, who are here in France right now, have invited me to their home. I will get to ride some Scottish roads, eat some Scottish food, see the rest of my Scottish friends and hopefully race in a Scottish cyclo cross race. Though I am looking forward to home, and my sweetheart the idea of a few days of Scotland sounds really good.Thanks for reading.Don -
LONG DAYS IN THE SADDLE
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Lew has created some very wonderful rides for us this year. The smallest of roads, a couple of steep climbs, churches built in stone and good places to stop for lunch and coffee. It thought today would be one of the easier rides. Not. Lew never told me it would be easy, I had just decided it looked easy. We started out on an easy climb out of St Cere and decided we would check out the N D de Verdale. Last year we didn't have clue as to what this meant. It means Notre Dame de Verdale (Our Lady of Verdale). It is an old church that was built in the 14th century and then rebuilt at least twice. It is on a steep narrow road (up to 25%) and then down an even steeper path, or you could do like some of our group and walk up a rocky path from the bottom. Either way it was worth seeing. So after 5 K or so of knee busting 15% + climbing we then had to continue with 75 more K. It turns out we had done most of the climbing by lunch so it was then just rolling with a kicker climb to the top of our area 2400 feet, our hotel is 400 feet. As we started the descent we realized it was downhill with a tailwind back to home. One quick stop for a cafe au lait and we were done. Not easy but well worth it. It appears the rain is coming but not for one more day. So tomorrow we will have to see what is in store. One of our group thinks that the cows are more intelligent than the ones at home. I am not sure about that but in this area they sure seem happy. They are big, healthy, clean and not really bothered by us cyclists. The farms in this part of the world look so perfect. France is really a country about fresh food, and the way to have fresh food is to have local food. The Spar grocery store (The french equivalent of our 7-11) has a better local cheese selection the Newport Market, better produce than Rays, most of it local. We have a few more days here and I will try to keep it updated.Don -
A DAY ON HOLIDAY
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Here we are again in Europe enjoying the sights, the smells and of course the roads. The area of the mid pyrenees is like an amusement park for road bikes. Small paved roads gives a rider numerous choices to go in the same direction. Yesterday 6 of us went to the same area on three totally different routes. We were not being anti social but two needed to stop by the train station, two wanted to avoid some steep descents, and two of us left quite late so we took a more direct route. All had a great time on some of the best roads we have ever ridden. The other group headed south and had a great time on some roads very similar to ours.Today was market day in St Cere. It is not an amazing market with fresh everything but more of a mercantile market, kitchenware, clothing for everyone, jewelry, and live chickens. I was pretty sure these are chickens for eggs, but they could have been for eating. One man bought one and a woman bought 4. They were all professionally stuffed into a cardboard box. I was wishing my farmer sweetheart was there to see. This is not Bend.A couple of days ago we went out on a wet day during a sucker hole. This is when the clouds part and the sun appears. Minutes after we left it was pouring rain. Only six of us choose to ride that day. In the first town we decided it was time to have some coffee and see if the rain would stop. The cafe was closed, so was the next one and so was the next one. At that point I needed to eat so we found some shelter under a the opening of an old (very old) church. We happily ate our sandwiches, quiches and nut torts, again not Bend. Everything one does over here is an adventure and interesting.We have had a few setbacks on this trip. One of our bikes is still missing. Linda has done her best to get by. She borrowed a bike the first day, the second day it rained and most of the group enjoyed the town. Yesterday we expected the bike but it was a no show so Linda and Paul took a hike up to the castle in town. Today we have been assured it will arrive by 1pm. I will get it together so they can have a long ride this afternoon. Gary has a bad cold and sat yesterday out, today he is back at it though. He is in good spirits anyway. It is Gary and Priscilla's first trip to Europe and they are enjoying it 100%.We also are going to have to be here during a general strike. This happening the day we were supposed to leave. This means the trains probably won't be running. Most of the group have selected to leave a day early. This is wise as they will be able to get home in time. I have elected to leave a day later. Not prudent but it is a chance I am willing to take. I want to spend as much time as I can while I am here. Here are some photos of our group and some sights.Thanks for reading,Don -
IN FRANCE
» Don's Sunnyside BlogWe arrived in Paris two days ago at 6:30 am. Not much to do until the train was going to take us to Brive-La-Gaillarde at 2PM. That made for a relaxing wait. We had to get to Terminal 2 at the Charles de Gaulle Airport and then wait for Paul and Linda to arrive. They arrived on time except that Linda's bike was left behind in Washington DC. Not good. It is hard to have a cycling holiday without a bike. We got to the Train station and Muffy and I decided to take a short walk along the Seine River. In the distance we could see the backside of Notre Dame Cathedral, the top of the Eiffel Tower and we ran into Bernard. Bernard is our French friend who comes to OBR almost every year. The chance of seeing him on the streets of Paris (where he lives part time) was pretty impossible, but meet we did. We had a nice chat with him and his wife Dominique. Then it was back to the Gare Austerlitz. We managed to get all of our baggage on the train ( 13 bikes and multiple suitcases) and sit for the long ride to Brive. The train for me was a great choice. One could nap in the seats, walk around the cars and look at the scenery pass by at around 100 miles a hour. Our shuttle met us in Brive for the short bus ride to St Cere. Madame Berry was there to greet us and help us organize our large numbers of bags. One of my favorite things about returning to a familiar town is seeing old friends. It is comforting to know that we were going to be treated in a warm friendly manner. Though I have heard many stories of being treated unfriendly in France I have never experienced it, and yes they do smile in France. Yesterday, our first riding day it was off to the Nut Festival. We had been close to the nut festival a few years ago. It happens every two years in Saillac, about 30 kilometers from St Cere. It is a celebration of walnuts and it is called the Fete de Noix. Noix is nut but it actually walnut. They have a big meal (this year the theme was Spanish and the meal was paella). The locals dressed the part as torredores, flamenco dancers, mexican banditos etc.We tasted nut oil, cocoa nuts, sugar nuts, nut loaf, nut tarts, nut mustard, pretty much nut everything. We were also riding on the Route de Noix. It was kind of nutty.100 kilos of some of the best riding around. Today I woke up to a partly cloudy sky that quickly turned into an exciting thunderstorm. Now, at 10 am, we have a steady downpour. Some of the group are headed out with a rental car to see the sights, some are waiting for the rain to stop and I am writing this postponing my interval session in the hill of St Cere (rain or not). Here is a link of our ride yesterday. I will have photos later. Thanks for reading.
Untitled by donoso@bendnet.com at Garmin Connect - Details -
THE URGE TO PACK
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
I am leaving for France and Scotland next Friday and I woke up this morning with the urge to pack. I really haven't thought too much about this trip other than make reservations, help my friends who are coming with me and talk to Lew and Barb about the different routes we will take. A couple of days ago I thought maybe I should check the weather. I did and it didn't look great, I checked again today and it looks a lot better.Anyway today I just needed to pack, some kind of traveling instinct I guess. I didn't want to pack my suitcase as I will still be using lots of those items, so I packed my bike. I have a Ritchey Break-a-way and it goes into quite a small suitcase. So at 7am I am out there getting ready for my trip. Next week I will have 5 more bikes to pack so this was a good start. When I pack my bike I think of the first time I used this bike. It was an unexpected trip to France. My good friend Kent Mills had booked a luxury tour to see the Tour de France with his boyhood friend Ric. But Kent the week before had decided to do some extensive yard work and he ruptured a disc. He had no trip insurance so after a few frantic phone calls and an offer to Susan he gave the trip to me. I had decided I was going to get a Break-a-way that fall so I put in a frantic call to Ritchey and got one on the way. It was going to get here on a Monday and I was leaving on an evening flight on Monday. I showed up around 1pm. I was at home franticly packing it, sending Kathy down to Sunnyside to get some parts I needed. I never even had a chance to ride it. Off to the airport to Portland where I had to spend the night. I got it out of the bag, out on the tape and took it for a test ride. It seemed OK.The first ride on that bike was up to the Tourmalet, the most storied pass in the Pyrenees. It worked fine and on the downhill I was feeling like I had ridden this bike thousands of miles. It has been like that ever since. I don't ride it much but when I do it feels like home.Packing for me is not unpleasant. I usually do it early (my instinct I guess) and every time I pack my bike I relive all the wonderful trips and think about the wonderful friends I have traveled with. I will be writing my blog more often during this trip so you can follow our adventures. Enjoy. One more thing. My friend Serena wrote a very nice blog about our friendship, you can read it here Run bike ski -
TRANSITION TIME AND NEW PLACES!
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
I have been accused of not writing a blog for too long. The truth is I need something to say for me to write. August has been too busy for me to reflect on my life. In other words I have been doing and not thinking. August starts with the Oregon Bike Ride for me. That would be my last blog. Then before OBR was even done it was off to Serena and Ben's wedding in Opal Creek. Then it was back to work, riding my bike and starting to think about Cyclo Cross.The thing that has really overwhelmed me this year are the three new places I have been this year. Those are Opal Creek, Iron and Cone Mountain and Jack Creek to Three Fingered Jack.Central Oregon has been my home since 1969. I have hiked, ridden and driven to most of the really good spots in Oregon. I can't even begin to name them all but there are plenty. Some are so good I like returning year after year. That is where the problem lies. Since I return to my favorites every year I haven't been to some places that really should have not been ignored. So first it was off to Opal Creek for a wedding. Opal Creek is famous for the fight for it's existence in the 70's. I don't have all the particulars other than it was going to be logged and some very determined people fought it with everything from legal to protests. It was worth saving. Old growth trees, pools for swimming and hanging out just a perfect westside paradise. It was where Serena and Ben fell in love and it has become their special place.Then Barb got us to go to Iron/Cone Mountain. This is one of the best wild flower viewing areas in Oregon. We have been meaning to get there for years, so this year we made it. Again why had we not been there? I can't answer that but now that we have made it we will return.However the place that really made me wonder what have I been doing was the hike to Canyon Creek to the base of Three Fingered Jack. The truth is I am an eastsider. As beautiful and wonderful the trees and flowers are on the Westside, I like the desert and the openness of the eastside.I can't even begin to describe the hike to Three Fingered Jack other than I was amazed at the beauty, the feeling and the intimate feeling of being so close to Three Fingered Jack. TFJ has always been the one Cascade mountain I had no affinity for. I have no logical reason for that. Now it is close to my favorite. I have very mixed feelings about getting there 40 years late. One is how could I not have been enjoying this jewell that is so close and the other is the wonder of having discovered it now.The photos say it all for all three places. Thanks for reading.Don -
OBR 2010
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
OBR this year went to some of my favorite places in Oregon, places with memories, places with no cars, places I like to share with friends. On OBR I got to share them with 240 friends. We started in Klamath Falls. I got to know K Falls, as we used to call it before I knew anything about Bend. It was 1970 when I got a job with the US Forest Service working in Chiloquin. K Falls was the place to go to buy a book, binoculars, get a good meal, see a movie the fun stuff and I did all of that 40 years ago. Until Bend finally got it's new library a few years ago Klamath Falls had a much bigger and modern library than Bend. It sits on the largest fresh water lake West of the Mississippi, and it shares its name with the Klamath River, which traveled to my College stomping grounds. We headed to Bly, Silver Lake and then a stop over day at Diamond Lake. This meant we made a big circle around the area I worked in all those years ago. We even rode by my "driveway" which is the upper photo. A few miles down that road, I had a small mobile home that was my guard house. It was close to a spring and hundreds of Sandhill Cranes. That was the summer I was a bird watcher. There were so many and so beautiful I went and got the bird book and binoculars (those were actually a birthday present for Kathy). What agreat job for a boy of 19. I felt like a man then but I have come to realize what a boy I was. I say that as a good thing.On our lay over day at Diamond Lake ( besides feeding the mosquitoes) we went and rode our bikes around Crater Lake. Crater Lake will always be special for me because Kathy and I spent a very important and romantic 4th of July weekend there in 1969. When I see the Lake I see and feel all of those years we have been together. Though Kathy wasn't there on this trip she was there in my mind as she always is. Traveling in a National Park is always a bit different than other places. The brown interpretive signs, the vehicles with so many different license plates, and the Rangers always ready to answer those questions. I have to share two of my favorite tourist stories. One I was at the rim and someone asked if the water was really that blue. The other was the "husband" explaining to the "wife" that the lake filled up in the winter. The wife, who was quite observant, wanted to know how all of those pine trees near the lake shore survived. Our ever ready husband was quick to answer that they were a special species of trees that could live under water.The rest of the OBR was also quite fun as we made stops in Butte Falls and Fort Klamath. I was impressed at all of the riders who told me how much fun they had. I am glad they were able to enjoy an area I have enjoyed for over 40 years.Don -
SUMMER'S DEFINING MOMENTS
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Summer is the season where events mark the beginning the middle and the end. For a school boy those dates are fairly obvious, end of school, 4th of July and beginning of school. I never liked school as a boy, it wasn't until university that I looked forward to fall. As a boy summer was full of adventure, lazy days in the sun playing baseball and riding my bicycle. When I became a young man and went off to university summer was three months of hard work, fighting forest fires and being away from friends and sweethearts (well really only one sweetheart). At the age of 59 summer still has the same importance it did as when I was a boy of 15. It is a time to enjoy the sun, get outdoors, ride a bike hike in the mountains eat raspberries out of the garden, and even if one isn't supposed to get some sun. As an adult though summer doesn't have the feeling of doom when it is over. I also love the fall, and to this day when I start seeing back to school sales I am so pleased that isn't me. Fall has a better taste when school isn't involved.It would come as no surprise that summer's defining moments are cycling events. The end of the Giro in May is the start of my summer. The Tour de France in July is my high summer, and The Oregon Bicycle Ride, though in August, signals the end of real summer is coming. It seems when I leave for OBR the temperatures are hot and the days are still long, and when I get back the days seem so short and the temperatures have receded from the 90s into the lower 80s. I know then that cyclo cross is coming soon and busy days in the store are pretty much over. Of course even those things change. In the 80s Sunnyside's busy days started at the Pole Pedal Paddle and ended with July, now the busy days start in March and don't really end until the middle of September. That is not only to do with the population of Bend but also with our habits. Cycling has become a 12 month activity, not a 3 month one.In my photos this blog I have include a few that mean something to me. One is a photo of Tumalo Mountain with moon at about 6am from halfway up Farewell Bend trail. Riding a bike in the wee hours of morning is the best, especially with a friend who happens to be as insane as I. The next photo is Serena (that same friend) racing in the Cascade Cycling Classic. She did quite well by the way. The next photo is a pro racer drafting his team car up the Shevlin Park hill. This is called cheating by the way, even in the Tour it would be called cheating. The last photo is of course of our adversaries in the Tour this year, Alberto and Andy. They put on quite a show and I thank them for that. I hope your summer is as meaningful as mine.Don
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TDF: GOING BACK 5 YEARS, DIFFERENT AND THE SAME
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
Going back 5 years in the Tour de France things were different and they were the same. I was lucky enough to be at that tour. The reason I was there is a bit of a story ( a friend bought a trip, couldn't go and gave the trip to me). I loved watching the tour and I would tell everyone who loves bike racing to go to the Tour at least once. Watching the Tour live is an experience that I will never regret. Traveling in France in the summer is difficult though.Lets get on with my story. Five years ago my group choose Revel as the stage to watch the finish. This is the same town that the tour is finishing today. Revel is another beautiful town in southern France. There was a break that day with Paolo Salvodeli. He was on the Discovery team, a teammate of Lance Armstrong. The finish in Revel is tricky because there is a short climb with a technical downhill. I predicted Paulo would win and win he did. Paulo, who is retired now was known as il falco (the falcon) because of his descending abilities. He was also a decent sprinter. He won the day. He later went on to win the GIRO for a second time. If you look at the photos you will see on the big screen television a photo of Perrick Pedrigo. He was in the main field that day trying to pull in the chase, today he is currently in the break still racing with one career TDF win. You will also see in the photo Thor Hushovd putting on the Green Jersey. He is currently the holder of that jersey. Will he keep that jersey today, tough to tell. I think Alessandro Petacchi will beat Thor in the sprint but I can't say by how many places. So that could be the same as 5 years ago. Lance is back in the race, though not in the yellow. I got to ride the course 5 years ago and do the final climb. Like any climb it depends on fast you go whether it is hard or not. This one is not that tough unless someone fast is up front trying to put the pressure on. Watching today is special because I have been to Revel, the next 5 days will also be special for the same reason. I hope to go back to watch the tour someday. It won't be with a big tour group just some friends will do. I will remember not to go to too many finishes. As you can see by the third photo it is too crowded to really see anything, when we go to the mountains we will go to the second to last summit, and find a cafe with a TV to watch the rest of the race, and though Paris was an experience, it is just too crowded to really enjoy the race.5 years seems a long time but it really isn't as many of the same players are still here. As I write this the breakaway is almost caught and there is 10 miles to go. Who will win, who will have green, who will be ready for the Pyrenees? Soon we will know. -
RACING AND RESULTS
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
I think it is quite PC to say we race to challenge ourselves, to do it for fun, to participate etc. I would say most of us race for results. Results are what differentiates a race from a hard ride. I would also say the better the results the better one feels about the race. When I hear someone tell me they are racing for fun, I wonder what they mean. Are they saying they are not competitive, do they mean they don't really care how they finish, or is just a way of saying I don't know how I will do so if I do poorly I won't feel so bad. There are some races I do just to measure myself with others. This would be some of the 100 mile races I have done and the Super Ds I do. I know I am not going to win these but I am interested in how close I am to my competitors and I like when my name is higher on the list than lower. Some races I think I can win, or at least be competitive. In these races I have to tell you it is way more fun to win than anything. I am not suggesting that those who use the term "just for fun" not compete, but I will tell you winning is the most fun. In other words I also race "just for fun", most of us do. This year I had a couple of milestones. One is I won the 55+ Oregon Mountain Bike Series for the second time. It was not easy. Mark Miller, who came in second, beat me three times, I beat him three times. It came down to me outlasting him in the TOE, check out my last blog for that race. I was confident going into Pickett's I could win, but with half a lap to go he went by. So my decision to race TOE was key to my overall win. A more important milestone was the team victory. This was way more important to me than my individual victory. I am into the team feeling. Everyone who raced helped the team get this prize. Again it was not easy. The lead changed hands through out the season with Team Dirt from Corvallis. It also really came down to TOE. Five of us put in our best races of the year and that gave us a cushion going into Pickett's. Sunnyside Sports had never sponsored a number 1 team in Oregon, and we have been sponsoring teams since 1980. Mountain bike racing is bigger than ever in Oregon and we were the best. We are not a big team, and we do not recruit ringers. We are a group of friends that love cycling period. We just happened to be the right age, the right category and many of us traveled to a lot of races to make this a team effort. Some of us are really Track Racers but came out and scored important points. Some of us are new to the sport but gave it our best and scored points, some of us have been doing this since the beginning of mountain biking and love it so much that we can't quit and we scored valuable points. I am so proud to be part of this group of fun loving athletes and cycling enthusiasts.This award would have meant nothing without Team Dirt. Team Dirt gave it there all, making us realize this was no give a way. If we scored 9 points they would score 10, We had a slim 2 point lead with two races to go. If we hadn't all had great races at TOE Team Dirt would have taken over the lead for Pickett's. Thanks to Mike Ripley and Team Dirt for making this year very memorable. Remember, on our team we all race for fun. Winning this year made it more fun. And the other 29 years when we did not win, well they were also fun but those years helped make this year pretty special.In the photos you see we had four series winners, Don, Serena, Austin and his super Mom Jodi. This blog only has room for 5 photos but I must mention Jim was third in his group. And of course there is the Team getting it's prize. Sweet.Don -
THE HARDEST RACE I HAVE DONE?
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
Yesterday was the second to last race in the Oregon XC series. It is called the Test of Endurance and many riders use it to get ready for Bike BC ( a mountain bike stage race in BC Canada), The Cream Puff (a 100 mile Mountain Bike race in Oakridge) or the High Cascades 100 (another 100 miler in Bend). I used it to help my team win the Team Competition in Oregon XC Series, and to solidify my lead in the Individual 55+ competition in the Oregon XC series. I raced this race last year and had taken it off my calendar for this year. I changed my mind when I realized our team could really solidify our lead and that my competition in the individual was so close that whoever won Pickett's (next week) would win the series. If I would have a good race at TOE I could clinch the series overall and if I had a bad race it would still come down to Pickett's. Anyway I was there, after driving with two pros Chris Sheppard and Ben Thompson. They had made fun of all my stuff and then kept asking me for things out of my bag. Old wise timer I am.OK the race. In two races this year I blew, I got passed close to the end and could do nothing. I decided this was not going to happen again. My time last year was around 6 hours and I figured it would be about the same this year (though I hoped for better). I used my Heart Rate Monitor and figured I could go for 6 hours at a heart rate of 160 + or - a few beats. I started off the first climb and was in first thinking sweet Mark is behind and David (who won the Mudslinger which used the same course) was no where to be seen. Whoops, there goes David and there is no way I can keep that pace. David has a very unusual stance on the bike. His saddle is way forward, maybe three inches forward of normal. He is very strong but on single track he can't really handle the bike because he is so far forward. The first single track we take I see him on the ground, OK back to first. Then we start the long climb and I go back to my pace again. I am feeling good at this point and confident. Then here comes Mark. He goes by but is not really going any harder than I am so I get on his wheel (first lead change). His chain falls off while he shifts and I go back out front (second lead change). Down some muddy single track up a steep climb and then the first Aid Station and 25% done. I don't stop and I don't see Mark, we learn at this time that David is out with a mechanical from his crash so it is me and Mark. After some more technical muddy trail we get back on some gravel road getting ready for the second climb. Here comes Mark again, I manage to stay on his wheel (third lead change). At the top of the climb he has another chain problem and I try to push the pace down the hill (forth lead change). He tricks me and passes me on the descent (fifth lead change). Fine, back on his wheel for some drafting and a quick pass before the funnest section of trail on the course, The Panama Canal (sixth lead change). We are now at the second aid station and 50% done. I stop to drink a coke and there goes Mark (seventh lead change). This time he gets quite a lead. I am patient though and keep my heart rate stead at 160. We get to the first muddy single track (did I mention it misted and rained most of the day) and I am not feeling that good. I figure this is it but as I go around a corner I see Mark pushing his bike up a muddy climb. I dig deep and pedal up the same climb and catch up. No passing no lead change but back together. We are now 4 hours into this race and we still can't get rid of each other. He pushes it on the climb and gets to the single track first. I can see him as we descend through the trees and we are together as we hit the road and climb to the third aid station. This time I can tell something is wrong. He is grimacing and make some awful sounds. His leg is cramping. I go by (eighth lead change) and this time I am thinking I can win this thing if I don't blow. I stop at the aid station this time to get my last coke and Mark some how has overcome his cramp and goes by (ninth lead change). I get going as soon as I can and do my best to catch him. There is quite a bit of single track here and I don't seem but I keep pushing. Around a tight bend and there he his walking with a bad limp and again these noises from his mouth don't sound good. Back in front (tenth lead change), and this time I push a little harder. Up the second climb, through the Panama canal and then the two miles to the finish. I am wasted as I cross the line. Not only was that physically tough, but mentally tough also. Passing and getting passed and trying to go harder without blowing trying to ride smooth etc. When I have done 100 mile races I don't really race. I just go out and try to finish. This was a race from the get go. Never a let up until I finished. I won, Mark ended up third about 8 minutes back. His cramp got the best of him to my advantage. This clinches my series victory even if I don't race Pickett's. The team picked up some valuable points as Jodi, Austin, Serena had their usual high places and Mark (another Mark our teammate) came through with a 12th place.This is a tough sport. It is not just about being strong, it is about going downhill, saving energy and being mentally tough. I have never had a race where I was switching leads for 5 hours. Mark made me earn this victory and he made it extra sweet by testing me and not giving up. For me a rival is the one who makes a victory possible. A rival is not someone you want to taunt but someone you want to thank. I would not be racing if there was no one to race against. I also have to thank Steve Lacey who was only 5 minutes behind me. He passed Mark and that is why I have clinched the series. 6 hours, only 8 minutes between the top three, that is a tight competition. Today I have taken a long nap, washed my bike and hung out. Sorry for the long blog but the words just came out.Don -
FINALLY SUMMER!
» Don's Sunnyside BlogI don't have any photos of today, I was too busy enjoying the 80 degrees without a cloud. I just had to get out and get hot and sweaty on my mountain bike. For some that sounds pretty miserable but for me it is the best. I went out by myself, my own time, my own pace my own music just me I like that also. I also like company, one is not better than the other they are both fun and enjoyable. The last couple of days Mike and I were in Ashland getting ready for the Ashland Super D, this is a 12 mile mountain bike race that looses 5000 feet. It is like doing a long descent on a cross country race. This one is pretty special for me because it is located where I won my first mountain bike race-Ashland. I have been racing in Ashland since 1981 (road bikes) and have been coming to Ashland since 1969 (Shakespeare Festival). It is the only place I would move to from Bend in the US. We used to start in downtown Ashland and race up to Mt Ashland (12 miles and 5000 feet of gain) and then we would continue on some forest roads, 100 feet of single track a really hard climb and finish back in town. It is hard to believe we thought 39 and 1/2 miles of road and 1/2 mile of single track was fun, but we did.This race is the opposite. 12 miles downhill, about 11 miles of single track, awesome fun single track. This race is cool because all forms of life show up. The Pro Mountain Bike Giant team (Adam, Carl and Kelli), pro downhillers (Mark Weir, Eric Carter (not to be confused with our Eric), Brian Lopes and me. What is a 60 year old (racing age) doing mixing it up with these guys. Well, I don't really know other than this is the antithesis of the Revenge of the Siskiyous, and it is fun to see some really fast riders. We were pre riding the course and Jody, who has not done this before, was a little dismayed when this group of guys came flying by at seemingly twice our speed. She was thinking she was over her head, but we told her that was the probable (and in fact the) winner of the pro men's race. I had my new Trek Remedy 6 inch travel bike and I had a blast. I was 2 minutes faster than the last time I did this race and the course was about one minute longer. No crashes, no close calls just 46 minutes of fun. Next week we are headed over to Corvallis to the opposite and race the Test of Endurance. This is a 50 mile race that will test my endurance. I am doing this so our team can solidify its lead in the River City Mountain bike series. A lot of the same racers will be there, Adam, Carl, Lizzy, and some who didn't do the Super D. I like the mix of both types of racing. Super Ds are mellow for me. My goal is not to win but to have a safe ride that flows well, in a cross country race my goal is to win. I don't always but I put that pressure on myself.So again I had a great day in the sun today, all by my self but the past two days were awesome, hanging with Jody and Herb (who was our shuttle driver), and of course Mike. I cant' wait until next year. Maybe my buddy Andy will come over again.Don -
WISHING FOR A SIMPLER TIME
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
Last week Kathy had her annual end of year piano recital for all of her students. I love going to these for a number of reasons. One is this is my sweetheart's work and I like to participate in what she does so well. I love hearing the students play as they put their heart and sole into the music. It is also wonderful to see the proud parents realize that beautiful music is coming from their children and not just loud noise. I have had more than one parent comment to me how they really enjoy seeing their children transform into musicians. This year there was something else that struck me. At Sunnyside Sports we try very hard to be a family store, a friendly store and a competent store. It is important in the world of retail to be up in all of the latest ways to be in contact with the customers. We have a web page, I write this blog, we have facebook, four square, twitter, google etc. We know we have to greet each customer promptly, engage them so to speak.I enjoy all of those challenges and I think we do pretty well at them. I do wish for simpler times though. A time when a customer walked in the door and didn't need such sophisticated help, when they knew we were going to give them the best help possible without us having to prove ourselves every time. I time when all this sophisticated electronic online marketing wasn't as important as a friendly face, even if it took over a minute for that face to appear. Kathy's work is about music on a real instrument, no electronic keyboard, a real piano, with a hammer hitting some strings. An instrument that has been around for a few centuries. No sophistication here, the students come to our house, our living room. If Kathy isn't in the living room to greet them they sit down and start to practice. She can hug her students, laugh with them. The parents come in and can watch the lesson, the sisters and brothers also. This is an industry that has been around a long time and it really hasn't changed that much. No commuting to work, work is here. Simple, and pure is what I call it. This is not about complaining about Sunnyside because I love my work and the people I work with, I like keeping up with the 21st century, I have a smart phone and all of that and of course I am sitting writing this blog. It is just a simple appreciation for a simpler time. Don -
THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDS
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
Last week we decided it was time for the Umpqua River Trail. I like this trail more than the McKenzie River Trail because it has less slow rocky technical bits and more climbing with high speed descents. Jake and I assured Muffy she would enjoy it more because it wasn't really very hard other than the climbs etc. It was a wet day but not unpleasant with a rain coat and proper hats and gloves. About an hour into the ride, after my favorite climb and descent there is a creek crossing, which I have ridden many a time. This time, though, my glasses were fogged so I decided to dismount and walk. I really didn't want to fall into the little creeklet and get more wet than I was. Well the dismount didn't go well. My foot slipped on slippery rock and I tumbled into the creek anyway. As I was laying there, my left leg throbbing, I knew something bad had happened. I managed to crawl out of the creek and make my way back to the trail just as Muffy and Jake were arriving. I looked at my leg and there was a huge gash just below the knee. This was bad and I was starting to feel shivery and light headed. Jake went and recovered my bike and I told Muffy I had a first kit in my pack. I laid down with my legs on Jake so I could get some blood back to my brain and fight of the effects of "shock". Muffy was busy applying a very tight bandage and making sure the wound was protected from the elements and had pressure so it would not bleed. Friends, there when I needed them. I finally started to feel better and made some joke about swimming. They knew then I was OK and that is why there is a big smile on Jake's face in the photo. Relief. At first we were not sure if I would be able to get myself out of there, but the alternative of sitting for hours and then being carried out wasn't too appealing. The truth was the leg felt fine and I rode out. I suggested that the other two could go finish the ride and meet me at the car, but being good friends they stayed with me. We stopped at Urgent care on the way home and Dr Ponte, another friend, was there to clean the wound and sew me up. It was reassuring to have a familiar face taking care of me. Then it was off to the Rays pharmacy to get my antibiotics. Again a friend, Rob, was there to fill my prescription. My leg is better, though not 100%, and I am back on my bike and the thought of all these friends is still fresh in my mind. -
THOUGHTS ON THE GIRO, ToC AND FLOYD
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I watched most of the Tour of California and I am continuing to watch all of the Giro d Italia. As I watch both of these races I wonder why race promoters in the US are so afraid of putting on a stage race that would compare to even the smaller Euro stage races such as the Tour of Switzerland or even Paris-Nice. I don't like to talk negative in my blog so I will say I grew up in the Bay Area in California and I have ridden most of the roads that were used in this years ToC. They are great roads for a 15 year old to learn how to cycle, and I enjoyed watching the pros use the very same roads I grew up on. The problem I have is there are some real hard mountain climbs in California that were not used. The "Queen Stage" was hard but not hard enough. It was basically a big ring climb for a very long time. If you see my photos you will see the pack going up the climb in the ToC and then in the other photo you can see Evans and Basso going mano a mano on one of the hard climbs in the GIRO. It was awesome to watch as the other strong riders fell behind one by one leaving only the two strongest and then there was a little acceleration by Basso and Evans was left behind, he still looked strong but not strong enough. There was a crowd of 50,000 on top of the Zoncolon. I would think in the USA we could muster a crowd that large on some mountain top finish far from our cities and our resorts. For racing to prosper in our country we need to look at what has worked in Europe and emulate it. The ToC was won with time bonuses and the TT. The GIRO will be won in the mountains. That is the way of the Grand Tours. I guess the bottom line for me is the GIRO, TOUR and VUELTA are travel logs for their prospective countries, why can't the ToC go to Death Valley, the Grand Canyon, the Sierra Nevada, Mt Lassen and show off the most scenic parts of our country with some tough roads thrown in. A little about Floyd and his confession. First of all I don't really doubt most of what he has said. I do wonder about the timing and his motivation. Cheating has happened and it will continue to happen. I wish it didn't. I race masters and there is quite a bit of evidence that performance enhancing drugs are rampant. I race anyway and don't even think about what my competitors do or not do. It is more about how I do. Floyd has said he wanted to clear his conscience, but I think it is more about revenge than clearing anything. He got caught and his comeback hasn't been all that great. I think he might just try to be honest. Not for us but for himself. Being bitter is not a healthy state of mind. Winning at all costs is not unique to Floyd, those that have cheated are paying the price everyday. If some of those that Floyd named are guilty and the US Government goes after them I would imagine their nights are not so restful, their training rides not so peaceful and in general their lives a bit like hell, even if they are not caught. I just read the diary of Mary and Mike after their first two world cup races in Europe. Now there is couple where there is no suspicion of anything but hard work, and dedication. You know they sleep well at night and are at peace with themselves. -
INTERESTING MORNING
» Don's Sunnyside BlogIt is snowing outside, Floyd Landis has admitted he used drugs all along (and implicating almost everyone else in the world of cycling), Cadel Evans and some Lampre rider are fighting with 1K to go in the GIRO, and yesterday's GIRO was so mind boggling it is still hard to understand what happened, if you don't know a breakaway with some pretty strong riders gained almost 13 minutes over the Maglia Rosa (Race Leader). That is only part of what is happening in my world. So onto things that are more calming and peaceful. Andy Wardman, one of my very best friends, who lives in Scotland, sent me the most amazing video. This is of him riding his IBIS cross bike around some trails in the village where he lives. I have been on some of these trails hiking and riding. When you watch this video take note he did this all by himself. There was no camera man, or assistant. He also didn't put some loud rock and roll music to disturb the natural noise of the wheels and of the people in the background. I loved this video and it made me really homesick for my other place The Borders, Scotland. I just read a book called the The Big Burn . It is about the largest forest fire in US history which took place 100 years ago in Montana and Idaho. It is also about the formation of the US Forest Service (where I worked for 1o years fighting fire), Teddy Roosevelt, and Gifford Pinchot. It made me understand a lot of things about the Forest Service I didn't know when I worked there. Hope all is well out there with all of you and please take a look at that video. I am going to Scotland in the Fall of 2011 with a small group if you are interested let me know email me at donoso@bendnet.com. -
RIDING WITH THE PROS
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
Yesterday I got to ride my first century of the season. A few years ago I got over the "century" thing. I still ride one once in awhile, I even races a 100 mile mountain bike race last summer, but normally I stay away from 100 mile rides. I could go into all the reasons but it really comes down to one thing - I have done hundreds of them and they make me tired.So, I was a little apprehensive when my friend Whit Bazemore invited me to participate in a pilot TV show that will be about travel and cycling. I didn't mind the interview we did on Monday morning it was the 100 mile ride with Ryan Trebon and Adam Craig that was a little intimidating. The weather looked dicey, and the company I was with fast. There were a couple of other quite strong riders who showed up, Carl Decker for the first hour, Bart Bowen, former winner of the Cascade Cycling Classic now owner of Rebound Sports Performance Lab, Karsten Hagen, one of the stronger master racers in the state (sales Representative for Garmin), and Teri Sheasby, probably the strongest woman racer in Bend. There were a few other mere mortals like me, Lizzy English, Adam's girlfriend, she was on her first road ride, she rocks on a mountain bike, Doug LaPlaca a strong amateur road racer, Chet, an employee of Nike who was the only other man with some grey hair. Jeff, Whit and his wife Michelle rounded out our group. Well lets just say it went great. One of the best Centuries I have ever done in fact. The strong lads were polite, the rest of us were smart enough to stay out of the wind, I actually felt strong and could punch a little when needed. The added luxury of having a follow car with extra wheels (we needed two), food, water etc was a real bonus. We did the Prineville Reservoir Loop. It was close to 110 miles, and it took a little over 5 hours riding time.Riding with polite pros, especially tall ones like Ryan, is a real pleasure. They don't want to go hard as they will have real training some time later in the week, and dropping ones girlfriend or grey haired friend isn't really what they want or need to do. This was a group whose purpose was to start together and finish together. The kind of long group ride that I love. I have ridden for years with friends and have been the "strong one " on many a ride. As I get older and my friends younger I have become less of the stronger and more of the follower. When a weaker person rides with a much stronger rider he/she is at the mercy of that person. It was nice to be in such good hands. Later that evening after all of us took our obligatory nap we had a group dinner. We went to Staccato, a great restaurant in Bend. The last time I went to a meal with a group of Pro bike racers was in the mid 80s. I will not mention any names but I will say it was the best of the best in US cycling. It was embarrassing to me how they acted to the promoter of the race who was buying them dinner. This time was 180 degrees opposite. Adam, Ryan and retired pro Bart were relaxed and entertaining. I could tell they were having as good as time as the rest of us. Kathy, who came along for the dinner, was equally impressed with how nice everyone was. She is a piano teacher not an athlete and she felt just a comfortable as me. Thanks to everyone for a great day, now I am excited to see the TV show. Don -
LAST MAN STANDING, BEING AWESOME, AND STARS
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Another week and another bike race, this week it was the Mudslinger. A great name for this race as the mud was thick and wonderful. I didn't feel particularly strong but none the less I was competitive and ended up third. What I did do was rail this mud section (as seen in the photo) like a pro. I managed to get into first with this sweet bit of technical riding but a long gravel uphill right after was more than my legs wanted and two of the older guys got by me. What is more interesting to me is at the awards ceremony the presenter asked how many had raced this race in the 90s, quite a few of us raised our hands and then it was the 80s, three of us raised our hands and then it was the first one 1987. One of us raised our hand. Here I am in a sport I love and I feel like the last man standing. Well not really, what I really feel is all this appreciation for still doing what I love to do and when I come to an event the promoters are thrilled that I still attend their races. Maybe I should ask for a senior citizen discount. I wasn't the oldest racer (my friend Ron Strasser is one year older than me), but I have been doing it longer than most others in the state, it is nice to know I can still do this sport. I think I even ride the mud better now than all those years ago. Longevity is something I seem to be good at,working at Sunnyside for over 30 years and married to Kathy (May 1st) for 39 years.
I see on Facebook when one of my friends does some horrendous workout in the hail, snow or rain their friends seem to say awesome Matt, or go girl you rock or something to that affect. Now I have done hours of riding in some pretty "bad" conditions and never have I thought of myself as awesome. Dumb, insane, and clueless are more of the descriptions that come to mind. Some think I am a little obsessed with my training (why would a 59 year old do intervals in the garage 3 times a week?). They are correct. Most of us who train hard, disciplined and and in all weather conditions are more obsessed than awesome. What we are really doing is taking time for ourselves. In a way it is more selfish than awesome. I look at my training as very personal and it is my time to do with what I want. I suppose if I were awesome I would not train on those days and volunteer at a homeless shelter, or maybe the bike coop, but no I choose to stay in shape, and it takes time and it is my time and I enjoy every hail stone, rain drop gust of wind and flake of snow, I enjoy the night ride by myself and the mystery of the dark. I also enjoy, though Kathy doesn't approve, listening to hours of my favorite music, the Beatles, the Gypsy Kings, Johnny Cash etc. I don't mind the recognition nor even to be called awesome, but I am doing what I absolutely love and I feel like it is a gift that I have been given. I have friends who are not doing what they love for many reasons, but they still get on with life and live it as full as they can. They are the awesome ones in my mind. One more thing. The middle photo is of Andrew Neethling. He is a South African Mountain Bike Pro. He races the downhill and was 11th overall in the world cup last year. He just happened to stop in to see his friend Travis (our newest employee). Kind of cool. Take care.Don -
A WEEK IN MY LIFE
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The week started and finished on the McKenzie River Trail. I was planning on riding the MRT with Jacob and Muffy on a Monday but they were scheduled to work that day, so instead I went with Seth, Jodie and Eric from the store and Bruce my New Zealand teamate. Perfect weather, and perfect friends. Sometimes I just smile inside to think I get to work with the same friends I play with, I forget that Eric is one of the best riders around (he has been busy being a dad the last few years, Jodie is the best technical mountain riding woman I have ever ridden with (she puts me to shame) and Seth is just plain awesome. We work all week and then on our day off we choose to be together some more. I feel special to be part of that.Then this Sunday is my favorite mountain bike race, Bear Springs. It is close to Bend (hour and a half), and it is on really fun terrain. Tricky single track, bike and hike, tough climbs and great friends. Last year there was some snow on the course so we were looking forward to a snow free course and we got our wish. For some reason I was on fire, not only did I finally manage a win here (after I don't know how many tries), I set a PR for me by almost 10 minutes. I feel pretty good about that. Half of our team showed up (not half of the mountain bikers but half of the team). We had our roadies, trackies and cross specialist out there in force. It was fun to see all the jerseys. Though the official results are not up yet I can guarantee we rocked. Though I was tired from a hard race I still had one more thing to do this week, the McKenzie River Trail with Jacob and Muffy. This time they had the day off and Serena decided to come along. Not the perfect warm weather of the week before but the trail was snow free this time and it only started to rain after we got in the car. All four us have brand new Trek full sus bikes this year. Jacob and I on 6" Remedys and Muffy and Serena on 5" Fuel EXs. We were hot to test our skills and our bikes on the tough MRT lava. I would say we were all impressed with our bikes. I had the advantage of doing this trail at the beginning of my week and I was well chuffed that I manage to clean more sections than the first time. I think if I would have been fresher I could have done more. Jacob basically cleaned the whole trail. There are few unridable sections but he was awesome. Serena, who is trying to get her Mountain Bike skills up to par with her fitness was cleaning places she had never done before. She is becoming an awesome mountain bike rider. Muffy, who is good at almost every thing she does (from parenting, cooking to athletic endeavors), has a thing about rocks and bikes. After the yesterday, though, she is lot a better and is ready to tackle this trail again. I really feel the MRT is daunting, you have to be really skilled to like this trail (aka Jacob). I have mixed feeling about this trail. A broken foot and a bad facial cut have something to do with that. I prefer the fun, undulating Umpqua River Trail to the slow technical MRT. I am glad to have gone over though as it really is a blast. Thanks for reading, Kathy is glad I got those deer photos off my blog.DonPS I forgot one thing. The photo of the tall guy with a bike is Barry Wicks and his new carbon Kona cross bike. It is a prototype, and no we don't sell those (we have IBIS carbon cross bikes witch are not prototype and available now) but it is cool to see one of our star crossers with a new bike in the middle of the woods at a Mountain Bike Race.
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LIVING IN A PINE FOREST
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I was walking home the other day after meeting with a friend realizing I lived in the middle of a pine forest, a real pine forest. Yes we have paved streets, lots of houses and many non native plants growing in people's gardens and yards but it is still a pine forest. I like that. I have to make a disclaimer here, Kathy will not agree with everything I say here, but we don't agree on everything anyway.So, I like living in a pine forest, it is like being on permanent holiday. I was born in Montana where there were lots of pine trees but I grew up in California in the Bay Area and that is not a pine forest. The pine forest was up in the Sierra Nevada my favorite place to go when I was a kid. I remember seeing Yosemite for the first time, I must of been around 10 and I was absolutely blown away. I wanted to hike all the trails, climb all the peaks ride all the roads and I loved the smell of the pine forest. I couldn't get enough of it. I can remember every trip we took to the sierra.Later in life I went to Humboldt State College, which is in the middle of a Redwood Forest. Now I like a good Redwood Forest with all the amazingly tall and old trees, but I still prefer a pine forest. My first Forest Service job was about 100 miles east of here in the Ochoco National Forest. This was really my first time to central Oregon and as I drove along the Crooked River to where my job was I wondered if I was going to see any trees. Finally at the last turn the Pine Forest returned and I knew I would be OK. Many Forest jobs later Kathy and I were living out at Cabin Lake, this is about 75 miles south and east of Bend. This is one of the most amazing places I have ever lived, it is on the edge of the pine forest and the high desert. Look out the front window and there was a forest of old growth Ponderosa Pines, out the back window and it miles of sage brush and high desert. So back to Bend and the west hills home we live in. Aubrey Butte is covered with pretty old growth Ponderosa pines the kind I like. It smells and feels like my holiday days from when I was a boy enjoying the Sierra Nevada mountain. I even like the deer. They are what really makes me know I am in a forest and not a sub division. The deer were here before we were and I am pretty sure they will be here after we are gone. We have also had bears and mountain lions in our neighborhood, like I said a pine forest.Don
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MOUNTAIN BIKE TEAM, RESIDUAL WEIGHT
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This was our team minus one yesterday at Horning's Hustle Mountain Bike Race. A couple of firsts , a second, fourth and I think a sixth. Matt moved to Pro men and as in my mind that is winning in itself. Last fall I missed the whole mountain bike and most of the cross season. I tried to keep fit ( I did) and not gain too much weight (5 pounds it was). The problem is I still have those 5 pounds. I could tell yesterday I wasn't as crisp up the climbs as I would like to have been. I really have never been thin but I have a race weight I am accustomed to and 5 pounds extra is quite a bit. Go buy 5 pounds of butter and put in in your jersey pocket the next time you ride your bike. It will go in time. Eat well and ride lots and I will get to where I want to be in a month or so. Back to the team. We have a reasonably small team, we are all friends and last year we finished third in the Rivercity Mountain Bike series, this year our goal is first. It will be tough but it will be possible. First I will need to loose that weight and finish first and not second. Serena will have to keep having fun (check out her blog (bend and beyond), Lea, who just returned to our team will just have to show up and keep scoring points, Jim will have stay healthy and not have any accidents on his new Trek Scratch and Bruce, who just returned from a summer in his home country of New Zealand, needs to ride his bike with gears instead of the single speed. He managed to win the Cat 1 19-34 on a single speed. So yes I think it is possible to beat the powerhouse Portland Teams, Team Dirt and the everstrong Pistis team from Grants Pass. I do like the Team Dirt name though. On the trip home, we had the usual banter from Ben, Jim and Chris about the other drivers, some of the other racers and of course me and Chris talking about Canada some. Chris Sheppard was in the car with us, he won the pro division and he is from Canada. He always has something fun to say. When I got home I watched the Paris Roubaix. Somehow I managed not to hear who had won all day so it was a perfect way to end a perfect cycling weekend. On Saturday Chris Horner won the overall in the Tour of Basque Country. His biggest win in his career. Don -
MY LIFE IN ONE HOUR
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Last week, on my way home from Spain , my last flight was from San Francisco to Redmond. As I was watching out of my window I had this thought - this is like a one hour tour of my life as seen from the air. I have taken this flight many times but this was the first time I had seen it in this way.
Though I was born in Montana and started school in Alberta, most of my youth was spent in the SF Bay Area. My family lived in Cupertino, now famous for Apple, then famous for prune orchards. That is where I learned to love bike riding. As we took off I could make out all of the roads I used to ride as boy and teenager. I could also look across the Sacramento Valley and see the Sierra Nevada mountain range, another place that I spent as a young man.
As we headed north I was entering the time and place where I met my sweetheart of the last 40+ years. I could see the coast line where we had our first date, we flew over the Trinity Alps, our weekend backpacking heaven, over Mt Shasta and Mt Ashland.
Further north Crater Lake came into view, I think of Crater Lake as my spiritual home. Then it was over the Winema, Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests. I spent 10 years learning to be a man,learning about the woods and falling in love with Central Oregon in those forests. Of course at the end we flew over Bend, our house, our store, Phil's trail the present. It was quite a ride, how happy I am to have ended up here!
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KEVIN
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I've been ine Mallorca the last 10 days riding my bike with 6 friends from Bend. While we were over there we ran into 5 more so the group of 7 turned into a group of 12. The other 5 are from around the world, Baltimore, Switzerland, and England. This was quite run both for riding and for the hours of cafe time we have.
There is a reason why I meet and know so many people in Mallorca his name is Kevin.
I met Kevin 12 years ago in Sunnyside Sports, he was on a bike tour from San Diego to Portland, and he needed some new bike shorts. Long story short he ended up staying at our house for a week, we visited him and his parents in Scotland and a long friendship was started.
One year he invited me to come to Mallorca to ride with his Scottish cycling club. Not only did I meet many new friends from Scotland and England but a new tradition was born.
I have been to Mallorca 8 times now, I usually bring some American friends and we all meet in Spain.
This year both groups were small, the economy, life changes injuries took its toll. I was ready to have no Scots for the first time. Neal and Mark, two brothers from England would be our Euro contingent.
Then I got a text from Kevin, he was going to come over and spend a few days visiting us. Kev has had a bit of a tough year, car accident, a freak fall where he broke his jaw and he had to drink out of a straw for a few weeks, and then another back surgery to repair a ruptured disc. No riding for Kev, but he wanted to hang out and visit his American friends. So we were able to have a few beers together, some cafe con leche, and a meal at our favorite restaurant.
It was good to catch up, and it was great to see Kevin. I feel very lucky to have friends like him.
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Photo to go with last blog
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THINGS EURO
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When I go to Europe I use the word Euro to describe how things are different than at home. I like most of the Euro things, but not all.
I would say the best euro thing is that people are more laid back. The cars just don't get so up tight with all the bikes. We have been riding on roads half as wide as Skyliners road with twice as many bikes and somehow everyone gets along. They would think skyliner road was one of their widest roads.
Sunbathing is another euro laid back attitude, especially in southern europe. Topless for women is optional. No controversy, it just happens.
I love living at home and I am looking forward to getting home this week, but I also like to see the world and enjoy how things are done in other places.
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HAPPY
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Happy, that is the best adjective for this bike trip, it is even what my hat says. Lots of kilometers, lots of cafe time, lots of visiting, very relaxing. Yesterday we went out to a town called Randa. It sits below a cima (mountain top ), that has a monastery on it. From the top you can see almost the whole island. All of the small brown villages that seem to pop upon every 5 to 10 kilometers, with green fields in between. The government of Mallorca has put a lot of effort into constructing and connecting bike routes. These routes are still open to cars but mainly they are used by cyclists. They can do that here because cars really do share the roads.
You may notice most of my photos are at cafes. We always like to stop somewhere along the route for coffee and sometimes lunch, that is when the camera comes out. I got the happy cap from a friend in Scotland, it really says it all. The group I am with, Barb, Lew, Barbara, Dave, Ben and Serena are all enjoying this as much as me,maybe more. A couple of days ago we met up with a couple of Brit friends (Mark and Neal) and yesterday Mark's girlfriend Carolyn showed up with a coworker, Jenny. I just heard from my friend Kevin that after reading my blog about Sa Calobra that he his coming over for a few days. Like I said HAPPY.
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LONG DAY IN THE SADDLE, WITH FRIENDS.
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
Today we did the long ride. That means around 90 miles, 7000 feet (2300 meters ) of climbing, 3 good climbs, many more small ones. Wow there were a lot of cyclists today, it was like a few years ago, was it two hundred or even five? I really don't know we were seeing them all day all the time. Our group divided up, it is best on a ride of this difficulty. Barb, Barbara, Lew and Dave left at 8. Ben, Serena and I left at 9. We joined up with a couple of friends from England, Mark and Neal. Mark's girlfriend used to live in Bend so I have seen him in the store a couple of times, Neal (Mark's brother) was in Mallorca with me last year. Small world. They are a lot stronger than us but they toed us around and kept us company. It is always fun to be international . It was a great day, not hot, but sunny so we were able to ride in shorts and bare arms. First time this year.
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Sa Calobra
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The weather changed today so we decided on Sa Calobra. If you go into Sunnyside there is a poster of this road above the coffee machine. I have ridden many famous climbs in both Europe and in North America, but this is my favorite. The descent is more than just endless switch backs, like some Euro roads, and the climb is variable, some 11% and some 5%. It takes about 40 minutes going pretty hard, and it is set in a gorgeous setting, mountains, a beautiful cove at the bottom, and more cyclists than cars. This year we lucked out and there were no tourist buses. It was a little chilly but not enough to dampen our spirits. Four if us had not been before and all agreed Sa Calobra is the best. We hope to do it again, maybe at night even. Here is a photo of a 6 really happy riders.
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The Lluc climb that everyone loves.
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
Today we went into the mountains for the first time. We start out with some back roads. These roads are incredibly narrow, when I first started coming here many of the roads we use now were not paved, they started paving them to give all of the cyclists their own roads. They are still open to cars but they are mainly used by the 50,000 cyclists that are here during the peak season.
After a leisurely cafe con leche we then start the climb. This is a mini version of a big euro climb, lots of switchbacks, averaging around 5%. The climb is about 8 kilometers. Long enough to get tired, not long enough to be exhausted. On top we had our first real sun and there was snow on the side of the road from the snow storm a few days back.
There are four people (Ben,Serena,Barbara and Dave) who have not been here before, it is fun to see it all again in their eyes. Then it was back down to Pollensa for our outdoor lunch, that would not have happened without the propane patio heater. Good food, good friends, good roads.
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I KNOW THIS PLACE
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I know this place, I know the smells, the views, the roads, the food, the sounds. It is hard to explain how I know the sounds,the language, the laughs, bicycle wheels going round, I just know this place.
It is comfortable for me to come here, it takes some time to get used to talking, reading the signs etc, but it happens, and then I realize I know this place.
However it is different this year, more stores and restaurants are closed, two of the hotels I have stayed in are not open yet. It is cold this year,snow on the beach two days ago. Not as many cyclists this year, none that I know as of yet. My bike was left in Newark (it should be here this evening ), so I had a day to hang out. I watched Eurosports and saw Andy Newell win a bronze medal in a World Cup sprint classic race, live. I watched a mixed biathalon world cup relay, I watched the Paris -Nice live, great suicide break a way at the end and the rider won by a few feet over the following pack. Walked to town and bought a couple of Spanish language books by two of my favorite authors. Neither of those books are available in the US yet.
I didn't ride but had a full day. Like I said I know this place and it is good to be back.
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Barcelona
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I am sitting in the Barcelona air port thinking what a waste it is to be so close to my favorite city yet so far. I have really only been here once, but I feel like I have visited many times. I have read numerous books about Barcelona, and it just feels like a place I know. When they had the Olympics here in 1992 Spain used Barcelona as it's statement to the world that Spain had entered the modern world and left the Franco years behind.
This is a city for the young, though we felt young when we were here. This is a city of the night, though it shines in the day. It is a showplace for modern thought and free thinking, but its most famous building is a Catholic Cathedral that was started in 1881 and is not yet finished. The best restaurants in the world are here and it is the city in Spain that has really adapted Picasso as their own. It has its own language, Catalan, and has voted for autonomy, but has rejected violence as a means to achieve it. I could go on and on but you just need to come for yourself. One of my favorite things here is the model city they built for the worlds fair here in the early 20th century. The fake Spain they built is about the same age as the town I live in, Bend.
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ECHO TO VIENNA
» Don's Sunnyside BlogYesterday was a long day full of wonderful experiences. Due to my reoccurring bicycle disease, Jim, Ben and I decided an almost 4 hour drive to Echo would be be worth it to do a 2 hour mountain bike race. That means 8 hours in a car and 2 hours on the bike. Now where is Echo anyway. It is out in North Eastern Oregon, not really close to any mountains, nor trees nor anything that one would think would make good mountain biking, but then we would be wrong. The guys out there have become friends with a farmer who has allowed them to use the land he can't farm to put in some trails. These trails go up and down these these gullies that are not suitable for wheat or vineyards and are perfect for mountain bike trails. The great trails in addition to 65 degrees and sun made for a perfect day. Now when you include the Sunnyside Team all having a great time along with all of the other friends in the Mountain bike world (That is means all of the people who mountain bike race in Oregon) it is like a big party. When the last finisher crossed the line to a standing ovation you know this is a great sport.Now my back report. Last fall I ruptured a disc. I was off the bike for 2 full months, and though I did manage to race at cross nationals I really didn't do any real cycling until January. This was my first real test. I was over 20 minutes faster than last year, my back was a little sore but not unusually so, and I managed to pull off a win. Last October, when I was having a difficult time climbing stairs, I wasn't sure if I would be able to do mountain bike again. I am still not out of woods and maybe I never will be. I will rest my body more than I used to, but believe me this was sweet.Now on to Vienna. We had to rush home as Ben needed to get back to his family and I needed to go and hear the Vienna's Boys choir (Thanks to Sanna Phinney). What a joy that was. It is hard to believe that boys that young could sing so well. This is not like your usual children's choir, this is like seeing and hearing seasoned professionals sing but they are 10 years old. It was interesting to note the multi ethnic look of the choir. These were not all tow headed boys that filled the Boys choir in years past but children with roots from all over the world. This also showed in the music that they sang. Of course many songs from Austria ( how could you not from the land of Mozart and Straus), but also music from Native Americans, India, Pakistan, Korea to just mention a few. I do have one question for my readers, what is deal with sailer suits for children and Austria? The Vienna's Boy Choir all wear them and so did the children in the sound of music. Austria doesn't even have a port. You never hear of the might of Austrian Navy sailing the 7 seas. Just curious. I may have been tired when I finally got to bed last night but it was all worth it. Next week we are off to Mallorca for 10 days. I will keep you all posted.Don -
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HISTORY IN THE MAKING WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH
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This week at the Olympics something very special happened for me, Sunnyside Sports, the USA and of course all of the skiers who have ever skied for the USA in Nordic Combined. Four very special skiers won the silver in the Nordic combined event, earlier in the week Johnny Spillane won a silver in the normal hill individual event with Bill Demong and Todd Lodvick in 4th and 6th, and yesterday Bill Demong won the Gold in the large hill, with Johnny Spillane the silver. This is huge. The first Gold ever for the USA in any Nordic event. Before this year the USA had won only one nordic medal ever, Bill Koch's silver in 1976. This year the USA won four medals. Why the personal connection. Well back in the day, the 70's to be exact, Bend had it's own Olympian, Mike Devecka. Mike was a friend of the store and we helped him out more than once with his Olympic career. If you look in the photo you will see 4 bibs from 4 Olympics. He skied on his own the last years of his career. The US ski team wanted younger skiers, he just happened to be the best in US so we helped raise some money to get him to Europe to compete. Later in live he became a bike racer, a father to another Olympian and now he lives in Colorado. Still a friend and still comes by when he is in town. We followed the Olympics back then hoping that Mike would have the luck, the wax and the strength to win an Olympic medal. He never did but he still had a great career.Years later (the 90s now), I was invited to Steamboat Springs to watch a Nordic Combined World Cup. I had never seen one before and was quite excited to see the event my good friend Mike did all those years. It was quite fun to watch, but the interesting thing was there was a young group of Americans there, Billy Demong, and Todd Lodvick among them. They did quite well for being so young and we were all sure the future was there. But Nagano, Salt Lake City and Torino didn't pan out as expected no medals. Vancouver has changed all that. This is not a miracle on snow story, this is a story of hard work and our racers becoming the best in the world. They were not underdogs they were favorites. If you watched last night you may have noticed the US skiers had some pretty long jumps. The weather then changed and some of the other good skiers did not even come close. The US team had the luck this year. I have seen events where the same has happened to the US team. This is an outdoor sport. So we had the luck, the fast wax and fast skies and the athletes who have really put in the time to become the best in the world. I have followed these guys for 15 years and it is so cool to see these guys do what Mike tried to do all those years ago. Mike should be proud and so should all of those athletes that came before. I don't really care about a dynasty, I just think it is cool that a sport that has been so special to me and to Sunnyside Sports has had the exposure on the TV and that all that hard work has payed off. -
Cline Butte
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I am going to Mallorca next month for my 8th time, and when I go I always stay in the same town Puerto Pollensa. I have been asked by friends - don't you get tired of the same roads? - Well I don't. We manage to find new roads, new cafes, and we always like to return to our favorite places. I like to remind these friends that I have lived in Bend for over 30 years and I still love to ride the same trails and roads, ski the same hills and loops, eat at the same cafes and do all of this with the same friends.
I am not saying I don't like new things. I loved going to Meissner ski area this year and skiing some new trails for the first time. A couple of years ago I couldn't get enough of the new funner trail. I like both. This week I went someplace new for me, the top of Cline Butte. When I first moved to Bend we used to wonder what all those towers and buildings were. There were stories about super secret radars etc, but truth is I never had a reason to go up there, the road is gravel, so not so good for a road bike, and I don't really like driving my car that much.
36 years later I finally made it. The local mountain bikers put some pretty radical trails there some years back, so radical that local legend, Carl Decker, broke his back on one of the more tricky descents. That put me off trying those trails.
Things change though, a couple of years ago a new trail system was put in at the base of Cline Butte, it is called Maston. There is a nice pretty flat 11 mile trail, about 1 hour on bike. I like a little farther, so I took Phil's suggestion and rode a fairly new single track to the top of Cline Butte. It is sweet. The last 15 minutes is pretty grueling,as it follows the road.
Once on top you can see most of Central Oregon, it is a great view. There are a few choices for going down. I stayed away from the one where all the riders had full face helmets and full armored pads. The one I took was single track, with a couple of mandatory drops. I had to walk around two of them, but it was still a fun trail, and it was someplace new. Pretty cool after living here so long.
Thanks for reading.
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Kitties on my lap
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We have three kitties, Rupert, Alex and Ariel. Alex is the perfect lap cat, always on a lap,mine, Kathy's,a student, someone's. Rupert is a doer, we don't know what it is he does, but he is pretty busy. His main job is to save us from the evil white cat from across the street. We are pretty sure it must be evil or Rupert wouldn't spend so much time keeping us safe. However at 8 pm every day it is lap time for Rupert. We have two laps available most days in our home, but Rupert has to be in the same lap as Alex, and Kathy is the chosen lap. Sometimes they are on top of each other, sometimes spread out, but always together. Alex is small, Rupert is big, in fact twice as big as Alex. Tonight Kathy is out so I am the lap, that is what that photo is -Alex and Rupert. I feel honored to be so picked.
Ariel is, of course, off by herself. That is how she is. I can't really go to bed, two kitties are just too important to disturb.
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Sinus Infection
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In this photo I do not have a sinus infection I have a happy infection. It seemed wrong to put in a photo of someone (me) with a bad headache. I guess the good thing is I have never had a sinus infection, an ear infection or even a throat infections since at least grade one (that is canadian for first grade). I was sick plenty my first year of school and then my doctor took out my tonsils. I didn't miss any school for about 4 or 5 years. I heard about sinus and ear infections but I didn't have clue as to what that was. When I got a little older those mysterious illnesses popped up again as my friends started having children. Children it seems live with those infections all the time. So here I am at 59 years old experiencing something new. I would kind of like to jump into that photo, 72 degrees, and no infection. Maybe this is a new way of natural healing, get a photo of when you feel great and just transform your self into that person. I do feel somewhat better today so I am off on a walk with my sweetheart, we may see the mountain lion we saw the track off, that could scare me out of the infection. I started to learn French the same day I got my sinus infection, so I associate French with a headache. I hope that is short term though because I am enjoying learning French. On another note we have been watching a series on Canadian History we got from Muffy. She used these to teach Zoe and Tosch about Canada. Though the United States and Canada share a common history, it is different enough that we have learned quite a bit. The first post Columbian European settlement in North America was an English settlement on Newfoundland. I never new that. Unfortunately the early history of the native americans and the euros is much the same in both countries. We are only up to around 1700 so we do have a ways to go, I am sure there will be many new and interesting things to learn. Thanks for reading and take care.Don -
AVATAR BLUES
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Kathy and I went to see Avatar the other day. I thought it was super cool. I have this memory of Kathy and I sitting in front of a Safeway grocery store with a petition for people to sign warning them of the greenhouse affect and us trying to get them to ban aerosols so this wouldn't happen. Most looked like us like we were from outer space. We fought for a lot of things back then, like saving our Redwood Forests, not driving so much, etc. We were radical conservationists. Now the biggest movie of all time is about that same subject. Our off the wall concerns of the 60s is now the subject ot the biggest movie ever. I am not sure that is a good thing. What it means is that we were right but we were not effective in stopping global warming. It is nice not to be thought of a radical conservationist but as someone who has real and proven concerns about our future.However that is not what this blog is about. It is about the "Avatar Blues". People who have seen this movie go home depressed because they think the planet Pandora is so beautiful and reality is not. I heard the craziest quote, some teenager wished we had 3D all the time. Is that child on a computer all the time? Like I said I loved this movie, I liked the theme and yes I though Pandora was awesome... but I love the desert, and I think where I live is even more awesome then Pandora. I think our world is more awesome. I think our world is worth saving also. The photos are random, they are places I have been the last year. People who have Avatar Blues need to go outside, go for a walk, though I would recommend a mountain bike ride down some fast trail to wake up their senses and to see and feel what our 3D world looks and feels like. Take care.Don -
BEING CANADIAN
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It is now official I am a Canadian Citizen. I wrote about this last Spring and today I found out is now official. I am pretty well chuffed about this. I am not sure exactly why. My mom grew up in Canada and met my Dad when she worked in Waterton Park and he worked in Glacier park after WW II. They got married and lived in Montana just south of the Canadian Border. I have many early memories of of crossing the border to see all of my Canadian Relatives. I started school in Canada. I remember saying zed and finding out it was the same as Zee. I went to Calgary for the 88 Olympics and thinking this was part of me, but not thinking it would be anything more than a thought. Last year Canada decided to do something about all the Canadians that were made to renounce their Citizenship when they became United States Citizens. I fit into that because Mom was a Canadian when I was born. I am not sure what I will do being a Canadian. I might race in the Canadian National Cyclo Cross championships, I may travel to Cuba, I doubt I would move up to the great white north but it could happen.It is ironic that when we had Bush as president I was ready to move to a country that was closer to my politics and Canada was a choice. Now that I am Canadian it is their government that I don't agree with. I guess it shows one that staying home and trying to affect change is better than running away. It feels good to have what I have felt for a long time official. Don -
RIDING WITH FRIENDS
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Last Sunday morning I got a call from Jeff Burnard. I haven't seen Jeff for a few years, I think it was at a cross race in Portland in fact. Jeff is one of the founders of Mrazek Bicycles. Though they haven't made any bicycles for a few year most of us locals know the name from one of our most popular mountain bike trails.I keep track of Jeff through is uncle who I have been racing with for the last 10 years. When Jeff comes to town he likes to call his friends and go for a ride. What a better way to reacquaint oneself with old friends than doing something we all like to do. So bunch of us showed up, Mike from Hutches, Phil and his son Eric, JP, Alex and Carl, who both used to race with Jeff on the Mrazek pro team. Out to Horse Ridge we went. It was quite balmy for early January, almost 50 degrees. The trail was in perfect condition lower down and then there was a bit of ice, not bad just enough to make it interesting. Sand Canyon was in perfect condition. Of course I see Carl out riding all the time. It would be a lie to say I ride with him but our paths cross frequently in the woods, at races etc. I do get out with Phil from time to time. Us old guys have to stick together. I haven't ridden with Alex since he was a teenager (now he is married with children). He still flies down the hills. I don't know if he remembers but I once taught a mountain bike class at COCC that was enrolled in. I wonder if he learned anything that day. It was a fun day, good to get out with some guys I haven't been with for years.I was telling this story to a friend and he asked if the Phil I was riding with is the famous Phil. I said if you mean the guy who's name is on our most popular trail system, yes.I have know Phil from the beginning of our central Oregon trails. I had the honor to ride Phil's trail a day or so after he built it. He called a group of friends to check out his latest project. I have had the honor to help him build a couple of trails. Yes Phil is a real guy. Next spring we are going to have a meet Phil night at Sunnyside Sports . Deschutes Brewery with supply us with some Phil's Trail Ale and you will get a chance to talk to the mythical Phil. Take care,Don -
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS?
» Don's Sunnyside BlogMy Mom asked me and Kathy last night if we had any New Year's resolutions. I realized that I don't make New Year's resolutions. I like to think that I am very present in my life and everyday I am doing the thing I want to do at the moment. This doesn't mean I don't look to the future and have goals, it does mean I am not looking for a day to change some habit and become a better person. I try to do that everyday. I have a goal, for example to weigh 155 pounds. This would allow me to race faster, be healthier and weigh less than Jacob. I have not been very successful in this goal for different reasons. One is a food group I am fond of called cookies. I seem to hover around 160. I think I would have made it this year, but then I hurt my back and I was not able to do any long rides this fall. I know I could have eaten less but it just didn't happen. Still that is not a New Year's resolution because it is a goal I have everyday. I hope I do not need resolutions that would make me a better person as I work hard at being the best I can be everyday.I do have wishes for the New Year. Good health for me and everyone I know, more time spent with my sweetheart, continued success at Sunnyside Sports, and hopefully a trip to see my friends in Scotland. I guess I could add World Peace etc... but that is something I consider everyday. I am looking forward to 2010 (the first time I have written the year) as I get ready to enter my 7th decade. I hope to spend more time with the friends I have and hopefully meet new friends. Happy New Year ! everyone and I would like to think your resolutions or wishes come true.Don -
MEISSNER SNOW PARK LIKE A HOLIDAY
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First a disclaimer. I am one of only two, possibly three people who have had season nordic passes at Mt Bachelor every year since the Nordic Area opened all those years ago. I don't even remember what year that was maybe 1976 or so. I have always supported the mountain and have coached up there since 1993 through The MBSEF. I have also dreamed of skiing closer to town on trails that were not on a mountain but through more rolling terrain. Meissner was the area I dreamed of. Tumalo Langlauf Club helped realize that dream a few years ago when they raised some money and bought a real groomer. Sunnyside Sports from the beginning has supported the grooming at Meissner. We pledged $10,000 the first year they started the grooming. With the purchase of the new groomer we will give more. This year TLC bought another groomer that is bigger and more reliable. They also cut some new trails. I can't even remember the names of all of the new trails but today I skied them for the first time. I was skating today as that is my favorite technique and the conditions were perfect for skating. I only skied new trails and was out for almost 2 hours. It was like being on a ski holiday in Canada or Europe. These trails rock. They are fun (kind of like our mountain bike trails), not too hard but still with some stiff climbs. Mt Bachelor was packed today, and yes the small parking lot at Meissner was pretty full but it was relaxing, only 15 minutes from town and again great skiing.If you haven't tried the new trails and experience what the new groomer has done stop by the next time you go to skiing. Remember to have a State Snow Park Permit (you can buy one at Sunnyside Sports), and as the sign in the photo says leave a donation. Grooming ski trails is an expensive operation. Take care and enjoy the snow.Don -
POST CYCLOCROSS - SKI SEASON
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Cyclocross season is over for me, though the pros are in Europe getting ready for the big event - worlds. I decided I could go out and try the mountain bike. The rides were short but very fun. I went out to Horse Ridge three times. The first day it was close to 55 and quite warm, the next day started out warm but then this cloud came by, the temperature dropped 10 degrees and it started to snow. The next day was probably a perfect ski day but I had arranged to go to Horse Ridge with Serena, Ben and Renee. It turned out to be my favorite condition, two inches of fresh snow on hard dirt. Somewhat slick but extra fun. Except for the cold feet afterwords it was a perfect day. I had to throw in some photos of some pies Kathy and I made. The one for the Team cyclocross party is my all time favorite. It has the distinctive smoke stacks which was the backdrop of the Nationals race course, you can see the crowd and the racers. Kathy is amazing. I have also done my share of skiing. A couple of days with Mary and Mike, Serena joined us for one of those days. The skiing has been very good, though last Saturday for the Nancy P's classic race the conditions were horrendous. I like the change of seasons. I like to ski, and do my winter mountain bike rides. This year the mountain bike will even be more fun as I missed the fall season.I am planning a trip to Mallorca this spring, if you are a reader and are interested please email me at donoso@bendnet.com . We will be going in early March. Don -
Interview on Cyclocross Magazine.com
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Interview with me on CX Magazine. This interview was done a few days before my race last week. I was quite honored that Jason picked me for this piece along with being interviewed by Heather for the official guide for Cyclo Cross Nationals. I liked the format with the slide show of me doing what I do and a few slides of me racing. The interview took almost two hours but he had to make it a piece that would not just appeal to my Mom and Kathy. I was intrigued by the content. Of all the the questions I answered these were the ones that he thought most interesting.Mainly, as I said I feel honored that feelings and thought that I have are appealing to others. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I enjoyed being the centerpiece. I have to admit my ego is well chuffed about being recognized. Next year I have more goals, one is not to be injured. Two is to get a medal and three is to race two national championships, Canadian (I should be a Canadian citizen by then) and our in town.Don -
2009 Cross Nationals what a 4 days
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Well the event we have been waiting for is now over. I remember going to a get together for Tom Vinson (USA cycling event coordinator) about a year ago and now we will wait another year for a repeat. I can't say this years race was what I was expecting, but it was a fantastic experience. From checking out the course with Chad and Renee (the snowy photo), to having Mary and Mike warm up in our tent and us getting to be in the Pit for them, to all of the Sunnyside Team mates hanging around, lending a hand, taking photos, racing, it was just a fantastic experience. I think everyone on the team had good performances and, if they are like me they want to improve. What we can't improve on was Team Spirit, we have that dialed. There was not one other team out there that had the support that we had. I would rather have all that than a medal, though both would not be a bad thing. Tomorrow is a day to test the back skiing and get off the bike for awhile. I am already looking forward to next years season though. Thanks to everyone for making the last four days so memorable.
Don -
TEARS IN MY EYES
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I was overwhelmed
at the start of my race today. I had messages from friends as far away as Scotland and I would swear half of the crowd was cheering for me. I literally had tears in my eyes at the start line. That was a new experience. One is supposed to be full of adrenaline not tears. My start was OK I was in reach of spot number 5 and I was feeling like I could really handle the snow. Then bam down I went after hitting a rut of solid ice. Whoa I said take it easy. I was holding my own and really starting to reel a couple of riders in (in fact I had just passed my friend Ron) and I was feeling very solid on the corners. My back was holding out and my legs were ok. I was really accelerating out of the corners, trying to be like Ryan Trebon. I had two more in sight and the next one was just around the corner when boom again. I had take a different line down this drop to get by the next rider and I hit another solid ice rut. This time I bent my rear mech (for my brit friends), I got my pit bike but I had lost my momentum. I finished strong but I just didn't have to catch those guys again. Starting this race was a victory for me. I didn't see the results, but with some luck I may have cracked the top 10. No, riding a trainer will not get you a national championship if that is all you do, but it will allow you to start a race in your hometown in front of a huge crowd and be competitive. This race was one of the best things I have ever done. I didn't take my doctor's advice nor my PT's advice. I knew there was a risk, there is always risk in racing one's bike on solid ice. I will say for who I am and what I do it was way worth it. Thank you for all your encouragement. I heard every one of you if you were out there cheering, and I thought of my friends in Scotland. Bike season is over for me for the year. I am already looking forward to next year though.DonPS Thanks to Rich Wolf and Linda Topping for the photos. -
5 hours and counting
» Don's Sunnyside BlogSo why do I write this blog anyway? Do I think I know so much that I have to let it out? I really am not sure. What I do know is I am writing this one for myself. I have decided to race, I have spent some serious time on a trainer this fall and early winter, I have ridden outside 6 times since October 1st. So what exactly do you expect in this race? These are the thoughts that go through me head. So first of all, assuming I am correct and racing will not re injure me, starting this race is a victory for me. 6 weeks ago I was pretty sure I would not race this year. When my leg strength came back and pain went I started to think maybe. When it stayed away and the practice barricades didn't aggravate anything I was pretty sure. Now I am just waiting at home for the big moment. I do think a top 5 is in reach. It will be hard . I will have to have all my skills on top of my game and my legs will have to answer to each call to go. I will have fun. The course could not be better suited for me. Not many dismounts, slick corners and a couple of drops. I will write the second half of this this afternoon. Don -
THE BLOG I DID WANT TO WRITE
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Sunday December 6th, 67 days after my ruptured disc. Here I am racing my bike again. The morning after and I feel great. Tired legs and sore throat (from shouting all day long). Back feels great and no shooting leg pain. I am probably not healed 100% and I still plan to be careful but I did have a lot of fun yesterday. Everything from starting conservatively, passing most of my fellow racers ( I started last and finished 5th), passing many of the 100 racers in the younger group in front of me (I just wish they would practice in the mud once in a while) and feeling like I can still ride a bike. That was outdoor ride # 6 since September. It was a chance but one I wanted to take. After my race I got to watch the rest of my team race and of course the pros. I was in the pit standing next to Chris Horner (he was pitting for his girlfriend) and I got a couple of photos of the pros racing. Ryan Trebon gave it everything he had but ended up third. Veronica is the picture of concentration at the start of the women's A race. I feel very proud to be in the pit for two women ( Serena and Veronica) in the A race and one man (Matt). Those men and women are so fast to even start with them is amazing.Kathy asked me this morning if I am even more excited about Nationals now. I am not more excited just more confident I can do well. I am not sure how well as one race does not make me ready. I will rest the next few days and start with my head high.Thanks for reading and thanks to all for all the support I have had. One more comment. I have never wanted this injury or my blogs about it to me a melodrama. Being injured and recovering is a small thing in our world. It has been fun to do this and share though. I had more fun racing yesterday and was more proud of my 5th place then of many wins I have had. I wouldn't change this fall for another because of all the things I have learned about myself and about the support I have gotten. Don -
Happy Don and bunny hopping
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Went out today with Serena on the National's course. I put the photo I promised last time-me smiling. So far so good. I hope it snows. There is not enough technical stuff the way it is. I like more of a challenge. There are a couple of side hills that would be tough in the snow. That being said it is still a fun course with lots of curbs. I am sure they will do something to mitigate the curbs (I wished they wouldn't), but even if they do it will be faster to bunny hop. I have bunny hopped 16 inches, I can do 12 inches most of the time and I can bunny hop a curb at full speed all day long. Not many 60 year olds can, not many women can. It is fairly easy to learn, but like anything it takes practice. I practice every year and if there is an obstacle in the course I will practice that day to get my timing down. If you are coming to Bend get your Bunny Hop in order. Take care.Don -
TIME LINE OF HEALING
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As most of you know I have been recovering from an extruded disc these past two months. It started with a very sore leg that I first noticed when I got off a long flight from France. I hope it ended on November 1st when I quit feeling any pain in my leg. My recovery started with a visit to my friend Dr Steve Ireland. He did some quick tests, asked some questions and sent me over to the MRI room. Sure enough an extruded disc. I am thinking surgery, he says no. Go get a cortisone epidural shot right to the spot (L-4/5). So then it is to Dr James Nelson. He is another doctor I know as he was in my ski class a few years back. In we go to the procedure room and in goes the needle. WOW! That was very painful. I have to say that James was great. He talked me through the pain, and when it was done I felt a lot better. The pain was pretty much gone but my right leg felt as if the muscle had been removed, back to Steve. Dr Ireland explained to me a nerve will repair its self about 2mm per day. My nerve was from my back to my calf so that is about 200 mm. That would mean 100 days. Ok time to be patient. It is hard to be patient when all year one race was on the top of the list, US Nationals on Dec 10th at 2:15. But patient I was (mostly anyway). I have been on my trainer doing exactly the same workouts I would have doing out of doors. I started on my trainer before I went to any doctor and each time I did a workout I felt better. I could walk around for around 1/2 hour, instead of 2 minutes.I put Nationals out of my mind and put my mind to healing. I asked Steve to prescribe both acupuncture and Physical Therapy. He told me I would heal anyway but if I wanted to try those he would accommodate me. Thank you Steve. I then started three days of PT with Tim Evens at Rebound and two days of Acupuncture with Almine Barton every week. I asked Almine about healing and acupuncture. She told me that she had seen statistics that said it would help me heal 65% faster. That would be about right for me. I was thinking three months is how long it would take so this would mean it would take about 2 months.I have done all the exercises Tim has given me. I have ridden out of doors three time since October 1st. I have had no pain for 24 days. I have decided to take some steps to see if I am ready to race. Steve nor Tim agree with me, but as I said in my last blog I have realized it is my decision. Today was the first test. I ran over 2 barricades 5 times (10 total) and then I went and rode the Nationals course 5 times. Right now I feel great, tonight when I sleep will tell the tale. That is when I always feel the worst. I know this is a gamble, but every time I go for a ride it is a gamble. I do jumps, ride some pretty crazy stuff for a 58 year old. I will be extra careful though. I do not like what I have gone through and I really can't afford to do all this therapy again. In my next blog if you see a photo of me riding with a big smile then you will know all has gone well. Thanks for reading.Don
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DECIDING ON RACING OR NOT
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In the photo you can see Mike mounting another tufo cyclocross tubular. Cross season is hot and heavy at Sunnyside right now. We have three weeks until Nationals. This year is different, most would be done with cross with the finish of the cross crusade but with Nationals it is a different story. We have a race Thanksgiving weekend, then The GP races in Portland the next weekend with Nationals in Bend the 10TH through the 13TH. Mike and I will be gluing many more tyres on in the next three weeks.
So what about me? I was hoping my doctor or my physical therapist would tell me I was 100% and give me the all clear. That is not going to happen. I am the one who will have to decide, I am the one who knows how I feel, the progress I have made and what it means to me.
Right now I feel 98%, I am not sure if I ever feel 100%.
Ok I have been on my trainer keeping in shape, but I haven't been in a race since the beginning of October
If I do race will I be disappointed if I don't go well, will my back withstand a race? Maybe my back is fine. Is sitting harder on me than riding?
I could keep asking all these questions but in the end I will not know, not even if I wait a year. I still have three weeks to decide, and only I can do that.
Thanks for reading, Don
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New fancy phone
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
I have a new fancy phone, it is Motorola Cliq. This is not a blog about how cool this phone is, it is a blog about the new world we live in. I like to write timely blogs about current events. I am not really into Twitter, nor Facebook. I like to talk (Write in this case too much). I am at work and I have enclosed a photo of Seth, he doesn't really like to have his photo taken, but he managed a smile anyway. I think that is because he likes work. Somehow we manage to have a good time here.
When I was younger we thought it was crazy that Dick Tracy could talk on his watch. Now everyone not only talks but has GPS, camera and I don't even know what else. We have been trying to keep Sunnyside Sport on the cutting edge of keeping our friends informed. It has to do with being real as opposed to Marketing. We do things and I want you to know about it.
There are a couple of examples of what I mean in the National Cyclocross Guide.
One there is a photo of a racer in one of the ads for another bike store, his bike was here at Sunnyside getting worked on.
Another instance of real in the same guide is something I am proud of. There is an article about the Local Racer Spotlight. The local racer was me. There are a lot of locals in town racing their bikes and to pick me I feel is an honor. It is also real. No amount of marketing will buy what that article gives us.
So that is what I am trying to do with my new phone. More blogs and more current information on what we are up to is what my plan is. Thanks for reading.
Don -
Mitchell Stevens
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
I remember the first day Joanne came in to Sunnyside *. She was new to town and was looking for some shoes. She was a bike racer and she was on a Portland team. Mitchell was a baby. She road raced and soon after the first visit joined the Sunnyside Team. Karen and I talked her into coming to a cross race, she was reluctant but because we were her friends she said yes. Was it love at first sight - NOT. She really didn't like cross. That being said Joanne is one tough woman and after a season or two of love/hate, and the realization that she did not do well in the heat (summer road racing), and the persistent pestering of Karen and I (we love cross) Joanne came around. So then we would go to cross races and sometimes Mitchell would show up. It was up to the team to keep an eye on him while his Mom road around in circles in the mud. He would yell and cheer for us all. I used to love him (a 5 year old) shouting out my name. Last year he decided it would be fun to do some time trialing on the road, and then this fall why not cross.I have been to only a couple of races this year, none of the ones that Mitchell has gone to. That is what I have missed most about this season, not seeing this young man do what we love to do- cross. When I found out Mitchell won the state championships I can't deny there were tears in my eyes. I was able to help him out once this year at a practice session. I was crippled at the time, but to see the concentration on his face when he was doing what I asked of him was amazing. I hope to help him out more, and to watch many more races. These photos of him are perfect. The pain on his face as he reaches for the win last Saturday and the joy on his face as he gets to stand on the podium, proudly wearing his Sunnyside Jersey. We are his team and have been since the beginning. I am so proud to be his teammate. Don *Sunnyside Sports is just Sunnyside to us that hang out there.
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RECOVERY FROM A BAD BACK CAN BE FUN
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
As most of you know I have an extruded disc on my L-4. This means I have a lot of pain and weakness in my right leg. Not good for a cross racer. The deal is I don't want to be an ex cross racer I want to race again. I have been going to Rebound Physical Therapy Westside. They have a lot going on there, all of it good as far as I can tell. I have been going there to lift weights etc for about 5 years. There are always friends there and it has always been fun to go there. One of the reasons it has been fun is I have not been injured. Now that I am injured I thought it might be less fun, but it isn't. Now I am doing these seemingly easy exercises that turn out to be quite hard. Every time I show up Matt Lieto is also there, he doesn't have a traumatic injury like me, he has a nagging injury left over from a bad bike crash. What we both have found out is our injuries come from our bodies not using all of our muscles. It is kind of funny to see two accomplished athletes straining to get our hips to move. There is as much laughter as there is groaning. Tim Evens has been our PT. I first met Tim when he was just out of high school. This was in 1998 and he was a student at COCC. He, like a lot of us, was just getting into cyclo cross. I actually taught him how to mount and dismount. Now 11 years later he is helping me. I love stuff like that. He is really awesome at PT and I can really feel a difference after two weeks. I have also been getting some acupuncture treatments at Rebound. Almine Barton is the Acupuncturist that works there. She used to work at the Nike Athlete in Portland. She used to work on Nike Sponsored Athletes now she is working on me. Matt is also one of her patients. I get about 30 needles in me each treatment. The needles do not hurt, though I have noticed it is better to lie still once they are placed. Each time I get treated I feel just that much better. I am hoping it will speed up my recovery. On another note the race guide for Cyclo Cross Nationals is now online, there is a nice article about me in it. Check it out at Visit Bend . You have to scroll down a bit. I am hoping we will have snow like we did in the photo. Take care.Don
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CROSS AND HALLOWEEN - ASTORIA
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This past weekend I took a trip to Astoria with my team to see some cyclo cross racing. Halloween and cross are great combination. Mud, costumes and feeling of celebration is what prevails in this weekend of fun. From the photos you can see a race face on Gina, but then later we are on the beach dressed as Star Trek characters. Renee is wearing The Science Dress. I guess the characters that wore those dresses were science officers in the show. The cool thing about the fabric the costumes were made off is that it didn't breath and it wasn't waterproof. That must have taken some research. In the photo of me on my bike that was my first outdoor ride since I herniated my disc. I didn't seem to get anywhere though. I had a great time hanging with the team and cheering them on. I got to watch my group race and cheer on my friends. I won't say I didn't miss being out there, but it was also fun not having any pressure and being able to help with the bikes etc. I have had my best races in Astoria and next year I will be back racing. In the meantime I will continue to ride my trainer and try to stay in shape. Live long and prosper. -
SUNNYSIDE'S NEW KIT AND NEW STAR
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For many of us bike racers having our name in Velonews would be the high light of our career. I have been racing for over 30 year and my name was in Velonews once. It was an article about someone who I had helped. It was a nice recognition but deep down it would have been nice to have seen my name tied to a result.Though I will probably never get my name in Velonews connected to a result I have seen our new kit in Velonews the last two weeks. Serena Bishop, Sunnyside's newest star has been in the top three at the last two Cross Crusade races. She was the winner of last years Cross Crusade women's B division so this year she upgraded to A. Going from B to A is a very difficult transition. Winning to not winning in a word. Serena has not only made the transition but she has done it with a bang. She has been in the top 10 in all of her races (two thirds and two wins). She is also quite humble. If you read my blog you will see her's on my list of blogs I follow, it is titled Bend and Beyond. There is another reason our kit has been in Velonews. Our new kit looks great. It is the best kit in Oregon (according to Don and isn't that what this blog is all about). Jim, who is in the photo next to me, designed our kit. He put a lot of hours and sweat (and some blood) into our kit. I turned out great. I have my skin suit hanging in my bedroom giving me incentive to heal and get back out on the bike. On a personal note, I did some intervals yesterday and my right leg felt awesome. So I am headed in the right direction. I will be at next week's Cross Crusade cheering and helping. Don -
INTERVALS AND MORE INTERVALS
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Extruded disc or not I can still do intervals on the trainer in the shed. It doesn't sound like much fun but it is. I hate not being active and I feel really blessed that sitting on a bike that doesn't move wont' hurt my back. I tell my self I need to be in shape for Nationals in December, but I am really doing it because I like being in shape, I like the challenge and I like the music I listen to on my Ipod. It is weird having one weak leg though. I don't notice for most of the interval, in fact they feel normal. I like to use a higher gear for part of the interval though. I am still pedaling close to 100 rpm, but then I can tell my right leg is not quite as strong. I wish I could come up with some more really mind twisting new age reason why like to do intervals indoors when the mountain bike trails are at their best and the sun is that fall semi warm disc in the sky, but I can't. I think it is because I just don't like the idea of stopping and it is the best I can do. I do know I am glad I went to Mallorca this year, did the Scottish mountain bike holiday and even managed a trip to France this Fall. I also know when I get to hit the mountain bike trails I am going to be stoked. Maybe I will see you out there. I put this photo is so you know what I would rather be doing. Don -
A BLOG I DON'T WANT TO WRITE
» Don's Sunnyside BlogThis last week has been pretty hard for me. After last weeks race (read my last blog), I realized I had something more that a sore leg. I went to see my friend Dr Steve Ireland and he confirmed it. After an MRI, and some more consultation it was discovered I have an extruded disc on my Lumbar #4. The fact that it is extruded and not protruded is somewhat good news as they seem to heal after time. My right leg has been about half to three quarters strength, and when I stand or walk I have sharp pains in my right leg. Riding doesn't hurt but I can't depend on the right leg either. My cross season could be over for the year. The deal is I am not really worried about that as getting my leg and back sound again. The shot has helped, even after one day the pain has changed from sharp to dull. I am going to get some acupuncture, and physical therapy. I have had so much support my friends that I realize what a great place I work and live once again. The ironic thing is I had already registered for Cross Nationals when I found all this out. It turned out it was important to be the highest category racer as that is how they will line us up at the start line. I have always been a category 3 road and cross racer because most of my race time has been a master and in cross I have always raced in my age group. I applied for an upgrade to Cat 1 and received it. So, injured or not and pushing 60 I am now an official Cat 1. Pretty cool I would say. As I said I can still ride my bike so off to some indoor intervals. They don't hurt and my back doesn't move. Don -
WRITING A POSITIVE BLOG ABOUT A BAD RACE
» Don's Sunnyside BlogFirst of all I am not writing here about excuses. Steve Yenne started right in front of me and finished 6th and my fellow 60 year old Ron Strasser Started right next to me and finished 12th. I can keep up with Steve for a while and stay with Ron on a normal day. But I finished 37th. I don't think last year we even had 37 starters, yesterday it was nearly 80, and I passed 43 of them, I just needed to pass 30 more. With the big crowd in our field (again this is my fault as I am the one who introduced the rule to have USA cycling age groups in OBRA) Brad used a lottery system to line up the racers. I drew short straw and was on the last row. Again I was not the only one but I have to say I was unprepared. I was hoping for a call up from last years results (I was 5th overall), but it was not to be. I never really got going. I tried to be aggressive on my passing but I don't like to crash and I am not the best accelerator. I race best from the front. Go hard, fast on the technical and then go faster. In a crowd I can't go fast in the technical and my best tool is lost. I need to work on this if I want to continue to race. The deal is I have never started a cross crusade race when I wasn't on the front row. It was my turn to see how the hundreds of racers come every week to see if they can break into the 60s or 50s, so now I will be trying for the teens or the twenties. I had a lousy race but a great time. My teamies put in some great performances. Serena 8 in A's, Veronica 13 in A's, Chad a top 10 in the Men's masters B's to name a few. I also missed most of the wet sloppy snow we had in Bend, instead 65 degrees and sun. I will be back, I will be trying harder to move up and get those hard to find points. It will be hard though. -
PEACE IN FRANCE
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The last two weeks riding in France one gets a feeling of serenity and peace that I don't feel around here. We live in a desert with some weather extremes that makes Bend a great place to live, but we don't have that pastoral feeling that comes with living in an area with green fields, farms and forests everywhere. The farmhouses in France give off an illusion of hundreds of years of tranquil times. I say illusion because I know from my Dad that his France (World War II) is not the same as the France I just spent a relaxing bike holiday in. He told me once that the first 90 days of his time in France he expected to be killed every minute. It was a brutal time. Not just for our soldiers though. Every town has a monument or a plaque that commemorates "the dead children of the village". Most of the statues have names from both great wars of the 20th Century. The other telling tale that the timeless peace is an illusion are all the towers and fortified castles everywhere. Today they are a remarkable reminder of the past but then they were used and destroyed in the many wars that have plagued Europe since the dawn of time. I am fortunate to get to enjoy Europe in a time of peace. To ride the quiet small roads of France is something all cyclists should get to do sometime. It is also important to remember that it wasn't always this way. I have been what many would call a pacifist all my life. I was a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War and I have been against all of the wars since. People have asked me what I would have done during World War II. I cannot answer this question honestly as I was not there. I do know that our country is not at peace now and the lost lives that occur every day in our wars are tragic. Thinking of all the young men killed in this utopia for cyclist called France makes me realize again that our world is very fragile and every life is special. I don't know if there is a lesson to be learned from France and Europe, I don't know if there will ever be an end to war. I do know that while I have time I will spread the word of peace and encourage others to go discover the peaceful, serene qualities of the roads of France. -
HOME
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I am home from France, in some ways it all seems like a dream, but while I was there it was so timeless and real. Not all trips work this way with me. This trip though gave the illusion to me that I would be riding the small country roads of France with my group of 13 friends for the rest of time. I forgot how many days I had been there and didn't know how many were left to go. Numerous stops for cafe, or aperitifs with my friends ended with the last one in the main square of St Cere. That is some of us pictured. One last group dinner and then it was an early morning back to Toulouse with our guide (agent) Michelle, a long flight home, and then a big welcome from my sweetheart, kitties and a house full of tomatoes. It froze last night and Kathy was busy picking as many tomatoes as she could. This is about half of what was left. On the flight to Frankfurt from Toulouse a great view of what I assumed to be Mt Blanc. Though flying pretty much sucks it is still worth the hassle. Riding country roads in France is something I would recommend to any cycling enthusiast. To be in a country where sharing roads is something that just happens, and where they have not done "curve corrections" on all the roads is a great experience. Being home is also great. Kathy was at the airport to meet me with her usual beaming smile, and even the kitties gave me a welcome as I walked in the door, though they were disappointed when I plopped in the bed next to Kathy and not them. I still have a few more France experiences I want to blog about so the France theme is not over yet. Thanks for reading and maybe you will be able to join us on a trip in the future.Don -
FRANCE 2009, WHY ME, WHY NOW
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France, Why me and why now. I am a pretty lucky person to be France this last 10 days (right now I am watching the World Road Racing Championships on live TV in my hotel room). Over a year ago the big cheeses of Sunnyside decided that it would be a good thing to have semi official Sunnyside Sports europe trips. These trips are low key, no sags, and full of fun. Last March we in Mallorca for a 10 day spring ride and now we are in St Cere in the Dordogne area of France with 13 friends of Sunnyside Sports. We stay in the same hotel every night, do a different ride everyday, and try all the food we can. Everyone is having a great time (as far as I can tell anyway) and we hope to have more trips in the future. I couldn't be here without the support from home. We have four Sunnyside employees here (me, Barb, Lew and Muffy). That leaves us low at home. We all know they are working hard while we are on the best holiday ever. I think this is important for our store. We have always been more than just a store. We want relationships with our customers that go deep. This is simply because we love cycling and want to express that love with all of our customer friends. So once more thanks to the ones behind that makes this possible. I have to make a special note to Kathy, my sweetheart for encouraging me to spend 10 days away from home with friends in another country. Maybe next time she will come along. Take care Don -
LE GROTTE DE PECHE MERLE (CAVE PAINTINGS)
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25,000 Years ago in France we had the first known graffiti artists. They went down in limestone caves and did some amazing artwork. My Mom thinks it was the height of artwork and it has all gone downhill since. The Paintings from the Peche Merle leaves one with a feeling of awe. The spotted horses are the most famous, but I think it is the simple outline of the hand that really hit home as to how ephemeral life really is. It is so real and so vivid yet the person who did it is 25,000 years gone. I wonder if he had any idea of the impact he would have on the world, how many people would be amazed at a simple handprint. The hand print in my blog is of a man, there is also one of a woman in the cave. The day we rode out to the cave was another gorgeous day in France. We had to leave early in order to get to the cave in time for the last tour before lunch. We made it with plenty of time. It was a long ride so a few of the group elected to take a taxi to the cave and then ride home. I liked the different choices of footwear the group choose to walk in the cave. This cave is twice as big as the more famous Lascoux and there are not as many visitors. They limit the number to 700 per day, but that only happens around 30 times a year. This time of year around 200 visit the cave daily. In Madrid I went to a reproduction of Altamira (the most famous cave paintings in Spain) and I was moved, but to see the real thing is an all together different experience. Maybe the highlight of this trip.Take careDon -
THE REAL THING PHILIPPE LOUVIOT
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Yesterday we went to dinner for Cassoulet at L'Entre-Pots. This is a nice cafe on a side street in St Cere. The owner is quite funny and accomodating. We went there a couple of days ago but we ate outside and I did not go in to see all the photos. Some of the people in our group had been in and knew he had something to do with the ONCE team of the 90's.Well he had plenty to do with that team. Philippe Lauriot was the National Professional Champion of France in 1990. He rode in and finished the Tour de France 6 times, he won stages in Paris-Nice and won the 4 days of Dunkerque. He now runs a cafe and is in to Harley Davidson motorcycles. We asked him if he still rode and he explained he worked too much and rode 100,000 Kilometers as a pro and 75,000 kilometers as an amateur. You can check him out on Wikpedia if you like - Philippe Louviot . I must say he was quite modest but very proud of his career. And the Cassoulet was the best we have had. We had to order it two days in advance so they could cook the beans and have everything ready. On to more adventures today.Don -
UTOPIA FOR CYCLING
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We were riding along yesterday and Muffy said it was Utopia. She was correct for sure. We counted 7 small less travelled roads that all go the same direction.The most difficult thing is staying on course. Muffy tried a new method, she wrote on her leg the name of the next town on her leg. That is her studying the map so we wouldn't have to stop at each intersection. When we decided to eat lunch a picnic table seems to arrive out of nowhere. This morning we are going to Grotte de Peche Merle. It is a long way so we are getting an early start. When we went to our bakery (it opens at 6am) we found out it has twice as much food for all the workers in town. Instead of two types of quiche it had 5 types, it had more sweet types of croissants then we thought possible. In the top photo you can see St Cere from the local castle. It is a small town, not really a tourist destination at all. We all wonder why as it has some of the best riding we have ever seen. Take care Don -
CASTLES, TOURS (TOWERS) AND MORE
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Yesterday was a more difficult day than the first two. It seemed to us that the Kilometers were more like miles. 100 Ks in 5 hours. Part of the equations is how many times does the route cross a river. We went down to a river three times yesterday so that meant quite a bit of climbing out. Not to complain though. The climbs are all around 5 ks and so far not more than 7%. We climbed a total of 1700 meters yesterday (something around 5500 feet). We saw the Tour de Merle. A very old a ruined castle that was situated in the bottom of a canyon on a small island. It looked like a safe place to be in the middle ages. The turret was as perfect as the ones in Disneyland, only it is real. We were traveling in a rural area and though we had been looking for a place to get a cafe au lait for some hours (Muffy will tell you that I passed on one cafe thinking there would be a better one later), we didn't find one until we were almost done with our ride. We stopped anyway as that is why we come to France. We noticed they were replacing the rafters on the church in the plaza. How old were the old rafters we had to ask ourselves? 500 years. I really don't know but if look at the photo you can see they had been repaired quite a few times. There were a few unscheduled turns yesterday, but again everyone had a great time. Today will be a shorter ride with less climbing, tomorrow it is off to the Peche Merle, a famous cave with prehistoric paintings and then more castelet for dinner. Don -
ANOTHER DAY IN FRANCE
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We have had two riding days in France now. We are in Dordogne area of France enjoying the country roads and the food of France. My hat says it all. The roads over here are so perfect for bike riding one would think this is the capitol of cycling in the world (oh it is isn't it). On Sunday we were stopped in a some beautiful village there was a group of people our age standing in the plaza. One of them came up to us and started talking. They were having a class reunion and he just happened to be production manager for Mavic. That is how it is here in France. Yesterday we went to the magical city built into the wall of Rocamodour. On the way home we went to this fortified mill. It turned out the road kept on going so we thought we would explore. The rest of the day was one of exploration. Muffy complained that one of the roads we were on was only twice as good as the roads back home. We had to find a smaller less traveled road then. We saw a walled city, a suspension bridge that looked like it was for bikes until we noticed it was a car coming across. Magic is what it like riding over here.On a more serious note my friend Mary Ross, pictured on the top right had bike crash a couple of days ago in Portland. She will be OK but she is banged up pretty bad. She has been working in the downtown Bike Gallery. Go in and ask how she is doing. Send her good thoughts also. Take care.DonOh I forgot the other photo is of us Ritchey bike owners. They rock. As the airlines charge us more for bikes the Ritchey is the economical answer to a great travel bike. We are like a traveling ad. -
FRANCE 2009
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France 2009, Day one in the saddle. Yesterday was a day of travel for most of us. Sitting in jet planes and airports. I didn’t do much airport sitting as my connections were so close I was more worried about getting on the next flight. I managed as did everyone else and 14 of met in Toulouse, along with Michelle, Gilbert and the generous Truck driver.
You see St Cere is 2 hours from Toulouse and there are not that many tourists in this part of France riding bikes. This means getting a shuttle is not the easiest thing. Barb and Lew though know Michelle. I met him two years ago on a trip over here and he suggested to us how it would be nice if we could bring some Americans over for a real bike holiday. He owned a hotel at the time and was trying to increase his business.
This is the trip he asked for only he has since retired so we are at another hotel. He helped us arrange things though. Like the shuttle. I local bus operator and a local truck driver came to Toulouse to meet us. They were there and we all made it with our luggage. A miracle in a way. A relief for sure.
We included three meals at out hotel in the trip. This lets everyone do there own thing in France for at least some of the time. The first meal was last night. It seemed obvious to have a good meal the first evening.
What a meal it was. One of the best meals I have ever had. I can’t really even tell you what we had. Kind of a wild mushroom mousse to start, then Duck Magret for the main course, followed by a simple salad and a local goat cheese that was very smooth and then a chocolat fondant. A friend of Kathy said that the food of France brings tears to one’s eyes. He was correct. We are staying in a town of 3500 and we get a meal this good. Yes it took the usual two hours to eat it. This allowed us to meet our new friends Joe and Deborah, and of course everyone else to talk and get reaquainted.
I was going to get up at 7 to put bikes together but I slept like a tired man and didn’t wake up until 8.
The tale for today will go up on the next blog but it was an ideal day of riding in one of the most bike riding friendly places I have ever been.
Don
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THE END OF THE SEASON OR THE BEGINNING?
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On Sunday I rode my 25th or so Sunnyside Century. There were around 40 of us enjoying the warm (for Bend) morning, a couple of showers and an almost hot afternoon. The Sunnyside Century started in 1972 and has been going ever since. It is the oldest Century in Oregon and it is a ride we are happy to put on. In it's heyday well over 100 riders would show up. It was the the big ride of the year for many. This was before The Oregon Bike Ride, Cycle Oregon, The Tour Des Chutes and all the other organized rides that we now have. It was also the end of the season for many cyclists. We would put away our cleats and start thinking about snow and skiing.Things have changed since then (at least for me). It is now the beginning of my favorite cycling season which is fall. Cyclo cross is just starting, and it will last well into December for most of us as Nationals will be the big event of the year. It is also prime mountain bike season. There will be some moisture from the Fall rains and the dew that forms with the cooler mornings. Instead of the end of the season it is the beginning. It is a good change for me. I am not good a waiting, I am good at doing. Waiting and worrying about snow is one of the biggest wastes of energy I have done. Now I just go out and enjoy the best time of year, the fall. Last year I had some friends from Wisconsin visiting for a early season ski holiday. We turned it into a mountain bike holiday as there was no snow. They had a blast and now want to come back for some more mountain biking.I am also headed to France in a couple days for a fall road bike holiday. We won't have perfect weather this time of year but we will have the pick of the cafes, bakeries and roads. I will be blogging about this trip the next two weeks so stay in tune for our France adventures. Don -
STAYING FOCUSED FOR DECEMBER 10TH
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Though the photo is out of focus I am staying in focus for my next big race, probably my biggest race since 1988 when I won a silver medal at the NORBA World Championships in the 35+ category. On December 10th in Bend Oregon we will host the 2009 National Cyclo Cross Championships. I will to be ready. I have had a few top 10 finishes but I am going to improve on that and finish on the podium. For me to do that I am focusing on that day. I haven't started to race cross yet as I want to race more later in the year, I have only been on my cross bike a few times and am still riding my mountain bike on some fun epic rides so cycling stays low key for as long as possible this year. I have been very consistent with a weight and interval program this year so I will be ready to step it up in the next three months. I will be ready. Today is September 10 and it is three months to the big day. Staying focused, being healthy and having fun, this is what I will doing the next three months in order to be ready. I am getting some help from Justin Wadsworth to fine tune my training, and from Rebound Physical Therapy with the use of their weights equipment. I appreciate all the help I have gotten and will get. It takes more than person to have a successful race and no one knows that more than me. Everyone at Sunnyside Sports has been encouraging me (and Damian, Mike and Jim) about the cross season. Of course Kathy is totally behind what I am doing, even if she keeps wondering if I am ever going to grow up.I wanted to state all these desires in public so they become more real to me. It means a lot to me that you are reading this and all of your energy will help me achieve my goals.Don -
MCKENZIE PASS
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McKenzie Pass is a must road ride if you are in Central Oregon. It goes over the original route between Bend and Eugene. If you take the main route (Santiam Pass) you may note there is a section called the Clear Lake Cutoff. That road is reasonably new. It was a boon to cyclists today when they built the Clear Lake Cutoff those many years ago. Route 242 (McKenzie Pass) is designated as a scenic highway. Though there is traffic when it is open the cars are usually not in a hurry and are not much of a bother to cyclists. Early in the summer the road is closed by snow so part of it rideable without cars.This summer they finished a long paving and improvement project. This means about 20 miles of the west side of the highway has brand new pavement. This is great for going west on 242. Before they paved it the surface was rough with many surprise bumps and potholes. Now it is almost perfect. If you go remember there is still gravel on the surface on some of the corners. This is because the road is narrow and cars tend to hit the shoulder and spray gravel on to the pavement. We (Muffy and I) went over last Sunday. Perfect weather, and not too much traffic. In the photos we have stopped at the bottom to have a Squirt. Bring some quarters if you go as there is Pepsi machine at Yale Camp on the other side. Route 242 is one of the few roads in Oregon that the Dept of Transportation have not ruined by their "curve correction" policy. This is reminiscent of Europe and the great cycling roads they have over there. It is a great ride in the fall because of all the color and less traffic. If you leave from Sisters and ride all the way over and back it is 75 miles, as it is an out and back you can make it any distance you want. We used to go over Santaim and back over McKenzie. For me the traffic on Santiam has become unbearable and with the new pavement on 242 the downhill is irresistible. Enjoy the best time in Bend -Sept and October.Don -
HIGH CASCADES 100
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I just finished the High Cascades 100 mountain bike race yesterday. My time was 12 hours and 11 minutes. I told myself before the start I would stop if it wasn't fun. It is hard to believe that one could have fun for over 12 hours of grueling riding but it was fun. It was also hard. In the photo with Chris Sheppard he is done and I still have 12 miles to go. I am drinking the drink that many pro riders drink when push comes to shove. Coca Cola. I don't really like soft drinks but if you a need a rush of energy a Coke seems to work.In the other photo Cass captured me finishing. It was good to be done.I was the oldest competitor in this years race. That is not really something I like. In fact I am used to being the youngest. I started school in Canada and then of you were 6 by the end of the year you started in you could start grade one. When we moved to the California they let me continue. I was always the youngest in my class. I also hung around my oldest brother's friends so I was way the youngest. I will be the youngest 60 year old in cross nationals this year.Being the oldest is kind of scary. Where did all the other 50 year olds go.I am not into flaunting my age. I did this race because I told Mike Ripley we needed a 100 mile race with mostly single track. He said yes, so I had to race. I don't like mountain bike races with gravel roads and some single track. This race even took me to some single track I had never been one before. We went through the Mt Bachelor ski area parking lots on this very sweet single track. So I was 5th in 45 + age group out of 12. I beat my predicted time by 15 minutes. Chris Sheppard missed his predicted time by an hour but hit my predicted time right one. I didn't crash once, my new Continental Rubber Queen front tyre saved me 4 times from crashing, and I passed 5 people in the last third of the race. I am well chuffed with my performance. I am sure where my energy comes from but I am thankful for it.I want to thank Barb and Muffy for being at the last aid station. At some point my motivation was that I would see them and they would make sure my bike and everything was OK. Thanks to Mike for joining me on another crazy epic and Cass for her smiling face and taking all those photos. There was one other person out there who was very helpful, Matt Lieto. I was thinking there were 6 of him. He was at all the aid stations, and I saw at least twice running in the forest. He was supporting his girlfriend Lea, who was also racing. A cheery face is a great thing when you are tired.Don -
OBR 2009 PART 2
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I am home from OBR 2009 and can now reminisce. We had one of the best OBR in memory (that goes back to 1988 for me). Every day was a perfect ride, lots of fun was had by the riders and the crew and we even raised some some money for the Williams Syndrome Foundation. Williams Syndrome is a birth defect that affect how the brain and body works.We started of in Heppner, you can see Zoe trying to ride a bucking bronco. We celebrated Barb's 60TH birthday with 3 cakes and a beautiful ornament. It decorated our Nitrogen tank the rest of the week.We had almost perfect weather. It rainied one day (though it dried out later) and it was cold one day. I would say that any one of these days could have been the best day. There were no long days on busy highways, nor really bad pavement. I love Eastern Oregon and always look forward to the trips on our side of the State. I love the mountains, the pine forests that transition into juniper forests to sage brush.I feel lucky that when I finish an OBR I get to return home to Bend and continue to be in the country I love best. The Sunnyside Crew has just about got this OBR thing figured out. There are 4 of us and we work as a team. We managed to fix some hard to find creaks, and do some temporary repairs (the rubber bands on the shift levers were a solution to some internal broken springs). Some sore knees were alleviated, and a few sore bottoms too.It is a pleasure to be able to help all those who need us and we hope to be able to continue this into the future.If you were on the ride thanks for coming and if you would like to join us next year check out our web page- OBR. This year both the Washington and the Oregon ride sold out in the first two weeks. If you want to see some more photos check out the Sunnyside Sports Face Book page. Thanks for reading.Don -
OBR 2009
» Don's Sunnyside BlogI forgot my camera wire so no photos until later. Two days into the ride and we have already had some adventures. Somehow we forgot three bike rentals, and Jake had to deliver them. A four hour drive with his dog Taylor. Taylor thought they were headed to Phil's Trail for a ride and a run. Four hours later it was dark and instead of a run it was a leash. She was tricked. As an after thought I had also forgotten my repair stand. Eagle eye Paul opened up the truck and the first thing he said was "Where is your repair stand?" Jake brought that also. The first two days of riding was pretty darn perfect. From farmland to pine forests to orchards to the John Day River. This is the Oregon I love and like. Tomorrow is one of my favorite rides, we get to go around the Strawberry Mountains. I have done this ride a few times and always look forward to the next time. Tomorrow is it. In camp yesterday there were a group of guys sitting next to our van. They told me they all read my blog. These guys all live in California. It is pretty cool to think that people I don't know read what I have to say. Cycling really is a small world and we like to connect with each other. Blogs are a way we can do that.No other interesting things have happened. Just hanging around friends and enjoying eastern Oregon. I will post some photos when I get home. Thanks for reading.D0n -
SUMMER 2009 AND FRIENDS
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It is now August, and it seems like a few days ago I was headed to Susan and Gary's for the annual 4Th of July party, summer seems to pass quickly. It has been hot, almost 100 every day for over a week. So hot we have use our air conditioning in the house. Some years we never use it, we use the Bend air conditioning system, open all the doors and windows at night and then close them up during the day.Today Zoe and Jake wanted to go on a Mountain Bike Ride with me. I have been doing mountain biking a long time but I have no feeling of importance, I just like to mountain bike. It is an honor for me to be asked to mountain bike with Zoe and Jake. Last week it was my nephew
Georgy this week Jake and Zoe. I have known Zoe since she was 4, maybe 3 and Jake since he was 18. I have said this before but the first 10 years I knew Zoe she responded to everything I said with a laugh and a smile. If you have seen any photos of Jake it seems his smile is permanent. So today was special, a ride with the two biggest smiles I know. It had to be a great ride to match their enthusiasm. We had three others start out with us, Sarah, Willie and Muffy. They weren't quite up for an epic so we started at Swampy Lakes (where we saw a guy with a windsurf board, Swampy Lake is a swamp) and went down South Fork, the other three headed off to do the whoops and we went up the North Fork, Farewell Bend, Swede Ridge and back to the car. Fun, hard and, as you can see by Zoe's legs dusty. Though it was dusty it was super for mid summer conditions. It had rained hard the last two days (thunderstorms) so Farewell Bend was the best I have ever ridden it.Jake had a flat, and as he is our flat tyre professor, I took photos while he fixed the tyre. He had to put in a boot (the shot rapper) to fill a big gash in the tyre. Notice the big smiles in the photo of us three. I was smiling because one is supposed to in a photo, Zoe and Jake were looking like they always do. Being 59 and being able to do the funnest thing with 20 year old is very special. I hope everyone out there knows this and tries to take advantage of it. They get to see that old people are not any different then them, and the youthful energy they have is like the fountain of youth for me. Thanks for reading.Don -
GEORGI
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This is a photo of me and my nephew Georgi. I really don't know him well, though I would like to know him more. He was born in Bulgaria and my brother adopted him and his sister Stoyanka in 2001. They lived in Alaska then, though I did get to meet him at my Dad's memorial service in Glacier Park. He was 9 and was just learning English. My brother and his family then moved to Moscow, Russia. The time I have been with Georgi have been when they come to Bend to visit my mom and us. One time there was a family reunion and with all the relatives it was difficult to spend lots of time with Georgi. Two years ago it was different though. Georgi was 14 and was thinking riding a bike would be fun. I got one of our rentals and we did some really fun rides. I was impressed that a 14 year old could go so fast, long and he has natural skills. This year they are only here for a few days but Georgi got a new bike so we have been able to test it out. We went out to the lair the first day. Georgi has no fear so he was getting some serious air. His landings were a little dusty, though always with a smile. Today we decided to do the whoops. This is a trail that has become famous in Bend. Lots of big table tops, doubles and banked corners. In the photos you can see us resting after the hour and a half ride to the top. His new bike is the blue one. I warned him not to hit the bumps too fast. Down we went. More big smiles. It is great to share with family my biggest passion-mountain biking. He is headed back to Houston, where he lives, but maybe next summer or sometime we can get in some more rides in.Don -
COMMENT ON THE TOUR
» Don's Sunnyside BlogI have been watching the Tour avidly this year, though not more than the last three years. Lance's presence does not affect my interest in the Tour. I enjoy his presence but not all the politics that go with it. I would like most of these guys to talk with their legs not with their mouths. Kloden is a good example of that. He races, he goes hard, he may finish on the podium he doesn't complain.A few days ago there was a lot of talk how George Hincapie was robbed of the yellow jersey, how he deserved the yellow, etc.... I like George, one of the highlights in my life was being in France watching the Tour while George won a huge mountain stage in 2005. He did not deserve the jersey this year, because he simply didn't have the best time. The Tour is not Christmas it is a race. The reason Yellow is special is because it is hard to achieve. The real sad fact of that day was his own team was responsible for him not being in the jersey. They also lost the Green jersey in the same bonehead, greedy move. George was in a breakaway about 5 minutes ahead of the main field. He needed about 5 minutes to take the yellow. When the main pack came in the Colombia High Road boys went to the front to lead out Mark Cavendish. They weren't going all out but they were going fast enough to get to the front. In the confusion of the semi fast lead out Cavendish swerved to the side blocking Thor Hushovd. In my mind they were the cause of the 5 seconds George needed and because they were not committed and their lead out was not to plan, Mark swerved and was relegated to last place. They lost both the yellow and the green because they wanted both. They could have sent Mark to follow the wheel of Thor and not lead at all to make sure George had the time he needed. Mark could have then either won the field sprint or at least finished high up to get some points. He would then be still leading the points competition. That is not all. Columbia High Road doesn't want to be responsible for their own actions it appears. Mark Cavendish tells Thor, a previous winner of the Green Jersey in 2005, that this year the Jersey is tainted. The next day Thor, a really amazing bike rider, broke away from the field in one of the hardest mountain days of the Tour and won the two intermediate sprints. This gives him an almost insurmountable lead over Cavendish. I never have heard any quotes from Thor, his legs let the world know who deserves what and why. I was delighted to see Contador win the time trial today also. No one could say he what he should or shouldn't have done today. I like to watch the tour and see who is doing well and who does amazing things, I don't go into the tour hoping for a single person to win and then feel bad when they don't. I love the race, the glory, pain, everything. I am also delighted to see Lance in third and that he has been a good teammate whilst on the bike. Being a good teammate is what this year called for and he has done that well. I am not sure he likes that role though. Christian Van de Velde switched roles from leader to helper in just a second. He loves both roles. He is a complete person. Now we get to see what happens on the Ventoux. -
BUSY SUMMER
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It seems like I blink and another week has gone by. I like to write a blog at least once a week and this time of year it is a little harder. I love to watch the Tour and that takes time, but well worth it to me. This morning I was watching the Tour at 3:30 am. Sounds crazy, I know, but I wasn't the only one. Kathy and my brother, Bob who is visiting, also got up. I like to watch every minute I can. This weekend I did my dream race. A few weeks ago I wrote about Lookout Mountain, well this weekend I got to race my favorite trail. It went quite well for me. I didn't have anyone else in my age group but I managed to stay with most of the younger riders and I had a great time. This is a photo of me racing. My brother took it as I crested the top of the 8 mile climb. It was pretty much all downhill from that point on. I passed about 5 on the downhill so my skills are still there. Not many showed up though. Too bad really. There seems to be a lack of mountain bike racing interest in the summer. Portland people really don't like to travel. I can't really blame them but the truth is we call in Mountain biking for a reason and that reason is the mountains we have. Any racer who missed this race missed an opportunity to really get a feel of what this sport started as. Maybe next year. More family is coming this week including my nephew who is getting a new bike. I am looking forward to going out with him on it. The last time he was here we did a couple of great rides, but this time he will have his own bike so that will be cool. Another big stage tomorrow in the Tour. Lance has been great so far. I don't think he is going to win nor do I care. I do hope he gets to really help Contador. That would be cool. We will see.Don -
RESCUING INSTEAD OF BEING RESCUED
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I got to be the hero today instead of the embarrassed victim. My friends Barb and Lew (with their friend Ali) went to Lookout Mountain to see the wild flowers and go for a hike. After locking the car they were talking about Adam, Barb and Lew's son and how he got all his ID stolen out of his car when he left it at a trail head. Ali decided that it would be a good idea to take her wallet with her so when Lew got the key out of his pocket he realized, with an expletive, that it was the pickup truck key and not the Outback key. Not good when you are 2 hours from home. But the cell phone worked and why not call Don (me) he loves Lookout Mountain. Well I had just finished my Monday chores so why not. I actually base my mountain bike season on how many times I get to ride Lookout Mountain, one is minimum, two is good, three is excellent. This year I have ridden it twice now. So I got to be the knight in Lycra. It was a good change. We also got a free dinner (thanks to meals on wheels Barb) out of it. What a great day.Don -
REST DAY AT THE TOUR
» Don's Sunnyside BlogIt is the first rest day at the tour, this comes at a good time for me. I like to watch all the stages from start to finish. This meant 5am on Friday, 4:30 on Saturday and 4:00 on Sunday. Now I do get up early but even that is early for me, so a sleep in was most welcoming this morning. Phil and Paul like to say that the rest day for the riders is a mixed bag, that the riders don't always respond to a day of rest that well. I did notice that both Levi and Thor were quite enthused by the rest day, as Levi said, who wouldn't welcome some rest. I think training and exercise have changed very much in the last 30 years and some of the tradition that surrounds the Tour has become more folklore than fact. With massage, short easy rides and more knowledge about nutrition I would think the rest day is a very important part of the three week race. If some of the riders don't react well I would say it is because they are not taking advantage of the rest while the others are. I know for me in the middle of summer it is easy to go out and ride every day, the days are long and the roads and trails are beckoning. Last week I had to work a little more than average as a couple of my co-workers were gone. More work less riding. When I managed to throw in an interval session I was amazed at how strong I felt. I think rest is a good thing even for those pros. Don -
ThOMAS VOECKLER WINS A STAGE
» Don's Sunnyside BlogMany of you may remember Thomas from the 2004 Tour. He was in a breakaway in the first few days of the Tour that ended up 10 or so minutes in front of the peleton. He did not win the stage, or do anything that spectacular, he was the highest placed rider in the group and because of the time gap, he inherited the yellow jersey from a certain Lance Armstrong. US Postal did not want to defend the jersey through the flat windy early stages of the tour and let this group get ahead. Most Americans do not understand the subtle nuances of European Stage racing. Many could not figure out who this young cyclist was and why was he in yellow. He doesn't have a smooth style, nor the strength to win a big tour. He is aggressive and gives his heart in every race I have seen him in. He is in lots of breakaways. After the 2004 Tour he was a big hero in France and I think they expected him to go on to bigger and better things. He is not that type of rider. He is a worker, a fighter and a chance taker. He has won around 20 races in his career. None of them big, not until yesterday. Yesterday he won a stage in the Tour, he won it the same way he got the yellow jersey all those years ago, by being aggressive and being in a breakaway from kilo 0. They were almost caught with 20 k to go, the lead was 38 seconds. He didn't give up. The next thing I knew he had over a minute with 10k to go. He was with a group of 6 and with 4 k to go he took off by himself. He won by 7 seconds with the main group charging in. His life has just changed by that 7 seconds.When he crossed the line I had tears in my eyes. This guy has worked so hard for so many years and it has finally paid off. My hat is off to him. I am thinking that will be my favorite stage this year.Check out this photo to see how happy Thomas Voeckler was. -
The Lair
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The Lair is the fairly new skills area near the Phil's Trail Head. There are different types of jumps, drops skinnies, logs etc. You walk to the top and fly (literally down). I have tried this before but it was on the wrong bike. The bike I have now(Trek Fuel EX 9.9) is not really the "right" bike but it is better. I am scared of air, so this is a big challenge. As you can see from the photos there is also a social scene. It goes like this . Walk (or ride) up to the top, fly down trying to get more air and more speed than last time, talk about your exploits to your buddies, maybe watch in amazement to the brave guy flying off the ramp, over the 8 foot gap and making a perfect landing (That is the blur in the photo). Then up again and just try for that 2 foot of air. We were fortunate to be there with this young woman who was quite good on the intermediate line. She was working up her nerve to hit the big jump, just before we left she gave it a try and made it look easy. Fun stuff for sure. I am still scared of air but at least I am starting to know what it feels like, though it will take a new lifetime for me to hit that big one.Don -
LEADER OF ASTANA ?
» Don's Sunnyside BlogAstana has 4 riders in the top 10. None of them are time trial specialists, they are all stage race winners and podium finishers. Garmins leader is in 19th, Cervelo's leader in 21st, Rabobank's off the back. In the top 10 only Cadel Evans and 4 Astana boys are competitive, well maybe Roman Kreuzinger. So why pick a leader on the second day, all four of those riders deserve to be a leader. They would be the leader of almost any other team. Would you rather be Cadel in 5th with no teammates to help or Alberto with three guys right there. That should mean no pressure. Don't read too much into the press, as Paul Sherwen said -there are 3000 journalists covering the TDF and 1000 are making up their own story. Remember who is directing this team, Johann has won 8 TDFs, one Vuelta and I am thinking two Giros. Don't be too quick to judge. Now back to enjoying the race.Don -
SUMMER AND THE BEST LONG BIKE RIDE
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It is now summer in Bend. This is a time when I don't have to look at weather forecast to know it will be warm and sunny. For me it is a comfortable time of year. Work is busy, but on my days off I like a long hard bike ride in the sun. Sweat, drinking lots of water, getting tired taking a nap. Simple things, really but that is what I like. Today Jim and I went up to Round Mountain and Lookout Mountain. This is a 30 mile ride with 4 hours of riding time. There is 7 miles of uphill pavement and then 100% single track to the car. There are meadows and flowing trail, there are the Switchbacks of Death, there is 6 inch wide single track on a hillside (you hope the tyre you choose hooks on), another long climb when it seems time for more downhill. The flowers, well this is a desert flower oasis. I have to call Kathy when I am on top to tell her which flowers are in bloom. The last part is a 7 mile downhill. It starts off wicked. There is one place where the trails veers to the right and you have to look down and concentrate on the trail so you don't make the mistake of flying off the edge. As you get down the trail it gets easier with some high speed corners, side hills etc. Finally the last little section of sweet single track and back to the car. If you have done this ride with me in the past part of you was with me today. I think of all the times I have done this ride every time I do it. The time of the big crash (me), the time of the snow, the time of the torrential downpour, the time of running out of water, the time of the lost camera, the time of the found camera. That was maybe half the times I have done this ride. I rate my summer on how many times I do the Round/Lookout combo. One is good, two is very good and three rocks. I have only done it three times once. That will be my goal this year.Come in and ask me if you want to do this ride.Take care,DonPS I also hike up this same mountain with Kathy, it is also on the top of my lists of favorite hikes. -
TEST OF ENDURANCE
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This was a real test of a race. I have done a 12 hour races solo and a 100 mile race solo, but I think this was harder. In a 100 mile race you don't go at race pace, it is more of a long bike ride than a race. At the end you are either ahead or behind. In a 50 mile race you go race pace at the beginning and then try to repeat it the second half. I decided not to use mud tyres (a mistake), I decided against my contacts (my glasses fog up when it is wet), but that worked ok though. In Bend we have miles of single track that is fun and challenging to ride (that is because of COTA). In Corvallis they do not have that so the promoter of TOE (Mike Ripley of Mudslinger Events) builds a few more miles of trail every year. There are some sweet sections of single track that we rode yesterday but there were also some impossible (for me anyway) parts. When I find myself hoping for the gravel road sections I think this is not the kind of single track I like. This is not a complaint, more of a statement. I am 58 years old and am trying to make decisions in my life that make every moment worthwhile. It is not enough to go out an win a race (I did that yesterday), it also has to be lots of awesome single track. If not I would go out and road race. I don't do this for the pain as much for the smile the comes on my face after experiencing a fun course. Enough wining. Mike does as good a job possible and everything else about yesterdays TOE was perfect.We had mud, but not too much. The climb up to the first aid station was a steep climb in this very slippery mud. I made it both times (the second time I had to give it everything I had). I walked on the all the most difficult descents, as I still have a zero crash tolerance in my life. COKE. Was is the thing about Coca Cola? I don't drink soft drinks often. If you watch the Tour you will see on a long stage the riders being given cans of Coke towards the end of a stage, no matter who their drink sponsor is. I have known of the Coke affect since I did the STP (200 mile ride) 20 years ago. Drink a Coke with one hour to go and you feel fresh again. I had one yesterday with half a lap to go. I felt like a new man. There has to be more in there than caffeine and fructose. It was a good day in general, I may have broken 6 hours, I could have gone faster but I was trying to keep it so I did not go under. Now I have to decide if I am going to race the High Cascades 100. I know it will have the kind of single track I like. Don -
TOE 50 MILE MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE
» Don's Sunnyside BlogSunday is the 6th annual Test of Endurance. It is a 50 mile mountain bike in Coast Range just west of Corvallis. I have not done this race before so it will be mostly new. It is ironic that in my last few years as I have gotten tired of riding road bike centuries and have gravitated to cyclo cross racing (these races last around 45 minutes) that I am doing a race that will take me around 5 hours. I didn't really train for this event other than ride less this week. I am not sure what to expect either. It may rain and be muddy or it might be a beautiful Willamette Valley early summer day. I have done long races in the past so I am not too worried about pacing or finishing, I guess my main goal is to have fun though. I will treat this as a long hard mountain bike ride. I think there are over 200 registered so I will have plenty of company. Lets just hope for some awesome single track and good weather.Don -
TODAY'S FLOWERS +
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Here are today's flowers from my 5+ hour ride. I am getting ready to do a 50 mile race next weekend (The Test of Endurance). That is not the point of this blog though, it is the flowers. Here they are. Kathy tells me they are buckwheat, lupine, penstemon, flax, bitterbrush, and wild strawberry. Of course the photo of Phil, James and Ben is just extra. I just happened to see them on the trail. It is nice to run into friends along the way.DonPS I did not list the flowers in order that is your job. -
THE RAIN AND THE FLOWERS
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Yes it has been wet the last few days. If you read my last blog you will know I was caught in it. I wasn't complaining about it though like a lot of Central Oregonians do, I was just telling about an adventure. I actually like the rain, the thunder and the lightning. The flowers like it even more. When I am out on my mountain bike it is amazing how many flowers are out there blooming. It is also amazing that I can never remember the names of them. Kathy has been teaching me the names of flowers for over 30 years and I still don't really get it. The ironic thing is I do know the name of the "flower" in the photo, it called Indian Paintbrush. She taught me that one first on one of our first dates. That was all the room my brain had for flower names I guess. Indian Paintbrush, however red and beautiful, is not a flower, the red you see are just the leaves turning red. The leaves are called bracts which are modified leaves. It is not that this is unusual, I am told there are other "flowers" like this, just don't ask me what they are. So if you ride with me and want to know the name of the flowers I can phone home and ask Kathy, unless it is an Indian Paintbrush, I have got those dialed. Today I am going out and I am going to try to get more photos of flowers. I will share them with you but you will have to identify them. No more complaining about the rain now, go out early and enjoy what the rain brings.Don -
SERIOUSLY COLD ON THE TRAIL
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I went out yesterday for an unplanned ride up to the Mountains. It was around 60f in town, but I knew it might rain where I was going so I put goretex gloves, warm hat,arm and leg warmers, vest and rain cape in the pockets. I figured I would be fine. Well as headed west it seemed where I was going was clear (Jeffrey calls this a sucker hole). After about one hour of riding everything changed in a matter of minutes- it started to rain, thunder and lightning, and then the hail. Under thick but not tall tree in a canyon I went. I put on all my clothing and figured I would be OK. I figured wrong. It rained so hard the trail became a river ( 10 inches deep in places) and the temp dropped into the low 40's. I figured it was time to go. I went for about 15 minutes and thought if I can get hold of Kathy I could just drop down to the Skyliner Snow Park and she could save me (this would save my about an hour of riding downhill). The problem was cell phone service. I knew there was one place that usually had service. I got there and took out my phone (this was not easy with now frozen hands and all those layers on). I had one bar indicating marginal service. I phoned home-busy. I tried her cell phone, she was there. I barely could get out the words meet me at Skyliners. She said OK. So down I went on the roughest road in Central Oregon. My tire felt flat after hitting a few large rocks in the road. I couldn't really see as my glasses were fogged and wet. I just kept pedaling. I found the shortcut through the houses and on to Skyliner's road. Kathy was not quite there as it had only taken me 15 minutes to get there. I was shivering uncontrollably by this time. There came the distinctive headlights of our Audi though. I managed to get the bike on the roof, I grabbed the wool blanket in the back of the car and jumped in the now warm car. I could still barely talk and say thank you to my ever present rescuer. Back to home with the fire blazing and a hot cup of warm beverage. It took almost an hour to feel normal again. This morning my fingers are still kind of numb. The great outdoors can be a real adventure sometimes. DonPS Drookit is Scottish for soaking wet. -
FIRST TIME 16 YEARS LATER
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My heyday of racing mountain bikes was in the late 80s. I started in 1983 but it wasn't until 1988 that I felt I hit my potential. It was the year I won a silver and a bronze medal at the NORBA World Mountain Bike Championships. Five years later my friend Tom Pickett died, and it was 6 years later that Pickett's Charge was started. I was retired from racing at that time. It think all the training was getting to me and work was hard. I tried to race as many Picketts as I could though, and I was always in pretty good shape. I finished 2nd and 3rd quite a few times. I had good races and always knew I had given it my best. This year though I won. Tom liked to win so I can finally give him a win that he would have appreciated. A little late but sweet none the less. I did it on a course Jim Juenger and I designed. It was 80 % single track. It had rocks and twists. This would have been a trail Tom would have loved. I am on a role this year and I have won 4 out of the 5 races I have entered. I don't like to brag but the thing is wins are hard to come by. They should be special and mine are. This one even more so because of Tom. He started me on this road (mountain bike trail) and for that I am thankful. We finished today on a road that we used to use as one of out main routes. When I was finishing I could see Tom ahead of me showing me how to get those mountain bikes to go around corners in loose dirt. It seemed like it was just yesterday.Don -
THE SEVEN STANES
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
In Southern Scotland there are numerous mountain bike opportunities, some on private land and some on public land. The most popular are called The Seven Stanes. Stane means stone in Scots. This was a marketing idea to connect the areas which are located on Forestry Commission Land. These trails were funded by the government of Scotland and are maintained with money from the the Government of Scotland. In Scotland they think of Mountain Biking different than our government does. For them mountain biking does Social good. It gets people out in the out of doors exercising and it gets families out together ( all of these areas have all levels of trail difficulty so everyone can participate). Mountain Biking is also all about economic development. In Scotland Mountain Biking is more popular than fishing, hunting and golf combined. The government recognizes this and now mountain biking brings in millions of pounds to the Borders in Scotland. These trails are all designed with a lot of care. Some would say too much care. They have to build these trails to withstand all weather. In Scotland this means lots of rain. When they build a trail they have to lay a layer of bedrock (this is just like we build highways), then they add all the features on top of this layer of rock. It is expensive but effective. These trails are used 12 months a year. They are loads of fun and very challenging. I can ride about 98% of a red trail, the black trails are another story. They are doable for me only if I walk around the biggest jumps. The photos are of 5 of the 7 Stanes. In order we have the Meteorite Stane from Glentress, the Heart Stane from Dalbeattie, the Ghost Stane from Mabie, the Talking Head Stane from Ae, and the Gem Stane from Kirroughtree. These are the 5 areas I got to when I was over in Scotland this month. If you are looking for a marvelous holiday in Europe but can't stand the idea of leaving your mountain bike think of southern Scotland. It is called The Borders and Dumfries and Galloway. You can do culture, castles, walking, beautiful scenery, history and of course Mountain Biking.If you want more information let me know. Take care.Don
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A GOOD BUSINESS TO BE IN.
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
I did not pick the bike business it picked me. I went to school to be a forester (when I found out that meant cutting trees not saving them I changed majors). I did work for the Forest Service for 10 years, but in the end the bike business took me away. At the time it didn't appear to be a great career move. Bend was in a recession and bikes were not what they are today. But that was then now is now. I rode by Phil's trail head this morning and there were cars parked all the way to Skyliners Road. These were all mountain bikers. These are all people who make the bike business viable. I feel really blessed to be in a business that is holding its own during these tough times. I won't say we aren't feeling the downturn, but all in all Sunnyside is a very busy place every day. I don't feel smart or anything, as I said I didn't pick this business. I have bicycle disease. I love bicycles. This morning I watched the Giro live on the Internet, and then out for a solo mountain bike ride. Tons of people were having fun on the trails. I remember when it just 12 of us riding mountain bikes. Thanks to all of those who share my passion, those at Sunnyside, those in other stores, customers and non customers, everyone. Like I said I feel blessed that I was chosen to be in this business.Don -
LAST DAY OF WORLD MOUNTAIN BIKE HOLLIDAY
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
It seems like only a couple of days ago that I was leaving from the same airport, on the same flight returning home. I remember thinking that only two days in Scotland with my friends wasn’t nearly enough. I didn’t realize then that I would be returning for the World Mountain Bike Conference in just a few short weeks.
Well the Conference was cancelled, and I just spent 9 days at the self made World Mountain Bike Holiday. Andy Wardman was my guide. He was the first Mountain Bike Ranger at Glenn Tress a few miles from Peebles in the Borders in Southern Scotland, a position he still holds today. I have described most of my adventures in previous blogs so I will not bore you with more details. Yesterday, my last day, Marty, another good friend who lives in Fife, took a day off to spend with me and Andy. Since it was the last day we went to the jewel of the 7 Stanes Glenn Tress. Glenn Tress is the first mountain bike destination in Scotland, it is the most popular and some would say it is the best. I am not sure if it is the best as every one of the Stanes I went to was superb, It is good though, with a lot of variation. Trails for the beginner, the pro and riders like me with lots of experience but like to keep the tyres close to the ground. We wound our way up the red trail to almost the top of the area. Great views of the Tweed Valley were to be had. We stopped to take a photo of the Stane. The one at Glenn Tress is a meteorite. There is furrow behind it so it looks like it just landed and should be smoking. It rained to make the day more special and afterwords it was lunch (tea*), cakes and coffee at The Hub. We also washed our bikes at the customary bike wash. Every area has a bike wash even if there are no toilet facilities.
Then it was back to home more tea and talk and then Marty was off to home. What a pleasure it is to have friends who take time off work to visit.
Ros asked me if there was anything special I would like for my last meal. I was thinking some fish and chips would be a good way to end my holiday. Off we went to the Joe Jacks, the preferred chip joint in Peebles. We had take out. They don’t use news papers anymore so we had some very cute boxes. On the way home I saw a man walking with his baritone horn to practice with the local brass band, and then in the distance we could here piper with his bagpipe playing. I was definitely not in Bend. I would be remiss not to mention the tear that fell from my eye as I realized I would be leaving my good friends and my other home Scotland. I am looking forward to coming home, being with my sweetheart,seeing my mom, seeing my kitties and going to work. The rain and the wet are tough for a Bendite. I had to buy a new kit just so I could keep riding. The bike will need an overhaul and my clothing will need to dry out. I do wish that Scotland was closer though, both that the Scots could visit me more (and have a chance to dry out) and we could visit them. When you travel next don’t leave for some better weather (we do have the best anyway), go to a country that will welcome you with great food, wonderful roads to ride, castles to admire and some of the best mountain biking in the world. I will return for sure.
Don
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STEVE LARSEN
» Don's Sunnyside BlogI am sitting in Peebles, Scotland finishing a 9 day mountain bike holiday and I just found out that Steve Larsen died suddenly while doing a running workout a few blocks from my house. I knew Steve since the late 90's when he first moved to Bend. I don't have anything profound to say, I don't think there are any lessons here to learn. I am just shocked and sad. He was always friendly to me and our store even when he was sponsored by others. I was seeing him more this year as he was taking his son Massimo to many of the mountain bike races. I spoke to him the day before I left on this holiday, it was about how much fun it is to mountain bike race and have such good trails close to home. Life is so sudden and the unexpected can happen at anytime. I will miss Steve and I send my condolences to his five children and his wife Carrie.Don -
SHEDS
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
In Great Britain Sheds are a big deal, they are our version of the 4 car garage. The difference is over here we have a country with very strict land use laws. The population is pretty steady in Europe and new subdivisions just don't exist. Instead you see buildings converted into flats, and semi-detached houses. There is not the luxury of a garage, much less a double or triple garage. What we do see are sheds, lots of types of sheds. There are books about sheds, pre built sheds, old sheds, new sheds etc. All of my friend over here are avid cyclists and they all have bikes, mountain bikes, road bikes, commuter bikes. They add up and you see them stored in ingenious ways. Hanging from the kitchen ceiling, high in the hallway, in the second bedroom, or just plain in the way. The best way is to have them in the shed. Andy just moved to his flat last July and one of the first things he did was build a shed. His is the newer looking one next to his wood pile. All his bikes hang in there, there is a place to work on the bikes (we overhauled all his forks and shocks), it has an alarm and a sturdy locking system. Living in the States we are spoiled. They do so much here with less space. The bonus is there is almost no urban sprawl. The hills all are all wild around every town and village. The one sub-division around here (which everyone points to when I tell them they have strict land use laws) is very small and contained. We rode our mountain bikes in the forests and farms between the Selkirk and Interleithen. Only a couple of farm houses to be seen. I am not sure I would give up my spacious house with a garage and a large storage area for a flat and a shed, but I would appreciate the open space and no urban sprawl. Our City Council just approved a new Urban Growth Boundary. It was based on the idea that in Bend we need bigger lots and bigger homes. So once again we sacrifice the last open space we have with large trophy homes. I wonder if we will ever learn that there is a limited amount of space left on our planet. Maybe sheds are the answer. 
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WRAITHS AND MOUNTAIN BIKERS
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
If you look closely at these photos you can see a "buzzard" sitting in the tree, it the dark spot in the middle of the photo. In the other photo if you look in the upper left you can see the buzzard just after it attacked Pete. A few minutes earlier it swooped down on me and almost hit my helmet. We left the area thinking we were safe and then I heard some shouting, then something hit my helmet. It was the black wraith. Hawks seem somewhat noble and beautiful, but when they attack you they are evil and dark. I felt like one of the hobbits from Lord of the Rings. I wasn't sure what to do. My friend Kevin was with us and he is over 6 and a half feet tall. I went and rode next to him for awhile. We were doing an epic ride that day so we still had a long time to go. I let the adrenaline race through my blood and off we went again. This time it was a long switch bike climb with a gorgeous descent through trees and meadows. There was even an old castle we went by. This is not Oregon. We ended up riding for almost 5 hours, we did one climb that was so steep I had to stop and rest. What a day. I have three more days and Andy is taking me to some other areas to ride. The weather is going to get worse so we will be ready for some rain and mud. Next blog will about something completely different.Don -
FRIENDS, REAL SCOTTISH WEATHER, CONVERTING FROM GRAMS TO CUPS
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
Real Scottish weather showed up yesterday, mist, rain and wind. You can see by the photos that the sun had left us and a huge storm from the South had descended on The Borders. I have to say I wasn't really bothered by it, I came prepared for rain and the wet (I even have a fender on by bike). Somehow the clouds and the wet bring out the beauty in Scotland. It wouldn't be green without the rain. The trails we were on yesterday were about 6 miles from where I am staying in Peebles, they were designed by my friend Pete Laing. The trails are on Forestry Commission Land and, unlike most of our trails in Oregon, they were funded and built by the Forestry Commission. They are designed to be all weather trails. It is quite different over here because to make an all weather trail in Scotland means the trails are built on a bed of crushed rock. This allows for drainage, but it is also very expensive. It has all paid off in Spades for the tourism of the Borders and Scotland. Mountain biking is more popular than golfing, fishing and hunting combined in Scotland. It is the number 2 tourist activity in all of Scotland. After we were done riding and visiting the local bike stores it was back to the flat to make some pies. We were having a big dinner at Pete and Ali's house and I had volunteered to make some pies. Not so simple after I remembered I wasn't at home. So off to the store to buy the necessary tools and ingredients. Pastry roller, flour pie plate etc. In Great Britain they use weights instead of volume to measure. So converting from metric weights to cups was a challenge. The first batch of pie crust was a disaster. It felt like there was too much and not enough butter. I managed to get the crust into a cake pan but it was just fundamentally wrong. I was making two pies so I refigured all the amounts and tried again. More failure, I then looked at the flour package. I had gone shopping right after my ride and I still had my contacts in. When I have my contacts in I can't see up close. The package said in big dark letters Plain White Flour, but in the light small writing there were more words, wheat and gluten free. Back to the store for more flour and a lightning quick rolling out of the doe and back in business we were. Ros took Kathy's job of decorating the pie. It was great to see old friends again. Every time I have been over to Scotland Pete and Ali have hosted a dinner for me. It makes me feel quite special. I was able to catch up with Ron and Kate, my friend Kev's parents, to see Paul and Anne again (I just met them last March in Mallorca) and of course hang out with Kev, Vicky, Pete and Ali. Good times. It is a rest day today so Ros and I are taking it easy. Don
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WORLD MOUNTAIN BIKE HOLIDAY CONTINUES
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
This trip was supposed to be me going to the World Mountain Bike Conference. The conference was cancelled so Andy and I decided to have a World Mountain Bike Holiday instead. He is taking some time off of work to show me all the best trails in Southern Scotland and I am following along. My bike arrived around 2pm yesterday and as we were continuing the jet lag mountain bike cure (evening rides) it turned out fine. We met Steven, Ian and another Andrew in the small village of Newton Grange, about 8 miles south of Edinburgh. Edinburgh is the capitol of Scotland with a population of nearly 500,000. So what are we doing riding mountain bikes 8 miles from an urban center. Well look at the photos with the sunset (you can see the skyline if you look hard and the photo with the yellow Rape Seed. This is were we rode. It was awesome, wild and full of surprises. A little urban riding but mainly it was farm road and single track, some huge jumps (I skipped those) and sweet downhills. It is ironic that Scotland has more open land close to its urban areas than the United States. Someday I will get into that a little more but as a teaser John Muir would recognize his birth town of Dunbar in Scotland but not his home the SF Bay area.We had a great ride, some pizza afterwords and to bed just at midnight.Today we were more normal. A short drive south to Dumfries in the morning. When we arrived we had a coffee with Andy's girlfriend Ros. Then we enjoyed the trails at Ae. There is a 24 kilo red (difficult) route. Then some lunch and more coffee with Ros then off to one of those old fashion hardware stores. This was one of those stores where the people that work there know more than the customers. They had all the stuff we needed to overhaul Andy's shock and fork, plus a few more esoteric items.I rode my longest elevated boardwalk today We think it was around 400 to 500 meters. If I looked at the cracks between the planks it was hypnotic. I made it and got a picture of Andy finishing it out. I also found one of the best uses of a clear cut, mountain bike trails. The stumps make great jumps and features and you can see your way ahead on the trail without all the foliage. Southern Scotland has 7 mountain bike areas, they are called the 7 Stanes. Stane means stone. Each area has its own stone and this "Talking Head" is the Stane for Ae. Pretty cool really. Don -
FIRST DAY IN SCOTLAND
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
What a good way to start my accidental mountain bike holiday. The flight over was the usual never ending 9 hour ordeal (unlike my last flight when I was sitting smugly in business class). It was the typical cramped seat, trying to sleep while the neighbor refused to shut her shade on the window, and the crew not being as friendly as usual. The flight ended and after a transfer to another flight I ended up in Edinburgh. Andy was right outside the gate waiting for me and I was excited to show him how small a suitcase I got my Trek Fuel Ex into. I figured out a few years ago that it would be quite easy to take a full suspension bike and remove a few bolts and put it into a normal suitcase (This save around $400 round trip). This was my first attempt. Well the bike didn't arrive. It is hard to figure how it could have been misplaced as I had lots of time between all my flights, but on the other hand it is hard to figure how these airports keep track of the millions of pieces of luggage everyday. They did track it down and it will be here at around noon today.We still had to complete our first day mission though, the weekly night ride in Selkirk. I have done this ride every year I have come to Scotland and I didn't want to miss another chance. I borrowed one of Andy's bikes, bought a new pair of Bontrager shoes ( I was going to get a pair anyway at home) and off we went. Pete decided today was a good day to ride The Eildons Hills. These are the three hills between Melrose, Galashiels and Selkirk. They are the symbol of the Borders. The Borders is the area of Scotland which lies in the southeastern part of Scotland, between England and Scotland. I have hiked up the Eildons at least three times but this was my first time on a bike up them. You can see by the photos how beautiful they are .To make a long ride a short story, the normally two hour night ride ended up being a four hour ride. Ali of course had soup and cake waiting for us at 11:30 at night, along with a big smile. I had forgotten my jet lag hours before (a 4 hour night ride is the best jet lag cure I have used). I felt at home. It was like I had ridden with these folk every day forever. I am truly blessed to have all these great friends.Don
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CHAINBREAKER, FUN AND VERY HARD
» Don's Sunnyside BlogSorry no photo today, I was busy racing not taking photos. I won, this my third victory this year. That is a lot for me. A little background though. They changed the age groups this year to 55+, my race age is 59 (60 for cross). At my age 4 years is a pretty big deal. We try to stay strong, healthy and fast. I think I can say I have done that. I was asked after the race how many in my group. I thought about that and I thought why is that important. Is is the numbers or who is there? There were 5 in my group. 2nd, 3rd and 4th were all with in a minute of each other. Vince who was second beat me here a couple of years ago, he is a stronger climber than me, I am more steady. Ron is always strong. Rick who was fourth was ahead of me at my favorite race Bear Springs. The fact I could be ahead of them means I had a good race. Some of my old competitors don't race anymore. One was out skiing with his buddies, one was camping with his girlfriend and one was watching his son ( Carl) finish second in the pro race. Does that make my race less because they have chosen another path. I don't think so. I still like to go hard on my mountain bike. I battle whoever I am with. Yesterday it was with a racer named Mark who will be 55 next year. I beat him, after giving it everything I had, by around 5 seconds. In a two + hour race that is not much. I had to dig deep for that though. This is the first time I have won at Chainbreaker. I have had numerous podiums so it did feel good. This is race is so hard. There is no rest, the first half is kind of up and second kind of down. Pedaling about 98% of the time. No rest. I was tired and satisfied. Now- a 10 day mountain bike holiday in Scotland.Don -
AGE NOR SEX MATTERS IN BIKE RIDING
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
You may of noticed that I like ride my bike, both road and mountain. In Bend, I prefer to mountain bike because the trails around here are so awesome. I like to ride by myself but riding with friends is special, in fact on Monday I am headed off to Scotland for a mountain bike holiday with Andy, who is not even close to 30 yet.Yesterday I was out riding with two of my good friends in Bend, John and Veronica. You might notice there is a slight age difference, John is 61 and Veronica is 30 (today is her 30th birthday in fact). I don't party with Veronica (maybe once), but we do ride together. I actually don't party with John either, though he has been my best mountain bike friend for almost as long as Veronica has been alive. The truth is I don't party at all. The point of all this is, make sure what ever activity you do it includes all ages and sexes It is important to hang out with older and younger people. It is also a good thing that you include friends of both sexes in your life. If your only friend of the opposite sex is your partner you are really missing out. It gives you a good perspective on life. It also makes you feel younger if you are getting close to that 60 mark. Maybe I am just blessed to have such good friends, I don't know. I do know it is great to have such a variety of friends. Don -
THE NUMBERS GAME AND TIME
» Don's Sunnyside BlogA couple of days ago I won the 55+ Oregon State Championship Cross Country mountain bike race. The winner of the Pro men was Carl Decker, long time friend and fellow Bendite. In the youngest age group, my new teammate (age 13) William Wodrich, was 3rd. So what has that to do with numbers. Well here goes. While we were waiting around for results I introduced William to Carl. I mentioned that William is the same age as Carl was when he (Carl) and I started to race mountain bikes. Carl mentioned to me that he is the same age (34) as I was when we both started to race mountain bikes. I hope you can make some sense of that. The other note of interest is the last time I won a State Mountain bike championship was in 1988. It was in Corvallis and Carl, his dad Mike, Gary and I all drove over together. We have doing this along time, and having fun every minute of the way.Don -
YOUNGEST AND OLDEST GET MEDALS
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
This may seem like a story of bragging but I don't see it that way. It is more of a story of hard work, dedication and longevity. First of all an apology to William for the out of focus photo. The photo on the left is me receiving the OBRA State Championship Gold medal. It was a proud moment for me. I realize that I have had my share of success throughout the years but winning a gold is very special. I have a total of 9 OBRA medals: 3 Gold, 4 Silver and 2 Bronze. That is out of 30 years of racing. The first medal (a gold) was in 1988 at the state mountain bike championship held in Corvallis that year. That was a good year for me as I went on to win two medals at the World Championships. The next gold came in 1998 when I won the State Cyclocross race in Bend, and 11 years later comes my last medal. I couldn't have won this medal if I didn't have some help. Most of this help comes in the form of other racers. When I won the first medal it was in the Veterans division. The age then was 35 +. There were no other age groups. Yesterdays race was in the 55+. That didn't even exist one year ago. We have a 55+ group because there are still some older dudes out there that think young and that mountain biking rocks. The other photo is of William Wodrich, he is the youngest member of our team. Though I have fun I think he has more fun. I asked him how he did and he said awesome (he was third), and then he told me he endoed five times. The endoing was part of the fun. Young and old that is really the key to what we do out there. It brings us all together. The last photo is just a reminder that even a State Champion has to wash his own bike. Take care,Don
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WHAT WERE YOU DOING YESTERDAY IN BEND
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
Another boring blog about enjoying the outdoors? Well maybe- Last week we went to mountain bike race up by Mt Hood. It was long, hard and had lots of snow, it was also really fun. Some emails were exchanged on our cycling chat list, some liking the race others feeling they were mislead by the promoters about how much snow there was on the course.I made the mistake of getting involved. I used the word whiner and roadie. This offended a few people. I thought I was joking but I ended up apologizing.That being said yesterday may be why I liked the course. I had a few chores in the morning and had to be at work at 2 so out I headed for a ride around 11:00. It was snowing when I left, it snowed and hailed while I was out and it really couldn't have been better.I was asked how is it that we have snow here so late? Snow is what makes Bend special. We live in the mountains and snow is the gift we are given to show how special Bend really is. I love a hot day in the summer without a cloud in the sky, I love a two week holiday to Spain in March to see what shorts feel like again, but I love a long mountain bike ride on our trails with some snow to show I was the first one out. This week we are going over to the Mudslinger (and I am pretty sure we will slinging some mud). I love mud in cyclo cross, but in mountain biking it is different. I can't afford to fall so I am very cautious. I will try to get over that and try to win. It is the state championships after all, but no matter how I do I will have fun, I will be challenged, and I am sure to be tired. This will be a 3 hour race. Make sure you get out the next time so when I take a photo it is your tyre tracks I am looking at.Don -
MOUNTAIN BIKE RACING-FUN OR MISERY
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
Our team went mountain bike racing last weekend. It is my favorite race of the year. It is hard, long and fun. I am in a new age group this year and really felt it was my race to win. They have medals for second and third but they have cool plaques for the winner. I have always done well at this race and I feel extra strong right now. I am not going to give you a blow by blow other than to say I had a tough start. I do not run well and we had to run in the snow, then, as I was passing some slower riders (faster runners) my front wheel hit a mystery object and I broke two spokes. I got my bike going again and moved into the lead feeling pretty good. I then crashed on a side hill and back to second, where I ended up. This was a tough race and I loved it. Some people didn't feel the same the way I did. There was a lot of complaining about too much snow, and no warning that there was snow. I appreciate that not everyone likes the same thing and that conditions should be advertised before hand. That being said, Bear Trap Springs is my type of race, lots of single track, fun downhills and a killer climb at the end. Snow is not a concern for me, though I can see why it would be if you didn't live where it snows. I ride to work 12 months a year. That means a lot of snow. I like the snow, it makes for a challenge and my neighbors pretty much think I am nuts. If you look at the photo of my back yard, that is not a winter photo, that is today - April 28, 2009. I will go for a mountain bike ride later today on the trails which will have more snow. I will slip and slide and laugh and cry. I will see no one else on the trails because they are all waiting for warm weather and dry trails. I don't have time to wait, I am 59 years old thinking that I may only have 1000 mountain bike rides left in my life. So I won't wait I will go out and enjoy. The other two photos are a couple of my teammates. Jim is getting his third place medal in his category. He was cramping the last part of the race but gritted his teeth and stayed ahead of 4th. Veronica was just finishing. She races expert women. They went the same distance as the pro men. That would have been really tough. I asked her to show to the camera how much fun she had. the smile was more for being done than for how much fun she had.Our team did well, for me that means we were challenged and had a great time. I will try to have no mishaps next week, and start faster. The next race is called the mudslinger, and I have a feeling there will be mud. No complaints from me, I will just go out and have as much fun as possible.Don -
BEING CANADIAN
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I got an email from my brother's wife Cathy the other day. It suggested that me and my brothers may be Canadian citizens. I have always felt an affinity to Canada as that is where most of my Mom's relatives live, it is where I started school, and it is a place that I have had memorable vacations. None of these things make me a citizen though. Quite a few years back I thought seriously about the possibility of becoming a Canadian (the Viet Nam years) but I never needed to so I let the whole thing rest. Back to today. A new law took effect on April 17, 2009 . The law was passed to take care of a few injustices about Canadians having to refute their Canadian citizenry when they became citizens of another country (like the US). A lot of them were war brides. This is what my mom was. She was a Canadian when I was born and therefore so am I under this law. I haven't proven to the Canadian government that I am a Citizen but according to what I can figure out I am an official Canadian citizen.It may seem weird to you but I actually feel different knowing this. I have already read two books about Canada so I can catch up on my history etc. I have been with relatives all my life speaking with a Canadian accent but I think mine will stay as it is. I will get a flag though, maybe a sticker for my bike. I am not going to give up being a citizen of the United States. I was born here and that is who I am, it is just nice to be able to claim another part of who I am and have it recognized. I am now going to learn the words to O Canada and figure out the rules to hockey.Don -
THE FENCE OF DEATH?
» Don's Sunnyside BlogI don't post very many videos on my blog, I think that is more of a Twitter thing. Jake and I at the store like to joke about our riding skills (his are actually quite amazing). We have the Rock of Death at Sand Canyon that we ride over, we have the Double of Death near Phil's Trail head (it is less than a foot tall) and now we have the Skinny of Death on the new super fun one way section on COD. A Skinny is an elevated log or board that is around 8 inches or less wide. This one sits about a foot off the ground so if you come off it nothing happens. I haven't made it yet but I am close.This guy in the video is for real. My friend Andy, who lives in Scotland knows him and sent me this video. Today it was on the front page of The Scotsman, Scotland's largest newspaper. Check it out. Young dude out having fun. -
Do Re Mi
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
I would say most of us have thoughts, feelings and dreams that others are unaware of. It is not so much that we have hidden secrets but that we don't have an opportunity to express them to everyone. Most people know me via Sunnyside Sports or maybe bike racing. At work I am a busy person, we always have lots to do and there is not enough time to socialize. The same is true at a bike race. I like to race and I like to be ready. I have a race face that I use before a race. I want to concentrate on the race and be ready. The person I am inside is not the person you always see, I think that is true for most of us.This blog is way to share those feelings with others. Below is a youtube clip. When I saw it I cried (ok I cry a lot, when we elected a new president, lots of movies, when I see friends after a long time etc). My favorite musical, war movie, cycling movie, and nordic ski movie is also my favorite movie-The Sound of Music. The bike in this movie and after the Von Trapp family moved to the United States they opened up one the largest Nordic Ski areas in the Northeast ( Trapp Family Lodge). Then Kathy showed me this video. This is a new thing, unannounced performances in public places. It is great to see the faces of all the people watching. -
SECRET JOYS
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I am sure we all have a few secret things we do that we enjoy. One of mine is vacuuming. Every Monday, whether we need it or not (we always need it) I vacuum our house and then I go next door and vacuum my Mom's place. The photo is of me vacuuming at my Mom's. We have a great vacuum cleaner, a Dyson Animal. It has an extra attachment for vacuuming up animal hair. We have three kitties so we get about one kitties worth of fur every week. The first time I used the Dyson I looked at our rugs and noticed how vibrant the colors were. It is quite fulfilling to vacuum and see the results. I like vacuuming our house, my Mom's place, the car, I have even been know to vacuum the front deck. I am not allowed to use the Dyson though. One of my pet peeves are those blower things. I can't figure out why one would want to blow all those leaves, dirt and dust to somewhere else. Vacuuming is the opposite. It sucks all that stuff up and then you can put it in the dust bin. Kind of odd to like to vacuum, but it comes in handy because my Mom and Kathy think I rock.Don -
AN AMAZING SATURDAY AT SUNNYSIDE SPORTS
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I don't talk a lot about work in my blog. This is not supposed to be an advertisement about Sunnyside Sports, but more a way I can share with the world my thoughts. The Economy is in the tank, Bend is has been hit hard with layoffs, stores closing, real estate failing etc. We have customers in all of those businesses. We have also managed to survive quite well. I am sure that if I did not read a paper or hear about the recession every day I would think that business is going pretty normal. Our business is weather related, it is seasonal and unpredictable. We have also done this business for over thirty years. We have picked two main areas to sell, bicycles and nordic skis. This keeps Sunnyside less seasonal than most sports stores.Yesterday we were short a couple of people. It was the day before Easter and it was our day to go out and work on trails. It was also the day that our customers decided to buy some bikes. This was not a day of recession-- it felt like mid summer. It was special, not because of how much we sold but of how we sold it. I am into team spirit, and team building and that is what we had yesterday. Everyone doing what they could to help the other person. There were a few tense moments, but that actually enhanced how well we worked together. Thank you to all the customers who came in and enjoyed the Sunnyside treatment and thank you to Russ, Damian, Eric, and Susan for making yesterday an amazing Saturday. High fives were had all around afterwords. It was a team after all. Don -
A FAVORITE PHOTO
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My computer does a constant slide show with all my photos, and this is one of my favorites. If you know Euro bike racing you will recognize guy walking down the street, the devil who is ubiquitous at all the major European races. We only see him on Television when the fast pros are riding by. I got him walking down a back street in St Entiene. This was during the last Time Trial in the 2005 Tour de France. I always thought the devil just appeared out of nowhere, maybe some smoke or fire, but I was wrong. He has a crummy old car and he has to walk from place to place. Take a closer look by clicking on the photo and you can get a better look at his footwear and his red suit. It puts a human side to all this devilishness. I thought I would just share this as I got a kick out of seeing it again.Don -
THE SUN
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The Sun and the warmth arrived on Monday. It was OK on the weekend but on my long bike on Sunday the arm and knee warmers never came off. Going up Horse Ridge I thought about it but it never quite reached that point. It did on Monday. I was lucky enough to have that day off and though I usually rest on Monday I didn't need to this Monday. I had a slight cold all last week and rested all last week. I left home and it was in the low 60s and I had arm warmers on, but in a few minutes the temperature had climbed to the 70s and it was short sleeves and shorts. It was warmer on Monday than any of the days in Mallorca. It felt great. It was fun seeing everyone at work yesterday. They were all showing off their tan lines. We have all been riding for years and every year we get tan lines, why is that first tan line so important? I think it is about the promise of all the nice long warm bike rides we are going to have. After a winter of bundling up with multiple layers, winter shoes long gloves with liners, we are just ready for the sun. I know I was. I rode to work on Saturday and when I got there I announced to no one in particular " I am tired of all this cold", and everyone in the store agreed.The warmth is gone and the cool weather has returned. That's OK though. We have our tan lines to remind us that it will be warm again. It doesn't take much to reinvigorate a cyclist, just a day or two of warm sunny weather. Enjoy the Spring,Don -
JET SETTER OR JUST CIRCUMSTANCE
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I am off to Scotland again in May. I never really expected that I would be returning to Europe so soon after getting back from Spain (and few days in Scotland). I am going to the World Mountain Bike Conference in Dumfries, Scotland. A couple of things happened for me do decide. One I have a friend who just got a job in Dumfries and the Recreation Manager for The Forestry Commission there. This would include Mountain biking. Ros, my friend, has been living in Peebles but the new job required her to move. So a free place to stay for me. Two, another good friend , Andy is also going to the conference for all three days and he suggested I come along. Andy and Ros happen to be a couple. So a friend to go with. Three, Bend was just named the number 1 mountain bike location in the US by Mountain Bike Action. This is a cool distinction but in my opinion we have been this for quite a long time. We have some of the best trails in the world, and lately they have become more diverse. I can't ride some of the new stuff, but it sure looks like fun. Ramps, jumps, big drops... Rumor has it Mt Bachelor may even get into the mountain bike game. This being said not much if any money is spent by our local government, and different Tourist Organizations promoting mountain biking in Bend. We have two National Cycling Championships coming to Bend this year, which is great, we have lots of road events in Bend, Tour Deschutes, Cascade Cycling Classic to name a couple, but Mountain Biking is just not on the map the way I think it could be.We have the trails, but we haven't had the recognition. In Europe Mountain Biking is thought of as a "Green" recreation possibility. Mountain Biking is used as part of Economic Development in poor areas. Here we have Bend, Oregon one of the top 20 hardest hit areas in the US in this economic downturn, and we have been named one of the top mountain bike areas in the US, but we haven't put the two together. I am going to this conference to find out some ways our community can do this. It doesn't hurt that I love Scotland and I am going to get an opportunity to ride some of the trails that have made Mountain Biking in Scotland the second mostpopular reason to visit Scotland. First is something to do with looking at old Castles. Which is something you can do on Mountain Bike.Check out the web page for the Conference and you will see it is quite impressive. I will let you all know how it goes.Don -
OSPREY CATCHING FISH AND NO CAMERA
» Don's Sunnyside BlogI have no photo to prove what I saw yesterday, but it was cool anyway. I am not sure I would have been able to get a photo anyway. Here is a link to some good photos of an Osprey with fish just so you know how cool it was. Osprey with fish photos. I was riding home from Phil's Trailhead through Brokentop on the bike path. A few years ago they built a pond, where there should be none, in the middle of this dry and dusty burned over area. They have some houses (very large houses) over looking this pond now. For me it is a fake pond and it seems way out of place. Yesterday, though, an Osprey showed me I may be wrong. As I was riding home I noticed something on my left, I looked and sure enough an Osprey was diving into this pond, and low and behold up it comes with a live and wriggly fish. This all happened right in front of my eyes. I might think this pond is fake but to that Osprey is was as real as the ocean. My camera is out of commission so I have no photo. I am not sure it would have made difference as I don't know if I would have been able to get a decent photo anyway. So keep your eyes open. Even in a fake pond real things happen. I will be paying more attention in the future.Don -
PLACES THAT FEEL LIKE HOME
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Here are two photos from my life in that last two weeks. The on on the leftt is the River Tweed in Scotland. The one on the rightis me with the Deschutes River behind me. The weather was about the same both days, 40s, breezy, with partial cloud cover. I loved them both. I live in Bend for a few reasons, but like many I moved here because I love to be outdoors and here there is no excuse for not being outdoors. I also like to travel, but the places I am attracted to seem to be like Bend. Forests, but with the open wide spaces near by. I was born in the wheat fields of Montana so the Big Sky is in my blood. Scotland is like that. Forested land surrounded by big open fields of heather. My friends will laugh when I say I don't really have much love of water. It is good to drink but I really don't swim or play in the water. The Ocean doesn't have that pull for me that it has for many, lakes don't mean much to me either. I do like a good River though. Not to swim in but to be near. Hiking or riding on a river trail is what I like. I like going up and down on the trail while the river just rolls along towards the ocean. You may notice in the photos that the River Tweed and the Deschutes River are quite different. One has a castle the other wilderness, one has hard woods, the other pine trees. The feel is the same for me. Nothing like a good outing along a river somewhere in the woods. Don -
FORTY YEARS AGO TODAY
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Forty years ago my life changed for ever. I was eighteen years old and had no path. I was going to College at Humboltd State College with no real purpose other than to stay out of Viet Nam and try to become an adult.
I had joined the Boot and Blister hiking club and that was my main social activity. We went on hikes on almost every weekend. I learned about campfires, Swiss Miss, instant oatmeal, hot liquid jello and tinny tasting tea. Though this was the 60’s I didn’t learn about drugs, alcohol or even sex.
Humblolt was an innocent place to be in 1968. Yes we protested the war, but we didn’t riot. Yes we loved spring but instead of free love we learned how to folk dance. I wasn’t much of a student but I was a great learner. I learned how to live on my own, cook for my self, be a trustworthy friend, but I was alone.
My friend Marsha (who now is Mara) told me of her roommate Kathy who was retuning to Humbolt that spring. I had seen some photos of her and I was anxious to meet her. It happened in Wildlife 206. This was the room where we had our B and B meeting. I was in the front and Marsha and Kathy came in the back. I was smitten. It was 40 years ago today. Love at first site is not just a fairy tale, it is my story. I still feel the same way every time Kathy comes into view. The same feeling the same memory.
I don’t really know where all those years have disappeared to. I do know I have spent them with the person I was meant to. I guess I can hope for 40 more.
Take care.
Don
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THREE SUNDAYS, THREE COUNTRIES, THREE RIDES
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The lower photo is from Shevlin Park in Bend a few hours ago. I went for as long a mountain bike ride I could find considering all the snow. It was a fun ride, I managed about three hours of dirt time. As I was sitting on the trail having a snack of hot cider and a stinger bar I was thinking of the last two Sundays. One was in Mallorca and the other in Scotland, both included bike rides. Not unusual for me. Unlike some people I wasn't wishing I was back on holiday as I was having a great time on my mountain bike riding in a spring snow shower. The ground was firm because it was around freezing, there was no mud today, and I got quite high above Shevlin Park. It was quiet and peaceful. I rode alone, which I don't mind and when I got home there was some lunch and a fire. Both were very welcome. I won't say I didn't miss the warmth from two Sundays ago (Mallorca) or the tea and cakes from the ride one week ago (We went to Dawyck Gardens were there was great little cafe). But to being able to do a three hour mountain bike ride from my door is hard to beat. The thing I miss most though are my friends. I miss my friends here when I am there and I miss my friends there when I am here. I guess that is what you would call good friends. I seem to have lots of them. The next months of mountain biking is quite fun in Bend as the trails all open up with the melting snow. It is fun to explore, ask at the store how far up have people been, and share with them where I have been. Wherever you are get out and enjoy what you have.Take care.
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BEING HOME
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It seems that many of you have reading my blog about our trip to Mallorca. This is officially the last of that series. Like any trip there comes an end. This usually means coming home. Living in Bend, in a comfortable house with a relaxing environment is what I come home to. I have lived in Central Oregon for 40 years now. For me it is the best place in the world, but what really makes it home is my home. It is my sweetheart greeting me with a big smile, after 40 years together her smile is still the thing that makes me the most happy. The kitties sitting by the fire, or on my lap or sleeping together showing me that this is a comfy home (we could all learn a thing or two about cats), and even the fire in the living room make my home feel more like a home. I think a home should be a place of warmth, both in the soul and the temperature. Warmth means welcome, I also think it is less stressful to be in a place of warmth. It is calming and protective. In this day and age it is good to feel protected from the difficulties of the world. I like to sit by the fire, read a book, write my blog, drink coffee, or even better take a nap. I love my travels, my friends abroad, the roads in Europe, but I go not to escape my home but to enhance my home.Years ago I decided that when I would go on a holiday I would bring back something from that holiday that would make my life at home more enjoyable. We have a cabin in the Sierra Nevada that we used to spend summers in. The cabin was a little stuffy inside so we would put our bed on the deck and sleep outside. We just loved that. We then started to do at home. Why not, if it worked on a holiday why not at home. Since then our outdoor sleeping deck has turned into a sleeping porch. It has large windows that go down to the level of the bed, and big skylights to see the sky. It is like sleeping outdoors for me.Another thing I brought home is coffee. The coffee in Europe tastes better to me than the coffee here. I started looking at the beans and expresso over there comes from light roasted coffee. I asked the local coffee roaster, Strictly Organic, if they could roast coffee like they do in Europe. Richard did and he calls it Sunnyside Blend. Try some, you can buy at most stores and at Strictly Organic's coffee house on Colorado and Bond St. More relaxing bike rides. I get tired of going on a bike ride with friends and then afterword everyone is in a hurry to do the next thing. I am guilty of that as much as anyone. Now I try to have a snack and coffee afterwords with my riding partners. Home has become better because of these things, but home has always been the place I like best and I hope it always is. Take care,Don -
ANDY AND ROS FRIENDS FROM AFAR
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I just got back from my trip to Mallorca, Spain. On the way back I made a quick jog up to Scotland to see my good friends Andy and Ros. I talked about all the Scots (and English) who came to Mallorca but these two didn't, so I had to go visit them. If you are an avid reader of my blog they came over to visit with me and Kathy last June.I only had two days, not enough but it is what I had. My Friend Rhoda drove me over to Peebles on the way home from the airport. Neither of us knew exactly which building Andy's flat was in, just the street. So as we pulled up to where we thought it was close, Rhoda looked up and saw a Sunnyside Sports jersey hanging from a second floor window. It was like a flag welcoming me their home. Ros heard our car and came running down the street and gave me a kiss and big hug. Welcome I was. Up the stairs we went and the first thing I get is a hot cup of tea. So far I know I am in the right place. Andy comes home a few minutes later. Another hug (sorry no kiss). They ask what I want for dinner. Ros suggests humus, pita bread etc. Now I love middle eastern food, Kababa is one of my favorite restaurants around, but I was in Scotland and what I wanted was a haggis supper. So out we went to Jim Jacks in downtown Peebles. A perfect meal. Haggis is just a sausage type food that people like to make fun of. It is quite good. Along with the haggis comes chips (we call them fries), mushy peas, and a drink. Mushy peas are also a food Americans like to make fun of. But if they are prepared right they are not so bad. The next two days we spent hiking along the River Tweed, eating cakes, drinking tea, seeing more old friends, riding our bikes on some of the most quiet and beautiful roads I have ever been on, and of course watching Rugby on the tely. Rugby is very popular in the Borders of Scotland, and the biggest Rugby match is going on right now. It is the Cup of the Six Nations. France, Italy, Ireland, England, Wales and, of course, Scotland. I ended up watching two matches. I don't really go for field and ball sports but this is a much better game to watch then our American Football. Monday morning it was up early to the airport in Edinburgh. Not much talk as we all were thinking of the good bye we would say in a few minutes time.I am home now, and very glad to be here, but having such good friends living so far away is not easy. I have no idea when we will see each other again, hopefully soon. Thanks you Andy and Ros for a perfect end to a great holiday. Lets just make sure we see each other soon.Take care.Don -
SITTING IN EDINBURGH
» Don's Sunnyside BlogI am sitting in the Edinburgh airport waiting (what else does one do in an airport) thinking about my two weeks away from home. It is always a challenge when one goes on a holiday to foreign country with people you don’t know well. I booked the hotel, planned the rides, picked the location and then let them loose on the country side to fend for themselves.
They all told me they had the time of their lives. Mallorca is a very magical place. It has every type of road imaginable. Flat straight roads, flat windy roads, climbs, technical descents, the most spectacular 12 miles of road I have ever ridden, and cafes every 5 miles or so. I am glad they were able to share my enthusiasm for a place I love. The problem with travel now a days is there is a fine line between being overridden by tourists and tourism and having services that make the trip enjoyable. I feel in Puerto Pollensa in Mallorca I have found that compromise. We stayed in a hotel that provided breakfast and dinner. The food was well prepared, but it was predictable. I encoiuraged everyone to go out and enjoy authentic Mallorquin cuisine. All did and all were impressed. Some of the group liked to go out with others, some choose to ride by themselves so they could stop and follow their own schedule. Both ways seemed to work.
I will go again to Mallorca, hopefully with a group who want to taste what we tasted. Long grueling challenging rides, beautiful mountains, lush green farmland, roman ruins, walled cities, giant cathedrals, friendly people, respect from the cars, and a government that thinks of bicycles as good for the economy and marks and paves bicycle routes because it will bring more cyclists to their part of the world.
Yes I will return and I hope some of you will be there with me.
Take care.
Don
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MORE ABOUT THE SCOTS
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I have been road riding for 45 years now. I have toured, raced, ridden centuries just about everything one can do on the road. Road riding can be a social activity. If you go out in a group, stay as a group and finish together. It can also be a very frustrating experience. Riding with my friends from Scotland is the best. In Mallorca most riders ride side by side. We take turns leading and your riding partner changes from time to time. If there are stronger riders they will be up front for most of the ride. They will wait on the top of the hills, make sure the weaker riders are not dropped in the wind etc. The ride is not done when the ride is over. We then have to out and have a beer or coffee. Besides Kevin this year, we had Vicky Kevin's girlfriend. Two years ago she was just starting out as a bike rider, now she is a seasoned pro. They are both planning a trip to Bend this fall.We have Pete, Ali, Ione and Eifa. This is the furthest away Sunnyside family as all have bikes from Sunnyside Sports. Pete actually designs mountain bike trails for a living. Steven, who is English but whose parents live in the Borders, actually works at the place of his dreams. When I first met him he was still at University. He told me he wanted to design race cars and he works for Lola designing race cars. Doctor Neal is a very strong young rider who does molecular research at Leeds University. Makes for great conversation. Mike is a graphic artist who just started to ride bikes a few years ago. He from Yorkshire where they have some amazingly steep hills. Ben and Elaine are from north of Edinburgh who are outdoor enthusiasts. Both have been riding bikes for a long time ( I met them in Mallorca 5 years ago). They are also hill walkers (Ben has been to the top of all 294 (plus or minus) Munros in Scotland. A Munro is any mountain over 3000 feet. Though that doesn't seem like a lot to us Oregonians, getting up a Munro from Sea Level is no mean feat. Paul and Anne also live in the Borders. Paul is a triathlete who also love to road ride and mountain bike. In fact I met him a couple of years ago on a night mountain bike ride in Selkirk. Anne is just discovering road riding and had a great time exploring Mallorca. Rhoda, who lives in the Borders and is from the highlands of Scotland was a joy to ride with. She was seeing Mallorca for the first time. Riding with her was like seeing Mallorca for the first time. Her laugh and smile were infectious. I am returning home tomorrow which will be great. I miss my sweetheart, my kitties and a nice warm fire. I am looking forward to going into Sunnyside and seeing all my friends. They will want to know how my trip went. But I will also mill my second home, the Borders of Scotland and all the friends that make it so. I hope they will all come over to Bend so I can show them some awesome mountain biking, mountains taller than their Munros, and some Bend hospitality. Take care.Don -
WHO ARE ALL THESE OTHER RIDERS IN THE PHOTOS?
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I have been writing about my Mallorca trip the last couple of weeks. I am now in Scotland watching a Rugby match on the tele with some English friends, who live in Peebles, Scotland. I will get to that in another blog. A couple of blogs ago I wrote about all the cyclists that came over with me from Oregon. We met up with another group of cyclists from Scotland. These are friends I have met up with for almost ten years now. It all started with big Kev. He is the tall lad in the right hand photo. He came in to Sunnyside Sports on a bike tour from San Diego to Portland. He had heard that Bend had good mountain biking trails. We talked and I told him we did and I would give him a tour of some of our trails. He ended up staying a week, doing Pickett's Charge mountain bike race. He invited me to visit him in Scotland (we did) and then one year he invited me to come to Mallorca for a spring training camp. I have now been meeting a group from Scotland for 7 years now. That was a long story. I will continue this in a later blog. For now I will just say this is a great group of friends. I feel like I have two homes, Bend and the Borders in Scotland. I will be coming home on Monday, I am looking forward to being home again. I have one more day in Scotland which I will enjoy to the most.Take CareDon -
SA CALOBRA FINALLY
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If you have been to Sunnyside Sports and been to the expresso machine you have seen the poster of Sa Calobra. This is the most amazing road I have ridden. The problem is the road from where we are staying is closed. To get there from our village would be a 130 mile ride with over 10,000 feet of climbing. That is too much for me in March. We had two days of riding left so we decided to cheat and do it at night when the crews wouldn't be working, WRONG. They seem to work all night. Next option, rent a car and cut off the flat prelude. We (Paul and I) parked at the bottom of the Soller Climb in Bunyola. Paul is Manchesterite living in the Borders of Scotland. These photos of from our ride. The top one is the Piug Major from Soller Climb, the next one is Paul and I at the bottom of the Sa Calobra, the last one is of the town of Soller from the climb to Puig Major. The ride was only 100 K, but it still had 10,000 feet of climbing. Now only one day left and it is off to Scotland for a few days. Don -
WHAT KIND OF PERSON COMES TO MALLORCA?
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This was my third time taking a group to Mallorca, it was also the best. The other two times I was asked by a Colorado Club to take a group across. I didn't know the group, nor did I know what their trips were like. They went OK but I wanted them to be better. This year I decided to take a group of people I know. They were all customers of Sunnyside Sports and I would say friends. If you go into the store you of course know Barb, a huge bundle of energy. Lew, her husband also works at Sunnyside. He broke his leg two weeks before the trip but decided to come anyway. I think it was a good decision. He is having fun visiting with friends but he he ready to ride for sure. Lew is the head planner for our France trip this fall. Gary and Patsy are the other couple sitting with Lew and Barb in the lower right hand photo. They started doing OBR and Bike Idahos years ago. Patsy is one of the Chandlerettes. They are the perfect people to go on holiday with. Everything is an adventure and fun. Nothing really bothers them and they enjoy all the new sensations in being in a new country. They take the hills as a challenge and are not afraid to be on their own.Linda and Paul are also long time Sunnyside customers and friends. They were both in my masters ski class a few years back. They had not been to Europe before but thought this would be an easy way for a first trip. They like to be on their own so they can stop and take photos, enjoy the scenery and ride at their own pace. They found the best restaurant they had ever been to last night. Leila is a good friend of Barb's. She is a professional tour guide. Makes one nervous trying to run a trip with a professional on it. But Leila is as easy as the rest. She can be by herself or ride in a group. She is not afraid of being in a new place because that is what she is used to.Mary is the last member of our group. She is here because she was going to take Lew's place when he broke his leg. When Lew decided to come she decide to come anyway. I have ridden hundreds of miles with Mary. I have know her longer than anyone else in this group in fact. She is a joy to be around. Everything new is a wonder to her. When you get to see Mallorca in her eyes it is like seeing it for the first time.So this is the type of person that comes to Mallorca. I couldn't be more blessed.Don -
WHY I AM IN MALLORCA AND NOT WORKING
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I don't really need to write this blog, all I need to do is have this photo. That is the reason I am here and not at work. Now don't get me wrong, March is the best time for me to be gone. I like to get a jump on cycling, this is when I get to revisit with friends from Scotland etc. I have been asked many times "who runs the store when you are gone?" Well the same people who run the store when I am there. I don't run Sunnyside Sports, in fact I run it less now than ever. They run it, all of them. I want to thank them now, Susan, Gary, Mike, Jim, Eric, Seth, Jacob, Russ, Jeffrey, Jodie, and Damian. Barb, and Lew are here with me so they are thankful they all run the store also. We don't have just workers at Sunnyside, we have people with passion, people who love what they do. I do a lot at Sunnyside, and I am an important cog, but without me the store still works because of the dedication of those who work when I am gone. I don't worry about how they are doing because I know they are doing the very best that can be done. The good part is I am looking forward to getting home and seeing everyone. They are all part of my extended family, if you are reading this, thanks gang, see you in a week.Don -
SUNSHINE, CHOCOLATE NIÑAS, AND SKYPE
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Nothing like a little trip to the ice cream store for Ione and Eifa. Ione was very proud of her chocolate mouth. I, of course couldn't help but to take a photo. Her mom is on the bike, with short sleeves and bare legs. It was finally warm enough to take of the protective layers. Of course there will be a few of us with a British Tan this morning. The first long day in the sun means sunburn for some. The first year I came to Mallorca I didn't call home for almost three week. Kathy was in San Diego for a workshop and her cell phone was not working. Three years ago we discovered Skype. We were able to talk via the internet at no charge. The hotel didn't have wifi so I found a place in the plaza that had a signal (someone's vacation home I think). This year the hotel has free wifi and we have video. Not only do I get to talk to my sweetheart but I get to see her lovely face. How good is that. Somehow that is very comforting. I don't get Skype. It is free and there are no adds. How do they make it. It also works very well. Today we have more sunshine and less wind. More fun on the bikes.Don -
DIVERSE DIRECTIONS AND WEATHER CHANGE
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
Everyone in our group took diverse directions. Yesterday was a day of changing weather and some pretty strong winds. In Palma, about 45 miles from here a cruise ship was blown off it's mooring and the gang plank (maybe only pirate ships have gang planks) fell into the water with some passengers on it. This storm had all of Europe in a turmoil. For us it meant the last 5 kilometers of the ride were pretty much scary. The wind tried to blow us backwards and off our bikes. Last night the wind blew like crazy and most everyone was hesitant to go out and get blown around again. So it was a tourist day. Paul, Linda, Patsy and Gary went off to Palma. That was a good plan as the rest of the time here is predicted to be sunny and warm. Mary told me she would be a tourist today and Barb hung out with Lew. She went out on her bike in the afternoon after the wind subsided.Me, well I have bicycle disease. That means I ride no matter what. Bike holiday means bike riding. Today turned out to be a great day though. No rain, we were protected from the wind by both the mountains and the tall bodies of Kevin and Neal (lads from England and Scotland). We rode up to Orient down to Bunyola (stop for lunch), and then back to the hotel. We did over 100k today. Tailwind on the way home. How good is that. How kind of these lads to let me hang with them. I feel very special.I have been here seven times now. I have ridden most of the roads that exist on this side of the Island. Today we found another road that makes our riding more fun. This is not a new road. We looked for it the first year I came over and did not find it. It bypasses three town on a busy road. It is one lane wide with pretty good pavement. Kind of cool to find something new after being here for so many years.In the photos you can see what our life is like, Paul and Linda having breakfast, pretty typical Mallorcan hotel breakfast food. They are actually English breakfasts. Toast, cereal, bacon, sausage, eggs etc. In the next photo is your American custom of food photos. That is a plate of paella we had last night. Some of us went out to check the local restaurants. This is my favorite. Ca'n Ferra. The family has had this restaurant for many generations. When I went in the owner recognized and had a big smile for me. This is a very typical Mallorcan cafe. The locals all come in to have a drink and talk. That is the photo with Leila and Elaine in the foreground. And lastly it was two peoples birthday this week. Rhoda and Ben (both Scots). We had a pre dinner party in their room. Cake, cava (Spanish sparkling wine) and good company. Now with the weather predicted to be perfect the rest of the holiday we will all get back to serious riding.Take care.Don -
GOOD THINGS IN MALLORCA AND HOW TO DRY SHOES
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
We had a wet day yesterday and my shoes were soaking wet. It wasn't a cold rain (just wet). I washed everything and I have spares so it wasn't important for everything to dry, except my shoes. I tried paper and it just wasn't happening. So I use cloths pins and attached them to the ceiling fan. They were dry in an hour. I was careful to balance them. More good food and Sunshine today. Proof is in the photo. Don Corleone is the name of the cafe were I like to get my cafe con leche. I have one of these cups at home so I can remember Mallorca. Kathy has it out so she can remember me. This is a photo of the real thing at the real cafe. Made me feel at home and made me glad to be here. Then we have Ione on her Skut. Now Sunnyside is proud of families that buy there bikes at our store. Most of those families live in Bend, I have one that lives in Arizona, this family (three Sunnyside Bikes and a Bob baby jogger) lives in Selkirk, Scotland. They are Ali, Pete, Ione and Eifa. I gave Ione her Skuut. She was about 18 months old at the time (not old enough). Now she is almost three and the Skuut is a hit. She told me it was a very fast bike. With her on it it is. No fear going down the ramp in the hotel lobby. Even in the couple of days she has been on it she is getting better. Sorry about the out of fucus photo I will try to get a better one soon. It is quite windy right now but we hope that calms down for tomorrow so we can go to Petra for a famous lunch. All of are hoping to meet there around noon or so. I hope it works out. Thanks for reading and take care.Don -
RIDING IN THE WET ENJOYING THE FOOD
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
Most of us come to Mallorca for some warm weather and great roads. Europeans don't understand that in most of the US we don't have small winding perfect cycling roads. That is why I come to Mallorca. In the spring it is usually pretty dry and the roads rule. The Government of Mallorca has gone to a lot of trouble to make cyclists welcome. They have gone out and paved some old farm tracks and then marked them so we can get from village to village without using the major highways. It takes some work to find the correct path but once you learn a few tricks it is quite easy. You can see in the one photo we have stopped to make sure we haven't gone wrong. It was raining and a couple of us were quite tired. We didn't go wrong and got back to town in time for some late lunch. Yes we were wet but it was close to 60 degrees so we were not cold.Food is the other good thing about Europe. They take it more seriously than we do in the States. A simple sandwich becomes a work of art over here. They always use bread baked the same day, jamon serrano, (spanish ham), and olive oil. We also had some papas fritas (they look like french fries). They taste completely different. Again they use olive oil to fry the potatoes. What a difference. They also use fresh potatoes. There are lots of good reasons we like to ride over here, those are just a couple. So even though it has been wet we have still had a great time. Time to go to the market and get ready for a late morning ride.Don -
WE HAVE ARRIVED IN MALLORCA
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
We got to Mallorca Sunday around 8 PM. Travel always takes forever. As you can see from my photo below we lived the life of Riley on the way over. Barb, Lew and I decided to splurge and use a few more frequent miles and fly Business class. It made the trip easy for sure. I slept about 7 hours on the flight, had two gourmet meals and turned down countless glasses of wine. When we got to Frankfurt we were allowed into the Business Class lounge and I even had a shower. How cool was that. Lew would not have been able to come (broken leg) if we had been in economy. It still wasn't comfortable but it was doable. Two of our bikes were late but they showed up in the morning in time for the first ride. Patsy, Gary, Leila, Barb, Linda, Paul and I did one of my favorite loops. The small person below is Patsy going quite well up to Lluc. This is an 8 Km climb at about 5 % with lots of switchbacks. It feels like a Euro climb without all the hard work. We then rolled into Pollensa and had a terrific lunch with cafes and chocalates all around. A perfect first day. When we got back to the hotel the Scots had arrived. Ione, who is almost 3 brought her Skut with her. She was busy showing off her skills on the ramp in the hotel. She will be an awesome mountain bike rider. Today (Tuesday) started of cloudy which turned to rain by afternoon . Yes we got quite wet but it wasn't cold. 50 miles and around 3 hours later we were back at the hotel trying to wash and dry everything. Tired but happy I would say.The forecast tomorrow is for some rain and wind so who knows what we will do. Dry it will be some mountains, wet, more cafe and flat windy roads. See you around and take care.Don
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WE ARE GOING TO MALLORCA, SPAIN ON SATURDAY
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
We are headed to Mallorca this coming Saturday (Feb 28, 2009). What you see are two of my favorite things over there, a cup of café con leche and some absolutely marvelous bike riding. The photo on the left is real, and it is not the only road like that, the Island is full of them. We is me and 8 friends of Sunnyside Sports. Some of the friends work at Sunnyside (Barb and Lew) the others are friends (other stores call them customers). Patsy, Gary, Linda, Paul, Mary and Leila. This will be my seventh time over there. I hope to go again next year even (if you are interested let me know (sunnyside@sunnysidesports.com will get me). This will be a trip when we get home we will be relaxed, in shape and full of memories of some of the best roads Europe has to offer. We will stay in one hotel the whole time. I have been asked many times "Don't you get bored riding the same roads all the time?" My answer is simple, No, I am not bored living in Bend yet after over 30 years. I missed going last year so this will be special, like a homecoming for me. You get to know some of local café owners, the people that work at the hotel, most of them are friendly faces. I am curious also how the economy is going to affect what we see. Will the number of riders be down? Will all the stores and cafés be open. I hope so.Mallorca for most people means Euro tourist. Laying on the beach getting a british tan (sunburn). Well in March the pools are not heated, the beaches cool and most of the tourist at home. What you have in March is up to 50,000 cyclists at a time enjoying the roads and the café. Not many Americans, mainly Germans, Swiss, Dutch and Brits. The bonus for me will be the Brits. Not really Brits though the Scots. You see the weather sucks in Scotland most of the time (this is a west coaster talking). For them Mallorca in March is the warmest they will see it all year. There are not that many Scots in the world. Around 5 million or so. They have some awesome cyclists though. Sir Chris Hoy won three golds medals in China this summer. David Millar, pro cyclist on the Garmin Chipotle team to name a couple. Then there are my Scots. These are some special friends I have. They live in Scotland and I live in Bend. I go to Scotland to see them, and they come to Bend to see me. We all go to Mallorca to ride bikes, almost every year. This year most of them will be there again. We make sure we are there at the same time, we stay in the same hotel or even apartment. We like to ride together, laugh at the English, Germans and yes the Americans too. We like to eat good food, drink good café, and of course even have a beer or two. I will even go home via Scotland to see the ones that couldn't make it this year. Next year why don't you come along.DonOne more thing it really irritates me that my apple computer doesn't know how to spell Mallorca, it wants a j instead of ll. That is just fundamentally wrong. -
THOUGHTS ON FIRST RACE OF THE YEAR
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
I have been racing for over 30 years now. That is a long time. These wimpy pro guys retire after 10 or 15 years. So after that long you would think I would know how to get ready for a race.Yes I know how to get ready but doing it is another thing. Mountain bike racing is another kettle of fish as compared to cyclo cross. Cyclo cross is 40 minutes of as hard as I can go. No need to feed (in fact that is frowned on). Eat three hours before, eat one gu and then race. Don't dress too warmly. Mountain bike racing is 2 to three hours. You can get too hot or too cold. Eating is part of the race, warm up is important but not the same as cross. I use a 5 inch full suspension bike. It needs to be set up for race mode. I was thinking about all this on Saturday evening. I was going to race the next day and I hadn't even thought about getting ready. I packed everything I thought I would need into the car and along with James, Jim and Ben off we went. We got to the race a little later than I would have liked. The highway was a sheet of ice for close to 60 miles. Going 4o instead of 60. We decided to forge on. I didn't eat quite enough so I threw some Gu packages in my pocket (good) I put my vest on over my pocket (bad). I brought my clear glasses (good), I couldn't find them in my bag (bad). I really wanted to use contacts but had totally forgotten them ( I was to pay for that later). I was too warm but there was no way to take off any clothing without stopping. I got hungry but couldn't get out my gu. I had to stop and move my vest. My glasses fogged up while I was on the most fun part of the trail. I lost my momentum. I persevered, I forged on and ended up winning my category. I am known as the guys who is ready, I felt like a rookie. Next time it will be better. As I mentioned I won yesterday. Don't ask me how many showed up. I don't really know other than there were a lot of racers. Ron was there (he beat me in my last two cross races last year). Winning is an important part of racing for me. I work hard and to have the satisfaction of that hard work paying off by winning is the best. When I get back from a race I am asked "Did you win?" I hate that. Yes I have won my share of races but it is never a forgone conclusion. I like "How did you do?" better. When I win it is special. Yesterday was special. As Levi Leipheimer said at the Tour of California winning is only as good as your competition. Ron is good competition, so the win was good. I hope to win some more this year, but my last win was over one year ago. I certainly am not counting on winning every race I do, but I do enter every race thinking I can win. When I do it is sweet.DonPS These photos were of the Echo the small town where this race started. It was a great venue.
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WHAT DO WE TALK ABOUT AT WORK?
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
I know many of you have been in Sunnyside Sports and probably know we all like working there. That doesn't mean every minute of everyday is perfect. We work hard and we get busy. That means stress. However we live what we do. When I come in on my day off I am always asked "How was your ride or ski?" Every morning when we all gather together we all catch up with what the others did the day before. This isn't just true of us, it includes our customers (who are also our friends). It is what makes Sunnyside real. We know what the snow is like because we have been there or have asked someone how it was. If you want to know what Horse Ridge is like we will know. The other day I went out to Horse Ridge for a short ride and when I was finished Eric was there with Patrick (he used to work at Sunnyside) and newcomer to town Rob. A few minutes later Jim showed up. We work together we play together.This year we are going to host the Spring Fling. This is the COTA's annual trail work day and Party. Seth thinks it is pretty cool we are doing this and was commenting on how Sunnyside has a huge history with mountain biking, but we don't have the reputation as a Mountain bike shop. It is true we like to sell all types of bikes to all types of people. We have tried not to be anything but a bike store. I will list a few Sunnyside mountain bike moments. Gary and friends "riding" to the top of Mt Bachelor in 1976 on coaster brake clunkers. Sunnyside sponsored rider and friend Tom Pickett racing in the first US National Mountain bike championships in 1983. Me, John Howcroft, Tom Pickett and Julie Willis racing for Bridgestone from 1987 through 1991. Me winning two World Championship medals in 1988 [Downhill and overall(a combination of uphill, downhill and cross country)]. Sponsor of Pickett's Charge mountain bike race since 1994.Sunnyside has a huge history with mountain bikes and we will continue to be involved. This year we are going to have monthly trail work day, and we are adapting the Storm King trail. This year our team was the highest placed team in Central Oregon with most of those points coming from Mountain Bike races. So that is what we talk about. We love what we sell and it shows. See you on the trail.Don -
Friends make it more fun
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
I am notorious for doing things alone. I like to ride alone, bike alone. I always ride indoors alone. I do have friends though and they do make it more fun. Muffy is one of those friends. The last few years we really haven't done that much together. We get busy, we don't call, we have too much work and home life. We have spent the last few Oregon Bike Rides together though. She runs our Sunnyside Store. On the last OBR I had a dream though. In the dream after the ride I said to Muffy, "Thanks for the fun see you next year". The next morning I decided that was wrong and we have been getting together to ride and to ski. The skiing took awhile as we had a few scheduling issues to figure out. We went classic sking today. It was awesome. Extra blue wax, though I did have to reapply some secret Canadian wax that Muffy had with her. I have to admit on the way down to Leslie's Lunge I checked my speed (snowplow in other words). On classic skis that rubs off the kick wax.We try to get together once a week. Ski or ride. We never go hard. We like to talk, laugh at each other and commiserate. I like to catch up with Zoe and Tosch and Muffy is a good way to do that. We met almost 20 years ago. It was on a bike ride ( not surprising really). I am glad we have stayed good friends. Lots of things have happened since we have met, we have lost a few friends and we have made some more. Though I like to do things alone I realize it is more fun with a friend.Don
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FRIENDS WHO I RIDE WITH
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
Riding with friends is a great thing. I am going to Mallorca, Spain at the end of this month to do just that. Today, though I am still home and I found some really good friends to ride with. Kathy and Barb. If you read my blog and come into Sunnyside you will recognize both of them. I have been married to Kathy for 38 years, and I have been working with Barb for 17 years. Both are my friends also, people I like to ride with. They are just as fun to ride with as the pros I go out with. There is one difference, I get to wait for them instead of the pros waiting for me. On a road ride it is pretty easy to ride with a friend, you go their speed and find a route that is a good distance. Mountain biking is not the same. I have been riding Mountain bikes for a long time, I have some skills. I find it hard to determine what is hard and what is easy. After many years I now get it. Rocks are hard for non hard core riders, soft sand is hard, exposure is hard. You can see by the faces of Barb and Kathy that they are having fun. They like the desert, the wind, the smells. It was a day that a road ride would have been hard and a mountain bike fun. If you take a friend out take their photo. If they look like Barb and Kathy then you took them on a great ride. DonPS After riding with them I went out and did my own short technical ride. Worked out great.
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LAST DAY OF COACHING FIRST DAY OF RIDING
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
Here we are living in a small piece of heaven. On Wednesday I was up at Mt Bachelor teaching my last Masters Skate class. It was the all women's skate group and it was a makeup. On one of our classes Mt Bachelor was closed because it was so windy. Today was a perfect day for teaching. It was easy to stay on our skis, so we could practice long glides without the fear of falling. I have to say I was very impressed with this class (my other class also). Ben Husaby changed the way I teach skiing a few years ago and it really works. We work on body position. With a good body position the rest of skating will just come along. Everyone in my class had great body position. Thank you all for making this year very special. I am very sad to have resigned, but I think it will work it self out in the long run.After skiing it was off to a bike ride with my sweetheart, Kathy. With my new camera I was able to take a photo on the move. The screen is so big you can look and click while riding. I am not sure this is approved by the powers to be but I did get a pretty good photo. It was nice to get out on the road bikes in the sun and no wind. It wasn't warm but the sun felt good on the face. I know we have a couple of more months of snow and cold but I like to take advantage of the warmer calm days and go for a short ride. Kathy prefers it to skiing so off we went. We started at Big Sky Park and did an hour loop. Few cinders and only a little snow on Bear Creek Road. Though the news about the economy seems to get worse everyday and I know more and more people who have been laid off, when I get outside and enjoy the snow, the roads and all the reasons I live in Bend I can forget all of that for awhile. I hope you can to.Take care.Don -
CALIFORNIA GOOD OR BAD?
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
I am in Chico, California for a musical reason (Kathy is a piano teacher and she is here to see and visit with some piano teachers). I am the driver. I am from a family of drivers (my Dad was a truck driver). I am also a human GPS (according to Brig). Kathy was worried about the snow and I figured California has got to be warmer than Bend. I brought my mountain bike because there is a great park in town called Bidwell Park. It is one of the largest municipal parks in the USA. It is large. I rode over 20 miles from downtown to the end of the park and back with no loops sidetracking or getting lost (human GPS you know). The bad news -the trails were closed to mountain bikes. It had rained all night, I expected that. So up a dirt/gravel road I went. It was misting and looked and smelled like California. Now my secret. I was born in Montana, I have lived in Central Oregon on and off since 1969, but those years between were spent in California. That is where I learned to ride a bike, where I first raced a bike, where I went on my first bike tour etc. It is a great place to ride a bike. The weather is right, the terrain is right and it even smells right. I have never had any problem with Californians moving to Oregon. Maybe too many off them have, but that is how I got here. But what I am really saying is , if you are in Oregon go to California for a short bike holiday. There are Palm trees in Redding (4 1/2 hours from Bend). Palm trees is a hint. Another great place to visit is Death Valley. That is about an 11 hour drive from Bend. You can actually fly there for $69 (Las Vegas). In March and April it is a great getaway. So instead of complaining about Californians in Oregon go be an Oregonian in California. -
AM I THE GUY WHO WRITES THE BLOG +NEW CAMERA
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
I bought a new camera today. It has a 10X zoom with a 40X digital zoom. It is pretty clear as you can see in those photos above. The one on the left is the 10X zoom the other is the 40X. Oh and that is Mt Jefferson from Horse Ridge. You can see the freezing fog below the mountain. Freezing fog is pretty but it is miserable to do anything in. Yesterday I was above the fog skiing in near 50 degree weather, when I got home it was 22. The other photos are of friends and new friends. The one with the car is Matt and Ruth. They are fairly new to Bend and just learning all the cool things we have (Horse Ridge in the winter for example). Both are school teachers and so far love it here. Matt is on our bike race team and we did lots of cross races together. We left at different times and when I saw them again they were enjoying the trails. It was the best out there today. The other photo is of Aaron and Gavin. We just met today, but their first words were "Are you the guy who writes the blog"? I said I was and took out my new camera and now they are in my blog. They had read my blog about how cool it was out there on New Years day. I write this blog and it pleases me that it is read. -
SKIING, RIDING AND NO FLOODS!
» Don's Sunnyside Blog
Last week I went for a great ski in the morning, and then thought wow Horse Ridge might be in good condition so out I went. It was in optimal condition. For those of you who do not know Horse Ridge it is sandy in the summer, can be snowy and icy in the winter. It can also be prime. It has been the last week or so. Anyway I am out there with about 40 others and on the West Side of the mountains I-5 is closed because of flooding. What is it worth living in Bend? I don't really know but I do not want to live anywhere else. These trails were built by enthusiasts (like you and me). The Horse Ridge trails don't take a ton of maintenance, they do not get 12 month use. November to March is about all they see. For it usually December, January and February. If you ride all the options of single track there is about a 2 and 1/2 hour ride. Some of that is out and back. It is rocky. Not impossible (I can clear just about everything , maybe not everytime). If you go in the morning it smells wonderful. Sage Brush warming up. The smile on my face is real. I was having fun seeing all my bike friends. I live in Bend because of the desert, and as a bonus I get the mountains. We have a week of great weather coming up so I will be out there, on my road bike and I will throw some skiing in there also. Take care and enjoy.Don
I
I bought a new camera today. It has a 10X zoom with a 40X digital zoom. It is pretty clear as you can see in those photos above. The one on the left is the 10X zoom the other is the 40X. Oh and that is Mt Jefferson from Horse Ridge. You can see the freezing fog below the mountain. Freezing fog is pretty but it is miserable to do anything in. Yesterday I was above the fog skiing in near 50 degree weather, when I got home it was 22. 
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Studio 3 [xml|www]
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An Eskimo bakes [xml|www]
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Hunger Prevention Coalition of Central Oregon [xml|www]
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Bill's Blog
[xml|www]
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Brand Insight Blog [xml|www]
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Run Until I Die [xml|www]
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Smoke Signals
[xml|www]
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Renegade Rollergirls of Oregon
[xml|www]
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NitroSister Christina : Artwork [xml|www]
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Frequency: The Bulletin's music blog
[xml|www]
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Bankermom
[xml|www] -
Damian Fagan [xml|www]
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Joan Quick [xml|www]
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Eponaleah's Photoblography
[xml|www]
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vorpal.cc/blog [xml|www]
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BP's Bend Properties [xml|www]
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Bend Real Estate News
[xml|www]
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acloudtree [xml|www]
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Life, Crafted. [xml|www]
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Community Learning Instructor [xml|www]
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Volcano Vineyards Blog [xml|www]
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Nugget Newspaper Blog [xml|www]
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the. Blink. Blog
[xml|www]
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Central Oregon Views [xml|www]
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Pressing On [xml|www]
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The Ardent Thread's Weblog
[xml|www]
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Diner Life [xml|www]
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The Payroll Experience [xml|www]
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she's just saying ... [xml|www]
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ralph phillips .com
[xml|www]
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TechSpace [xml|www]
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indie girl in a mountain town
[xml|www]
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Virtual Teahouse
[xml|www]
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BendTech
[xml|www]
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Finding Ground
[xml|www]
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Good Fitness, Great Life [xml|www]
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Lean Startup - smsDrone [xml|www]
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Cheri Smith's Bend Oregon Real Estate Blog
[xml|www]
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monkeyinabox [xml|www]
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Rob Umphress [xml|www]
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Lance Hardy Photography
[xml|www]
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Moving On [xml|www]
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Wandering Words
[xml|www]
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MYC Yoga Bend
[xml|www]
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Bend, Oregon Real Estate Blog [xml|www]
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The Blacksmith Restaurant [xml|www]
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Lifestyle Bend
[xml|www]
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Leave it to Barney [xml|www]
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Steve Bennett Builders [xml|www]
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Foot Zone Blog [xml|www]
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Dating Is Weird [xml|www]
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Trying to live the raw food life in Bend, Oregon [xml|www]
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The Lone Cowgirl [xml|www]
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Planker Sandwiches Presents: Traveling Sandwiches
[xml|www] -
Wiggling Around [xml|www]
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Peachy Green
[xml|www]
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propaganda and lies
[xml|www]
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Campbell PR Blog [xml|www]
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Good Dirt Jewelry [xml|www]
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Escape to Books [xml|www]
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robertwrose.com
[xml|www]
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Run Girl Run! [xml|www]
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The Blender [xml|www]
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Bend Tax Tips [xml|www]
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Professional Counseling Services [xml|www]
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Bend Wild [xml|www]
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knives and lanyards
[xml|www]
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David VanKeuren's Photography
[xml|www]
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The Bend Beer Blog [xml|www]
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Latitudes and Lassitudes [xml|www]
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Forever Family Designs [xml|www]
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WAVE Journey.com [xml|www]
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A Day on the Bike [xml|www]
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Run Bitches Run [xml|www]
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Central Oregon Landwatch [xml|www]
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The Little Things
[xml|www]
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Hydro Flask Blog [xml|www]
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pinkwik
[xml|www]
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Bend Oregon ... and a little beyond! [xml|www]
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Kids@Heart [xml|www]
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Fleet Feet Sports Bend Blog [xml|www]
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to knit in peace [xml|www]
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Cooking For My Guy
[xml|www]
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Paula Watts Photography [xml|www]
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RankByDesign
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Pastor Mike's Faith Journey Adventure [xml|www]
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Fade Away... [xml|www]
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Build Baby Build [xml|www]
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Play Outdoors Campfire
[xml|www]
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The Social Business Blog [xml|www]
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A Year In The Life of Krystal
[xml|www]
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The Share House
[xml|www]
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Sentences We Love [xml|www]
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True North [xml|www]
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The Beeb, the Beagle & My Bestfriend [xml|www]
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Craving [xml|www]
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Gill Adventures Blog [xml|www]
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Central Oregon Web Professionals Usergroup
[xml|www]
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Camalli Book Company [xml|www]
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The Central Oregon Veteran [xml|www]
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Sagebrush Blog [xml|www]
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Occidental Tourist
[xml|www]
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The Wagger [xml|www]
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Marvin's Blog: CEO of Bend Memorial Clinic
[xml|www]
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The Map [xml|www]
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Amerine.net
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Forget-About-It Golf
[xml|www]
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Barker Bass Blog [xml|www]
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Sagewind Voices [xml|www]
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Matt Hand - The Media Geek [xml|www]
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Awbrey Dental Group Blog
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Seth Anderson, Architect
[xml|www]
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WOW! And I say it louder. [xml|www]
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Dylan Darling's Real Estate Blog [xml|www]
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Greener By Design [xml|www]
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Alt Blu [xml|www]
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TBD blog [xml|www]
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Pacific Crest Stock Photography Blog
[xml|www]
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Nosler
[xml|www] -
COTA News
[xml|www]
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Martha Knows
[xml|www]
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Until All have Heard [xml|www]
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COISUG
[xml|www]
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The Trading Desk [xml|www]
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Tangled and True [xml|www]
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Carpet Cleaning Bend Oregon [xml|www]
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Buzz By Annie's [xml|www]
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Ms.E. [xml|www]
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My Tangerine Dreams [xml|www]
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Blooming Eventually [xml|www]
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Learning Conversations [xml|www]
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The Pure Ingredients [xml|www]
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3:18 Theology [xml|www]
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CS Distributors and Creative Smocking [xml|www]
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yarrow [xml|www]
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Ginger's Kitchenware [xml|www]
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View From The Cliff [xml|www]
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Create and Relate [xml|www]
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Parenting A Complex Special Needs Child [xml|www]
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KerryONeal.com
[xml|www]
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BluSportz
[xml|www]
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Dudley's BookShop Cafe [xml|www]
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Postcards from the Edge [xml|www]
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Parking Lot Mamas [xml|www]
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Central Oregon Life
[xml|www]
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Ethereal Graphics
[xml|www]
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It Was Written [xml|www]
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breaking the rules [xml|www]
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Be Well with Qigong [xml|www]
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Blessed Wanderer
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BendNights Dot Blog [xml|www]
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The Speed Test
[xml|www]
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Olive Stew - All the Ways We Eff-Up Love [xml|www]
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Liana's Lifetime [xml|www]
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The Huni Family (Almost) Daily Diatribe [xml|www]
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Bend Attachment Parenting
[xml|www]
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life is weird (and so am i) [xml|www]
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BendBubble Phase Three [xml|www]
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coldframed tomatoes [xml|www]
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On The Record
[xml|www] -
NeighborImpact Food Bank News [xml|www]
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Parenting An Adult with Complex Special Needs
[xml|www]
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The Sorted [xml|www]
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AdFedCO Blog
[xml|www]
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Invest In Oregon
[xml|www]
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IronHorse [xml|www]
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Dustin Cowell Enterprises Blog
[xml|www]
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THEMdidit
[xml|www]
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Edwards Photography
[xml|www]
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Wannabe Hipster Mom
[xml|www] -
Mike Toth Art
[xml|www]
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Shopping With Katrina [xml|www]
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BrianInBend [xml|www]
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Big Star Farm's Blog
[xml|www]
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Think, Love & Live Green
[xml|www]
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Pale Musings
[xml|www]
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Blueturtle's Space [xml|www]
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Central Oregon Critic [xml|www]
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olivefingers
[xml|www]
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Brewerman [xml|www]
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Images by Jeff Kennedy [xml|www]
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Alpine Blogs [xml|www]
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Central Oregon Savings [xml|www]
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Merlot Mortgage Blog [xml|www]
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Katie [xml|www]
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Training For Fun! [xml|www]
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Juniper Seahorses [xml|www]
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Ignite Bend
[xml|www]
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Bicycle43 [xml|www]
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Sunriver Google Fiber RFI Response
[xml|www]
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High Desert Diva [xml|www]
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Tom's Book Publishing Blog [xml|www]
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THE JC PEOPLE [xml|www]
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Living With Music [xml|www]
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The Grumpy Forester [xml|www]
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Central Oregon Food [xml|www]
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Bend Spirit Club
[xml|www]
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Mom2Mom Bend, Oregon [xml|www]
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Brysons of Bend [xml|www]
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Birdies 4 Babies Golf Charity [xml|www]
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On The Bright Side.net
[xml|www]
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Backporch Coffee Roasters
[xml|www]
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How the Real Mother Hen Sees the World [xml|www]
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Garage Improvement [xml|www]
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Bend, Oregon, Daily Photo [xml|www]
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The Gardener's Husband
[xml|www]
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PPP (Pole Pedal Paddle) [xml|www]
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End Times [xml|www]
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WebCyclery Blog
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Elise Michaels Media [xml|www]
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The Commercial Photographer [xml|www]
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RAMBLETRON 4.75.269 [xml|www]
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Elan Vital Anthology [xml|www]
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Peebo the Bike Commuter [xml|www]
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Bend Mothers Acting Up [xml|www]
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Bend Drum Circle [xml|www]
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Bend Chiro Blog [xml|www]
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It's the little things in life... [xml|www]
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Holly Contracting and Design [xml|www]
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Snowboard Mt Bachelor
[xml|www]
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there once was a girl [xml|www]
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Things that go great with coffee, friends and waffles [xml|www]
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Dwyer Williams Potter, Attorneys, LLP [xml|www]
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dopeblend news
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Stroller Strides - Bend, OR [xml|www]
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Cowgirls Blog [xml|www]
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Isabella Acosta Barna [xml|www]
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Search Consulting Service Blog [xml|www]
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Bend Morons [xml|www]
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bent and beat [xml|www]
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The Minkz
[xml|www]
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backstage pass [xml|www]
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If you're not ready to die for it... [xml|www]
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The Debut Effect [xml|www]
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Stride Steady [xml|www]
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bent paradox
[xml|www]
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Victoria's Secrets Told [xml|www]
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disturbing the comfortable [xml|www]
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XC Oregon [xml|www]
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Ania Designs [xml|www]
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There Goes Today, it Slowly Fades Away [xml|www]
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Dusty Tales [xml|www]
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Bring Back the 80's! [xml|www]
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Life Behind the Lens [xml|www]
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Bend Oregon Photos [xml|www]
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Bend Gazette [xml|www]
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Our journey to Paige [xml|www]
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Live on the Fly Studio [xml|www]
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Pensees [xml|www]
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The BF Stop: The Official BIG Folio Blog [xml|www]
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Bivwak Outdoors [xml|www]
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the ecomoderate
[xml|www]
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eMusings [xml|www]
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Scam Protectors [xml|www]
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bikebuzz
[xml|www] -
Tom Cornilliac
[xml|www]
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Call Me Ed [xml|www]
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I intentionally wrote it out to be an illegible mess [xml|www]
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Gregg Zivney [xml|www]
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Music and Musings [xml|www]
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The Adventures of Rich Jandt [xml|www]
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The Christensons [xml|www]
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Kitchen Weech [xml|www]
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Juniper Ridge Info [xml|www]
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Lighthouse Parents [xml|www]
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Not So Sex and the City [xml|www]
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Laura @ Curl Up & Dye [xml|www]
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Media Review [xml|www]
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Chinook TC
[xml|www]