Cycling the Methow Valley

Methow Fall Bike Festival 2009

2009-10-19T20:02:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful morning and my son was psyched to race. He knows the course and was confident he would do well. He rode the 11 mile course in just over an hour and came in first in his age group getting beat only by two men, in spite of two crashes.

RSVP 2009

2009-10-13T15:17:00.000-07:00

RSVP 2009 was a great ride as it always is. This year Mother Nature was kind sending us cool, cloudy weather and no rain. We had no mechanicals and enjoyed the nice group of riders who participated. The only detriment from riding next year is it would be hard to beat our ride in 2009. We didn't get many pictures but we did make time to get the obligatory photo at the border crossing. B.B. Bobke was impressed with the ride and claims he will do it again in better form, whatever that means. If you want to signup for 2010 the ride sells out very fast so get your money in by the first week. It is a Cascade Bicycle Club sponsored ride.

Wauconda, Chesaw Road, Bonaparte Lake

2009-08-04T22:51:00.001-07:00

Camping last weekend at Bonaparte Lake east of Tonasket, WA. This is a pretty lake at 3400 feet and although the fishing was not good it was a great place to camp and ride bikes. There even was a Hillbilly karaoke night at the nearby resort. We rode to Wauconda and beyond and found some interesting information about the history of that area. We also rode to Lost Lake and found the roads pleasant and empty of car traffic. We definitely will go back for more.

The Perils of Cycling

2009-07-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

Butterball, and myself were having a great ride to Cougar Lake. Coming down toward Campbell Lake is just a great descent through a pretty meadow. I guess the exhilaration got to me, over the handlebars I went when the front wheel stopped in some sand. I didn't want to know how bad it was when I picked myself off the trail. Luckily, it wasn't all that bad, fractured collar bone is all. When you think of all the other things that happen with sudden deceleration and blunt objects. Anyway, be careful out there.

LiveStrong Challenge 09

2009-06-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

My son Jake rode with with me in the LiveStrong Challenge last Sunday. We opted to ride 45 miles because for Jake that distance was an unknown. No worries, I chased him all morning and we rolled into the LiveStrong village at the Seattle Center finish line at 11:30. It was a perfect day for a bike ride and the course was pure Seattle. Great views of Lake Washington and the surrounding mountains.

We are thankful we could participate in this event and for the people who donated to this important cause.

Wishing everyone a great summer of riding.

Methow Valley Tour

2009-06-14T22:44:00.000-07:00

Today Leslye, Jake and I rode the Chewuch loop opposite of the bike races and had a fun time watching the various pelotons go past us. There were over 200 racers here for the fourth annual Methow Valley Tour. The weather was perfect and we hope everyone had a good time.

For more information go to http://www.mvsta.com/summer/mvtour.html. It was fun to see the racers go through town and stop traffic at the main intersection.

Andrew's Creek ride

2009-05-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day! bb and me rode to Andrew's Creek which is up the Chewuch to the end of the pavement. That's 26 miles from my doorstep. Slight uphill climbing all the way up and nice descent down except today a headwind made it a little more challenging. There were quite a few people riding today and very little car/truck traffic. That makes for lot's of conversation and an enjoyable day. And like all good rides it ended at the bakery. Our regular hangout after rides. Remember the Methow Valley Tour coming up June 13 & 14th.

Ride to Sun Mtn #2

2009-05-21T18:50:00.001-07:00

The ride to Sun Mtn can be done on the road or on the trail, aka single track. That is what we did this afternoon. I gotta say, it is a little more demanding. We had a great ride and the trip down is always fun.

Ride to Sun Mtn.

2009-05-14T19:06:00.000-07:00

The Sun Mountain road is always a challenge climbing over 1000 feet in nine miles from Winthrop to arrive at the lodge at 2824 feet. Its a great cycling workout if you just don't have two or three hours to spend. Today my climbing partner bbBob and I rode up to the lodge to enjoy the wonderful views of the valley. After a quick moment at the bench in front of the lodge we headed back down. Since my ski accident where I broke five ribs I am more cautious descending and I don't think I hit over 32 mph. Sliding down the chipseal rode on my a$$ doesn't seem like much fun so caution will prevail. To sum it up, great ride on a great day. Cycling season is upon us.

North Cascade Highway

2009-04-30T23:22:00.000-07:00

A group of my friend's ride from Colonial Creek camp ground to Washington Pass every year with me acting as support, usually in August. Just saw on Facebook through Brian Drye's site where Shawn Pederson rode across the north Cascade Highway and back on a new bike without ever have driven it in a car. Talk about one ironman. He posted some great pictures. And this one I really like. I envy this guy's stamina and sense of adventure. I would ask why he didn't get someone else to go along but I think the answer is obvious. Great effort Shawn. Hope you post more of your rides.

Susie Stephens Memorial Bike Ride

2009-03-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

Today my son Jake and I participated in the Susie Stephens Memorial Bike Ride. It was a beautiful day in spite of the forecast and about 30 people showed up to honor Susie. Most riders chose to ride the Chewuch Loop beginning and ending at the Barn. Jake and I added four miles by riding from our home. We got in almost twenty miles but did the Loop in under an hour. Not bad for this early in the year, for us.

Jake scored a demo bike from Joe at Methow Valley Sport and Cycle. It was a Bianchi cross bike and sells for about three grand. Jake liked it but it's unlikely he will be cruising around on one of those this summer. Not unless he decides to get a job which is highly unlikely.

Chilly Hilly 2009

2009-02-27T21:43:00.000-08:00

Bob and myself travelled 460 miles to Seattle to ride our bikes 33 miles last Sunday. We caught the ferry to Bainbridge Island with 4,000 of our friends and started the ride in a light rain. Within half an hour the rain stopped and we were warmed up from the pleasant riding on rolling hills. The whole ride was like that with a couple of very long steep hills that my legs were not quite ready to handle. We finished and eat great chili before catching the ferry back. We both agreed it was time well spent but now we are wondering how we will make it until we can ride again. This weather is just not cooperating.

First Ride of 2009, Feb. 13

2009-02-15T11:34:00.000-08:00

Friday bbBob and I drove to the Beebe Bridge we rode up McNeil Canyon. They have done significant road improvement and half of the seven miles was asphalt. There is also a nice shoulder at least where it was clear of snow and ice. The temperature was in the thirties but riding uphill for 2200 vertical feet was enough to keep us warm. Considering how tired I was the Chilly Hilly in two weeks may take it's toll on my legs. Funny because just in November I was in pretty good shape.

End for us

2009-01-02T17:08:00.000-08:00

We have finally got the snow needed to ski. And today that is what we did. My bike is mounted on the indoor trainer until further notice. Wishing everyone a great winter season!

Lance on Twitter

2008-12-04T09:44:00.000-08:00

After discovering Lance Armstrong is on Twitter I've been following him for a few weeks. His activities are very interesting and of course there is information about cycling. One website and blog you should check out is: www.elizabethkreutz.com. Many photos of athletes including LA. Her blog is also good: www.elizabethkreutz.blogspot.com. Take a look.

Looking Back and Forward

2008-12-03T21:34:00.000-08:00

It's not exactly biking season in the Methow but we have the memories of past rides that keep us going and looking forward to next year. One of the more popular rides of many is Cutthroat Pass. Not to mention the fact that the pass is part of the Pacific Crest Trial where no bicycling is allowed, it is a good destination to ride for a big challenge and extraordinary scenery. Can you see yourself riding here next summer?

Second last ride of the year

2008-11-26T17:28:00.000-08:00

Done with work at noon, temperature at 45 degrees, sunny, what else could I do? Back up the the state park and a ride with Jake and Buddy almost to Cougar Lake. Beautiful and not cold, 35 minutes of climbing. Eight miles round trip but enough to feel like I'd been out and sweating. Buddy had a good time and Jake had a pedal fall off. Time for a new bike....

Sullivan Pond Ride

2008-11-23T17:48:00.000-08:00

Today we rode from the state park entrance to Sullivan Pond and beyond. I told Bob if it was sunny and 40 degrees we should ride. When we left my house the temp was 39, but it felt warm once we started uphill for about an hour of climbing. Not on my bike because my wife ran over it with the car this afternoon. Only the front wheel was hopelessly bent. I borrowed a ride from Doug Curtis of Curtlo Cycles. Doug always comes through when you need a bike. The scenery was beautiful and I feel like we'll be riding until January if the snow doesn't fly soon.

Bear Creek Rd-Campbell Lake ride

2008-11-15T10:54:00.000-08:00

Here is a map of the previous ride. Another option would be to include the loop to Cougar Lake for a little more mileage and a change of scenery.

Last last ride?

2008-11-14T17:22:00.000-08:00

Well it's the middle of November and this afternoon bbBob and myself had an awesome ride on Bear Creek Road, starting at the Pearrygin State Park entrance, to Campbell Lake. One of my favorite places to fish by the way. We logged in about 15 miles but the uphill part was the majority of it. Figure that one out. We were dressed warm and expected cold but it never happened. This AM it was 28 degrees. On our ride at 1:30 it had to be in the 40's and riding uphill for over an hour kept us comfortable. Riding down also was OK and much faster. With the spectacular scenery and captivating riding partner it made for a pleasant afternoon. I wish I had my camera but I didn't.

Thought I would include a picture of my new (old) ride just converted to a great ride. This bike is so much fun and perfect for most of the off road riding I like to do. There is so much available here and what we did today was great. It had great views, sun, low traffic, and a non-technical dirt road track.

Winter Is Here

2008-11-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

Last year at this date we were skiing groomed trails at the Klipchuck Campground. This year no snow is in sight. It has been raining hard and snow is just a temperature drop away. It always seems like winter when the clocks fall back and we leave work to go home in the dark, at five PM.

My thoughts are still on riding my converted mountain bike. I bought bbBob's internal hub and wheel from his Milano Cafe Racer and put it on my old Specialized Hard Rock. It has a 38T chainring and initial test rides are favorable. I can't wait to put some miles on it. Maybe the temperature will allow it this weekend. Picture to come soon.

My Ride

2008-11-04T22:55:00.000-08:00

This is my main ride. It is the best ride I have known. Steel frame with perfect welds, vibration dampening carbon front forks. I have ridden other bikes with various frames but thin tube steel is light, strong, and smooth. Curtlo bicycles are the best. My ride has a compact chainring and a mountain bike derailleur to handle the large sprockets on the rear. This really helps for climbing.

Gun Ranch Road

2008-10-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

My friend bbBob and I road up the Gun Ranch Road today. It is uphill all the way for an hour almost to Rendezvous Pass and we warmed up pretty fast. My Hard Rock with the new 8-speed Nexus works great but the front ring is too large for this kind of climbing. I will look to get it changed to a 38T in the near future. Right now its more like a road bike. Bob's knowledge of gearing is proving valuable in figuring out the right combination for the application.

This is a great ride with spectacular views of the Methow Valley and it would be fun to ride all the way to Cub Creek and back to town on Chewuch Road. Maybe we'll save that for next summer.

End of the Pace Line

2008-10-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

This seems like a funny time of the year to start writing about cycling; however, it makes good sense. If you consider the season is changing and with temperatures in the thirties there is more time to spend writing and less time to be riding. The Methow Valley is entering winter and it won't be too long before the snow is flying. The last local rides will be over until April unless you mount the studded mountain bike tires. It was a great summer although much too short. Next year will be one for many more rides and a much longer season. I only hope.