Biking the West Coast!

Fans, friends, and family, let me tell you: after biking 500 miles, you definitely still notice the hills, regardless of whatever anyone else tells you. By around 500 miles, the only real thing that's changed (in my opinion) is your ability to convince yourself that the next hill can't possibly be THAT bad, and that, the next morning, the hill the previous day didn't actually exist. Oh, and the increase in the amount of food you can consume in one day. Today, in one sitting, I ate a HUGE slice of lasagna and half a bagel and cream cheese and a cookie. After snacking on a baked potato, some beef jerky, and a few baby carrots on the way to town.

But hey! I've biked 500 miles! 505, to be exact (well, mostly exact anyway), all the way from Seattle, WA to Bandon, OR, where I currently sit in a public library writing this little missive to you. Shortest riding day: 23 miles (today, actually). Longest: 48 miles (about 3 days ago). Usual average: 40 miles, give or take a couple. We meet seasoned bike tourers who average around 55, fully loaded (with stuff, rather than with a nice friend who follows them around in a car carrying all their stuff, which I totally need next time I do this), so we're not feeling too bad about our days, considering we hadn't biked a single day fully loaded prior to Seattle - ever.

Our days, in case you are curious, work out approximately like this:

Wake up, between 6 and 630am.
Change into biking clothes (sexy), pack up, eat breakfast, Stretch
Start biking (between 730 and 8)
Bike/hydrate, stretch, eat, water the bushes, repeat, until between 230 and 4pm
Find a spot to camp, and hopefully, shower. Cook, set up camp, read, wash laundry, pet dogs.
Sleep (no later than 830pm). Do it all again the next day.

So, there's a lot of time for thinking, and looking about, and checking out viewpoints, and saying mean things about hills and people who design roads to go up hills, and deciding when you're next going to eat (usually between 5 and 15 minutes), and daydreaming, and thinking about whether that RV that's just about to pass you is further than 3CM from your elbow, the usual clearance. Even logging trucks are better.

Okay, my legs are cramping from sitting down for so long, so I'll sign off by telling you about this wonderful group of bikers we stayed with last night. It was a bike ride for charity, The Arthritis Foundation -- 6 days down the OR coast, about 50 riders, each one raising $2500 for the foundation. This ride was FULLY supported, complete with traveling porter potties AND a hot shower truck -- that's right, a truck with hot showers in it. Amazing. We met them just before we camped, and they invited us to share their camp, company, and FOOD. Cooked by chefs. Amazing, again.

Okay, good riding people. This is Jess, signing off!