Bygone Bicyclist

This is a long time coming (is 6 days really a long time? I guess it probably is.). An explanation!

From Seattle I had approximately three days until the border, and I was out of new replacement spokes. 1,000 miles traveled and I’d used well over 20 spokes – probably closer to 30. After having narrowed down the reason behind the breaking, assessing the solution was next in line. The reason was a coupled problem. Kennedy cycles are fantastic city rides. I still love the bike very much, and am so glad to have it. Throw on another 40-50 pounds and it starts to have a small issue. That small issue stems from a design flaw (oversight, ignorance – whatever you wish to call it). Center drilled holes (in the rim) make it hard for the spokes to have a nice straight line from the hub to the nipple. A slight bend sometimes occurs, and this eventually becomes the weak point in that single spoke. As well, the bicycle only has 52 spokes, when most ordinary cycles had somewhere between 70 and 100 spokes. This alleviates the spoke-line issue a small bit, and also adds multiplicative strength to the wheel.

Why is this such an issue then, considering I just said it wasn’t a big deal? Well. Breaking spokes on the road is a complete mind game. Breaks aren’t a huge deal. You get off. Replace it. Check trueness. Continue riding. All in all it takes me about 3 minutes to replace both a spoke and nipple as well as thread, jive, weave and maze the new spoke into the lacing pattern. When you break a spoke, it’s like both of your tires going flat at the same time (on a bicycle with pneumatic tires, that is!). It’s kind of a bummer. When the second spoke of the day breaks though, it’s like getting 95 flats at the same time (even though it only takes a few minutes to fix!). It’s just a mental deterrent. Spokes rarely if ever break while in the city without bags. Get on some 4-8% grades with 40-50 pounds of gear and the stress level overdoes it.

So where’s that put the Bygone Bicyclist? Well, he has a few plans up his sleeve that hopefully prove to be fruitful. In short, I’m on a small break, pausing until I get my issues solved. Have I quit? Far from. Do I plan to finish this SF to AK journey? 100%, of course. Do I still plan to do it by penny farthing? Is that a serious question? That’s the only way I can fathom traveling. Having completed 1,000 miles on my Kennedy up the Pacific Coast states, it’s clearly proven that I can complete this journey. It’s a matter of mechanics at this point. As soon as the problem is solved, you can bet you rear I will be back pedaling towards The Last Frontier. I honestly cannot wait to get more miles done. Since Seattle, I’ve taken a train home (to Phoenix), where I am planning out my return to the road with a stronger Wheel. Don’t write me off. I’m far from finished.

Tacoma onward was some nice riding thanks to a new friend of mine, Marty. The stay in Auburn, with Skip and Su was more than I could have ever dreamed. Okonomiyaki and kare raisu? Delicious and completely unexpected. Many more new friends were acquired in the Seattle area, and meeting some old ones was refreshing.

Leaving Castle Rock was difficult, but I had to press on. It seemed the rain was never going to stop, so I just had to man up and take the ‘pain’. Washington rain isn’t like back home. Back home we get downpours for long periods of time. Washington seems to get flurries of drizzle or rain, or even downpour, but then larger breaks between said precipitation. North of Tenino, then Tacoma. A long day, followed by a short day (that was made a long day by 23 miles of city riding – 23 miles where I forgot my camera…doh!). After arriving in Tenino (and Tacoma), having left Toutle River RV seemed like less of a hurdle thanks to the wonderful folks I met. Both hosts also rode with me the following day, which breaks up the monotony of the miles.

Castle Rock, WA was a terrific stop for me. I never intended to stay as long as I did, but I am overly please that I did. Because of my new friend, Charlie, I got to see Mount St. Helens, experience a lot of history in the area and all around have a great time. I also got to see his dream unfold first hand, as his baby, the Toutle River RV Resort, prepares for it’s last week prior to the first year of fully functionality. What an amazing place too! “Big Foot Croquet”, cedar wood saunas, disc golf course, BMX course (and bike repairs), volley ball, basketball, swimming, hot tub, meat/jerky smoking (in a stone smoker!) and much more (and more amazing things planned!!) … how can you ask for more from a place? I personally would pay to sleep in a tent at Toutle River RV before paying to stay in most hotel/motels. It’s just a fantastic place, with great people and a wonderful atmosphere.

The Longview bridge is easily the scariest thing I’ve ever ridden, especially on an ordinary cycle. The shoulder was small, maybe 2-3 feet, there were two narrow lanes (trafficed by speeding cars, semis, trucks and logging vehicles) and the entire shoulder was littered with TONS of logging debris (seriously, I can’t even explain how much garbage was in the shoulder – it was unridable). To top it all off, it’s huge, long, a pretty solid climb and seems to last forever.

My host in Castle Rock took me to Mt. St. Helens. The weather that day wasn’t supreme, but it drew a real picture of how insane Mother Nature actually is (as if Mount Saint Helens wasn’t picture enough). The winds at the top of the observatory were somewhere between 50 and 70 mph. It was in the low 40Fs and raining. The views and mountains were amazing either way though. I’m so glad I got to go.

Castle Rock has it’s own jail. The towns population is stated to be around 2k, but it is a tiny place. As well, some locals and local sights.