Still space left for my Bicycle Touring Workshop on Sunday August 26!

Hey folks! It’s just a week away to my Bike Touring Workshop on Sunday, August 26! And there are still some spots available. Want to join?

The description: Are you itching to hit the open road and explore nature in a way you haven’t yet? Are you a regular bicycle rider but have never taken a bicycle tour? Then join us to learn more about Self-Supported Bicycle Touring and Camping. We’ll be discussing equipment, planning, and cost as well as day-to-day life on the road.

No camping/touring experience required, but this workshop is designed for folks who regularly ride a bike. We will not be extensively discussing bicycle maintenance or mechanics, but may mention a few useful tips for touring.

This workshop is free, and all participants will receive a copy of the Cycle Touring Primer. Donations for the workshop and the primer graciously accepted.

The workshop will happen on Sunday August 26, 2018 from 1 to 4 PM at Golden Pliers, 1451 N. Skidmore St. They have a cafe with coffee, beer, and food so you can come hungry if need be!

You will need to register for the event, registration here:
https://bike-tour-wkshp-aug-2018.eventbrite.com

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A tour of the Oregon Coast, 9-18 Aug 2018

It’s time for another bike tour, a longer one (and hopefully not as much a “comedy of errors”) than my previous tour to the Puget Sound last month. This time it’s a deeper exploration of an area not that far away, but at the same time, far enough.

I’ve toured the entirety of the Oregon Coast in bits and pieces. The most major piece was a 2006 Pacific Coast tour that started in Tillamook and ended in Cambria, California. Since then, I’ve revisited the coast many of times (including riding the remainder from Astoria to Tillamook.) But since the big tour, it’s all been a concentration around the North Coast, the furthest south I had been was Newport in 2010.

This tour starting on Thursday August 9 will remedy some of that. I’m going to get as far south as Reedsport. While I’d like to get further south, I only have about a week of time, and south of Reedsport the “getting back to Portland” part gets tougher.

The impetus of this tour is my friend’s Kirk and Erinne’s wedding outside of Tillamook. They are planning on riding to and from the campsite for the wedding via the Trask Mountain Road, a wild and beautiful but very tough logging road route through the Coast Range. I decided it’ll be a bit easier to take the bus with bike out. And coming along with me is Emee!

The first night, Thursday August 9, will consist of bussing out to Tillamook, then riding 10 miles to my favorite campground in the known universe, Cape Lookout State Park. On Friday we ride 20 or so miles up the Trask River to the location of the wedding, camp, and spend the next day with friends.

On Sunday morning. August 12, Emee and I head south on the coast for a bit, spending the night in Pacific City, then Monday will see a nice cruise over Cascade Head, around Lincoln City and over Cape Foulweather to Beverly Beach.

Emee has to go back to town to work, so she’ll catch the bus from Newport back to the Willamette Valley on Tuesday August 14. I’ll keep heading south until Wednesday night, then I’ll turn inland along the Umpqua River where I’ll camp in Elkton on Thursday and then push north to Eugene for Friday night. On Saturday August 18, I’ll take Amtrak home.

This should be a lot of fun! And a lot cooler than the hotter weather inland. I’ll be posting snippets on the WordPress blog when I have a chance, but stay tuned to my Instagram and flickr streams for the most up to date updates.

Willamette Valley Three Speed Bike Tour, Sept 1-3 2018

Society Of Three Speeds

Hello friends and foes of three speeds! Ever since I created Society of Three Speeds over five (five!) years ago, I had hoped to create something like the Lake Pepin Three Speed Tour here in the Northwest. Maybe not something exactly like Pepin, but something in a multi-day format that explored the countryside. And for five years, I have been racking my brain for something appropriate, something that would have that mix of nice roads, scenery, services, and (most importantly) not a lot of hills.

And finally, I think I may have hit on something close to my goal. Something that has been sitting in front of me for all that time: The Willamette Valley! Okay, I have thought of something in the valley for a long time, but I had been thinking of custom two day loops that would start and end in the same spot. Why don’t I…

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For Sale: Tires (Schwalbe, Compass, Grand Bois), plus Alfine wheel

It’s time for some purging. All prices quoted DO NOT include shipping, please let me know your zip code when inquiring so I can estimate shipping price. Payment can be made via PayPal or Square Ca$h. Local pickup in Portland OR with cash payment also available, pickup in Woodlawn in NE or Hawthorne in SE.  Please email me at urbanadventureleague@gmail.com if you are interested, or have questions.  

*****

Here’s a set of Schwalbe Delta Cruisers in cream. 26″ x 1 3/8″, or 650A, or EA3, or 37-590. Basically the size for vintage British three speeds. This is a well loved set, but still some good life in them! $15 for the pair.

Here is a single Compass Rat Trap Pass tire, size 26″x2.3″ or 58-559. This tire has been well loved but still has life in it. $20. SOLD

Here’s a very esoteric Grand Bois tire, a 650Ax32. Aka 26″x 1 3/8″, ISO 590, EA3, or British Three Speed Tire size. Supple in that Grand Bois way. Folding bead. A few hundred miles of use. Narrower than your typical tire in this size. Now asking $20.

Here’s a project I never got around to: A Shimano Alfine internal gear hub (11 speed) laced to wheel. Unknown quality of hub, could be shifting issues. 32 spoke, laced to a 26 inch rim. Several broken spokes (aluminum spokes), may be possible to rebuild. No cable or shifter. FREE for local pickup in Woodlawn neighborhood of NE Portland. May entertain shipping the wheel if there is interest (you pay shipping), but please realize that this is a Capital P project. (The shifter alone can be $150). CLAIMED

Puget Sound Tour: The wrap-up.

So some of you may have seen glimpses of my recent Puget Sound Bike Tour adventure, either here or on the Instaflicks. So without further ado, a concise wrap-up:

• Monday July 23: The trip started off well, with a mid-day Amtrak train ride to Seattle King Street Station. That’s the “normal” part of this day. In my haste of getting off the train and hustling to the ferry dock, I managed to get on THE WRONG FERRY. You see, I had the hope of cruising to Bainbridge Island and then camping at Fay Bainbridge, a shortish (7 mile) ride. But NO, I boarded the Bremerton ferry instead!* I decided to roll with it, and found a place to get food and beer (Der Bruckken Brewery) and then a campground (Illahee State Park) a short distance away. So I lingered with the food/beer, and then got surprised when the campground was CLOSED! Daylight fading fast, I made the decision to ride about 18 miles to another campground, Kitsap Memorial. I rode past sunset into this open park (whew!) The ride itself was mostly good, and I’m thankful for strong dynamo lighting.
• Tuesday July 24: After Monday’s fiasco, I was hoping for a better day. It started off good enough, with a detour into Port Gamble for “second breakfast” and a chance encounter with two other cyclotourists. I opted for a back way into Port Townsend, which consisted of a good hill with low traffic and a payoff in the form of a lake. It was pretty nice rambling along the water north of Port Ludlow. Then on the way into Chimacum, about 10 miles outside of Port Townsend, I flatted. I switched tubes and put a dollar bill in as a boot. There was a nice gash in my so-supple Compass Rat Trap Pass tires from a previous flat and the area around it wore down. That boot lasted less than a mile, then blowout. Thankfully, I was right next to a bus stop and there was still a bus coming, so I took that the rest of the way into town. Thankfully my host for the night was a bike mechanic, and managed to make a “super boot” consisting of a patch of cotton cloth and liberal amounts of Gorilla Tape.
• Wednesday July 25: Thankfully the boot held, though it did bulge and make a noticeable thump-thump-thump. I took a ferry to Whidbey Island and headed south, mostly sticking to the main road, as it was shorter and less hilly than the alternatives. At this point in the trip it was just about making it to the end. Thankfully SR 525 had moderate traffic and a generous shoulder. In Freeland I met up with Robert aka Spiral Cage and we have coffee and ride for a little bit. I make it into oh-so-cute Langley where I enjoy some beer and food. I arrive to my Warmshowers home as light was fading, and got a great view of the Sound.
• Thursday July 26: I only needed to ride three miles to get to the Clinton ferry terminal. The 20 minute cruise brought me back to the mainland, to the town of Mukilteo. I had only been through here once so I decided to hang out. I got some beer and pizza (the theme of this tour!) at Diamond Knot Brewery, then checked out the cute little beach and lighthouse. Then it was several hours of buses to Seattle King Street Station. And I should have got going earlier, as I got to the train station just in time!

What was supposed to be a short and easy tour became a series of “challenges”. Thankfully I managed to get through them all, and still end up having fun! Yes, I want to bike tour more, so it didn’t break my resolve. And yes, I have replaced the tires on the Bantam, so I’m ready for my coastal adventure next week…

*Both ferries use the same terminal.

Bike Touring Workshop, 26 August 2018

I’m getting back into the groove of giving Bike Camping and Touring Workshops! So I want to do another one before the summer is over. This one will be at Golden Pliers Cyclery, the new bike shop and cafe on N Skidmore at N Interstate Ave (right near the Prescott Station on the Yellow Line MAX!) I’m also limiting the workshop to six folks, and doing it during the day on a Sunday, which I think may be a bit better than late on a weeknight.

The description: Are you itching to hit the open road and explore nature in a way you haven’t yet? Are you a regular bicycle rider but have never taken a bicycle tour? Then join us to learn more about Self-Supported Bicycle Touring and Camping. We’ll be discussing equipment, planning, and cost as well as day-to-day life on the road.

No camping/touring experience required, but this workshop is designed for folks who regularly ride a bike. We will not be extensively discussing bicycle maintenance or mechanics, but may mention a few useful tips for touring.

This workshop is free, and all participants will receive a copy of the Cycle Touring Primer. Donations for the workshop and the primer graciously accepted.

The workshop will happen on Sunday August 26, 2018 from 1 to 4 PM at Golden Pliers, 1451 N. Skidmore St. They have a cafe with coffee, beer, and food so you can come hungry if need be!

You will need to register for the event, registration here:

https://eventbrite.com/tickets-external?eid=48525957445&ref=etckt

Powered by Eventbrite

 

Sunset Moonrise Ride, TOMORROW, Friday July 27, 7 PM

I hear it’s hot in Portland. And it’s going to be another hot one tomorrow, so why not enjoy the outside? Let’s go watch the sun set and the full moon rise, in a spot with a good view of both. Meet at P’s and Q’s (NE 13th and Dekum St) on Friday July 27 at 7, stock up on snacks and libations, we depart at 7:30 PM for a five mile mystery cruise. Lights and picnic blankets encouraged. #sunsetmoonrise #sunsetmoonriseride

Not the campground I had planned.

When we last left Shawn, he was being glib about the whole ferry incident and his “comeback”, enjoying the beer for a couple hours since it was only three miles to camp. So he rode to Illahee and was greeted with a “Campground Closed” sign. WHAT?😵😵

So I (Shawn) went to check the website again, since I didn’t notice this detail the first time. Yeah, it’s there, at the BOTTOM of the page, in the alerts section. Fuck.

It was just about 8, daylight fading. What to do? Go back to catch the “right” ferry to Bainbridge? Stay in Seattle? No, no, no. J decided to press on. Kitsap Memorial State Park was 20 miles away. Not the most optimal choice, but I was running out of choices. I decided to aim for there, and if I found a reasonably priced motel on the way, I’d stop.

The ride wasn’t so bad, at least when I finally escaped Bremerton. Big Valley Road north of Poulsbo was downright pleasant! The weather cooled, the moon was out, and my Dynamo lighting lit up the way.
I stumbled into the hiker biker site at Kitsap around 10, took a quick look at the beach, enjoyed my last beer of the day, and went to sleep.

And I’m going to Port Townsend today, hell or high water.
#ualpugetsoundtourjuly2018 #biketour #bikecamping #biketouring