This is a nice 30 plus mile ride from Troutdale. We got kind of lost and had to ride in the dark a bit, but this is a great scenic route with lots of little climbs.
Close to town with relatively little traffic once you’re off the main road.
Brian
Author: brian26
Como Street Ride
This is the easy version of the Como Street ride in Tustin, California.
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/6084833
I’ll be posting maps and descriptions of some of my favorite rides. The description of this one is “pain”. It is simply an un-organized race replacement training ride that leaves from Tustin Marketplace on Sundays at 8am.
There is also a longer, harder version that the fast guys go on. It is described as “pain” and “humility”.
Oregon House Bill 2186
Greetings Comrades – this is the latest from Salem. They will now tell you which tires you are allowed to buy for your Kamaz truck.
After all ” This 2009 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist…”
What could possibly be next?
You drive too much?
You can afford and therefore must drive a hybrid?
You must ride your bike to work 2 days a week?
Red cars upset the four toed Mississippi striped tree squirrel?
And, since the automobile business is currently thriving, it should be great stimulus for the economy… Brilliant.
http://www.leg.state.or.us/09reg/measpdf/hb2100.dir/hb2186.intro.pdf
75th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY–2009 Regular Session House Bill 2186
Ordered printed by the Speaker pursuant to House Rule 12.00A (5). Precession filed (at the request of Governor Theodore R. Kulongoski for Department of Environmental Quality)
SUMMARY The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the measure as introduced. Authorizes Environmental Quality Commission to adopt rules to help state to achieve greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. Specifies rules that commission may adopt. Declares emergency, effective on passage.
A BILL FOR AN ACT Relating to greenhouse gas emissions; and declaring an emergency.Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. Sections 2 and 3 of this 2009 Act are added to and made a part of ORS chapter 468A.
SECTION 2. As used in section 3 of this 2009 Act:
(1) “Greenhouse gas” has the meaning given that term in ORS 468A.210.
(2) “Heavy-duty truck” has the meaning given that term in ORS 468A.795.
(3) “Medium-duty truck” has the meaning given that term in ORS 468A.795.
(4) “Motor vehicle” has the meaning given that term in ORS 825.005.
SECTION 3.
(1) The Environmental Quality Commission may adopt by rule the following to help this state achieve the greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals specified in ORS468A.205:(a) Low carbon fuel standards for fuel that is used for transportation;
(b) Restrictions and prohibitions on the use of substances that contain, release or cause to be released greenhouse gases, if alternatives are available;
(c) Requirements to maintain or retrofit medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks in order to reduce aerodynamic drag and otherwise reduce greenhouse gas emissions from those trucks;
(d) Restrictions and prohibitions on the sale and distribution of after-market motor vehicle parts, including but not limited to tires, if alternatives are available that decrease greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles;
(e) Requirements for motor vehicle service providers to check and inflate tire pressure according to manufacturer recommended specifications; and
(f) Restrictions on engine use by parked commercial vehicles, including but not limited to medium-duty trucks and heavy-duty trucks, and by commercial ships while at port, and requirements that truck stops and ports provide alternatives to engine use such as electric power.
(2) In adopting rules under this section, the commission:
(a) Shall consider safety, feasibility and cost-effectiveness; and
(b) May differentiate between different areas of the state, different greenhouse gases and NOTE: Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted. New sections are in boldfaced type. LC 605
——————————————————————————–
Page 2
HB 2186123456different categories of substances, fuels, motor vehicles or other equipment or activities that contribute directly or indirectly to greenhouse gas emissions. SECTION 4. This 2009 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2009 Act takes effect on its passage.[2]
First Rides of the Year
Since it’s February it seemed like it was time to finally take the bike off of the trainer. Riding in front of the television is cool and all, but…
Wednesday was a beautiful day, so Lara and I headed out for a quick spin. We waited for the temperature to get above 40 degrees (because there was frost on everything from the night before).
We rode east from Hood River and encountered lots of ice and frost in the shady spots. It was a ride like this last year that put me on the ground and messed up my early season riding, so we were very careful.
Saturday we ventured out on a “real ride” and rode out to Mosier and up Dry Creek Road, which turns to gravel for a few miles. The road was excellent, the weather was perfect and other than quite a lot of gravel on the paved roads it was like a normal Spring ride.
We ran into sometime riding friends Tom and Taylor on the way back from The Dalles and had a mini-group ride all the way home.
Not so bad for early February.
BT
p.s. I talked to my brother-in-law yesterday who had done the Boulevard Road Race in SoCal (1.5 hours east of San Diego) – it is the first big race of the year.
His race had gone early and ended in snow. As the Pro-1-2 field was getting ready to roll out the snow became heavy. There will probably be some good stories out of that.
Motathlon
As this is all about cars and bikes, I figure I should relate the story about the only time I know of that people used both of them in the same race.
For the Mazda Grand Prix of Portland last July the promoter had hatched the brilliant idea that you could do a race like a triathlon, but using race cars instead of swimming. There were some problems, though. First, that’s the kind of race I could actually win, even if it sounded kind of dicey – but, I had “retired” from car racing at the end of 2007. Second, I thought they would change their minds after they thought about it for more than a minute.
I was wrong, of course, and on Sunday morning we were called together for a meeting about how the race would work, and how hopefully nobody would be killed and how it was worth the risk because the winner would get $400. It did seem likely that I’d risked my life for less than that before…
I had, the day before, un-retired from car racing and finished 7th in the first Spec Miata race of the weekend which had taken place Saturday afternoon. I had also hatched a brilliant plan to race the Motathlon then drive up to Vancouver, Washington to race a Criterium (bicycle’s, twisty, crowded, and in reality more dicey than the Motathlon) and then return very quickly to Portland to take part in the feature race of the Mazda Grand Prix in the Miatacage.com Miata. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
How often will the chance to do a real bike race and real car race on the same day present itself, anyway?
There were about 10 of us dumb enough to show up on the Motathlon grid and most of us were in Spec Miatas. We drew for starting position and would do four laps of PIR in the car, about one mile on the bike and then run about 300 yards to the finish (where Playboy bunnies would be waiting for the winner – yes, those Playboy bunnies).
Will Schrader took off on the car leg and had gapped the field led by Bruce Wilson and Alec Osenback. My excuse for being fourth is that my plan was simply to avoid the bad things that might happen during the car part and win it from the bike. I think most of us were using nearly all of our regular safety equipment except the HANS (head and neck restraint). I had decided to do the entire race without changing or removing any gear!!!
That was Will’s biggest mistake. The time he took to switch helmets completely erased the gap he had made for himself. Bruce and Alec were banging on each other entering the “transition area” (I’m told that’s what the triathlon people call it) and frankly, I’m surprised they didn’t wreck themselves – but 400 bucks is 400 bucks and Bruce was pretty well spun up about the bunnies.
So, I hopped out of the car and was handed my bicycle by my friend (and hairdresser), Fenn Bourland, who is an experienced triathlete who uses words like “transition” and “area”. It was pretty much over, save the sweating, at that point. Alec was in the lead and I could hear the muffled obscenities as I blew by him and continued to stretch out a 45 second advantage by the time the run started. That part was pretty cool because Alec is young and all kind of spry looking and I’m kind of old… Anyway, a sprint in full race driving gear down the straightaway and the bunnies and $400 would be mine!!!
24 Hours of Lemons
Car people, in particular, love the 24 Hours of Lemons and as I was forunate enough to do it once, I’m often asked questions about it. The 2007 edition of the 24 Hours of Lemons at Thunderhill was the first “race” out of retirement for me. I’ve described it as a Halloween party with cars, and that really is just about it. Cyclocross racers have got nothing for these clowns.If you want to know more about the race go here http://www.24hoursoflemons.com/
As I have pictures and video that describe the experience I will simply add them for your viewing pleasure. We brought a guy that can drive around on 2 wheels (video) and some people cheat (more video). If you cheat by bringing a car worth more than $500 the motor might be confiscated (yes, more video)…
Those bags stacked on top of the car contain $1,500 worth of nickles… 600 pounds or so.