Donna's Route 🔁

 Today's ride was wonderful. The weather was sunny and warm. My legs where well rested and pumping out wattage like a finely tuned machine. 

Introducing Happy Marmot. 

The Up Date Post

 I put blogging on the back burner for awhile. This is the up date post. 

This is the first ride after the May Climbing Challenge. I was riding with no thought of climb hills for the sake of getting elevated feet. It was relaxing not having the pressure of trying to complete a challenge.  

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This ride was short. I'd like to say it was because I was short on time. That's not true. I was short on energy.

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This ride I was felling a lot better. My time on Swede Hill is the best of the year. 

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I hadn't been out to Freeland in awhile. 

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Here again short on energy resulting a short ride. 

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Campbell’s Glendale Triple Loop

 This route is the queen’s stage for the May Climbing Challenge. It has 28.56 miles and 2478 feet of climbing. With six serious hill climbs including Campbell road, Humphrey road climb, Heggenes and Scatchet Head road this ride is brutal. I was hoping to cap off the climbing challenge with this ride putting me over the top. However, because of gout and the weather, I didn’t get in enough rides to obtain the necessary vertical feet to receive the May climbing badge for my trophy case. Although I am slightly disappointed I feel the climbing challenge was a success helping me find my climbing legs early this season. If you are inclined to try this route or any part of it do so pronto because they will be paving the road surfaces soon.

Great Climber.

Julian Alaphilippe

The Light House Ride

 I rode to the Admiralty Head Light. This is a ride I try to do at least once a year. This ride differs from last years ride. This ride I went north along Holmes Harbor on Honeymoon Bay road rather than going on Smugglers Cove road. I had hoped there would be more climbing on along Honeymoon Bay. However according to Strava this route is a little shorter and only differs by 47 feet more elevation. It was a little windy but what are you going to do its Whidbey Island. 

Here’s the ride. 

Great Climber.

Nairo Quintana

Brook's Hill Boogie

I had a short hiatus due to gout.  This image is the best interpretation of gout I have found. This little monster is shown biting the toe. More often I am bitten on the left ankle. After a few days of eating mass quantities of ibuprofen I was able to nurse my ankle back to health on the rollers.

 While I was disabled I made some changes to the bike. The biggest change was the installation of new Speedplay pedals and cleats. I didn’t realize how worn out my old pedals were until I installed the new ones.  They are tight and secure. I feel as if I’m getting more leg power to the crank. They are very comfortable and I thing they’re going to solve my foot problems as well.

Here’s today's ride.

Great climber.

Egan Bernal

Keeping it close to home.

 On this ride I didn’t want to get to far away from home in case it started raining. I also wanted to do some climbing. Here’s the result.

Great climber.

Laurent Fignon

Best of Laurent Fignon

Saturday Spin

 Saturday was a beautiful day for a quick spin into Langley.

Great Climber

Alberto Contador

Best of Alberto

Best Moments

Scatchet Head - Ebey's Landing

 Once in a while Jody will go up to Ebey's Landing to hike. I'll leave the house shortly after she does and we meet in the Ebey's Landing parking lot. Quite often our timing is perfect. She is just getting back to the car just as I arrive. 

There is no end to the scenery.

This ride was a lesson in patients. The wind was strong, cold and in my face most of the way up there. Fighting the wind is futile. I had to keep telling myself  "Be patient. Get into a nice gear and pump out a steady rhythm." I would build up momentum and some speed.  I'd start feeling like I was getting somewhere.  Suddenly a gust of wind would hit me and I'd loose all the momentum and speed I had worked for and I'd say it again "Be patient ...."  

Great ride nonetheless. Check it out.

Great Climber 

Mara Abbot

Interview

TED talk

Willy's Route

 My capacity to suffer was low today. I had my heart set on climbing a bunch of hills earlier this afternoon. I couldn't bear the effort to climb anymore than I completed on this ride.

Great Climber

Jacques Anquetil

Campbell’s Glendale Double Loop

 Nothing but climbing. 

Great Climber

Fausto Coppi

Dean'S Route 🔄

 Dean's Route so named because I know someone who lives along the route. This was my first 30 mile ride on the season.

Gino Bartali great climber.

Langley and back.

 I was feeling pretty good on this ride. Unfortunately when I rolled into Langley I started getting a "kachewoop" in the bottom bracket. Just a little bump on the non-drive side crank. Enough of a bump to make me think I should head for home however. I went through Langley and turned for home on Maxwelton road. By the time I got out to the highway I had a real bump dee bump going on.  I could control it by the way I peddled. 

That got me out to the Little Brown Church where it came apart as you see in the picture.  I rode one legged from the church to the Maxwelton park. I figured I wouldn’t make it up Swede Hill one legged so called my son to come pick me up.

I have corrected the problem. Now ready for more riding.

Here’s today’s route.

Pedro Delgado great climber.

May is Climbing Challenge Month

 May is Climbing Challenge Month and I started out by climbing Campbell Road. Campbell road is one of the most challenging hill climbs on the south end and one of my favorites. So I thought it would be appropriate to start the climbing challenge with this phenomenal hill. 

 Here is yesterday’s ride.

Today I climbed Heggenes Hill, the Mur de Bob and of course Swede Hill. Heggenes is another favorite climb of mind. The lower curves remind me of Switzerland. The Mur de Bob is a must do during the climbing challenge. It's steep and long and should be done more than once in May. Swede Hill is how I get home. I don’t plan on riding up Swede Hill it just happens at the end of most rides.

Here’s today’s ride.

 

Here is a picture of Marco Pantani.

 One of the greatest climber of all time.

Greatest Moments 

Riding with Jodi: Anacortes

 Last Friday Jodi and I cruised up to Anacortes with are bikes and rode along the Tommy Thompson Trail  that goes along the water. We had been wanting to do this ride for a long time. Now that we are vaccinated for COVID-19 we feel a little bit more comfortable about leaving home. The ride was marvelous and the weather surprisingly good. We drove out from under the clouds as we left Coupville. By the time we arrived in Anacortes the sun was shine bright.

After the ride we had lunch at the GERE a DELI . Our favorite place to eat in Anacortes. Having lunch at the GERE a DELI is another treat we had been looking forward to for a long time. They have a meatloaf sandwich to die for.

After lunch we felt we hadn’t had enough cycling  so we when to Washington Park and did a loop.

 

Here's our smiling faces.

Willy’s Route

 🦘The weather can effect your motivation.

The first part of the week was cold and damp. I had no desire to go out a battle the elements. I stayed inside and spun on the rollers. I was questioning myself "Will I ever want to ride my bike again?" Hallelujah! Today it was sunny and in the 70s. I want to ride my bike I really do.

This works too! Oh Homer!

Langley Spin

 🦘Nice evening for a quick ride.

My last ride was five days ago. I thought I had lost my form when I began this ride. By the time I got to Langley I started feeling better. 

I love this photo. Einstein having fun on a bicycle. Where’s your helmet Al?

Donna's Route 🔄

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Everything is good. 

Weather is perfect.

The wheels I built are working great now that I have solved the nipples coming loose problem.

Tour of Two Towns Clinton - Langley

 🦘 Another kangaroo ride.

Scatchet Head - Langley - Scatchet Head

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Great weather again today. 

Significantly less traffic on Wilkinson road than Langley road and not much difference in length. 

I felt pretty good on this ride despite drilling holes all day at work. 

Tour of Two Parks

 Wow! What a day for a bike ride. 

The weather is perfect. The scenery is gorgeous. 

Langley Spin

 Spin'n and Soft Pedalin'n. 

This is the day after my second shot of the COVID 19 vaccine. I didn't want to push it too hard. 

Donna's Route 🔁

 Everything is beautiful.

Beautiful evening! Sunshine and blue skies. Warm too! More of this please!

Tuesday’s gone with the wind.

 I was almost taken out by a couple of strong gusts. 

I had planned on going a little farther today than I did but after a while in the wind I decided to live to fight another day.

East Harbor Lunch Ride

I had the East Harbor Blues. 

 

More often than not I am riding into Freeland on East Harbor road rather than out of Freeland. So today's ride felt especially new and unique. I've always enjoyed East Harbor road, the shoulders are nice and the traffic is light. Still as fun as riding out East Harbor is, I was mostly using it to get out to  E. Saratoga Road Climb. This climb is one of the most challenging climbs on the south end of Whidbey Island. The incline in some places is as much as 20%.  Although the Strava segment has it at a quarter of a mile you really start climbing when you turn the corner at the intersection of East Harbor and Saratoga road. I should make a point of getting out there more often.

Baby Island 

Tour of Two Towns Clinton - Langley

 The aroma of skunk cabbage is in the air.  Look at these beauties on the side of Swede Hill road. 

They are just babies right now. I'll get another picture when they are full grown. Spring is so exciting.

Here is today's ride:

Tuesday Ride

 I wobbled home from just outside of Langley with a loose spoke. Crazy thing is I did my best time for the year up Swede Hill. Go figure. 

Easter Sunday Spin

 

This was my first 100 mile week of the 2021 season. 

It's still cold. On this ride both the fingers and the toes were cold. It's so pretty out and weatherman says it will rain soon so I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to go for a ride.

Tour of Two Parks

 Look a route that doesn’t include going into Langley.

This is one of my favorite routes. It has awesome scenery.

Langley Spin

 Just a quick spin into Langley today. My legs were feeling the affects of yesterday's ride. The weather allowed for three consecutive days of riding. I’m quite happy with it all.

Donna's Route 🔄

 I call this route Donna's Route because that's my mother in law's name and I ride past her house. Today I looped in an anti-clockwise direction.

Scatchet Head - Langley - Scatchet Head

 

A lot of debris on the road after yesterday’s storm. Happy to get out on the road. Getting tired of the rollers. If the temperature was a few degrees warmer that would be wonderful. 

I sound like a real whiner. 😿

Fritz

 I called this ride Fritz because it was the first thing that popped into my head. Oftentimes I’m stumped for titles of rides. 

This ride goes into Langley as well. 

The Wilkinson Run

 

Saint Patty's Day Ride

 Getting to ride on Saint Patty’s Day two years in a row, now that’s the luck of the Irish. Last year’s ride was the first of the season. We where just starting our COVID-19 lock down. Wow! That was only a year ago. Here's what the ride looked like.

Ride Number Two

 

Ride Number Two is another into Langley and back ride. This route features the infamous Langley Rd. Hill.  I have to be aware on this hill. The lower part fools me into thinking this hill isn't quite as tough as it is. Often by the time I get to the upper third of the climb I'm in a bit of bother. 

On the Road Again

 

The first ride of 2021. This my go to route when I'm short on time and/or energy. I ride this route when I want to get feel for how the bike and I are doing as well. The later is the case today. After spending the winter on the rollers I had some doubts about how comfortable I would be on the road. It didn’t take long; however, to relax and start having fun. I'm happy with this ride its a good start for the new outdoor riding season.