Day 3

Day 3 - 10 miles S of South Bend, WA to Cannon Beach, OR

Mileage - 54.8  Total elapsed mileage - 180.0  Saddle Time - about 3:50  Average Speed - about 15 mph
  (cycloputer on Bike 2 does not show elapsed time or average speed - it does show 100ths of miles, though, which are encouraging to watch as they click off - every three pedal strokes each, on average)

     Left from yesterday's end point at 11:15 AM and rendezvous'ed with Bob just short of the Columbia River bridge to Astoria at 1:30.  Rendezvous point was Dismal Niche, a cove where Lewis and Clark took refuge from a violent and lengthy Columbia River-mouth storm in November 1804, on final approach to their wintering-over place. Drove over the bridge to Astoria where we (at least I) enjoyed a carb-rich lunch in an Italian restaurant on the main street of the old town, followed by a visit to the Columbia River Museum, an excellent venue for local-maritime-history buffs.  Remounted  at 3:45 and headed west, then south, on 101, favored by a NW wind, arriving at Cannon Beach at 5:45 after a moderate climb over the shoulder of the first of the many headlands than lie between me and northern California, more than 300 miles to the south.

     Indeed, according to the countour legend on the Adventure Cycling map series for the Oregon leg of this ride, which looks something like a seisomograph printout for a Richter 8.9, between here and the California state line are more ascents and descents than  I can count, including three of around 800 feet, one of 600 feet, seven of around 400 feet and about a dozen lower ones.  If today's was typical, however, shoulders are wide and smooth and grades are manageable.  And every ascent is guaranteed to be followed by a speedy and cooling descent!     

     Eating anough to keep my energy up, but not exaggeratring, and drinking a littrle wine with dinner.  Don't know if I'll lose any weight on this ride, but I'll certainly not gain any.  Ran the numbers once: if you take all the miles I've ridden in the last 17 years, convert them to minutes at an average of four minutes to the mile,  multiply by about 13 calories burned per minute at 15 mph, that divide than number by 3,500, which is about the number of calories in a pound of body weight gained or lost, if I had consumed what I consumed but had not ridden at all, I would weight  more than 800 pounds!

     Bike #2:
     Make and model: ca. 1992 Giant Innova hybrid.
     Weight - about 27 pounds.
     Gear - same as bike #1
     Gearing and other equipment - 21-speed, triple elliptical chainring.  One-piece Scott aero handlebars, giving me many hand-position options.
     Tires: 700x35 Bontragers, at 75psi.  Much softer ride than on Specialized Roubaix, and more resistant to punctures from shoulder debris..

     One problem, though: when I picked my bikes up from Barry after a pre-ride check and service, I thought I heard him say the Giant "needed a new chain and cassette."  Apparently, what he said was "needs," because it slips in almost all gear selections, if only while I'm starting from a dead stop.  The first bike shop I come to, I'm going to see if they will do the job while we wait.

     All for today. Hasta manana and about 70 miles down the road.

     Bob