A Milestone

I started biking regularly a little over 2 1/2 years ago. Like lots of things I've tried, I thought this would help me lose weight. After commuting 15 miles round trip to the Oregonian 3-4 times a week I discovered that my wrists, neck and shoulders were sore after every ride. Since my real desire has always been to do long distance riding I knew this set up just wasn't going to work. My bike was a Cannondale hybrid - otherwise known as a "comfort bike". I took it to a bike shop to make sure it fit right. We made some adjustments but it didn't really help minimize the pain. So, after a lot of research I ended up at Coventry Cyclery in Portland purchasing an Easy Racer Fold Rush. A long wheel base recumbent that folds to fit on a car rack for transport. No more pain. The ride on this bike is smooth and stable. I've had the bike just over a year and put in 2,000 miles. I've never been fast and I'm still not. The more miles I put in the faster I get. Right now I'm closing in on 12 mph average. I've also discovered Portland has a rich biking and recumbent community. Last summer I started doing some charity rides and slowly added miles. Some of the rides included the 'Smell the Roses', Spring, Strawberry, Watermelon, Peach and LiveStrong. I also hooked up with the OHPV riders and met some terrific people. Turns out there's a recumbent retreat every year in Astoria. I had my first touring experience by riding from my house to the Fort Stevens campground where the retreat is held. I rode out highway 30 to Scappoose and then to Vernonia and the Big Eddie campground the first night. Met another recumbent rider there who really made that first night of camping easier. First of all, he had food. He also had utensils and tea. I donated a piece of smoked salmon and we had a delicious dinner. The next morning 4 more riders showed up and we all rode to the coast. I had to walk a lot of the hills over the coastal range but one rider was patient enough to wait for me. We ended up having a great time. Over a hundred recumbents were at the retreat and we all rode and partied for 3 days. At the end I decided to get a ride home rather than walk alone over the mountains.


Here I am with my friend Shawn at the beginning of the LiveStrong Ride.

But what does any of this have to do with today's milestone? Well, for all the time I've been riding I have never changed a flat tire. I've always carried everything needed for the job - tire levers, patch kit, pump and tubes. I even took a class to learn how. Both times I had a flat someone was there to help out. Now that I've been riding out in the country alone I started to feel like this was something I needed to know how to do. I could just see myself out there, miles from home, walking and crying with frustration. This was not a pretty picture and so a couple of days ago I decided this was the day I would learn. I took an icepick and punctured a perfectly good tire and set about repairing it. In true form, I had to make every mistake possible before I got it. I started with the tire levers but could only get one under the tire. After 3 trips to 2 different bike shops and many tears I finally got it. I practiced a few more times and now, I am ready for the road!!

Poured down rain all day, slept in, watched the French Open, never got out of my robe.