My poor old Serota has taken quite a beating lately. Amber and I rode over 1000 miles in the past 4 weeks and about 100 miles of that was off-road, on 25mm tires. I have a Ti frame which will probably outlast the Apocalypse, but my carbon forks are about 15 years old. I don't want them to fail on me while I'm descending a rough road at 40mph so I decided to replace them before they fail.
I took the bike into Don's Bike Store in Redlands and Mike, their head mechanic, looked at it shaking his head. My bike is very old school with a threaded steerer tube and all the old-school hardware that goes with that. "I can get you a threaded steel fork for $60", he said. Nope, said I, it must be carbon.
So Mike ordered an unthreaded carbon fork for $300 and replaced the stem and other assorted bits of hardware. To make his life more difficult I have an ancient set of aerobars with stripped allen bolts that cannot be removed from the handlebars so he had to cut the old stem off. This turned into quiet a project for him.
In the end I now have new forks and a new stem that actually look like they come from this century. I can also turn the handlebars far enough to get my bike into one of those accursed Amtrak bike boxes - not that I ever intend to again.
Total cost was $434. Very reasonable when I consider how much hardware and time was required to do the job.
While I was there I noticed Don's sells a Giant foldable bike for about $600. I plan on giving it a test ride when I get a chance. I've been thinking about a folding bike for touring for a while. I wonder if I can get longer crank arms on it.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Eugene, OR
Friday 17th May 2013
This was one of the highlight days of the vacation. We started in Eugene and headed south into farm country with rolling hills. We got a late start because we didn't get to the motel until 10pm and still had to shower, do laundry, and eat. The route was a loop with an out and back at the south end. We shortened the out and back to ensure we got back to the station in time to get the bikes into those damnable boxes.
Possibly the most pleasant road of the entire vacation was Edenvale. Look at this video.
We ate at a Subway and then headed back towards Eugene along even more quiet roads and then into the system of parks that border the Willamette River. These parks are filled with bike paths that stretch the entire length of the river as it passes through Eugene. We had some spare time so we rode the entire length of the east side of the river, crossed over to the west side and rode back to the Amtrak station. Fantastic.
Total distance ridden was 64 miles.
This was one of the highlight days of the vacation. We started in Eugene and headed south into farm country with rolling hills. We got a late start because we didn't get to the motel until 10pm and still had to shower, do laundry, and eat. The route was a loop with an out and back at the south end. We shortened the out and back to ensure we got back to the station in time to get the bikes into those damnable boxes.
Possibly the most pleasant road of the entire vacation was Edenvale. Look at this video.
We ate at a Subway and then headed back towards Eugene along even more quiet roads and then into the system of parks that border the Willamette River. These parks are filled with bike paths that stretch the entire length of the river as it passes through Eugene. We had some spare time so we rode the entire length of the east side of the river, crossed over to the west side and rode back to the Amtrak station. Fantastic.
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| Park in Eugene OR. |
Kelso to Eugene
Thursday 16th May 2013
After the fiasco on Conyer Creek Road we decided to take the train to Eugene because we had lost a full day of cycling. While we waited for the Cascades trail to leave at 4pm we decided to try our luck heading from Kelso to Kalama along the old Pacific Highway and back. This turned out to be a good call as most traffic in that direction flows along I5.
It started to rain as we approached Kalama so we dropped in for coffee and to wait the rain out. It cleared in 40 minutes or so and we continued south until the road ended and we turned around. On the way back north through Kalama we ate at the restaurant next to the coffee house. How convenient.
Jumped on the train to Eugene and rode another 5 miles to the Super 8.
Rode 40 miles today - very pleasant, not too much rain.
After the fiasco on Conyer Creek Road we decided to take the train to Eugene because we had lost a full day of cycling. While we waited for the Cascades trail to leave at 4pm we decided to try our luck heading from Kelso to Kalama along the old Pacific Highway and back. This turned out to be a good call as most traffic in that direction flows along I5.
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| View of Columbia River from Old Pacific Hwy south of Kelso |
Jumped on the train to Eugene and rode another 5 miles to the Super 8.
Rode 40 miles today - very pleasant, not too much rain.
Kelso to Kelso
Wednesday 15th May 2013
We did not plan on riding back to Kelso today but thanks to Google we ended up on Conyer Creek Road which isn't a road at all. It starts paved, then becomes unpaved, then becomes grass covered single track and then, after four miles, is just disappears. We had to turn around and go back to Clatskane where we stopped for coffee and food.
Amber checked herself for ticks and found one embedded in her stomach. We were 20 miles from the nearest emergency room. Thank God for Jai, who drove us back to Kelso so we could get it taken care of. A total stranger - what a nice guy. It took several hours to get the tick removed so we got a hotel room near the hospital and decided to catch the train to Eugene the next day instead of riding there.
Rode about 35 miles, one tick.
We did not plan on riding back to Kelso today but thanks to Google we ended up on Conyer Creek Road which isn't a road at all. It starts paved, then becomes unpaved, then becomes grass covered single track and then, after four miles, is just disappears. We had to turn around and go back to Clatskane where we stopped for coffee and food.
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| Conyers Creek 'Road' is a haven for ticks. |
Amber checked herself for ticks and found one embedded in her stomach. We were 20 miles from the nearest emergency room. Thank God for Jai, who drove us back to Kelso so we could get it taken care of. A total stranger - what a nice guy. It took several hours to get the tick removed so we got a hotel room near the hospital and decided to catch the train to Eugene the next day instead of riding there.
Rode about 35 miles, one tick.
South Bend to Kelso
Tuesday 14th May 2013
The reason I wanted to stay in South Bend was to take the Willipa trail which stretches from South Bend to Chehalis. The trail starts off very promising but quickly degrades into an unpaved and unridable (on road bikes) surface. Perhaps the first and last six miles are paved - the other 40+ miles are not.
Fortunately the trail follows highway 6 which is very ridable. There are also several side roads that parallel highway 6 which are very pleasant such as LeBam road below.
We did have a couple of issues though. First we took a side road that, after some miles and a lot of climbing, suddenly became unpaved. It would have been nice if they had told us this before we had committed so much effort. I would have stayed on highway 6 if I had known.
Once we navigated this treacherous stretch of 'road' I got back on the Willipa trail for a couple of miles only to reach a partially demolished trestle bridge and a trail closed sign. Again, putting the sign earlier when we still had an option to avoid the closed area would have been much more intelligent but apparantly that's too much to ask.
I decided to walk over the trestle bridge despite it being closed. I had no problem with it but Amber was unhappy. We got to the other side without falling through and suddenly the trail was paved again. We were not impressed with the Willipa trail which is a shame because it was supposed to be one of the highlights of the vacation.
Kelso is a sucky city to ride in with almost no allowances for bicycles.
Rode 101 miles.
The reason I wanted to stay in South Bend was to take the Willipa trail which stretches from South Bend to Chehalis. The trail starts off very promising but quickly degrades into an unpaved and unridable (on road bikes) surface. Perhaps the first and last six miles are paved - the other 40+ miles are not.
Fortunately the trail follows highway 6 which is very ridable. There are also several side roads that parallel highway 6 which are very pleasant such as LeBam road below.
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| Lebam road - quiet and scenic |
Once we navigated this treacherous stretch of 'road' I got back on the Willipa trail for a couple of miles only to reach a partially demolished trestle bridge and a trail closed sign. Again, putting the sign earlier when we still had an option to avoid the closed area would have been much more intelligent but apparantly that's too much to ask.
I decided to walk over the trestle bridge despite it being closed. I had no problem with it but Amber was unhappy. We got to the other side without falling through and suddenly the trail was paved again. We were not impressed with the Willipa trail which is a shame because it was supposed to be one of the highlights of the vacation.
Kelso is a sucky city to ride in with almost no allowances for bicycles.
Rode 101 miles.
Grayland to South Bend
Monday 13th May 2013
We left Grayland with wet roads and the constant threat of more rain. On the way out of the Walsh Motel we came across A six inch long banana slug. The coin next to it is a penny. Gross.
The plan was to ride to South Bend and stay at the Russell House but apparently the house was now privately owned so we took another gamble and reserved a room at the Seacrest Motel in South Bend. The ride was only 30 miles but we had the option of continuing south past South Bend as far as we wanted and then doubling back. Unfortunately the skies opened when we were still five miles from South Bend so we opted to keep the ride as short as possible.
The Seacrest Motel is as different from the Walsh Motel as you can imagine (except they were the same price). The owner is a retired commercial construction worker who rebuilt the rooms one at a time. The craftsmanship and care he took is obvious. This motel is a winner. They don't have laundry facilities for the guests but we were allowed to use their commercial washer and driers. They even gave me laundry detergent for free.
After a few hours the rain died down and we were able to take a stroll along the ocean front and grab some coffee.
We rode 35 miles today and got rained on but it was a good day none the less.
We left Grayland with wet roads and the constant threat of more rain. On the way out of the Walsh Motel we came across A six inch long banana slug. The coin next to it is a penny. Gross.
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| Graylands's most famous resident. |
The Seacrest Motel is as different from the Walsh Motel as you can imagine (except they were the same price). The owner is a retired commercial construction worker who rebuilt the rooms one at a time. The craftsmanship and care he took is obvious. This motel is a winner. They don't have laundry facilities for the guests but we were allowed to use their commercial washer and driers. They even gave me laundry detergent for free.
After a few hours the rain died down and we were able to take a stroll along the ocean front and grab some coffee.
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| There are many interesting things to look at in South Bend |
Shelton to Grayland
Sunday May 12th 2013
From Shelton to Grayland we started on the 101 again but turned off onto some quieter roads to head towards Aberdeen. Unlike last time I made a concerted effort not to pass through Aberdeen which is very bike unfriendly.
These back roads were even more scenic than the 101 with some truely amazing views.
The weather turned bad in Cosmopolis and we had light to moderate rain for the last 20 miles of the trip so we were both soaked when we got to Grayland. Although I like this area of WA there are no motel chains here so it's always a gamble when you book a motel room.
We stayed at the Walsh Motel in Grayland. Big mistake for several reasons. First, this is a grotty motel. There are rooms near the road and more rooms a quarter mile down a driveway. Our room was down the driveway. The rooms are poorly constructed with amateurish workmanship. The only redeeming feature of the room was a fireplace with a bundle of firewood.
There was a washing machine - heavily corroded - but the dryer was broken. I had to ride back up to the main office in heavy rain to get laundry detergent and quarters for the washer. While I was there I rode next door to a poorly stocked and expensive grocery store to get some food for the night.
We showered and changed into dry clothes then dumped all our wet gear into the washing machine. While it was running we cooked up the groceries (bacon and eggs, they were out of bread!). Then we set up chairs in front of the heater vents and draped our laundry in front of them. We put our soaked shoes inside the fireplace and lit a fire. If that hadn't worked I would have microwaved them.
By careful monitoring we managed to get everything dried by the morning.
From Shelton to Grayland we started on the 101 again but turned off onto some quieter roads to head towards Aberdeen. Unlike last time I made a concerted effort not to pass through Aberdeen which is very bike unfriendly.
These back roads were even more scenic than the 101 with some truely amazing views.
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| Somewhere east of Aberdeen WA |
We stayed at the Walsh Motel in Grayland. Big mistake for several reasons. First, this is a grotty motel. There are rooms near the road and more rooms a quarter mile down a driveway. Our room was down the driveway. The rooms are poorly constructed with amateurish workmanship. The only redeeming feature of the room was a fireplace with a bundle of firewood.
There was a washing machine - heavily corroded - but the dryer was broken. I had to ride back up to the main office in heavy rain to get laundry detergent and quarters for the washer. While I was there I rode next door to a poorly stocked and expensive grocery store to get some food for the night.
We showered and changed into dry clothes then dumped all our wet gear into the washing machine. While it was running we cooked up the groceries (bacon and eggs, they were out of bread!). Then we set up chairs in front of the heater vents and draped our laundry in front of them. We put our soaked shoes inside the fireplace and lit a fire. If that hadn't worked I would have microwaved them.
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| Drying shoes inside the fireplace |
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