Stage Three of the Deschutes River Valley Time Trial Festival is the longest stage of the festival. The stage consist of just one road, Bake Oven Road. You climb it and then you turn around and descent it.

Going into the stage, I was last in my age category. I did not want to be last after stage three, so as soon as I started, I brought my heart rate up to what I felt I could sustain for three hours. I was riding hard, but I was holding something back. In the end, I was ten minutes faster than my competition allowing me to finish in next to last place.

This was my third Deschutes River Valley Time Trial Festival (DVRTT). The first was in 2010 just after I was release from my doctor after breaking my right fibula and tibia. I was not in shape but wanted to force myself into getting into shape. The following year I was in better shape and did better. This year I am happy to report that my improvement continues.

The Festival consists of three stages, or races. The first two take place on Saturday with the third, and longest, on Sunday. The first stage is 26 miles long with over 1,200 feet of climbing. The second stage is only eight miles long but it is all climbing with an elevation gain of 1,700 feet. Sunday’s stage is very hard at 46 miles and over 3,200 feet of elevation gain.

I decided to race in the Masters Men 50-59 division. I could have chosen the Cat4/5 division, but I have always raced in Master Mens even thought it is a harder division. I could race with the older, seasoned bicycle racers or the younger rookies. Racing against folks my own age seems the appropriate thing to do, even if it means racing in a harder division. So, my goal was not to come in last in my division (like I did last year).

The first stage starts with a 800 foot climb from the Deschutes River to the top of the plateau overlooking Maupin. Once on the plateau, you cross over to and desenced into Tygh Valley. Fron Tygh Valley, the route turns toward the east and crosses over several large rollers before descending down to the Deschutes River. You cross the river and follow it back to Maupin, a nice flat nine miles.

My plan was to keep my heart rate to 145 bpm or below on the climb out of Maupin. I failed. My heart rate rose to over 150 bpm and beyond. But I felt good. I felt like I could ride harder. I knew that I would be passed on this section as I am not a climber. And I was. But I did catch some of the slower riders who started in front of me, so I was feeling good. Once I reached the top of the climb and the road flatten out, I could hold my own and I increase my effort to maximum. One of those who passed me on the climb was Mark Newsome. I could see him in the distance so I was trying to keep pace with him.

On the descent into Tygh Valley, I tucked and tried to go as fast as I could. With my mass, I slowly gained on the last rider to pass me when climbing out of Maupin. I did so at the bottom of the hill and I started working very hard crossing the flat of Tygh Valley. While I expected him to catch me, I held him off until the first roller where he catch me. I stayed close to him and passed him on the down hill side of the roller. At the next roller, he catch me again and I turned to him and said “Will you please stop passing me!”. He laughed and said not to worry as there is a down hill coming.

I did pass him on the down hill and used my brakes for the first and only time at the sharp left at the river. One rider who did not use his brakes over cooked the corner and went into the guard rail and fell. Ouch!

The last section was hard and fast. I held off my “passer” and tried to catch the rabbit infront of me. However, as I held off my “passer”, my rabbit held me off.

I finished in 1:23:09 setting a new PR for this route.

Maupin Climb

Stage Two of the Deschutes River Valley Time Trial Festival is hard, very hard. It is hard because it is an uphill time trial. It is hard because you ride this in the afternoon of the day your rode state one.

The stage is one long continuous climb starting from the Deschutes River and climbs to the east. As soon as I started, I brought my heart rate up to the maximum I could sustain and kept it there. I tried very hard to catch folks, but it was not to be. I may have caught one or two, but my time was the slowest in my age group.

It looked like rain but I brought my Litespeed, a bike I will ride in the rain.

Tuesday afternoon was misty up on Mt. Sylvania. Warm, but misty. When it came time to head toward Tualatin and the Tuesday night ride, I got a bit wet walking out to the parking lot. But dropping down the hill to Taualatin stopped the mist but the roads were still wet.

I miss the group that starts at 5:00 so I started with Steve at 5:30. I have chased Steve around the hills before and it looked like I will be doing so again. Four of us started out and stayed together until Mountain Road climb. There I dropped off the back but within sight of Steve. The other two dropped us and we never saw them again. I chased Steve up and down the hills. I was working very hard. It felt good!

In the end, we road in together but near the park, we were passed by a faster group.

Distance: 30.7 miles
Average Speed: 14.7 mph
Average Heart Rate: 133 bpm
Elevation Gain: 2,616 feet

Joanne and I drove out to the small, rural town of Estacada for a 20 mile time trial.

The morning’s weather was beautiful! We woke up to clear sky and warm temperatures. After breakfast at Shari’s in Newberg (we volunteered at the Oregon Randonneur 300K closing control so we spent the night in Newberg) we drove to Estacada arriving at 9:00 am. Joanne’s start time was 10:45 and mine was 11:41.

Because we arrived early, we found a very good parking space in the upper lot and set up the trainer for Joanne. I did make one miscalculation, I parked the van in the sun. And the sunshine make warming up on the trainer a real warm experience!

This would be my third time I have participated in this time trial with the other two back in 2010. My times were 58:56 and 56:31. I was hoping to do better.

I did not. I finished in 57:08, 37 seconds slower than my best time two years ago.

Average Speed: 21.0 mpg
Average Heart Rate: 152 bpm
Average Power: 211 watts.

The course is not as flat as Jack Frost nor Western Bike Works at PIR. There were some minor climbs, nothing steep nor long, but enough of a hill to slow me down. My speed ranged from 10.7 to 36.0 mph.

Overall, I am very pleased with my result. I rode hard. I ripped my lungs out. I had fun!

After yesterday’s 191 mile ride, I should have taken today off. But the weather was just too nice not to ride.

I headed down to Salem to join the Salem Bicycle Club on their ride, but I was late and missed them. So I headed back to Keizer by way of Windsor Island.

Doing a recovery ride after a hard day should be a good thing. And it was. But I was surprised just how tired my legs were and how weak I felt. I did just twenty miles, but the last few were perhaps a few too many.

Mark Janeba and I successfully completed the Hot Springs 300K pre-ride.

We started in the darkness at 6:00 am by having our brevet cards signed by the folks at Dutch Brothers Coffee around the corner from the Travel Lodge. They were open at 5:00 am and I enjoy a cup while I got ready for the ride. The weather was a bit chilly, 40 degrees F. and there was some light fog. Riding toward the Willamette River, our headlights lit up the fog more than the road, or the water droplets was obscuring my vision. The road way near the bridge over the Willamette River can be a bit rough. Traffic was very light but none the less, I was happy to be wearing my reflective vest. The fog got a little worse as we approached the Willamette River making the crossing somewhat interesting. However, the fog turned into a light mist after we pass the river, and stayed with us as we pass Champoeg. We did take a short break at Champoeg to check the status of the restrooms. The gates to the parking lot were closed, but we took the MUP next to the entrance way and found the restrooms open and warm. Leaving the Park, we climbed our way up the shelf above Champoeg, where the fog/mist left us and we were in the clear. It was here that we saw the sunrise.

The roads were very quiet as we rode toward Gervais. We arrived in Gervais at 7:30 am to find the market closed as it opens at 8:00 am on the weekends. We could not find restrooms in Gervais. However, we came upon a coffee stand with porta potty at the intersection of Silverton Road and Howell Prairie. There, the young lady filled my water bottle when I politely asked. The weather had cleared but was still cool. The sun warmed me but I was not ready to take off my arm/leg warmers

When Mark and I came to Highway 22, we took the frontage roads instead of the highway. So, we crossed over the highway and continued on into Aumsville. In Aumsville, we turned left onto Mill Creek Road. This took us to Golf Club Road where we turned to the right and rode through Stayton to Old Mehama Road and then Ferry Street into Lyons. After stopping at the market/control, we continued on Lyons – Mill City Drive to Mill City. Once in Mill City, we finally go on Hwy 22.

Highway 22 was not busy, and there is at least a 2-foot shoulder and the shoulder is much wider than two feet most of the way to Detroit. The biggest climb of the day seemed to be the climb up to the second dam at Detroit Lake and then a short ways beyond. The clouds persisted in the canyon, but we were never cold. When the sun poked through the clouds we welcomed the warmth. We saw a few boats on the lake, but nothing like a busy summer day in August. The roads around the lake had some traffic, but nothing very heavy at all.

Turning northward on Breitenbush Road and into a v-shaped, forested river canyon, we enjoyed the sights and sounds of the Breitenbush River. Here, we felt alone as we saw very few cars. The climbing was easy and enjoyable and soon we began to see snow along side of the road and in the shaded forest. As we climbed, the snow increased. At 2,000 feet of elevation, snow lined both sides of the road where the road was shaded. The snow was completely gone when the road was in the sun.

We passed the side rode to Breitenbush Hot Springs and continued on. We located the informational control and duly noted it on our brevet cards. I would not be surprised if the snow along side of the road was gone this weekend.

We followed the same route back to Newberg. We stopped for food in Mill City, for a snack in Lyons (control), for french fries in Stayton and a snack at the open market in Gervais. Be aware that the market closes at 9:00 pm! If you are middle to later in the pack, you might find it closed. Best to stock up in Stayton or detour into Woodburn if need be. There are services (read restrooms) less than one mile down the road if you turn right toward Woodburn at Hwy 219/214.

The sun set on us as we left Shaw while we were on Howell Prairie, but it was not dark, dark until Silverton Road. After leaving Stayton, the only traffic we saw as around Gervais. Once we left Highway 219/214, the roads were very quite and crossing the Willamette River was not an issue.

Mark and I finished at 10:39 which is a bit longer than we do the Three Capes Loop, but not that much longer.

This should have been an easy recovery ride. But I was stupid and hit it a bit harder than I should have. You ride with a group, and the group picks up the pace and you just have to follow along, and then try to drop them.

Anyway, it was lot’s of fun.

This was my second time trial of the year. And, it was the first time that I have raced at Portland International Raceway.

The race consisted of six two mile laps. The racetrack is flat, but it is also close to the Columbia River where the wind loves to blow. We were racing the track counter-clockwise, meaning that we had to ride into the headwind during the long straight. It was hard, but the wind really pushed me on the back side of the track.

Racing on a track has some interesting characteristics. Previously, all of my time trials have been on out and back courses. On such a course, you really don’t see many other competitors. But doing six laps on a track allows you to see other racers, both ones you can pass, and the ones passing you.

The course was not technical, with the exception of one hare lefthand turn. I had the benefit of being passed just before I did the turn for the first time, so I could follow the other’s line through the curve. None the less, I really only nailed the curve twice. All of the other times I misjudged and found myself going very wide through the turn.

I worked very hard during the race. My average power was 231 watts and my average heart rate was 151 bpm. Considering the wind, I am please with my average speed of 22.3 mph.

In terms of results, I did not do as well as I had hoped. I was 15th out of 17 folks in my division. But, I should add that the winner of my division was also the overall winner.

On the day before a race, you are suppose to take it easy.

That was my intention, so Joanne and I headed down to do the Salem Bicycle Club Ride. But, she got one stoplight ahead of me, putting me into the postion of chasing her. And, she had hooked up the the fast boys who let her sit in while they hammered down the road. I only caught them when they took a break in Mt. Angel but by the time I arrived, they were ready to go so no break for me!

None the less, the weather was warm and I had lots of fun.