Stages 5 and 6: Brookings OR, Crescent City CA
Stage 5: ‘Hello Sunshine’ Bandon OR, 88 miles
Packing up at the hotel in the morning, we start chatting with the ‘young man’ who spent all of last night being yelled at by his mother. He’s newly divorced, and his wisdom lends us the quote of the day Don’t Never date a girl who doesn’t like Motorbikes … or bicycles, or whatever you’re into.
We’re getting into some pretty fun descents here. BOB is only speed rated for 40 km/h, but with the hookworm tire now installed, I’m ripping through the switchbacks at 50. Which is fun. On that note, pretty much everyone that we talk to ends their conversations with ‘Be Safe’. What, do I have ‘DANGER’ written across my forehead? Well thank you all for your concern, but I need ‘good luck that some stupid driver doesn’t run your butt over’.
Dr. Evil and I have decided that trading BOB back and forth 4-5 times a day will break up the strain on our tendons etc. He muses during his first pull of the morning that BOB is a little extravagant, Ha Ha. After a shortened day yesterday, and splitting up the trailer pulls, adjusting cleats, my body seems to have had enough recovery and I’m getting on top of BOB pulling.
I’m rack up my second flat of the trip and while I’m sitting on a guard rail pumping up my tire a 65 year old lady rides up (she’s also hanging out on the OC – Oregon Coast – and has ridden from the same town as us). She stops beside us and asks Are you Boys OK. We chat for a while, and admire her helmet mirror, and reflective vest – funny how different things start to make sense.
The ‘info plaque’ a few miles back said that to truly appreciate the giant sand dunes you need to climb up them, so seeing some dunes, I break right. No I didn’t clear the sand dune, but I tried.
So next thing this kid drives up on a 4 wheeler and asks if we want a ride to the top of the sand dune. Uh, Sure. So he whisks Dr. Evil off around the corner, and 5min later, and still spandex clad I’m clinging to the back of the quad flying up a GIANT sand dune.
We flip a ‘U’ at the top and junior guns it, and 60 mph we rock down this bad boy, me hanging on to the fenders for dear life. Yeah, that was pretty bad. Being safe, that’s why I have my bicycle helmet on all day.
Oregon has a well marked Coastal Bike trail which takes us around busier roads and cities. As the Evil Dr. hooks up to BOB leaving Coos Bay we get onto the road of the 7 Devils.
When I was in Austria the locals warned me about this Christmas festival where the Day-Wheels would attack us. I was confused for a bit, but I was in a strange place, different language etc. so it was a week before I asked them for the English word for Day-Wheel, which turned out Day-Wheel. Hmm. Doesn’t ring any bells, what’s the German work then? Teufel (German for Devil LOL).
It’s not too hard to figure out how the road got it’s name as it’s profile is like riding over very very large alligator teeth. E-wheel has lost track and hands BOB back with ½ Day-Wheel err 1.5 Day-Wheels remaining. It’s all good, but if you’re in the area, ride that road, with or without a 60 lb trailer you’ll still have respect.
We roll into Bandon (Abandoned) OR, and ask what’s a fun place for dinner. Well when Brad Pitt’s in town her goes to place X, but the waitress there only has 4 teeth, so you might want to check out… Yeah we went to the place where the people weren’t smoking.
Here are some Oregon Coast pictures, somehow rocks and ocean never stopped looking cool:
Stage 6: ‘Oregin, Oregone’ Crescent City CA – 111 map miles
Today started off dull, 30 miles of small rollers, and fog so thick that it dripped off of our helmets. Since it was none too warm out, heck you could even say that it was pretty darned cold, we just kept on rolling. After some long climb we managed to get an hour of sunlight, which soon changed to thin clammy fog.
Monday morning we had each arranged to have things shipped to us (Spare derailleur hanger for me, and tires, and other essentials for Dr. E.) When we showed up in Brookings OR, it turns out that neither UPS, nor DHL’s ‘ONE DAY’ service to Brookings takes 2 days. Hmmm. Not wanting moss to grow between our toes, or be stopped while light is still penetrating the fog, we decide to forge on to Crescent City CA. The result is some pretty intense intervals, and once we’ve crossed into CA we find that our 3 feet wide shoulders of Oregon are a thing of the past, not to mention that the bike route signs only tell you were to get off the main road, not where to go after that.
It’s late, dark, and we’re tired, when we stop at the first hotel we see. We are rewarded with decent Mexican food. Welcome to California.
Spending 10 hours a day in spandex isn’t really the highlight of things, here we are at lunch…
Otherwise check out pages 58 and 59 of November Bicycling Magazine, and see if you notice anyone familiar mentioned… ha ha!
this trip is Supported by…
Action Sports – if you need high end bike stuff this is where you can get it. 661-833-4000
BOB
KHS bicycles helped out as well.
