Return to July indexI felt like I had found my people. I had come home.
With 10,000 riders participating in the Seattle to Portland (STP) ride, when I arrived at the start it was wall-to-wall bikes and cyclists. Though I knew this would be the case, I was still astounded by the overwhelming numbers.
The most cyclists I have personally ever witnessed at an event was about 1,000. And I thought that was a lot. It was the size of the STP event that prompted me to participate. I knew it would be a new experience. Still, I was simply unprepared for the sensation of such a sizable peloton.
In February, I had called my nephew and Portland resident, Russell Duckworth and suggested we do this together. He told me that he and a group of friends were already planning to participate, and that I was welcome to join them.
So, on the evening of June 20, I flew into Seattle and met them. There were eight of us doing the STP: Paul, his sister Chris Farrell, Gary, Chris Cox, Mike, Anthony, Russ and me. Paul and Chris had persuaded another brother and his wife, Richard and Marlene, to bring their tent trailer and a rented motorhome along. With Richard and Marlene taking care of the accommodations and meals (which I greatly appreciated), we were set to focus on the fun of pedaling to Portland.
We started at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 21, passing under the banner of balloons and onto the street. Ahead I could see numerous individual and clustered cyclists. What I was unprepared for was the experience of having this same view, large numbers of cyclists, ahead of me for the nearly 200 miles to Portland.
I was startled by the large numbers of riders on mountain bikes. The night before, when I saw that Mike, who was in our group, was on a mountain bike. I was surprised and skeptical. I was even more surprised the next day when I saw that over 50 percent of the participants were also on mountain bikes. This was a road event, after all.
However, every mountain bike I saw had narrow, high-pressure tires. Considering this, I surmise that the trend in the northwest is to have a mountain bike equipped for road riding. To a certain extent, it make a lot of sense. A person can have one bike and two sets of wheels, mountain and road, and be ready for almost any kind of riding.
It had rained during the night, but was only partly cloudy on Saturday morning. I was hopeful for no rain. I am from Utah, after all, and rain is something I can generally avoid. If it rains in Utah, you wait 15 minutes and it's clear and sunny.
The weather held, at least for the first 40 miles. We relaxed and sauntered along among the hundreds of riders around us. At one point, I heard someone who had just passed us say, "I need to stop and talk with this guy from Utah." I had on my old Utah Pipe Trades jacket and shorts, so I sort of stood out.
It turned out to be Carol Patinski, sister of Janie Brennan. Janie is married to Richard Vroom who raced for the Utah Pipe Trades team last year and continues to ride with Mi Duole. I was amazed that I could come a 1,000 miles from home, participate in an event with 10,000 cyclists and still make a connection like this.
Carol told me that we were approaching "the stop" on the STP ride. "There are a lot os stops," she said, "but this is the stop."
It is at the REI store in Kent, 17 miles into the ride. Free food, along with a reggae band for entertainment. I was also amused by the line of 20-plus porta-potties. Just another insignificant element that impressed upon me the magnitude of this event.
As we tooled along, we came upon and passed, how can I say this delicately, a "large" lady churning away on her bike. I mean, she had to weight at 250 pounds on a 5'4" frame. Though I admired her ambition, I thought, "There is no way she will make 100 miles today, much less all the way to Portland."
So it was with surprise the next day, at approximately 130 miles, that we again passed her, still steadily pedaling along. I was impressed and moved by her determination and effort.
As I said, the weather held for 40 miles. But the clouds looked ominous and within minutes it seemed we were the object of the rain god's wrath. Indeed, this was just the start. It would rain several more times today, with a driving downpour between miles 70-80. Oh well, welcome to the northwest.
We spent the night at an RV park in Centralia, almost halfway to Portland. A nice, warm shower and dry clothes were a welcome relief. Coupled with Marlene's superb salad and spaghetti, and a good night's rest, I was ready Sunday morning for the final 105 miles into Portland.
As if to make certain I did not forget where I was, it started to rain as we exited the RV park. It rained steadily for the next half hour, but finally eased up. Russ and I were working well together, having a good time.
Just outside of Vader, at mile 115, we were suddenly passed by a string of five tandems. I am no dummy. I know a good draft when I see it and this was an opportunity to be forsaken. Russ and I jumped on and enjoyed the ride for the next 15 miles until the tandems pulled off for a break.
We went on to Sunday's food stop at Lexington. It was dry as we pulled in but started raining while we ate. It continued to rain for the last 55 miles to the finish in Portland. There was nothing else to do but put your head down and keep pedaling.
The finish was exciting. Approaching the banner at Portland State University, there were barricades on both sides for the last 200 meters. Spectators were lined up along either side, umbrellas in full bloom. An announcer would welcome the riders as they finished and family and friends would cheer their arrival.
I have done many centuries and I have ridden the one-day, 200-mile LOTOJA several times. I always feel a real sense of accomplishment when I complete these.
But there was something special about the STP. Certainly, the most overwhelming aspect was the seemingly endless number of cyclists. I never wondered where the route went. I just followed the stream of riders stretching ahead into the distance. Russ and I were weaving in and around cyclists all the way from Seattle to Portland.
I was certainly more conscious of the weather than usual. This was a real experience meaning my words when I say: "You take the weather the way you find it and enjoy the trip." Well, I have never really had to test that attitude like I did on this ride.
The variety was great fun. Mountain bikes, road bikes, tandems (mountain and road), recumbents, tandem recumbents and a couple of HPVs and wheelchairs. Heck, there was even a home-made, three-wheeled tandem, complete with inflatable stoker.
But above all, it was the spirit of this event. You feel it from start to finish. I cannot say for sure, but I would estimate that a least 85 percent or more of those who started finished. And you could see and sense their excitement and satisfaction in finishing, especially under this year's conditions.
As I was leaving the finish area, I observed a rider approach the finish, break into a broad grin and raise a victorious fist into the air. I smiled, realizing that her gesture symbolized how I felt about STP.
I then thought of the "large" lady I had passed both days. I really hope she made it. I hope that she, to, broke into a broad grin and raised her hand in victory.
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