Clam Slam Adventure Ride

The last couple of years Jake and some of the .83 crew has gone out to the Washington coast for some razor clamming. It is a great excuse to get together and fool around outside for a weekend. Yet for some reason I have missed it the last two years. This year I decided to change that. Well, sort of.

One of the other .83 guys, Ben, wanted to ride out there. It is 126 miles, which sounded like something I would love. At first I thought it was going to be a one day, on paved roads. Instead it was going to be two days over forest roads. In the rain..

I met up with Ben and Fred at the ferry docks in Seattle. We sailed to Bremerton and rode out from there. It was a bit wet and riding along. The section of Highway 3 was noisy, but not too bad. But it was just a short section. After that it was a quiet highway off to Belfair. We stopped at a store for supplies and food.

From there on the trip was beautiful. The night was cool, but not cold. Most of the roads we were on were back country highways. Quiet and peaceful. Not many cars to disturb the silence. Instead we could hear the frogs, or watch the stars merge into the lights along Hood Canal.

We stopped again next to Highway 101 at an abandoned roof. I guess it used to be a shack, but there was no sign of the walls that I could see. Instead it was just a roof sitting in the gravel on the side of a highway. We ate some food and grabbed something to drink. The three of us were having a great time. Joking and laughing. Talking of past adventures. I couldn't help but think about how few other people would ever get to have an experience like this. There is no way to take a picture of a moment like that. Enjoy them when they come.

From there it was up into the mountains. A couple of miles of good paved road before everything became a steep gravel road. We stopped just before midnight to eat again. (Touring like this burns lots of calories.) Ben and Fred discussed where to camp. I wasn't familiar with the area, so I let them decide.

Eventually the plan was set to go to the Brown Creek Campground. This may not have been the best idea as it began to pour. The brief respite from the rain was over and making up for lost time. By the time we reached Brown Creek all of us were soaking wet. We set up tents under the awning of the Brown Creek signboard. It took a bit, but I was able to keep the wet off of most of my dry things. I crawled into my sleeping bag and slept fairly well inspite of the downpour.

Ben was not as lucky. He spent the night shivering in a wet sleeping bag. So he bailed out early. It was down to Fred and myself.

We took a bit more time getting ready, but eventually got on the road. Conditions hadn't improved much. The roads were still dirt. It was still raining. The first big challenge of the day was a thousand foot climb up and over a ridge. I thought the decent was worse. It was cold and I was soaked to the bone in spite of several layers of wool and a rain shell. The rain on the downhill slope had turned to sleet. It was a chilly ride to the bottom. When Fred and I got there, it was only to do it again. We had to climb up and over another ridge about the same height. It hailed on us going down the back side. That part was an exquisite misery and I had only myself to blame.

We stopped for lunch at the Wynoochee dam. There is a little gazebo overlooking the dam that would get us out of the rain. Fred and I stood around shivering and cramming food into our faces. I wasn't sure if we were using up calories more for cycling or took keep from freezing to death. Just before we left I stepped in to the bathroom next to the gazebo. I was only inside for a couple of seconds before turning around. I asked Fred "Why are we being idiots and not standing inside the heated bathroom?" Fred rushed over and also noticed a hand dryer on the wall. We had that thing running for the next five minutes straight.


The next 20 miles or so were pretty good. The rain was petering out. For the first half the roads were still dirt, but mostly flat. The second half was paved and we could cruise along the rolling landscape pretty well.

We crossed over 101 again and headed off into some forestry land. Half a mile in we met the first obstacle. It looked like the road just ended at a river. Almost. On closer inspection we found a raft of logs had been tied up there with steel cable. It was now grown over with grass and trees. You couldn't get a car over it, but a couple of bikes weren't a big deal. Onward from that point it was a maze of logging roads. They were usually well marked, but not always. There was one other problem. The roads listed on the map were exactly the same as the ones that actually existed.

The road we were supposed to be on kept getting worse and worse. Eventually, it was became overgrown with trees and then stopped all togehter. A look at the map suggested we weren't on the right road, and headed back down to find it. It turns out that one didn't fair much better. Two miles short of what the map said the road just ended. Actually, the road became a creek that continues in the open for a bit before being swallowed by the forest. We could have continued looking for another route, but there was no guarantee that the map would be any more accurate with those road. We knew we weren't far and on occasion could hear cars driving along the road.

So Fred and I ended up bushwhacking through the forest and swamp for about a mile. I was generally leading the way with Fred looking on GPS to make sure we were heading the right way. Dragging my expedition bike through deer trails wasn't easy. On a few occasions I came to a clearing that I thought would be the main road. Instead, these were just large puddles. At least trudging through six inches of water was easier. My legs were wrecked with scraps from bushes and twigs. Twice I found an old gravel road bed. Sure, overgrown with trees, but clear enough I could even ride for a bit. Each time I would think it had to lead to the main road. But both times, I was disappointed. The road would just die out in the forest without connecting to anything. Around 7:00 PM I finally found the road. I can't tell you how relieved I was to see it.

Once we had found the paved road, it was a pretty easy ride to Pacific Beach. Fred let me draft off of him most of the way in, so the miles flew by. We ended up at the campsite just after sunset. Some of the folks there were just starting to get worried. But we made it, and shortly started to eat all of the food. Fred and I spent about half an hour eating everything left out on the table. The rest of the evening was spent getting warm around a fire on the beach.

In spite of the hardships I had a great time. Or, maybe it is because of them. Food tastes better when you are starving. The fire is warmer. Good friends more important. There is also something to be said about being outside and enjoying the wild places. I was traveling areas I had never been to and never knew existed. It is an experience I don't have too often these days.  I look forward to the next trip.

FH... ARRRR - 2014

Yes, the annual pirate race was last weekend. This year was fantastic.

I was checking the weather reports the night before. I was told it would rain all morning. It was raining just a bit as the ferry was docking, but it only misted during the race. This year was a bit different. There was a different end-point. We also had a mass start from the ferry. So as soon as the ferry crew let us go, the group was off and racing.

I started out in front as we raced off the ferry dock. I was a bit worried someone would sprint past me during that first hill. Then I was a bit concerned about missing the turns. But I found the way. By the first stop sign I was with a group of about 5 other .83 riders. I was still leading the pack though. That is until...

...my chain fell off. That first steep descent on Bainbridge gets me every year. Out of the 4 years I have done the FHR I don't think I have every kept my chain on in that hill. Oh well. I could see the pirate flags ahead of me and I knew I had to catch up.

For most of the course I was cranking with as much energy as I could stand. I passed Stephen and then Rob. After racing up Baker Hill I passed by Kevin on the back side. I was in third place at that point. I didn't think i could catch up to Daniel and Torrey in the lead. Then rounding the corner I saw Daniel (who won the FHR 2013) on the side of the road. He was pulling out his tube to fix a flat. I asked if he was okay. With a bit of chagrin he said he was. I didn't stop.

The last five miles flew by. I was feeling great. My energy level was high. I never did catch up with Torrey. I found him at the finish. I had come in second place!

After that it was some chili and a chance to hang out. The clouds finally broke open and it started to rain. Prizes were given out. The whole time was a bunch of fun. A great way to begin the year.

How to ride in traffic

I have been meaning to post for a while about how to ride in traffic. Since the last few weeks in Seattle have been amazing, more cyclists have taken to the roads. The problem is that many of them ride badly. This has nothing to do with their speed, type of bike, or clothing. Instead what scares me has to do with the strategy that other riders use to navigate the roads with traffic.

I was going to write a big step by step set of instructions for how to do this. But I found someone has already done that work for me. I think these instructions are really pretty good. There are two big points I want to emphasize, then I will make a third point of my own.

First, don't ride on sidewalks. Cyclists aren't visible there. At most cars are expecting a person walking at 4 miles an hour (if they even think about them at all). A cyclist going even 12 miles an hour is in serious danger of being hit. Sidewalks are death traps, don't ride on them.

Second, ride in the middle or even to the left side of the lane. It is cyclists who ride to the right side of the lane that really scare me. That is an invitation for cars to pass without moving over. Unless you think there is enough room to pass you, don't do it. I only ride to the right of the lane if it is actually safer. Usually this is on a main road with only one lane. There is one section of my commute like this, and it is the most dangerous thing I deal with. Even riding with big trucks is safer. If there are two lanes going your way, ride in the middle of the right lane. An added bonus is that you are more visible to cars going the other way as well. This is a good thing.

These two points are the opposite from what most people were taught. This article explains a lot of the history and politics behind pushing cyclists to the side of the road. Most drivers, and even police, think that cyclists have to ride as far to the right as possible. This video shows why that is a bad idea. Worse, it isn't factual from a legal basis. Cyclists only have to be to the right if they are slower than traffic. Even then, you only need to be as far over as is "safe". Remember, you determine what safe is. Also, you cannot be fined for "impeding traffic" if you making a good faith effort and are moving at your top speed. Learn the laws for you where you live. They are on your side.

The third thing I would like to say is: look out for turning cars. It doesn't get mentioned a lot, but that where the really bad accidents come from. Cyclists don't often get rear ended. A rider is more likely to be hit by a car making a turn. Learn to watch for them and assume they don't see you. Be aware that you can be "hidden" behind other vehicles. Also, look for common problem spots on your normal routes and be extra attentive. Watch out for drivers heading to a Starbucks early in the morning. They are tired and haven't had coffee. Their only thought is getting their latte, not the cyclists they are about to hit. Seeing the problem ahead of time is half the battle to avoiding it.

Finally I wanted to point out this video from my home town. It does a pretty good job of covering the basics of what you need to get out there.

-Dravis

Tragic Accident

A man died on my route to work today. I noticed the flashing lights of the police cars as I made my turn onto East Marginal Way. I was hoping that it was just a collision of two trucks that also navigate the same road. The mangled bicycle lying in the road and the shape under the white sheet told me that something terrible had happened.

I don't know much more than that right now. I don't know exactly how it happened. It isn't even clear who the man is, but if you are reading this just take a moment for him and his family.

What makes this even more tragic isn't just that it is the first day of Bike Month. It is also that, I believe, this accident could have been prevented. A little paint, a tweak to software, maybe a bit of concrete, and just a little planning could make that intersection much safer.

Lets face it, that is a dangerous intersection. It has heavy traffic on it during morning rush hour, both bikes and trucks. For bikes this is the main route that leads to the Spokane Street Bridge. That bridge mind you is the only direct route from West Seattle into downtown. This makes it one of the most used bike routes in the city. On top of that this road is also filled with trucks in the morning. (The evenings tend to be much quieter.) It may seem strange but I tend to like truck drivers. They just have more experience driving than your average person. I often find that they are courteous and get what is going on. That doesn't mean they have clear visibility or the ability to stop however. In general I don't mind biking down that stretch of road. There are bike lanes on each side of East Marginal and even a sidewalk on the west side. (Not that I recommend biking on sidewalks.)

So what makes this intersection so dangerous? Most of it comes down to poor planning. The roads make sense from the perspective of a driver, but it is clear that no one thought about who bike riders would use the road. The cyclists who come from West Seattle are routed along the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road. To use the bike lane they are forced to cross over three lanes of this heavy truck traffic. There isn't even an indication of a crosswalk in the area. This is just dumb. It was bound to happen. I was wondering just last night why that intersection hadn't hurt or killed someone more often. Now it has.

The galling thing is that the solution to this would be simple. Don't direct bikes onto the sidewalk. They aren't safe there. Instead ensure that bikes have a place on the roadway. Yes, even with the big trucks. All that is needed is a protected lane for getting off the sidewalk from the Spokane Street Bridge. Something similar is in place on the Fremont Bridge. Then a few sharrows along Spokane Street before East Marginal. Now instead of being on the opposite side of the road, cyclists would end up naturally in the bike lane. This would only require a bit of cement, some plastic posts and a couple cans of paint.

Even worse the Mayor and the Seattle Department of Transportation are patting themselves on the back for saving almost $12 million on the widening of the Spokane Street Viaduct. If just some of that money and a bit of common sense had been used, we might have one more cyclist in the city tonight.

-Dravis

Women and Cycling

I ran across this article today. The article discusses how women in particular respond to cycling infrastructure. Or, more accurately, how they respond to the lack of infrastructure. The article claims that only 25-30% of people who commute on bikes are women. I could be way off, but even that number seems quite high to me. On a typical day only 10% of the cyclists I see are women. That could be a selection bias based on my commute. It could also be a problem of recognizing gender through a rain parka. Any way you slice it though, it appears that less women cycle as their main mode of transportation.

If you go back to the four types of cyclists I feel female cyclists are much less likely to fall into the "Strong and Fearless" camp and more likely to be in the "Enthused and Confident" group. I am not trying to be sexist here. I just think women tend to be more sensible. I asked a male cyclist who was riding the wrong way down the street at night without any lights on if he was concerned about the cars racing towards him at 35 miles per hour. His response was "fuck 'em". I have not seen many women who are that cavalier with their safety.

Strangely enough, this levelheaded style might not be a good thing. Here is a depressing article which claims that women in London are more likely to be hit by a truck because of their responsible behavior. Riding aggressively may not be required to ride on the roads, but it seems to help. I have talked with quite a few women who said they would like to ride more, but they don't feel safe. (This would be the "Interested but Concerned" category.) I wonder how many women feel that way because they aren't comfortable riding aggressively. Maybe that is where better cycling infrastructure could be useful. Fighting with cars just to be safe really shouldn't be something cyclists have to deal with. More cycle paths and protected bike lanes would encourage these more timid cyclists to ride more often.

That isn't the whole equation though. From commuting daily I have noticed that during a cold, pouring rain I don't see many ladies cycling. On sunny days the total number of cyclists increases, which isn't all that surprising. What is interesting is that the proportion of female cyclists increases.  In my estimation inclement weather is at least as important to women as safe paths to cycle on. Now it could be that women are just more squeamish about disagreeable atmospheric conditions, but I seriously doubt it. I know women who are quite capable of taking on even the most miserable weather.

My guess is that most women have different requirements about getting ready for work. There is an expectation that a woman be well groomed at all times. Clean hair, elegant make-up, pristine clothing. Men do tend to get away with a shabby appearance more often (for which I am grateful). I don't think this is fair, but it has as much to do with the pride a woman takes in how she looks as much as what other people think. Showing up all bedraggled to work may bother women more than men. Not to mention trying to put on make up and do your hair in a bathroom stall. Men tend to wear less make-up and have shorter hair, so grooming takes less time. Even so, I would rather shower at home then have to do it at work. So I can understand the current situation. I will not begrudge anyone who doesn't want to get all wet and dirty on the commute.

What I am not saying is that we accept that women can't ride in the rain. Women are no more water soluble than men. Instead what I am suggesting is a change in our culture. Not just that cars shouldn't be seen as the only mode of transportation, but also that women are capable of navigating and being safe no matter how they travel. I wouldn't claim that women can't drive at night. Why should we, men and women, accept that a woman shouldn't cycle at night? Or in the rain? Instead we should be looking for ways to be more inclusive of all cyclists. This blog post gives a bit of advice on that matter. I still think the most encouraging thing we can do is to tell people they are capable, then let them try it.

Then again I am not a woman, so most of this is just guess work. I would love to know more. If there are ladies out there who have insight about this, please feel free to comment. 

-Dravis

Bikes & Pollution

This weekend I have been enjoying this story about Ed Orcutt, a local Washington state lawmaker, who angered much of the nation's cyclists with his comments about how much carbon dioxide they add to the atmosphere. At some point he stated that they pollute more than cars. This was all in relation to the bike tax idea from a week ago.

Today he apologized and retracted some of the statements. I am still not sure he understands how the carbon cycle works. When I read about this though I went and did some basic calculations for my carbon footprint. If I bicycle 18 miles round trip to work each day and use 50 calories a mile the I use 900 "extra" calories. If a more sedentary person makes 2.3 pounds of CO2 with a 2000 calorie diet, then my commute puts an extra pound of CO2 in the air each day. Compare that to 19 pounds created by a gallon of gas, which I would otherwise be adding to the atmosphere in my car. Stating that cyclists pollute more than cars is grossly inaccurate.

There is also a big difference in the how I produce carbon dioxide by breathing and how cars do it. Most of the food that you eat is made up of carbon molecules, just like cars run on hydrocarbon molecules. The difference is the carbon I eat is pulled from the atmosphere by plants. The net carbon in the atmosphere is zero. Cars, factories, and power plants run mostly on fossil fuels. Carbon that was trapped underground is now released into the atmosphere. The net carbon in the atmosphere is increased.

Now, I will say the idea that commuting by bicycle is not "net zero" is absolutely true. The food I eat is trucked to the store. That releases carbon. Often chemical fertilizers are used to grow the food. More carbon. Even my bike took energy to make. Most of that energy comes from fossil fuels. It then had to be shipped to me on trucks, trains, or aircraft, releasing more carbon into the air.

That more than anything proves the point that cyclists do help pay for the roads, even if they don't drive cars on them. Cyclists not paying their fair share is still a claim made by Rep. Orcutt in his apology. Yet, when I buy and apple at the store the truck that brought that apple had to pay gas taxes. That means the very thing that makes me not carbon neutral when I ride also means that I do, in an indirect way, pay for the roads.

That is just the gas tax, too. I also pay Federal, state, and local taxes that go to roads. I also pay excise taxes on my car, no matter how many miles I drive it.

While I am happy for the apology, I still wonder how much Rep. Orcutt actually understands what he is talking about. He is making several very basic mistakes in science, economics and tax policy. Hopefully he will use this as an opportunity to understand things before speaking about them publicly.

-Dravis

In defense of DFL

Dead Fucking Last. In the cycling community this is a general term of derision. It implies that you are the slowest most unworthy cyclist at the event. You will hear about it at every race. You are sure to hear about it if you are that guy. Even at the Greenlake races there was a prize for DFL. I always thought of this as a booby prize. But maybe that is the wrong way to think about it.

Last we at the FHR we had one rider who arrived late. Way late. About two hours after the first riders finished. After the prizes were handed out. When there was just about no chili left. It wasn't a mechanical issue, or a flat tire. The guy was just slow.

At the same time I think he put in a harder race than anyone else that day. Trust me, if you had seen the guy you would know. Isn't that what we are looking for in sporting? What makes the Tour De France or the Iditarod so amazing is people pushing themselves to their limits. (Maybe that is what offends everyone about doping in sport. If you use performance enhancing drugs, you aren't truly pushing yourself to your limit.) This is why we are excited about people climbing the highest mountains, or diving deeper than anyone else. We talk about the people who ran the four minute mile, or a 2 hour marathon.

While we are always going to look for the person who is fastest or goes farthest, we shouldn't look down on anyone for not coming in first. Frankly, I have more respect for the guy who went gave everything they had to come in last than someone for whom winning was easy. For all of the guys and girls out there who came in exhausted, weary, and in last place, my hat is off to you.

-Dravis