Comedy of Errors

Saturday was the 300k qualifier for P-B-P. The ride started before dawn as we gathered for the 6:10am ferry crossing to Bainbridge Island. By the time we reached Bainbridge it was starting to rain. This was in stark contrast to the weather just 24 hours earlier when Seattle enjoyed a long over due and much needed Spring day. As I took my bike out of the truck and attached my front wheel I realized that I'd forgotten to attach a magnet to the wheel making my Cateye Mity 8 useless save for the clock feature. This was to be the first of many comical errors.

After a the usual warnings we set off into the drizzle. Jan Heine (of Bicycle Quarterly fame) and a few others quickly soared off the front. Several of us decidedly slower riders formed a good sized group and began working our way to the Hood Canal bridge. Just after the bridge came the first real hill. I peeled off my shell and began climbing. I was feeling stronger than expected and was keeping pace with several riders who generally finish well ahead of me. We began to encounter some chip seal and my bike was making a terrific rattling racket. Something clearly was loose. I reached down and gave the bottle cages a wiggle but they both seemed solidly attached. I pulled out the multi-tool and reached down and began working my way around the chainring bolts. They were all snug. At this point I realized I'd have to pull over and stop and see what was wrong. I finally found the culprit: in my haste to swap out wheelsets I'd accidentally put in the wrong sized cassette spacer. As a result the cogs were sitting rather loosely on the hub and rattling. The lockring seemed tight so I hopped back on and kept going. There was quite a bit of chip seal which made for an annoying ride.

As we left Quilcene we began the ascent of Walker Pass. The more we climbed, the harder it seemed to rain. Part way up the hill I encountered a group of riders looking intently at the ground alongside the road. Naturally, I had to stop. Turns out a rider's crank had come detached from his bike and the bearing from the bottom bracket had fallen out. I helped look for a while but then got back on the bike and kept going. As I rode off I thought to myself "Well at least my loose cassette isn't keeping me from riding!" The cycling gods apparently didn't appreciate this and soon after my pedal body detached itself from the spindle. Fortunately, I was able to more or less fix it.

The descent down Walker Pass had me seriously regretting not bringing my rain shell. I had my Novara Conversion jacket. It's a splendid jacket but by no means a real rain jacket. Light rain perhaps but not the full on downpour I encountered on the descent. By the time I got to the bottom I was so cold I couldn't feel my brake levers. I only knew I was squeezing them because the bike was slowing. As the road leveled off so did the rain. At this point I began noticing my posterior wasn't as comfy as it could be. I hopped off the bike and noticed my Sella Anatomica saddle now resembled a hammock. Sadly, this saddle was proving to be only slightly more water resistant than a Brooks. I tightened the tension bolt as far as I could without having it come undone but clearly this was the end of the road for the saddle. It felt like I was sitting on just the metal frame the leather was bolted to - not comfortable! Too bad since prior to this the SA was the most comfortable saddle I'd ever ridden.

We soon rolled into the secret control. I was surprised to see Kent Peterson roll up after me. Kent is a super strong rider and I'm a really weak climber. This actually made me a bit nervous because Kent had warned me earlier in the week that the real climbing was in the final third of this ride and the key was to start conservatively. I was feeling pretty good (back and butt aside) but was now worrying that I'd gone out too hard. Kent offered me some Gummi worms and hit the road. The worms provided a much needed sugar boost and I was again reminded that Kent is a nutritional genius.

I headed out and began making my way to the next control in Hoodsport. I had no idea just how far I'd gone but I know we were past Walker Pass but not yet at Hoodsport which meant I'd covered somewhere between 98 and 148KM. I rolled past a country store and decided it was time for some Kent Peterson inspired nutrition in the form of a Starbuck's DoubleShot and some Gummi Worms. The sugar and caffeine did wonders for me but soon my back was starting to spasm. Soon even short hills were causing terrible shooting pains. I knew I was in serious trouble. I limped my way into Hoodsport and the local coffee shop. A couple other riders said they were heading into Bremerton and catching an early ferry home. That sounded like a very good idea. After some food the three of us set off. Within a couple of kilometers they were soon out of site and I began the long and lonely haul towards Belfair. Fortunately, the rain had stopped and I was treated to fantastic views of the Hood Canal. I stopped in Belfair and grabbed another DoubleShot and headed out down SR3 towards Bremerton.

I rolled into Bremerton and made my way along the waterfront. Apparently Bremerton is the final stop for decommissioned aircraft carriers as there were several anchored waiting their final out come. Joining them were a pair of Perry class frigates which looked like lifeboats alongside the hulking carriers. Up over one short hill and I was at the ferry terminal. I arrived just in time to see the ferry depart! Doh! At this point I began a quest for food. Eventually I found a place that carried Belgian inspired frites and beer. I ordered a big cone of fries with curry ketchup and a Chimay. The grease, curry, potato and alcohol worked wonders and I was once again a happy camper. I found the two other riders who took the Bremerton option and they said we'd covered over 150 miles. All setbacks aside it was still a good ride. I'd seen parts of Washington I'd never seen before, persevered through new levels of adversity, and ended the ride eating fried food and drinking good beer. How can this be considered anything less than a great day?