OREGON AND THE REDWOODS WITH FRIENDS

My two friends, Andy and Ros just got on the shuttle back to Portland. I would have taken them but I need to mark the Pickett's Charge course today. They stayed in our house for over three weeks, it seemed like three days. We tried to pack in as much stuff as we could, even though Kathy and I both had to work. We went through the Columbia Gorge, hiking to the top of Multnomah Falls and then seeing the wildflowers just east of Hood River. We went on many bike rides, and checked out the shopping in Bend. We went to the Painted Hills and to Clarno Fossil Beds. I had never been to those places before, close, but I never stopped and looked. 

Last week we took an old fashioned vacation. We went to the Umpqua to hike, ride and camp. That was spectacular. Then it was off to Ashland to see some Shakespeare. Seeing Shakespeare in Oregon with two friends from England was eye opening. They loved it. They thought it was fresh and innovative. Both plays were comedies and we all laughed more than usual. Ros was a stage director in England and really was impressed at how well the plays were put on. 

After two days of a cottage in Ashland it was back to camping. We decided to show them the Redwoods. Kathy and I met in the Redwoods, and both Andy and Ros work for the Forestry Commission in Scotland. We thought some real trees would be fun. We camped at Jedediah Smith State and National Park.WE had bacon and pancakes for breakfast, roasted marshmallows over an open fire, went to the most amazing Redwood Grove I have seen. It is called the Stout Grove. Words do not come close to describing what this grove of trees is. 

On the way home we through in Crater Lake for desert. There is so much snow still that hiking and riding were out of the question. It was spectacular. 

It was fun to show them all these places we live so close to. I now have a new appreciation for what we have.

I miss my friends. They are going back across the sea to England. With the price of fuel so high I feel an uncertainty about travel in the future. When will I see my friends again? That is a sad thought. Maybe next year in Spain? I will make it happen if I can. 

In the mean while I will enjoy Bend to the utmost, I will look at everything like it is new and fresh.  Every time I ride my bike I will think that Andy is with me, enjoying this trail for the first time. I hope all of you do the same. We have this special place we call home. Enjoy it, cherish it, and go out and see it.

Don

FRIENDS AND CUSTOMERS

Big Jon, the one on my left, is moving to Eugene on Sunday. Today we went on farewell ride. I will see him again, for sure, as we have been friends for about 10 years. It has been long enough that I can't remember the year. I know it was before the remodel though. I  remember him in the old store. He was a young kid then (19 or so). Now he is a young man. He came in as a customer and is moving as a friend. You may recognize Damian on my right. He was brought in by Jon. Friendship is an interesting thing. Why do you connect with some people and not others?I really don't know that answer. We all love bikes (well so do most customers of our store), I have been married for well over 30 years these guys are single. They go out, I go to bed. But non the less we are friends. We joke, we laugh, we agree on most politics, they make fun of me being old I make fun of them being young. 

I like that my customers are my friends. I don't like to keep my business separate from my social life. That way at work is fun. I help my friends. It is always a pleasure to see their smiles and hear their laughs. I hope it is the same for them when they see me.

In the first year or so that I knew Jon he had a very bad bike accident. He was in local group ride when there was a pileup. He got the worst of it. His face was one big mess with most of his front teeth missing. I went to the hospital to see him. His jaw was wired and he had a hard time talking. I gave him a Sunnyside Jersey. He smiled and cracked some joke. I think that is what made us friends. Jon never blamed anyone and he was not bitter, nor did he feel a victim. He crashed, and then he recovered. He liked the fact that some bike store owner really took some interest to his life. I did and I do. Jon is a great guy. I am going to miss him in the store, seeing his face around town, and going on rides with him. Maybe he will move back when he is done with university. He talked about being a high school teacher. Why not in Bend. The kids here could use a guy like Jon around.

Good luck Jon and we hope to see you around.

Don

COTTON DEATH ROW AND FRIENDS FROM SCOTLAND

The cotton death row is an inside joke. Last year Kathy and I were in Zion National Park, and we decided to hike up to the Narrows. We went to the outfitter to rent special boots, walking sticks and a special waterproof bag. We then had to go to the safety talk. We learned that if you wore cotton you would probably die. Of course when we got to the creek we noticed almost everyone was wearing blue jeans and flip flops. We felt like the overdressed gringo.

That was then, now we have two friends visiting from Scotland, Ros and Andy. They are not Scottish they are English. I have known Andy for 4 years or so. We have spent a lot of time in Spain together and some time in Scotland. Having friends from other countries is a great thing. If you speak the same language, even better. It is fun to hear what they have to say about high gas prices (our fuel is half the price of fuel in GB), large cars and pickup trucks, great mountain bike trails (ours) and just funny things about life. In the photo Kathy, Ros and Andy are sitting above the Painted Hills near Mitchell in Eastern Oregon, and it is just about to start raining.  I, of course was wearing wool they all had cotton.  We managed to get back to the car before the rain so no fatalities that day.

The real big bonus of having friends from Scotland is when we visit over there. A holiday spent in some one's home is so different than one spent in a hotel or B and B. The evenings are spent talking, eating home food or even night mountain bike rides. 

Next week we are off to Ashland, Crater Lake and the Redwoods. It will be fun to show off our best to our friends, just like they do to us when we are over there. 

After a week of visiting we have become a little looser, the humor more personal and interesting. I am already looking forward to my next trip over to Scotland to see all my other friends.

Thanks for reading,

Don

LIVING IN BEND

Brig asked me if I thought about living somewhere else than Bend. Well I have to say I have. When George was elected the second time I was ready to leave the states.  I don't think I would have, and now that most people see our President for who he is I don't feel that anymore. I answered Brig - that Bend is the best place I have ever been to. I have lived here for over 30 years. I have been to most states, many different countries and for me Bend is the best. Not too big but big enough. This doesn't mean I like everything that has happened in Bend. I still like most things.

As most of you know I love to mountain bike. I like being in the woods, I love being on a bike, and I love the technical bits. Going over rocks, steep downhills and windy descents. I also like not driving. No, it has little to do with $4 dollar a gallon gas. I just think driving is a waste of life. I have done my share. I once had a 90 mile one way commute to work (now it is a 2 minute bike ride). I think most time spent in a car is non-productive. The photo shows how long it takes to get to real single track from my house. This does not include the 5 minutes of single track on the way to the trail. This is where you can ride single track for hours on end. The kind I like, up, down, dusty, wet whatever.  I love the Ochocos, the MacKenzie and  Umpqua Rivers. I do them once a year. I would do them more but for the drive. I usually quit skiing at the end of February. I know there is lots of good skiing left, but I look at the bike and I look at the car and the bike wins. 

So for me Bend is the best place. Great trails close by, no need to drive. I love it.

TRUE TO HER WORD

Veronica Vega is my team mate  

and friend. We have gone to a few bike races together, a movie and she lets me practice my Spanish with her. She is the one who looks a bit serious in the middle of the photo with the yellow Sunnyside Jersey on.

We also went to the same University (Humboldt State), I was there 30 years before her.

Earlier this year our team had a little incident about one of our riders not stopping to help out a rider in need on the side of the road. Veronica was pretty vocal in her belief that we should always stop to help a fellow cyclist. Well on Sunday she proved how deeply she felt about that. We were at the Bear Springs Mountain Bike Race near Mt Hood. She is an expert woman and so started with the pro men, pro women etc. About half way in her race, while she was in first place, she came upon one her teammates in distress (Mike Schindler). He had flatted for the second time and did not have a tube. She stopped, took out her supplies and gave them to Mike. Mike then told her to go on. He would return the pump after the race. 

I came upon the scene a few minutes later (I too was leading my race). I grunted at Mike and then a few yards later I saw Veronica. I managed another grunt and kept going. Veronica was standing on the side of trail and she encouraged me on. 

What I didn't know is she had just crashed and bent her derailleur and she figured she was done for the day. Well after Mike got his flat fixed he came on her again (she was walking by this time). He asked her what was wrong, and when he found out he bent back the derailleur. This is called good Karma. She rallied back to finish second. 

I could have stopped for either rider but didn't. I probably would have if they would have asked. Veronica did not need to be asked, and Mike well he had no choice but to return a favor. 

I have been racing mountain bikes as long or longer than anyone in the State of Oregon. One would think I have nothing new to learn, but on Sunday I learned more of what it is to be a teammate. 

Gracias por la leccion la Senorita Vega. 

Don 

My Mom and Pies

Here we are in the middle of Mountain bike race season and it 

is finally warm. But somethings are more important. Last weekend was Mothers day, no it was not warm. It snowed here in Bend for a brief moment in fact. Yes I did a mountain bike race (Chainbreaker). In the morning, though I got up extra early and made a cherry pie. I like making pies (see an earlier blog). I like to eat them also. But when I do I seem to gain a pound or two.  Mothers day is special. My mom lives next door to me. I don't always spend enough time with her. Work is busy, PPP time you know. I like to Mountain bike race so I do that. We did have a nice mothers day dinner and she really liked my pie. (just a note I make the pie Kathy makes them look like art).  This week we have no PPP and no races. I will go over and set her sprinklers (a few days late) and visit some. I may even make another pie.

Don

HOW MANY GRAND TOUR LEADERS DO YOU KNOW?

I've met Lance, but I don't know him, I've met Levi and Eddy but I don't know them. Greg Lemond has been in the store and I have a photo with him. That is quite a few. But Christian Vande Velde well I can't say we are  on a first name basis, but I did have dinner with him, met him on a ride out of Girona, Spain and his wife was our tour guide for a week. He was in Bend the year Lance won the Cascade Cycling Classic (1998). He told me Bend was on his long list of places to live. 

I will say this, he is a super nice guy. Loved chatting with us. Did not mind having his photo taken with me. Looks like he knows how to smile more than me. 

I think it is really cool that he is the leader of the Giro de Italia (as of 5/10/08). Velonews called it a lifetime achievement award. He certainly deserves it. His teammates called him the strongest. His team included three national tt champions (Ryder Hesjedal, David Millar and David Zabriskie. Very impressive. 

I am stoked to have met Christian, I will now be watching the Giro with a new light. You might want to watch it also. We will be showing at Sunnyside in the mornings on Italian RAI international tv. It is in Italian, but you will love the way they say Paolo Bettini. Call us for times as it is not consistent. 

Don