tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66975391190916228262024-03-04T23:19:16.083-08:00m-u.usout there.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-54013347921492150122015-05-21T10:22:00.000-07:002015-05-21T10:22:30.281-07:00OREGON OUTBACK: Stuff<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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All packed! Hope I'm not missing anything! Heading out, should hit the road by noon.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">EVERYTHING</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything, condensed</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-62044548768755684522015-05-20T07:53:00.001-07:002015-05-20T08:06:29.161-07:00OREGON OUTBACK 2015 - Preface<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello!<br />
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Back at it again with my next (r)adventure! While I've done a lot of crazy stuff on a bike, this next trip, the <a href="http://velodirt.com/the-oregon-outback-2015-ed/">Oregon Outback</a>, will most likely take the cake. It's a barely-organized, unsupported, grueling gravel tour through 360+ miles of Central Oregon high desert / nothingness, basically from the California border to the Washington border... and I could not be more excited! I committed to doing this ride <i>instantly</i> after last year's photos hit the 'net and it's been on my mind since. Stats in brief:<br />
Start: Klamath Falls, OR. Fri, May 22.<br />
End: Deshutes River State Recreation Area near The Dalles, OR<br />
Distance: 364 mi<br />
Elevation gain: 14376 ft<br />
Surface: 75% gravel, 25% paved<br />
Time: 4 days? 5?<br />
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Route:<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="500px" src="//ridewithgps.com/routes/5035124/embed" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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From the "organizers" at <a href="http://velodirt.com/">Velodirt</a>:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px;">"We're biased but we think this is the best bikepacking route in Oregon. Starting in Klamath Falls near the California border, you get to traverse the entire length of the state on lightly traveled roads including a slice of the route’s namesake area – the Oregon Outback – a dusty, remote portion of the state populated primarily by coyotes and rattlesnakes. Expect desolation, extremely limited water and services, and some of the most beautiful riding anywhere."</span></blockquote>
I've spent the last two weeks gearing up and modifying a bike - or rather, frankensteining two of them together - that will be best suited for the ride. Since my beloved Independent Fabrication touring frame cracked and I haven't had a chance to get it repaired, I decked out my cyclocross bike in "gravel tour mode". Coincidentally, this is the ride that, along with the desire to give 'cross a shot, inspired me to build up a gravel grinder. I wavered on it but eventually figured I'd go with the steel touring frame for a comfier ride (until it broke). So I was back to the original plan, but its carbon fork and comparatively meek 33c knobby tires wouldn't be enough for The Outback. I took the steel fork from my busted IF frame for resilience and to run a new Tubus low-rider front rack (major upgrade), beefed up the tires to new <a href="https://www.conti-online.com/www/bicycle_de_en/themes/city/travelcontact_en.html">700x37c Continental Travel Contacts</a>, and swapped over my comfy Selle Anatomica leather saddle and a few other components from the IF. I'll be packing relatively light, running 2 Axiom front panniers, a new <a href="https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/Seat-Bags/Viscacha">Revelate Viscacha</a> seat pack, and possibly an Axiom handlebar bag if I need the space (the easy access to stuff would certainly be nice). No rear rack for handling and weight purposes. I want to stay as light as possible for this one, but still be equipped to carry enough supplies since there's a whooooole lot of nothing out there (including a 65 mile stretch with no water), stay warm during nights camping when temperatures drop into the 30s, and, in general, be prepared for whatever the hell this trip throws my way.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Crankenstein", unloaded but looking almost ready! Apologies for the non-drive-side photo.</td></tr>
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I'm riding this one with my Bikery friend, Wes, as featured in the last post - our disastrous weekend trip on the Iron Horse Trail. We're set to rent a car in Seattle, drive down to Klamath Falls on Thursday (9 hours ish), dump the rental car, ride 6 miles from the airport to a motel, sleep hard, and ride out at 7AM on Friday with the rest of the crew. There's really no way of knowing how many people will be on the ride, but last year's inaugural run was around 130, I believe. We're hoping to finish in 4 or 5 days - short enough to warrant waking up early and pushing hard for around 80 rough miles a day, but long enough to enjoy the scenery, take photos, and keep from dying in the middle of nowhere.<br />
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Stay tuned! I'm not sure how frequent my updates will be for this one since I'll be conserving battery at all costs and cell phone service might be extremely sparse. Also, I've spent plenty of time staring at a screen lately anyway and feel I now deserve to do so as little as possible. Either way, I've got multiple cameras and am prepared to bombard the internet with footage and a respectable write-up upon my return.<br />
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Gear list to follow.<br />
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Wish me luck!<br />
Mike</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0Seattle, WA, USA47.6062095 -122.332070847.2636815 -122.9775178 47.9487375 -121.68662379999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-80526783762251953812015-04-26T13:33:00.003-07:002015-04-26T13:49:13.899-07:00Iron Horse Trail 4/24/15-4/25/15: The Most Disastrous Overnighter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A friend of mine from The Bikery (Wes) and I had been planning a trip out to a ghost town in the Cascades about 70mi SE of Seattle for upwards of a year. We finally locked down dates a few weeks ago, and despite some wavering due to the weekend's forecast of rain and snow in the mountains, we decided to <i>just fucking do it anyway!</i> I'd taken a day off of work. We'd already put it off long enough. Weather will suck. It will be cold. We'll deal with it. Just go.<br />
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The planned route involved a start from Rattlesnake Lake (about a 45 min drive E from Seattle), a steady climb up the Iron Horse Trail (a fantastic old rail trail), through the 2-mile-long pitch-black IHT/Snoqualmie/"Stampede" Tunnel, a steeeeep climb up and through Stampede Pass, and out the other end with a nice descent down to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester,_Washington">Lester</a>, a town uninhabited since the 1980s/1990s when it was declared to be in Tacoma's protected watershed. I was really looking forward to exploring Lester, but we didn't quite make it.<br />
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The first crushing defeat came before the ride even started. I had spent 2 days converting my beloved touring bike from road-race-mode to gravel-eating machine, including setting up a new front rack, reinstalling fenders, swapping wheelsets, cassettes, and switching tires with my cyclocross bike for some wide, knobby goodness to eat the gravel of the Iron Horse Trail. I spent 2 nights (little to no sleep) getting everything ready and my panniers tediously packed. 10 seconds from leaving Wes's, bikes fully loaded up and tied down to the trunk rack, we had the worst possible realization: my frame was rusted and cracked through just above the bottom bracket on the downtube. Riding this with heavy bags on a rough offroad trail would have certainly resulted in my death one way or another. The repair will be around $500-1000. I was totally defeated.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Death.</td></tr>
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Fortunately, Wes and I both have bike infestations. He offered for me to ride his Surly Cross Check, <strike>reliable</strike> indestructible and already set up for this type of riding - wide tires, fenders, wide gear ratio, rack. It was very small (by about 5cm) for me and the opposite of my geometry but way better than not going! My only other bike good for this type of stuff would be the cyclocross bike I built last fall but it needs a lot of work right now. We swapped saddles and pedals with my dead bike and finally set off, now around 2:00pm.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wes's awesome Elephant "Natural Forest Explorer" and my borrowed (his) Surly Cross Check at the trail head.</td></tr>
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The ride started out alright, although a bit wet! Definitely a lot of rain and temperatures were falling fast as it got later in the day and elevation increased. We had awesome views of the mountains and lakes, though. The tunnel itself was a blast - totally dark and made it worthwhile to bring headlights.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tunnel video snapshot #1</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tunnel video snapshot #2 - emerging</td></tr>
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A few miles on the other side of the tunnel, we saw a black bear! It was young, so we faced a tough decision of "it's young and afraid of us" vs "it's young so there is probably a protective mom nearby". We stood back around 60yds away and I grabbed a few photos at max zoom before we proceeded with caution and, ultimately, our lives. You'll have to click to zoom on these:</div>
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We stopped in Hyak (on the other side of the tunnel), had a snack, and stood in the bathrooms warming/drying all of our clothes and shoes with the hand dryers for about 15 minutes. Very key stop.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBbU3WhgUvM9gUfdf57pgd8dgSWD12yu74sILCpYt-7OooQQFHKXrIcenKaLD76w1CyYtgIYGFhp8DzLduPH8Wc0hgghgcxJuTWFfH_K4W-nkniXqqD9hc7aczxmAODbf4oBVCGYyRnY7/s1600/DSC04571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBbU3WhgUvM9gUfdf57pgd8dgSWD12yu74sILCpYt-7OooQQFHKXrIcenKaLD76w1CyYtgIYGFhp8DzLduPH8Wc0hgghgcxJuTWFfH_K4W-nkniXqqD9hc7aczxmAODbf4oBVCGYyRnY7/s1600/DSC04571.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hyak. "Trail bacon", fig newtons, PB</td></tr>
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More ascent:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0N5b7QHIEPyzQEwQseJrw58cyZ8ryK7tFpr20OlctaPx5eMxaTwlfk6lvSMvhq30G7XKmGBPnHeyRMMQbsSSbt28JXXNOtXs-t8cRxx7w87hQSJM8OY3knFalhfC2hD9xMQWZhRnczpT/s1600/DSC04574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0N5b7QHIEPyzQEwQseJrw58cyZ8ryK7tFpr20OlctaPx5eMxaTwlfk6lvSMvhq30G7XKmGBPnHeyRMMQbsSSbt28JXXNOtXs-t8cRxx7w87hQSJM8OY3knFalhfC2hD9xMQWZhRnczpT/s1600/DSC04574.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Going up the steep part to the pass, shit got very bad around 7pm. Temps fell HARD (low 30s), freezing rain turned to snow abruptly, huge flakes, and was accumulating.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More potholes than road?</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0g_tBVpSGbXT3pFF8f5MCuvjXeDD3zKWplHocvpbwFGlvjFG4h1vVn9WwpYCstAiopeiw8Gm71-ZMAa2VhZKCXZOXQByg15AMLPFSt0H-bxkM_SLyo1ZyKGerGqG2KJsqXpfgrDU9C_E/s1600/G0061515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0g_tBVpSGbXT3pFF8f5MCuvjXeDD3zKWplHocvpbwFGlvjFG4h1vVn9WwpYCstAiopeiw8Gm71-ZMAa2VhZKCXZOXQByg15AMLPFSt0H-bxkM_SLyo1ZyKGerGqG2KJsqXpfgrDU9C_E/s1600/G0061515.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7UeRpVHDZwYPtA_-VCCBsgObjmKZ-d7V-YjtWjTaFxl3U3GdUyoSWaqrS75EZ1HOY4ern7WpK6Iu8BflxYF-jx7mPxCc_SyXp50hXPbzCRsaai7Q2ELqTS1vDokdzD8t7LAeo5rjNQMw/s1600/G0061525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7UeRpVHDZwYPtA_-VCCBsgObjmKZ-d7V-YjtWjTaFxl3U3GdUyoSWaqrS75EZ1HOY4ern7WpK6Iu8BflxYF-jx7mPxCc_SyXp50hXPbzCRsaai7Q2ELqTS1vDokdzD8t7LAeo5rjNQMw/s1600/G0061525.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ridiculous</td></tr>
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At this point, we decided our options were:</div>
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A) Push on through the pass (another mile further until the peak), continue to Lester (10mi?), and hope that conditions would be better at a lower elevation. Hoping to camp and set up a fire. This would be cold.</div>
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B) Turn it around and book it 30-ish miles back to the car. It was already late, dark, and cold, but at least the return would be all downhill and we'd be sleeping inside for sure.</div>
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C) Turn around back to the IHT where the ascent to the pass split off and book it to Easton, the closest town, hoping to find a hotel / anything inside.</div>
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We were frozen and camping was out at this point since it was in the 30s, all of our gear was wet, and I'm not sure how my tent and new (e.g. "not yet Mike-tested") sleeping bag would fare in snow.</div>
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We opted for C.</div>
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The descent was miserably cold and windy. The good part about the uphill had been keeping warm from body heat! Downhill was not the same - hands and feet were numb to the point that it was difficult to use brakes and impossible to use shifters. Just ride the brake hoods and swerve around potholes. Fun stuff!</div>
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We made it to Easton around 9pm and talked to a sheriff who was posted right off of the trail looking for speeders (not bikes, cars). He said there was "maybe one place to stay - sometimes they're open, sometimes not!" and went to check it out for us. It was a motel, currently out of business waiting to be sold. The owner's brother, Lance, was staying there for a few days "to look after the place" but it was not quite operational. Lance was really great and let us stay the night, very hands-off, and we agreed to just settle up with the cleaning staff in the morning since he clearly didn't really care if we were or weren't there. Great guy, though! And a life saver. We got the heat running in the room, warmed up, and hit the only tavern in town (across the street) for well-earned recover beers and burgers. Our total mileage was around 47 miles.<br />
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DAY 2:<br />
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Waking up in a warm hotel room was the greatest feeling after the previous day's defeat and emergency exit. We hit the road in partially sunny, sporadically rainy weather in the low 50s. Much better than the day before. We opted to skip Lester again in fear of a repeat from the day before, and not feeling much like a 5000 ft climb. "We'll come back and do it in the summer." Still up for adventure, we extended the route along the side of Lake Kachess, which resulted in some excellent views and higher-elevation sunshine into mid-afternoon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waking up warm, dry, inside!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yesterday's aftermath</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXuN8b9kD3qjRAXkAeL6pSWNDjLdxPnrQoP69m0VYgYJlOAMSnFuTP1xaY60U_hJJpT0kNf58NS_biwOprEBcWyb5SuU08D08QljRRnhLU44OB1lS7aTISHKCKBu9ReDTbA3K_rjm7kOH/s1600/DSC04591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXuN8b9kD3qjRAXkAeL6pSWNDjLdxPnrQoP69m0VYgYJlOAMSnFuTP1xaY60U_hJJpT0kNf58NS_biwOprEBcWyb5SuU08D08QljRRnhLU44OB1lS7aTISHKCKBu9ReDTbA3K_rjm7kOH/s1600/DSC04591.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yesterday's aftermath</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzo5rhpxiWjhsIbNVkP7w5HbLbYJqBBPSXiVMsY0L9C_8_WCj3bmhGEzpxLsEcmrmzWUK-TvUPFM8TNt2HRKRPJ2Bom5bWAtM-dEh4peH0QYwyA5up-Ltcxo4vYEK9D40s-6siRb2OlMH_/s1600/DSC04595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzo5rhpxiWjhsIbNVkP7w5HbLbYJqBBPSXiVMsY0L9C_8_WCj3bmhGEzpxLsEcmrmzWUK-TvUPFM8TNt2HRKRPJ2Bom5bWAtM-dEh4peH0QYwyA5up-Ltcxo4vYEK9D40s-6siRb2OlMH_/s1600/DSC04595.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">STORE across the street. Not open.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL14HzyJX30wJoj_WdBQqr_44FVE-6YVH8V_-RfUj6LoM6c4V1ni9LaJ4nBitWEdyoATayVtdjerLVpRCC0W8s8W8ZR6Q7HNBERe3JXhXdIqRSp20LbLKM2T_X8jjLMGDp9w1_idxTiQOb/s1600/DSC04596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL14HzyJX30wJoj_WdBQqr_44FVE-6YVH8V_-RfUj6LoM6c4V1ni9LaJ4nBitWEdyoATayVtdjerLVpRCC0W8s8W8ZR6Q7HNBERe3JXhXdIqRSp20LbLKM2T_X8jjLMGDp9w1_idxTiQOb/s1600/DSC04596.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Motel where we stayed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXIM4MkYue8XH_B8EYyb_c2AHowj4ENbh5MM5KAszgz0v8aWkh1FvZ0J6ysBzFe4AiJhp2D94q0Fm98SBxBCQf90bZEBoZAklk2T9YVOxYLzXL-qIPvJHWQrShsaTkvtfqTUhQxDkM95_t/s1600/DSC04598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXIM4MkYue8XH_B8EYyb_c2AHowj4ENbh5MM5KAszgz0v8aWkh1FvZ0J6ysBzFe4AiJhp2D94q0Fm98SBxBCQf90bZEBoZAklk2T9YVOxYLzXL-qIPvJHWQrShsaTkvtfqTUhQxDkM95_t/s1600/DSC04598.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cross check ready to go!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqXb6smPgvVMs911TM8Yd0F8tse-c30S6NsavjgfJsPAr0KOk1vycDgcWm20d357YoBzGjRhIAPq0j8EQtZqexMvvVhGY6k7UkuB0WJTh54fndW9XdfQctzFLurqBURM2vj64sal8RpoY/s1600/DSC04604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqXb6smPgvVMs911TM8Yd0F8tse-c30S6NsavjgfJsPAr0KOk1vycDgcWm20d357YoBzGjRhIAPq0j8EQtZqexMvvVhGY6k7UkuB0WJTh54fndW9XdfQctzFLurqBURM2vj64sal8RpoY/s1600/DSC04604.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdWSWBBf4ZK8D2Z0Ed5B96HX7JEXtxJJlmt_ezQsXNbRd3W4F5hfRHumQZ_5LEKO_oste4GrOIoZcxeZ3vZcyyi39B09BcYp2-BbNEmHKb3TkLXIxWT4sn1lu5cCY1AYOSHIsXoETGVlx/s1600/DSC04609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdWSWBBf4ZK8D2Z0Ed5B96HX7JEXtxJJlmt_ezQsXNbRd3W4F5hfRHumQZ_5LEKO_oste4GrOIoZcxeZ3vZcyyi39B09BcYp2-BbNEmHKb3TkLXIxWT4sn1lu5cCY1AYOSHIsXoETGVlx/s1600/DSC04609.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hi!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZzE0bGvblMcuNEC6kjPF91NEb3YSYmcr-kYSHfvUiT1W1JEsrnbhWib_umDJbfj3wF2Gj8XT5oxSWygj0igCc_grtOpQgeJC7y5TH4Z7fvumgxBgkASIWd8IXxvnlQ8vN04zxgMJ1od_/s1600/DSC04614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZzE0bGvblMcuNEC6kjPF91NEb3YSYmcr-kYSHfvUiT1W1JEsrnbhWib_umDJbfj3wF2Gj8XT5oxSWygj0igCc_grtOpQgeJC7y5TH4Z7fvumgxBgkASIWd8IXxvnlQ8vN04zxgMJ1od_/s1600/DSC04614.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting back to the trail</td></tr>
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Stop at the highest point we hit along Lake Kachess:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHwFysUvE-hYPdw6r2qqIW3NUkDJm3Msw89Q7mT7eowGVBhhFZqpUEY8vdcz6rAiuyQ6KexKtwBQgQ8voyWI_nKqySrelOKb96dCEyHD44tGyeb5VnI1ZXxY5K_2pqGJKaE3QoTE3yqsB/s1600/DSC04621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHwFysUvE-hYPdw6r2qqIW3NUkDJm3Msw89Q7mT7eowGVBhhFZqpUEY8vdcz6rAiuyQ6KexKtwBQgQ8voyWI_nKqySrelOKb96dCEyHD44tGyeb5VnI1ZXxY5K_2pqGJKaE3QoTE3yqsB/s1600/DSC04621.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfz2mJsgJwYee_9XePFMfN6TkpMuE8ta3XsOEgXfWZvRgXGS6LtAPMw3UbDzRkhHw1UZk5GwmAOowCXycX67dE_2St5HXF7BO5pMxGNFJY_m-kGzXRH9v447L9ofSjni4JNJiFi2TyiUx/s1600/DSC04628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfz2mJsgJwYee_9XePFMfN6TkpMuE8ta3XsOEgXfWZvRgXGS6LtAPMw3UbDzRkhHw1UZk5GwmAOowCXycX67dE_2St5HXF7BO5pMxGNFJY_m-kGzXRH9v447L9ofSjni4JNJiFi2TyiUx/s1600/DSC04628.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of countless moments where I can tell Wes is thinking/about to say "oh my god I love it so much here."</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qp0I2DcFhf9nPg6RmMt9C4z6wwUbJxA2vcz93k6QDhRlC5js354fzunddbXux886c0FHjzu5n0LGTllFh1brLW9xtCv7xJFxs8fIXjc0uNr8Ud8G3nDMa8ch9aOGHiOBi3nSoctDi0X4/s1600/DSC04640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qp0I2DcFhf9nPg6RmMt9C4z6wwUbJxA2vcz93k6QDhRlC5js354fzunddbXux886c0FHjzu5n0LGTllFh1brLW9xtCv7xJFxs8fIXjc0uNr8Ud8G3nDMa8ch9aOGHiOBi3nSoctDi0X4/s1600/DSC04640.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ridge in the back between these two mountains is where we rode the day before - exactly at the point of photos from Day 1 that are under power lines.</td></tr>
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Descent:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREKgbtO_X5CUyHzl5NMzrusql8bjs17oPbML8PRkDeWfGtfo8wCryv39R7yUKCvSHmBi4gZaseccOWO1OPoqTIgryReVku-yd3a9bLE-Ota_0xSn3GlxICBMPc4zUr9bXdnp_I-1XJjkA/s1600/DSC04661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREKgbtO_X5CUyHzl5NMzrusql8bjs17oPbML8PRkDeWfGtfo8wCryv39R7yUKCvSHmBi4gZaseccOWO1OPoqTIgryReVku-yd3a9bLE-Ota_0xSn3GlxICBMPc4zUr9bXdnp_I-1XJjkA/s1600/DSC04661.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stop at Lake Easton</td></tr>
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Another very cool part of the descent / trip back - we saw 4 elk! Or the same two twice but it's hard to say.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT23fJJ1oRU8gZMHa7tYQF3kuykkx1vi0crv7gVu_2g0VAt5kcMwlluO8ssVkIEDa7fsM6jhwgPCl50T6XB7WS42ivJLlcLjCvRmh_R3baLCxqRos1XoWiCki71JlM4McdqtXcrcKDAJov/s1600/DSC04678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT23fJJ1oRU8gZMHa7tYQF3kuykkx1vi0crv7gVu_2g0VAt5kcMwlluO8ssVkIEDa7fsM6jhwgPCl50T6XB7WS42ivJLlcLjCvRmh_R3baLCxqRos1XoWiCki71JlM4McdqtXcrcKDAJov/s1600/DSC04678.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ELK! Zoom in.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdWIA7JvBS5bnvCvOH5H01Dd9BZRVY2F5M2wKBqNd5No6hrWgRZt4Ms714kkukexE4zz7DkvV1p3g9UhP-hxVtkWtrs_DfkmRRIf5txnQJviO6szL6vEuTQOkut5NUzudfPUZIFwcO0dA/s1600/DSC04679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdWIA7JvBS5bnvCvOH5H01Dd9BZRVY2F5M2wKBqNd5No6hrWgRZt4Ms714kkukexE4zz7DkvV1p3g9UhP-hxVtkWtrs_DfkmRRIf5txnQJviO6szL6vEuTQOkut5NUzudfPUZIFwcO0dA/s1600/DSC04679.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elk 2</td></tr>
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Of course, nice weather did not last. It hailed miserably and was pretty windy as we made our way back along Keechelus Lake. You'll have to take my word for it since it's a little difficult to take photos while riding a bike in wind and hail, but it sucked... still sucked in a challenging way, though! And plus, we were mostly on flats/downhill and headed for the car, so the only thing to do was to push on. We stopped in Hyak to use their awesome heated bathrooms again. For the second half of this day, I proudly displayed my "best $1 ever spent" purchase - an Ikea poncho that conveniently fits over my entire body, keeping my arms inside while allowing them to reach the handlebars, thus shielding my whole torso and thighs from the elements. Score!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEg0YycmH-dOcqG8N-zyjkmmHcb7eyTxTGuF3aNtvb931ElYTFW2NzpUKX5zFNxlqKTcigJUpvaK8b4oIrfr74umAsj2hMeCBLSTEYOMAeTsxAewHZH9Bmyh8zBFzBxkKlMMgVz1Y650B/s1600/DSC04686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEg0YycmH-dOcqG8N-zyjkmmHcb7eyTxTGuF3aNtvb931ElYTFW2NzpUKX5zFNxlqKTcigJUpvaK8b4oIrfr74umAsj2hMeCBLSTEYOMAeTsxAewHZH9Bmyh8zBFzBxkKlMMgVz1Y650B/s1600/DSC04686.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hyak stop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Last awesome "goodbye views" from the Iron Horse Trail to the parking lot at Rattlesnake:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DONE.</td></tr>
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We booked it back to the car HARD, changed to dry clothes, I crushed the reminder of a beer that had punctured and half-emptied in my bag, and we headed straight out in search of victory burritos.</div>
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Total mileage from day 2: 57mi. The weather was temperamental and unpredictable in its demonstration of "rapid change between micro-climates". Elevation and weather patterns flowing through the mountains here seem to make for drastic differences in just a few miles or a few hundred feet. Madness! Despite busted gear, gear that didn't fit, cold, rain, snow, hail, ditching on plans / taking the "emergency exit", and the other numerous speed bumps along the way, this was still an awesome trip. Thanks to Wes for his supreme navigation, route planning, and general expert-level knowledge of the area! More to follow in the coming weeks on frame repair and next journeys...</div>
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Mike<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-85038275320467116972014-10-12T15:11:00.001-07:002014-10-12T15:22:18.796-07:00Introducing... CRANKENSTEIN: Building a Cyclocross Bike<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here's my latest project! I am so thrilled to have just finished it after a couple of months of acquiring parts from all corners of the internet and working on it whenever I had a chance (occasionally). My goal was to have a light, fast, functional, and reliable bike for racing cyclocross (new!), light offroad/gravel touring, and hopefully the Oregon Outback (<a href="http://velodirt.com/the-oregon-outback/">info</a>, <a href="http://velodirt.com/portfolio/the-oregon-outback-part-i/">photos</a>) or something similar in the future. Another goal was to keep the cost as low as possible because a) bicycle pricing is weird and it actually costs less to buy a whole bike assembled than buying all of the parts separately, b) there is a sea of perfectly good used parts very available to me through The Bikery (co-op where I volunteer), craigslist, ebay, and other local shops, c) it adds another dimension to the challenge, and d) it would be no fun and I wouldn't learn much by just buying a brand-new bike that actually works. Knobby tires, integrated shifting, and aluminum/carbon materials are all relatively new to me as most of my projects tend to be vintage steel road bikes, so this was an awesome opportunity for me to dip into new areas, expand the bike-knowledge parts of my brain (though they may be taking over other parts...), and keep my hobby fresh.<br />
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The entire project cost about $460, although it is a little difficult to add it up exactly because I was pulling parts off of my other bikes or from the depths of my garage, didn't use all parts from a few bulk purchases, and often had to ditch some that just didn't fit. For instance, a lot of it came off of a Raleigh Team Technium road bike with Shimano 105 components that I bought on Craigslist for $90, almost entirely dismantled, and re-sold the frame, fork, and bars for $40, easily resulting in 50 dollars' worth of bike to me. Anyway, I kept a detailed spreadsheet outlining my purchases.</div>
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<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #ccc; font-family: arial,sans,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; table-layout: fixed;"><colgroup><col width="75"></col><col width="95"></col><col width="87"></col><col width="53"></col><col width="81"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"PART"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">PART</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"MODEL"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">MODEL</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"SOURCE"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">SOURCE</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"PRICE"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">PRICE</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"NOTES"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">NOTES</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"frame"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">frame</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"nashbar aluminum cx frame (NB-XFA)"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">nashbar aluminum cx frame (NB-XFA)</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"nashbar"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">nashbar</td><td data-sheets-formula="=115*0.8+15" data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,107]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$107.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"fork"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">fork</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"2010/11 bontrager satellite plus"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">2010/11 bontrager satellite plus</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"ebay"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">ebay</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,73]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$73.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"headset"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">headset</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"ritchey wcs logic cross w/ cable hanger"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">ritchey wcs logic cross w/ cable hanger</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"ebay"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">ebay</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,50]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$50.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"headset spacer"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">headset spacer</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"1 1/8\" x 1\" aluminum"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">1 1/8" x 1" aluminum</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"2020 cycle"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">2020 cycle</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,6]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$6.00</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"bars"]" style="border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">bars</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"salsa cowbell"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">salsa cowbell</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"CL-2"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">CL-2</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"batch purchase of parts for $80"]" style="font-size: 100%; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">batch purchase of parts for $80</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"stem"]" style="border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">stem</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"ritchey, 100mm, 110deg"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">ritchey, 100mm, 110deg</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"CL-2"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">CL-2</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"seat post"]" style="border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">seat post</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"ritchey"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">ritchey</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"CL-2"]" style="font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">CL-2</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,80]" style="font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$80.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"wheelset"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: line-through; vertical-align: top;">wheelset</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"mavic, use?"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: line-through; vertical-align: top;">mavic cxp22, deore hubs</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"CL"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: line-through; vertical-align: top;">CL-2</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"135mm spacing on rear hub :("]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; font-size: 100%; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">135mm spacing on rear hub :(</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"wheelset"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">wheelset</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"mavic open sport w/ shimano 105 hubs"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">mavic open sport w/ shimano 105 hubs</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"basement / commuter"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">basement / commuter</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"crankset"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">crankset</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Shimano 105 - 175mm"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Shimano 105 - 175mm</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"CL - Raleigh"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">CL - Raleigh</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"bottom bracket"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">bottom bracket</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Shimano octalink"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Shimano octalink</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"CL - Raleigh"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">CL - Raleigh</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"pedals"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">pedals</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Shimano SPD"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Shimano SPD</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"CL - Raleigh"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">CL - Raleigh</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"chainrings"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">chainrings</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"unmarked 46T, 39T"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">unmarked 46T, 39T</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"2020 cycle"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">2020 cycle</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,20]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$20.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Look good, feel good, but have no idea what they are</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"front der"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">front der</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Shimano 105"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Shimano 105</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"CL - Raleigh"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">CL - Raleigh</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"front der clamp"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">front der clamp</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"31.8mm"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">31.8mm</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"CL - Raleigh"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">CL - Raleigh</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.00</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"had to re-bend"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">had to re-bend</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"rear der"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">rear der</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Shimano 105"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Shimano 105</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"CL - Raleigh"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">CL - Raleigh</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"brakes"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">brakes</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Tektro cr720"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Tektro cr720</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"amazon"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">amazon</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,48]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$48.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">new!</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"brifters"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">brifters</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Shimano Sora - 2 x 8 spd"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Shimano Sora - 2 x 8 spd</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"CL-1"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">CL-1</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"seat post clamp"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">seat post clamp</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Nashbar"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Nashbar</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Nashbar"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Nashbar</td><td data-sheets-formula="=7*0.8" data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,5.6000000000000005]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5.60</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"saddle"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">saddle</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Selle San Marco Concor"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Selle San Marco Concor</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"CL - Raleigh"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">CL - Raleigh</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"cables + housing"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">cables + housing</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"bulk - bikery"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">bulk - bikery</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"bikery"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">bikery</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,15]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$15.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"rear cable hanger"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: line-through; vertical-align: top;">rear cable hanger</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"origin 8 \"seat binder\" + microadjuster"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: line-through; vertical-align: top;">origin 8 "seat binder" + microadjuster</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"2020 cycle"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: line-through; vertical-align: top;">2020 cycle</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"$5 - cable bend too tight"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">cable bend too tight. paid $5.</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"rear cable hanger"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">rear cable hanger</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"surly"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">surly</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"elliott bay cycles"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">elliott bay cycles</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,6]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$6.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"bar tape"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">bar tape</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"generic"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">generic - cork</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"ebay"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">ebay</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,8]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$8.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"cassette"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">cassette</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"9 spd, removed 14t gear to make 8spd"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">9 spd, removed 14t gear -> 8spd</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"CL-1"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">CL-1</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.00</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"ratio: 12 13 15 17 19 21 23 25"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">ratio: 12 13 15 17 19 21 23 25</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"tires"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">tires</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Maxxis mud wrestler - 700x33c clincher"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Maxxis mud wrestler - 700x33c clincher</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"bikery"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">bikery</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,12]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$12.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"tubes"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">tubes</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"4x Meetlocks 700x28-35C"]" style="background-color: white; font-size: 100%; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">4x Meetlocks 700x28-35C</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"amazon"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">amazon</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,23]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$23.00</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"2 extras"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">2 extras</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"skewers"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">skewers</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Shimano"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Shimano</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"basement"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">basement</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"chain"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">chain</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"KMC 8/9spd"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">KMC 8/9spd</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"bikery"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">bikery</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,8]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$8.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"bottle cage"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">bottle cage</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Performance bike"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Performance bike</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"bikery"]" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">bikery</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1]" style="padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"TOTAL "]" style="font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">TOTAL </td><td data-sheets-formula="=sum(R[-30]C[0]:R[-1]C[0])" data-sheets-numberformat="[null,4,"\"$\"#,##0.00"]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,462.6]" style="font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$462.60</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
Here's an abridged, graphic representation of the build process!</div>
<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolucMqQ_VTGnfXNZbPj7pZA3lhbC4yoMkhyphenhyphenVLGvhdI4-fxXk3Lmwr0ooSXIKOvMS_CSPt4YYgyEWo74xtc3BbT02ynCUL9k23EkT52EODUhVFAn1W7hjn7e5Iu7JC79Q34SOwWxonJI6f/s1600/IMG_20140715_240626658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolucMqQ_VTGnfXNZbPj7pZA3lhbC4yoMkhyphenhyphenVLGvhdI4-fxXk3Lmwr0ooSXIKOvMS_CSPt4YYgyEWo74xtc3BbT02ynCUL9k23EkT52EODUhVFAn1W7hjn7e5Iu7JC79Q34SOwWxonJI6f/s1600/IMG_20140715_240626658.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Parts in Craigslist order #1 (cost: 2 6-packs of beer). Ended up only using the brifters and cassette. Bottom bracket wasn't wide enough, had to use a different crankset with the other BB because it was Octalink instead of square taper, Ritchey seatpost was nicer, etc...</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpyWn7VwQXiflLk-hnilqhzALm_Yi5S6KPxa9XlAgGfu0LmCDwQ2Qctfmr8V5buGF_uZiBt1JiJfJfQQdWSiUHm6LhrnNxP1JPMDQAOyybRA5hu9YONbFUATswCD0yrigMYcU8vC_Hblzz/s1600/IMG_20140802_142240238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpyWn7VwQXiflLk-hnilqhzALm_Yi5S6KPxa9XlAgGfu0LmCDwQ2Qctfmr8V5buGF_uZiBt1JiJfJfQQdWSiUHm6LhrnNxP1JPMDQAOyybRA5hu9YONbFUATswCD0yrigMYcU8vC_Hblzz/s1600/IMG_20140802_142240238.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Frame, fork, parts</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUHgchn1bJrvdFakGbUKeu4lE-c49Gja7efQHH0PNp_aSLRIdrK2SGgM5vES4G8RLgLKf6aUST6DfkroASOH1fbaeN5xP7geCd98xJqjFWvVugFqwrhfxPv96saRJza9Qp0cKptxGTUx6g/s1600/IMG_20140808_172026880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUHgchn1bJrvdFakGbUKeu4lE-c49Gja7efQHH0PNp_aSLRIdrK2SGgM5vES4G8RLgLKf6aUST6DfkroASOH1fbaeN5xP7geCd98xJqjFWvVugFqwrhfxPv96saRJza9Qp0cKptxGTUx6g/s1600/IMG_20140808_172026880.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Very fresh</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3jALUCpqYwQVQQBKzfj9I0WQh8TFMSIX70lw9dS0n2s-sfACvbr6HZrlCzy4be_YHW8P8ubBXCr8Cd2wJoxfTR7BRa3G8ceoJbgf4MQ5VLaqxZTedYWCqIGPQgDO1BEJVHFQlEzbHeXZ/s1600/IMG_20140808_173248742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3jALUCpqYwQVQQBKzfj9I0WQh8TFMSIX70lw9dS0n2s-sfACvbr6HZrlCzy4be_YHW8P8ubBXCr8Cd2wJoxfTR7BRa3G8ceoJbgf4MQ5VLaqxZTedYWCqIGPQgDO1BEJVHFQlEzbHeXZ/s1600/IMG_20140808_173248742.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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Installing the headset</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2O-HuNz-5TBMh6sOyfkKNn0J5gZ4OPD-0QkrgjKpqCvliQpmD3HVDJhY7lWpNL6JhmKDjm2runjZPm4SHsf1BdHmBtO1oFqPpt6gOU17nufhk_09zSGe-Ko_JfcyxCUEnRKgAGXVP759k/s1600/IMG_20140808_175617478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2O-HuNz-5TBMh6sOyfkKNn0J5gZ4OPD-0QkrgjKpqCvliQpmD3HVDJhY7lWpNL6JhmKDjm2runjZPm4SHsf1BdHmBtO1oFqPpt6gOU17nufhk_09zSGe-Ko_JfcyxCUEnRKgAGXVP759k/s1600/IMG_20140808_175617478.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Headset install</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8RWSS4ya2CNIfN7QFbZubIhDP9zrMonIS1z6-1IYA6Sg5AgFgjKIT1k4-ldpTrPVn4orBYepCYWFWUQyXcWqTqVLcDZwhPCS1I13eNdOnhCGZLA7oqLfuY0pZgtmH86ntX3epsCObnjr/s1600/IMG_20140808_184740587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8RWSS4ya2CNIfN7QFbZubIhDP9zrMonIS1z6-1IYA6Sg5AgFgjKIT1k4-ldpTrPVn4orBYepCYWFWUQyXcWqTqVLcDZwhPCS1I13eNdOnhCGZLA7oqLfuY0pZgtmH86ntX3epsCObnjr/s1600/IMG_20140808_184740587.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Headset, fork, stem, bars installed</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjv028DS672T94s9wOAu2fF0PrvyY39rvG7oD2jFS2OCQ69uD8Mrzo1NWPt0oeToLWOQg5VYBwg4_xTaC1zAVSpD-rqFe-NmiI8iyT_uOEgYcn4OxIQ1dKwtaXixY69idStyXY3wm4xjS/s1600/IMG_20140811_183610683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjv028DS672T94s9wOAu2fF0PrvyY39rvG7oD2jFS2OCQ69uD8Mrzo1NWPt0oeToLWOQg5VYBwg4_xTaC1zAVSpD-rqFe-NmiI8iyT_uOEgYcn4OxIQ1dKwtaXixY69idStyXY3wm4xjS/s1600/IMG_20140811_183610683.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Bringing the Raleigh to the slaughter</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwjwShbGftmpV7gJUBg4LVfsLb51uboJVzRofVN-3yo-5NCMVjGiTaklRRoca_VEDrMyBn-Qk9NTxlYU37u5AvW31LoNgtq_PK6-UCB-85HDEeEWyJVuy9nWh70amUSUZW0ogLzicCedV/s1600/IMG_20140816_155229659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwjwShbGftmpV7gJUBg4LVfsLb51uboJVzRofVN-3yo-5NCMVjGiTaklRRoca_VEDrMyBn-Qk9NTxlYU37u5AvW31LoNgtq_PK6-UCB-85HDEeEWyJVuy9nWh70amUSUZW0ogLzicCedV/s1600/IMG_20140816_155229659.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Raleigh BB removal (octalink!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaOp3n6h4CpIlV99mW6n46qt2-tfX7lQqN95vZxSilWrF9aND8tD0hxY8xi6Z920_1hgPnXzuRYocxd8wAVbM8-rJ6h5mMQ3MRUNAA6U4FVgYPmGv-bNR7AQmexuAYd9Cg6hhrMG4Gvmq/s1600/IMG_20140816_203758906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaOp3n6h4CpIlV99mW6n46qt2-tfX7lQqN95vZxSilWrF9aND8tD0hxY8xi6Z920_1hgPnXzuRYocxd8wAVbM8-rJ6h5mMQ3MRUNAA6U4FVgYPmGv-bNR7AQmexuAYd9Cg6hhrMG4Gvmq/s1600/IMG_20140816_203758906.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Not one, but TWO bikes in a car2go</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm28EXzl7lhv2fo6hS5iBSyDawk1fABH0lr44heB_YuRDsKI6iy1MD9mY5fBVqtew7_JnhUIC7sGDd_OdBjtVSsGe7mHr7GXGRqJCY_xf1QaGJ4a7Kk8EiVyflwMFNOYXtFuokzdtsQ6aM/s1600/IMG_20140817_140102880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm28EXzl7lhv2fo6hS5iBSyDawk1fABH0lr44heB_YuRDsKI6iy1MD9mY5fBVqtew7_JnhUIC7sGDd_OdBjtVSsGe7mHr7GXGRqJCY_xf1QaGJ4a7Kk8EiVyflwMFNOYXtFuokzdtsQ6aM/s1600/IMG_20140817_140102880.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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BB, crankset, chainrings. pedals installed</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQIMEAb8r6pgzhNnAembn2N79RC9xG7XN8oe_FaYc9LEWz2xxxJ8b9XZvdmYeobuGYu3WGWihuX00mwhH_GNr7qQKeLJ8D43iMJaa3XooVnVUHWbic8-v1rB4D0sTw9IbS-hTbwsS4ernb/s1600/IMG_20140823_123127751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQIMEAb8r6pgzhNnAembn2N79RC9xG7XN8oe_FaYc9LEWz2xxxJ8b9XZvdmYeobuGYu3WGWihuX00mwhH_GNr7qQKeLJ8D43iMJaa3XooVnVUHWbic8-v1rB4D0sTw9IbS-hTbwsS4ernb/s1600/IMG_20140823_123127751.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Seat, front brake (later replaced), levers, wheelset from Craigslist #2 (later replaced), spare chain (running as single speed just to get to the shop and back)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5RWTZrB5R3yKzhE1ArP-Z531umE1Ax5ui-xz7pjNZj7zdxdtpMndxii-MDJn9BG8b3MCZnOGtvU6qdS1eckYua1u6yYrxwfLj1OorHTmY0dm3py8TSX7UUeb6SF_SKCSeUkZVAsmxU5Y/s1600/IMG_20140917_192235015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5RWTZrB5R3yKzhE1ArP-Z531umE1Ax5ui-xz7pjNZj7zdxdtpMndxii-MDJn9BG8b3MCZnOGtvU6qdS1eckYua1u6yYrxwfLj1OorHTmY0dm3py8TSX7UUeb6SF_SKCSeUkZVAsmxU5Y/s1600/IMG_20140917_192235015.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Rear brake cable hanger that didn't work out (note the awful angle of the cable). Hanger was too short, seatpost collar is notched on the wrong side from where the cable is routed on the frame.</div>
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Rear brake cable hanger that DID work out! Sooo long, so nice. Steel, made by Surly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzcq2HwII2DoFW8psL0U6jvXjqeBF0TVrOyvpuBavqMCGi0LUZ0uD-xQfA_MzxZbeKPAxAp5qoAJ-3oYEWNVrokWPq6AdXAQmQCPF84Y6E5tz5U2mC5QIrAQhk1COhHh19xuApMusS0IF/s1600/IMG_20141005_122838766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzcq2HwII2DoFW8psL0U6jvXjqeBF0TVrOyvpuBavqMCGi0LUZ0uD-xQfA_MzxZbeKPAxAp5qoAJ-3oYEWNVrokWPq6AdXAQmQCPF84Y6E5tz5U2mC5QIrAQhk1COhHh19xuApMusS0IF/s1600/IMG_20141005_122838766.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Great Wheelset Swap Day - swapped wheelsets, cassettes, and tires among 3 bikes. Commuter wheelset (on creme bike, left) gets CX tires for new bike, other wheelset (standing) is too wide for any of my bikes but I used its cassette (below), and wheel on the right gets a new cassette, "new" tire, and goes on the commuter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGE4rI2FnS_e021jutUMHkkQq_WD0DHGxnmKT6gfR9I9j_ksyxTMWTHEZWFpCy6vROB9Z5zVWo2Bvg1Nw6GCvWnBUB7lwhCngnb8qv-1cD_7W1d93ivrZr7NjNJtyuiBE_7SlVZN9Gb8eA/s1600/IMG_20141005_140023940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGE4rI2FnS_e021jutUMHkkQq_WD0DHGxnmKT6gfR9I9j_ksyxTMWTHEZWFpCy6vROB9Z5zVWo2Bvg1Nw6GCvWnBUB7lwhCngnb8qv-1cD_7W1d93ivrZr7NjNJtyuiBE_7SlVZN9Gb8eA/s1600/IMG_20141005_140023940.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Cassette cleaning, removing one cog to make it an 8-speed instead of 9.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Nokp0uzWbpW3SLZuk7w8peZbYs6iWsCW-o0aBlG39Ss4WEV3j7MEx02w7egpBnYh5bDnhsJWvutB2g1wN-9VgV9gZMIjtxPQMeDN3lpcxC3rc8OivVItpbzRyxu59q3FziYyDapXgfgI/s1600/IMG_20141005_141143404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Nokp0uzWbpW3SLZuk7w8peZbYs6iWsCW-o0aBlG39Ss4WEV3j7MEx02w7egpBnYh5bDnhsJWvutB2g1wN-9VgV9gZMIjtxPQMeDN3lpcxC3rc8OivVItpbzRyxu59q3FziYyDapXgfgI/s1600/IMG_20141005_141143404.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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9th cog replaced by spacer (left)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurQ49R6MGhUEsCJzWMWiOX3_26KmrYkX0JttVGPf0ZhwgpOoDF12LVFNCjXwUbNT6qDeu-D7MOW3PR1KDJfCivvrrSLn6YWOQ6bsRw4FrwkjGv7oiX_FJkljvcuKle8XzMBPiXG8npFcx/s1600/IMG_20141005_151646659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurQ49R6MGhUEsCJzWMWiOX3_26KmrYkX0JttVGPf0ZhwgpOoDF12LVFNCjXwUbNT6qDeu-D7MOW3PR1KDJfCivvrrSLn6YWOQ6bsRw4FrwkjGv7oiX_FJkljvcuKle8XzMBPiXG8npFcx/s1600/IMG_20141005_151646659.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Wheelset, cleaned up, with tires!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi03Xev3BuIRH1cCGEabf59gJolc4_ZQZAw6jQBIr7f8ZoXOrHtXMaZubFOIMOXiTwZJGA8G7AXMfFDjbUcEiu3ViS31NJAugjoFYb7Ekk7rwInE3Bpr5AM8bK7-6ZIyuKPht2e8i_Qrwd5/s1600/IMG_20140922_123405926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi03Xev3BuIRH1cCGEabf59gJolc4_ZQZAw6jQBIr7f8ZoXOrHtXMaZubFOIMOXiTwZJGA8G7AXMfFDjbUcEiu3ViS31NJAugjoFYb7Ekk7rwInE3Bpr5AM8bK7-6ZIyuKPht2e8i_Qrwd5/s1600/IMG_20140922_123405926.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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SECOND brakeset that did not work out. Trying to find proper replacement springs and their housing is impossible.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSsIwPexgxgUUTTIn5C8-vqScUOhj0R2-sMszJS4RoEfDa7QCmVxkc62jOuJWInzdnZkEi21YRhZKvKLHwoQiqtNhvap0pK4T9R0KwG-aS2VNTs56bfdYfLScspdvIf3pSMljqTBrSzDr/s1600/IMG_20141012_140332973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSsIwPexgxgUUTTIn5C8-vqScUOhj0R2-sMszJS4RoEfDa7QCmVxkc62jOuJWInzdnZkEi21YRhZKvKLHwoQiqtNhvap0pK4T9R0KwG-aS2VNTs56bfdYfLScspdvIf3pSMljqTBrSzDr/s1600/IMG_20141012_140332973.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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NEW front brake. Third time's a charm, right? The first 2 sets I tried were vintage and missing parts (difficult to find replacements), so I figured it was some sort of a sign and that if I should spend a little extra for <i>any </i>functionality, being able to stop reliably is somewhat important.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Hl_djGoe1YRqy0YjNJJvkX0vQeLzNcn_ZHQZcwU9yfiBhniMBazYqX0Fx5w2eqSb70JDDpxPhjBp8j0u1ggaMxB5VAziHs2BNunS8UTYKPjFAADszsE8QdnQwF_IzurGbkggq65qExk9/s1600/IMG_20141012_140321202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Hl_djGoe1YRqy0YjNJJvkX0vQeLzNcn_ZHQZcwU9yfiBhniMBazYqX0Fx5w2eqSb70JDDpxPhjBp8j0u1ggaMxB5VAziHs2BNunS8UTYKPjFAADszsE8QdnQwF_IzurGbkggq65qExk9/s1600/IMG_20141012_140321202.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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New rear brake</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3-9_UNTQ1dDyalJh9M9X8KI2_QTujaOncdZ-lb2U55kYTm1QICpjcmwMBeu2_TKZRrG78OFMWFpywIcLcwOuSVcAxUnFvlHEuufRJoiW1D7PFrQ-bCVEtIhyphenhyphen4NaUeIBa8owOGs-C5xjr/s1600/IMG_20141005_181833252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3-9_UNTQ1dDyalJh9M9X8KI2_QTujaOncdZ-lb2U55kYTm1QICpjcmwMBeu2_TKZRrG78OFMWFpywIcLcwOuSVcAxUnFvlHEuufRJoiW1D7PFrQ-bCVEtIhyphenhyphen4NaUeIBa8owOGs-C5xjr/s1600/IMG_20141005_181833252.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Looking like a bike! Still single speed to get to the shop.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJmjJTpKOmq3q-_vDvgoycUCfgIOAVL2wr9TW8NkXD8il8z_1Q7J5nAT1KYll8VI8x3KlGjYT4OjL8b6qeZbx1pZcnfw0XcirPbzTim8uaWotV4l-MMmYACbxrqjM8pt4wwRp_9q8Zed5/s1600/IMG_20141006_180732297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJmjJTpKOmq3q-_vDvgoycUCfgIOAVL2wr9TW8NkXD8il8z_1Q7J5nAT1KYll8VI8x3KlGjYT4OjL8b6qeZbx1pZcnfw0XcirPbzTim8uaWotV4l-MMmYACbxrqjM8pt4wwRp_9q8Zed5/s1600/IMG_20141006_180732297.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Derailleurs installed</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrD5MjlZp6r18izqQgDM2l11MO-G7wZTOgDU3SWS97a0u_Puc9BQ2eS7oXj6K1GspHb6Gz8AuY1T8US-fZaaxEEi1BOVmWM8GHXZab4GmItccyNs__UZSAOi01IYyMwYjS-vmGmfBp-XaZ/s1600/IMG_20141006_180738626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrD5MjlZp6r18izqQgDM2l11MO-G7wZTOgDU3SWS97a0u_Puc9BQ2eS7oXj6K1GspHb6Gz8AuY1T8US-fZaaxEEi1BOVmWM8GHXZab4GmItccyNs__UZSAOi01IYyMwYjS-vmGmfBp-XaZ/s1600/IMG_20141006_180738626.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Front der - had to bend the derailleur clamp very carefully with a vice to fit because the Raleigh had a slightly ovalized seat tube.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjdIxJUA_qcr2FLOP7jZGcsmTwHLzCu823UdAe3WjrVLa1TU6gP5Pnx3NsY399rzxmIPfb8diUIBq2K7PfBCj9uzO8b4yS2Yk-P5HjRhPuREhgqF1t7_rmFqh07e4EQp7Omv7uBf4XHWJ/s1600/IMG_20141006_180742440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjdIxJUA_qcr2FLOP7jZGcsmTwHLzCu823UdAe3WjrVLa1TU6gP5Pnx3NsY399rzxmIPfb8diUIBq2K7PfBCj9uzO8b4yS2Yk-P5HjRhPuREhgqF1t7_rmFqh07e4EQp7Omv7uBf4XHWJ/s1600/IMG_20141006_180742440.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Rear der</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDfaJN801IjoHPVuOz1Lnk5YtZYBZKnCxqo1vNtO_BH4nHMpLlPYo9kDa02wcNMJJtcWq9SvpXUFLQXgaPEv006sOgHW-L1FU5pVel1D6gsoiEtGSLJYrIA1D572kIUBZatcN7kB8OYXi/s1600/IMG_20141006_224755544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDfaJN801IjoHPVuOz1Lnk5YtZYBZKnCxqo1vNtO_BH4nHMpLlPYo9kDa02wcNMJJtcWq9SvpXUFLQXgaPEv006sOgHW-L1FU5pVel1D6gsoiEtGSLJYrIA1D572kIUBZatcN7kB8OYXi/s1600/IMG_20141006_224755544.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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All cables run, new brakes</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIMkKZlIaevZqsxPlo2S-G5wnw49ARqLaDOGHkH2aqxvecSj6azYE35nIWy8M2nVLyi-Kpb8hfzZrg6DVVP1zggDURUbeJyTXMTSUnPbcfnca3T8p_sM7RPKXlvUDnp-EC0mS_-RCHe2-/s1600/IMG_20141006_225930942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIMkKZlIaevZqsxPlo2S-G5wnw49ARqLaDOGHkH2aqxvecSj6azYE35nIWy8M2nVLyi-Kpb8hfzZrg6DVVP1zggDURUbeJyTXMTSUnPbcfnca3T8p_sM7RPKXlvUDnp-EC0mS_-RCHe2-/s1600/IMG_20141006_225930942.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Bar tape - layer #1 (old used Planet Bike cork tape, great for a comfy base layer)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquDls4Z3Lj7liKhPSWHYVWZSXHS1vbOa4Wz3c2E5L09UJojYwRrxojy7q7G6DoFEYq_nJwMMEFHuvh33PKEiH4Tr25zwv0OolHIofgI3RlqzysG3kAupi9ILNXolMaHog-XE1drkYhg81/s1600/IMG_20141007_195902216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquDls4Z3Lj7liKhPSWHYVWZSXHS1vbOa4Wz3c2E5L09UJojYwRrxojy7q7G6DoFEYq_nJwMMEFHuvh33PKEiH4Tr25zwv0OolHIofgI3RlqzysG3kAupi9ILNXolMaHog-XE1drkYhg81/s1600/IMG_20141007_195902216.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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EVERYTHING FUNCTIONAL! Derailleurs on, all cables run, 2nd layer of bar tape on. Just need to cut the excess on the steerer tube.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6TkYANd5rXsEN9stIyWCAyQccioGOFiewNpxGg3sByRlBojBMqrnSBTsgzNH-YG-DOpNil-WtbAX_Whj7gbRwBtwh-MHhcMaN4BYGnWjRzJ9u0AZDu3M955q9aPWZaYp0L-f4B6Mys5n/s1600/IMG_20141010_184339872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6TkYANd5rXsEN9stIyWCAyQccioGOFiewNpxGg3sByRlBojBMqrnSBTsgzNH-YG-DOpNil-WtbAX_Whj7gbRwBtwh-MHhcMaN4BYGnWjRzJ9u0AZDu3M955q9aPWZaYp0L-f4B6Mys5n/s1600/IMG_20141010_184339872.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Cutting the steerer tube. Hacksaws are fun, 100x easier with the guide.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2hy_9zO2Fy9HIaAm2sIQrpEA3fF-zshr5NM2bmgHJRqA8HEpqjNhXHI2cO9DvCkAWZKmQjhOhAdX3oYAvLpJoRV8nUah3GVAEteOHojOUYeAFPmIp2RJRECdXpAbUfzjxiKg8G3OwMXt/s1600/IMG_20141010_190218685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2hy_9zO2Fy9HIaAm2sIQrpEA3fF-zshr5NM2bmgHJRqA8HEpqjNhXHI2cO9DvCkAWZKmQjhOhAdX3oYAvLpJoRV8nUah3GVAEteOHojOUYeAFPmIp2RJRECdXpAbUfzjxiKg8G3OwMXt/s1600/IMG_20141010_190218685.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Steerer cut, fork, headset, stem replaced! Star nut to be installed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqyLO9HXxBilioKusOLQxfJu6uR3gEBCgxrsPFQsKgsAL04HOyVGEHxPJAKDkbWej00utw1ZbA7PRr9wJajFpLaGOgT55MztxgAPtV23ifUFhe43iBG9lGpdS0JkXqoUhQ6_Wg_kJzqBU/s1600/IMG_20141012_140355001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqyLO9HXxBilioKusOLQxfJu6uR3gEBCgxrsPFQsKgsAL04HOyVGEHxPJAKDkbWej00utw1ZbA7PRr9wJajFpLaGOgT55MztxgAPtV23ifUFhe43iBG9lGpdS0JkXqoUhQ6_Wg_kJzqBU/s1600/IMG_20141012_140355001.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Star nut installed, stem cap in</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJ3cOfU0rz70bD5Bi3xGTe7w6phD1Hqfd3k6UQ7fxvjPNCdD8oPGlYeBh29JvpZAUsb6svpIDqMLTrGF4OGvypRjPN1qyfPRVRphjVoY9m4lPCXsufcqBf4fqL8ctZ4iTvhBtoMeQfqM7/s1600/IMG_20141012_140526520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJ3cOfU0rz70bD5Bi3xGTe7w6phD1Hqfd3k6UQ7fxvjPNCdD8oPGlYeBh29JvpZAUsb6svpIDqMLTrGF4OGvypRjPN1qyfPRVRphjVoY9m4lPCXsufcqBf4fqL8ctZ4iTvhBtoMeQfqM7/s1600/IMG_20141012_140526520.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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DONE</div>
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DONE. Very pretty.</div>
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Overall, I'm really pleased with how it turned out! It's really responsive, light, and gearing should be plenty fast offroad, not to mention looking like the Batmobile in all black. The only parts I ended up getting new were the frame, headset, and brakes, in addition to odds and ends like cables and housing, chain, bar tape, etc - little stuff that is infinitely easier to just buy new without a big hit to the wallet. To me, sub-$500 is a fantastic price for a totally unique bike that I can honestly say I know down to every last bolt. I'm hoping to still throw in another small tour this fall (hopefully mostly offroad!) and will most likely be entering my first cyclocross race next weekend, so I'm excited to see how Crankenstein performs!</div>
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Mike<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-19241316933168746752014-09-30T11:51:00.001-07:002014-09-30T11:51:41.590-07:00Optical Illusion or Bike Security?<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Forgot my lock at work today. Thanks again, S&S couplers!<br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_rwK12LHhxbvXD3DEn69JJp1eUi7Pl6f7C2PJCiKzluzimjq0o6Iql-3ppXmhS14spVDB7sDXfdXklR0Sh4_3_z4LJ1E7NmqUa8iTIvgVjSUizZ5kH-QbrHRnAd8Q1nuYec6rTF89Ho0/s2560/1412103093148.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_rwK12LHhxbvXD3DEn69JJp1eUi7Pl6f7C2PJCiKzluzimjq0o6Iql-3ppXmhS14spVDB7sDXfdXklR0Sh4_3_z4LJ1E7NmqUa8iTIvgVjSUizZ5kH-QbrHRnAd8Q1nuYec6rTF89Ho0/s400/1412103093148.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;'/></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0Redmond, Washington, United States47.675727844238281 -122.09595489501953tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-64989835968722560862014-09-24T01:44:00.003-07:002014-09-24T09:12:29.853-07:00Kitsap Weekend Tour + Photo Recap!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Potentially one of Seattle's last sunny, warm weekends means... Get out on your bike!</div>
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I started the weekend tour from the city after work on Friday, bolted straight to the ferry downtown, and rode up at 5:29 to be the last cyclist let on board (<u>phenomenal timing incident #1</u>, there were a few this trip, I'll keep count!). I took the ferry to Bainbridge Island (about a half hour) and stopped at the T&C for the weekend's groceries - pitas, peanut butter, granola, an apple, a fruit cup.</div>
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Next was the ride about 7mi north, the length of Bainbridge, to a campsite at Fay Bainbridge Park. Mostly pleasant, only one huge wall of a hill, which could be mostly my fault for choosing a random side street to take me off of the main road. This was the only point at which I wanted to call it... PAINBRIDGE ISLAND.</div>
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The campsite was busy and pleasant - right on the water, lots of cars and RVs, but bikers/hikers camping got priority on the little sites closest to the beach. I met a guy, Josh, who was touring fully loaded from Vancouver to Santa Barbara! Awesome trip! We hung out and nerded out over bikes, gear, tours, and upcoming routes over beers and a campfire before crashing.<br />
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Day 1:<br />
Dist: 8.12<br />
Time: 36 mins<br />
Avg speed: 13.29<br />
Max: 38.11</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferry to Bainbridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seattle shipyards+stadiums</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji15IzDPfPdHiFfIDGhviTwjjhoA1ldXr4c6Rqt_iBmKrSXeoIbD2vO-lDXJE_Dx9Dd774dDOu1sDmQXdIb2d3mfw_gWWrXN03WI7vhAoq8nLN87qhqittZRHfg2d2nSmRlpEPA5eha4LP/s1600/DSC03457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji15IzDPfPdHiFfIDGhviTwjjhoA1ldXr4c6Rqt_iBmKrSXeoIbD2vO-lDXJE_Dx9Dd774dDOu1sDmQXdIb2d3mfw_gWWrXN03WI7vhAoq8nLN87qhqittZRHfg2d2nSmRlpEPA5eha4LP/s1600/DSC03457.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seattle from the ferry</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQMZmHDN5PoMdk7KfdCw4mIY-DR_JUSB9nVeDQ4p4zFw-ExH7nRq7quH_zU-fw9htHxgmSDX6xl3UTNokW-VX_PDpn6BbIfB9n8eLvceRnxqxjdUDIQyy2syzdilk_qYFIdRoqi3x5LGN/s1600/IMG_20140919_180524064_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQMZmHDN5PoMdk7KfdCw4mIY-DR_JUSB9nVeDQ4p4zFw-ExH7nRq7quH_zU-fw9htHxgmSDX6xl3UTNokW-VX_PDpn6BbIfB9n8eLvceRnxqxjdUDIQyy2syzdilk_qYFIdRoqi3x5LGN/s1600/IMG_20140919_180524064_HDR.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There must've been 35 cyclists getting off of the 5:30 ferry. What a cool commute! Getting off looked like starting blocks at a race.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjB2FAqXTrOiVYxhGn74ZLOaAN_5d8_Tq8_xkb_7N0bBMKd2Bhdg2OUChqTK3lpSmnGxym9F-Dv_W0TMS5H_OFLj1YiZD0BzvqKL5vXFT1Xev5p0Uld7VF_SEY-aPgul52L0wtuD2scqab/s1600/DSC03464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjB2FAqXTrOiVYxhGn74ZLOaAN_5d8_Tq8_xkb_7N0bBMKd2Bhdg2OUChqTK3lpSmnGxym9F-Dv_W0TMS5H_OFLj1YiZD0BzvqKL5vXFT1Xev5p0Uld7VF_SEY-aPgul52L0wtuD2scqab/s1600/DSC03464.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plainbridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1VNtbRvfXWQ3pkSjodxGHtgJD1mqXfa8y2Q_v2AkKTaitmVQYF28kSc0Xraaf1JgVYsOsRBNt3mq6zcT5yIJuPjkUGn9FvHGFhiqRcCioDZkJzJdTLQg0EcwE9gYN4rSSdSBUS_N_Nbm/s1600/DSC03466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1VNtbRvfXWQ3pkSjodxGHtgJD1mqXfa8y2Q_v2AkKTaitmVQYF28kSc0Xraaf1JgVYsOsRBNt3mq6zcT5yIJuPjkUGn9FvHGFhiqRcCioDZkJzJdTLQg0EcwE9gYN4rSSdSBUS_N_Nbm/s1600/DSC03466.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet campsite!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8iPEAS5jmGpGVlYAd0t2Cz0xVV5aNXrVTJ4c8n9aDV_EzUoVCcXSc1lof052h7L1kD4pqAkxl9TCTs5jGUc8uPHKOzph-jiHvtXnoYOj8q3EYb7JDkw8qaREAGmzCCl7-llX0E1F8QFi/s1600/DSC03471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8iPEAS5jmGpGVlYAd0t2Cz0xVV5aNXrVTJ4c8n9aDV_EzUoVCcXSc1lof052h7L1kD4pqAkxl9TCTs5jGUc8uPHKOzph-jiHvtXnoYOj8q3EYb7JDkw8qaREAGmzCCl7-llX0E1F8QFi/s1600/DSC03471.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRon3liTc_UARFTKJd_BSUC0vCnUPIY0r8lhXgSrQmTa5fj2QGplg2kRbGOON5eJHoTvQfw5OYTzE0fGXvqW44cEv7I-AnbOU5kqP9uUtNFxiUgCgPZVYZhXZksbObSCRviaZEXCPZRcQ/s1600/DSC03474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRon3liTc_UARFTKJd_BSUC0vCnUPIY0r8lhXgSrQmTa5fj2QGplg2kRbGOON5eJHoTvQfw5OYTzE0fGXvqW44cEv7I-AnbOU5kqP9uUtNFxiUgCgPZVYZhXZksbObSCRviaZEXCPZRcQ/s1600/DSC03474.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being stoic</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3cMyn3EFTrkc21ylxjul-Ei78_pdo9Ra-9B7JMs4uVQIn4XsCsQCLLOirY661cMUOquXc8Ocq0LNHdGLGcff6u_zvxWCG43Dexp0f6YbQmM5rUjEfF6g6_A2ctCpEFWkmNFodaAMEchz/s1600/DSC03481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3cMyn3EFTrkc21ylxjul-Ei78_pdo9Ra-9B7JMs4uVQIn4XsCsQCLLOirY661cMUOquXc8Ocq0LNHdGLGcff6u_zvxWCG43Dexp0f6YbQmM5rUjEfF6g6_A2ctCpEFWkmNFodaAMEchz/s1600/DSC03481.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josh's awesome vintage Bridgestone MB-1</td></tr>
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Day 2 I got a relatively slow start in the morning, breakfasted with Josh, split up and planned to meet in Port Townsend in the evening. I had an awesome ride up North over a sketchy bridge off of Bainbridge, through Suquamish, to Point No Point (my favorite) and its lighthouse at lunch, back down South past Port Gamble, North across the 104 bridge (very cool), and North again, following the coast on some side roads suggested by lighthouse volunteers, to Port Townsend. We each got a few bike compliments from a local bike shop owner, caught up over incredible burgers at the Owl Spirit Cafe in Port Townsend, and entirely lost track of time in a state of burger bliss. I snapped out of a burger coma when I randomly decided to check the ferry schedule - the next one was leaving in 7 minutes and there wouldn't be another for another hour and a half! Shit! We bolted and were the last ones onto the ferry (<u>phenomenal timing incidents #2&3</u>) after a 1/2-mile sprint. Excellent. The ride to Mukilteo was about 20 minutes and our campsite was right next to the terminal at Fort Casey State Park. It had a ton of cool old war relics, but unfortunately the cyclist/hiker section of the campground was behind a wooden fence amidst a sea of RVs with generators running. We made the most of it with a 10-mile round-trip nighttime beer run (the closest store to us - not much happening on Whidbey, apparently) and battling wet wood and condensation for an extremely disappointing and difficult, underperforming campfire. The stars were phenomenal, though, so I used my rain fly as a blanket/dew shield, opting for a <i>stellar </i>night sky<i> </i>view (pun very much intended).</div>
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Day 2:</div>
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Dist: 76.61<br />
Time: 5:49<br />
Avg speed: 13.16<br />
Max speed: 38.49</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMeJalcj3WqEWrw1R5gXXJ2MY315_IbLXPZlDLZPBm5HluOtZy2pxfMcn8p1YFzhpGsqMLcfpvhBQNj0wiA2-TK22gDGcOxJROopJwsVqooD5ar7ZoronymjtccY6YUiTCH6PwPhuhny-/s1600/DSC03484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMeJalcj3WqEWrw1R5gXXJ2MY315_IbLXPZlDLZPBm5HluOtZy2pxfMcn8p1YFzhpGsqMLcfpvhBQNj0wiA2-TK22gDGcOxJROopJwsVqooD5ar7ZoronymjtccY6YUiTCH6PwPhuhny-/s1600/DSC03484.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weird painted rocks. Island people...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vnqakk_xszrFIHfB2ZVuz88a7rqoiQeE8Ly5FAX16e7vylnWNKYKW_qZ4ry_ycA8fiqR8rT9n0Cl-UuQyEYYCOFYZOh-lKxOSbyvoCpd6Sk8weLKZ0HCfNxFjb1tLFGQhwxLCkAkdNd5/s1600/DSC03488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vnqakk_xszrFIHfB2ZVuz88a7rqoiQeE8Ly5FAX16e7vylnWNKYKW_qZ4ry_ycA8fiqR8rT9n0Cl-UuQyEYYCOFYZOh-lKxOSbyvoCpd6Sk8weLKZ0HCfNxFjb1tLFGQhwxLCkAkdNd5/s1600/DSC03488.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bridge was terrifying to ride on...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEzTAK2Rzp_wAkrO6z0ktrkbp2jjjDPBxr4ehM7z2cF7NAvnjDCZAlPMiETLyNuoXw199ynFD-567Ew6V1bLXnluTGwIw13o7aO6yd-TInXjWcV9B5wRXLHlCJ9-KSQyf_kfgKuaSTopg/s1600/DSC03486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEzTAK2Rzp_wAkrO6z0ktrkbp2jjjDPBxr4ehM7z2cF7NAvnjDCZAlPMiETLyNuoXw199ynFD-567Ew6V1bLXnluTGwIw13o7aO6yd-TInXjWcV9B5wRXLHlCJ9-KSQyf_kfgKuaSTopg/s1600/DSC03486.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...but had some excellent views.</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Pointless venture</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SohJjbFJBWqKOBIijDpz6kp8lDsyuv8cDB33nFkyCL_OAZfJAk7btsTqcnAyWo1n3RG518SFNDV-xf13SnsrGbS9YZvGa-L2r-iy3GosRWpGC_reiiNu0Dgxboj72gI4YmDK2oyZ5HcR/s1600/DSC03505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SohJjbFJBWqKOBIijDpz6kp8lDsyuv8cDB33nFkyCL_OAZfJAk7btsTqcnAyWo1n3RG518SFNDV-xf13SnsrGbS9YZvGa-L2r-iy3GosRWpGC_reiiNu0Dgxboj72gI4YmDK2oyZ5HcR/s1600/DSC03505.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Point No Point</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9i6juZJuN7jrzAm3x4t5y8pP7H2-CPcpLry5wMyNGnwB2UEX9yFkcKvJKWjuvAC2c6oBRLMElaRiA6HrjzR1fJJTkKD9mHnkU1NsOSXf5FI4pzj8l0X7XlqypTcZG5_uNztwjIhTePZq4/s1600/DSC03507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9i6juZJuN7jrzAm3x4t5y8pP7H2-CPcpLry5wMyNGnwB2UEX9yFkcKvJKWjuvAC2c6oBRLMElaRiA6HrjzR1fJJTkKD9mHnkU1NsOSXf5FI4pzj8l0X7XlqypTcZG5_uNztwjIhTePZq4/s1600/DSC03507.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg-Sqa3QKhoI4UzoAEziy0D0iB6n5mNIHatmUsmVMntj2qJl-A_kjOLS3aUCkxUDCLq7hcWXEiu5-OhjqJgLbhW1_JktIxQW5MHD3lfYtP-EVmieDD-VnHAI0hoeAhnclQ34k7IXuBXjDv/s1600/DSC03508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg-Sqa3QKhoI4UzoAEziy0D0iB6n5mNIHatmUsmVMntj2qJl-A_kjOLS3aUCkxUDCLq7hcWXEiu5-OhjqJgLbhW1_JktIxQW5MHD3lfYtP-EVmieDD-VnHAI0hoeAhnclQ34k7IXuBXjDv/s1600/DSC03508.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheez. Nice lighthouse wall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSypyzfdtX1ug74q3PmJ6Ls4TwzKZQSLnV1NK76hhdgoMRTEUWEmFKj04yLScpVbRCVrUcoS3g50Z6SZ7wiifLQfJIMnUKsX4-MgfHMuA4lDaz9Fx6lBvGcR0JNeh0ARF1XRU-Sf6C3hZU/s1600/DSC03510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSypyzfdtX1ug74q3PmJ6Ls4TwzKZQSLnV1NK76hhdgoMRTEUWEmFKj04yLScpVbRCVrUcoS3g50Z6SZ7wiifLQfJIMnUKsX4-MgfHMuA4lDaz9Fx6lBvGcR0JNeh0ARF1XRU-Sf6C3hZU/s1600/DSC03510.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch at Point No Point Lighthouse - Apples, PB, Cinnamon+Flax Granola on a whole wheat pita. Also solar-charging devices and scopin' boats with my 'noculars.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtGzDzYj0sdraZQd7RTVjo_6cIZw4QNdX2jRJj1ryNgPfmMa8Ohw5QEk6DTpK44KX-aRaxMD-JaNq9yrNn43Avk7swm2lCWiBPDtnao4p6buf-nmohOPpog_jbWjug4RKIRZ0hzwmUj_t/s1600/DSC03512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtGzDzYj0sdraZQd7RTVjo_6cIZw4QNdX2jRJj1ryNgPfmMa8Ohw5QEk6DTpK44KX-aRaxMD-JaNq9yrNn43Avk7swm2lCWiBPDtnao4p6buf-nmohOPpog_jbWjug4RKIRZ0hzwmUj_t/s1600/DSC03512.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pointless beachgoers at Point No Point</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdQ6tjI4O8yUdhxHts1V2uIVsNzfkvgz-KJ5uke2BaUvDoo5B9uPc4zhjrvNnxo8jktmj87CdCgnLC8sHcVlbQGO6eOLj7gCF3UBDCCGRDPZZF1Y5ahaqnbH4pAFu3I_kSr-csB4x30Xa/s1600/DSC03515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdQ6tjI4O8yUdhxHts1V2uIVsNzfkvgz-KJ5uke2BaUvDoo5B9uPc4zhjrvNnxo8jktmj87CdCgnLC8sHcVlbQGO6eOLj7gCF3UBDCCGRDPZZF1Y5ahaqnbH4pAFu3I_kSr-csB4x30Xa/s1600/DSC03515.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjSt1Uh523tzmlJX35meMiiwgBBJa1QX_bBU5oQNkfx8TdKVDgbRf0aUPFOSOKC1haeymPkJZD64F2MS-yBHphwMAQx1mvnZKjAoDq270ber_9wcCJni1tSyEhSXV2N8-nfXZM1NN3jtE/s1600/DSC03520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjSt1Uh523tzmlJX35meMiiwgBBJa1QX_bBU5oQNkfx8TdKVDgbRf0aUPFOSOKC1haeymPkJZD64F2MS-yBHphwMAQx1mvnZKjAoDq270ber_9wcCJni1tSyEhSXV2N8-nfXZM1NN3jtE/s1600/DSC03520.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great place for a farm!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGkGWQdUmK0iLDzdnVP2wqoBHxWc-LoE8luXdaWfyNfbSxL4QC2H4uCjZMHmN2unvIKfec-Ol1Jq7ZT1ZMxVmhVJFAxrpGIkFclHLqj5FS4zRtuySs0bb-t8EFnPSSY18Db8BElMoeR5D/s1600/DSC03524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGkGWQdUmK0iLDzdnVP2wqoBHxWc-LoE8luXdaWfyNfbSxL4QC2H4uCjZMHmN2unvIKfec-Ol1Jq7ZT1ZMxVmhVJFAxrpGIkFclHLqj5FS4zRtuySs0bb-t8EFnPSSY18Db8BElMoeR5D/s1600/DSC03524.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some fall coloration happening in Port Gamble</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggul4PQ-XKslRjILdWTmtPpGJHio8UlOl6lyK-run_vYh_gPxP71NaGcvfaPhN5jxCoYK2UTdkiLuzZfbZ4F2hD9lpeHW8o4BwxcwrE79jHfnXnbIBsLDgDE7FkM_svneN3GDCSKhwfJMD/s1600/IMG_20140920_152604998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggul4PQ-XKslRjILdWTmtPpGJHio8UlOl6lyK-run_vYh_gPxP71NaGcvfaPhN5jxCoYK2UTdkiLuzZfbZ4F2hD9lpeHW8o4BwxcwrE79jHfnXnbIBsLDgDE7FkM_svneN3GDCSKhwfJMD/s1600/IMG_20140920_152604998.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really contesting the acclaimed king-sizedness of this ice cream sammich but it was still the best $1.50 I spent that day.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FP3HWAjCS8OvxzgeEDmYEEVZbFLbCXLF2otK7Klkru55hORGqzYLcXbcPBE_EaQeQE0ka562mCqV1JOgAQ9MusZgt3DcAZAc66EvN280-mAVH9i5C2Iu_tElN7Kv6akONM-QuiqVF1wm/s1600/DSC03531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FP3HWAjCS8OvxzgeEDmYEEVZbFLbCXLF2otK7Klkru55hORGqzYLcXbcPBE_EaQeQE0ka562mCqV1JOgAQ9MusZgt3DcAZAc66EvN280-mAVH9i5C2Iu_tElN7Kv6akONM-QuiqVF1wm/s1600/DSC03531.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVErm9NUCGzDV8Z84XBNXBY8NVHEjNmekL_OXcIeKNd-nk_lyVtm5owzw1Ur1e_ytz2MSyvDjHXpq5Xm_jmNeYGxTKkFaEkaF9K8MKd0mbdZrJMBa9YgxuqWjZcmiROdHDzKeFdyPpPjv/s1600/DSC03538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVErm9NUCGzDV8Z84XBNXBY8NVHEjNmekL_OXcIeKNd-nk_lyVtm5owzw1Ur1e_ytz2MSyvDjHXpq5Xm_jmNeYGxTKkFaEkaF9K8MKd0mbdZrJMBa9YgxuqWjZcmiROdHDzKeFdyPpPjv/s1600/DSC03538.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I do these borderline-escapist adventures largely to get away from my 9-5 writing code all day... but it continues to haunt me. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajax_(programming)">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajax_(programming)</a>)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VjuHdI_TbIXhYATKWVSCd0omc40YmrreqgO3seE6ojahz9S9bhgDi6IAc4FIaW9gHUFIEJZrmFNZMcUEHQ6FLH9_jynbOCR0_EkIkJwXyWlGLylf8MiIppRInh_S2dytr91Yu2J_1t5l/s1600/DSC03546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VjuHdI_TbIXhYATKWVSCd0omc40YmrreqgO3seE6ojahz9S9bhgDi6IAc4FIaW9gHUFIEJZrmFNZMcUEHQ6FLH9_jynbOCR0_EkIkJwXyWlGLylf8MiIppRInh_S2dytr91Yu2J_1t5l/s1600/DSC03546.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josh, dinner at Owl Spirit Cafe</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAyJ-85WUSdzlR3GRJvvSOtuviiT0CBD2RW9_FcbPoAFiPCWjtAygmaMm4LJyo6GMNNb3JYz0c40LbamxzF2VVggqVpamH7ssVVX0ZPCe_EEg-YdY_jtg_jwx82Yp18h8e5tUD4jI7fT0/s1600/DSC03544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAyJ-85WUSdzlR3GRJvvSOtuviiT0CBD2RW9_FcbPoAFiPCWjtAygmaMm4LJyo6GMNNb3JYz0c40LbamxzF2VVggqVpamH7ssVVX0ZPCe_EEg-YdY_jtg_jwx82Yp18h8e5tUD4jI7fT0/s1600/DSC03544.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh My Burger</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifPHom3UBvVD9ZifvKh4bLC7lrFEPrQHq7wxaIizhIGpWFx-axk95alcuVSL2rqygZsmzpWpN1I8p9wQ1csUQy4kdJ5JyTGy1ctuxT1WOhSCclctOFeUXQxHxXaLOXeDX-ndKjJdwiM3Q/s1600/DSC03550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifPHom3UBvVD9ZifvKh4bLC7lrFEPrQHq7wxaIizhIGpWFx-axk95alcuVSL2rqygZsmzpWpN1I8p9wQ1csUQy4kdJ5JyTGy1ctuxT1WOhSCclctOFeUXQxHxXaLOXeDX-ndKjJdwiM3Q/s1600/DSC03550.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fine ship</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-pma6ApDu0fsx_Dw3j26HhHLynLvIApno-iMiazng7GIGtM0zm40FBZ8h8oxqzPOQE9fOPUn32-IuaxQVhBQYMIz6ysV5gKk0oUk_8Xxycm1DVdn21xSQue8BJxdSi0xf3GkNKRa_hMQ/s1600/DSC03553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-pma6ApDu0fsx_Dw3j26HhHLynLvIApno-iMiazng7GIGtM0zm40FBZ8h8oxqzPOQE9fOPUn32-IuaxQVhBQYMIz6ysV5gKk0oUk_8Xxycm1DVdn21xSQue8BJxdSi0xf3GkNKRa_hMQ/s1600/DSC03553.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You put your jacket on because it's cold on the front of the ferry</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWJhmMwrTPZyoMzo2TbltCLj8MuSCFYMw1PvI2cqYBOsF9CsODEgWMmNQituIWWDxWLRBG77eB91rdqwvgjzsJkJBZ3OH4v8CQMfgQoTQUviWdb_6qyF6H6Ag8JE6TkVFXs819czjiiFz/s1600/DSC03555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWJhmMwrTPZyoMzo2TbltCLj8MuSCFYMw1PvI2cqYBOsF9CsODEgWMmNQituIWWDxWLRBG77eB91rdqwvgjzsJkJBZ3OH4v8CQMfgQoTQUviWdb_6qyF6H6Ag8JE6TkVFXs819czjiiFz/s1600/DSC03555.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, like <i>that</i>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi54HVNui_rYTRQ1t1HWpztPP9ToVnrgY6UxLK3uz9UARTaLHkjQ3pLZ0hAzcWPBaUsPpTUnhIKSoAR050LNE__bEBPl6wrbTQvYjppsfQ1a93GUEXKmHccFr_2YJPAxAb65BkEiUHdpii/s1600/DSC03556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi54HVNui_rYTRQ1t1HWpztPP9ToVnrgY6UxLK3uz9UARTaLHkjQ3pLZ0hAzcWPBaUsPpTUnhIKSoAR050LNE__bEBPl6wrbTQvYjppsfQ1a93GUEXKmHccFr_2YJPAxAb65BkEiUHdpii/s1600/DSC03556.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheezin' for <a href="http://tenspeedhero.com/">Tenspeed Hero</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8wj0cbZQYvG8EvHef_8xEedTNdgmvkoWXB_oNeXvT6OfSA_8dqV67-3EhNdl6W_mxqknk-5MORKLCm_j4COvYfw0sszlX90n-phR2T1A0I1dx4ZW_oKokomkybdxs7mmHL5pJM03BW3y/s1600/DSC03560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8wj0cbZQYvG8EvHef_8xEedTNdgmvkoWXB_oNeXvT6OfSA_8dqV67-3EhNdl6W_mxqknk-5MORKLCm_j4COvYfw0sszlX90n-phR2T1A0I1dx4ZW_oKokomkybdxs7mmHL5pJM03BW3y/s1600/DSC03560.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mtns</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOm40Tl55Qu9fJtJBH0mgiNm04ix0IeUwMwL-n4GKBra0jWz_fJhe0kVN3Zmi_5sf1_nLz71Ql-PzmJAwb6m-gCzinenJ1TGxgIdjHLcbj05bqogP2V3pbmt35Mm4QRpIqnDFFoXYrZJR/s1600/DSC03568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOm40Tl55Qu9fJtJBH0mgiNm04ix0IeUwMwL-n4GKBra0jWz_fJhe0kVN3Zmi_5sf1_nLz71Ql-PzmJAwb6m-gCzinenJ1TGxgIdjHLcbj05bqogP2V3pbmt35Mm4QRpIqnDFFoXYrZJR/s1600/DSC03568.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Into the campsite on Whidbey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The next day I woke up and got on the small non-RV-park side of the RV park and watched the sunrise while a ferry came in and out. Weirdly surreal and picturesque! After breakfasting on a fruit cup and some more granola, I decided to ride with Josh back to Seattle even though he was carrying a lot more crap than I was due to his coastal expedition (of which I am still envious). We had a leisurely pace and made a ton of stops, took scenic routes, and talked more than would have been possibly had the exercise actually been consistently strenuous. Friendship! Very cool to ride with someone else for a change. We made it pretty consistently through the center of Whidbey because, again, there wasn't much going on. Still very pretty in parts, though! Some stops included: potentially abandoned ferry terminal POWER HOUSE (always all caps), sign into Useless Bay (even worse than Point No Point, what is going on with these islands?!), and a self-service pottery sale. The ferry to Mukilteo was short, and we then became the grossest patrons of Patty's Eggnest, a fine diner with a few locations around town - I'd been to one in Arlington, so I was thrilled when I found out I could once again drown myself in sausage gravy in a new location. Not a lot of beautiful scenery for awhile as we bounced through Seattle's North suburbs over to the tip of Lake Washington to go to 192 Brewery Co. on the Burke-Gilman trail for a few beers to get us the rest of the 16-ish miles home. Possibly a bad idea, as we had to stop again halfway to rehydrate and refuel on pitas while laying on the side of the Burke. No problem, though! We made a full recovery and made it back to my place through familiar bike paths before it got too dark.<br />
<br />
I also GoPro'd basically the entire day from my handlebars, save for a little bit of time after batteries died and were then charged. The GoPro is a really neat little camera, but I wish the battery life weren't so atrocious - even on a timelapse, the battery only lasts about 2.5 hours. Doesn't help me too much when I'm out riding for 10 hours a day. I'm sure they're working on it.<br />
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<div dir="ltr">
Day 3:</div>
<div dir="ltr">
Dist: 64.34</div>
<div dir="ltr">
Time: 5:29</div>
<div dir="ltr">
Avg speed: 11.71</div>
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<div dir="ltr">
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<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
Max speed: 34.71</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIN0F8GwYSmG90JG7bPUWczU3bJuo6Awxik1j6R9tRfMMtAu8qGnep3gFxIzrr2v0T4qlb1v7FHEw_f38eG5SHEymvqgna_ESn4w5K0DnzgycVIvuCtMOAJ855ZVsmZ6ljix2fy1qgcDKl/s1600/DSC03569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIN0F8GwYSmG90JG7bPUWczU3bJuo6Awxik1j6R9tRfMMtAu8qGnep3gFxIzrr2v0T4qlb1v7FHEw_f38eG5SHEymvqgna_ESn4w5K0DnzgycVIvuCtMOAJ855ZVsmZ6ljix2fy1qgcDKl/s1600/DSC03569.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKZ7_q9BJat1_fpMqn7Fe43hDGAIFwYx8UIPKFOIESzrIR4nYr6RX5ZrtsoOdnFg1wEkR9DZl55OSbR8Jf0RTcgw06L7HsAa4BgbrnaljQKMcQ1ZDeAQF-P_EySoZtVXQB71bLNKuZ-P0/s1600/DSC03573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKZ7_q9BJat1_fpMqn7Fe43hDGAIFwYx8UIPKFOIESzrIR4nYr6RX5ZrtsoOdnFg1wEkR9DZl55OSbR8Jf0RTcgw06L7HsAa4BgbrnaljQKMcQ1ZDeAQF-P_EySoZtVXQB71bLNKuZ-P0/s1600/DSC03573.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cliche PNW</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_D55g5CpEsSsANY43iGhHXeMUsIYK7Qgab79ZKfHaHpLvknEmXgY9B8jYjeemExIqQA27nvGqSD5dILc_X8eaHnf0-sAP29fmLtA-QYPLIi2xc9xmK74RRwmQMcznSGA7QPvItSCttNb-/s1600/DSC03577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_D55g5CpEsSsANY43iGhHXeMUsIYK7Qgab79ZKfHaHpLvknEmXgY9B8jYjeemExIqQA27nvGqSD5dILc_X8eaHnf0-sAP29fmLtA-QYPLIi2xc9xmK74RRwmQMcznSGA7QPvItSCttNb-/s1600/DSC03577.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Holiest log</span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRov-6zFGK-DJ74_Lv-62Esrcq5ZRy4bNex-0BM6_9NjlK5q66zImYJfXWmmdGPU7vPKP0aPJofzSaVG_w7OnFT8r5rZsVkLND6qkYniXvYka6L1makQR7yPREzL0UBDgMQVfe36gxGzQ8/s1600/DSC03578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRov-6zFGK-DJ74_Lv-62Esrcq5ZRy4bNex-0BM6_9NjlK5q66zImYJfXWmmdGPU7vPKP0aPJofzSaVG_w7OnFT8r5rZsVkLND6qkYniXvYka6L1makQR7yPREzL0UBDgMQVfe36gxGzQ8/s1600/DSC03578.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modest campsite</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJORB1zcvNK-8Z9X0_nk5D2fS-ipZPckA9j879hsysxqaxtF0hRclravzCrAzD2bItOROVubt1FlGGn4VAvT__Yee1Nh9IUEGtNaQ25Beyv9ATpj64n9IE2l_w_EWXa_U0kdo3gfWsWYmf/s1600/DSC03580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJORB1zcvNK-8Z9X0_nk5D2fS-ipZPckA9j879hsysxqaxtF0hRclravzCrAzD2bItOROVubt1FlGGn4VAvT__Yee1Nh9IUEGtNaQ25Beyv9ATpj64n9IE2l_w_EWXa_U0kdo3gfWsWYmf/s1600/DSC03580.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beehive!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2Vh4Wj8GhZ92gwU4-rJswEavQM9jObd-a6ME42qJmi3Kd0phNZrG28P6aBRnkQu6wDUVNKNGVh2_FI-BEHmNb89ifPcTxJH6PUzo9c5lTYjksa6sBqaGY5X8XbBaBOCgdC8YXnf875W4/s1600/DSC03584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2Vh4Wj8GhZ92gwU4-rJswEavQM9jObd-a6ME42qJmi3Kd0phNZrG28P6aBRnkQu6wDUVNKNGVh2_FI-BEHmNb89ifPcTxJH6PUzo9c5lTYjksa6sBqaGY5X8XbBaBOCgdC8YXnf875W4/s1600/DSC03584.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outfit for the day. Almost.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujCNsz8iytaHdBC31H7G1-nzLJ4rXot93GsWb9qApLmaQPot30miRvckHSFBr3SNskQAizXx8Pgpd3dt3CRRtj24_09APobkEFaRt5s_hfmXGbiDeITLEovUOEkW4rsT4iEVaadUIIhU0/s1600/DSC03586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujCNsz8iytaHdBC31H7G1-nzLJ4rXot93GsWb9qApLmaQPot30miRvckHSFBr3SNskQAizXx8Pgpd3dt3CRRtj24_09APobkEFaRt5s_hfmXGbiDeITLEovUOEkW4rsT4iEVaadUIIhU0/s1600/DSC03586.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 power houses</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YRJPum9oZyAQvn2K1otTQ2ep6LVajbA838NxBx-nA7oebw_-te4UJGKGHkMogYJiNOlEx4JyK2T2p_nkNpyXeob9m9O0HxpablKTwKlhFL5d5eGc5VT8yz1qpoGuUysQokKoR-zFQhXK/s1600/DSC03588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YRJPum9oZyAQvn2K1otTQ2ep6LVajbA838NxBx-nA7oebw_-te4UJGKGHkMogYJiNOlEx4JyK2T2p_nkNpyXeob9m9O0HxpablKTwKlhFL5d5eGc5VT8yz1qpoGuUysQokKoR-zFQhXK/s1600/DSC03588.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">POWER HOUSE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tQRWEk3pgD8yxBmKBi92Hr2rMBa47jtgrng6vX81g-eAEOWytelAveKSkz86UBqPxOISBPZR5AMSaWl3P09G0WzOrUDZn4jQcBVsYJYLcpxBAMiVOE8JTRxgI3UPvORydcts7NUmQKly/s1600/DSC03593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tQRWEk3pgD8yxBmKBi92Hr2rMBa47jtgrng6vX81g-eAEOWytelAveKSkz86UBqPxOISBPZR5AMSaWl3P09G0WzOrUDZn4jQcBVsYJYLcpxBAMiVOE8JTRxgI3UPvORydcts7NUmQKly/s1600/DSC03593.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">POWER.... CLIMB?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBcG1fZ3OL4REnaxZOS3jIA5iunD5fQdubhCMCY8zyz5zezfdgB-KuarEu94q79H-GE5HpLYB8j8iqaTLr5TucbkDOYvppOdqUYfLAwJ4JQWry8EaXsaiLZZv59466YZXrEcCMjeNMtWp/s1600/DSC03596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBcG1fZ3OL4REnaxZOS3jIA5iunD5fQdubhCMCY8zyz5zezfdgB-KuarEu94q79H-GE5HpLYB8j8iqaTLr5TucbkDOYvppOdqUYfLAwJ4JQWry8EaXsaiLZZv59466YZXrEcCMjeNMtWp/s1600/DSC03596.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spooky POWER HOUSE overgrowth</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKknNNIQnoQDLeJQ94hvyCOTUVhIhseuwxUZbyvjseJyv_tW85hH-EPai16OeGM3qW4VvCIRJh7mkmAh5QilHUzON6GmHKizieuclb3MlcCOZrvgjj3AFzCbBwC0YHHDiNP7ebv5RdUA0b/s1600/DSC03599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKknNNIQnoQDLeJQ94hvyCOTUVhIhseuwxUZbyvjseJyv_tW85hH-EPai16OeGM3qW4VvCIRJh7mkmAh5QilHUzON6GmHKizieuclb3MlcCOZrvgjj3AFzCbBwC0YHHDiNP7ebv5RdUA0b/s1600/DSC03599.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZO_YmTvqY2QVD9j0bCANR-bltq9jSk032Q97Uue_t863PbtL7mUzWsp1PK_mRDNSCGfaShVeNYfNpPrkqtfAJT19BTGAIb31uF57P6xLhO_YxqHycCrlxOyWlUZoj9-qSQQvv_sT-vFW/s1600/DSC03605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZO_YmTvqY2QVD9j0bCANR-bltq9jSk032Q97Uue_t863PbtL7mUzWsp1PK_mRDNSCGfaShVeNYfNpPrkqtfAJT19BTGAIb31uF57P6xLhO_YxqHycCrlxOyWlUZoj9-qSQQvv_sT-vFW/s1600/DSC03605.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It gets worse</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20_-jXeyDzu4b2lCkD1yf-8zU6ikQKM2h92Rj-NyyX6NEnHMMi4rBXm_ptSHYtd_6iiYXwynJYEctZoCoMpGfoVnbb-kAXhKzVlgI24ZKVTM6Vl4anwfXQFKxOufEx3qXOHw0HgaatxqF/s1600/DSC03607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20_-jXeyDzu4b2lCkD1yf-8zU6ikQKM2h92Rj-NyyX6NEnHMMi4rBXm_ptSHYtd_6iiYXwynJYEctZoCoMpGfoVnbb-kAXhKzVlgI24ZKVTM6Vl4anwfXQFKxOufEx3qXOHw0HgaatxqF/s1600/DSC03607.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwKOn2SE5pRINwbxks5fQuQTK8m_OzW3QaXdNuAH5q_Cvd_lvDrGum-fH6S7tggbtjPaF1mi5F6DMq5r9TvJ0W8-akWcfXyxM5a7HMTfqMvWePXUrIBtMPEMBz10gt-tYhgJmtCYGGRFk/s1600/DSC03609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwKOn2SE5pRINwbxks5fQuQTK8m_OzW3QaXdNuAH5q_Cvd_lvDrGum-fH6S7tggbtjPaF1mi5F6DMq5r9TvJ0W8-akWcfXyxM5a7HMTfqMvWePXUrIBtMPEMBz10gt-tYhgJmtCYGGRFk/s1600/DSC03609.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honesty-policy-based pottery sales. I like it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8AX2VATKNaURA8Oxt9A66iLQc8s8QvQb8xuTQDlx1Va2LWmmc3k0H9rBBS74YFZixBpDIuIyh75igCK_KlGb4SrNCj0SbX2fYcX6njVSlZ6HhhCRD2Bue1lez-A6cFSwIvt-uAhivp_a/s1600/G0011254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8AX2VATKNaURA8Oxt9A66iLQc8s8QvQb8xuTQDlx1Va2LWmmc3k0H9rBBS74YFZixBpDIuIyh75igCK_KlGb4SrNCj0SbX2fYcX6njVSlZ6HhhCRD2Bue1lez-A6cFSwIvt-uAhivp_a/s1600/G0011254.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferry - gopro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe12Y-ROpr4Bgan2jhYqrhh2r-jjIkrMoAIA12CTedBuix1fpi_fxYmOI3uwW31L0NB8L0OXzK4zR-nlPYNW8Miq1w2ciHGeMpE28u_NdbIgW-zx36sW-HBIefs85JsgC4lSp4Qh0Jc8pB/s1600/G0041310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe12Y-ROpr4Bgan2jhYqrhh2r-jjIkrMoAIA12CTedBuix1fpi_fxYmOI3uwW31L0NB8L0OXzK4zR-nlPYNW8Miq1w2ciHGeMpE28u_NdbIgW-zx36sW-HBIefs85JsgC4lSp4Qh0Jc8pB/s1600/G0041310.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool shadow gopro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1l4fHA57FPgRgSRbIs9BHhpdnZm60qfPNNT_cXCTgfH3xAaHvX__lMP2o0NCqu37psJ4aoMlzbzEtmqr9w-1kQhdi8fP3-2VPbTVhL3kl27ZSmdiPMBFsMkG4JjekpWzZOHQUfS5nxXJ/s1600/DSC03615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1l4fHA57FPgRgSRbIs9BHhpdnZm60qfPNNT_cXCTgfH3xAaHvX__lMP2o0NCqu37psJ4aoMlzbzEtmqr9w-1kQhdi8fP3-2VPbTVhL3kl27ZSmdiPMBFsMkG4JjekpWzZOHQUfS5nxXJ/s1600/DSC03615.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BRUNCH</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYvUE58NIODbH-9AXY_5qBkkmqy_xQPG3badxEQINHAemHQxFs7WwNdTs8cHml9ZHigXeEhRAUDNR8ur9v4hp1Nn2kI2E2HkdWJ-euBlrA-Sh1Lro7At53KDo57ZKIhOoEUwl8Nobuv_Z/s1600/G0051369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYvUE58NIODbH-9AXY_5qBkkmqy_xQPG3badxEQINHAemHQxFs7WwNdTs8cHml9ZHigXeEhRAUDNR8ur9v4hp1Nn2kI2E2HkdWJ-euBlrA-Sh1Lro7At53KDo57ZKIhOoEUwl8Nobuv_Z/s1600/G0051369.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burke-Gilman - gopro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MfvgWSZgAbx1qpugUFlXHcTcg5QENeX_gN7DZJjtVIofkN9NjNE20AGt4dghE4aIxnxix08PsI35A6zzSWlY6Xx9pJ78NUU4ykfs3OVOr_XBCyRDklbYndAs7KfmAg1IMN7zBYQiq4LT/s1600/G0061417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MfvgWSZgAbx1qpugUFlXHcTcg5QENeX_gN7DZJjtVIofkN9NjNE20AGt4dghE4aIxnxix08PsI35A6zzSWlY6Xx9pJ78NUU4ykfs3OVOr_XBCyRDklbYndAs7KfmAg1IMN7zBYQiq4LT/s1600/G0061417.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THE LAST - gopro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Overall, perfect distance, breakpoints, amenities, restaurants, and weather for a quick summer/fall weekend trip! My slick tires and skinny rims performed admirably, although I am pretty sure I beat them up more than I should've. Will most definitely get my more indestructible wheelset out for any heavier venture. Anyway, enough writing. Time to plan the next tour.</div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">
Mike</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-44649361096133081152014-09-19T14:40:00.000-07:002014-09-19T14:56:36.464-07:00Weekend Tour: Kitsap Peninsula + Whidbey Island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hiya,<br />
<br />
I'm taking off for a weekend tour in a few hours. Here's the approximate route:<br />
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<div style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto">
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m65!1m12!1m3!1d342856.9722992942!2d-122.55001932087768!3d47.82854799607172!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!4m50!1i0!3e1!4m5!1s0x5490102c93e83355%3A0x102565466944d59a!2sSeattle%2C+WA!3m2!1d47.6062095!2d-122.3320708!4m5!1s0x54903ec818c485c9%3A0xcf427cdf752a28e7!2sBainbridge+Island+Ferry+Loading%2C+Bainbridge+Island%2C+WA+98110!3m2!1d47.621637799999995!2d-122.5146231!4m5!1s0x54903d6e4f4a84d1%3A0xa0bf5bf4fd748349!2sFay+Bainbridge+Park%2C+15446+Sunrise+Dr+NE%2C+Bainbridge+Island%2C+WA+98110!3m2!1d47.703196!2d-122.508645!4m5!1s0x548fe27c5c05b58d%3A0x1b620166daddeb46!2sPoint+No+Point+Lighthouse%2C+Point+No+Point+Rd+NE%2C+WA+98340!3m2!1d47.912192999999995!2d-122.5268!4m5!1s0x548fe9a4d291b6fd%3A0xf5e669eab50680c0!2sPort+Townsend%2C+WA!3m2!1d48.117038699999995!2d-122.7604472!4m5!1s0x548ff3ac2edca92d%3A0xaf4e945bb9331e15!2sFort+Casey+State+Park%2C+1280+Engle+Rd%2C+Coupeville%2C+WA+98239!3m2!1d48.159417!2d-122.67781599999999!4m5!1s0x54900163b2002605%3A0xf6548776b1814e16!2sMukilteo%2C+WA!3m2!1d47.9445396!2d-122.3045815!4m5!1s0x5490102c93e83355%3A0x102565466944d59a!2sSeattle%2C+WA!3m2!1d47.6062095!2d-122.3320708!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1411163296685" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" style="border:0"></iframe>
</div><br />
Schedule:<br />
<br />
Day 1 (Fri pm): Seattle to Bainbridge via ferry, ride to Kay Bainbridge Park, get groceries, camp. ~8mi.<br />
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Day 2 (Sat): Bainbridge to Port Townsend, ferry to Whidbey Island, ride to Ft Casey Park or Ft Ebey Park. Campsite depends on which is rumored to be more cool and less packed and how much I feel like riding another 5 miles. ~50-55mi.</div>
<div>
Day 3 (Sun): Ride Whidbey South, ferry to Mukilteo, ride home to Seattle. ~55mi.<br />
I'm very excited to take my touring bike out for the first long ride since STP in July. Last night, I couldn't get the cassette off of my super fast super skinny super sleek super wheelset (Mavic Open SUP[er?] Ceramic laced to Phil Wood hubs!) to transfer to my giant bombproof heavy touring wheelset, so I'm just going to pack light and hope for no flats - I think the tires are 700x21c as opposed to my normal touring 32's.<br />
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With packing light (and missing some crucial hex bolts due to things vanishing while moving and sharing a basement in general), I've only got a rear rack and I'm giving this goofy giant handlebar bag another shot. I bought it before my Australia tour, but didn't end up needing the extra space and never really liked how it weighted the handlebars. I am definitely looking forward to the convenience of having a bunch of crap up front, though, now that I am maxing out on electronic gadgets with my phone, 2 cameras, a solar charger, and other little stuff. Another drawback: I have to get creative with my headlight (currently annoyingly clipped to the left handlebar drop). We'll see how it goes - I do need a way to keep from having <i>all</i> of my weight on the back.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-Jdi_-3JQL2qt5H11TXXD98HjCumOy0iH2g7g-olZkb62UZzsd9CEQj0OFLxN9ilLwjAhMD5yZPJZbXmdAniZlUT-4316EoLdsvoYjmQE4AWRF8m1JVgJ6RcYfXd_Gwb_DOAYv-kTDWF/s1600/IMG_20140919_135241665_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-Jdi_-3JQL2qt5H11TXXD98HjCumOy0iH2g7g-olZkb62UZzsd9CEQj0OFLxN9ilLwjAhMD5yZPJZbXmdAniZlUT-4316EoLdsvoYjmQE4AWRF8m1JVgJ6RcYfXd_Gwb_DOAYv-kTDWF/s1600/IMG_20140919_135241665_HDR.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UN2SWFFsvS2p6qX3Mh4-brPx4EPzwkwkq3p1RVjOKDv9sYKOfXXxMIRL5_6lYfU6v5MmXmsNEbYIbyVg_LjvBjxItvRNsUiUvQfYM53lcn2pa2aCt7oYCYilwiu8fOwZDF8TUGzL0YJj/s1600/IMG_20140919_135232844_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UN2SWFFsvS2p6qX3Mh4-brPx4EPzwkwkq3p1RVjOKDv9sYKOfXXxMIRL5_6lYfU6v5MmXmsNEbYIbyVg_LjvBjxItvRNsUiUvQfYM53lcn2pa2aCt7oYCYilwiu8fOwZDF8TUGzL0YJj/s1600/IMG_20140919_135232844_HDR.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm not even bothering bringing my camp stove or really a lot of anything. My bags will be filled mostly with food, water, my tent, ... the rest is odds and ends like spare parts, a couple of pairs of socks... I can't even think of what else is in there. Only 2 nights away and barely over 100mi total, I'm hoping I don't need a lot of stuff!</div>
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I also got a new saddle recently! I had a Brooks B17 but it never really got to its rumored legendary, extraordinary point of couch-like comfort and especially got pretty rough after 200+ miles in 2 days during the STP. So, I'm trying out a brand new <a href="http://selleanatomica.com/collections/x-series/products/x-series-watershed-mahogany">Selle Anatomica X Series Watershed</a>. Old vs new:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVGtFv3uhAHHRRSMAhb_yMgd4O7KEcO_1gDBblYC12cseUWNK0lRu_YARxaMteEYl-aXu90mst85mAFnHPmOF_ukm0EZlPmHmKk89d3IFunElR16HYwZLIpzWizoqDlLNSgDt6AwlS7XS/s1600/IMG_20140918_193254704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVGtFv3uhAHHRRSMAhb_yMgd4O7KEcO_1gDBblYC12cseUWNK0lRu_YARxaMteEYl-aXu90mst85mAFnHPmOF_ukm0EZlPmHmKk89d3IFunElR16HYwZLIpzWizoqDlLNSgDt6AwlS7XS/s1600/IMG_20140918_193254704.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsspTgqa85gvFhzu0xOxG_aYoi5IdMvYxRN5kBU4yr3fUlKMoihVjHHCE_VeE6dFbBSY9xVoyKdahYYiGpDds_p_Wo-xge00mgcjfOeVQDd_5aIhLArVeZlZthx_RjV2PmicAKLHlLKnc/s1600/IMG_20140918_193242778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsspTgqa85gvFhzu0xOxG_aYoi5IdMvYxRN5kBU4yr3fUlKMoihVjHHCE_VeE6dFbBSY9xVoyKdahYYiGpDds_p_Wo-xge00mgcjfOeVQDd_5aIhLArVeZlZthx_RjV2PmicAKLHlLKnc/s1600/IMG_20140918_193242778.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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Last glamour shot:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CaQWza6bQtNCE0cWzsu6dft8p6QmGUD4h49PuIg2h-9DrRl_Yg3PRfPurCD4V0Y-eYxG-Tk1Rgh4P4_h2H-4NYYYhoJUU0V3WlbSxYWqncr-AtwxYupWRxwxv7lpSNMHydfEBDB9tgbr/s1600/IMG_20140919_073959880_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CaQWza6bQtNCE0cWzsu6dft8p6QmGUD4h49PuIg2h-9DrRl_Yg3PRfPurCD4V0Y-eYxG-Tk1Rgh4P4_h2H-4NYYYhoJUU0V3WlbSxYWqncr-AtwxYupWRxwxv7lpSNMHydfEBDB9tgbr/s1600/IMG_20140919_073959880_HDR.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mike</div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0Seattle, WA, USA47.610719910620418 -122.3324587883300947.608043910620417 -122.33750128833009 47.613395910620419 -122.32741628833008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-84217051438947355512014-09-18T11:50:00.002-07:002014-09-18T11:50:45.321-07:00Elliott Bay Bicycles - Closing After 31 Years<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of Seattle's longest-standing bike shops is closing at the end of the month (<a href="http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2014/09/03/elliott-bay-bicycles-closing-after-31-years-davidson-moving-to-new-space/">more info</a>). Major bummer! One of the owners builds <a href="http://davidsonbicycles.com/">Davidson</a> bikes, very high end road stuff. Sounds like he'll keep making frames elsewhere. I stopped in yesterday to see what was left of their closing sale - lots of odds and ends, but definitely worth stopping by. I scored a very nice Surly rear brake cable hanger for a bike I'm building. Like most things in the shop, 44% off!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pJKFMwlMHjYx9VqNXjyed4gVwY1wYSh1Ni_Zms8rw3_KQhMz2wZZvZhq-OEtKLKDXlsXlMf9y8op3MluR2yERfOeAJv2usZ2j_iaB7DcikofRAAgZhz4K95DR_WWkBpwPhJqTlAdLfWq/s1600/IMG_20140917_182936305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pJKFMwlMHjYx9VqNXjyed4gVwY1wYSh1Ni_Zms8rw3_KQhMz2wZZvZhq-OEtKLKDXlsXlMf9y8op3MluR2yERfOeAJv2usZ2j_iaB7DcikofRAAgZhz4K95DR_WWkBpwPhJqTlAdLfWq/s1600/IMG_20140917_182936305.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWai7lR2Z_V4mjowpbsmHamz_c4nbLX8LApqsKzZFBZC_RLsO1zqYGEn_1rY6Wi1q_5WF7vDlGWquYDBSzmws3aALyr0QH-1yW2dCnCSm5bLWsZkkbM6bSnHcFEPKKXW6vfCmRXEUSOnZ/s1600/IMG_20140917_190002696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWai7lR2Z_V4mjowpbsmHamz_c4nbLX8LApqsKzZFBZC_RLsO1zqYGEn_1rY6Wi1q_5WF7vDlGWquYDBSzmws3aALyr0QH-1yW2dCnCSm5bLWsZkkbM6bSnHcFEPKKXW6vfCmRXEUSOnZ/s1600/IMG_20140917_190002696.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17EHVTY2u78PlkCfePizQFJXumJXMH7D2I4YITWzfYD509BX5-744CrDebygufiB7JlfoVv_kqoNN_1FPo5nJjFWmTZdxToGgeaCp1ctN8J2z-ytq3d4pzA8cxe2blZLr64wUodPlwQ_d/s1600/IMG_20140917_193629965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17EHVTY2u78PlkCfePizQFJXumJXMH7D2I4YITWzfYD509BX5-744CrDebygufiB7JlfoVv_kqoNN_1FPo5nJjFWmTZdxToGgeaCp1ctN8J2z-ytq3d4pzA8cxe2blZLr64wUodPlwQ_d/s1600/IMG_20140917_193629965.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hoping to throw together a quick tour this weekend while the Northwest is still promising warmth and sunshine. More info soon.<br />
<br />
Mike</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0Seattle, WA 98101, USA47.6084921 -122.3364070000000147.5870826 -122.37674750000001 47.6299016 -122.29606650000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-44817618528608911482014-09-07T23:22:00.001-07:002014-09-07T23:22:33.803-07:00Coming Soon: More Stuff, More Posts<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MLJPR-FRYCc/VA1LJyPbc7I/AAAAAAAAhOk/8nKEk62yAtc/s2560/1410157345295.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MLJPR-FRYCc/VA1LJyPbc7I/AAAAAAAAhOk/8nKEk62yAtc/s400/1410157345295.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;'/></a><br/>
<br/>
Hi, folks! Cycling's role in my life has continued to increase at a rate that justifies keeping a better record. I'm absolutely loving every part of it. So, I've decided (for now) to use this site to track not only adventures, but my general bike happenings, work, purchases, repairs, builds, etc. - there seem to be a lot of them lately. I also like the idea of becoming a resource for information on vintage bikes, since what exists online has no unified source and is often extremely hard to find.<br/>
<br/>
Coming up:<br/>
-About 75% complete on a cyclocross bike build (beginning pictured above, from bare frame+parts!).<br/>
-1-2 small tours in September/October?<br/>
-Possibly another new ride to beat up around town as Seattle slips into non-optimal weather.<br/>
-Thoughts on new gear, little odds 'n ends, random musings.<br/>
-Photos. Always photos.<br/>
-Probably a little griping about potholes and car doors.<br/>
<br/>
Stay tuned!<br/>
Mike</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0Seattle, Washington, United States47.5937614440918 -122.31220245361328tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-30883458199327651662014-03-02T11:58:00.001-08:002014-03-02T12:03:33.157-08:00Day 5: Uncle Norman, Active Volcanoes, Rain, and a Half-Day Sprint<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Day 5 began right where day 4 left off - still hanging out and vacationing with Uncle Norman! I had another fantastic breakfast, packed up my things, loaded it all into Norman's truck and tied it down, and took off on another sightseeing journey.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5s0T-d6q0YeWeQ_QpFoKaLlSEbvtbIyi8L8jo3Q0sNr2OPD5e1wncr8YlUOhQAylmWj3a-dd3cN6H3_L5DcvyUWX2SE2by0PJQ07u8eJml_6U-_-mKHoPa1iNts4ercMZt8fcZtPG-1L2/s2560/1393790188602.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5s0T-d6q0YeWeQ_QpFoKaLlSEbvtbIyi8L8jo3Q0sNr2OPD5e1wncr8YlUOhQAylmWj3a-dd3cN6H3_L5DcvyUWX2SE2by0PJQ07u8eJml_6U-_-mKHoPa1iNts4ercMZt8fcZtPG-1L2/s288/1393790188602.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 163px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 288px;" /></a><br />
Breakfast on Norman's porch.<br />
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I have to admit to you, readers, that at this point I did something only vacation-Mike would do. We drove up the 4000ft incline spread over 25 miles at Volcanoes National Park - the climb I had been dreading since I first charted out my route's elevation. I regret nothing! It essentially saved my legs, back, easygoing vacation disposition, and one half day of my trip. Additionally, I got to keep Norman as a tour guide on the way. We stopped at a few scenic points and historic lodges, including:<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gEMfzfdnfmo/UxOM_msN55I/AAAAAAAAX6g/GMGVVpyhlU0/s2560/1393790200166.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gEMfzfdnfmo/UxOM_msN55I/AAAAAAAAX6g/GMGVVpyhlU0/s288/1393790200166.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 163px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 288px;" /></a><br />
Scenic overlook of Kilauea, an active crater on Mauna Loa, with a small plume of steam and volcanic gas visible! This was taken from the back of a really neat historic lodge. Photos of that are on my camera (to be uploaded later).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OzMc28TpCgU_6zV_AqCarS30joaAO34XP1OhTQeu3_nWJvqS8RYqwTWkf_d3e64g7M0-GfF-kj8TA1OjBUJsXUWGc5rj3KnT5WXiMVEVrhc6YKpsL2muFyFYZ-LTG82SA58bfZx9xLPH/s2560/1393790207733.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OzMc28TpCgU_6zV_AqCarS30joaAO34XP1OhTQeu3_nWJvqS8RYqwTWkf_d3e64g7M0-GfF-kj8TA1OjBUJsXUWGc5rj3KnT5WXiMVEVrhc6YKpsL2muFyFYZ-LTG82SA58bfZx9xLPH/s288/1393790207733.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 163px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 288px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWdPlDX36J9zH81xZWAVCClW1XZn9AkAAPAa2y0dc-v2R9vzj2KBXXYK-tPmTVufXx7Gt6Z6csuMITuHLpxMtnOuzIxymwvvFZFZ5Hkcas2WEPdsvpQZWnK8mhHsgvlvc3bUfkULlB4AZ/s2560/1393790217351.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWdPlDX36J9zH81xZWAVCClW1XZn9AkAAPAa2y0dc-v2R9vzj2KBXXYK-tPmTVufXx7Gt6Z6csuMITuHLpxMtnOuzIxymwvvFZFZ5Hkcas2WEPdsvpQZWnK8mhHsgvlvc3bUfkULlB4AZ/s288/1393790217351.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 163px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 288px;" /></a><br />
The "lava tube", where molten lava once flowed and created a tunnel about 100 yards long. I was fortunate not to have encountered any lava in said tube, but instead got some really cool photos.<br />
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From here, we grabbed delicious Thai lunch from a food truck a few miles from the park entrance and pulled in to eat it at Namakanipaio Campground, where I probably would've stayed had I missed Norman. Awesome site! Its Hawaii-ness was replaced with a Pacific Northwest feeling - a big open clearing among tall trees up on a mountain. After our Thai picnic, sadly, it was time to leave Norman's truck / hospitality. He'd been an enormous help, a ton of fun, and one of the more interesting people I'd ever met. Thanks again, Uncle Norman! Check out Norman's work at www.normandavidcarby.com.<br />
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Fresh, rested, and full from spectacular meals, I exited towards the southwest part of the island... Directly into a storm. I wasn't 5 minutes from the lunch / campsite by the time I was in a full-on downpour. No matter! I was headed downhill and most certainly could not have expected to get through a week in Hawaii without rain. Volcanoes was a barren wasteland of lava rock and sulfur smells, absolutely nowhere to stop for shelter, so I powered through it at 25-30 mph until I had ridden out of the storm. Near the bottom, I ran into the first other unsupported (carrying their own gear) cyclists I'd seen on the island! A Canadian couple, they were super nice and traversing the island in the other direction. We exchanged info about the roads ahead and parted ways.<br />
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I made it back down to sea level at a town called Naalehu in record time! I did a little research on campgrounds and hotels coming up - it's a little sparse around the southern point of the island - and found a B&B a reasonable distance away in Ocean View that would take me. I had to get back up to 2000ft but the sun was out and I was feeling great. I had a beautiful ride as the day closed out, riding along above the coast with the sunset. This was the latest in the day I had ridden, pulling into the B&B around 7:15, but I found it very refreshing! It's usually been either a little too hot and sunny or raining, so a clear evening offered a rare situation in which it was neither. The B&B was ok. The couple running it had lived in Seattle, go figure! They were a bit old and crotchety, but ultimately meant well (I think). The couple in the room next to mine fought all night, but that's a different story. At least I had a place to stay.<br />
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Photo time!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_VeL-gOEfJVnCb0ieQKD8ysSN6nsPaGJUv6Psy5KqAWNa1m-vK1F4zDs6w7gbRLXRfgWS1W4R3H26SBQnsZvxSGipt6Qa6feQ7xOXTCDikqyIxARknl7iZ0qkKOPbXc8jIwku4Vq2ZiF/s2560/1393790226683.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_VeL-gOEfJVnCb0ieQKD8ysSN6nsPaGJUv6Psy5KqAWNa1m-vK1F4zDs6w7gbRLXRfgWS1W4R3H26SBQnsZvxSGipt6Qa6feQ7xOXTCDikqyIxARknl7iZ0qkKOPbXc8jIwku4Vq2ZiF/s288/1393790226683.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 163px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 288px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-Fzs5yGSnQ62Z7EMpW0dVPGU_U2j17JvWyDSJ9t1GQzidN27lSrO5EsOjPC4WYniPH9CMPIKMia8q44Pt25LhKUevwmujUfOafwlTbaOK_b_BVfNIywVYI-oshRr18fgpEqox5X8JEXf/s2560/1393790233241.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-Fzs5yGSnQ62Z7EMpW0dVPGU_U2j17JvWyDSJ9t1GQzidN27lSrO5EsOjPC4WYniPH9CMPIKMia8q44Pt25LhKUevwmujUfOafwlTbaOK_b_BVfNIywVYI-oshRr18fgpEqox5X8JEXf/s288/1393790233241.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 163px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 288px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtC22c9MsCJ77H5DtvH_04O88kfcA071VeU2cc0Bf9dghLThURxjoZcxp0UFeZL3AN2ERjCTUx0Zg7JnYi25FWl4ZEucsIUNNh3XRhtppOB3WG3oKwawVRavRAILU9yQPFPfKSYjDFlsKm/s2560/1393790242009.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtC22c9MsCJ77H5DtvH_04O88kfcA071VeU2cc0Bf9dghLThURxjoZcxp0UFeZL3AN2ERjCTUx0Zg7JnYi25FWl4ZEucsIUNNh3XRhtppOB3WG3oKwawVRavRAILU9yQPFPfKSYjDFlsKm/s288/1393790242009.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 163px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 288px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/--S_Tt1kjLGg/UxONMv5OAeI/AAAAAAAAX7Q/SVOZ70etnW0/s2560/1393790250296.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/--S_Tt1kjLGg/UxONMv5OAeI/AAAAAAAAX7Q/SVOZ70etnW0/s288/1393790250296.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 163px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 288px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkslmcxgVbHfC6c26aAI4wsTdwknSvjg779eQBrjU5ZQE0tYNJrW8IZ1jeBXKmRXQgPKLRD5xCq7nxTf2r8b7v6jMPL4bY86oKTcl9M9g4G8ga1IsD3Cc8_61prBJyXFVsM7gtc52PbuV9/s2560/1393790259118.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkslmcxgVbHfC6c26aAI4wsTdwknSvjg779eQBrjU5ZQE0tYNJrW8IZ1jeBXKmRXQgPKLRD5xCq7nxTf2r8b7v6jMPL4bY86oKTcl9M9g4G8ga1IsD3Cc8_61prBJyXFVsM7gtc52PbuV9/s288/1393790259118.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 77px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 288px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h_lT_dDbW_k/UxONPcxKGqI/AAAAAAAAX7g/_diz2q5jqTA/s2560/1393790265939.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h_lT_dDbW_k/UxONPcxKGqI/AAAAAAAAX7g/_diz2q5jqTA/s288/1393790265939.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 163px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 288px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvvuFmd37mBqdVPHVGeGISQKZ4_1DZIf3cFqF4FPlPM-fM5-3PGIB-dNIzfunYDYUMFUkjk5PPsjN38-vx9tAQB3-0LzPMCQ80gN71ckOpI_t4bvi3BVlYy4Ezn-CeldBBf1Lrm7v_wXz/s2560/1393790269843.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvvuFmd37mBqdVPHVGeGISQKZ4_1DZIf3cFqF4FPlPM-fM5-3PGIB-dNIzfunYDYUMFUkjk5PPsjN38-vx9tAQB3-0LzPMCQ80gN71ckOpI_t4bvi3BVlYy4Ezn-CeldBBf1Lrm7v_wXz/s288/1393790269843.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 288px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 163px;" /></a><br />
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Mike<br />
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Stats:<br />
Dist: 47.97 mi<br />
Time: 3 hours 9 minutes<br />
Avg speed: 15.22mph<br />
Max speed: 35.0 mph</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com1Ocean View, Hawaii, United States19.079999923706055 -155.7469482421875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-66543388078727468142014-03-01T02:20:00.001-08:002014-03-01T02:20:26.332-08:00Day 4: Uncle Norman Saves the Day!<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Thursday started out a little rough (trouble in paradise, AM I RIGHT?!) but turned around pretty fast and became amazing! I started at my dumpy hostel in Hilo, waking up to a flat tire. It must've been a slow leak so I opted just to fill it, get away from the hostel and its distractions (mostly talking to people) and see how far the leaky tube would get me. When I was bent down refilling it, I pulled some muscle, approximately in the lower old man back region. The tube didn't make it too far and I opted to try to patch it outside an orchid farm 6 miles down the road.<br/>
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<a href='https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-CHsEXMaR2xc/UxGya8VgCHI/AAAAAAAAXyI/ufYYTHESP58/s2560/1393668621121.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-CHsEXMaR2xc/UxGya8VgCHI/AAAAAAAAXyI/ufYYTHESP58/s288/1393668621121.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
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I couldn't find the leak, so I patched two spots that looked like they could've been tiny little holes. Apparently neither was it (or the patches didn't stick) because it was flat again after another few miles.<br/>
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At this point I talked to, believe it or not, my uncle's uncle, Norman. Norman is an artist living in Keaau, 5-10 miles South of Hilo. He offered lunch, a hot shower, and even a car ride with my bike. Having had a tough morning, not really feeling up for climbing 4000ft with a pulled back, and reminding myself that I actually AM on vacation, I opted for the detour to Uncle Norman's.<br/>
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I made my way another few miles, refilling the stubborn tube every once in awhile, to Norman's home set back in the trees outside Keaau and into what turned out to be an absolutely fantastic day! His house was a really neat two-story home with great balconies on both the front and back, ocean and volcano views (when clear), and full of artwork, collectibles, and relics that should probably be in museums. He grilled me a pork tenderloin and broccoli lunch, we both had much-needed naps, a driving tour, dinner out, and I heard more amazing stories than I could ever relay in this blog post. On the driving tour, we saw the southeastern end of the island. It included the warpath of a recently-active volcano (primarily 1980s) that took out 8 miles of road on the southern coast and all the houses that went with it. Also on the tour: a black sand beach, a designer friend's beautiful modern home (with a lava field backyard!), and many educational asides on vegetation. At dinner I had a delicious coconut-encrusted ahi - and a LOT of it. Back at the home, we relaxed and I had the privilege of playing an acoustic guitar from the 1940s! That's pretty old for a guitar! Still sounded wonderful.<br/>
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Here's some of pictures!<br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtLNyKFVJvEqY7-rk-ywYGWRYQacb4AcS0BGoe1_I4UxsjNs_tYedYgypYD0hs5hzCxmGhDaDa5Ha2HsPhBGZx0YgDaHei9WbGUDQws52Fk-sbTNKyN4nBm8Gk_TpI6oJWXWTkD7KRI4B/s2560/1393668714621.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtLNyKFVJvEqY7-rk-ywYGWRYQacb4AcS0BGoe1_I4UxsjNs_tYedYgypYD0hs5hzCxmGhDaDa5Ha2HsPhBGZx0YgDaHei9WbGUDQws52Fk-sbTNKyN4nBm8Gk_TpI6oJWXWTkD7KRI4B/s288/1393668714621.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 163px; height: 288px;'/></a><br/>
Rough road to Norman's<br/>
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<a href='https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tLdyeOPEsIs/UxGzG8lQ6-I/AAAAAAAAXyY/0tkibte_Trk/s2560/1393668779283.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tLdyeOPEsIs/UxGzG8lQ6-I/AAAAAAAAXyY/0tkibte_Trk/s288/1393668779283.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
Front yard<br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8edBYfGuuR349ywEQMrWgiorZYDlPyPKM8vl08V-25a3QDhnujxeAvzXN0qmNbal2urMdH2DbAvwhiVBHouZ5xoHSSXQZ-R8zn8LLHRwFo4wO_r_szfabkZiMEwrfv54Ap0LDDSuN2_K/s2560/1393668891337.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8edBYfGuuR349ywEQMrWgiorZYDlPyPKM8vl08V-25a3QDhnujxeAvzXN0qmNbal2urMdH2DbAvwhiVBHouZ5xoHSSXQZ-R8zn8LLHRwFo4wO_r_szfabkZiMEwrfv54Ap0LDDSuN2_K/s288/1393668891337.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
Giant turtles! (Not the kind I expected to see, but more delicious and less endangered)<br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFg8fYIlfjeA64g8HM3gtKl1bTn0Fg4fXgVWGDIYg4gavMqn2_R81RV8FVPSjZ9P0Rt3puCZAc15dwqSlV6DDdBr9S4nf9NXEMEnaBgxEIBNXd6GtVVUx4Ev0oDleVgb5Z6bFLImp4G_D/s2560/1393668944037.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFg8fYIlfjeA64g8HM3gtKl1bTn0Fg4fXgVWGDIYg4gavMqn2_R81RV8FVPSjZ9P0Rt3puCZAc15dwqSlV6DDdBr9S4nf9NXEMEnaBgxEIBNXd6GtVVUx4Ev0oDleVgb5Z6bFLImp4G_D/s288/1393668944037.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 144px;'/></a><br/>
The beautiful, the illusive: Moji<br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfpFtvNsOYM0E4fVGXR-pmQNqbA6bQxEWekoDUmqzB9kdcwpoRGjl0pM0u7mmo4C8NUzeMIMUAZdeffcKRHxjD7ZOkURqnGCmy6jrh904tGl2vuPdhyrvz9OyL9NvloCUBr51bzq5yzlX/s2560/1393668962784.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfpFtvNsOYM0E4fVGXR-pmQNqbA6bQxEWekoDUmqzB9kdcwpoRGjl0pM0u7mmo4C8NUzeMIMUAZdeffcKRHxjD7ZOkURqnGCmy6jrh904tGl2vuPdhyrvz9OyL9NvloCUBr51bzq5yzlX/s288/1393668962784.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
Lava lava lava<br/>
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<a href='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6IjZUJE9boc/UxGz5OIBEHI/AAAAAAAAXy4/o1E7ZDiU-Jk/s2560/1393669027598.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6IjZUJE9boc/UxGz5OIBEHI/AAAAAAAAXy4/o1E7ZDiU-Jk/s288/1393669027598.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-4gZ6uBF1ZoY/UxG0HyqrGGI/AAAAAAAAXzA/Q-c0HiaZcio/s2560/1393669094812.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-4gZ6uBF1ZoY/UxG0HyqrGGI/AAAAAAAAXzA/Q-c0HiaZcio/s288/1393669094812.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 104px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_clmMho4sks/UxG0Ze6EmbI/AAAAAAAAXzI/CCbuDnwBT8Y/s2560/1393669150787.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_clmMho4sks/UxG0Ze6EmbI/AAAAAAAAXzI/CCbuDnwBT8Y/s288/1393669150787.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
What's your backyard look like?<br/>
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Overall, a disappointing morning turned into an amazing day! A thousand thanks to Norman. More details on our adventures to follow.<br/>
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Stats:<br/>
Dist: 13.47 miles<br/>
Time: 1 hour 13 minutes<br/>
Avg speed: 10.95 mph<br/>
Max speed: 24.71 mph</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-75151832693021327422014-02-28T09:32:00.001-08:002014-02-28T09:32:50.403-08:00Day 3 - Speedy Morning<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>(A little late to this, apologies)<br/>
<br/>
Had an awesome, awesome ride - one of my favorites so far - out of Waimea! Dan and his mother directed me to a super fun side road that wove in and out of countryside, all rolling hills and grassy pastures, still dotted with lava rock, predominantly downhill. Smooth roads and almost 0 traffic. After about 10 miles it turned abruptly into forest and got steeper (still downhill). I cruised through the curvy roads at 25-30mph like it was nothing. I'm pretty sure I had maximum pizza strength from pizza dinner... And pizza breakfast.<br/>
<br/>
I stopped for a giant, greasy bacon and bleu cheese burger about 12:30 right as it started raining. It rained, mostly lightly, on and off into the afternoon. No huge deal, had my rain gear up.<br/>
<br/>
From lunch, my ride cut in and out of really amazing gulches for the rest of the day. I got used to the pattern: a climb, a curving descent cutting sharply back into the land, tight turn and old concrete bridge over a stream with a very Jurassic-Park-esque view (sometimes a waterfall or beach below!), and an equal but opposite ascent out the other side. I think there were 8 major gulches, all with fantastic views of their little bays. Here's one of the bigger ones:<br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBmMiNM6_VQ1hxZoiMocq3WHOyUBnjU1S894AJ6eDTYRvVZYTlC4obHGcY0brYs5fqzLiRwUzcyyB3g9hq-KbmXLqSVA6v9zp4sr_nn_KAMnTNAD2bSlmCP5nAlBM4PA8rNjJPwxxtGgf/s2560/1393608415858.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBmMiNM6_VQ1hxZoiMocq3WHOyUBnjU1S894AJ6eDTYRvVZYTlC4obHGcY0brYs5fqzLiRwUzcyyB3g9hq-KbmXLqSVA6v9zp4sr_nn_KAMnTNAD2bSlmCP5nAlBM4PA8rNjJPwxxtGgf/s288/1393608415858.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
<br/>
I also got to stop near the botanic gardens for a cool little hike down to one of the coves. Pictures of that are on my nice camera, agh, but here's the trail entrance (fun getting my bike down there).<br/>
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<a href='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-r-AgzzZ5eRA/UxDHc6bwdWI/AAAAAAAAXkQ/whqztPmtG9Y/s2560/1393608498979.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-r-AgzzZ5eRA/UxDHc6bwdWI/AAAAAAAAXkQ/whqztPmtG9Y/s288/1393608498979.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 163px; height: 288px;'/></a><br/>
<br/>
I made my way into Hilo at about 5:30 and had to decide whether to stop there or push another 10 miles or so to a relative's house for a place to stay. I went with an unfortunately crappy hostel called Wild Ginger - perhaps the worst I'd ever stayed in. It was more like a refugee camp, except that it cost me $35. I stayed in what was basically a partitioned shack down a staircase from the lobby area. I'll spare details, but the "kitchen" was ancient, the nice ocean breeze was replaced by a trade wind of cigarette smoke from the smoking area, 9pm "quiet time" and 10pm power shutoff were very strictly enforced, and the guy "managing" the area was ultimately really slimy and rude. Oh well, at least it was a place to sleep!<br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-frdl1LJA1hlqrFL_yGAvQnUoDy5FEGzPvSo7GwTipFIZi1gC1EjzZBrfWZ3wecaF7F_ZO7hRaHwaoJzKQvydqygvThVtmJroXF_x_-KGFJcNy8sbout4MOsWlNmwZ3paen5T3zteUVvV/s2560/1393608451567.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-frdl1LJA1hlqrFL_yGAvQnUoDy5FEGzPvSo7GwTipFIZi1gC1EjzZBrfWZ3wecaF7F_ZO7hRaHwaoJzKQvydqygvThVtmJroXF_x_-KGFJcNy8sbout4MOsWlNmwZ3paen5T3zteUVvV/s288/1393608451567.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 102px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IbN8mXU_5CHuDvfSUEsrjc3t0S_ey_mWmOq1Z6J39u4bON1OleT40Iw-TVrvCIecqoXlGGk_n_kK2mV9K9554hNIRqLwcfipICMxpEdnwZOsFBtvSMUHnG60ASgcMlFa5GjCJMC5doWb/s2560/1393608562929.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IbN8mXU_5CHuDvfSUEsrjc3t0S_ey_mWmOq1Z6J39u4bON1OleT40Iw-TVrvCIecqoXlGGk_n_kK2mV9K9554hNIRqLwcfipICMxpEdnwZOsFBtvSMUHnG60ASgcMlFa5GjCJMC5doWb/s288/1393608562929.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphyphenhyphen9WauG5eyV7VBxrBRsmyWWUPs-67gFiQDCaYrA5XzxCYf-kmceiOUcV2UEcwtFfPQc-wAXSA8-lfAh8kuJ2KRXjsswi2kcIUxUTApbHloUf72hxgjV_QK5j7HYjPdV_tBpxcRRlg25m/s2560/1393608596128.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphyphenhyphen9WauG5eyV7VBxrBRsmyWWUPs-67gFiQDCaYrA5XzxCYf-kmceiOUcV2UEcwtFfPQc-wAXSA8-lfAh8kuJ2KRXjsswi2kcIUxUTApbHloUf72hxgjV_QK5j7HYjPdV_tBpxcRRlg25m/s288/1393608596128.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ajPQ9M11Htw/UxDH75aWOsI/AAAAAAAAXko/P7s0bdD8L-U/s2560/1393608644337.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ajPQ9M11Htw/UxDH75aWOsI/AAAAAAAAXko/P7s0bdD8L-U/s288/1393608644337.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_1V5T8PqXxU/UxDIFM-Zo5I/AAAAAAAAXkw/HRIg7s95oFE/s2560/1393608686357.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_1V5T8PqXxU/UxDIFM-Zo5I/AAAAAAAAXkw/HRIg7s95oFE/s288/1393608686357.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10V-5YzUsJosokbV304vtjXNUGKvl8UwM7cVrvL-Q9qwQZ3wMOE9XVz_DOO1OJIrFb2pegzDUw1in4EbCPNCYOPJTLP-jcNvEr01II9rr6MS13T7IAL5ruyoE4JLtLAmElRxnBcF3KIeO/s2560/1393608724028.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10V-5YzUsJosokbV304vtjXNUGKvl8UwM7cVrvL-Q9qwQZ3wMOE9XVz_DOO1OJIrFb2pegzDUw1in4EbCPNCYOPJTLP-jcNvEr01II9rr6MS13T7IAL5ruyoE4JLtLAmElRxnBcF3KIeO/s288/1393608724028.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
<br/>
Today's stats:<br/>
Dist: 59.15 mi<br/>
Time: 3 hours 58 mins<br/>
Avg speed: 14.88mph<br/>
Max speed: 35.34mph</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-77797179433128213962014-02-27T11:50:00.001-08:002014-02-27T11:50:44.752-08:00Climb to Volcanoes<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptfQbIeU5BKa5-16KCABWDW2UDx91_ws9NLOtiW9J6MGivZNn9lKeQ-BkB0hhGoTEWCyYC2leb0gC-9K8OeWY4YWcBYIDNUuywoxVUyRfnYtFqsm3EPGTHgf-dorwGDVLOegAi4zkMcjN/s2560/1393530630122.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptfQbIeU5BKa5-16KCABWDW2UDx91_ws9NLOtiW9J6MGivZNn9lKeQ-BkB0hhGoTEWCyYC2leb0gC-9K8OeWY4YWcBYIDNUuywoxVUyRfnYtFqsm3EPGTHgf-dorwGDVLOegAi4zkMcjN/s288/1393530630122.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 288px;'/></a><br/>
<br/>
Today looks like this... Hmmm... Woke up to a flat tire and promptly pulled something in my back. Plotting, hold tight. <br/>
Post from yesterday coming soon. Hanging in there! Still beautiful out here but Hilo hasn't been my favorite city.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-22543236485838037762014-02-26T14:45:00.001-08:002014-02-26T14:45:02.361-08:00Lunch at Back to The Fifties Highway Fountain<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Rode 28 miles. Ate this burger. Can't move. It's only 12:45 but it looks like I'm gonna have to pitch my tent here for the night.<br/>
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<a href='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wP6YBlr2dM8/Uw5uaykCxeI/AAAAAAAAXTc/_sv4YKnqekw/s2560/1393454665690.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wP6YBlr2dM8/Uw5uaykCxeI/AAAAAAAAXTc/_sv4YKnqekw/s288/1393454665690.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
<br/>
Also, it's raining. Bleh!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com1Waimea, Hawaii, United States19.9805557 -155.2271411tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-72363688953216276062014-02-26T09:10:00.001-08:002014-02-26T09:10:37.905-08:00Day 2<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Last night, I was totally whooped. Once my body got half of a pizza inside it, it decided I'd had all of my needs met for the night and it was time to pass out.<br/>
<br/>
I spent about 27 of yesterday's 32 miles biking uphill. I started from my campsite at sea level and reached the peak of 3600 ft just before Waimea. It was rough going up - really slow roiling with all this gear - but totally worth it once I got up to about 2000 ft and started to get some rewarding views! Until then it'd been mostly farm land. Once I got up around the peak, I didn't even want to come down - I was busy relishing in the scenery and thinking that if I were to come down, I'd probably just have to go up again. So, I sat at a scenic overlook and had a rewarding lunch: last night's leftovers (noodles + "rice side") mixed in with an avocado (the best avocado I'd eaten in MONTHS). I talked to a bunch of tourists stopping by to take photos up here - an older guy from Boston, a German couple on their honeymoon (and subsequently found out that I'd forgotten more German than I'd expected), and a pickup full of middle-aged folk from Wisconsin (go figure, RIGHT?!). From here, it was a descent straight down into Waimea (awesome and terrifying gopro footage forthcoming), a few supply stops in town, and arrival at friend/remote tour guide Dan's mom's house! I took one of the greatest showers of my life, had some awesome pizza and a few replenishment beers, looked at a few maps and guide books, and passed out.<br/>
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Enough text! Images!<br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhn13OrFw2t6J_ojkj9PgnKU5OxYNf_3JZpaEANdzTEzBBrxr5YsxTY7YNJ_BPhmCyAyj0jQ6fyjbh9M9MFDX8EaRm4Z3E5eevpuRcq6Px7zKBPerOi3ksCrXQ73QSosaE8JdXC1Olbvf/s2560/1393434084822.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhn13OrFw2t6J_ojkj9PgnKU5OxYNf_3JZpaEANdzTEzBBrxr5YsxTY7YNJ_BPhmCyAyj0jQ6fyjbh9M9MFDX8EaRm4Z3E5eevpuRcq6Px7zKBPerOi3ksCrXQ73QSosaE8JdXC1Olbvf/s288/1393434084822.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
Morning campsite<br/>
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<a href='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Cc88srlJPho/Uw4eDW8EnUI/AAAAAAAAXRM/RDL6tDIejGw/s2560/1393434106152.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Cc88srlJPho/Uw4eDW8EnUI/AAAAAAAAXRM/RDL6tDIejGw/s288/1393434106152.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
Campsite<br/>
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<a href='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3leq6ynCJ4I/Uw4eKJYk1kI/AAAAAAAAXRU/0qcUJ3WSnEg/s2560/1393434126487.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3leq6ynCJ4I/Uw4eKJYk1kI/AAAAAAAAXRU/0qcUJ3WSnEg/s288/1393434126487.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
Uninspired northern-most point of my trip<br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzS5n40vuGTVnFxzH0hcTsaY1dTHUq7kx1PLE0OT5MakasP8Tu78lklyCNIL9DlgTrrg0zJvCYuLV2LvrRctEUre-cLVWwOTQHozXf3viBoGU_d5dOvhWtFpZhFnJ4QLhGqYWykWwEPgL/s2560/1393434154262.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzS5n40vuGTVnFxzH0hcTsaY1dTHUq7kx1PLE0OT5MakasP8Tu78lklyCNIL9DlgTrrg0zJvCYuLV2LvrRctEUre-cLVWwOTQHozXf3viBoGU_d5dOvhWtFpZhFnJ4QLhGqYWykWwEPgL/s288/1393434154262.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 102px;'/></a><br/>
Valleys! 2200 ft I think<br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrKZsrZuXWVSw4RrM7x9RdQvd6uf8VQA7vr7Um7nvDibehtDssBhyphenhyphenDIkW55V3VOgpoZQUiU9hX00DbP9Rfh1Pi6-FTNRy39Aqzi-pUOY5vaBgPnjw9DYVfffzstlDb4ozMv80XEZawdWQ/s2560/1393434247062.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrKZsrZuXWVSw4RrM7x9RdQvd6uf8VQA7vr7Um7nvDibehtDssBhyphenhyphenDIkW55V3VOgpoZQUiU9hX00DbP9Rfh1Pi6-FTNRy39Aqzi-pUOY5vaBgPnjw9DYVfffzstlDb4ozMv80XEZawdWQ/s288/1393434247062.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 163px; height: 288px;'/></a><br/>
The top!<br/>
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<a href='https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-qFmNKOs8zkc/Uw4fgtBco6I/AAAAAAAAXRs/E55G7rA_O_E/s2560/1393434468209.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-qFmNKOs8zkc/Uw4fgtBco6I/AAAAAAAAXRs/E55G7rA_O_E/s288/1393434468209.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 102px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEMAt5vVeJwVNQCgK2iqeOUskU08Yu-AqyuWQE33e8elvYyL0p0PIXgBm-X-_oAJ21fbnTpzjdVkyC_1zv5-6tht24qBF6HMJ_zC-CQI4LyVuC3KEIyFfLqraf1Q_xOD085Vwju2Ho4h4/s2560/1393434499535.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEMAt5vVeJwVNQCgK2iqeOUskU08Yu-AqyuWQE33e8elvYyL0p0PIXgBm-X-_oAJ21fbnTpzjdVkyC_1zv5-6tht24qBF6HMJ_zC-CQI4LyVuC3KEIyFfLqraf1Q_xOD085Vwju2Ho4h4/s288/1393434499535.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDssU06y-MrKfmNAqBYAEv6KO4zwwQUcTGxvP6JOIRoa-RkCl6h33xyWkjaKuldv4dy0LnytRfIs7NC9Q_AJWVXFgcgfYxwy8Y8FU2pDEa2O0Mx6wfotF7pTX5w_4VElqhBPMip_5nJPkU/s2560/1393434535491.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDssU06y-MrKfmNAqBYAEv6KO4zwwQUcTGxvP6JOIRoa-RkCl6h33xyWkjaKuldv4dy0LnytRfIs7NC9Q_AJWVXFgcgfYxwy8Y8FU2pDEa2O0Mx6wfotF7pTX5w_4VElqhBPMip_5nJPkU/s288/1393434535491.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
Lunch<br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRActd2MyaEjmd96VEluDvKNLZVjyMrLxLHGqKDMoHC3eRfvZJ_H-kepNGpwBg6LRfEGb5hL1xxAbmK551mVseYii8nLRe9qPIt8fkzl9Aa4FcscOhN1OYI7d_FFQ44d_Px2h8_HnEoB5b/s2560/1393434571098.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRActd2MyaEjmd96VEluDvKNLZVjyMrLxLHGqKDMoHC3eRfvZJ_H-kepNGpwBg6LRfEGb5hL1xxAbmK551mVseYii8nLRe9qPIt8fkzl9Aa4FcscOhN1OYI7d_FFQ44d_Px2h8_HnEoB5b/s288/1393434571098.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
On the descent<br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejFA_w8VceLwmVSmhWuUlr2Yh8Z_ay5ju1tQCa_WAnZ_jaO7uTPaK5pPwrtifhS0kiWHisPibhC8kGQ5ri_MiAND5gbwgomdAkL4QznczD6sr6UXAMhCNUgiCbq-drGGl5utNNjOcus84/s2560/1393434608706.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejFA_w8VceLwmVSmhWuUlr2Yh8Z_ay5ju1tQCa_WAnZ_jaO7uTPaK5pPwrtifhS0kiWHisPibhC8kGQ5ri_MiAND5gbwgomdAkL4QznczD6sr6UXAMhCNUgiCbq-drGGl5utNNjOcus84/s288/1393434608706.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
Supply run to Natural Foods<br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGclqzyStpIjw3k8ZM7HCyBGLjhpknYc3l9Nn0cN26p9jfVB0HuUp2PTrkQ00zLUL4dpm5gjCpqj2hmVtE3gYbtIUCvZPWd_t1e2nFj_-nxdGI3dWVtgnvEOfgMCQ7BXMdDSf-Sse6ZLL/s2560/1393434050491.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGclqzyStpIjw3k8ZM7HCyBGLjhpknYc3l9Nn0cN26p9jfVB0HuUp2PTrkQ00zLUL4dpm5gjCpqj2hmVtE3gYbtIUCvZPWd_t1e2nFj_-nxdGI3dWVtgnvEOfgMCQ7BXMdDSf-Sse6ZLL/s288/1393434050491.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
Sunset in the backyard<br/>
<br/>
Today's goal is a whopping 60 miles to Keaau. There are a lot of cool stops along the way, so I'm not going to push myself on this one and may opt for a hostel in Hilo instead (50 miles).<br/>
<br/>
Mike<br/>
<br/>
Today's stats:<br/>
Dist: 33.3 mi<br/>
Time: 3 hours 38 mins<br/>
Avg speed: 9.16mph<br/>
Max speed: 37.02mph</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com1Waimea, Hawaii, United States20.034543991088867 -155.61729431152344tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-76327412180744988932014-02-25T10:50:00.001-08:002014-02-25T10:50:38.747-08:00The surprisingly uninspiring northernmost point of my route<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwXsFOUAJdLiSrjAtSakTJnUHFd9ap9RX3UVQucY61jdnWaROsKRO9zgwzx6g6WRtfKOvSseUW9WnL9bWhKSrd0WMMB59ua299CSYDKMBFLSoen5ItPgAyvDSEvdkNfmVN9l3iURsC2wd/s2560/1393354203879.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwXsFOUAJdLiSrjAtSakTJnUHFd9ap9RX3UVQucY61jdnWaROsKRO9zgwzx6g6WRtfKOvSseUW9WnL9bWhKSrd0WMMB59ua299CSYDKMBFLSoen5ItPgAyvDSEvdkNfmVN9l3iURsC2wd/s288/1393354203879.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
<br/>
Yep, it's a gas station.<br/>
<br/>
First 7 miles out of camp were all uphill but a pretty gentle grade for the most part. Gonna be an interesting day!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0Hawi, Hawaii, United States20.2374306 -155.8306936tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-25266999487003573292014-02-25T08:32:00.001-08:002014-02-25T09:58:22.132-08:00Day 1<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">11pm! Time to write a thing! A windy 55 miles today. Very exhausted so I'll keep it to the facts:<br>
-woke up and had an awesome buffet breakfast, packed up, stored my bike box and suitcase (key play, thanks hotel!), checked out, got rolling about 9:30. Hotel:<br>
<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9awiv0xNTts6ZPOboLI37XYMw3SJBFNg8O6Kpc912q9pRm0v60yczVPJR01EurLg-R-c14eKNw0Zh4kmW65YH-hdzH2aOnNxgop2ntekywzbKB8kFv4F83twKnP4_zhOnj6HItWKtAC5i/s2560/1393345433949.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9awiv0xNTts6ZPOboLI37XYMw3SJBFNg8O6Kpc912q9pRm0v60yczVPJR01EurLg-R-c14eKNw0Zh4kmW65YH-hdzH2aOnNxgop2ntekywzbKB8kFv4F83twKnP4_zhOnj6HItWKtAC5i/s288/1393345433949.jpeg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;"></a><br>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yaaHyeaRBwY/UwzFPhDZ5DI/AAAAAAAAXKg/D78WDT6rFHw/s2560/1393345649823.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yaaHyeaRBwY/UwzFPhDZ5DI/AAAAAAAAXKg/D78WDT6rFHw/s288/1393345649823.jpeg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;"></a><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwFYQ6BZfa3tFNxtV7HJCIIFQCDDnZu9CqGFSAKdGrk_DUwXFxs3Y8AAccvDff0-p8wXMl-HoXWAdOk1Rg9Oxe-U-XBRQnR6EaTuDYKnNpWXBNtaF6FYeHXys6eRyvzy9wAQXviDX07ev/s2560/1393345856375.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwFYQ6BZfa3tFNxtV7HJCIIFQCDDnZu9CqGFSAKdGrk_DUwXFxs3Y8AAccvDff0-p8wXMl-HoXWAdOk1Rg9Oxe-U-XBRQnR6EaTuDYKnNpWXBNtaF6FYeHXys6eRyvzy9wAQXviDX07ev/s288/1393345856375.jpeg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;"></a><br>
<br>
-had to run shamefully to Walmart for a gopro mount (I forgot mine, also shamefully). Then rented snorkel gear!<br>
-winds were relentless today, direct headwind nonstop. Turned an easy day into a hard day.<br>
-biked through lava fields - super dry, very few plants, NO big trees, smooth but loud and highly trafficked highway shoulder. Kinda was like the moon meets the desert meets northern Africa.<br>
<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WuAUs9IQ_VMvCBbdkPvDprE8r1KMsvHHa9oXXh9lvHbIxl1bfHLlJNrqkgSqOHRtnFWOQ68JhYPtGSNydJLfXEEkPrClNtrfgrzJP6LArBAELJzvFqSEk0Ea6Ss2sZb2742sI53ZxXD0/s2560/1393345256417.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WuAUs9IQ_VMvCBbdkPvDprE8r1KMsvHHa9oXXh9lvHbIxl1bfHLlJNrqkgSqOHRtnFWOQ68JhYPtGSNydJLfXEEkPrClNtrfgrzJP6LArBAELJzvFqSEk0Ea6Ss2sZb2742sI53ZxXD0/s288/1393345256417.jpeg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;"></a><br>
<br>
-gradually turned a little more tropical<br>
-stopped to snorkel. Let down a little. My gopro (it's waterproof!) battery died immediately. Probably because of the time lapse from yesterday. Very few fish, a little murky water. Also, my legs cramped up HORRIBLY in the backs of both of my knees simultaneously and left me temporarily unable to swim, rolling around in the water and groaning through my snorkel, which probably looked hilarious to the countless tourist families!<br>
-a much needed pick-me-up: getting passed by/riding side-by-side with a convoy of 6 US Army APCs at 35mph on a descent into a valley. They were RIGHT next to me. Everyone thumbs-upped. Really awesome.<br>
-It got prettier and traffic decreased significantly as I went further north. I even got a good 5 mile stretch with no wind! After which, of course, was very windy and shifted between "directly in my face" and "trying to knock me off of my bike from the west". <br>
-I pulled into a campsite, Mahukona Beach Park, right as the sun was setting at 6:30. I instantly started talking with a super friendly and helpful middle aged guy named Van who spends 3 months of every year over here (in winter) and most of it at this site. He assured me I'd have no problems with the state park "authorities" (since I didn't buy a permit) and gave me the lay of the land. I set up my tent about 30 ft from the water, sorted through my pack for things, cooked dinner, and hung out with Van awhile. He was really nice to let me have some of his water and use his camp stove so I wouldn't have to set up mine. I made pasta mixed with a chicken and broccoli "rice side" - those little single-serving packets. Actually turned out pretty well! I also still have part of a giant loaf of sourdough from San Fran. Mmmmm. Weird part of the campsite: there are over 150 feral cats living in the wooded area that starts 50 ft away from the beach of where my tent is. They didn't bother me at all, but it was funny to see all of these little silhouettes skittering around in the night. I caught two kittens creeping around my tent and watched them run and hide in the rocks. Pretty cute, actually.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzAZKQn5EUsCwvRwcA205w2Ht_tkT8Jed_ofoNqUT0PY9U9w4NPR4OCLskaOQl3itgCa0TQ1SA-OdRCsqzhzhSBcSwDn_TM_pE6N0wUMv1CJQfguub5UyjCfZeurG1L_8AX7kwGu1GFh3k/s2560/1393345213108.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzAZKQn5EUsCwvRwcA205w2Ht_tkT8Jed_ofoNqUT0PY9U9w4NPR4OCLskaOQl3itgCa0TQ1SA-OdRCsqzhzhSBcSwDn_TM_pE6N0wUMv1CJQfguub5UyjCfZeurG1L_8AX7kwGu1GFh3k/s288/1393345213108.jpeg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;"></a><br>
<br>
-I'm up at 6 finishing this post now. Fell asleep last night around 11:15, was SUPER tired. Stars out here are INCREDIBLE. Totally clear out and no light pollution anywhere. I slept without my sleeping bag and with my rain fly open to try to get a breeze. It's been around 60 all night. Couldn't have asked for a better campsite!<br>
Today (Tues) I've got a huuuuuuge ascent up through the rest of this northernmost "thumb"-loop and into waimea. Should be a short day mileage-wise (around 32 without detours) but I'm going up about 4000 ft. YIKES. It should be super beautiful as I pass over a series of rivers and canyons. Hoping to stop and hike down into one to a beach at polulu valley, highly recommended by Dan and a random guy I met at a scenic overlook yesterday.<br>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wC4YWSy0ctI/UwzCvL0r5jI/AAAAAAAAXJ8/Gy0_6FQ0rGQ/s2560/1393345204377.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wC4YWSy0ctI/UwzCvL0r5jI/AAAAAAAAXJ8/Gy0_6FQ0rGQ/s288/1393345204377.png" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 162px; height: 288px;"></a><br>
<br>
6:20am, getting light it now so it's time to get rolling!<br>
Mike</div><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><br></div><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Today's stats:</div><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Distance: 56.13 mi</div><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Time: 4 hours 15 mins</div><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Avg speed: 13.19mph</div><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Max speed: 32.71mph</div><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com2Mahukona Beach Park, Waimea20.184969 -155.90103tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-86376239765770857652014-02-24T13:59:00.001-08:002014-02-24T13:59:22.523-08:00On the way!<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGv1gSr4F6YNJSH2-YF4zoln4bxH_layC9TKH3a2kG5-4ZV4Bd9Zl2_6Q1Luw1YMn8TlqJ2yEsQTAbJKtzMqf75sOjToHVtqvFKDnXoB6GINOn8bg9NBohbCkqJ6p_6v0fH3yIpo0R_SW/s2560/1393279071177.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGv1gSr4F6YNJSH2-YF4zoln4bxH_layC9TKH3a2kG5-4ZV4Bd9Zl2_6Q1Luw1YMn8TlqJ2yEsQTAbJKtzMqf75sOjToHVtqvFKDnXoB6GINOn8bg9NBohbCkqJ6p_6v0fH3yIpo0R_SW/s288/1393279071177.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
<br/>
First stop of the day. Got a late start due to good breakfast, good breakfast conversation, and supply runs (snorkel gear+more!). I'm now ~20mi outside of Kona at a very rare shady oasis in an endless expense of lava fields! Making Gatorade (not a euphemism), stretching, eating peanut butter, making Gatorade (a euphemism). Nasty headwinds so far but relatively flat.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States19.813365936279297 -155.97674560546875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-15956057132870642312014-02-24T08:52:00.001-08:002014-02-24T08:52:00.592-08:00Pre-Day 1!<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Got in late last night, took a cab to my hotel room, and spent the night putting together and tuning up my bike. New brakes and cleats are about to feel soooo goood. Testing out my new camera, I made a time lapse of the process! http://youtu.be/e0_KMiNkWbw<br/>
<br/>
The hotel (Hale Maluhia Country Inn) is nice, pretty cheap, and the staff is super helpful and friendly! It's all I need and has been perfect - highly recommended. They're going to let me keep my bike box and bag here for the week, which is absolutely essential. The place is up in the hills so I'll have a nice, steep, winding morning descent out. Nature sounds here are fantastic except for the roosters that woke me up at 5:30.<br/>
<br/>
Oh, and how awesome are my friends? One of my best friends from Seattle, Dan, grew up over here and is going to be my remote tour guide for the week, sending me personalized maps that open on my phone in Google Earth. Mahalo, Dan! I'm a lucky dude. Here's the blessing I woke up to:<br/>
<br/>
<a href='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xM9ZnfU9i5U/Uwt4lkGmYBI/AAAAAAAAXHA/2zgL4wjn_4c/s2560/1393260691902.png' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xM9ZnfU9i5U/Uwt4lkGmYBI/AAAAAAAAXHA/2zgL4wjn_4c/s288/1393260691902.png' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 162px; height: 288px;'/></a><br/>
<br/>
Time to pack up my bags, get breakfast, and hit the road! Gonna make my way up the coast through some lava fields today. Hoping to rent a snorkel someplace in Kona as well. Should be low 80s and sunny! This is happening!<br/>
<br/>
Mike<br/>
<br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEPlVjNDTGkXySvvL_kJiEx0ae_ajKRvePG0eiqdNH4DGydOsqGuAp5HfKCYg41e0xXHOhiFen1kF9IwkzkOsWfuU0rfIxI-gmyhuMQ1DRYyDujC9qin1d09vxUE87Du34eBkhFONolrE/s2560/1393260697007.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEPlVjNDTGkXySvvL_kJiEx0ae_ajKRvePG0eiqdNH4DGydOsqGuAp5HfKCYg41e0xXHOhiFen1kF9IwkzkOsWfuU0rfIxI-gmyhuMQ1DRYyDujC9qin1d09vxUE87Du34eBkhFONolrE/s288/1393260697007.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 97px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-sGEyS9fqBWw/Uwt4pnsgNNI/AAAAAAAAXHQ/c6WuPVOKffM/s2560/1393260704952.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-sGEyS9fqBWw/Uwt4pnsgNNI/AAAAAAAAXHQ/c6WuPVOKffM/s288/1393260704952.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAekx0tyhFSDYtLlqIa3yp1yGAoLmZGCR_f7IgOxGTvh-RKVdjVoATpIFDCb38Kxs_cLlTt52ACuuP9sQHsL1IfoR9bjCdjL_DjUIyMOt4gu5Fft0jtmUW0CnOxHdKexo6oBh8nc8jlJyK/s2560/1393260712571.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAekx0tyhFSDYtLlqIa3yp1yGAoLmZGCR_f7IgOxGTvh-RKVdjVoATpIFDCb38Kxs_cLlTt52ACuuP9sQHsL1IfoR9bjCdjL_DjUIyMOt4gu5Fft0jtmUW0CnOxHdKexo6oBh8nc8jlJyK/s288/1393260712571.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States19.6218154 -155.9581174tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-69011731998566880592014-02-23T13:28:00.001-08:002014-02-23T13:28:45.284-08:00New adventure! Back in the saddle! Hawaii-bound!<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Hi, people!<br/>
<br/>
I'm at the airport in Seattle right now ready to take off for what should be another amazing bike tour. It's all super last-minute! I'm changing groups at work (still within Microsoft) and got a little time off before the new gig begins. Hawaii is, in my mind, the ultimate biking destination so I grabbed a cheap flight on Friday, collected all of my touring gear from the back of my closet, and threw together a rough itinerary. I'll be biking the "big island" starting Monday and flying back Sunday night. I start in Kona and ride clockwise 260-300 miles, so I'll need to average about 45 miles per day if I'm going to make my flight back and start work again on Tuesday.<br/>
<br/>
The past few days have been a scramble of bike repairs, last-minute gear purchases on Amazon and at REI, mapping and planning, consulting with friends, minor panic, and extreme excitement. For reference, I finished boxing up my bike at 5am - madness. I'll admit I'm winging it a little but that's how I prefer it!<br/>
<br/>
Upgrades since last tour!<br/>
-GoPro camera: Christmas gift from my mom/lil bro. Thanks! The GoPro was created specifically for this type of trip. Get ready for an awesome montage of biking, snorkeling, hiking, and general adventure footage in a few weeks!<br/>
-Other camera (Sony rx100, which I regret not buying until after the AU trip). Prepare for m-u.us: hi res 2014 edition.<br/>
-Cool new solar charger/backup battery. Awesome amount of power capacity, should be able to charge my phone 10x without seeing daylight again!<br/>
-Less stuff! Warmer climates and more familiarity with what I'll actually use mean I have about 15 lbs less gear. Should help to get me up those volcanoes, along with...<br/>
-Improved leg+butt muscles! (+cycling form). Biking to and from work in hilly Seattle everyday has done wonderful things for my cycling abilities and confidence. Looking forward to getting packed up and weighted down.<br/>
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I'll try to post on here each day so all of yas can follow along, but more so that I remember this stuff down the line! I think the email subscription in the toolbar on the right still works too.<br/>
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Wish me luck!<br/>
Mike<br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuuPtXsEY9viPSx2rOMkBfbJk_nD4sSX7bh4EP_mv4bPJ3ksxpSA-8RMDbycHZ2s_zI_TOPw0DWKXyCkCoc-dOYCBIwlETl6JqXwhW33_VcfBfmorVlcqAhuA3y9IWtymuowXg7Tq23Kq5/s2560/1393190738434.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuuPtXsEY9viPSx2rOMkBfbJk_nD4sSX7bh4EP_mv4bPJ3ksxpSA-8RMDbycHZ2s_zI_TOPw0DWKXyCkCoc-dOYCBIwlETl6JqXwhW33_VcfBfmorVlcqAhuA3y9IWtymuowXg7Tq23Kq5/s288/1393190738434.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 215px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-y1VL-eB8p6g/UwpnklKm9dI/AAAAAAAAWdc/6cozgr7mUvw/s2560/1393190741266.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-y1VL-eB8p6g/UwpnklKm9dI/AAAAAAAAWdc/6cozgr7mUvw/s288/1393190741266.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_vAHYGgt-ll9OViRrUqcZpE4KpcTgRZabsV7U1q4A0LOoxs0Ontx9gqMeE0p3SVKM9Y8PJCQcXT8F88iA6-emqFGc3bPMX0IZxUs3L9-F0CNavkccNuOy_RcgVZEi6VsizBzkXFYc44W/s2560/1393190896377.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_vAHYGgt-ll9OViRrUqcZpE4KpcTgRZabsV7U1q4A0LOoxs0Ontx9gqMeE0p3SVKM9Y8PJCQcXT8F88iA6-emqFGc3bPMX0IZxUs3L9-F0CNavkccNuOy_RcgVZEi6VsizBzkXFYc44W/s288/1393190896377.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 163px;'/></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0SeaTac, Washington, United States47.4403583 -122.2991612tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-73808357107585340032012-07-02T21:24:00.003-07:002012-07-02T21:24:36.290-07:00June 30-July 2: Last Explorations<p>I spent my last few days on Sydney's streets trying to absorb as much of Australia's sights, experiences, and sunlight as possible at the last minute. On the 30th, I biked around the city to some markets in the morning on something of a souvenir scavenger hunt. This led me to a ferry through the bay to Manly, a gorgeous beach town North of Sydney. The ferry ride up was worth the $14 round trip just as a tour boat! It took 30 minutes to cruise past the various bays and ports, including some of the city's best views of the opera house and harbor bridge. Manly itself is on a little strip of land with beaches on both sides only a few blocks from each other. I had great success at its markets and equal amounts avoiding the masses of tourists, nearly crushing only one oblivious toddler (thank you, good brakes)! Manly was certainly worth the day trip and I headed back on the 5:45 ferry.</p> <p>When I got back, I decided to join up with my new cycling friend Peter, who I'd stayed with the night before and was organizing a ride for the night. I rode to central station took a train out to Campsie to meet the group of 20-25. All were really friendly and we enjoyed a nice night ride following a river into the city from the suburbs, stopping for a picnic about halfway. I was "auctioned off" to my next wonderful host, a woman named Suzanne who turned out to have a great apartment (minus the elevator) east of the city center in Edgecliff. I had great views of the harbor from her 10th floor sofa sleeper and a great night's sleep. This was one of my longest days out on the bike, practically from 8 am to 11 pm, whoa. Feels good!</p> <p>In the morning (July 1), Suzanne was meeting up with yet ANOTHER cycling group and invited me along, so, of course, I went with. It turned out to be a great decision! Only a small group of 4, we met up in Bondi Junction and followed the lead of an older man who knew every street and shortcut in town. I saw everything from gorgeous sunny beaches at Coogee and Marubra to old, crowded cemeteries, even stopping for tea at a great little cafe at a cemetery! Our three-hour tour was a great way for me to see some of the city's lesser-known sites and meet experienced and informed locals. We got back to Suzanne's place near lunchtime and I packed up, then got stuck in the elevator for a half hour before hitting the road again. I biked around the botanic gardens and circular quay areas once more, crossing the harbor bridge and back as well, mostly for photographic reasons. I made my way to Balmain, two more bridges away, to a friend's where I'd stayed at the beginning of the whole journey. After more hospitality, takeaway Thai food, and a couple beers, I passed out with the lights on after an exhausting last couple of days. I am glad I gave myself the few extra days at the end as I feel I really squeezed the most out of it!</p> <p>In the morning, I was fed a great breakfast and packed up my bike and belongings. I took an outrageously priced cab to the airport ($75?! 20km??! I should've walked!) and got all checked in for my 2:45 flight. I'm on the way to San Francisco as I'm writing this. It's 7 pm and I just experienced another first - the pilot cut off all alcoholic beverages for the next two hours because "it's not a flying bar". Clearly, someone has abused the privilege - I swear it wasn't me. Additionally, I think I've got my most difficult challenge of the entire journey (biking included): I have a whole variety 6-pack of Tim Tams, my favorite Australian chocolates, 3 feet above my head for 20-some hours of travel. STAY STRONG, MIKE! THEY ARE NICELY PACKAGED! THEY ARE SOUVENIRS!</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-56674028803685508432012-07-02T21:24:00.001-07:002012-07-12T02:55:21.335-07:00June 23-28: "Vacation" - CairnsDisclaimer: this is a lengthy and untimely post covering several days of adventure.<br />
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Day 1 (23rd): Riding Around, Trinity Beach, Gardens<br /> Earlier this week, I finally reached Cairns, the world's most popular hub to the Great Barrier Reef. I'd planned flying here after hints that just about all that lies between Brisbane and Cairns is red dirt, mining towns, and truck routes. After flying in late on the 22nd and meeting Will at his hotel (thanks again for another great floor), I began my exploration the next day. I rode around aimlessly to get a feel for the city and to enjoy the tropical climate. I soon found out what would come to bother me most about Cairns: there aren't any beaches. While it is the main hub to the Great Barrier Reef, the city is built next to torn-out mangroves, leaving a 100 ft long stretch of mud where I had expected sand (note- I am open to making bets on how long it takes them to replace the mud with sand and stack a bunch of high-rise resorts on the waterfront). Long story short, I wasn't about to lay down in the mud and try to catch a tan, nor could I dive right into vast coral expanses, so I headed to Trinity Beach, about 12 miles North of the city. The ride out itself was really pleasant and scenic, following the coast on bike paths before transferring to highways lined with mountains. I arrived around 2 pm (it was further than I was told) to a murky inlet with crocodile warning signs every hundred feet. I decided I'd be content to just lay down for a warm, sandy nap in the sun. I got back on the bike a couple of hours later and stopped at the city's botanical gardens on a whim when I passed the sign. Unfortunately, I only had a half hour to check it out before the park closed, but I made a loop around the inner exhibits, including some about carnivorous plants and orchids, and promised myself I'd come back later in the week (cliffhanger: did he go back? Did he see anything worthwhile??). I met up with Will and some others for dinner and wandered along the esplanade, Cairns's seaside waking path and main drag, before settling into another cozy floor-bed in a REAL hotel.<br />
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Day 2 (24): Planning, Hanging<br /> The next day was not extremely action-packed but I accomplished some necessary stuff. I spent the day compiling a stack of pamphlets from several visitors' centers (easily Cairns's most dominate enterprise - at least two on each side of every block) and deciding what the next few days would bring. Almost EVERYTHING in Cairns requires a guided tour of some sort, another bummer relating back to the reef's inaccessibility. Eager to finally get into the water, I picked one out for an island day trip for the next day. More dinner and friendship and beers and esplanade-ventures were had, another night in Will's hotel.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not important that you understand this, but know that the concept of a "battery factory" was previously an inside joke with my friends and this was probably the best part of my day</td></tr>
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Day 3 (25): Fitzroy<br /> My trip to Fitzroy Island left at about 9 from Cairns's reef fleet terminal. The place was somewhat reminiscent of the gates at Disney World just before it opens: eager, big-eyed tourists lined up across several counters waiting to check in. Tons of tour boats depart from the terminal each day with at least 10 different companies. After a 45 minute catamaran ride and a short debriefing, we were dumped on the island to spend the day however we pleased as long as we made it back to the dock by 4:30. I grabbed my snorkel gear and got to it despite overcast skies and cold water. The first time in, I saw a decent sampling of tropical fish and a few cool rock and reef formations. Nothing mind-blowing; I suppose it wasn't the true "outer reef" but it was really neat anyway (keep reading for outer reef explorations). After about 45 minutes, I started to turn back in to warm up. As I got close to the shore, though, I saw a sea turtle, shell about 18 inches across, in water only about 6 feet deep! I followed it around for 10 minutes as it sailed through the water and nibbled at the bottom. After the turtle led me further out, I'd seen enough nibbling and turned back. However, as I got close to the shore again - another turtle, this time about two and a half feet across! I followed it for maybe 15 minutes, eventually also meeting up with the other turtle I'd seen earlier. Very neat watching them float around together without really caring about my presence. I headed in to warm up and explore the island's walking paths. There were a couple of steep ascents, but nothing my bike-tour-conditioned legs couldn't handle. The trail took me up to a lighthouse, unfortunately closed, but with really nice views of the ocean and surrounding islands, not to mention the strongest winds that had hit me in awhile. At this point the weather started to clear up, so I opted against climbing the extra half hour to the summit and practically ran back down to sunny beaches and my snorkel gear. (Side note for travelers as you envision me running across a beach towards snorkel gear: nobody looks cool in diving fins, snorkel masks are among the most unflattering items you will ever put on your head, and even the word "snorkel" sounds dorky. At least I got to see some RAD WILDLIFE.) Ok, back on track. Now with the sun fully out, bringing out the coral's colors and improving visibility, I tried the island's other recommended snorkel spot. The underwater sea-scape differed a bit - slightly better, more cliff-like structures and crevices to dive through. The overall variety of fish was the same, but there were rumors of two huge stingrays laying at the sandy bottom with their barbs up. Unfortunately (maybe fortunately?) I wasn't able to find them. Still, I got some great photos with my disposable underwater camera and had a nice little exploration before showering and boarding the return boat for a well-deserved scenic ride (and nap) back. That night, Will and I had to find a hostel as his awesome hotel package deal was up. We came up with Nomads Esplanade, the cheapest and closest hostel to the reef fleet terminal for an early morning and a big day out. Before arriving, we hit the grocery store and I grilled kangaroo burgers and corn for the two of us on the esplanade's barbeques - surprisingly, my favorite meal I had in Cairns!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early morning view from the hotel balcony</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fitzroy Island</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kangaroo burgers and corn!</td></tr>
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Day 4 (26): Reef<br /> This was Will's last full day and my most anticipated event of the entire trip! We had booked an all-day scuba trip to the outer reef with a company called "Down Under Dive" (major points for the double entendre) while in Melbourne. It left around 8 am, took an hour to get to the outer reef, moved to a different reef 20 minutes away around 1 pm, and headed back to shore by 4:30. My package included two scuba dives around a half hour each, free Aussie bbq lunch, and unlimited snorkeling in between. Will and I also shared an underwater camera rental, so I have a ton of photos and videos from that. The dives were incredible but a bit more challenging than expected. My right ear was having problems equalizing the pressure as I descended and I may have done something to it. I suspect a ruptured eardrum, which should repair itself, but I'll check on it at home if it's not better by then. Anyway, the coral was vibrant and buzzing with tons of different types of fish! I got the hang of scuba diving after trying my hand at it on two different reefs. The first was an intro dive, linking arms with the instructor and three other divers. After that, we were cleared to swim around on our own, staying within a few sharks' reach of the guide. Too bad we didn't actually see any sharks! I saw lots of schools of tropical fish instead, including some clownfish hiding inside anemones. The whole experience was really busy but exciting, trying to remember to enforce newly learned diving skills while spinning and cruising around in an attempt to keep up with the endless fish and sights that the reef kept throwing at me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diving while snorkeling</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYJ5R71nlLqE_1_Yn8dMBfVpQO0dAGENnksxxTHA-j5lBgzg_YoHNWM84-3qVQZp0j-A36RNQzPDXQWrXV6BNtGVh9pJ_4rI6-X6qyvJ1AdrantLQwKphpVWnn3wjENeDbwBIDt2Szihyphenhyphen/s1600/Pictures+063_exposure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYJ5R71nlLqE_1_Yn8dMBfVpQO0dAGENnksxxTHA-j5lBgzg_YoHNWM84-3qVQZp0j-A36RNQzPDXQWrXV6BNtGVh9pJ_4rI6-X6qyvJ1AdrantLQwKphpVWnn3wjENeDbwBIDt2Szihyphenhyphen/s320/Pictures+063_exposure.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside a clam</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See a sea turtle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxNfJ_TFpUdWPlXVhU_MXiO7P6O805X7xF0JFZ7uWOSfi5sWexqzGBsm0raldSUDufhbJhHYeeQ_nWVSRAM_NPAC4sSFKktLuBYSwTiJPT9346LsZ-4FOc1rb10Cgei4Jj8sXLmqI53Lw/s1600/Pictures+121_exposure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxNfJ_TFpUdWPlXVhU_MXiO7P6O805X7xF0JFZ7uWOSfi5sWexqzGBsm0raldSUDufhbJhHYeeQ_nWVSRAM_NPAC4sSFKktLuBYSwTiJPT9346LsZ-4FOc1rb10Cgei4Jj8sXLmqI53Lw/s320/Pictures+121_exposure.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorites</td></tr>
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Day 5 (27): Germans<br /> The 27th will be known as "day of the Germans." There are TONS of Germans here, enough that I'd be confident to say I've met more Germans than Australians in the past two weeks. The previous evening, I'd heard a girl in my dorm room speaking in German on the phone and sign off with "tschuss", a common Southern-German goodbye. I asked, of course in German, where she was from and it turned out she was from Munich, where I'd spent some of the best 6 weeks of my life studying two summers ago! Hey! We talked that morning and she invited me along to the zoo with her two Swiss friends. The four of us caught the bus and spent the day petting snakes and koalas, feeding kangaroos, and perusing the rest of the exhibits. I left very impressed after a full day of zoo-going. We'd seen crocodiles leaping up to grab their lunches, a bird show, talks about snakes and wombats, and it seemed that each time I turned around, a zookeeper was holding a different animal to be pet or displayed. <br />
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At night, I found a cheap hostel online that was out of the way of Cairns's main busy area. When I arrived, the gate was locked and another backpacker was standing outside looking a little forlorn. I asked if she was also trying to get in and, wouldn't you know it, I had found another Fraulein. Sabine, 26, came over from Berlin 18 months ago and had been predominantly working in a winery. After locating someone who worked in the hostel, we grabbed a quick dinner and shared life/travel stories on the esplanade for a few hours before turning in. Great company! It was fantastic to practice my German again and, despite it being two years since I was in Munich, I still received many compliments and embarrassed myself only minimally.<br />
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Day 6 (28): Botanical Gardens, Flight<br /> I had a nice last day in Cairns. I began the morning by eating as much of my grocery stock as possible, including 5 kiwi fruits! They're so delicious and cheap here that it's hard to pass them up at the grocery store. I then booked an airport shuttle from my hostel for 3:30 and planned out the rest of my day. Coincidentally, I'd finish the Cairns trip with one of the first things I'd done there - exploring the city's botanical gardens. Sabine, my new German hostel roommate, agreed to join and we made an afternoon out of it. After a rainy two-ish-mile walk, we got to do the rainforest boardwalk that I'd been eyeing since I first entered on my first full day in Cairns (and had to leave as it closed shortly after). Some of it was reminiscent of Jurassic Park, with fern- and vine-covered forest, but as we progressed into the garden sections, the dense, dark green vegetation turned over to exotic flowers and other plants. We made our way back by bus, I boxed up my bike, and we went our separate ways. My LAST domestic flight in Australia - what a relief to (almost) be done flying around, disassembling and reassembling my bike so often. It was then off to Sydney for my last couple days of exploration!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-75622756343308850512012-07-01T21:04:00.001-07:002012-07-01T21:04:45.513-07:00Restless Farewell<div><p>See you later, Australia! I'm waiting to board right now. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity for such an incredible journey. Endless THANKS to everybody I met and everyone who gave me a hand along the way. Whether it was a quick exchange over "what the heck I'm doing with that huge bike" or a warm bed and a steak dinner, the individuals I encountered along the way truly defined a large part of my adventure.</p>
<p>I plan to complete my entries over the next couple of days when I'm able to sort through all of my photos and memories I may have missed. For now, thanks to all who followed along as well. See you on the home front (feel free to stop by, announced or not)!</p>
<p>Mike</p>
<br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCuciuhKDvBUZdGA2SMmU9bxofi3ZYBETCoNuR_Eu_kgc-aEDpUXc_HmXB_3rUctPoV6rclPpWEVmy8G9ErNne9f2H0PSegM5138z3mSxMU8iAasu3QOMSb8wfJLO1uMUZorSLL7LfPZz/' /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0Sydney Airport, Sydney-33.936054 151.16632tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-52316468674875239842012-07-01T16:10:00.001-07:002012-07-01T16:10:22.256-07:00Today's Challenge<div><p>Last day! Flight leaves at 2:45 pm.</p>
<p>http://www.sandsmachine.com/p_i_seq.htm</p>
<br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPy-gD1wH_rYm7jTWk1C2xjkaEQs-kLeV4A4K_Lp0mtrC1ijj1v6J8qbVlbhe7HA1jG2ko9ALZ1sYulJ9Z6KAbQnDkn5tfzNtGVazU1Alb-5FoaqjZYn5IaAtp5K9WzjuzWE3IhrRbyndn/' /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0Balmain, Balmain-33.85755 151.18105tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6697539119091622826.post-74948929002678237092012-06-30T20:58:00.001-07:002012-06-30T20:58:57.642-07:00Saved!<p>Out of the elevator! A guy from the company showed up and hit the magic buttons.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16189622402745377508noreply@blogger.com0