Jim & I rode took a ride on the tandem Friday night. It was fun! It was scary! It was nerve-wracking, but cool. It took a lot of coordination & communication, but I think we got the hang of it. We didn't fall over, we didn't get hit by cars, we didn't get mad at each other. But we didn't go too far, because it needed a little repair. So we rode it to the bike shop, got it fixed, bought me a Capitol Velo jersey, and then had dinner.
The tandem was fun, but it doesn't quite fit us, which is OK on short rides. But being cramped on the bike didn't sound like a good idea for the 60-mile Monster Cookie ride on Sunday. So we changed plans and agreed to just ride our single bikes.
The weather on Saturday was gorgeous, and Sunday it was merely acceptable. But there was no rain, very little wind, and it wasn't too cold. Perfect day for a bike ride! We rode the first half of the route with Jim's friend Shibley from Portland. Because it's the Monster Cookie, they give you lots of cookies at each rest stop (as well as fruit, veggies, water, bagels w/pb&j, etc.). They didn't have enough sack lunches, but there were plenty of snacks to keep us fueled. On the ride back to town, we hooked up with Shib's friend Matt, and with Jim's teammate Robert.
For most of the ride, we rode much faster than I'm used to doing. (During my triathlon the other weekend, I rode 18 mph for 12 miles. This ride, we averaged 17+ for 60 miles!) But I just stayed behind Jim- just a couple of inches behind his wheel- and let him lead the way, which allowed me to ride easier & faster. By the last half of the ride, I got pretty tired & wasn't sure I could keep up with the guys. So Jim rode beside me for awhile & put his hand on my back, pushing me along. It was great! Wonder if I can convince him to ride like that all the time...?
Next weekend: Half-marathon in Vancouver, BC!