Ramping Up For Spring Bike Season

March

With the weather getting a little less cold and planning ride when it’s not that rainy, I found myself agreeing to be a ride leader for the Getting Ready To Ride (GR2R) series in Snohomish County. I had done the series in Seattle before and decided to sign up for the northern routes for different scenery.

I had helped lead some GR2R rides in February, but this was the first one in March.

On March 16th and left from McCollum Park & Ride in south Everett. It was a 22-mile route through housing complexes and some trails.

On March 24th, I helped sweep a ride around north Lake Washington. The weather was sunny, but chilly, with bright blue skies. We rode 32 miles round trip.

When we got back to Gas Works Park, there was a brass band practicing, making it feel like they were welcoming us back. A lovely end to a lovely bike ride!

On March 29th, I had planned to ride up in the Skagit Valley, but got very ill once I arrived. I drove 100 round trip just to vomit. Of course, but the time I got back home, I was feeling better. I think I got sick from the double anti-biotics I had been on for seven days and still had to take for another week. This was to hopefully kill the h. pylori that had been causing all my gastric issues over the past year.

March 30th was another GR2R ride in Snohomish County. Again, the weather was wonderfu as we rode through country roads. The vehicle drivers, however, were really nasty, yelling obscenities out their car windows at us. There is such a big difference in people’s mindsets when it comes to biking in some of the counties with smaller towns.

I helped sweep on Rob’s route of 42 miles from Gas Works Park, Magnolia and Mercer Island on March 31st. Midway on the route, we had a stop on Mercer Island to grab a bite to eat at the Metropolitan Market, where I had a ham and brie on a French baguette, that really hit the spot!

April

The first weekend in April had me volunteering to help lead the pace ride for the Cascade Training Series (CTS). This series is to help riders prepare for century rides, with each weekend riding further in distance and in elevation gain. On the pace ride, it allowed riders to get comfortable with the pace speed they chose and was 27 miles in length.

I was having terrible pain in my right side where gas was trapped (due to antibiotics killing off all my gut bacteria). When I finished the ride and got to my car, I found myself l bent over a ditch and pucking until it felt like my eyeballs were going to pop out oif my head!

I was supposed to lead the following Saturday, but was still in a lot of pain and asked the ride director to replace me.

To make up some miles with over a week break, I signed up for a pie ride on a Wednesday where we rode from Matthews Beach to the Bothell senior center for pie before heading back. It was my first time riding for pie and I rarely ride mid-week, but it sure was a treat with the excellent weather we had. It was also the first time riding with Jean (who is alwasy driving SAG for events).

I led another CTS ride on April 20th for a total of 41 miles. It was my longest ride since 2023 and I have to admit to be exhausted when I got back home.

April 22nd was my first event ride of the year, Ride For Major Taylor. I rode the long route last year, but this year I was riding the short route, plus it was my first time as a Cascade outrider and they needed more help with the short route. Besides being an Outrider, I also got the #1 bib like last year.

Marlene, my mentor, spent the night before the event so she wouldn’t have to get up super early and drive from Gig Harbor. Since we were doing the short route, we got to sleep later and arrived at the start around 8:30am.

It was pretty cold when we started, but by the halfway point, it was getting nicer. The short route was so easy compared to the long one.

I took Marlene on a detour through Lincoln Park and away from our route, but I wanted her to see the fairly new troll. When we got there, we saw two other outriders who had the same thought.

It was a great day and I got to see a lot of bike friends. That night, I slept nearly 12 hours!