SportsGist.com and the SG Constellation of sites is a sponsor of the Globla Agents for Change 2008 ride.  Go Team ! Yay !

Riding Leggett Hill

After several attempts made by our heroic ride coordinators, I was finally awoken by the frigid air of an empty tent once filled with six anxious riders. I let out a grunt of confusion and frustration at the ungodly hour everyone was awaken. Nervous voices plagued the air, and still unable to fully open my sleepy eyes, I knew the longtime dreaded morning had finally come: today we were to climb Legett Hill. For those unaware of the legend of LegGett, please be informed that this was claimed to be “the longest, most steepest, and most brutal hill man had ever cycled, aka death mountain.” This monstrosity was to separate those who would make it to Tijuana and those who would be left on the side of the road. As you can imagine, looks of excitement were plastered on everyone’s faces.

The generous rations of a whole banana per rider and ice cream flavored skittles given out at breakfast encouraged a more optimistic mood amongst the group. After much anticipation, we felt ready to meet our fate face to face. Our tires hit the concrete and we were off. Tentative peddling towards LEGGETT HILL seemed endless; when was this incline going to begin?! Road signs warning us of switchbacks and steep inclines reinforced our feelings of pending doom. Silence fell upon the pod I rode with and acceptance of our fate was calmly expressed by quick glances silently muttering, “it was nice knowing you.”

A small incline of a half an hour felt like a tease of the monstrosity we were about to experience. The encouraging notes carved in chalk by riders ahead of us seemed to mock our beliefs that we could make it up this legend. However, once we began to fly down the narrow switchbacks back into the cool northern Californian fog, there were questions of the validity of this myth… Could that have been it? Did I just hold a conversation up the entirety of LEGGETT HILL?? I shook my head in disbelief, was this all a hoax? or have we become cycling machines, able to attack Legett with ease?

Our questions were answered when the chalk on the pavement suggested a congratulatory dance party at the bottom of the epic downhill. However, my stubborn skepticism kept me suspicious of our “achievement.” But when I took the last pedal up the crest of the incline only to be welcomed by a row of 5 bare white cyclist butts, my doubts were erased; I lifted my fist with pride and let out a burst of laughter. We had completed the LEGEND OF LEGGETT and had not even realized it.

Emilie Whittemore – 2008 rider

(*note -the 2007 ride team is impressed by the ease with which the ‘08 team took on Leggett Hill…perhaps a hill climbing duel is in order on their return!)

Hello hello to all the loyal readers of Riding to Break the Cycle 2008!

We know the blog has been a bit quiet lately, and honestly its just a combination of a looot of camping lately (no internet), and the rigours of daily riding and group activities not leaving a lot of extra time. Will be doing our best to keep as up to date as possible, and definitely appreciate all of the support!!

We thought we’d share a bit of the experience today, check out a run down of the typical ride day morning from the perspective of Alain, one of this amazing rider team…

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So what does a typical morning look like?

Whether I awake on a camp site at a State Park, a Methodist Church or a Community Youth Centre, I’ve got the same routine. Roll up my Thermorest sleeping pad, my MEC +10C sleeping bag, and my newly purchased travel pillow and pack them away into a big REI duffel bag donated by my friend Phil in Seattle. Then I’m off to check on my bike, adding lube to my chain and wiping the extra off, checking the brake pads, pumping up the tires. I haven’t had a flat yet – which I attribute to keeping the pressure up in my tire tubes (slightly over 100 psi) and checking my tires for embedded foreign objects like glass or rocks. And finally I change into my bike clothing for the day, eat breakfast (usually cereal or oatmeal along with bananas and bagels), wash my dishes, and load my pack into the trailer.

Then we have a Route meeting, where ride leaders Emma and Jess distribute route maps for the day, and explain the itinerary we are taking, where the support van will stop for lunch, what alternative scenic routes we can take, and where we will be staying overnight that day. The directions have mileage counts on them so that we can keep track of when we’ll need to turn approximately – which makes me glad I purchased my CatEye cycle computer.

Once the meeting’s done, we stock up on snacks and fill up our water bottles or hydration packs. Then we organize ourselves in pods – small riding groups – and we’re off on the road.

Alain Wong – 2008 rider

We’ve covered over 600 miles, about 1000 km now, and I’m still alive. The Oregon coast has been good to us.

So what does a typical morning look like?

Whether I awake on a camp site at a State Park, a Methodist Church or a Community Youth Centre, I’ve got the same routine. Roll up my Thermorest sleeping pad, my MEC +10C sleeping bag, and my newly purchased travel pillow and pack them away into a big REI duffel bag donated by my friend Phil in Seattle. Then I’m off to check on my bike, adding lube to my chain and wiping the extra off, checking the brake pads, pumping up the tires. I haven’t had a flat yet – which I attribute to keeping the pressure up in my tire tubes (slightly over 100 psi) and checking my tires for embedded foreign objects like glass or rocks. And finally I change into my bike clothing for the day, eat breakfast (usually cereal or oatmeal along with bananas and bagels), wash my dishes, and load my pack into the trailer.

Then we have a Route meeting, where ride leaders Emma and Jess distribute route maps for the day, and explain the itinerary we are taking, where the support van will stop for lunch, what alternative scenic routes we can take, and where we will be staying overnight that day. The directions have mileage counts on them so that we can keep track of when we’ll need to turn approximately – which makes me glad I purchased my CatEye cycle computer.

Once the meeting’s done, we stock up on snacks and fill up our water bottles or hydration packs. Then we organize ourselves in pods – small riding groups – and we’re off on the road.

Written by Alain Wong – 2008 rider