The Utah Randonneur

Forest Grove Oregon was the start location for this ride which is one of the most popular events on the Oregon Randonneurs schedule. 50 or so riders started in Forest Grove and headed over the coast range towards Tillamook on the coast. From there the route turned south and followed the coast south and past Cape Mears, Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda which together give the route its name.

The forecast was for partly cloudy but fair weather with temps expected to be in the upper 50’s on the coast. In Oregon however you have to use the weather translator when you hear a forecast. A 30% chance of rain means it will rain on you 30 % of the time! After all, it’s more like low clouds, not really rain.

For desert rats, bicycling on the coast is an invigorating change. I had ridden some of this route before on different events and was expecting a wonderful day on the bike. I was not going to be disappointed. Oregon scenery can be spectacular and this route is no exception.

I finished the ride just after dark in 15 hours and 2 min in spite of some minor mechanical issues. Thanks ORR for another great ride!

Here is a link to the route:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Three-Capes-300km-Brevet

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Robert Owen, sporting his mid-80’s L’Eroica finisher Bianchi!

This season in southern Utah we have a trimmed down schedule of brevets but there are still a couple of events that are among the most amazing rides out there! Anytime you can do a brevet in or near one of Utah’s beautiful national parks you should jump on board!

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Riding the road is great but to keep you skills sharp you need to broaden your cycling experiences. Riding the MTB in Utah is perfect for that! Here are a few pics from my ride yesterday on a fun local loop, the Goulds Rim – JEM Trail – Hurricane Rim combo. It is a 21.5 mile mostly singletrack loop with lots of climbing. The pictures prove it was a perfect day to ride!

Climbing out of Hurricane on the Goulds Rim

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