About in Bend, OR

Yesterday I rode from where I camped, out Surveyors to cut thru to Cooks meadow climbing to High Prairie down the east side, jumped on the road until cut thru to Surveyors. Windy van rocking gusts. Waited for increasing sun warmth. As it was garb was wool long underwear top, jersey, then wind shell, long finger gloves, baggie shorts, and knee socks. The trails are just so darn dry and consequently dusty. I do like gravity propelling me. The tree cover was wet side trees and dense. Mixed in was lodge pole pine which seems to negate the first tree cover. I left 15 mile creek on the table. I might have ridden it if I hadn’t decided to have the van serviced.

Catch this view from where I camp:

Tell me about the view from your living room.

I encountered 1 rider riding up and a group of perhaps 10. On a Beautiful riding weather Sunday early noon. It doesn’t get much better than this. OK, some past recently dried out rain would up the rating.

I packed up then headed SE to Bend. Several nights ago I sat looking at the calendar. An epiphany smacked me on the bald spot: winter is coming on. Places to ride up high and /  or north had better get planned on. Hence my drive to Bend for a visit. This Sat and Sun I ride in Bend’s Big Fat Tour (BBFT). I will do several rides this week to accustom myself to the trails. Too late to train myself for maybe 10 hours of riding so close to my Sat 62 mile route. Let the free beer pull me to the finish. Wait, I could cut to the chase and just be waiting for the party place to open.

Over the years I have spent the second longest days here. Bend has an advantage because I have known this town since 1982. Relearning how to get around. Last night I wandered until I found 10 Barrels for dinner and a pint of their beer. Lots of customers. Well after dark I drove out past Phils to the place I have stayed. Just inside forest service land on the edge of a partial cut and gravel banks. No water in the sinks for the motor crowd to spin around in. Just dust and cast in tracks from when it was last wet enough.

30 degrees when I awoke @ 7:00. Today I decided to make a rest day and run down errands and shopping. I stopped first @ Hutch’s because it is across the street from the bakery where I ate a sticky bun and read the paper. At Hutch’s I asked about shoes. I learned that pearl izumi makes a foot bed that is like the Specialized designed foot bed. I drove to local PI store and bought the foot beds. I returned to Hutch’s and made a fitting appointment for tomorrow.

A section front page in the paper printed an article about bicycle helmets, a local shop was mentioned. I have 3 helmets, one fits the way it should and the other 2 miss the mark. I carried all 3 into the bike shop. A salesman shared knowledge: it’s all in the head shape. The Feature meets my noggin fit and cost the least. My green POC is the worst and the most expensive. It must be voted off the bus.

Verified locations of rec center for shower and Whole Foods (whole paycheck) where I shopped while rubbing elbows w/ a different group of people. Very healthy and tempting the food also. I bought house brands of fish oil and skin moisturizer.

I drove by a brew pub and spotted a happy hour, 2 hours long and it is calledHappy Hour ?. I stopped in for a pint of Monkey Face porter, I have their 6 pack artwork on my under the bed art collection.

Dinner was out @ camp spot. Forecast is for continuing dry and cooler temps. 6% humidity in Bend this evening.

My fridge is holding @ 40 instead of 35 degrees even after I defrosted it Sat. Time for service consultation. I found 3 shops on the web.

Tomorrow @ 9:30 I have foot bed fitting for my Pearl Izumi bike shoes. These have a soft foot forefront making them better hike -a- bike shoes than the fully rigid Specialized which have the foot bed correction for pronating while pedaling that makes the knee track vertically as it should. The rigidity of the Specialized makes for more efficient energy transfer. With the new foot beds I will have easier choices for riding shoe, a luxury. Then I will ride maybe 40 miles tomorrow.