Yes! Another Oregon Scenic Bikeway! Paraphrased from the official announcement.
"The Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission formally approved the designation of the Sherar's Falls Scenic Bikeway during its June 14 meeting in Salem. This 33-mile loop winds along the Deschutes River en route to the Bikeway's namesake. This ride is best enjoyed in spring and fall, as well as some mild winter days. In springtime, wildflowers dot the hillsides, including lupine bearing purple sprays and arrowleaf balsamroot with its pops of yellow. Come winter, Central Oregon can be a dry, temperate reprieve while the rest of the state shelters from rain."
GPS, route, elevation, etc:
https://ridewithgps.com/ambassador_routes/1214-sherar-s-falls-scenic-bikeway
http://rideoregonride.com/road-routes/sherars-falls-scenic-bikeway/
Thanks to the 65 people that braved the wet weather to come to the KickOff meeting. I hope everyone had as good a time as I did! For those that were not able to make it, and to those that want to see the presentation again - here it is:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KRonCM3GRHnbg0zxvTMiMCzUfPQNuLfNs18D9C9jAvQ/edit?usp=sharing
Below is a link to a PDF containing a wonderful recollection of a ride taken this last Fall, complete with photos. Board member Kevin Briggs, and member Bennett Groeneveld are the primary writers. The terrain is gravel and road. The location the Oregon Blue Mountains.
2016-09-16-OldWestBlueMountains.pdf
This is the second installment of a multi-part blog that discusses off-season (and on-season) activities.
Now we are into the heart of the Holiday season; post-Thanksgiving and pre-Christmas. This is a minefield for me; I have the opportunity of gaining more weight than I ever want to lose! Cookies, stuffing, you name it – it’s all out there! My only defense is mindfulness. Wish me luck.
Hopefully you had an opportunity to purchase the Bike for Life book I recommended in part 1. A few people have, and the feedback is very positive.
This installment, I’d like to discuss an area in which many cyclists, including myself, really fail. Stretching. I saw a lot of eyes roll when they read that word. Yes, you know; no, you don’t want to. While cycling is a great aerobic sport, it puts you in a physical position, where your upper body remains relatively static. We have all gotten off our bikes and were unable to stand up straight. We need to stretch to return some of that lost flexibility. I personally have found that stretching has improved my endurance and made me a faster rider.
I have found that simple yoga can help a lot. Let me suggest a way to stretch effectively without having to go to yoga class and humiliate yourself! YouTube. I have watched many videos, and I have found yoga instructor, Sandy LeBlanc, to be especially kind and detail-oriented. She has two yoga videos specifically for cyclists.
The 10 Minute video is for after a ride. All the positions are done standing up, so you don’t need to sit on the gravel road next to your car! The second video – Deep Hip Opening is my favorite. It helps stretch out tight hips, which is the cause of many lower back issues.
You can watch these on your phone, PC, or smart TV. I have downloaded them to my tablet to take with me when I travel. I watch and mimic them with my wife, who is very yoga-accomplished and she likes them too. Try to do each one, once a week, even if you are not currently riding. This could be the most valuable new cycling activity you do.
Best of luck and have a happy holiday season!
This is the first part in a multi-part set of blogs that are about what we should be doing in the off-season (and on-season) besides biking. Full disclosure – I am not a PT, MD, or even a trainer. My research includes trial & error, listening to learned people, reading books and wishing.
It’s the bike off-season here in Central Oregon. Does that mean we should put up our biking shoes and eat bon-bons? Definitely not! Since I am close to the median age of a COWs member, I will be speaking to you, yes you, in the chair with your feet up eating bon-bons.
Biking is great! However, it has more than a few glitches for the healthy person, like the singular hunched position we use. But I don’t want to list the issues, I’ll let someone else do that and let them suggest methods for not making us look like Quasimodo. My first recommendation is to buy and read the book, Bike for Life: How to Ride to 100--and Beyond, revised edition Paperback – March 10, 2015 by Roy M. Wallack.
Roy Wallack speaks to me. He provides direct suggestions and uses interviews of people in the cycling world that I respect to motivate me. It’s a good book, easy to read, and goes well with bon-bons. It might make the perfect holiday gift.
In general what I have found is that if multiple people have recommended the same thing, and I don’t want to do that thing, that it is probably the most important thing for me to do!
I’ll keep the first blog short. If you have books or articles on this topic you would recommend, please comment below. (Only logged-in members have the ability to comment, but anyone can read these posts). Remember bike season starts sooner that you think!
Central Oregon Wheelers is a 501(c)7 non-profit organization.
