RUSA Perm
#1302 (Portland-Ripplebrook-Portland) today, up into the Mt Hood National Forest. 201k with 1321 meters of climbing according to my GPS.
Nice that the new perm rules allow starting at any control. There's one just 6 miles from my house; better than 12 to the listed start/finish.
This is only my 2nd 200k on an upright bike, after ten years and 33,000 km of randonneuring on a recumbent. I've ridden this perm 4 times; twice on the bent, once on my vintage Windsor, and now once on my new Fog Cutter. I'm still working on bike fit; I'd say not ready for a 400k yet.
I had a tail/cross wind on the climb up to Ripplebrook, head/cross on the descent. A lot of the route was protected from the wind, fortunately. I probably let myself get dehydrated, maybe didn't manage my fueling so well. On the descent I stopped and collected some rushing snowmelt, and filtered it into my water bottles. First time I've done that; it worked great. I stopped for a lengthy 2nd breakfast, a quick lunch and filled my pockets with food at around 112 km, and got fluids around 185 km. I stopped a few other times to stretch out my back. Still managed 9:29 including an hour of stop time, which is the quickest I've done this perm and a decent result for me these days. 11 months ago I fractured my C3 on a bike crash, and I'm just starting to feel like I'm back.
2nd breakfast. I wasted 20 minutes, but it was tasty.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/GdS57L2qaoY7f6qG8
The turnaround at Ripplebrook. Nice that it's finally open during COVID. It's 26 miles from the next store, which means 52 miles without support when this was closed.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/igroosbEEmseasfw7
Short phone video just starting the descent. Beautiful up there.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jsyEdrGbuKFRkpJz8
I didn't get any pics of the sheer rock face along the road in some parts of the National Forest. The divots in the pavement and large rocks just off the road suggest one shouldn't hang around too long in those parts.
The typical start/finish - Voodoo donuts in Portland. For me this was about 165km from my start control.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/rWuhQQK5bjUrQFSJ9
My start/finish in Boring, OR, on the Springwater Trail. From here I backtrack 6 miles home.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/XJfRkvxu15xEvKUT9