Photos are being posted here

Update by Erik: Erik’s photos are here

As a first time STPer, I have to say what an amazing experience! I remember biking down 45th ave on my way to the starting point and being struck by just how many cars were stuck in traffic (almost of them with bicycles on their racks) at 5:45 in the morning on a Saturday trying to get to the UW parking lot. I remember during the starting waves seeing all the funky recumbent bikes, like the one where the guy had used PVC piping to build his own customized head rest, the young guy taking off ahead of me riding the Big Wheels tricycle, the father/son tandem cyclists, … just about the only thing I didn’t see were any unicyclists. Fast forward 200 miles later, I must have made a dozen new friends including the ones I met while staying overnight in Centralia, consumed probably more than 50 different food items (including a creamsicle!) and several gallons of electrolyte spiked water, and biked through more than a dozen counties. My favorite part of the whole trip (besides that massage I got at the end of the 1st day was crossing over the Lewis & Clark bridge with a few hundred other people, with all the cars waiting as we passed by, and seeing the “The State of Oregon Welcomes You” right at the top overlooking the Columbia river and then swooping down and around to continue the long march along the river. That alone was worth the price of admission.

Short story: We did really well. Kicked some serious bootie if I do say so myself. According to my bike computer, it was 203.79 miles according, but I’m pretty sure I read about 1% low (which also seems to be the problem with Greg’s bike computer), it’s supposed to be 204.5, plus I had a 1+ mile ride to the start. My average according to the bike computer was 15.6 for the whole thing, but a lot of the days were spent around 20mph in pace lines. My GPS lost signal for at least 4 miles in the trees on the trail between Yelm and Tenino. One bummer about GPS.
We did the ride in about 12 hours of ride time (about 16 hours of total time start to finish). My max speed was 36mph down one hill (I get nervous I’ll fall off) but I did get to 34.5 on my own power at the bottom of a hill (and zoomed passed Ruben who’s gearing isn’t as good in those situations)).

Here’s Lauren and Ruben’s pictuers (video to come). Here’s one of the “team” (minus Greg Barnes (CS grad) who had started early, stayed 20 miles further down the road than us, and finished around noon on the second day).

Left to right:
Ruben (Computer Science grad), Lauren (Computer Science grad), Megan (met through Paul), Erik, (Computer Science grad), Paul Franklin (Computer Science grad), Keith Golden ((Computer Science grad from the bay area, who just was in a bike accident < 4 weeks ago), Scott (someone Megan met at a kayaking course and roped in), Marc (Computer Science grad), Joanna (Rich’s wife, flew in from NY), Rich (Computer Science grad, flew in from NY), Naomi (through Lauren, from Team Danskin last year)

Here are some posted videos:

• Lauren and Keith biking
• On the approach to the Kelso bridge
• Going over the bridge
• The industrial section of Portland

It was fun. I think we’re a little “toasted” (from the sun) and my thighs are a little sore. But most importantly, no injuries (in our team, we saw 2 riders down, but concious, one getting put on a backboard, but who could move her legs) and no flats.

A bit of a placeholder to get updated later…
We did it! 2 days, 204 miles, 11 people from Seattle to Portland!
‘cuz I just couldn’t wait, here’s the GPS route: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.do?episodePk.pkValue=1062951
Lots of pictures and a video forthcoming!
Go Pastries!
Pastry Powered T(o)uring Machines 2006 STP Finishers Scott Naomi Erik Rich Joanna Ruben Megan Keith Paul Marc Lauren Greg
wOOt!