World Naked Bike Ride PDX 2012 part 4
Jun. 17th, 2012 02:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kengr(don't bother looking for posts about part 2 or part 3, as I didn't participate in those rides)
Last night was the big nighttime Naked Bike Ride. There were supposed to let folks into the assembly area (same one they used n 2010) at 9pm.
I was dragging Fay along for "immoral support" (maybe some day I'll get her to ride in one of the rides. After all, it's not like you *have* to be naked.
So we grabbed the 71 a bit before 7pm, and got off at Division to catch the 4 down to quite close to the site. We got off at Martin Luther King Blvd, because there was a Burger King there and I was buying Fay dinner as a bribe.
It may shock some of you, but I had a smaller burger. Fay had some Chicken sandwich thing.
We sat and talked while working on our drinks for a while and I finally figured we could make the six blocks to the assembly area close enough to 9.
I'd twisted my knee a little going from the bus to the Burger King (no, I have no idea how). Anyway, it was bugging me, so I hopped on the bike in lowest gear and sort of half pedaled half coasted with lots of stops for Fay to catch up.
We got to the site (after one false turn because I thought we were on Salmon, but we were actually a block short) about 10 to 9. But it was already open with folks going in. And lots of folks already partially or completely stripped down.
One of the reason for Fay being along was that she has a video camera. So I got us off to one side where she could video me without getting other folks in the shot accidentally. Mind you, while there's an official "no photos" policy, it generally gets ignored to the extent of the actuality being "ask the folks in the foreground of the shot.
I stripped down and started rigging my bike for the ride. I normally carry a lot of stuff in this beat up old green shoulder bag (I think it was originally intended for fishermen or something). But since I planned to put some lights on the back part of the chest band for the heart rate monitor, I used some elastic cargo web to fasten oit securely to the rack in the back of my bike.
My clothes went into one of the pouches on the top of the panniers.
I then stuck various blinky light things on the cargo web. Red ones on the left (port) side, a green one on the right, and a big orange one on the back. I also had an orange one in the middle of my back.
I'd intended to fasten this white strobe light (I think it's intended as a rescue beacon for boaters who fall overboard) to the top of my helmet. But I forgot the duct tape. So I stuck it in the bag with the strobe part sticking up. (I also clipped the lanyard on it to a D-ring on the bag, so even if it bounded out, I wouldn't lose it.
Just before the ride, I decided that the green blinky light thing was looking a bit weak, so I took the orange one off my back and put it next to the green one. Much to my surprise, the green one *did* last through the ride.
We were close to a awning where they were giving out free bottles of Vitamin Water. Fay got one, I declined. I later relented and got one of the Zero (no carbs) ones, because I realized that it'd be hell getting my second water bottle out of the bag under the webbing. I stuck it in the top pouch of the other pannier.
This turned out to be a good thing, because in one of the slow spots on the ride, I'd been doing a lot of pushing the bike along by toeing the pavement with my left foot and it was giving me that "I'm going to cramp up soon" sensation. I grabbed the Vitamin Water and took a couple of swigs. I think the potassium helped. Had to repeat it a couple other times, but I did make it thru the ride and all the way home.
The outfits (including body paint and various "attachments") were interesting.
Near where Fay and I were waiting for the ride to start were a couple of young ladies in body suits that had sewn on cock & balls (stuffed cloth, very floppy and ridiculously oversized). That was probably the oddest, but then again maybe not.
As I exited the assembly area, Fay and I parted company. She was going to head over to Burnside to catch the 12 bus home (well, most of the way home, anyway)
Routing info below courtesy of my GPS's tracking function.
The assembly point was at SE Salmon & Water. Actually an empty lot bounded by Salmon, Taylor, Water & an I5 onramp.
We started about 10:13. The route was south on Water until we could take Hawthorne (actually a ramp) onto the Hawthorne bridge.
We were moving at a slow walk until the ramp. I had to downshift a lot for the ramp, but otherwise made it ok.
I feared for my tires on the bridge because it's that metal grating stuff. But they were fine.
We took the ramp to SW Main at the end of the bridge, It was up Main, past that fountain and right onto 4th Ave.
That's where we started to get crowds of onlookers.
We zipped along 4th to Burnside, where there was the first "traffic jam right after the corner. Only lasted about a block, and was more of a major slowdown.
We went over the Burnside bridge and I didn't have much trouble until around 9th or 10th. I had to get off and walk up to 12th. Got a few comments from the crowd, But they were encouraging.
We kept on Burnside until 14th, where we turned north for a block to get on to Sandy. We went up Sandy pretty fast. I was keeping up fine but breathing a bit hard. I think that's where one guy rode alongside and asked me how I was doing. I told him that in spite of the breathing I was doing ok. Which is true.
I'm odd that way. Once I get going, even if it's a bit of a struggle, I can keep going pretty well in spit of the effort involved. I think my heart rate was only around 150 then, so I wasn't actually doing that bad.
We slowed a bit as we turned right onto 28th. That was clear sailing until Couch. For some reason we had a traffic jam of bikes between Couch and Ankeny.
We continued down 28th to Stark, and wonder of wonders, there *wasn't* a jam up at the turn.
But just as during the 2010 ride, there *was* a major jam when we turned from Stark to 33rd. Started a block before, and lasted until a block after. With slower going for two more blocks.
It was only one more block until a left turn onto Belmont. With no slowing down at the turn.
Fast run down Belmont to Cesar Chavez Blvd (39th to you old-timers) and around the right turn onto the boulevard.
Another right onto Hawthorne without slowing and on down to 12th, where you have to make a one block jog (at speed) to Madison because Hawthorne is one way).
At 7th, it was a right turn (again, with no jam ups) and a couple blocks to a left onto Salmon.
Once on Salmon, it was a straight shot back to the starting point. But things bunched up again.
It was *really* bad by 2nd, and I gave up about 100 feet from the railroad tracks between 2nd and Water.
To give you an idea, I crossed second at 23:22. I was halfway down the block at 23:23, And I gave up about 15-20 feet from the tracks at 23:39.
The track log shows 7.3 miles, so I guess that the ride, if I'd gotten back to the start point would have been 7.5 miles.
Now for the trip home.
Last nighttime ride, I'd seen folks heading home without bothering to get dressed. And comments in online accounts of other years implied that it wasn't uncommon.
So, I decided to do it myself. After all the worst that would happen if I ran into a cop was that I'd get told to put my shorts on. And given what was going on, that wasn't all that likely.
I did about half of the ride home on side streets, A lot of that was trying to avoid some horrible slops. I still ran into some and had to walk for several blocks a couple times.
Other than sweating like all get out, I made it home with no problems.
I didn't check exactly when I got home, but I'd unloaded the bike and relaxed a bit before texting Fay to let her know I'd gotten home at 12:56.
And yes, that rather shocked me when I started breaking down the track info. Because that means I made it home in well under 20 minutes. That's a bit over 4 miles as the crow flies. A lot longer as the bike crawls.
So, last night was fun, if tiring. The crowd comments were mostly positive. There was an "Oh my god" that may have been about me or may have not. A number of definite positive comments. And at one point two different guys made "whale" comments. I just flipped them the bird as I rode by.
I do seem to ride better/harder in a group. And the latter part of the ride, as well as my ride home seems to prove my suspicion that once I get going, I can keep going fairly hard. It's not always easy or "pleasant" but I can do it.
I checked my heart rate a lot during the ride and the ride home. I hit 167 a couple of time, and was in the 140s and 150s a lot. I was definitely exerting myself a lot, but it was merely uncomfortable.
I definitely need to try to ride every day or at least several times a week. As I get into better shape, I should be able to do stuff with a bit less effort. And hopefully, lose weight. I'll almost certainly improve my recovery time. As it is, after rides like these, it takes an hour or more for my heart rate to get close to normal.
Last night was the big nighttime Naked Bike Ride. There were supposed to let folks into the assembly area (same one they used n 2010) at 9pm.
I was dragging Fay along for "immoral support" (maybe some day I'll get her to ride in one of the rides. After all, it's not like you *have* to be naked.
So we grabbed the 71 a bit before 7pm, and got off at Division to catch the 4 down to quite close to the site. We got off at Martin Luther King Blvd, because there was a Burger King there and I was buying Fay dinner as a bribe.
It may shock some of you, but I had a smaller burger. Fay had some Chicken sandwich thing.
We sat and talked while working on our drinks for a while and I finally figured we could make the six blocks to the assembly area close enough to 9.
I'd twisted my knee a little going from the bus to the Burger King (no, I have no idea how). Anyway, it was bugging me, so I hopped on the bike in lowest gear and sort of half pedaled half coasted with lots of stops for Fay to catch up.
We got to the site (after one false turn because I thought we were on Salmon, but we were actually a block short) about 10 to 9. But it was already open with folks going in. And lots of folks already partially or completely stripped down.
One of the reason for Fay being along was that she has a video camera. So I got us off to one side where she could video me without getting other folks in the shot accidentally. Mind you, while there's an official "no photos" policy, it generally gets ignored to the extent of the actuality being "ask the folks in the foreground of the shot.
I stripped down and started rigging my bike for the ride. I normally carry a lot of stuff in this beat up old green shoulder bag (I think it was originally intended for fishermen or something). But since I planned to put some lights on the back part of the chest band for the heart rate monitor, I used some elastic cargo web to fasten oit securely to the rack in the back of my bike.
My clothes went into one of the pouches on the top of the panniers.
I then stuck various blinky light things on the cargo web. Red ones on the left (port) side, a green one on the right, and a big orange one on the back. I also had an orange one in the middle of my back.
I'd intended to fasten this white strobe light (I think it's intended as a rescue beacon for boaters who fall overboard) to the top of my helmet. But I forgot the duct tape. So I stuck it in the bag with the strobe part sticking up. (I also clipped the lanyard on it to a D-ring on the bag, so even if it bounded out, I wouldn't lose it.
Just before the ride, I decided that the green blinky light thing was looking a bit weak, so I took the orange one off my back and put it next to the green one. Much to my surprise, the green one *did* last through the ride.
We were close to a awning where they were giving out free bottles of Vitamin Water. Fay got one, I declined. I later relented and got one of the Zero (no carbs) ones, because I realized that it'd be hell getting my second water bottle out of the bag under the webbing. I stuck it in the top pouch of the other pannier.
This turned out to be a good thing, because in one of the slow spots on the ride, I'd been doing a lot of pushing the bike along by toeing the pavement with my left foot and it was giving me that "I'm going to cramp up soon" sensation. I grabbed the Vitamin Water and took a couple of swigs. I think the potassium helped. Had to repeat it a couple other times, but I did make it thru the ride and all the way home.
The outfits (including body paint and various "attachments") were interesting.
Near where Fay and I were waiting for the ride to start were a couple of young ladies in body suits that had sewn on cock & balls (stuffed cloth, very floppy and ridiculously oversized). That was probably the oddest, but then again maybe not.
As I exited the assembly area, Fay and I parted company. She was going to head over to Burnside to catch the 12 bus home (well, most of the way home, anyway)
Routing info below courtesy of my GPS's tracking function.
The assembly point was at SE Salmon & Water. Actually an empty lot bounded by Salmon, Taylor, Water & an I5 onramp.
We started about 10:13. The route was south on Water until we could take Hawthorne (actually a ramp) onto the Hawthorne bridge.
We were moving at a slow walk until the ramp. I had to downshift a lot for the ramp, but otherwise made it ok.
I feared for my tires on the bridge because it's that metal grating stuff. But they were fine.
We took the ramp to SW Main at the end of the bridge, It was up Main, past that fountain and right onto 4th Ave.
That's where we started to get crowds of onlookers.
We zipped along 4th to Burnside, where there was the first "traffic jam right after the corner. Only lasted about a block, and was more of a major slowdown.
We went over the Burnside bridge and I didn't have much trouble until around 9th or 10th. I had to get off and walk up to 12th. Got a few comments from the crowd, But they were encouraging.
We kept on Burnside until 14th, where we turned north for a block to get on to Sandy. We went up Sandy pretty fast. I was keeping up fine but breathing a bit hard. I think that's where one guy rode alongside and asked me how I was doing. I told him that in spite of the breathing I was doing ok. Which is true.
I'm odd that way. Once I get going, even if it's a bit of a struggle, I can keep going pretty well in spit of the effort involved. I think my heart rate was only around 150 then, so I wasn't actually doing that bad.
We slowed a bit as we turned right onto 28th. That was clear sailing until Couch. For some reason we had a traffic jam of bikes between Couch and Ankeny.
We continued down 28th to Stark, and wonder of wonders, there *wasn't* a jam up at the turn.
But just as during the 2010 ride, there *was* a major jam when we turned from Stark to 33rd. Started a block before, and lasted until a block after. With slower going for two more blocks.
It was only one more block until a left turn onto Belmont. With no slowing down at the turn.
Fast run down Belmont to Cesar Chavez Blvd (39th to you old-timers) and around the right turn onto the boulevard.
Another right onto Hawthorne without slowing and on down to 12th, where you have to make a one block jog (at speed) to Madison because Hawthorne is one way).
At 7th, it was a right turn (again, with no jam ups) and a couple blocks to a left onto Salmon.
Once on Salmon, it was a straight shot back to the starting point. But things bunched up again.
It was *really* bad by 2nd, and I gave up about 100 feet from the railroad tracks between 2nd and Water.
To give you an idea, I crossed second at 23:22. I was halfway down the block at 23:23, And I gave up about 15-20 feet from the tracks at 23:39.
The track log shows 7.3 miles, so I guess that the ride, if I'd gotten back to the start point would have been 7.5 miles.
Now for the trip home.
Last nighttime ride, I'd seen folks heading home without bothering to get dressed. And comments in online accounts of other years implied that it wasn't uncommon.
So, I decided to do it myself. After all the worst that would happen if I ran into a cop was that I'd get told to put my shorts on. And given what was going on, that wasn't all that likely.
I did about half of the ride home on side streets, A lot of that was trying to avoid some horrible slops. I still ran into some and had to walk for several blocks a couple times.
Other than sweating like all get out, I made it home with no problems.
I didn't check exactly when I got home, but I'd unloaded the bike and relaxed a bit before texting Fay to let her know I'd gotten home at 12:56.
And yes, that rather shocked me when I started breaking down the track info. Because that means I made it home in well under 20 minutes. That's a bit over 4 miles as the crow flies. A lot longer as the bike crawls.
So, last night was fun, if tiring. The crowd comments were mostly positive. There was an "Oh my god" that may have been about me or may have not. A number of definite positive comments. And at one point two different guys made "whale" comments. I just flipped them the bird as I rode by.
I do seem to ride better/harder in a group. And the latter part of the ride, as well as my ride home seems to prove my suspicion that once I get going, I can keep going fairly hard. It's not always easy or "pleasant" but I can do it.
I checked my heart rate a lot during the ride and the ride home. I hit 167 a couple of time, and was in the 140s and 150s a lot. I was definitely exerting myself a lot, but it was merely uncomfortable.
I definitely need to try to ride every day or at least several times a week. As I get into better shape, I should be able to do stuff with a bit less effort. And hopefully, lose weight. I'll almost certainly improve my recovery time. As it is, after rides like these, it takes an hour or more for my heart rate to get close to normal.
no subject
Date: 2012-06-17 10:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-17 10:40 pm (UTC)