2011 KCC ride - Ending the season the same way it started...

...cold, wet, and waiting for the Washington State Ferry.

Take the following parts:
- The beating rain from Chilly Hilly
- The constant wind from Skagit Valley Tulip Ride
- The rolling hills of RSVP Day 1
- The poorly marked and supported route of Flying Wheels

...Add in a Ferry ride and mix them all together and you get this year's Kitsap Color Classic!! YAY!!!

Did I know it was going to be foul weathered for the KCC? ...Yes
Did I remember how miserable I was at the end of Chilly Hilly? ...Yes

I didn't care though.

Between the mechanical issues, the weather issues, heck even the planning and logistics issues that I faced this season (for those that dont know, RSVP almost didnt happen for me), I could not have wished for a better opportunity to face my own fears of riding through crap weather and get back to a state of mind where I could anything.

It wasnt fun, and at points very miserable. But it was also a new place that I had never been before. I was back to exploring new locations with my bike. At the end of the ride I felt much better than I did at the end of Chilly Hilly. I was still wet, cold and waiting for the Ferry to arrive, but I felt that sense of accomplishment.. not just survival. Call it closure, if you will.

And with that, I bid everyone farewell for the cycling season. It's time to hang up my road bike, put some fenders on my hybrid and buy some winter riding gear. Yup... I'm talking about fall and winter weather riding.

I've got a big goal for next year, my biggest goal yet... and nothing is going to stop me!

-CLOS

worst luck... EVER!!

Alright seriously… I’ve ridden my bike to work a whopping 3 times this season. I blame the weather and my overall laziness because there is one big ass hill right before I turn into my building. For you TMO folks, I’m over at the Sunset North campus and on the other side of I-90… but that’s not the point of this rant.

The first time I had no issues coming in and took the big hill pretty well. Little did I know that I had a slow leak in my front tire and as the day went on it got completely flat. Thankfully it was just a puncture and a patch kit was able to fix it up.

The second time I rode in to work, the valve stem on my rear tube blew out. Never seen this happen, but it pretty much meant an instant flat for me. Oh and forget trying to use a patch kit here, there was no way I could even pump up the tube. Thankfully I had a spare tube with me.

Yesterday was my third time and just like the first time, I got in with no problems. The hill was a little bit harder this time because I was carrying a back pack full with clothes and my laptop, but I made it in with no problems and I was thinking the curse was broken. I was completely wrong… my luck had not changed at all. In fact it got worse. I would have been lucky if a flat tire was all I had to deal with... but instead one of the effin spokes on my back wheel decides to break off like one of those Kit Kat bars in those annoying commercials.

Between the issues commuting to work, and the mechanical issues I’ve had on our team rides, my bike has not made this season an easy one. I just hope that I’m getting all of the possible issues out of the way before our big ride.

Hillary has fallen!

Since Hillary and Leo have yet to fall on a ride, this momentous event needed to be documented. Hilary has taken her first plunge into the pavement. I know that she is trying to catch up to my falls lol. 

More from Flying Wheels 2011...

They say that if you can do 45 miles of Flying Wheels you can do 200 of STP...

The first time I ever heard that was 2 years ago when I first started cycling and it was very hard for me to understand the math behind that statement. That is until I actualy saw (and experienced!) what Flying Wheels actually is... living hell!

Its called Flying Wheels because by the time you get to the mid point of the last hill you're flying off the handle cursing the day you payed $30 to participate in this event. Chances are you might even throw your bike off a cliff in frustration, at which point you'd have quote, unquote 'Flying Wheels'.

Well 45 miles is not enough for this team. We tackled the 65 miler (which the event coordinators list as a 70 mile ride)!!!
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It was a very hard and challenging ride, but thankfully we did not have any mechanical issues as a team and the weather was very much on our side.

Here are some more pics to supplement Leo's post. Hope y'all enjoy the pics, and if you're ever in the mood to put yourself through self inflicted torture... feel free to bike the route we have posted below!

TEAMobile... UNITE!!


Hey Leo... what's your all time favorite number?


The newest addition to our stable of road machines... Hill's bad mamajama Tomaso!!


... and a few more of our rides.



The TEAMobile 'flyers' in action:





And finally the two pitctures that sum it all up... Mike 'Before and After' Flying Wheels.

Flying Wheels 2011

First of all I want to congratulate everyone for a ride well done! I was so traumatized after this ride last year that I was unbelievably nervous heading into it. For those first timers that only had our horror stories to go off of, kudos to you guys for sticking through it!

Here's the link for those of you that want to view the summary of the hellacious ride we did this past Saturday! http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/37215918

Our two newest members... JR and Nicole!

Gearin' up for the ride... our first FULL team photo!

"What do you mean we've only gone 10 miles???"

What happened to your other helmet Hillary????

Which way do we go Carlos??

Hillary gettin' in a good stretch before we're back on the road!

You're supposed to ride the bike!!!

West side of the I-90 Bridge

"My legs are cramping, my legs are cramping!"

Jocelyn's new friend... Mya

Thank God for good people in this world!

Spoiled ass cops on Mercer Island...

Memorial Day Ride

Here's the link to Map My Ride if you want to check out the stats of our ride today.

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/35905666

Enjoy!!