Bringing the Mountain to Muhammad: Seattle Cogal
@Cyclops has taken it upon himself to organize North America’s first official Cogal right in the backyard of where it all started: Seattle, Wa. @Scaler911 and @McSqueak have confirmed that they will be driving up from Portland, OR to attend and we hereby invite any and all Velominati to attend.
We’ll be doing a no-drop ride on Whidbey Island, following a route that is not terribly hilly and easily accommodates varying distances, though I myself will be planning on a 100k or more. We’ll leave the Coffeehouse Bookstore in Langley at V minutes past 10 to give everyone plenty of time to find their way up to the island and into Langley. Route details will be published in the posts below when it is confirmed. (I have to do some research as I’ve not done the ride in it’s entirety myself.) Hope to see you there.
UPDATE: The route has been posted on MapMyRide. It is a 160km ride with the option to cut section off for those who are getting tired.
UPDATE: Those who are interested are invited to dinner Friday Evening at Quinn’s Pub on Capital Hill in Seattle. Please arrive as close to 6:30 as possible; late-comers will not be guaranteed a seat at the table if the place is full.
Yours in Cycling,
Frank
—
Though there are two 2011 U.S. National Champions about 30 minutes down the interstate from me – southeast Idaho isn’t exactly a road bike Mecca. And I wear the V-Shirt whenever I’m traveling in the area to races (whether to participate or spectate) but I’ve only had one person recognize the Sign of the “V”. So the chances of running into or riding with a fellow Velominati are pretty slim. Let alone the demented brainchild of all this nonsense – Darth Strack. What’s a boy to do? Take the bull by the horns and make it happen my own self, that’s what. I figure that anywhere that I can drive to in a day is not too far to go for a ride so I’m off to Seattle to see whether this “Frank” character is indeed worthy to be praised or if he’s just some guy behind a curtain pulling levers and turning dials.
The plan is for a meet and greet (and eat and drink) Friday night Oct. 14 and a ride on Saturday the 15th. A few blokes from Portland way are planning on coming up as well so it looks like it is going to turn into a little Gran Fronkdo. Anyone that can make it is invited. We haven’t sorted out the details of the route or meeting place or time or anything important like that but we should have all that set in cobbles by early this week, so stay tuned.
@frank
I welcome ALL the management pearls that you can throw our way. This is my first foray into planning a ride like this so please, manage all you want!
Would love an AAR, as we say in the military (after action report), on your trip planning and execution.
@scaler911
I live in Houston but had a friend in Portland years ago that turned me on to the Edgefield. I think I’ve stayed there 4 times over the years. One of my all time favorite places.
@Jeff in PetroMetro @BuckRogers
Texas Cogal Sunday December 4th in Austin. Will put it on the calendar.
Hmm. Haven’t been in TX since I lifted a LOOK out from under JiPM some months ago. Will have to see what early December holds…
@Buck Rogers
Trip report being organized now.
@Cyclops
Well, you neutralized it be putting it in reverse on the way back going up the hill you originally attacked going down. I didn’t realize it was possible to have one person display such a wide range of speeds on one day in one location.
@mcsqueak
Don’t convert! It’s much easier to go cold turkey. Switch your meter and don’t worry about how far or cold it is in the Imperial system.
I don’t know (or care) how far 140km is in miles or how cold 18ºC is in F. But I know that 140 is a longish weekend ride and I should have knee warmers or tights if it gets much colder than 18º (windproof ones under 10º).
Another benefit is that you can give an honest blank stare if someone starts talking about riding at an average of 27 miles per hour.
@frank
Ha! Almost all of his starchy potato-power had run out by then.
@G’rilla
Yeah, I keep meaning to do that, in order to finally get a native sense of what those speeds and distances feel like without conversion. The reason I didn’t hand the 500 over to you that day was that I was afraid we’d lose the ride data if we monkeyed around with the settings too much in the middle of a logged session.
@frank
Frank, I had a great time, even though I was off the back from the gun, and for the reasons I added to my AAR. (Read: I’m an old fat fuck….) But one thing that could add to managing expectation is to break up a 160km ride a bit. When me and my VMH do centuries, we go from rest stop to rest stop to fuel up. If you broke up the 160km route into 4-5 segments with meet-up places, it would make for automatic regrouping. Sure, the faster riders get there first and lounge about a bit, and the lantern rouge has to expedite the stop, but then all can have a rolling expectation. Then riders like me can noodle a bit more without saying on every hill “oh what has that Merckx-Damn Dutchman talked me in to?”
@frank @all,
McSqueek and I have (just barely at all), talking about a Portland cogal. Good advice I must say. I have a route in mind, but any lessons learned will be helpful. You Texans will have to let us know how it works out.
Still bummed about Seattle.
@Steampunk
I hope you show up. It could be anywhere from 0C to 24C that weekend. Who knows? Might be worth a plane ticket to find out!
@Jeff in PetroMetro
I can fly out of Buffalo for $250. Delta charges for bikes, though, right?
Hmmmm. I’m cog-itating. What size bike do you ride?
@Steampunk
It would help if I hit the reply button. So. Trying again. What size bike?
@Jeff in PetroMetro
I ride a 56, but I suspect I’d be equally comfortable on something a bit smaller””54, 55″”depending on the set up. Still have to make sure the dates even work at this end…
Okay, last time…
HELP US – we need your metres….
http://app.strava.com/komchallenge/club/velominati-1086/results/october
@Steampunk
My new (old) Merckx should be here by then so I will have two Merckx’s sitting around, both 56cm. I would be willing, for someone like you, to loan one out for the ride, esp if you come all the way down here just for the Cogal!
I’m secretly hoping that @Steampunk decides to drive, needs a nature break in NYC, where I hop in the glove compartment. Then we stack your two Merckseses one atop the other and off we ride into a Texas sandstorm.
Stranger things have happened. Mostly on the internet.
@Buck Rogers @Jeff in PetroMetro
Thanks, both. Rule #11 moment: just remembered that Mrs. Steampunk’s birthday is that weekend, so this won’t fly. Do I fall afoul of Rule #11 for backing out on these grounds, or do I get Rule #11 points for spending a decent amount of time in checking into flights and accommodation before realizing there were Rule #11 considerations involved?
@xyxax
Steampunk’s sense of direction is such that””even if he were foolish enough to drive to Texas””going through NYC wouldn’t likely be on the cards (you would, of course, be very welcome to the passenger seat). Having said that, if you could get yourself to Buffalo in March, I am seriously contemplating driving to Madison so that I can bring the bike along (and maybe break up the trip with a ride). End of March.
Also not quite sure what I think of your tandem idea. On principle or in practice.
@xyxax
Yeah, but you’d have to find the hidden GPS chip that is on the bikes or I”d hunt you down and we’d have a real Texas showdown!
@Buck Rogers
No, no! Everyone together, cogal-like. I know better than to piss of a Special Forces eye surgeon.
Any surgeon for that matter.
@Jeff in PetroMetro @Buck Rogers
Thanks, both. Rule #11 moment: just remembered that Mrs. Steampunk’s birthday is that weekend, so this won’t fly. Do I fall afoul of Rule #11 for backing out on these grounds, or do I get Rule #11 points for spending a decent amount of time in checking into flights and accommodation before realizing there were Rule #11 considerations involved?
@xyxax
Steampunk’s sense of direction is such that””even if he were foolish enough to drive to Texas””going through NYC wouldn’t likely be on the cards (you would, of course, be very welcome to the passenger seat). Having said that, if you could get yourself to Buffalo in March, I am seriously contemplating driving to Madison so that I can bring the bike along (and maybe break up the trip with a ride). End of March.
Also not quite sure what I think of your tandem idea. On principle or in practice.
@xyxax
Aha, now I’m tracking! Thought you meant the two of you would abscond with my babies and make for the hills!
@frank
It was pretty interesting how in the span of about two kilometers I went from felling strong to completely out of gas – if the course had only been 1k shorter, wait, I’m starting to sound like a Europro.
@Steampunk
So here’s the conversation I heard in my head between you and your wife:
STEAMPUNK:
Honey. Guess where we’re going for your birthday. Austin! You’ll love it. We’ll have such a good time.
Now, before we go, I have to confess. I’ve been spending A LOT of time on the internet. Talking to other men. Who shave their legs. And speak endlessly about nipple lube and magnificent strokes. But it means nothing. Really, it’s not what it sounds like.
Now, of course, this trip is all about YOU, Sweetheart. It’s your birthday! But, and I want to assure you that this means nothing–I want to meet some of these men. And they’ll be in Austin. On your birthday! Isn’t that quite a coincidence?
I’ll get online right now and buy the tickets.
MRS. STEAMPUNK:
Like fuck you will.
@xyxax
Steampunk wrote:
Of course, I have no idea whether I’d be able to fit your frame into the back of the Saab wagon””that’s one outrageously big bike! Could we saw it in half?
(I could get used to referring to Steampunk in the third person).
@Steampunk
I wrote an epic one-act play last night. It was a conversation between Steampunk and Mrs. Steampunk about the birthday trip to Austin that Steampunk wants to buy her. Sadly, it got hung up in the interwebs and didn’t post. But here’s the Reader’s Digest Condensed Version:
Steampunk: Let’s go to Austin for your birthday. By the way, I’ve spent a lot of time on the internet with men who shave their legs and talk about nipple lube and magnificant strokes. They’ll be in Austin the same weekend as your birthday. I want to meet these men. I like them. I think they like me. I want to go on a bike ride with them. I’m going to buy the tickets right now.
Mrs. Steampunk: Like fuck you will.
Keepers: Please please please. My posts to Steampunk are hanging up somewhere. I’m getting the “Your post is awaiting moderation. It will become visible when it is approved.” Gracias!
@Jeff in PetroMetro
I’m no programmer but I wonder if the spam filter’s sirens went off because of this:
I’ve removed the parental filter now for you and Steampunk and the rest of the Austin Cogalites. Don’t make me regret it.
@Jeff in PetroMetro
You may have just hit on the reason why I haven’t drawn the attention of this site to Mrs Chris. I need to do it before the V Kit arrives and I have to explain that not only do I talk to men on the web about lube, shaving and nipples but that I’ve spent money to advertise the fact.
EDIT: magnificEnt strokes. (Maybe one day I’ll learn to spell. And type.)
@Marko
Woooo-Woooo! Party time on the velominati site!!!
@Jeff in PetroMetro
Sounds a bit like the conversation I had with my VMH about a week ago! Too funny. Although it’s not her birthday so it managed to fly.
@Jeff in PetroMetro
Strong work, but you forgot the added shocking part about those other men being Texans.
@Steampunk
Granted, NYC is a smidge off the path, but is only 0.0000000006 light-years away from T-town, which any Saab worth its road salt would cover in the time it takes to say Like Fuck You Will.
And yet who could resist the temptation of being in Buffalo in March with half a bicycle on each arm?
@Nate
With guns.
@Jeff in PetroMetro
Gunrack mounted on the rear nondriveside chainstay of the Look I hope.
@Nate
Sometimes it pays to be left-handed.
@Nate
God DAMN! What is this? A cross between “Brokeback Mountain” and “Breaking Away”??? Scary shit right there, man.
Liège is on!
@Steampunk
Oi, SPunk, you can’t just come out with a random statement like that as I am about to go to bed to sleep, I’m gonna be thinking about this all night now – more deets SVP!!!!
@Dr C
Bah! You can sleep when you’re dead. Just got confirmation that I will be in Munich at the end of April. Leaving a week early can put me in Belgium for LBL (this will be tight: April 20 is our 16th anniversary).
@Steampunk
nice!!!
I think out of respect, you should also ride Frank’s slightly extended with extra frites and Mayo L-B-L sportive route
@Steampunk
So brilliant!!! So envious as well! Cannot wait to hear about your trip.