On Wednesday the 23rd, Pete and I (Nicole) went on a bike ride. We started at the Longhouse on Highway 20. We loaded a pannier each, with warm weather gear, food, water, and all the other essentials. We cautiously crossed over and started our sunny-day-bike-ride on the Olympic Discovery Trail. It's eight feet wide, paved, mainly car-less (except for a few spots where it joins with a road yet has an eight foot wide shoulder, and a few intersections), and directly sets you in the direction of West. We pedaled through open fields, woods, trestle bridges, rivers, a State Park, the city of Sequim, city parks, past public flushing restrooms, past sani-cans, and up and down little drainage gullies. It was great pedaling on my first long ride of the season and basking in the sun while not having to battle cars! There were a few pedestrians, leashed dogs, other cyclists but nothing abnormal for a sunny afternoon.
We enjoyed our ride and talked a lot about a larger trip to span the entire distance of the ODT. Our goal was the get to Port Angeles and back. Six miles from Port Angeles, we paused to assess how we were doing, and to eat a little snack. After hearing a quiet hiss, I listened more intently to figure out if it was a snake or a flat. Hmmm... definitely a small puncture and a slow leaking flat in my front tire! Rats. I pull out my spare tube and realize I forgot my pump!! Augh! The most beginner of cycling mistakes. I guess it's time to turn around. Pete and I turn and start sprinting back towards the outskirts of Sequim. A few miles later, I feel like I'm running through water and cannot pedal my bike anymore; surely flat tires are not this hard. Oh yes, with a rear wheel going flat, I had managed to double flat! Ha. What a predicament. After filling Pete in on the scenario we keep pedaling as quickly as possible until I can go no further on my beautiful bicycle. Time to stop.
On the horizon, a couple on bikes is pedaling towards us! How lucky we are! We make bets on if they'll have a tire pump. When they get up closer, we ask them and they do. We transfer my pannier to Pete's rack, put my one tube on the back wheel and pump the front as full as we can and I start sprinting once again... We've got to be about six miles from Mike's Bikes. Those few miles go by quickly, yet burn up my fuel reserves. I'm stoked, pedaling a flat front, and exhausted, when we're turning around the corner and see his red roofed building. After fixing the flat, talking with Mike and eating some more food, and drinking some water, Pete and I are finally ready to enjoy the rest of our ride and the sunny afternoon.
We keep pedaling at a nice pace, talking about more touring plans, weekend plans and other goals, and enjoying the weather. We couldn't have asked for a better ride. I had meant to get more photos, but this ride was not the ride to get them. Next time! I definitely recommend the Olympic Discovery Trail to all cyclists.
Next time you're out, have a great ride ...and don't forget your tire pump!
Next time you're out, have a great ride ...and don't forget your tire pump!
Cheers,
Nicole and The Broken Spoke staff
Oh yeah, I recently heard a good joke:
-Why can't a bicycle stand on it's own?
-It's two-tired!
Nicole and The Broken Spoke staff
Oh yeah, I recently heard a good joke:
-Why can't a bicycle stand on it's own?
-It's two-tired!
