Thursday, August 31, 2023
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21+ OnlyCancelled, double booked my time... Rescheduled for 9/7
close in SW, SW Morrison and SW 1st
Just north of the intersection on the downhill section of street car tracks.
Mark (usually seen on a tall bike)
Thu, Aug 31, 2023, 6:30 PM
about an hour
7:30 PM
End location: salmon street fountain, Tee En Are!
This isn't much of a ride, but this is scheduled so we can go to Tee En Are (T N R (Thursday night ride)) once we are done... Do you intentionally avoid putting the tires of your bicycle in the steel grooves of the streetcar tracks because it seems dangerous to do so? Me too! But that will come to an end by me offering up some virtually valueless prizes! Just to be clear, what will be coming to an end will be people’s choice to not put their tires in the groove, the previously mentioned danger resulting from putting one’s tires in the groove and the loss of steering capability that results will still be very real, these prizes won’t make it undangerous to put your tires in the groove! Both your tires must be in the groove when you pass a “starting line”, you can get in the groove at any speed of your choosing, you then ride as far as possible in the groove, and then you have to get your tires back out of the groove and ride away without touching the ground with a foot, where your front tire leaves the groove is your distance/score. Does it sound scary? There are only two kinds of liars in this world, those who say this isn’t scary and those who say they don’t want to try it. Speaking of scary things, when I was a kid, I was scared that snakes would pour out of the bathtub faucet when I turned it on, but at some point I had turned on the bathtub faucet enough times that I realized my fears were unfounded, exposure to the scary thing makes it not scary! I’ve also always been scared of getting hit by cars when on my bike, and a couple of months ago I got cleaned off my bike by a honda civic, I ended up on the hood, she nailed the brakes, I flew off the hood, and landed on my feet, I got really lucky, my flip flops even stayed on, but the flip flops staying on was not luck, that was all me, THAT, was skill. I’ll clarify that me getting cleaned off my bike was my fault, I didn’t realize there were 4 lanes of traffic on weidler by I5, I had picked my way through 3 lanes of stopped cars to go to bike farm and entered the 4th lane, which was empty, without looking to see if cars were coming because I thought it was a parking lane? I dunno, it didn’t register as a traffic lane, I think there is trolly tracks there which is irrefutable evidence that is not street parking, but, uhhh… Ohhhh! We could hold the contest where I got hit! All the scary stuff in one place?!? Except for the bathtub faucet? But yea, I was in a hurry and POW! Hello honda! But to be honest I’m not any less scared of getting hit by cars on my bike now that I’ve been hit by one, so maybe exposure therapy doesn’t work for everything. But I think putting your tires in the groove might make them less scary. Your tire must fit in the groove to be able to compete, I haven’t measured the tracks yet, but I’m betting that anything over a 32mm tire will not fit and you won’t be allowed to compete. Don’t show up with the wrong equipment and expect to compete, it’d weird for both of us. I did measure the track groove and it is right at 38mm, so 38mm is the max tire size. I actually don't think this is very scary or dangerous, but people kinda freak out about it when I talk of doing it, so to placate their anxiety there will be some guaze wrap and chew spit on hand for medical emergencies if needed, note; I don't chew so hopefully somebody else will be able to spit chew spit on any wounds before they are dressed with the gauze wrap. And you are correct, this ride description is not as good as “the drop ride” ride description, I doubt I’ll ever top that one. The event will be on sw 1st just north of Morisson, on the downhill section of tracks there.
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