Covered Bridge Bicycle Tour next weekend! August 13 ride

The Covered Bridge Bicycle Tour(CBBT) is right around the corner. MVBC's annual fundraiser, is August 13 and if you're not yet signed up to volunteer (or ride!) it's not too late. (Some volunteer opportunities allow to to volunteer in the morning and also ride the ride.) Please contact CBBT directors  Rick Olson or Sam Stern to  help be a part of this 44-year-long tradition.

To go along with the root beer floats at the end of the ride, the band, Choro na Cozinha will be playing at the finish this year from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Here’s a couple of links to their music: Choro na Cozinha, Finish Line Music.  

There are more than 400 riders signed up to ride, coming from across Oregon, Washington, California and even as far away as Spearfish, South Dakota! Routes include varying lengths: from the family and beginner friendly 23-mile ride to the 101-mile ride that takes riders to five covered bridges and 3,500 feet of climbing. 

By helping with the CBBT, you will be helping to support Bicycle Education & Safety  programs in MVBC's Willamette Valley community. CBBT is also a way to earn priority registration to the club's touring options. 

Takin' it to the streets ...

Open Streets returns August 20 for free festival

Corvallis welcomes the return of Open Streets, after a two year hiatus. The free street festival that re-imagines our shared public spaces - streets and parks - as place where people want to walk, bike and play will be August 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

MVBC volunteers will be at Open Streets with membership information, the helmets for kids program and be working with Corvallis Police Department to register bikes through Project 529. (see story above)

The event will also have music, food trucks and a beer garden (please bring your ID). 

More than a mile of neighborhood streets will be closed to vehicle traffic and opened up to the community for walking, biking and playing.  The route is between Central Park and Peanut Park. The two parks on each end of the route will have activities set up. Neighbors along the route are invited to set up their own mini-events in their driveways and in past years have included ping-pong and guinea pig petting!

Find more information or volunteer at Open Streets.

MVBC Bike Adventures galore!

Club members are near and far this summer exploring by bike! Club rides have been up Marys Peak, to the Steens Mountains, Metolius Gravel Camp, Loop Tours  and there are more upcoming rides. Get out and enjoy!

 You can find out more about upcoming club events here: Member Events.

Steens Mountain exploratory trip

by Peter Wendell, MVBC Director-at-Large

Back in May an intrepid group of five riders and one SAG driver came together to pursue an experimental route around Steens Mountain in southeastern Oregon. It was a 240-mile route spread over four days of riding. The goal was to come up with a recommendation for including this route on our annual touring calendar as a spring tour.

Our trip was impacted by the heavy snowfall from this past winter season – the road to the summit was closed due to snow. Mosquitos were plentiful due to the unusually high water and late runoff season. We traversed several sections on the eastside of the range where road re-construction was underway to repair sections that had washed out.

Lessons were learned on many levels –

There is a lot of work involved with carrying and using a communal kitchen setup.

Ditto on having a shower available for after-ride clean up.

That said, the work is probably worthwhile to have more creature comforts on a remote ride like this one. And cooking as a group brought us all together around meals.

Highpoints and low points

Highs -

The views are incredible – eastern Oregon has long-distance views that we just don’t get west of the Cascades. The Alvord Desert is a unique feature as well as seeing the snow-capped Steens from all angles

Paved sections are enjoyable to ride and the roads have light traffic

The real ice cream milkshakes at The Fields Station are an unexpected treat

The hot springs are wonderful after a long ride

Lows –

Windstorms at night are scary

The days were long, tough rides

Headwinds are hard on a 60+ mile day

Mosquitos…

Gravel in this part of the world is much harder riding than what we experience at home.

Unfortunately, the summit loop road is closed for the foreseeable future due to a rockslide on the southern leg of the loop. One could still ride up and back from Page Springs to the summit, but the return would backtrack on the same road.

Based on limited access to the summit loop, the strenuous nature of the ride and the long drive to and from the start, I think that there are other alternatives to explore in eastern Oregon before returning to this area.

See the photos in the MVBC photo gallery

Loop Tour riders return from the Olympic Peninsula

Loop Tour 1 had nearly perfect weather and great temperatures for riding through the Olympic Peninsula. There were 22 people on the first go-round of Loop Tour, including a few riders new to the club's Loop Tour. 

Loop Tour 2 also had sunny skies and 32 riders, including a few that were new to our Loop Tour. 

The portions of the no-traffic Olympic Discovery Trail were highlights for many riders.

More stories of the Loop Tours will come in future issues but for now, see the photos in the MVBC photo gallery

Metollius Gravel Camp sees perfect weather, mountain views 

  by Jack Schra, MVBC member

The weekend of June 9 Mid Valley Bike Club held our first Metolius Gravel Camp weekend. There were 21 attendees with five from Eugene and one from Prineville. And we had a new member on the trip, Dave Walker, from Eugene. We were blessed with perfect weather, clear blue skies, no wind and moderate temperatures.

The camp was held at Riverside, a walk in Forest Service Camp on the Metolius River between Camp Sherman and it's head water springs. We had four camp sites which were large, widely spaced and each easily accommodated five tents. The camp had a hand pump for water and pit toilets. Everyone was on their own for food and choices ranged from sausages cooked over a camp fire to fine dining in Sisters. Camp fires took the chill off in the mornings and we had a social fire in the evenings where people gathered.

Upper photos by Dan Miles

Nelson Binggelli fine tuned our routes came from Dirty Freehub's recommendations for the area. Some of us who came over early on Friday did a ride from camp down the river. The road is paved until the lower bridge campground where there is a gate stopping car traffic. After some early rough sections, the road settled down ending at some cabins and a lemonade stand. At that point the road becomes overgrown single track for a couple miles before again opening up as a road to Lake Billy Chinook.

The official day one ride was on Green Ridge which separates the upper Metolius from Lake Billy Chinook. We chose to drive to a remote start saving 1,500' of climbing and about 10 miles. As the road was quite rough and slow, we ended up driving for about an hour in each direction. But the views while riding were worth it, Mount Jefferson to the west and later Lake Billy Chinook off to the east. The first dozen miles of our route were much rougher than we are accustomed to riding in the valley and as there was a large ponderosa pine across the road there had not been any recent car traffic. We did eventually join onto a well-maintained smooth gravel road to complete the short loop but unfortunately, we needed an earlier start to do a longer loop as many of us had diner plans.

Day two's ride was up on to Round Lake on more civilized gravel. The ride started on trails roughly following Lake Creek then near Suttle Lake we started climbing up through old burn scars regrown with blooming Manzanita for fantastic views of all of the nearby Cascade peaks. Unfortunately, none of us in the lead group had been up there before and the Ride with GPS maps did not include the short side road to Round Lake itself. The slower group with Nelson leading did enjoy the sights at the lake. After riding the long downhill we were back to Suttle Lake where some of us ate at the lodge, others swam in the lake and another group rode on into the Metolius Preserve. Some of us then headed back to the valley that afternoon while others stayed through Sunday night.

I good weekend all around and we will do it again next year!

For more photos from the ride, see Nelson Bingelli's post on Facebook.

Photos below contributed by Jack Schra

A big thank you to Christi Raunig, Jack Schra, Nelson Binggeli for organizing the ride, with help from Leslie Van Allen (carpool coordinator) and Alex Vincent (camp gear sherpa). This ride would not have happened without them!

Annual 4th of July Marys Peak Ride

More than 40 people braved the summer heat to ride to the top of Marys Peak. MVBC riders came up the road and along various gravel routes to share in this annual event. Steve Gerdemann arrived early to share snacks with riders and provide a much needed water refill as the day grew hotter. It's a great tradition and one that MVBC plans to continue.

Above photos by Teddi Crotti

Photos below by John Wiesinger

In 1993, the board chose to honor a contributing MVBC member, Ashley Molk by including his name on the Marys Peak ride.

From Nancy Meitle: 

"Ashley was known for his big heart. He was only active with the club for a few years.Interestingly enough, before he joined the club,  he rode a high wheeler across country. He looked quite dapper with his handlebar mustache.

That bicycle currently resides in my daughters bedroom. He often taught other people how to ride it. After he passed away his wife gave the bike to Alan Troop. Alan also loved to teach people to ride the bike. He would also dress up and ride it in parades.

Another love of Ashley’s was bikes not bombs. He would gather up bikes and prepare them to be shipped to countries in Latin America."

Another HUGE thank you to Steve Gerdemann for providing the support and a smiling face at the top of the ride! It is much appreciated!

Read more remembrances about Ashley Molk.

Photos below by Eileen Tokuda

The most common cycling injury ... assess your risk!

by David Lerman, NVBC Member

What’s the most common cycling-associated injury? Many of us immediately think of head injuries. While those injuries can be quite serious (always wear a helmet!), they are far less common than skin injuries.

What’s the big deal about a little sunburn?

Skin injuries run the gamut from an inconsequential first degree burn to life-threatening metastatic melanoma. Skin cancers are almost all caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and the risk is proportional to the amount of exposure. The more often you are in the sun, the more likely you are to develop a skin cancer. The risk is cumulative over your lifetime. If you were the cool teenager with the convertible Mustang, always with the top down, wind in your hair, you need to be extra careful now.

Aren’t skin cancers curable?

Many skin cancers are curable, but more than a few are not. Some are almost always curable if caught early. So if you have a bump or a freckle that has a weird shape, is irregularly pigmented or is noticeably growing, especially in an area that is exposed to sun while cycling, have it looked at and perhaps biopsied by your primary care physician.

What about the skin cancers that are more dangerous?

Fortunately these cancers are less common. Keys to protection are staying out of the sun, covering up or using sunscreen.

I see clothes marketed with SPF (sun protection factor) ratings. Are these good protection?    Image from Freepix          

Yes, covering up is a good idea. But any loosely woven fabrics will provide you with good sun protection. Fabrics without an SPF rating are often just as protective as those with a rating. A helmet with a bill, often marketed as a mountain biking helmet, will help to protect your face. Using a bandanna, cap or beanie will help protect your scalp from the sun that pours through the vent holes in your helmet.

If I use sunscreen, will I be protected from UV skin injury?

Maybe yes, maybe no. For cycling and other sports, you want a sunscreen that won’t run off when you sweat or are exposed to water. So called waterproof or sweatproof sunscreens are preferred.

A high sun protection factor (SPF) is also important but, as the song goes, you don’t always get what you want. The way a company rates their own product is not regulated by the government. Using the FDA-developed testing method, Consumer Reports found that sunscreens labeled as SPF 50 actually have an SPF of 7 – 64, nearly a tenfold difference!

There is no brand to recommend. For example, Coppertone’s Water Babies is amongst the best sunscreens, but the Coppertone Sport Performance Lotion provides just half of the UV protection of Coppertone Water Babies even though Coppertone says they are both SPF 50! Some of the most expensive sunscreens provide the least protection. For example, EleVen by Venus Williams (Game Set Match) may be good for Venus but should not be used by anyone wanting to protect their skin. It’s more than ten times as expensive as Equate (Walmart) and provides about a third of the UV protection, even though each is labeled SPF 50. You do not get what you pay for!

Your best bets in SPF 50 sunscreens are Coppertone Water Babies and Equate (various types). For those who don’t care about price, Everyday Humans and La Roche-Posay did very well but not as well as Coppertone Water Babies. If you prefer sprays to lotions, try Trader Joe’s or Neutrogena’s Beach Defense. Image from Freepix

If I use a recommended sunscreen, I’m good, right?

You’re only halfway there! Protection also depends greatly on how you apply your sunscreen. To allow the sunscreen to bond to your skin, apply 15 minutes or more before you go out. Of course, applying more sunscreen protects you more. If your friends think you’re cycling to a Kabuki audition, you have the protection you need.

Even the best sunscreens won’t stay in place with repeated or prolonged water exposure or sweating. Like the hiring manager for that job bagging groceries I so badly wanted, presciently said it all; “Reapply!” The more you sweat, the more often you need to goop up.

Summer is almost over. Why are you publishing this article now, with most of the summer heat behind us?

Ben Franklin knew nothing about UV radiation, but if he had been better informed, he likely would have included UV radiation with death and taxes as three things that are certain. UV radiation is a year-round phenomenon. Applying sunscreen only during the summer is like wearing a helmet only on high traffic routes. You always need UV protection if you are going to be outside during the day for more than a few moments. Clouds and cold have very little to do with UV exposure. Colder weather means more skin is covered by clothes, but the parts that remain exposed, like the back of your neck and face, need protection. Goop up and enjoy the ride!

Looking Forward ... 

Salmonberry trail, a rails to trails project, hopes to complete the first seven miles by 2025. The plan is to eventually complete the 82-miles Salmonberry Trail that would connect Banks to the coast. 

Find out more from the Salmonberry Trail organization or a recent article from KGW.