My first time out this way started the whole bike fit problem that I've been having for the past couple years, but this time finally brought me solutions.
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More after the break…
Part 1: To Bus
I started at about 05:00 and headed out to the freeway station in the University District.
Because I missed the first train last week, I left extra early to make sure I wouldn't miss the bus this time. Ended up overcompensating.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
Heading north. (@ University District North Bound Freeway Bus Station) https://t.co/J54JHBpI18
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
Part 2: Outbound
Before leaving Everett, I got some food and mostly-decaf coffee.
I'm at Starbucks in Everett, WA https://t.co/4MvGlJ2TSu
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
Continuing with my changes from last time, it's now clear the I'd been riding with my saddle far too high all this time. #cycling
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
I then headed out along my typical route through Marysville.
Narrow tires would be terrible for #cycling during the leafy season.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
However, rather than using SR-531 to get to Arlington, I used a much more southerly route. It featured no traffic and involved me entering the trail via a trailhead with a short climb. I think this'll be my choice from here on out.
I hope the rain doesn't increase much.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
Because the rain got pretty bad for a bit, I stopped for some liquid motivation at a coffee shop in Arlington. A lot of folks showed up after the local Seventh-day Adventist church's service, largely families in nice attire.
I'm at Stilly Coffee House in Arlington, WA https://t.co/ZwFCpx6mLj
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
I was thinking about skipping today because going into the middle of nowhere alone in bad weather isn't something I like doing anymore.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
I really needed some miles go inch my bike's saddle to the right spot, and I'm almost there now.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
I then headed out along SR-530 toward Darrington. Along the way, I noticed that one of the bridges had received a proper (albeit slippery in the rain) wooden deck since last time!
I saw proof that Snohomish County has been working on the Whitehorse Trail!
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
However, the trail at both ends wasn't really good for riding.
So I stuck to the highway all the way to Darrington.
I did stop at the memorial of the Oso mudslide, which didn't have the tourist draw it had last time.
After a few more highway miles, I finally made it to Darrington, and stopped at the same place as last time for food.
Rain hasn't been fun, but bearable.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
The worst part of the rain so far is the flooded shoulders.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
My shoes are like miniature wetsuits! #seabikes
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
When I got there my kickstand was really hard to deploy.
I'm at Hometown Bakery Cafe in Darrington, WA https://t.co/nAMwtxVlC6
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
When I entered, there was nobody there even though the sign said "OPEN". I said "hello?" a number of times and waited, and eventually someone showed up. I ordered some coffee, some hot soup, and a small sandwich, as well as a towel to sit on since I was drenched at that point.
The cafe claims to be open, but there's nobody around.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
Someone showed up. Hot drink, soup, and sandwich time.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
When I asked her about a local landmark I could get a 'trophy photo' at, she thought for a while and told me of a historical marker that represents the history of the founding and growth of Darrington. She also gave me a book to read while I ate and warmed up.
Apparently, the Northern Pacific tried to find a route through the mountains using the NF Stillaguamish River. It never materialized.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
The lady here said that this is going to be the wettest October in Darrington's history. 4× the norm!
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 29, 2016
Before leaving Darrington, I went to look for the marker. I didn't see it the first time, but when folks at another cafe told me that it was next to a fuel station, it was pretty easy to find.
Part 3: Inbound
Heading back was a bit easier, as it was downhill.
I did learn that Snohomish County had been spreading glyphosate in the forest to prevent root rot, which struck me as a mixed bag.
Eventually, the rain subsided and the Sun came out, which made the last part of the ride in daylight much nicer.
It was mostly sunny for a lot of the return from Darrington to Arlington.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 30, 2016
Right before getting to Arlington, I saw a car drive by with a huge Confederate Flag and shouting something about the election.
Today I learned that the Confederate Flag flies in some areas of Washington State.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 30, 2016
@SheRidesABike I saw at least one.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 30, 2016
Today showed me that the offset cleats weren't helping at all. Moving the bars down with the saddle is a good idea, though.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 30, 2016
I had to wait a long time in Arlington to get my final coffee. After all, it's obvious that people still want people after 18:00!
I'm at Moe's Espresso in Arlington, WA https://t.co/PVjSunQwuS
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 30, 2016
The barista remembered me from my last visit, which is always nice.
It was getting dark as I left Arlington, and was completely dark by the time I got to Lake Stevens.
I would be a whole lot worse of without my fancy dynamo lights, but the patches of fog and animal noises still spook me.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 30, 2016
It definitely felt like a great night for Halloween mischief, but I didn't see anything.
Current weather conditions: spooky. (@ City of Snohomish in Snohomish, WA) https://t.co/BkJPH9X3A8
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 30, 2016
When I got to Snohomish, I checked the bus schedule. Seeing that I barely had enough time to get to Everett, I didn't dawdle anymore.
A driver stopped to ask me if I was okay when I stopped for a moment. He said that he used to be a cyclist.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 30, 2016
I blame my saddle being too high on all my past rides and a good part of this ride for my poor times.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 30, 2016
Thankfully, I got to the station with less than ten minutes to spare, even though my left knee was really unhappy like last time.
Barely caught the bus. (@ Everett Station - @everettcity in Everett, WA) https://t.co/J5aPSdSJsj
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 30, 2016
Part 3: Return Home
My left knee seriously hampered my return home, but I made it. Completely soaked, I immediately took a hot shower to warm up, then went to bed.
If I'm correctly sitting on my sit bones, setback seatposts will forever be part of my life.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 30, 2016
It also means that the Brooks Team Professional is my favorite saddle.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 30, 2016
I tend to point my toes when a leg can't reach properly, which causes hotfoot. The conventional wisdom of moving cleat back won't fix that.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 30, 2016
The last finding above list gave me the hint I needed to get both of my legs happy. It also explains why I killed some of the nerves in my right big toe a while back, which means that my right leg is shorter than my left!
I ended up putting a lot of grease into my kickstand to free it up the next day. I also found the lower jockey wheel on my rear derailleur to be really gritty, but a shop took it apart, cleaned it, and regreased it. The upside of no complex bearings is that such rebuilding is easy to do, but the downside is that it needs to be done more frequently.
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