Week Long Cycle Oregon Maps - My New Porn

In anticipation of the 2010 Cycle Oregon, I like to pour over things that really don't need much attention at this point like lists of items to pack, route to camp, scouting Google Earth, etc. But some of the most fun is in looking at the detailed maps. These images you are about to see are like porn for Cycle Oregon attendees. Commence the drooling!

Where is that lunch break? How far up that mountain until a water stop? What type of hell am I in for on what day? Which psychotic climbing days should I have my evening massage sessions scheduled after? All these questions and more can be answered by staring for long hours late at night at the detailed maps of the ride.

The ride is not till September, but the staring at the maps begins tonight. Lets take a look at them together, shall we?

Day 1 - Not too bad here. Get the hard stuff done early in the AM, have a rip roaring time for 4 miles (over in a flash) on a steep downhill and then commence medium spinning grind mode all the way to Enterprise. The reward here: Terminal Gravity Brewery. BEER baby. And GOOD beer with good food to go with. This is the altar where many cyclists will drink to the beer gods on the evening of day 1.

Day 2 starts off great with some nice cruising terrain. Thats good too in order to work off the libations from the previous nights celebration. Follow that with what could likely be the best downhill of the ride into the Columbia River Gorge followed immediately after by the long grind of the Rattlesnake Grade. Ouch - that will be one fast downhill and one loooong uphill. Think I'll be hungry by the lunch stop? Oh man. The rest of the way into Clarkston was made for recumbent bikes and trikes - what goes up must go back down. Oh yes.

Day 3. The perfect example of how hard work in the morning will pay off huge. After mile 21, I will be long gone at high of a speed as I can pedal. Really hope the AM bugs are gone so the recumbent grin is not too full of gnats. See you at lunch. Make that a Brunch for the recumbent folks.

Nice day to get up at the literal crack of dawn and go for a spin to enjoy the countryside and sunrise. Then commence doing nothing the remainder of the day except relaxing and taking in the sights.

Day 6 looks easy, but hmmmm - there be some steep "rollers" mixed in there at various intervals. They lay in wait to suck the life force out of cyclist daring passage. Looking forward to this day even though it will be a long one.

Stay in camp or go out for a loop ride? Will have to decide this later, but the return section along the river  may be too serene to pass up.

Ahhh... the last day. Take some time and cruise on into the fini- holy mother WTF?!?! Yes. A ladder to the sky. This will be an epic day. I am really certain that on this day I will be happy to be on the trike - even if it's a bit slower going up the hills. See those two "viewpoint" icons at the false peaks in the sky high section? I can tell you already what the view is - its me lying on the side of the road in a fetal position. Thank goodness the remainder of the ride is all downhill after mile 62 - the legs will need every mile of the remainder to recoup just to allow standing to change clothes!

When it is all said and done though - the real sadness sets in when the finish line is crossed and the reality hits - its over for 2010. The countdown in the sidebar to your right keeps ticking closer to the ride start, and even after all 7 days, regardless of the difficulty, it is always a bit sad to realize a full year has to again pass until the next Cycle Oregon.