Newsletter - 2002 Archive

BC Randonneurs Cycling Club

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My advertisment broadcasting that I had some shoes for sale brought forth a prompt response from Seattle Randonneur Kent Peterson. He reckonded his size 42 feet could fit into my alleged size 43 shoes. But the logistics of getting the shoes to him in Issaquah seemed to make the idea impractical in the short term, although sometime during the season we would probably meet up.

It so happened this Saturday, April 6, we both were free as I had decided to conserve my finances and not travel to Vancisle for the 200. After a quick look at a Washington map I suggested to Kent we could meet up in Sedro Woolley at the Iron Skillet (the only place I could remember). A nominal 60 km from the Huntingdon/Sumas border would make a decent ride and I tried to interest my Fleche team in coming along. Norm Brodie accepted the idea despite the gloomy weather forcast and we drove to the border for a start at 08:00.

It wasn't raining as expected, but worse, a wind that made bit'n'bit at 18kph difficult. We were thankful for every stand of trees that came betwwen us and the wind. We took the usual route, Hovel, North Telegraph, Goodwin etc to Nugent's Corner and so down Hwy 9, looking forward to Acme Cafe for a respite at about 38 km. Getting there took 2 hours, but the coffee and muffin helped us on our way afer 15 minutes or so.

About 10 km before Sedro Woolley we noticed a decided decline in the wind's ferocity and knew what that foretold. We arrived at the Iron Skillet at about 11:40 and found Kent's Eddy Merckx leaning against the wall. The same bike Kent rode the 2000 Rocky Mountain on, the one with the home made mudguards and single fixed gear of 42x16 (70").

Before I left home I had checked for mesaages and at 04:25 Kent had confirmed he was about to leave! He said, when we walked in that he had been there some time as he had the same wind on his back we had been struggling into. While Norm and I ate Kent tried the shoes on and decided to take them. After an hour or so we left to make our ways home. Norm and I had 65 km recorded. I asked Kent what he had; "130 km"! If we had ridden from home our ride woud have been about 240 km return.

True to form the softened wind brought forth rain and it was a wet ride all the way back, including the Fruitvale Road loop we tried out. If coming back from Concrete and you don't need a control in Sedro Woolley it is a nice quiet back road that misses that nasty grunt out of Sedro.

During our chat at the Iron Skillet we concurred that the joint trip might be a basis for the BC Randonneurs and the Seattle Randonneurs to arrange a social meetng and ride in the vicinity. Whether or not we had shoes to sell!

Kent had a round trip of about 236 km. Norm and I did 132 km from Huntingdon to Sedro Woolley and back.

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