Chilly Hilly 2012

Ready to eat CHILI after CHILLY HILLY

This morning 1.0 and I participated in Chilly Hilly's 40th annual ride.  And did it live up to it's name??  Yes!  When we left the house this morning, the temperature was well below freezing, and the roads were icy.  Waiting for the ferry to Bainbridge Island was SO cold!  I was wearing a long sleeve thermal under layer, a short sleeve jersey, long wool arm warmers, a zip-up long-sleeve thermal jersey, and a windbreaker/rain jacket, but when you aren't moving...not so warm.

The ride is 33 miles of rollers, a few long grinders, and a few shorter steepies.  The total elevation gain is 2675 feet.  Now in June through October, this would be a cake walk, but at the beginning of the season, when you have been spending most of your time on the trainer... Let's just say that I worked for it today. :)  I got a wee bit dehydrated too...  This caused some muscle cramping, but luckily it didn't start until the second to last hill.

So Chilly Hilly, among a lot of other rides like it that Cascade puts on, attract a certain subcultures of cyclist.  For the most part, people are super nice.  Most people who do these events, return year after year, some of them for decades!  It's always nice to chat with these guys (I say guys because I am usually outnumbered 3:1), because you can learn a lot of tricks about where to pee and where to eat and other important stuff.

However...there is always a few dicks in every crowd.  Today was no different of course.  I'm talking about the guy who takes it upon himself to play traffic cop.  These guys are all the same; they have incredibly loud voices that carry farther than anyone else.  "Hey!  We STOP at stop signs!  Do what the cars do!  That's the law!"  If that guy got his head out of his ass for 5 minutes he would probably have a much more enjoyable ride.  He would also probably notice that people were running the stop sign because the car waiting was waving everyone through! lol

I fantasize about punching that guy in the face.  Is that bad?  Is it also bad that I would break 10 more traffic laws just to get the f**k away from him?  *Sigh* Maybe this irritates me because I really try to be a conscientious cyclist.  I use hand signals, and make myself known to others on the trail or road when passing.  I point out hazards when I see them.  I obey traffic laws...at least as much as I do when I am driving in my car! lol  And I DON'T go ape-sh*t crazy on motorists who I think have wronged me.  That's just poor form and makes them hate us more.

These rides are always fun though and I love participating in them.  I love photographing bicycles.  Here's a few I took today!

 

Sorry. I blurred my bib number.