http://rao.readytoride.biz Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:39:53 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Greetings, readers of Ready to Ride; friends, family and supporters of David; RAO competitors/cohorts; assorted curious parties; welcome to all of you! You have found your way to the dedicated microsite for David Rowe's bid in the 2009 Edition of Race Across Oregon. And, I suspect this is no accident. You ... http://rao.readytoride.biz/?p=1 Weighing in at a daunting 527 miles and traversing areas of the state that are rich in both elevation and heat, this year's Race Across Oregon is no slouch. Any rider competing in a race of this magnitude has put in countless hours of training to become a well-oiled cycling machine. ... http://rao.readytoride.biz/?p=6 And at this very moment, the race is underway! RAO 2009 has begun and the cyclists are beginning the first leg of their journey as they make their bid for the time station 70 miles away at Tygh Valley. Watch the flickr pool (and this post) for some more images ... http://rao.readytoride.biz/?p=23 Dawn. 16.5 miles into the ride, waiting at the first "checkpoint," so to speak. The race has been unsupported up until now, and this is the first point at which crews are allowed to begin assisting their riders. From the van, and from these photos, the incline doesn't seem all that ... http://rao.readytoride.biz/?p=31 We've just exchanged bikes again at the top of a small climb in the middle of the descent down the back side of Mt. Hood. David is shedding his arm and leg warmers while we hang the T-Rex back on the bike rack and hand over the Litespeed. Bert runs ... http://rao.readytoride.biz/?p=33 We've climbed to the top of Mt. Hood and come back down the other side, making a rapid shift from the forested expanse of the mountain to the desert-like valley in the Deschuttes area. David has conquered the first 70 miles of the race in 4 hours and 53 minutes, ... http://rao.readytoride.biz/?p=37 After coming out of the unsupported climb with a fully depleted water bottle, David's demeanor has shifted from excitement and jitters to one of determination and focus. He is by no means discouraged, and is still going strong, but he is now in the thick of the ride, his mind ... http://rao.readytoride.biz/?p=45 As I mentioned before, the route for Race Across Oregon this year is a 516 mile behemoth that features beautiful scenery and loads of rolling hills, steep grades and almost total isolation. The starting line is in the parking lot of the Best Western all the participants stayed in last ... http://rao.readytoride.biz/?p=8 We've rolled through the small rural town of Grass Valley, home to (at first glance) about 5 houses, a general store, a possibly abandoned granary and a whole lot of dead trucks and cars parked in a yard and on a hillside. Also it has real, actual green grass, the ... http://rao.readytoride.biz/?p=49 Being part of the race crew is an interesting and fun experience, to be sure. This is both Bert's and my first time crewing for a cycling race, and both of us were commenting earlier this morning that if not for Justin, we'd have no idea what we were doing ... http://rao.readytoride.biz/?p=40