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 noticeable. But, from the saddle of a Litespeed, the 35 mile ascent up Mt. Hood is definitely some serious work. It’s far from being the most difficult climb of the ride, but it’s no picnic. Still, the riders make it look easy as they breeze by the crew vans, most of them all smiles and in high spirits.

As the trip up Mt. Hood continues, the grade begins to steepen. While this certainly affects the rider’s speeds, they are by no means assuaged or any less motivated. They are working hard, and while the action from the perspective of the van is sporadic, it’s exciting to watch the participants as they pass (or as we drive past them).

Arriving at the peak of the first major climb, David makes his first (and very brief) stop to switch bikes out for the ride down the other side of the mountain. He’s switching over to his custom-built T-Rex, which he’ll ride for a few miles while we make some adjustments to the Litespeed. The exchange takes less than 15 seconds.

The goal is to rack up as little “stop time” as possible. It goes without saying that this directly affects the amount of time it takes him to finish, so we try to accomplish as much as possible via handoffs rather than forcing him to stop. We want to keep David on the bike, and we want him to be happy while he’s there. During these initial stages of the race, this isn’t difficult, but by the time we cross the 300-mile mark, he’ll be feeling the hurt, and the van will seem very inviting.

For now though, he’s in good spirits and he’s visibly enjoying himself; each time we leapfrog one another he’s got a big smile on his face. It’s a beautiful morning up on the mountain, and overall we’re looking at a great day for a ride. More to come from the first Time Station in Tygh Valley.