Day 8 | Flat tire but pumped up
Distance
48.4 miles
Elevation Climbed
2,913 ft
Landscape
Lush rolling hills; coastline with intertidal structures
Weather
Foggy and 50 F to sunny, windy and 60+ F
Kirsten’s Notes:
I’ve come to expect ‘partly cloudy’ in the weather forecast means ‘bring rain gear’ as coastal fog is heavy in the morning and clouds can’t always hold the moisture in. Granite and asphalt pebbles were littered along the shoulder so we hugged the road line as much as possible. After getting face-slapped by mud coming off of Dad’s tires one more time than was funny, I decided to assume a staggered position in the shoulder and give my bike and body a massage of sorts. Jim had the same idea except his tires were less forgiving and he won the first flat award. Dad and Jim were very resourceful and used the wet weather to their advantage by using a nearby puddle to find the tube tear. The skies started to clear up when we reached some of the most beautiful views over the Pacific of our ride at Cannon Beach and Oswald West State Park.
My dad has been saying for months when I talk about my intimidation by the Oregon elevation gain that we will be rewarded at the top with the views we’ll see and man was he right. We were so captivated by the views from this ride we couldn’t help but stop at nearly every available viewpoint. Even off the coastline, the winding, lush, mossy tree-lined roads are captivating.
We also saw a racoon walk on water on the Tillamook Bay…wild.
Lars’ Notes:
So let’s flashback to May, I’m at the bike shop in Branford, CT, to buy some essentials for the trip. I was buying spare tubes, some extra shoe clips, a spare brake cable and a master chain link. I wanted to be prepared. As an impulse buy, I decided to buy a small tube repair kit, it was right there at the counter and inexpensive so I thought, what the heck, why not. I never actually thought it would work well and I almost didn’t pack it….Now on June 22nd, we are on a ride from Seaside to Tillamook OR, it’s raining and we start to climb up our first ascent. It’s Kirsten, Jim and me…as we climb, I look back and…no Jim. After a few minutes of waiting, he caught up and said “I think my tire is flat” A quick inspection confirmed his observation. As we ponder our next move, I remember my impulse buy from May. We remove his tire, inspect the tube; no apparent hole. Since it was raining, there were puddles on the side road where we stopped. We submerged the tube, bingo, it’s bubbling and losing air about an inch from the valve. We dried it off, applied the patch and resubmerged it again. Success! “Let’s check the rest of the tube, just in case”. I offer. Sure enough, a second leak. A second patch did the trick, now to re-inflate. A compressed air canister for my pump should make this simple. I screw the canister into the pump and instantly the contents discharge onto my hand (a rapid discharge of compressed air makes it REALLY cold on my hand). The second attempt worked better.
About an hour after our discovery of the flat, we were on the road again. At this point the rain had passed, we completed the climb and about ten miles later, we were in awe of the spectacular views of the rocky Oregon Coast! We had a hard time making forward progress due to the utter beauty. The next 30 miles offered some of the most incredible scenery, Haystack Rock, a huge vertical rock pillar just off the coast line, brilliant white beaches, densely forested hills opening up to amazing ocean vistas, it was beautiful. We finished the last 20 miles with a strong tail wind, helping us ease along the east side of Tillamook Bay. On the last push, we were cruising at a comfortable 18-20 mph with Kirsten in the lead. We arrived at the famous Tillamook Creamery where Lise, Erin and Kelsey met us with smiles and open arms. They waited for us so we could all enjoy some amazing ice cream on a beautiful afternoon. I had the Mountain Huckleberry. Day 8 complete.
