Sam Wise left off at the 25 mile turnoff contemplating the buffeting winds…
I must admit I also considered the 25 mile loop. But not for long as I remembered who we were riding for, those who are living with the devastating effects of MS. So we pressed on past the wildly waving Rose City motorcycle club people letting us know that we could chicken out and take the 25 mile route if we turned left. We went straight. Straight in to the wind that is. We still kept a respectable pace as we pushed into Banks.Â
 At the south end of Banks we caught up with a group of three cyclists. Under normal circumstances we would have had to put on the brakes to slow down to their pace. But with this headwind just sitting up in the saddle slowed us down plenty. Fortunately the guy in the back was on a bike that sits upright, so he blocked all the wind to make for easy peddling for the next few miles. We found out that they were the team Les Bicyclettes d’Enfer. Samwise had noticed their team name at the beginning of the ride that day. Knowing French, he translated for me, “The Bicycles from hell” They pointed out that that was in reference to their bicycles, not the riders. They were riding heavy cross bikes (though not nearly as heavy as the mountain bikes we were riding), not the sort of thing you ride over 100 miles on if you are trying for efficiency. We were behind him, so he must have assumed we had one of those skinny carbon fiber road bike frames that can be picked up with a few fingers. When we told him we were riding mountain bikes and had done the century the day before, he was ready to make us honorary members on the spot!
 We chatted with Dan (the apparent leader of this team) while we caught our breath and took a break from the headwind. After we got out of Banks it was time to make a break and head out. We moved on knowing we would probably see them at some rest stops along the way.
The next rest stop was interesting as it was the first of the committed (to go 75 miles) and the topic if discussion was the brutal headwind. As we pressed on we did not get any relief from he headwind until we turned up Highway 47 to Vernonia. Did I say up? Yes, we got a break from the wind because there were trees on both sides as we started UP the 4 mile steady climb. I created a few impromptu rest stops as the headwind had taken the wind out of me. We encouraged others along the way as I was catching my breath. Once to the top and down the other side we made it to the next rest stop.
 Who should catch up to us but Dan and his team! We found out there that he had an altimeter on his bike and it also read out the grade of the incline you were on. As if going up a brutal hill is not enough, Dan would call out in a “2 o’clock and all’s well!” fashion, “10 Percent grade!” or “Were toping out at a 14 percent grade.”
 The most commented on section of the ride was the deer carcass that was in the middle of the road! Yes, a few miles out of Vernonia we had to swerve around a deer that was in the middle of the road. A gruesome sight that I won’t attempt to describe on this family friendly site. The speculation was that a coyote was dragging it to his lair as a pickup came down the road forcing the coyote to leave it’s cuisine so as not to join in as the appetizer plate.
Also, part way through Vernonia a local kid on his bike (early teens) challenged us to a race. We called back to him that we accepted, as long as he went the 35 miles to the finish line with us! We only heard a groan from him and watched him turn around to take his tomfoolery elsewhere.
 We enjoyed the camaraderie of the few who chose to ride the 75 miles on the second day. One memorable part of the last 10 miles was a hill that the route planners decided to throw in. Now there were some nice rolling hills they could have chosen (are any hills nice 65+ miles in to a ride?) But no, a hard left, 1/4 mile of flat then UP the steepest grade we saw all day. At least it seemed steep. I don’t have an altimeter on my bike and while resting at the top (at one point I think there were about 10 of us “enjoying the view”) I noticed Dan coming up behind us. There was a striking difference between when he had gone up all other hills and this one – no herald like calling out of the grade. In fact he declined to report the grade of the hill even when he got to the top at the impromptu rest stop, er I mean place to savor the view.
 Well, the ride finished out with a fun romp over some rollers and the obligatory hundred-turns-to-get-back-into-town-without-biking-on-a-main-street. Fun was had by all as we finished to cheering by spouses and sprockets. See ya next year through the covered bridges.