Echo, Oregon. A small town that opens it’s arms once a year to the first mountain bike race of the season. The third annual Echo Red to Red was held and saw 435 racers showed up to race. Matt and I raced the long course and enjoyed every mile of it.

We showed up Friday night to a full campsite tending to a nice fire and made some new friends. The next morning we woke up to perfect weather.

At eleven, when the race started the weather was perfect. It stayed that way till shortly after it ended and the heavens opened up a couple times. Luckily I made it back to camp in time to set up the pop-tent before it got too nasty.

Soon after the rain stopped we were treated with a full on double rainbow that lasted for at least twenty minutes. Not soon after, Shane brought us a keg and the locals followed. The rest of the night turned into a blur which I thankfully emerged from unscathed.

Sunday morning wasn’t as easy for some folks, but we managed to get a ride in before heading home.

The river trail and climb up the bluff was a great way to end a weekend. Next year will be even better.

But since we’ve been back from Hawaii, I’ve been riding quite a bit. Weekly team rides, the regular commute, and finally some good racing. Last weekend the Dalles Mountain 60 happened and it was wonderful. I left Portland just before 7 and made it to The Dalles just in time to roll out. The race started from a coffee shop called Holstein’s around 9. Shortly after crossing The Columbia we started climbing up Dalles Mountain Rd shrouded in fog. The fog was thick enough to obscure anything past twenty feet, making the climb rather surreal. And then, just as we crested the top, we broke out of the fog into glorious sunshine. The descent was a tricky, muddy mess, which negotiated at high speeds was a real thrill. Finally out of the mud, the gravel kept dropping and at one point I glanced down to see 34mph on the computer, I was hauling balls. And then things started slowing down.

The route took us east to Hwy 97 where we dropped for about 1/4 mile before crossing the highway to take the old Maryhill Loops Rd. Tight hairpin turns on smooth tarmac made for a great descent.

Soon after we dropped back to the river and crossed over back into Oregon. A quick stop for a can of coke got me headed back towards The Dalles. The route back took us on Old Moody Rd which seems steeper every time I ride it, but eventually it leveled out. Five of us cruised back into town together fighting a headwind the rest of the way.

At that point I think most people headed home.

I decided to camp out and made my way to Deschutes State Park. It’s a nice place, and during the winter it’s practically empty. I found a good spot and made a nice fire. In the morning I woke up, made some breakfast and headed down the old rail-trail. About 6 miles in I stopped, enjoyed a nice beer, and watched a hawk fish from the river. It was slightly surreal, and although I had intended to ride the entire 16 miles in, decided to head home instead. It was a great trip, the race being the highlight.

All of the photos from this trip can be seen here.

Looking forward to Echo Red to Red this weekend! More great racing and camping is always welcome.

Tomorrow I’m headed out for a long ride. One more before I leave for a nice island vacation. At least twenty miles of gravel tomorrow. W00t!

Go Means Go – Meet Your Maker video series #1. from Matthew on Vimeo.

Cory makes wonderful bags for carrying lots of stuff around. I use mine for commuting, vacationing, and once a while ago, for working. Not only does he make bags, he also makes hip pouches, hair-nets(from time to time), top-tube pads, and of course coozies.

Hit him up, and tell him Milky sent you.

If you read this site you probably already know about this. I would imagine you’re also pissed that this shit is allowed to continue.

Quiznos Pro Challenge should be removing Vail Colorado as the host city for the time trial. The people of Vail might be alright, but they elected corrupt people.

A friend of mine used to write a lot about arbitrary goals. It’s important to be motivated, and lately I’ve been a little overwhelmed with my current work situation. Spending a lot of time at a keyboard pushing pixels around can have a negative impact if it’s not matched up with regular riding. Add in the holidays and the chamois cream and there’s hardly any time for personal reflection/arbitrary riding.

But then Rapha comes out and throws down a gauntlet of sorts. I haven’t quite figured out how I’m going to document this, but I’ve got a computer and a digital camera. So they’re probably going to receive a large number of photos documenting the odometer and large cans of beer.

500km is just over 310 miles. In one week. I normally put in around 150 miles a week, so this is basically doubling the load. Seems like a good challenge. And if success comes around I might just get a sweet little patch to show off.

Rapha 500k Patch