Tour de Cure July 28, 2012

[DarcyInOregon]

The first training ride on March 3 was a great success. Fifty-four cyclists showed up, and many cyclists were new to a bike. The more advanced cyclists did multiple loops of the route and focused on bike skills, like standing sprints, to keep up the heart rate. A few of the newer cyclists were able to ride more miles than they thought they were capable of, and were proud of their achievements. It was a good ride, no rain, and about 52 degrees on the bike. Food and water was provided before and after the ride, and between the laps if multiple laps were biked. The representative from Gleukos showed up and each rider was given a bottle of Gleukos, a type of drink designed to keep the blood sugars stable when cycling, and the bottle fits nicely into a bike's bottle cage.

[DarcyInOregon]

The second training ride on March 10 was a lot of fun. It was an easy ride on Sauvie Island, which is flat terrain, and extremely scenic. 47 cyclists participated in the ride. Bike Gallery was there once again pre-ride to assist cyclists who had been letting their bikes collect dust for several years. It was a loop of 12.3 miles around the island, and many cyclists biked multiple loops. It didn't start raining until the first loop was almost completed. There was a strong headwind, but it made riding the side of the island with the tailwind extra fun because of the increased speeds.

Next week the training ride is a short ride on a trail out to Wintler Park in Vancouver, however quite a few of the training group will be adding some unofficial TDC miles by biking out to Frenchman's Bar also, all along the scenic Columbia River, making the total ride about 30 miles.

[DarcyInOregon]

The third training ride for the Tour de Cure training group was another good ride, about 42 degrees on the bike, and only a bit of rain for those who biked the extended miles. We had many new cyclists join the group, and some who participated after learning about it on Team Estrogen. Forty cyclists attended, all dressed in winter clothing for protection against the cold and rain. One regular is a unicylist riding with type 1 diabetes. There was an 8-mile trail and street ride along the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington, and after the ride a subgroup of 12 cyclists rode more miles through Vancouver and out to Frenchman's Bar, a sandbar along the river to the west of Vancouver.

The fourth training ride is out of Hillsboro on the farm roads, with a few small hills, and of course extended miles for the cyclists who need to bike more miles.

[DarcyInOregon]

The fourth training ride was a lot of fun, 42 cyclists pedaling, plus volunteers in SAG vehicles and one volunteer on a motorcycle. There was a short route and a longer route to accommodate the different levels of cyclists. This was the first time on a road for many of the new cyclists, and their first time biking up and down moderate rollers. Many of the volunteers were kept busy in the back half assisting new cyclists.

The Tour de Cure is more than just about raising money for the American Diabetes Association via the charity bike ride event, it is about getting people onto bikes to promote and encouage increased fitness and health, and to hopefully help diabetics control blood sugars and to prevent others from getting diabetes. Exercise is part of the equation to obtaining improved health, and cycling is a way to exercise while having a lot of fun.

[DarcyInOregon]

The ride on Saturday, March 31, was in a downpour of rain, but 23 hardy cyclists attended. The routes were borrowed from the Vancouver Bicycle Club, went along Salmon Creek and over quite a few rollers. Everyone had a lot of fun.

The weather for April 7 will be warmer and no rain. The routes will be around Hagg Lake, which is near Gaston, with a short route out of the park to accommodate newer cyclists who can't go up and down the hills yet. There is a route option that gives stronger cyclists a category 5 climb, along with more up and down terrain around the lake. Quite a few cyclists are responding with RSVPs, and the estimate for attendance is that there will be over 50 cyclists again.

For all of the volunteers who work so hard to put together these rides, it is real heartwarming to see people come out on their bikes for the first time, realizing that cycling will help them gain improved fitness and health, and to help themselves and others to find a way to cope with their diabetes. My team, Team Red Portland/Tommy's Team, is the team to which many of the Red Riders belong, cyclists who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and this year our Team Red jersey reads on the back, "I Ride to Stop Diabetes."

[DarcyInOregon]

Amazing ride today, all sunshine, with various route options. Fifty-four cyclists signed in, but a head count indicates that the actual number of cyclists in attendance was around 65. The ride today was at Hagg Lake near Gaston in Oregon. The route around the lake in either direction is hilly, but two choices of direction. We had a flatter route that went out of the Hagg Lake Park out to Patton Valley, then back again, with one steep climb to get back into the park. Most cyclists did multiple loops of the lake, or a combination of the flatter route plus a loop or two around the lake. The scenery is gorgeous, lots of cyclists out today, not just Tour de Cure.

Our ride numbers are growing because we are trying to reach people who are diagnosed with diabetes and pre-diabetes, get them on a bike, and have them join the training group so that they can discover that cycling indeed brings down their HA1C and helps them control their blood sugars, to the delight of their doctors, and all while they are having fun cycling!

[DarcyInOregon]

Saturday, April 14, was another great ride. Fifty-one cyclists rode with two different routes, a shorter route of 16 miles and a longer route of 38 miles. Volunteers acted as Ride Leaders and Ride Assists, making sure cyclists made the correct turns. There were two volunteer motorcylists and a SAG vehicle for the longer route. The ride was out of Champoeg State Park in the beautiful Willamette Valley, undulating terrain, and balmy sunshine with scattered clouds. The scenery was gorgeous. Everybody had a great time. It was great to make new friends and ride with old friends.

On April 21 the training ride is east of Portland, up the Historic Columbia River Hwy to Crown Point State Park, which includes one categroy-4 climb and one category-5 climb.