07.24.24
How should we spend our time? This question is key to a fulfilling life and after the events of this past weekend, riding bikes is probably a big part of the answer. The 40th ride of Seattle to Portland took place in early July and the Bora Cycling Team showed up in force for this two-day, 206-mile ride from the University of Washington campus to the Lloyd Center mall in central Portland. Along the way, we got to experience picturesque pastoral roads, breathtaking mountain views, unseasonable heat, a little too much traffic, and epic swimming holes–all in all a phenomenal experience resulting in individual achievement and community building.
Our journey began back in March around the crazy idea that with a little training, we could not only build a cycling team, but then ride 200 miles. Over the months of training rides, the team continued to get stronger. We rode together weekly, though rain, cold, and west-side hills. We explored new parts of Portland and then ventured into the Columbia River Gorge and the surrounding countryside. We started riding in formation and extended our routes from 15 miles to more than 80. By the time we arrived in Seattle, we were a team in all but matching jerseys.
In past years Bora’s endurance event of choice was Hood to Coast, a 24-hour van ride with some running and delusion sprinkled throughout. In that event, you track “kills”–runners you pass out on the road. For Seattle to Portland, we instead got to track “friendly captures,” or other riders who joined our group along the way, in some cases doubling the length of the peloton.
We’ll keep riding and are looking forward to returning to the event next year. After all, what better way to spend our time than 9 hours in the saddle (except for maybe doing it twice)?