Joe, I know you’ve finished the STP in the past, but what happened this year? Did you finish your second STP? We eagerly await the ride report.
Straightarrow: tough luck, and good work. If you have any more details you want to share, this is the place.
I had a good ride. The short story …
I left real early, 12:36 AM, riding the few miles from our B&B to the start line. We went through lots of troubles along the way. One drunk driver wrecked while passing us Saturday morning. It gives new meaning to “on the LEFT”. My knee(s) hurt enough that I considered dropping out almost the entire trip. The wind must have been blowing a 25 mph plus crosswind going over the Longview - Rainier bridge (passed about six or seven on the bridge). I called it a day at Rainier after 156 or so miles at about 6:30 PM. Crossing on Saturday avoided the escorted masses of Sunday. We went back to Longview and found a room and restaurant.
Sunday we started late. I rode away from Rainier after 10:30 AM. It rained on Sunday. Might be why they call one of the towns ‘Rainier’. I helped pick up cyclists that wrecked passing me Sunday. One of them they sent to the hospital. I was rear ended while crossing a bad pair of railroad crossings (brought back memories). Plenty of bumps and crashes on the last three miles as congestion built near the finish line. I finished at Portland a little before 3:30 PM, a little short of 50 miles for the day.
36 / 125 cranks
About 206 total miles
23 hours including breaks (excluding the overnight stop)
Head winds both days.
Nice Finish Joe
Nice finish Joe. I knew you were in Oregon Saturday around 6 or 7pm. A friend doing the STP on his road bike called and said “Holy crap! I just passed your buddy on a unicycle in Oregon!” I told him to tell you I was catching up any minute. We laughed, and I was still not to Centralia yet. I knew you would finish. You are the best example and thank you for all the help Joe. I wish I had been there when you crossed the finish line but I was busy struggling to brace my insides from complete and utter collapse.
Cascade Bicycle Club did an outstanding event. I remember Bruce Dawson saying they were very receptive to “unicyclists” and thinking he may be “overselling” it. Bruce was very conservative in his assessment that the “bicyclists” wanted us there. I say: Show up for the STP on a unicycle, and I swear, they will treat you like a “Rockstar”…serious. It is pretty much amazing. I never heard a single negative comment from anyone involved with the STP and more than a few thousand people had positive commentary and wanted pictures at the stops with one of the “unicycle guys” and wanted me to be on their My Space, or Facebook or wanted to E-Mail a picture they took. I like people in general but this event brought out the best people to a magnitude that still amazes me. I admit I am prejudiced. How could I be otherwise? Having literally thousands of people support you is kinda life affirming.
I’m glad Bruce Dawson took the time to write his STP experience.
156 miles in a day puts you in very exclusive territory. There may be more, but I can only think of three people in the entire world that have ridden that distance in a day on a unicycle. Congratulations on completing what sounds like a brutally hard ride.