Professional Repair and
Shop Operation Class
Saturday and Sunday, December 3 & 4, 2005
Weekend
Previous | NextI didn't have big plans for the weekend. At one time I had thought about driving to the coast to see Redwood National Park near Crescent City, but it would have meant spending 4 hours in a rental car which wasn't that appealing. Instead on Saturday I explored Ashland by bike after eating breakfast at a small coffee shop near the university. It was also a good time to catch up on email at the library, and to pick up a few groceries.
On Sunday Erich and I planned to ride to Jacksonville, a small historic mining town about 25 miles away. It was a lovely day, sunny but a little cold. We started early, eating breakfast together while the others slept. We rode along the Beaver Creek Greenway for the first 5 miles or so and then followed back roads to Jacksonville. At one point we missed a turn and headed straight uphill for about 4 miles until that road turned to gravel and we realized we were going the wrong way. It was one way to warm up.
 |  |  |
| Erich fixing a flat | Goat tree | Lunch in Jacksonville |
 |  |  |
| Downtown Jacksonville | John and Erich | Outside Jacksonville |
As we headed back downhill Erich discovered he had a flat. As he changed it I hopped around trying to warm my hands and feet. Erich noted that it was a good thing he knew how to change a tire, as it hadn't been part of our lesson in bike school. I guess it was a pre-requisite.
In Jacksonville we stopped at the town park to eat the lunch we had packed. The town consisted of a main drag with lots of tourist-oriented shops. We rode through without stopping, noticing some road bikes parked in front of the coffee shop. I recognized the yellow Bike Friday that belonged to one of the students in the frame building class who was staying at the Ashland Commons, another hostel located below the cycle hostel.
 |  |  |
| Watching Erich fix a flat | Return trip | Erich's future retirement home |
We took our time riding back. As we stuggled up one of the last climbs of the day after leaving Jacksonville we were greeted by a fellow cyclist who caught us from behind. It was John Barnes, the administrator at UBI who was also taking advantage of the sunny day. He appeared to be a strong cyclist riding a light road bike. We followed him briefly as we headed down the long descent. Later we passed an old, barely-standing cabin that Erich joked would make a great retirement place; inexpensive, low maintenance, good location.
It was a great day of riding. Our final mileage was around 60 miles, that Erich wanted to stretch out in an attempt to reach 100 km. Since we planned to ride to A Taste of Thai for dinner, that would be easy. It was located past the university. We soon discovered that most of the locals didn't eat at the more expensive restaurants downtown, but frequented places such as the Thai restaurant and Señor Sam's on the outskirts of town. We had a good meal, a pleasant end to an enjoyable day.
Previous | Next