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Club Member Spotlight: Photos by Jim Herman at the 20076 Great Western Bicycle Rally in Paso Robles, May 25-28, 2007
Haiku Wei Sun BICYCLING AROUND THE ISLAND OF OAHU On Thursday, June 12, 1997, I went on a ride around the island of Oahu - a distance of 88 miles on the route I selected. Many times during the ride I said to myself that the only way this ride could be better would be if I could share it with my bicycling friends. So I decided that if you couldn't be there in person, that I would try to put my experience in words so that I could share it with you in some small way. The following are my impressions and thoughts written in the present tense as I experienced them. I start at 8:30 am from the home of my wife's cousin, located in Kam (Kamehameha) Heights, where I also used to live as a young boy. Luckily, I know the area, so I take a short cut to my first major road - the Pali Highway. I ride about a mile in light rain before the turn-off onto Nuuanu Pali Road, the suggested route for bicyclists. Immediately, I encounter a fairly steep climb - only 3 and 1/2 miles into the ride! To add to my woes, the light rain turns into a driving one. This climb lasts for about 2 miles, and I have to get out of my big chainring up front and shift into my second lowest gear. I leave the last gear for "emergencies." Despite the tough climb, I still appreciate the lush growth all around me. In fact, the overhead growth is so dense in many places that it protects me from the rain. Merging back onto the Pali Highway, I find that the grade is not as steep. I shift into my big chain ring and move a little faster on the far side of the road. There is a narrow shoulder here. Nearing the Pali Tunnels (there are two short ones fairly close together), I look for a break in the traffic in the lane to my left (the "slow" lane). Finding the opening, I move into the lane and establish my position there. This is the suggested method for going through the tunnels, as relayed to me by the folks at the Island Triathlon and Bike Shop. There is no "shoulder" at all, so I pedal hard. Luckily, the road turns downhill and I quickly accelerate to 30 miles per hour. I can't go any faster, because there is a stiff wind in my face. When there is a shoulder for me again, I move aside. Making a long, sweeping turn to my left, I now have a tailwind, and I speed up to almost 40 mph. When I get near the signal light at the bottom of the grade I look for an opening to move into the left turn lane. I see one, and I move over. I don't have to go to game plan "B," which is to turn right at the intersection, make a U-turn, and cross with the light. The green arrow comes on, and I turn onto the Kamehameha Highway. I look at my average speed on my cyclocomputer. Despite the fast downhill, I have averaged only 12.2 mph for the first 9 miles. Now I am traveling in the vicinity of the area where I have stayed the past 5 days. I move past familiar places - the cemetery where my father, his brother, and his parents are at rest. I say a few silent words to them. Then I go past Masa's and Joyce's Okazuya, where my wife and I ate a Japanese bento lunch two days ago. There's Kaneohe Bakery, where we bought a cake. Now I see Zippy's Restaurant, where we got some take-out the day before that. At about mile 15, the ocean appears on my right. It's a great sight, and one I had really been looking forward to. (This sight will keep me company for the next 35 miles!) I come to a stop sign and turn right. Right across the street is where we had bought some "pickled mangoes" from a roadside vendor about two days previous. Across the bridge and to the right is a little park where we had eaten the take-out from Zippy's. At mile 25, the Crouching Lion Inn and Restaurant appears on my left. My wife and I had eaten dinner there two days previously on our anniversary. (Thank you, Enid, for the coupon.) As I pass, I look up to see if I can make out the form of the "crouching lion" in the rocks above the restaurant. As usual, I can't. I try not to think of the Chocolate Banana Cream Pie I had for dessert after dinner there. Instead, I look at the ocean and concentrate on appreciating the sight of the waves breaking on shore not twenty feet to my right. Awesome. A fantastic sight! Hmm... my wife's Chocolate Macadamia Pie had been delicious, also. At mile 31, I stop in Hauula at Masa's Market to buy a Diet Coke. I take it outside to drink and eat the little "sampler size" Power Bar I had gotten at the Great Western Bicycle Rally. It's good - Peanut Butter Flavor. I move on, but stop for more Gatorade just 6 miles down the road at Kahuku. This is a little town that used to be home to a sugar mill that refined sugar for the sugar cane plantations on this side of the island. Now there are just service stations and tourist shops here. I move on with my water bottle filled again. There is a tailwind, so I pedal at 17-18 mph. I tell myself that I should remember to tell Nikki and Enid that, finally, it IS a little warmer and a little more humid - and I love it. On my right I pass Ehukai Beach, where two years ago my sister's family and mine had gone to experience some big waves. Those waves had continually smashed us and pushed us all over the beach. We loved it, and we still talk about that day at the beach. I pass the entrance to Waimea Falls on my left, and look over to Waimea Beach on my right. Look! Those kids are diving off those high rocks into the ocean below. They're having a great time. At 12:15 pm, I enter Haleiwa. I check my cyclocomputer. I have ridden 51 miles at an average speed of 15.7 mph. Now to get some lunch, and I know just where I want to go. I ride past world famous Matsumoto's Shave Ice Store and on down to a little shopping center. There it is - L & L Drive-Inn. This is my favorite chain of drive-inns on Oahu, but I had not eaten at any on this trip yet. Well, I was about to rectify that situation. I order the mini-plate lunch of sweet and sour spareribs (island style). When it comes, I eat all the spareribs and macaroni salad, but leave some of the rice. Don't want to overdo it. It's 1:00 pm - time to move on. I ride out of town and start up the long uphill. This, I was told, is the toughest part of the ride. It's almost 6 miles of uphill, and it's into the teeth of a strong headwind that blows between two major mountain ranges. I shift once again out of my big chainring, and I grind it out. Once again, I'm into my second lowest gear, and I can barely hold 7 mph most of the time. Finally, I get to the top and can coast on a slight downhill for a little while. I check my average speed - down to 14.5 mph. At the next route option, I turn right toward Schofield, then enter the town a couple of miles later. I turn right, as recommended, onto Kunia Road, and commence to ride on a section of rolling hills that gradually bring me to a lower elevation. The downhills are certainly welcome, but I've had enough of the uphills. I then merge, once again, onto the Kam Highway and head for Waipahu. At mile 71, I enter Waipahu and stop at McDonald's for one last rest stop. I buy a Diet Coke and eat the Clif Bar I had bought previously. When I'm done, I ask two local boys, about 11-12 years of age, to watch my bike while I go to the bathroom. When I return, I talk to them for a while, and I mention that I've got to get back home after riding around the island. They look at each other and laugh - as if to say, AWhy would anyone want to do that?@ I say good-bye to the boys and head out. I enter Pearl City, and look for Lehua Street, down which is the entrance to the bike path. There it is - turn right. Now to find the entrance. Oops, not here. Okay, there it is. About three miles on, the bike path is closed at a little bridge. There are workers there who have closed it up. I ask if I can go through, but they point out that they've put up a temporary fence, and the only way to get around is to carry my bike and walk along the outside of the railing on the bridge. I'm too tired to go back, so I cross the 100 foot bridge carrying my bike on my right shoulder and holding on for dear life with my left hand to the railing of the bridge. I look down. If I slip off the 4-inch wide section of concrete I'm walking on with my bicycling cleats, it's a 15 foot fall into the water of the harbor. I finally make the crossing and, much relieved, move on. The bike path ends, and once more I'm riding with traffic. I'm getting more tired, but I've only got around 10 miles to go. There, off to my right, is my old grammar school. Now I'm onto the Nimitz Highway, and really riding with traffic. There is no shoulder here, but the drivers are being pretty considerate. Now I take the turn-off to Dillingham Boulevard. Hey, there's Dee-Lite Bakery on my left, where they make the absolutely best Guava Chiffon Cake on this entire planet. And the next cross street is where I used to wait to transfer to the bus that took me close to home. There's Waiakamilo Street - I've got to turn left there. Now past Damien High School, which I would probably have attended if we had not moved to the Mainland. Ah, here's the home stretch. Cross School Street and start uphill. Funny, it doesn't look steep enough to feel this tough. Take a left turn onto Aupuni Street, and now it's really tough. Just two blocks more, and I'm home. I look at my watch. It's 4:20 pm - 7 hours and 50 minutes after I started this morning. My riding time is 6 hours and 1 minute, for an average speed of 14.6 mph over the 88 miles. I'm tired, but exhilarated. It's been a great ride. If only I could have shared it with my bicycling friends. Hmmmm... Al Quintana June 3, 2007
Ron arrived and then the rest of the riders trickled in. The group consisted of Ron Mitchell, Ron Razura, Conni Smith, Tony Flusche, Murat Alaybeyi, Burcu Alaybeyi, Derrick Tuttle (Guest), Calvert Lee (Guest), and myself. We rolled out on time at about 9:15 a.m. Funny…I kept waiting for someone to scream out “FIVE MINUTES” and quickly remembered that Mike Northrup wasn’t leading this ride. J We enjoyed a fairly leisurely ride, but at a moderate pace. The head wind got progressively stronger as we approached the Oakland Airport and got closer to the Bay. Then, while riding, I was glancing down at Tony’s rear tire. It looked like it was going flat, but I couldn’t tell if it was the shadow I was seeing or not. Shortly after I noticed, but before I said something, Tony yells out, “I’ve got a flat.” It was good timing, as I was dealing with a sore calf muscle, so I enjoyed the short break.
We stopped along the way to say goodbye to Calvert, who wanted to take BART back. There rest of us decided to ride all the way back. In San Leandro, Tony and I said goodbye and split off from the group. It was amazing how the temperature changed as we went further and further from the water. We arrived back at the Castro Valley BART station at about 1:25 p.m. I looked down at my Flight Deck. WOW! 60 miles! I went home and took a few Advil and cracked open a cold beer. Ahhh…that was a great ride! It feels great to be back in the saddle again!
~Steve Wilson |
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I hadn’t been on the bike much, in the last year or so, since moving from Fremont to Dublin. I had just gotten back into a regular ride schedule about a month ago, but hadn’t done any rides longer than 15 or 20 miles. Tony not only talked me into doing Ron’s 40-mile (which turned into a 60 mile) Alameda ride, but starting with him in Castro Valley. I parked in the BART station parking lot (just in case I decided to take BART back) and Tony rolled up around 8:00 a.m. We rode to Mission Blvd., over to Decoto Rd., down to Cabrillo Dr., and over to the start point at the Bicycle Garage. We arrived with plenty of time before the official ride started.
We rode over the bridge and eventually got down to the beach area and rode through the park. The bike path was a bit of a challenge as there were many joggers, walkers, kids on bikes, strollers (some doublewide for the twins), etc. We arrived at our destination, the Ballena Bay Cafe & Deli, but confused some of the riders, as Ron wanted to ride to the end of the turnaround and then come back. Those of us that were hungry and ready for a rest were thinking, “Wait! There it is! Why are we passing it?” We pulled in behind the deli and leaned our bikes against the bushes. We placed our orders and enjoyed the outdoor eating area. There was a small pond next to us. Tony insisted that the fish was being koi. The delicious food, good company & conversation made for a pleasant lunch. Feeling satisfied and rested, we decided to head back.