I have to admit something. I lived in Portland for probably seven years before I really started drinking coffee. Before that, I was in the land of Peet’s, and still to me a Coke or worse-yet, a Mountain Dew was the caffeinated drink of choice, not a coffee. Horrible, I know. How could I have made it so long without realizing the finer qualities of a well-made Americano? I can’t believe Portland didn’t banish me to Beaverton or Hillsboro really now that I think about it.

The funny thing is I didn’t even realize what I was missing by not drinking coffee. The quick lift of a cold Coke mid-way through a long ride when you stop at the store is perhaps one of life’s great things. But, it’s the togetherness of a pre or post-ride coffee that in the last year or so I can now fully appreciate. A quick espresso for that morning kick or a double afterward usually mixed with a hint of anxiousness because I’m sure my wife and son aren’t just hanging out enjoying a coffee and a chat with friends while looking smart in cycling attire. Still, it’s part of the ritual. A routine. It’s just one more thing that cycling makes better.

Another bonus of traveling to Portland is getting to visit with some old, and new, friends. I haven’t known Ira Ryan that long, but he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve come across. I got to visit with him in his new shop and see some of those top quality bicycles that he makes. It really is quite something, and during the course of it all, I got so caught up in it, I think that I ended up saying I’d like to have one made for me. So be careful when visiting frame builders who make beautiful bikes…..it might end up being an expensive visit.

You can hear that whistle…

We rode through the neighborhood over to a friend’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. Jacqueline hauled the mashed potatoes, casserole, and other food in the trailer, while I carried ice cream and extra chairs on the Big Dummy. Took these snaps from the bike along the way…

Making a trip over to Portland from Missoula is always a treat. All of the cycling related activities make the 8+ hour drive a little more tolerable. And I get to see my nieces, who seem to spend a lot of their days being carted around in Burley trailers…

Team & individual sponsorship proposals are rolling in by the dozen these days and likely adding a nice end-of-year boost to Kinko’s bottom line. No matter the discipline, nearly every pitch offers the promise of the ultimate return on investment – “your logo on our jersey”.Somewhere right now James Selman is crying…