I've done a few rides recently with my bike fully loaded with most of the gear I'm taking to the Old Country. There's a few odds and ends missing (laptop, camera, some random camping gear, off-bike clothes), but for the most part the weight and the gear are a done deal. I've managed to pack it in a way where everything fits into a pannier except for the tent poles. All of the panniers then can go into a huge duffel bag (gotten for a steal at REI for 25 bucks) in case I want to lock the bike up in a city and do a bit of shopping or something.
Anyway, yesterday's weather was sunny, rainy, cloudy and windy, all at the same time. Here's a map of the exact route. The destination was this tasty Italian restaurant that I can't recommend enough named Burrata Bistro in downtown Poulsbo.
Here are some shots of the water taken from a particularly blustery spot on Lemolo Shores:
In the second one, if you squint your eyes, you can make out a passel of sea lions luxuriating in the 50 degree weather (that's damn near tropical here in the Northwest). You can see how choppy the water was. It was windy enough that I was getting ocean spray hitting me and was nearly knocked over a couple of times. About 5 minutes after I took this pictures, a 2 minute torrent came down and made me use my handlebar bag rain cover for the first time ever. When I reached the Agate Pass Bridge, the windsock stood at full mast (no double meanings, I assure you), so I walked the bike across to avoid getting knocked into traffic.
So, almost 29 miles, some middling hills and plenty of weight on the bike. All in all, a nice little training ride and perfect way to celebrate whatever comes next.
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