Chum salmon, also known as dog salmon,  the stuff you feed your sled dogs while you eat Chinook, the King Salmon.

I am referring to ChinookPass' weekend; STP, then riding home the next day.  This past week, I did the chum version.  Went out Thursday to do close to 100 miles ans around 2000' of climbing, all fixed but changing cogs for the final climb and descent.  Had innertube issues, deleted the final climb and rode the final 20 miles on the much flatter highway (where I was far more likely to run across a tube carrying cyclist).  93 miles, 1500'.

Yesterday I did most of that ride again, deleting the loop around Hagg Lake and adding miles close to home.  Bike behaved beautifully and the climb went well.  (43 x 21, then 13 to go down.  Perfect!)   105 miles and also 1500'.

Those were rides 1 and 3 for length on Jessica J, my fixie and newest bike.  (#2 remains the biggie, the near epic Cycle Oregon ride to Crater Lake rim and around with the unplanned (and ear to ear grin) 5 mile descent toward Diamond Lake and the 1000' climb to get back on course.  98 miles and 8,800'.)

That bike is beginning to feel like home to me.  Sitting on it all day is no issue.  My hands are no finding the radical pista bars comfortable (using the old hand positions I used in my racing days with Eddy-like lever positions.  Good thing because this year, I plan to ride that set-up all 7 days of Cycle Oregon.  Last time I brought a regular road set-up also and used it for the 3 flatter days.  All week on the climbing bars would have been rough.  Best of all, if I pace myself, I can sit on it all day, stand up for many hills and still feel comfortable late in the day.

Now if I could only get shoes that were that sweet and required just one pair of socks.  Yesterday I wisely rode my oldest oversized shoes, the ones sized for winter socks.  Wore two pairs of cycling socks with the straps near closed entirely and had happy feet.  Haven't had shoes sized for one pair of socks that comfortable in years.

Ben