Day 4: When I dip, you dip, we dip

8/9/22

to Longview, WA

Today marks the first journey into the great unknown. A special thanks is in order for the gracious hosts at St Andrew’s Church in Portland. As first-time hosts, they took nearly 30 strangers in stride, and we couldn’t have asked for a better start to the trip.

As for today’s ride, it started in true Bike & Build fashion: stopping for 15 minutes to smell the roses after riding for all of a half-mile. Couldn’t stay for too long, though, because the Willamette was beckoning for the rear wheel dip, a Bike & Build tradition that bookends each of the trips. A quick jaunt through the streets of Portland had us at the water, where a couple dueling pianos, an Instagram live and some Bike & Build alum sent us on our merry way.

Right off the bat, we were crossing the St John’s Bridge to get to Hwy 30, our home for the next 40 miles. Spending so long on the shoulder of a highway lends itself to all sorts of bumps in the road. That could mean your second flat tire of the morning (Andre) a cleat you can’t unclip (Susan) or a crank arm that no long wants to be a part of your bike - twice (Tori).

But it isn’t all mechanical failures on the road. If you ever find yourself along the road from Portland to Longview, check out Kandi’s Koffee just outside of Scappoose. You might be lucky enough to get a locally baked slice of banana bread or meet Instagram celebrity @_jellybeen_2016, a toy chihuahua who frequents the drive through coffee joint. Or maybe you can eat Burgerville in the Walmart parking lot during a rain shower that hardly lasts long enough for the folks heading to the bathroom to realize it was happening.

Just know that once you cross the Lewis and Clark bridge and find yourself in Longview, Washington, you’ll be greeted by Greg and Grady at the Church of the Nazarene. Ask Greg about his cooking, he’s the proud chef responsible for the 2nd best burger in town, behind Nipp’s, of course. He cooks for the local baseball team, and they can attest to the quality of his work. The first words out of their mouths after some time away from their Chef, “the burgers were nowhere near as good while you were gone.” And after the extensive dinner they presented for us, we can attest to the quality of their work too.

Few thank yous before closing up.

Thank you to today’s sweeps - Bria and Ryan. Taking on sweep duty right out of the gate is no joke, especially with the woes of early trip mechanics.

Thank you to everyone taking on calling and dm’ing local business for food donations. Gen, you’re a legend, and we owe every future PB&J and chipotle bowl to you.

And thank you to Eric, Casey, and the four trip leaders for keeping the early days of this trip smooth as butter. All things considered, it’s been a treat.

On to day 5.

LETS GET SOME BEANS

-Duncan Hales, DW'22

Duncan holding the now B&B celeb, Jelly Bean.