Hey I loved the video! Id love to someday conquer this ride. I am also in portland, do you have any good high mileage routes around here? Im always looking for something new to torture myself with!
I did a ride from Portland to Hood River a few years ago. This climb was part of our route and it was really special. pjammcycling.com/climb/652.Larch%2520Mt.
The Cascade Cycling group really has it down. Great support. There are more scenic routes in Washington but sharing the experience with thousands of people is worth it.
We had a group paceline that stayed together until Centralia. After that we kind of fell apart. My stronger riding buddy pulled me in from St. Helens. If you decide to ride with a paceline consider 2 things. 1. Ride with people that you have practiced with. It can be frustrating and dangerous riding with people that have little experience in a group. 2. I like to set the ground rules up front. Seems to work best if everyone pulls for one mile and then goes to the back. Since all members of the group have a bike computer it is easy to know when the leader is going to pull off. Best of luck and looking forward to seeing you out there.
