I’ve ridden with Linda (aka “Linda Lou”) many times over the last 2.5 years. She is arguably one of the nicest people in Portland Velo. Always cheerful and chatty on rides, she is a consistent, knowledgeable and experienced rider. Her love of cycling is evident each time she shows up for a ride, as she knows it’s all about doing what she loves. If she doesn’t love hills that day, she doesn’t do hills, and if the route is a long one and she’s not in the mood for that, she rides her own route. Linda is not afraid to remind people to single up on narrow roads either, as she’s a good ride leader. She is the social butterfly at Longbottom’s after the ride. Linda really impressed me with the way she stepped up and helped out the Giunta family last summer – and even told stories about Bruce at the memorial with a smile on her face. Seeing Linda at a ride and being greeted with a smile and a hug is one of the reasons PV is like a family to me. Here’s what Linda had to say:
How long have you been riding?
I got my first bike when I was 8——a sleek, black, shiny, 2-wheeler and I thought I could fly. Being the tomboy I was, I jumped on, took off and promptly ran smack into a parked car! It didn't deter me though, and now there are still those times when I'm on my bike when I feel like a kid again.
How did you find Portland Velo, and what has your experience been with the club the past few years?
My husband Doug and I started riding with the Portland Wheelmen in 1997. Once I realized I could move normally again after an easy 30 mile ride I started to actually enjoy it. The friends we made and the camaraderie we shared were by far the most rewarding elements of cycling. This made separating from our first club and helping to establish Portland Velo a bitter-sweet experience, but one I have never regretted.
What is your favorite type of weather to ride in? Describe the perfect ride.
My idea of a perfect ride takes place in summertime (duh), about 36 miles, not too hilly, but not completely flat either. A stop halfway through to refresh my legs, hit the bushes, and refill my bottle. And, natch, sunshine and no wind. Yeah, yeah I know I'm asking a lot for Oregon, but you notice you don't see much (any?) of me in winter.
What is the ride you consider your biggest accomplishment?
My favorite biking experience and the one I am proudest of was a 3-week tour through Provence. Our luggage was taken by car from town to town otherwise I'd still be at the bottom of the first hill! Truly a fantastic experience as well as a really, really hard trip, and one I'll never forget. I love seeing the countryside by bicycle and sometimes that means slowing down and actually looking.
How has cycling changed your life, or what is it about cycling that you love the most?
I do have to give much credit to my nurturing and patient (yes I said "patient") husband, Doug. He has not only kept my bikes in working order, occasionally "forcing" me into a new one, but he's kept my enthusiasm up for cycling and lets me wheel-suck when the going gets tough. I know this is a Doug Rennie many of you are not familiar with and if I could just get him to quit complaining about the weather you might see that same Doug I know.
Non-cycling friends who are astounded by the mileage we do on a bicycle ride to essentially back to where we started, ask why we do it. My standard reply has become....."Because I can." For this I am most grateful and hope for many more wonderful years of cycling.
Here are some photos that Doug provided - from their 3-week bike trip in Provence, France in 2004.
Linda climbing on the lower slopes of the Col de Columbiere. You can see how it goes down off to the right.
Very cool. From the town of Mons. It was August 29, and they were celebrating the town's Liberation Day, the 50th anniversary of their liberation from the "German Occupiers" (apparently the word Nazi was censored by our web server) *** in WW II. There were tables filled with food and wine everywhere and when we rode in, we were cheered with "Viva les Americaines!!!!" and food and wine was all but thrust at us. This is Linda standing in front of the town's memorial to the dead of World War I in the town center. Check out all the flags!
A tired Linda trying to hoist her bike overhead right in the middle of the French Maritime Alps where we were WAY up, and had to climb a long time to get there.