chilly hilly

greggery peccary said:

Is anyone going this year? just signed up for the first time,
wondering what to expect...please dont say "chilly and hilly" thanks
-alan

Cool temps, lots of climbing.

:-D

"greggery peccary" <.@.> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is anyone going this year? just signed up for the first time, wondering
what
to expect...please dont say "chilly and hilly" thanks

I've done Chilly Hilly a number of times. Here's some of my thoughts:

It's not always chilly. One year it was downright balmy.

It is very, very hilly. No joke. Baker Hill is a doozy. Tandems beware.

Try to take the bike-only ferry. There is something quite fetching about
being on the ferry with 56 million other cyclists all on the main ferry
deck. You will never have seen so much hi-vis yellow in your life. Oh dang,
I just looked at the site and saw there isn't a bike-only ferry this year.
So never mind. On the return ferry you'll be able to identify your fellow
cyclists by their smell.

The food is minimal, so minimal just forget it. If there's actually food at
any of the stops, consider it a bonus, rather than count on it.

It's a popular ride, and one of the great difficulties is dealing with all
the hill climbing and relative speeds when the density of riders is great.
It may be tempting to go over the yellow stripe to get around people. Don't.
Similarly, don't ride more than single file going up and down hills, as you
will drive other people insane.

If you get tuckered out, there's a short-cut, and you can lop off about10
miles off of your ride.

I thought I'd be out of town for Chilly Hilly, but double-checking the date,
I guess I won't be, so maybe I'll see you on the road!

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

greggery peccary .@. said:

Is anyone going this year? just signed up for the first time, wondering what
to expect...please dont say "chilly and hilly" thanks

I might do it again this year since a couple of my coworkers are doing
it. I did it a couple of years ago, but haven't bothered since. When
you cycle year round, the prospect of being packed onto the same stretch
with umpteen thousand people getting on the bike for the first time this
year isn't that attractive.

If you're used to cycling in Seattle, the hills are nothing special.
In recent years the weather has been rather good IIRC. But of course
that is strictly luck of the draw.

--
Dane Buson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
Yesterday upon the stair
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today --
I think he's from the CIA.

"Claire Petersky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"greggery peccary" <.@.> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is anyone going this year? just signed up for the first time, wondering
what
to expect...please dont say "chilly and hilly" thanks

I've done Chilly Hilly a number of times. Here's some of my thoughts:

It's not always chilly. One year it was downright balmy.

It is very, very hilly. No joke. Baker Hill is a doozy. Tandems beware.

Try to take the bike-only ferry. There is something quite fetching about
being on the ferry with 56 million other cyclists all on the main ferry
deck. You will never have seen so much hi-vis yellow in your life. Oh

dang,

Quoted message said:

I just looked at the site and saw there isn't a bike-only ferry this year.
So never mind. On the return ferry you'll be able to identify your fellow
cyclists by their smell.

The food is minimal, so minimal just forget it. If there's actually food

at

Quoted message said:

any of the stops, consider it a bonus, rather than count on it.

It's a popular ride, and one of the great difficulties is dealing with all
the hill climbing and relative speeds when the density of riders is great.
It may be tempting to go over the yellow stripe to get around people.

Don't.

Quoted message said:

Similarly, don't ride more than single file going up and down hills, as

you

Quoted message said:

will drive other people insane.

If you get tuckered out, there's a short-cut, and you can lop off about10
miles off of your ride.

I thought I'd be out of town for Chilly Hilly, but double-checking the

date,

Quoted message said:

I guess I won't be, so maybe I'll see you on the road!

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky

thanks for the input but single file? huh? with thousands of riders? sounds
like a big traffic jam! will i be riding my brakes down the hills? the idea
that i will have to slog up these hills and not enjoy the descent makes me
regret signing up! i guess if you see me there i'll be the one driving
everyone else insane...
🙁

"Claire Petersky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"greggery peccary" <.@.> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is anyone going this year? just signed up for the first time, wondering
what
to expect...please dont say "chilly and hilly" thanks

I've done Chilly Hilly a number of times. Here's some of my thoughts:

It's not always chilly. One year it was downright balmy.

It is very, very hilly. No joke. Baker Hill is a doozy. Tandems beware.

Try to take the bike-only ferry. There is something quite fetching about
being on the ferry with 56 million other cyclists all on the main ferry
deck. You will never have seen so much hi-vis yellow in your life. Oh

dang,

Quoted message said:

I just looked at the site and saw there isn't a bike-only ferry this year.
So never mind. On the return ferry you'll be able to identify your fellow
cyclists by their smell.

The food is minimal, so minimal just forget it. If there's actually food

at

Quoted message said:

any of the stops, consider it a bonus, rather than count on it.

It's a popular ride, and one of the great difficulties is dealing with all
the hill climbing and relative speeds when the density of riders is great.
It may be tempting to go over the yellow stripe to get around people.

Don't.

Quoted message said:

Similarly, don't ride more than single file going up and down hills, as

you

Quoted message said:

will drive other people insane.

If you get tuckered out, there's a short-cut, and you can lop off about10
miles off of your ride.

I thought I'd be out of town for Chilly Hilly, but double-checking the

date,

Quoted message said:

I guess I won't be, so maybe I'll see you on the road!

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky

don't they close the road to cagers?

"Dane Buson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

greggery peccary .@. said:

Is anyone going this year? just signed up for the first time, wondering

what

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to expect...please dont say "chilly and hilly" thanks

I might do it again this year since a couple of my coworkers are doing
it. I did it a couple of years ago, but haven't bothered since. When
you cycle year round, the prospect of being packed onto the same stretch
with umpteen thousand people getting on the bike for the first time this
year isn't that attractive.

If you're used to cycling in Seattle, the hills are nothing special.
In recent years the weather has been rather good IIRC. But of course
that is strictly luck of the draw.

--
Dane Buson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g

yes of course. i commute here all year (16 miles/day) but never ride with
others. maybe it isnt such a hoot. i wonder if i can get my $20 back...i bet
not.
thanks -alan

greggery peccary' .@. said:

yes of course. i commute here all year (16 miles/day) but never ride with
others. maybe it isnt such a hoot. i wonder if i can get my $20 back...i bet
not.
thanks -alan

It gives you the chance to meet cyclists you might not otherwise have
met. Treat it like a cocktail party rather than a competition.
--
zk

"greggery peccary" <.@.> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Claire Petersky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

thanks for the input but single file? huh? with thousands of riders?

No, I mean, if you come with friends, don't ride side by side up and down
the hills. It's hard enough to pass people, but if several sets of people
insist on riding side by side, there's a huge block. Then other riders get
tempted to cross the yellow line down the center to get around the block,
which is not the safest thing to do.

And, no, they don't close the road to cagers. People on Bainbridge are
resigned to it -- they usually just hole up in their houses the day of the
Chilly Hilly and not go out. I have a few friends who know people on the
Island, and they use the Chilly Hilly as an excuse to ride from one friend's
house to the other, and the friends provide food, drink, and hospitality.

I personally think the ride is lots of fun, but as Dane notes, for some
folks, it's their first ride since the October Color Classic, and there's
occasional doofi, just like there is on any big organized ride.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

greggery peccary .@. said:

"Dane Buson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

greggery peccary .@. said:

Is anyone going this year? just signed up for the first time, wondering

what

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to expect...please dont say "chilly and hilly" thanks

I might do it again this year since a couple of my coworkers are doing
it. I did it a couple of years ago, but haven't bothered since. When
you cycle year round, the prospect of being packed onto the same stretch
with umpteen thousand people getting on the bike for the first time this
year isn't that attractive.

If you're used to cycling in Seattle, the hills are nothing special.
In recent years the weather has been rather good IIRC. But of course
that is strictly luck of the draw.

yes of course. i commute here all year (16 miles/day) but never ride with
others. maybe it isnt such a hoot. i wonder if i can get my $20 back...i bet
not.

Nah, don't pay attention to my crotchetyness. I enjoyed riding it, even
though there was a hajillion cyclists per square inch in some sections.
It really is best done as a social ride. Go do it, the worst that
should happen is you get to ride around Bainbridge and decide you don't
do it next year.

--
Dane Buson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
"Save the whales. Collect the whole set."