Seattle area cycling

=v= Bikesummer is in Seattle this year:

http://www.bikesummer.org/2004/

It's different from previous Bikesummers in that it seems to
be mostly about recreational rides (and commercial sponsors,
including automobiles), which would seem to suit what you're
looking for.
<_Jym_>

"Larry Schuldt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

So, does anyone have any good routes around the Seattle area? How late
in the year can I usually come before I end up with all-day rains?

Thanks in advance,

Larry

Here is a handy directory of Northwest cycling events:

http://www.jimcarson.com/archives/000131.shtml

For self-supported riding, I like to ride around Lake Washington. Take the Burk
Gillman Trail North to the end and pick up the Lake Samammish trail. That's
around 25 flat miles depending on where you start. After that, you can take West
Lake Samammish Parkway, head west Parallel to I-90, then take the Lake
Washington Trail south to Renton. From there take Lake Washington Boulevard
north back to town. The total is about 60 miles with 2500 feet of climbing.

The first part of the STP is good. You could go from the start line to Spannaway
and back, 80 flat miles with a fairly tough hill in the middle. There are many
other routes on low traffic rural roads near Seattle starting around Carnation,
Snoqualmie, Maple Valley, or on Bainbridge or Vashon Islands.

Usually September is very nice around Seattle, but October is typically cold and
wet. Have fun.

Thanks to all of you for your posts. I'll probably shoot for a
mid-September trip!

Regards,
larry

Larry,

You have a ton of choices, and if you're look for hills, you can certainly
find some.

I'll deny this if you repeat it, but Seattle rarely has all-day rains. We
get a fair amount of rain at night, and we are the poster child for the
overcast day and the slow drizzle, but it really doesn't rain that much.
September is typically beautiful, and last year we had a very nice early
October, but I wouldn't count on it.

Riding around Lake Washington is a nice trip - you get a ton of scenery in
about 57 miles, and it's easy to extend if you want some more distance. If
you want 100 miles, the Flying Wheels route
(http://www.cascade.org/EandR/flying/index.cfm) features lots of hills.
There's also the "Headwaters Century" in September
(http://www.twbc.org/headw.htm)''

Those are the "sane" ones. There are less sane ones for the more
adventuresome.

--
Eric Gunnerson

Visit the C# product team at http://www.csharp.net
Eric's blog is at http://weblogs.asp.net/ericgu/

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
"Larry Schuldt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've never been to the Pacific Northwest... I was signed up to do STP
this year, then couldn't get on the plane; I was flying standby and
everything was overbooked. Anyway, live and learn.

I'm considering making another trip to Seattle before the summer's out
and am looking for some rides in the area. I'm looking for rides of up
to a hundred miles. I enjoy hills but since I'm from Illinois, I don't
get any mountain experience. I'm a roadie & don't own an MTB.

So, does anyone have any good routes around the Seattle area? How late
in the year can I usually come before I end up with all-day rains?

Thanks in advance,

Larry

Larry Schuldt <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I've never been to the Pacific Northwest... I was signed up to do STP
this year, then couldn't get on the plane; I was flying standby and
everything was overbooked. Anyway, live and learn.

Too bad, it was a great STP. I'll post the trip report soon.

Quoted message said:

I'm considering making another trip to Seattle before the summer's out
and am looking for some rides in the area. I'm looking for rides of up
to a hundred miles. I enjoy hills but since I'm from Illinois, I don't
get any mountain experience. I'm a roadie & don't own an MTB.

You may want to consider the RAPSody (Ride Around Puget Sound) bicycle
ride being held August 28-29, 2004.

The ride fee is $75 until July 23 and then $85 until registration
closes on August 13. You can download a registration flyer or
register online through Active.com by going to
http://www.rapsodyride.org.

This new 2-day ride (with 1-day option) starts and ends in Tacoma.
There is free overnight parking at the Tacoma Dome Station parking
structure. The route is approximately 165 miles and has 9,500 feet
elevation gain. The route goes through University Place, Dupont,
Olympia, Shelton (the overnight stop), Allyn, Belfair, Pt. Orchard,
and Vashon Island. This will be a much more scenic ride (IMO) than STP
is.

The ride fee includes rest stops, mechanical and sag support, luggage
transport, camping and showers at the Shelton High School, souvenir
socks, and ferry fare.

Visit the website for the route, profile, registration, packet pickup
locations, logistics, sponsors, T-shirt, and other ride info. If you
have questions, send them to [email hidden] or call
206-577-6999.

The five bike clubs hosting RAPSody are B.I.K.E.S. of Everett, Capital
Bicycle Club, Seattle Bicycle Club, Tacoma Wheelmen's Bicycle Club,
and West Sound Cycling Club. All proceeds from the ride will be
donated to the Bicycle Alliance of Washington (BAW) in order to
support statewide bicycle advocacy.

Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Larry Schuldt <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I've never been to the Pacific Northwest... I was signed up to do STP
this year, then couldn't get on the plane; I was flying standby and
everything was overbooked. Anyway, live and learn.

Too bad, it was a great STP. I'll post the trip report soon.

Know anything about an injury accident on West Valley in Pacific, at the
south end of King County? We live a couple of blocks off the STP route,
and I had a bad feeling when the town first aid unit screamed off to West
Valley on Saturday morning. Driving up West Valley half an hour later, I
saw several cyclists stopped, and one with a neck brace beside the aid
unit. Hope that was just a precaution.

--
[email hidden] is Joshua Putnam
<http://www.phred.org/~josh/>
Updated Bicycle Touring Books List:
<http://www.phred.org/~josh/bike/tourbooks.html>