Pacific Northwest - Tacoma: Where do you ride?

So I have not really noticed many riders in Tacoma. I ran across a few this summer at the five mile drive but thats it. Where is everyone riding?

Well, not a ton of options for riding in T-town. I usually do a loop that includes five mile drive or a loop that includes going through Steilacoom and/or DuPont. Check the Tacoma Wheelmen Club's website to get some routes or join a group ride. http://www.twbc.org/

If you have some time and are not adverse to hills, taking the ferry to Vashon makes for some good ridin' . . .

Hmm........that sounds nice. I havent been there since I was a kid. Maybe I'll check it out.

Have you tried the foothills trail? Not in Tacoma, but not far either. Of course you could ride through the hilltop, then down through the east side. It would probably help you with your sprinting.

Normally I do the hills in downtown then come up Tacoma Ave. run that down past Stadium into Old Town down to Ruston and out to Point Defiance for the 5-mile loop and then back. Best doing to 5 mile loop when its closed to motor traffic.

I like Drexman's route though... I will be doing that as soon as I heal up.

The sun has approximately 2 billion years of light left, The foothills trail will be finished in the dark. There is a mish mash of MUP trail being built around Sumner/Puyallup and I think there is trail to the bridge that goes over the Puyallup river next to River road where you cross into Fife but it just stops at a point then nada. It would be great if it gets done all the way into T-town but I'm not holding my breath. I do like the foothills trail though its a nice scenic if not busy ride to South Prarie. I'll be glad if it ever gets done all the way to Carbonado and Wilkeson, see my opening comment

The sun has approximately 2 billion years of light left, The foothills trail will be finished in the dark... I'll be glad if it ever gets done all the way to Carbonado and Wilkeson, see my opening comment

:roflmao:

You must have read my question asking: How can I get from Kent to Olympia or vice versa :D .

East Hill

The sun has approximately 2 billion years of light left, The foothills trail will be finished in the dark. There is a mish mash of MUP trail being built around Sumner/Puyallup and I think there is trail to the bridge that goes over the Puyallup river next to River road where you cross into Fife but it just stops at a point then nada. It would be great if it gets done all the way into T-town but I'm not holding my breath. I do like the foothills trail though its a nice scenic if not busy ride to South Prarie. I'll be glad if it ever gets done all the way to Carbonado and Wilkeson, see my opening comment


Just a little update. I just moved to Puyallup. I live on the river. Its out my back door! The last leg of the riverfront trail to Sumner is nearly complete! I think by the end of summer it will go behind my back yard. Right now it is a block away. I rode the completed portion from behind safeway on main to Sumner and it is beautiful. It will go thru Van Lerops and meet up with the trail to South Prairie (which rocks!) pretty soon. Yippee! I never have to drive again! Except at work. Damn!

i know of a good 25 miler that follows some of the STP route through puyallup. for the most part nice and flat.
here is the gmap-pedometer link:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=828948

Wow this is actually bumming me out a bit. I go home to Tacoma for summer break in a couple of weeks and theres really no where to ride. Guess i'll have to hit up Seattle.

so i thought that i would post one more thread listing out some of the routes that i ride in Tacoma. i think that they are really good, if you dont mind the occasional railroad track, or idiot that does not realize he has to share the road and honks at you:
T-town to Browns Point to Puyallup:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=962855

Puyallup Pt. Defiance:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=831976

Puyallup- Flat:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=828948

The sun has approximately 2 billion years of light left, The foothills trail will be finished in the dark. There is a mish mash of MUP trail being built around Sumner/Puyallup and I think there is trail to the bridge that goes over the Puyallup river next to River road where you cross into Fife but it just stops at a point then nada. It would be great if it gets done all the way into T-town but I'm not holding my breath. I do like the foothills trail though its a nice scenic if not busy ride to South Prarie. I'll be glad if it ever gets done all the way to Carbonado and Wilkeson, see my opening comment

I've only ridden the Foothills Trail a couple of times but when you get to South Praire, continue on the road a short distance then turn right on Lower Burnett Road, follow Upper Burnett Rd, then turn right on 165 toward Wilkeson and Carbonado. Past Carbonado there is virtually no traffic and good chip/seal road as you head toward Rainier NP. Go as far as your legs will take you. Best part is that most of the way back to your starting point is downhill. I've easily done a 75 mile out and back and it could be stretched even further. There is a bike shop in Orting that can give you excellent directions. He may even have a few photocopies of the map he shared with me my first time.

Brian at Trailside bikes in Orting is a great guy and he has one of the nicest small shops I have ever seen. I bought two Raleigh Cadent 2.0 bikes from him last summer for me and my wife. We usually take a Friday evening ride to Orting on the foothills trail from where it starts off of Pioneer its about a 14 mile RT ride just enough to blow the stink of the work week off. Thats a ride we want to do this summer.