Hi, I'll be moving from the UK to the Kitsap Peninsula in around Jan/Feb 2008. I've never been before, but the area looks beautiful. I am into mtb (xc and xc racing), cyclocross and also do a bit of road racing. Can anyone recommend the best club to join and do you have any suggestions for routes (I like hills!) and the best local off road trails. Thanks!

cascade bicycle club ( www.cascade.org (http://www.bikeforums.net/www.cascade.org) ) is the main advocacy group as well organizing rides for a variety of skill and fitness levels.

Welcome to the great Northwest there are lots of things to do here and you should fit right in with your love of biking and you should be right at home weather wise. We are just entering the rainy season so you will feel like you never left.

You won't have too much problems finding hills on the peninsula. It seems like it is all hills at times. Check out mapmyride.com and search for your new postal zip code. Perhaps some other climbers have already mapped rides in that area. Welcome to The Great Northwest.

After living in Glasgow, the Kitsap Peninsula will be quite tame!

A good hill climb is going up to Hurricane Ridge, in the Olympic National Park :) .

Welcome to the Pacific Northwest...and if you miss the rain, you can always travel over to the Hoh Rain Forest, Forks, etc.

East Hill

I believe there is the West Sound Cycling club which has its focus on Kitsap county. Definetly Cascade as a main Northwest cycling club, which organizes a couple of venerated Kitsap County and west sound rides (Chilly Hilly, Kitsap Color Classic) as well as numerous weekly rides with forays to the West side of Puget Sound.

Where in Kitsap? there's plenty of good riding to be done. One of my favorite Forest Service road dirt rides, up to 4,200 feet, is the "Quilcene crossover" between Sequim and Quilcene just outside of Kitsap Co. on the Olympic Pinensula.

There's great mountain biking and trails at Banner State Forest, and stellar Mtn Biking in Capitol forest outside of Olympia.

From the Cascade Bicycle Club website, here is the link listing other clubs:

http://www.cascade.org/Community/Contacts.cfm

Also in the community section, you can use the Message Board to connect with other riders, get suggestions about rides, etc.

[as a matter of fact, there's a thread going right now on biking in the Olympic Mountains:
http://www.cascade.org/Community/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=8709 ]

Welcome ...

Thanks for all the advice and welcoming comments!! I am told that you guys complain about the weather over there, but that it isn't as bad as the west coast of Scotland!! Can't wait to get over there and start exploring!

Ya, I know folks that complain if it is raining and complain when it is hot

Thanks for all the advice and welcoming comments!! I am told that you guys complain about the weather over there, but that it isn't as bad as the west coast of Scotland!! Can't wait to get over there and start exploring!

Yeah we seem to be the most weather centric bunch of people I have ever come in contact here. I grew up in Ohio and don't every remember weather being the big topic but here its weird. I would guess its because there are so many outdoor activities that if its really crummy out it cramps our style, of course we just put on rain gear and ride when conditions dictate