100 mile ride

[gageplate]

Hi all seattle bikers. Looking for some route suggestions for a 100 mile ride. trying to get my son built up for the stp. we live by seward park so we can start from home or we have no problem driving somewhere within reason. Not great with directions so any offer on a cue sheet would be great. Thanks.

[j-law]

I haven't biked it, but the seattle century map looks like a good choice.

http://www.seattlecentury.com/routes.html Click "view full route" and it gives you turn by turn directions

[Mr. Cranky]

The Flying Wheels route starts and ends in Marymoor Park in Redmond. The Cascade Bike Club says that if you can do the Flying Wheels metric century, you'll be in good shape to do the STP in two days. Or if you can do the Flying Wheels full century, you'll be in good shape to do the STP in one day.

[gageplate]

Thanks J-law did not think about that one. MC i think we may do that one. Did it the last two years, and was just trying to find some new ideas. Thanks for the input.

[CliftonGK1]

Flying Wheels and the Tour de Cure centuries have Marymoor start/finish.
The Seattle Century
Daffodil Century (South Sound)
TRYBR Century (South Sound)
7 Hills of Kirkland Century
Seattle Randonneurs Permanents:
- 0799: Redmond-Granite Falls-Fall City
- 1079: Port Townsend-Port Angeles

[karenashg]

Hope the giant link below works--it was a route I put together last summer as a "my first century." It's quite flat (as those things go around here), with some nice scenery. In retrospect, more varied terrain would have been more fun. However, for my first century, it was reassuring heading into it knowing that there wasn't anything too fearsome to deal with.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...,1.234589&z=10

[moleman76]

for about 105 miles:
Drive to Arlington. Ride north on Hwy 9 to Sedro-Woolley. East on 20 to Rockport. South to Darrington. West to Arlington. Drive home.

Flying Wheels is a century, almost, and gives you lots of hill practice ... more than you'll see on the STP, that's for sure.

Or, ride the STP route to Spanaway and back. Experience the Puyallup Hill as a descent.

[CliftonGK1]

for about 105 miles:
Drive to Arlington. Ride north on Hwy 9 to Sedro-Woolley. East on 20 to Rockport. South to Darrington. West to Arlington. Drive home.

If you do an Arlington route, I prefer the counterclockwise route for that loop. SR-9 north for a mile out of Arlington, up to 530 to Darrington. 530 out of Darrington up to SR 20 in Rockport and head west for SR 9 in Sedro-Woolley, then south on SR 9 back to Arlington.

[moleman76]

If you do an Arlington route, I prefer the counterclockwise route for that loop.

Interesting idea. I've only done the ride clockwise. Counter-clockwise will get you more places to stop for breaks/snacks etc. in the last part of the ride, and will turn some descents into climbs and vice-versa. Either way, the part between Darrington and Rockport has a nice, remote feeling.

[CliftonGK1]

Interesting idea. I've only done the ride clockwise. Counter-clockwise will get you more places to stop for breaks/snacks etc. in the last part of the ride, and will turn some descents into climbs and vice-versa. Either way, the part between Darrington and Rockport has a nice, remote feeling.

The Three Rivers Cruise 200k route from the Seattle Randos is the loop I've described, minus one little bit. They run from Rockport east over to Marblemount before heading back west on SR-20 for an extra 17 mile side trip.
Food stops along the way! (Randos navigate by food and bathroom stops )
- Haggen in Arlington for breakfast. Nice bathrooms. Store doesn't mind if you bring bikes inside while you eat.
- Shell station in Darrington at the east-to-north bend in SR-530 for brunch. They have a decent hot counter and coffee but they closed their inside bathroom to customers. There's a port-o out back.
- There ain't squat in Rockport. (There's a market in Marblemount if you take the extra loop. They stock lots of Clif and Powerbar-ish things since they're the last stop before heading over Washington/Rainy passes, and many riders stop there.
- There's a lot of stuff in Concrete, just head up the hill into the center of town. We hit up a karaoke bar for a bottle refill around midnight on a 400k last year. The people there were nice, and the barkeep gave us a fillup and ice.
- There's a big AM/PM when you get to the intersection at SR-20 and SR-9. Decent food available, 24hr store, clean bathrooms.
- Heading down SR-9 there's a big traffic circle in some town I don't recall the name of. Anyhow, on that circle there's a gas station/bar/convenience mart with good coffee and clean bathrooms. I haven't tried their food, but supposedly it's good stuff.
- From there, you're right back to the Haggen in Arlington.