So, what are the PNW rides you're looking forward to this year? Let's also hear about some less well known but interesting local rides.
What I'm looking forward to myself:
- Tour de Blast, HPC and perhaps RAMROD (all three are challenging, hard to do without the support and only have a few hundred riders)
- An unorganized ride up Hurricane Ridge
- Flying Wheels 100 (honestly I don't appreciate the crowds, and it's urban enough not to require support, but fun nevertheless)
Last edited by SoruAdami; 01-04-12 at 02:02 AM.
Any ride for me in the PNW is an interesting ride. Maybe I'll make it for STP, or the Fremont Solstice ride(trust me, you don't want to see me in that one)
The Chelan Century ride on June 23rd is a good one. I have ridden it for the last two years. Three loops each starting and ending at the Lake Chelan city park, great support, great weather and great scenery. I think there were under 500 riders last year which is just the right number for my tastes. The full century is 8,600 feet of elevation so it is a physical challenge - especially the McNeil Canyon climb of 2,000 ft in about 5 miles. Here is the link:
http://www.centuryride.com/
Getting back from a deployment in late June...so STP (2 day option), work RAMROD this year to earn a bypass, random Colorado ride w/ my brother during the US Pro Cycling Challenge, then another in September.
I'm planning on doing the Stinky Spoke (coming up on January 14th). I haven't tried it before but it looks like fun. The 7 Hills of Kirkland on Memorial Day has become an annual tradition for me since it's right in my neighborhood. I've done STP the past two years and have an inkling to do something different, so I'm also really interested in doing one or more of the TdB, RAMROD, and HPC. Might also consider Reach the Beach in Oregon in May.
Due to kids sports activities my time gets limited but I'm looking forward to the I Made the Grade in Lewiston, ID/Clarkston, WA again. Took last year off. While only 18 miles it is quite a bit of fun and usually around 200 riders. The only other one I've planned for is the local Manastash Metric Century the first Saturday in October.
If I can swing it I wouldn't mind taking the kids to Spokane for Spokefest this year. I'd ride the longer loop but I think the kids would have fun with the shorter ones and all the riders.
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RAMROD, HPC, and 7 Hills of Kirkland are my likely organized ride highlights for the year.
Flying Wheels really is crowded, but I've always enjoyed the earlier-season 7 Hills of Kirkland (strawberry shortcacke at the finish line!) and will be doing it again this year.
We are lucky to have such a plethora of great choices...
My wife and I did the Tour de Peaks in North Bend last year and that was fun.
http://www.tourdepeaks.org/
They have a 25, 50 and a 100 mile route. We did the 50 and will be doing that again.
Stinky Spoke sure looks like fun along with the 7 Hills of Kirkland!
Nice! Tour de Peaks looks interesting. A century with only 600ft elevation gain! I think I might go Cat6 on that one
And, yes of course 7 Hills. How did I skip that in my list?
I haven't done the Tour de Peaks but I've ridden on most of those roads. It's misleading the way it sounds on their website but I think the statement about 600 feet of elevation gain is only referring to the last segment of the ride as you approach the finish. They have a detailed map and elevation profile which indicates about 4450 feet of elevation gain for the century. Still lots of flat miles but a couple of decent climbs in there too.
http://www.tourdepeaks.org/downloads...mile_route.pdf
I'm riding the STP this year for the first time. 2 days for me and I happen to live right at the half way point so it should work out nice! I'm also planning on riding my first century in the Lewis County Historical Ride in May.
STP is at 95% full as of yesterday. It was at 75% about a week ago. It's filling up fast...
I'm in for several great rides this year.
Early March I'm riding the Moab Skinny Tire Festival, four days of rides in beautiful Canyonlands.
August is Montana Bicycle Ride, seven days of riding in NW corner of the state.
September is the 25th Cycle Oregon for seven days in southern Oregon.
I'll also be there for The Monster Cookie ride in Salem, and maybe Tour du Blast if the weather cooperates.
Here's a ride that many of you will enjoy. The route is miles and miles of coast range woodlands riding..beautiful and challenging too.
http://dark30sports.com/events/the-o...ne-2-3-2012-3/
I got signed up for the STP. Never done it before. My neighbor and I decided to make it our goal this year. The Chilly Hilly is this weekend. We are considering that, depending on the weather.
Vertigo do you know when registration opens for that? I looked throughout the website and the reg link goes to an expired page from the 2011. It looks fun!Originally Posted by VertigoFlyer
I can recommend some great ones, but none of them are group rides.
Interested. I have yet to go on a group ride. Part of my love affair with cycling is getting away from people, though I am interested in giving it a whirl to see if i might enjoy it. But if you have some good solo rides I'd love to hear about them (hills are a plus). My best rides lately are when i go off the normal route where my commute or errands normally take me and just veer this way and that. Trying to get "lost". One day I will hop a bus to make my departure point somewhere other than my house in Shoreline. Every exit out of here has been done to death, though it doesn't diminish how I feel once I get on and begin peddling...
How long (in miles) is a good ride, Kittens? Assuming it has some good hills?
Gran Fondo Ephrata. It'll be my first group ride, we'll see how I feel about group rides after that. I enjoy solo touring and rides with my girlfriend, and interacting with people via the intertubes, but am kind of anti-social in groups. Nonetheless, I think it'll be fun, and I'll probably try some other rides, if for no other reason than for the motivation to get out there and do it, and for the route to have been scouted.
Tail winds and sunshine to you all!
Really only planning on the Tour de Lentil 100k so far. I rode it last year and had a blast. This year I'll have a friend to ride it with me.
I've always wanted to ride the Lewiston grade but I've never just taken the initiative to do it. Maybe I'll be there for I Made the Grade.
doing my own Oregon three-day this year, hopefully aftet he majority of melt but before the roads open to autos: McKenzie Bridge (OR 242 McKenzie pass) to Bend (~65mi), then Bend to Oakridge via the Cascade Lakes Hwy and back-forrest roads to Waldo lake (~100mi), and then back to McKenzie Bridge via Aufderheide Hwy (~65mi). It's a trifecta-Oregon ride, in my opinion (minus the busy road up to Mt. Bachelor, but it has an ample shoulder).
should be a gorgeous ride in the Cascades. will be cc-touring it with at least a couple of buddies, i hope; or solo if i have to. it's too good to pass up.
No slogans, just 14 facts.
40-50 fills my heart with love.
Sorry so late my reply. It is crunch time, last two weeks of the quarter and busy at work. I need a good ride! Did a neat jaunt from Shoreline over to Marymoor Park, down WLSP to the 1-90 trail (48 miles). Took the bus home from downtown. that was a very cool ride the first time in nice(r) weather. 2nd time it rained like hell and was cold. Hopped the shame train at Factoria but boy was I grateful to see it. That was 1- and 2 weeks ago. Tomorrow I have a test then the day off - and it's going to be 60 and sunny!
p.s. I have Spring break March 15 - April 2nd. Broke so I am staying local but any and all suggestions will be road-tested! I can take a bus out to a destination point.
Last edited by percy kittens; 03-08-12 at 12:10 AM. Reason: p.s.
Hmmm. Off the top of my head, I can tell you a bunch of summer rides in the 50 mile range (with lots of hills). I don't think most of them are accessible right now, though.
Winthrop to Diablo Lake should be awesome. I've done about half the ride. Right now, I think you can do 4 miles before you get to the point where the road is closed, so forget it until about June, but keep it in mind for then.
In the meantime, I'll try to get back with some better suggestions tomorrow (I've got a to-do list at home), but the Tour de Peaks around North Bend could be a decent ride. The link has a map, elevation chart, and turn-by-turn directions. It lists it as 28 miles. You might catch a bus out there, do the ride, and make it more like 60 by pedaling home?
Sweet! I'll check it out...
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