WA - low traffic ride (question might be 30 years late?)
#1
Richly Poor!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: NW USA
Posts: 26
Bikes: ICE
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
WA - low traffic ride (question might be 30 years late?)
I may be a few years too late with this question, but I'm wondering if there are any low traffic areas to ride in. General requirements:
1) WA state
2) 2 to 4 hour ride time
3) 20 to 60 mile ride length
4) mostly on road (paved and/or unpaved)
5) more interesting than riding the same 1 mile backroad multiple times to get the mileage
6) low traffic being maybe 1 motor vehicle every 10 minutes
Personally, I can't think of anywhere in the state with rideable roads and little to no traffic.
Thanks for riding along......
1) WA state
2) 2 to 4 hour ride time
3) 20 to 60 mile ride length
4) mostly on road (paved and/or unpaved)
5) more interesting than riding the same 1 mile backroad multiple times to get the mileage
6) low traffic being maybe 1 motor vehicle every 10 minutes
Personally, I can't think of anywhere in the state with rideable roads and little to no traffic.
Thanks for riding along......
#2
Super Biker
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Spokane WA
Posts: 1,183
Bikes: 2014 Curtlo, 2006 Serotta Coeur d’Acier, 2005 Independent Fabrication Steel Delux, 2003 Surly 1x1, 2003 Surly Cross Check, 1986 Schwin Worldsport SS commuter, 1980's Mongoose Supergoose
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I may be a few years too late with this question, but I'm wondering if there are any low traffic areas to ride in. General requirements:
1) WA state
2) 2 to 4 hour ride time
3) 20 to 60 mile ride length
4) mostly on road (paved and/or unpaved)
5) more interesting than riding the same 1 mile backroad multiple times to get the mileage
6) low traffic being maybe 1 motor vehicle every 10 minutes
Personally, I can't think of anywhere in the state with rideable roads and little to no traffic.
Thanks for riding along......
1) WA state
2) 2 to 4 hour ride time
3) 20 to 60 mile ride length
4) mostly on road (paved and/or unpaved)
5) more interesting than riding the same 1 mile backroad multiple times to get the mileage
6) low traffic being maybe 1 motor vehicle every 10 minutes
Personally, I can't think of anywhere in the state with rideable roads and little to no traffic.
Thanks for riding along......
/thread
#4
Senior Member
There are roads all around Cle Elum that would qualify during the week; during the weekend, not so much--there may be a couple of cars every 10 minutes.
#5
Who has a good sense of humor for going along with my little April Fool Gag (The Admin)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: on my laptop
Posts: 4,066
Bikes: Longbikes Slipstream
Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2985 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
during the daytime hours you can do Mercer Island (15 miles round) on pavement. Go clockwise and
you get shoulder for a good part of the ride as well.
you get shoulder for a good part of the ride as well.
__________________
No politics allowed in signature.
No politics allowed in signature.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: North Bend, Washington State
Posts: 2,942
Bikes: 1937 Hobbs; 1977 Bruce Gordon; 1987 Bill Holland; 1988 Schwinn Paramount (Fixed gear); 1999 Fat City Yo Eddy (MTB); 2018 Woodrup (Touring) 2016 Ritchey breakaway
Mentioned: 291 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 554 Post(s)
Liked 3,794 Times
in
668 Posts
Try the north cascades hwy from winthrop to washington pass.
#7
Senior Member
I'm assuming you already have thought about the Burke Gilman trail? If you rode it from Ballard to Kenmore, and then took the Sammamish River portion all the way to Redmond it's a pretty long ride, and no car traffic except for intersections.
On the road:
I did this ride last year on a Saturday. Parts of it were pretty quiet; nice scenery:
https://www.seattlebiketours.org/memb...ck_diamond.pdf
I also found the route of the Skagit Spring Classic quite enjoyable. Check out the sections of this map on the east side of I5, which is south of Lake Whatcom. Nice roads, little traffic.
https://www.skagitbicycleclub.org/pdf/62_100_map.pdf
On the road:
I did this ride last year on a Saturday. Parts of it were pretty quiet; nice scenery:
https://www.seattlebiketours.org/memb...ck_diamond.pdf
I also found the route of the Skagit Spring Classic quite enjoyable. Check out the sections of this map on the east side of I5, which is south of Lake Whatcom. Nice roads, little traffic.
https://www.skagitbicycleclub.org/pdf/62_100_map.pdf
#8
Ellensburg, WA
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ellensburg, WA
Posts: 3,755
Bikes: See my signature
Mentioned: 77 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 313 Post(s)
Liked 458 Times
in
160 Posts
I grew up in Whitman County (Pullman, etc) and there are a lot of roads there that would qualify. The busiest time of the year on some of them is during the wheat harvest. My dad's been riding over there for 25 yrs with little trouble - hwy 195 is the busiest road he's on but it's got a nice 6 foot shoulder.
Some of the other counties in southeast Washington would also qualify - pretty rural.
Some of the other counties in southeast Washington would also qualify - pretty rural.
__________________
1984 Gitane Tour de France; 1968 Peugeot PL8; 1982 Nishiki Marina 12; 1984 Peugeot PSV; 1993 Trek 950 mtb; 1983 Vitus 979; Colnago Super, mid-80's Bianchi Veloce, 1984 or 85 Vitus 979
1984 Gitane Tour de France; 1968 Peugeot PL8; 1982 Nishiki Marina 12; 1984 Peugeot PSV; 1993 Trek 950 mtb; 1983 Vitus 979; Colnago Super, mid-80's Bianchi Veloce, 1984 or 85 Vitus 979
#9
Laid back bent rider
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Burien, WA
Posts: 1,134
Bikes: Bacchetta Giro 20
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The BG trail is good, although often crowded so you'll to watch your speed.
There's also the Interurban/Green River trail. You can pick up the Interurban at its start near South Park and ride it through Tukwilla, over to the start of the GR trail at SouthCenter, and then follow that down past Auburn. A nice long ride usually without heavy congestion that passes through some very nice scenery. It's also pretty much flat.
Doing a circuit around Lake Washington is also a good distance ride, although you'll have to deal with signigicant sections where you'll share the road with cars.
Check out the Seatthe Bicycle Touring Club maps library at https://www.seattlebiketours.org/members/library.html. Lots of good rides there.
There's also the Interurban/Green River trail. You can pick up the Interurban at its start near South Park and ride it through Tukwilla, over to the start of the GR trail at SouthCenter, and then follow that down past Auburn. A nice long ride usually without heavy congestion that passes through some very nice scenery. It's also pretty much flat.
Doing a circuit around Lake Washington is also a good distance ride, although you'll have to deal with signigicant sections where you'll share the road with cars.
Check out the Seatthe Bicycle Touring Club maps library at https://www.seattlebiketours.org/members/library.html. Lots of good rides there.
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Marysville, Wa
Posts: 56
Bikes: 2007 Specialized Transition
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Take Marine View drive on the weekend, from Marysville to Stanwood or you can start at Stanwood take pioneer to La Conner. Try Centennial Trail, 35 miles of paved blacktop and no traffic at all.
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
Posts: 976
Bikes: Marin Pt. Reyes, Gary Fisher HiFi Pro, Easy Racers Gold Rush recumbent, Cannondale F600
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
6) low traffic being maybe 1 motor vehicle every 10 minutes
For the 10 minutes per vehicle average, I'd try going over to rural areas of eastern Washington like the posters above have suggested- or the back roads of southwestern Washington, or rural Skagit and Whatcom counties. Or try the MUPS that they've mentioned.
One road like this that I really enjoyed riding last summer was the Rock Island Grade road, which starts off SR 28 about 8 miles SE of Wenatchee. It's a great workout climb with nice views at the top, and I think I was passed by maybe a dozen cars during my whole ride of 2 hours. It's unpaved, but doable on a road bike with wide tires.
Last edited by rnorris; 01-13-09 at 02:52 PM.
#12
**** that
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: CALI
Posts: 15,402
Mentioned: 151 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1099 Post(s)
Liked 104 Times
in
30 Posts
also, isn't there a side road next to I-90 (near Vantage) that can be ridden? it always looks way empty, and i've seen a few cyclists on it.
another spot is cougar mtn - climbing it takes about 20-25 minutes (for me), and there aren't many cars there.. maybe not what you're after tho.
#14
Senior Member
For that matter, you can ride the Chilly Hilly route (Bainbridge Island) any time of year - it's pretty nice on a Sunday morning in the summer.
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
Posts: 976
Bikes: Marin Pt. Reyes, Gary Fisher HiFi Pro, Easy Racers Gold Rush recumbent, Cannondale F600
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
also, isn't there a side road next to I-90 (near Vantage) that can be ridden? it always looks way empty, and i've seen a few cyclists on it.
#16
Ellensburg, WA
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ellensburg, WA
Posts: 3,755
Bikes: See my signature
Mentioned: 77 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 313 Post(s)
Liked 458 Times
in
160 Posts
Yes, that's SR10 and you can ride it all the way from Vantage to Cle Elum. I've ridden parts of it. It has very little traffic east of Ellensburg and can be a nice ride; as with all rides in the Kittitas Valley, though, it can be wickedly windy. Really pretty between E'burg and Cle Elum as it follows the Yakima River. There are some good climbs on it, especially westbound out of Vantage.
__________________
1984 Gitane Tour de France; 1968 Peugeot PL8; 1982 Nishiki Marina 12; 1984 Peugeot PSV; 1993 Trek 950 mtb; 1983 Vitus 979; Colnago Super, mid-80's Bianchi Veloce, 1984 or 85 Vitus 979
1984 Gitane Tour de France; 1968 Peugeot PL8; 1982 Nishiki Marina 12; 1984 Peugeot PSV; 1993 Trek 950 mtb; 1983 Vitus 979; Colnago Super, mid-80's Bianchi Veloce, 1984 or 85 Vitus 979
#17
**** that
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: CALI
Posts: 15,402
Mentioned: 151 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1099 Post(s)
Liked 104 Times
in
30 Posts
Yes, that's SR10 and you can ride it all the way from Vantage to Cle Elum. I've ridden parts of it. It has very little traffic east of Ellensburg and can be a nice ride; as with all rides in the Kittitas Valley, though, it can be wickedly windy. Really pretty between E'burg and Cle Elum as it follows the Yakima River. There are some good climbs on it, especially westbound out of Vantage.
also, this summer SIR did a ride up to Windy Ridge (as did the Cascade High Pass Challenge), and most of that was closed to autos due to roads falling apart. not sure how long it'll be like that, but we didn't see cars for hours!!
#18
Richly Poor!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: NW USA
Posts: 26
Bikes: ICE
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thank you all for the input. I never would have thought of Mercer Island for low traffic riding.
Any more ideas for Eastern WA? Thanks again....
Any more ideas for Eastern WA? Thanks again....
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Eastern Washington
Posts: 167
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The Centennial Trail has about 35 miles in Washington of paved trail, some road sharing, and into Idaho for another 20+ miles also with some sharing.
I know you said Washington but a few miles into Idaho will get you the Trail of the Coeur d' Alenes a 72 mile paved railbed between Plummer and Mullan, with many trailheads inbetween.
I know you said Washington but a few miles into Idaho will get you the Trail of the Coeur d' Alenes a 72 mile paved railbed between Plummer and Mullan, with many trailheads inbetween.
#20
Senior Member
- the east side of Lake Washington is mostly bike lanes
- a bit of traffic as you wind through Renton and get around the airport (though not much traffic on a Sunday morning)
- you have a bike lane along Rainier avenue at the south end of lake
- then you come up the west side of Lake Washington on a car-free Sunday, no traffic.
If you throw in a loop around Mercer Island plus a loop around Seward Park, you've got somewhere around 35 miles of light- to no-traffic riding.
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
Posts: 976
Bikes: Marin Pt. Reyes, Gary Fisher HiFi Pro, Easy Racers Gold Rush recumbent, Cannondale F600
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Any more ideas for Eastern WA? Thanks again....
If your bike can handle gravel roads and you like a good climb, try the roads in the canyons on the south flank of Table Mountain out of Kittitas. The Colockum Pass road is good, but rough; I usually ride the roads up Coleman Canyon or Cooke Canyon. These do get some traffic on weekends, particularly during hunting season, but rarely more than a car every few minutes. I particularly choose these when the banshee west winds are screaming in the valley; you often then get tailwinds for these climbs, and the complex topography tends to calm them quite a bit. Another option is USFS road 35; it's paved for the first few miles and has superb views of the valley, but it's a very grueling climb and gets lots of traffic in the summer. Sometime when I'm in a masochistic mood I want to ride it up to Lion Rock; it would be something like a 4000' elevation gain.
Last edited by rnorris; 01-14-09 at 03:37 PM.
#22
Super Biker
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Spokane WA
Posts: 1,183
Bikes: 2014 Curtlo, 2006 Serotta Coeur d’Acier, 2005 Independent Fabrication Steel Delux, 2003 Surly 1x1, 2003 Surly Cross Check, 1986 Schwin Worldsport SS commuter, 1980's Mongoose Supergoose
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
https://www.spokanerocketvelo.com/favoriteridemaps
#23
Richly Poor!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: NW USA
Posts: 26
Bikes: ICE
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thanks everyone.
Mtn Mike - Good info on the web site there, having the road names is a big plus. Rides of 30 to 50 miles would work well. A few hours of riding time but not enough to over do it!
rnorris - Those rides sound intriguing also.
Mtn Mike - Good info on the web site there, having the road names is a big plus. Rides of 30 to 50 miles would work well. A few hours of riding time but not enough to over do it!
rnorris - Those rides sound intriguing also.
#24
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Just this side of insanity.
Posts: 575
Bikes: Too many
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Fort Lewis has some nice roads, and little to no traffic. You can create a bunch of different routes that are in the 20-40 mile range.
You need picture ID to get through the gates.
You need picture ID to get through the gates.
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: western Washington
Posts: 606
Bikes: Stella
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Put some 35mm wide (70-75 psi) tires on and ride the South (side) Skagit road from Hwy 9, just south of Burlington, to Concrete (and back). Wide, soft tires recommended due to the large gravel they used for the chipseal repaving.
Rockport to Darrington, or Concrete-across Skagit river-to Darrington.
That 10-minute interval between cars is a tough one.
Rockport to Darrington, or Concrete-across Skagit river-to Darrington.
That 10-minute interval between cars is a tough one.