UPDATE: And they’re off!
Cascade Bicycle Club’s sold-out annual Seattle to Portland Classic leaves the Husky Stadium parking lots Saturday morning for a 206-mile ride.
You can cheer 10,000 folks on all morning either at UW or anywhere along Lake Washington Boulevard starting at 4:45 a.m. and continuing through 7:30 a.m.
Most people do the ride in two days, but some will go the whole way on Saturday.
For the first time, the 2015 route will go through the JBLM military base where “riders will not only enjoy comfortable, low-car roads, the military will display various military vehicles for a unique inside-look,” according to the STP webpage.
For a more detailed look at the route and elevation profile, check out or download the official Ride With GPS map.
KIRO recently had a good report on some Major Taylor Project students who will be embarking on the ride for first time. Check it out:
Didn’t get a spot on STP or not interested in biking 206 miles? Perhaps West Seattle’s Little STP is more your speed.
In what’s become an annual event every STP weekend, join families and West Seattle Bike Connections Sunday for a 10-mile round trip ride all the way from SW Seattle Street in the Admiral District to SW Portland Street near Fauntleroy and back. Meet at Hamilton Viewpoint Park at 9:30 a.m. The ride will end at Summerfest at the Junction.
Comments
7 responses to “10,000 people will bike from Seattle to Portland this weekend”
I’m really curious about the new JBLM route. I’ve gone riding on public roads near the base before and they are usually pretty peaceful.
Not everyone thinks that, apparently.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/07/11/3905826_seattle-to-portland-bicycle-classic.html?rh=1
The STP turns 36 this weekend, and for most of that time the ride has traveled from the Roy Y to Roy along state Route 507.
I’ve finished five STPs during the past decade, and this stretch has been the lowlight of almost every ride. Volunteers had to place mats over the train tracks to make them less jarring to cross. Cars sometimes aggressively zip by, their drivers clearly annoyed by what seems to be an endless line of cyclist.
When I rode the STP with my wife in 2013, we had to stop in Roy so she could settle her nerves. It was her first STP, and what she witnessed over the previous 30 minutes helped contribute to her also declaring it her last STP.
We saw bikes riding four and five abreast (the limit is two, but single-file is best) as if the road were closed. We saw people passing and stopping without offering warnings to those around them. We saw minor accidents, and luckily were gone before a bike-car collision near Roy.
“That Roy road was not fun. … This road has freaked me out more than any of the others,” Kristen told me, the fear still evident in her eyes. “I’m looking forward to getting on the (Yelm-Tenino) trail.”
I LOVED the JBLM part of the ride! I’m a first-timer so I have no comparison, but the few miles leading up to JBLM were pretty crowded with vehicle traffic and narrow shoulders, so it was a more than welcome relief. The rest stop was fun, and then the peaceful ride through the base was a great way to pick up my spirits.
Nice idea for people of lesser fitness to do this short ride. I would love to do the full stp at some point. I have my 2012 8.4 ds hybrid bike with street thumb tack proof tires ready to go. I just need to train hard enough and enjoy.
Is there a link to tract riders on their journey? Thanks.
There’s a reason why the STP isn’t the PTS: Portlanders aren’t impressed with Seattle bicycling infrastructure nor giro italiana style conscious recreational riders who treat pedestrians like road course obstacles.
Warrior,how did you do???Gayle