Cascade Bicycle Club’s first major ride of the year is Sunday.

If you’re starting on the Seattle side of Elliott Bay, your ride starts with a ferry ride absolutely packed with people on bikes. Then you’re in for 33 miles of long, beautiful hills and usually some rain.

At this point, your only option is to register in person at the start line for $55 ($45 for Cascade members). The ferries leave at 7:55, 8:45, 9:40 and 10:35 a.m. Or if you’re starting on the Bainbridge side, you can save $5 by registering at B.I. Cycle Shop.

More details from Cascade:

With chilly February weather and 2,191 feet of climbing, the name says it all!

Chilly Hilly has been kicking off the cycling season in the Northwest on the last Sunday in February for the past 44 years. The 33-mile route around Bainbridge Island starts with a scenic early morning ferry ride across Puget Sound from Seattle, or you can join the crowd directly on Bainbridge Island.

Join us on Sunday, Feb. 28, for the ride Bicycling Magazine named “One of Four Classic Rides” in the nation. It’s guaranteed to be hilly, probably chilly and always a heck of a lot of fun. So get the dust off of your bike and get ready for cycling season early!

Enjoy:
A scenic cruise on a Washington State Ferry (Seatte start)
Free food stop at Battle Point Park
Supporting local Bainbridge charities
Finish Line Festival with a fantastic chili feed benefiting a different Bainbridge Island nonprofit each year (additional cost)

In case you’re curious, here’s the elevation profile for the ride, from Cascade: