Anyone know of a good website that discribes some good road rides in Washington?
Cascade Bike Club (Seattle area) http://www.cascade.org/Home/ Spokane Bike Club (Eastern Washington) http://www.spokanebicycleclub.org/ both sponsor many rides, some 'classic' and some daily.nwrides said:Anyone know of a good website that discribes some good road rides in Washington?
I live in Puyallup myself, and have ridden the Orting trail many times now. I'ts only 21 miles round trip, but if I strart from my house it's aounrd 30 miles. The cool thing about Orting is that once you get to the end of the trail, there is lot's of low traffic roads to ride all the way up to Paradise; that would be quite a ride! But even if you don't ride all that way, there are tons of routes that invlolve various levels of hills, all of which are out in wonderful wooded areas. Also, there is the interurban trail in Auburn, by the SuperMall, that I'm going to try out this weekend...weather permitting. You can get a bike map from www.Piercecountywa.org/bikemapBenWA said:I;ve been looking for a similar page myself (to the mtb trail reviews) for rides near Tacoma. What part of WA are you in? I just moved to Tacoma recently from Bellingham, and I miss the wonderful rides up that way (Chuckanut Drive, Lake Sammish, Birch Bay, etc). All we have down here are stoplights, traffic, and more stoplights. Not to mention there are plenty of neighborhoods that you don't want to ride in, if you know what i mean.
I'm trying to find some good rides out by Puyallup/Enumclaw/Mt. Rainier, if anyone knows of any nice routes out that way feel free to let me know. looking for 40-60 mile loops with nice views, interesting topography, low traffic.
If that right you took off of 162 is the hill that I think it was, you are one climbin' fool! Did it end up on the South hill in Puyallup? Around Shaw road? Is so, whew!BenWA said:thanks Geddy. Actually, on Saturday i did some exploring out that way... i rode from puyallup to sumner via Pioneer, to 162, south thru Orting, then S. Prarie, then took a left at the sign to the S. Prarie sherrif station (dont know the road) but ended up in Bonney Lk at the 410 intersection. I turned around at that point and backtracked to Sumner. Back up 162, i turned right onto some road that winded up the hill to all those subdivisions that overlook the river valley--some brutal climbing in there! Overall, the ride was a lot of flat with a few tough climbs thrown in the mix. About 40miles of flat with 20 miles of hills, came out to 64 miles total by the end. I'll definitely be exploring out there some more!
I live in the Kent/Renton area. Where is this hill? I'm always a glutton to try something foolish.. I see on Google maps a Bentley avenue that looks like it goes between Pioneer Way and 72nd? Is this the one? If so I gather you approach it from Pioneer Way? It doesn't look to be a mile though if this is the one...?Geddy5 said:If that right you took off of 162 is the hill that I think it was, you are one climbin' fool! Did it end up on the South hill in Puyallup? Around Shaw road? Is so, whew!
I don't know how well you know Puyallup, but there is a hill on the west side of Puyallup that you should try, it's called Bentley Road. When I first got my bike this Feb, I wanted to see what the gradiant was, so I started up it...and made it about about 50 feet, at which point I checked my computer, it said %18. It gets steeper too. The thing is, it's only about a mile long, and it levels out to around 10 or 13% I'd guess before climbing back up again, so I think I'll be able to conqure it sometime this summer. Try map questing it if you're interested, or I would be happy to give you more detailed directions. I would be interested to hear what another cyclist thought of that monster!
Not sure when I'll get to it, but I'll have to check it out. An 18% pitch for very long won't be easily climbed on my double crank road bike for sure. I can deal with short sections but.... I used to be a better climber than I am now, at least for my size (175-180lbs back in the day). Now I'm closer to 210 and of course that hurts more on the steeper hills as well as being a few years older as well.Geddy5 said:Oh, okay, BenWa, the hill that I was thinking of is West off of Orting Hwy, it eventually brings you up to the South Hill of Puyallup.
Bikejr, the Bentley you found is the right one, I might be off on it being a mile, it was just a guess. I suggest that you drive out here before you ride the bike all that way (though the ride from Auburn to Puyallup is pretty cool), to see if you really want to climb it. I was about to write out directions, but you mentioned that you already saw it on the map, so you can find it. When you are coming down E. Pioneer you'll eventually see an auto parts junk yard on your left...Grand Forks Wrecking, or some such at an intersection. Immediately after passing that look to your right, Bentley starts there.
I really hope that you try it and let me know what you thought about it. I'm pretty new to road biking, so it is possible that what I think is a ridiculously steep hill will be a ride in the park for you, though I would really be surpirsed if that were the case!
When I half-heartedly tried to climb it - I was under no illusions that I could have, the main worry that I had was how to get out of my pedals when I grinded to a hault. When exerting that much pressure on the pedals, you don't have much time to clip out in time to put your foot on the ground before you fall over.
Good luck, and let me know!
This was a cascade club ride I went on. The distance should be accurate. It was a funny weather day. I suspect the barometric pressure changed through the day to mess up the absolute elevations over the course of a day. I will have to look at that. The starting elevation is the correct starting elevation. I always try to at least get the starting elevation correct. Over the course of the ride, though weather changes can alter that. In general I'm more interested in the climbing feet vs actual elevations, so it is all pretty relative.BenWA said:bikejr,
I have a question about that Eastside Challenge ride on your website, east of Sammamish... the elevation profile indicates that the finish is ~1000' higher than the start, but the map indicates that the start and finish are in the same spot...(?) Have you done that ride? Can you verify that it is 56 miles from start to finish on the map, as it is on the profile? I might do it this weekend weather permitting.
That's one I've never ridden up before. Definitely and out and back. Much like the newer road up Mt. St Helens which I did do some years (maybe 10) ago. I think they have extended it since I last road it.mattv2099 said:I'd say the best epic and or classic ride I've done in WA is the ride up to mt Baker. Beautiful ride with lots of climbing.
I've heard that riding over highway 20 is great. I haven't done it yet but plan on doing it this summer.
I have ridden the hill you are talking about many times. Always easier in the summer than the winter. This hill is comparative to Alder/36th coming up from the Tacoma waterfront off of Ruston Way near the CI Shenanigans restaurant. I know someone who rides this hill to do intervals for racing 7 or 8 times in a row.Geddy5 said:Oh, okay, BenWa, the hill that I was thinking of is West off of Orting Hwy, it eventually brings you up to the South Hill of Puyallup.
Bikejr, the Bentley you found is the right one, I might be off on it being a mile, it was just a guess. I suggest that you drive out here before you ride the bike all that way (though the ride from Auburn to Puyallup is pretty cool), to see if you really want to climb it. I was about to write out directions, but you mentioned that you already saw it on the map, so you can find it. When you are coming down E. Pioneer you'll eventually see an auto parts junk yard on your left...Grand Forks Wrecking, or some such at an intersection. Immediately after passing that look to your right, Bentley starts there.
I really hope that you try it and let me know what you thought about it. I'm pretty new to road biking, so it is possible that what I think is a ridiculously steep hill will be a ride in the park for you, though I would really be surpirsed if that were the case!
When I half-heartedly tried to climb it - I was under no illusions that I could have, the main worry that I had was how to get out of my pedals when I grinded to a hault. When exerting that much pressure on the pedals, you don't have much time to clip out in time to put your foot on the ground before you fall over.
Good luck, and let me know!
You should come out with the Spoke and Sprocket group at 8AM on Saturdays leaving from the Spoke and Sprocket shop near the Univeversity Place Post Office on 27th next to the self-serve car wash. We know many great rides.BenWA said:I;ve been looking for a similar page myself (to the mtb trail reviews) for rides near Tacoma. What part of WA are you in? I just moved to Tacoma recently from Bellingham, and I miss the wonderful rides up that way (Chuckanut Drive, Lake Sammish, Birch Bay, etc). All we have down here are stoplights, traffic, and more stoplights. Not to mention there are plenty of neighborhoods that you don't want to ride in, if you know what i mean.
I'm trying to find some good rides out by Puyallup/Enumclaw/Mt. Rainier, if anyone knows of any nice routes out that way feel free to let me know. looking for 40-60 mile loops with nice views, interesting topography, low traffic.
I dont think i've ever ridden up Alder oddly enough, considering that i live a few blocks away from there. I go straight up 30th from Old Town regularly, which is plenty steep and long enough for me. I cant stay seated for most of it with my double though, out of the saddle most of the way up. And i definitely dont think i'd enjoy 7-8 reps up that hill.Spinnerman said:This hill is comparative to Alder/36th coming up from the Tacoma waterfront off of Ruston Way near the CI Shenanigans restaurant. I know someone who rides this hill to do intervals for racing 7 or 8 times in a row.
Spinnerman said:You should come out with the Spoke and Sprocket group at 8AM on Saturdays leaving from the Spoke and Sprocket shop near the Univeversity Place Post Office on 27th next to the self-serve car wash. We know many great rides.
If you like fast recreational riding, bring you ID and some cash in case we go out onto Ft. Lewis.
Try riding out on the west side down toward Titlow Beach, then along Grandview, down Chambers Creek to Steilacoom and then up past Cormorant Passage on the DuPont/Steilacoom Highway to DuPont. Then right on Center Drive to I-5 and go south one intersection to Mounts Road, take a left and ride over I-5 and then down the hill into the Nisqually valley. You can then either turn lefet on Reservation or continue to the stop sign and then turn left and either one takes you all the way to Yelm. If you know how to get there you can also go north of Yelm and Olympia to Johnson Point, Boston Harbor and Fishtrap loop.BenWA said:Thanks for the heads up! I will definitely join up one of these Saturdays. I'm definitely looking for new routes and people to ride with. My new standard is to ride out to Puyallup on Pioneer, then out towards sumner, then a loop in the hills out there on the east side of 162. It's a pretty flat most of the way on Pioneer, but you can take some side routes on the way out to 162 and add some undulations into that part of the ride depending on your fancy.