STP, anyone?

[kfergos]

Anybody here doing the Seattle to Portland this weekend?

This will be my first time -- I'm flying in from Boston area (please, please let my bike make it on the plane OK!) -- and I'm game for any last-minute advice from experienced STP riders.

[Susan126]

Have fun kfergos! And let us know how it went. It looks like you are going to have a nice weekend for the ride!

Be careful at the start! Are you doing it in 2 days?

[kfergos]

Yep, I'm gonna take my time and have fun.

Sounds like it's not supposed to be too hot, but what should I do for leg warmth in the morning? I don't want to carry long pants with me, I don't have leg warmers, and it's supposed to be in the low 50s. I'm also debating about arm warmers and a vest -- I'd hate to carry those 100 miles with me, too. :confused:

[lauraelmore1033]

I am, I am!!

2 day, pokey rider, actually doing STP as a training ride for RSVP.

[oxysback]

I'm riding this year, too. Going to attemp the one day, but we'll see how I feel after Centralia. :cool:

[ttaylor508]

I'll be there! Hoping to leave in the first wave at 4:30am. I wouldn't worry about leg warmers, you will warm up pretty quick once you start peddling. I would bring either a jacket (or wear the one you get in your packet) or arm warmers. There is usually a huge line to get into the parking lot no matter what time you get there so be patient. Start line can be crazy...think 9,000+ riders trying to park, unload bikes, get luggage on the right truck etc. There is no food or water at the start line, so eat something before you get there and fill your water too. Take it easy the first few miles as there will be tons of people and I have seen more crashes in the first 15 miles than anywhere else on the course. And most of all....HAVE FUN!!!!!

[Shiraz]

Have a safe and fun ride ladies!! I rode 2 years ago. TTaylor is right. The start is crazy and dangerous. LOTS of wrecks before people even leave the parking lot. I felt the ride overall was very well supported, organized and with lots of food and water at the rest stops. You warm up fast and really don't even need a jacket after a mile. Lots of bikes both days and plan for 2 lanes of bike traffic. It was fun. Have a great time and let us know how your rides go.

[ibcycling]

I was hoping too but not this year. :( I will be in Seattle for a soccer tournament though. Next year the kid has to find her own ride to the tourney if it conflicts! :D Have fun, be save, and good luck everyone!

[auntiebobo]

I'm doing it to for the first time. Another 2-dayer. I went through a time a month or so ago when I was just dreading it and really resenting all the time it was taking to prepare. Now, I'm genuinely excited and looking forward to it!

[salsabike]

Auntiebobo, it's so much fun! You'll love it. It's a total pageant and a hoot.

Have a great time, everyone!

[ttaylor508]

Hi Everyone...just curious, how was your ride?

We started at 4:55 am. I only got about 2 hours of sleep on Friday night. I am just not used to going to bed at 8 pm and getting up at 3:00 am and I think anxiety got the best of me. First 100 miles was great, wonderful tail wind made for really good time despite 3 terrible crashes that happened right in front of us. Probably the worst year out of the 6 times I have done this ride for crashes.

The heat made the last 104 miles really tough. Longview bridge was a pressure cooker!!!! There was two nice ladies in St. Helen's who bought popcycles and were handing them out to riders as we came into the rest stop. That was the highlight of the ride for me. Lots of people suffering from heat exhaustion the last 30 miles. I have heard there were a few that did not finish and many that came in on Saturday after the finish line had closed.

We made it to Portland around 6:30 pm and the cold beer at the end was excellent!!!! Got on the second bus out and back to Seattle at midnight.

I hope everyone made it okay.

[mimitabby]

my DH Raleighdon did it in less than 10 hours this year. The weather was absolutely perfect, he rode the wind all the way.

He was jubilant, and the only casualty was he rubbed a seam on his backside and got a bit of a sore.

[ttaylor508]

my DH Raleighdon did it in less than 10 hours this year. The weather was absolutely perfect, he rode the wind all the way.

He was jubilant, and the only casualty was he rubbed a seam on his backside and got a bit of a sore.

That is awesome Mimi. Tell him congrats! Our final ride time was 10 hours 45 minutes which was pretty amazing considering my DH was suffering from heat exhaustion the last 30 miles and we had to slow the pace way down until he recovered. We took a lot longer breaks this year because of the heat, but I was still surprised our ride time was under 11 hours.

[mimitabby]

he rode with heat exhaustion?!??!

wow!

you guys did great too. Was that on a tandem?

[ttaylor508]

Nope, not on a tandem although I stick to his wheel so we might as well be on a tandem. He is a very strong rider and pulled a group of us at around 24 mph the first 100. He simply did not drink enough water and take enough electrolytes throughout the day and it finally caught up with him. It was really scary and I didn't know if he would be able to shake it off. We stopped about 20 miles before we got to Portland and got him something cold to drink and threw some electrolytes down him and then I pulled for a while and he slowly came back around. Poor guy was even too sick at the end to finish his beer in the beer garden. That is when I knew he was feeling bad!!! Being the good wife I am, I finished his beer for him :)

[lauraelmore1033]

Wow, my hat is off to you speedy one day riders! I don't know how you do it. Between the heat and a saddle sore that kicked in after 50 miles I was feeling pretty crappy most of the way. I'm pretty sure I took more than 17 hours to finish--and that's with a 20 mile gap in the middle because my group only made it into centralia and and one of us just couldn't make it the rest of the way to aour accomodations in Winlock (and the rest of us didn't want to miss the dinner we'd already paid for:().

Made many notes about what NOT to do next year, or for rsvp. We were totally unprepaired for the heat. Most of my training was done in 40-50 degree weather, so the sudden jump to the 90s was really hard to adjust to. I felt so elated yesterday, in spite of falling short. It still feels like a huge accomplishment (for me anyway). Dh made the trip down and was cheering for me as I dragged into the finish, and that was one sweet feeling...

[mimitabby]

hey, Raleighdon did NOT finish in 10 hours. he finished in 11 hours and 28 minutes. Not sure where i got that idea.

wanted to set the record straight.
it was still lightning speed, his average was over 18 mph!

Laurel, our weather this year made it very hard to train for these rides. The Cascade1200 had a bunch of DNF's for the same reason. Folks around here trained their hearts out, but in 49 degrees, so when the temps rose over 100 they were just NOT prepared.

[oxysback]

I was a slowpoke, but I did the first 100. My ride time was 8:05. Felt like everyone and their brother's dog passed me! At least I wasn't the last one to Centralia, though.

DH got to Portland at 5pm. His ride time was 11:17 with an average of 18.4. His name got announced at the finish line and he was the first recumbent to arrive!

[mimitabby]

Ellen, great about your husband!
(They announce almost everyone's names at the finish line, some people they missed)

100 miles in that weather was pretty good!

[oxysback]

Yeah, in the beginning when riders are coming in a few at a time they do, but later when they're in large groups a lot get missed. In the few years they've been announcing names, this is the first time they've said his. He was pretty excited!

100 miles in that weather was awesome! Although I could have done without the 10 miles of hot, freshly oiled chip-seal road outside of Centralia. So much energy wasted pedaling on that stuff. I almost shouted for joy when we got to the smooth roads!

[ttaylor508]

Congrats Oxysback and Lauraelmore. It really was a very tough year this year because of that heat! Many, many people were in some serious pain. I had to back out of the pace line several times after the Longview bridge because I felt the heat getting to me. I think it is much better to ride smart then to push past your limits in heat like that. What saved me was taking a little extra time in St. Helen's and cooling down. Luckily I had a little bit left in me when DH starting feeling ill and I am really surprised he came back around at all. Once he started feeling better about 10 miles to the finish he took back the front and pulled us in at 18-20 mph which was amazing considering how crappy he felt. He slept all the way home on the bus.

Lauralemore, the RSVP has a lot more shade. If I recall correctly, you are riding through nice canopy trees most of the first day. I love that ride and think we will do that one next year instead. Very pretty and a lot less people.

[lauraelmore1033]

I was a slowpoke, but I did the first 100. My ride time was 8:05. Felt like everyone and their brother's dog passed me! At least I wasn't the last one to Centralia, though.

well, you were faster than we were. We got into Centralia in 8:35. I was pretty pleased with that, considering the heat.

[lauraelmore1033]

Lauralemore, the RSVP has a lot more shade. If I recall correctly, you are riding through nice canopy trees most of the first day. I love that ride and think we will do that one next year instead. Very pretty and a lot less people.

That's very good to know. At one point, lying awake and miserable in my tent, I was planning to cancel all rides in the future (including rsvp and an upcoming tour) and never ride again. Somewhere after vader, after flying down a series of hills I regained my enthusiasm for the whole thing again:D.

[oxysback]

well, you were faster than we were. We got into Centralia in 8:35. I was pretty pleased with that, considering the heat.

What time did you get to Centralia? I was probably there enjoying my delicious creamsickle, yummy bbq beef sandwich and ice cold diet coke. I rolled in at about 1:50pm.

[lauraelmore1033]

What time did you get to Centralia? I was probably there enjoying my delicious creamsickle, yummy bbq beef sandwich and ice cold diet coke. I rolled in at about 1:50pm.

Oh, you meant eight hours total! You were much faster than us. We didn't get into Centrailia until after 5. That was 8+ hours on the bike and 4 hours standing in line at the porta potties. That creamsickle was indeed quite delicious.

[oxysback]

Oh, you meant eight hours total! You were much faster than us. We didn't get into Centrailia until after 5. That was 8+ hours on the bike and 4 hours standing in line at the porta potties. That creamsickle was indeed quite delicious.

Ooops...ok, the 8 hours ride time was just time spent on the bike. We got out in the first wave of riders right at 4:45, so I guess my grand total time was ~9 hours. I didn't stop for very long at the rest stops because I was afraid I wouldn't get back on the bike! Plus, the longer I stop the worse my legs feel when I start again. :( My average was 12.4.

There were lines at the porta-potties? I got right in when I needed to. Even though they put the ones at Spanaway all the way across the back 40...:mad: Or maybe I didn't drink enough...I only had to go two times the whole 100 miles!

[auntiebobo]

We made it all the way to Castle Rock on Saturday and finished on Sunday with just under 14 1/2 hours ride time total. I was very pleased for my first STP. It was perfect except for that heat. I'm glad it's behind me though.

[lauraelmore1033]

We made it all the way to Castle Rock on Saturday and finished on Sunday with just under 14 1/2 hours ride time total. I was very pleased for my first STP. It was perfect except for that heat. I'm glad it's behind me though.

WOW! You did great!::cool: