article on the STP

[jobob]

any of our friends up in the Pacific Northwest planning on doing this?

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/outdoors/2001860176_nwwstp19.html

[snapdragen]

Might be fun.....next year!

The other ride mentioned - The Chilly Hilly - is one I'd like to do. I have a cousin up there, so I've got a place to stay.

[jobob]

She lives on Bainbridge Island? Lucky lady.
I'd love to live there someday.

[snapdragen]

Actually Vashon island, just south of Bainbridge. I love the idea of only being able to get there by ferry!

[grannydea]

As a person who lives with a non rider I have to limit my organized rides to one a year. This year that ride will be the STP
(one-day). Trainning has started and the snow is gone. As an unemployed person(housewife/no kids at home) getting in the ride time is not a problem. Any one elce riding this year?
Dea

[cyclechick76]

both rides are good stuff .. i rode them both in 2002, the first year i started riding and getting serious about training. i fell into riding with a group of racing guys last summer, and they have convinced me to train and race this season. but i might be convinced to do STP in one day this year, we'll see.
some of the guys i did STP with in 2 days, had done it in1 day the year before. they all agreed that they had more fun doing it in two days. just a thought for you. either way, it's a relatively flat ride, last 1/3 is more rolling. lots of good people and good food and lots of fun, either way!

as for the chilly hilly, they're not kidding about the hilly part! i have to train on that gargabe ... but you've gotta train your weakness! :)

happy training!

[MM_QFC!]

Hi all,
Good rides both and plenty more great rides up in this area too.
I've done the STP for the past 5 years; first time ('99), I did it with a few friends in 2 days. It was very social and a lot of fun, but I liked the idea of challenging myself in riding a double century in 1 day, so have done that for the past 4. Usually about 8,000 riders and maybe 1,500 are 1-day riders. No matter which option you choose, it isn't the kind of route that needs hill training; instead you train for mileage and learn how to pace yourself, managing your rest stops, food, hydrating needs effectively.
I worked a few aspects of riding it in 1 day to my advantage, for example: the crowds thin out about halfway, when you spot 2 day riders grabbing their gear and heading to their overnight spot, so it opened up the road; no lines at all at porta-potties the rest of the way! It's great to get in, get a shower, massage, dinner and great sleep on Saturday, then stroll over to the finish line festival's beer garden on Sunday, after a lazy brunch - sporting either your 1-day rider patch or t-shirt - or both!
If you pace yourself and are efficient about how you train, what pace you want to maintain, don't stop at every opportunity but instead maybe every 50 miles, keep drinking, eating, stretching even while on your bike, it's a breeze!
The Chilly Hilly is the long-standing (25ish years) official opening ride to the season put on by the Cascade Bicycle Club. There are bike only ferries for the hordes of riders heading to Bainbridge Island from the Seattle side and it's a very festive atmosphere and well-supported ride. Beware though - the name is appropriate! It's usually pretty chilly, at least at the start and since the route generally follows the perimeter of the island (33), it's a hilly one. Lots of short ones, and rollers and some long pulls but none of it stops a few thousand riders of all types and on all kinds of bikes from coming out to have fun.
Someone also mentioned Vashon Island on this thread and that's a very popular loop for area cyclists too - with a longer, steeper ferry hill than Bainbridge even.
Have fun!

[jobob]

The idea of doing the full 200 miles in one day simply boggles my mind at this point :eek:
You ladies are amazing !