S T P

[bikerchick68]

Hi all! Is anyone doing the STP this year? I have my registration and plane tickets!!! I've never done it before... and will be riding with some friends who live in Snohomish...

We're gonna ride 152 the first day and then sleep late, eat breakfast, cruise to the finish and have a beer or two...

If you've done it before can you please tell me what the SAG's are like? Will they have PBnJ or some other kind of real food? I can do about 80 miles on Clifshots and banana quarters etc but then I need real food...

[teigyr]

I know nothing! (Yeah, I'm useless!) but if you come through SeaTac, let me know! I would love to be able to run up to the concourse and say hi. I think you'll have fun, most everyone I know who has ridden it has had a blast.

[Eden]

The food stops are some of the best I've seen on any organized rides. They do generally have PB&J if that is what you want, but they also have other stuff: fresh fruit, other types of sandwiches, some sort of veggie only fare (like black bean and corn wraps) cookies, bagels and boiled red potatoes are all things that I remember from years past. The food stops are run by Whole Foods!

[java]

Sounds like you're planning to get to Longview the first day. I've done that--it's nice to have the road pretty much to yourself after the first 100 miles or so--most of the 2-day riders finish their first day in Centralia/Chehalis.

As regards the food stops, they have the usual stuff. Bagels, bananas, grapes, PBJ, bars, etc. but since you've got a longer day than most of the riders, you might want to consider skipping the big food stops altogether. You would save a boatload of time by instead stopping at some of the little stores/delis along the way. This is particularly true from Seattle - Chehalis. You won't see too many stores after that though, so you'll want to have stuff on board once you get past the 100 mile mark--it's a bit more sparsely populated between Chehalis and Longview.

The big food stops are so crowded that we found we were wasting a lot of time to get our "free" banana or handful of grapes. Even worse are the lines for the porta potties.

As it turns out, Cascade also pays for additional porta potties to be placed along the route. We've always found some not far after the big rest stops. Cascade does that to prevent business owners along the route being inundated with riders looking to make a pit stop. It does work well for the riders who want to skip the food stops.

Anyway, we've found we've saved a bunch of time avoiding the big rest stops, and we don't have to go far to get to a place where we can take a bit of time to take a break and eat, etc.



Mary

[mimitabby]

We like the food stops, they're great; and there are usually lots of portapotties too.

Eden pretty much covered the food; there's also energy drinks available too.

Half the fun of these rides is going to the food stops, you don't have to stay all day!

[Starfish]

I've only done this ride once, but I'm not big on large gatherings and lingering stops. STP has 'em, but as others wrote here, you can get by without stopping at most of them, if you want.

Also, especially in the first 100 miles, I experienced locals sitting out along the route in lawn chairs, and holding out bananas as I rode by!

[salsabike]

They have great food. It's quite amazing. And if you start early, you can beat most of the food lines and eat quite well.

Have fun! We've done it twice and had a blast.

[Shiraz]

I did the ride last year and was amazed at the amount and variety of food. We started each morning by 5:30 - 6:00 and really did not have long waits. I think its a great idea to ride 150 miles. I wish we had. You can also purchase food if you like. We did at the mid point. It is very organized and well supported. Good luck and have a great time. Make sure you give a report when you return!

[mimitabby]

YOU will not believe how many fellow riders there are! it's staggering!

[bikerchick68]

wow! thanks for all the great info... I received my registration card in the mail on Saturday...

teigyr... I think I fly in to SeaTac... but it's on the 10th (Tues) midmorning...

it's GREAT to know there will be real food... usually 70-80 miles in I need some real food... I did a ride locally last weekend that was 70 miles... it was a first time for this event and the food was minimal... since it was their first event I figured it might be that way and brought Clifshots with me...

that's good to know about the extra porta potties... I skipped a SAG at Solvang one time... and 10 miles later was ducked behind a shrub to take care of business... NOT easy... I NEVER skip SAG's now.

I have one more question... I read in the packet I received that the ride organizers will bring 2 bags to your 1st nights stop... we rented a hotel room at mile 152... do they do this for all riders or only for those who stop at the 100 mile mark? I was planning to get a handlebar bag so I could stuff it with clothes I'd need...

thanks again for all the great input...

[java]

I have one more question... I read in the packet I received that the ride organizers will bring 2 bags to your 1st nights stop... we rented a hotel room at mile 152... do they do this for all riders or only for those who stop at the 100 mile mark? I was planning to get a handlebar bag so I could stuff it with clothes I'd need...

thanks again for all the great input...

There is one truck stop in Kelso at the Hall of Justice, bags should arrive around 3:00 p.m. Saturday. You'll have to pick them up there and then bring them back the next morning for transport into Portland. Cascade has a bunch of info on their website--here's a link to their STP page with lots of info. You may find the ride details link helpful for specifics re: baggage service.

http://www.cascade.org/EandR/stp/index.cfm

Good luck and have fun!

Mary