Stp?

[malaholic]

Any TE'ers riding STP this weekend? If so let me know what kind of jersey/bike to look out for so I can say hi! I will be on a black Ruby with silver bar tape. I haven't decided which jersey I'll wear though.

[salsabike]

We will be on a blue Burley Duet tandem. We just decided--nudged by your post--that Chris will be wearing his STP 08 jersey (orange and blue, I believe) and I'll be wearing my STP 05 jersey (yellow and blue, with a little green).

[jobob]

Have a great ride, gang!

[salsabike]

Thanks, Ms. Bob!

Care to update us on how you are, here or on another thread? I've been wondering.

[lauraelmore1033]

I'll be the very round woman on a black Specialized Tricross Sport. Possibly wearing an RSVP 08 jersey. Or maybe a TRIRI 08 jersey that says "burn carbohydrates not hydrocarbons" on the back

[jobob]

Salsa - thanks, I'll know more tomorrow. I'll post an update then.

[ttaylor508]

We'll be there. Planning on leaving at 4:50 am or sooner. I will be on a black Ruby as well and don't know which jersey I am wearing yet, probably which ever one is clean. I'll be following DH who is on a red Tarmac and usually have a couple of buddies on my wheel, one on a Scott, probably wearing his ironman coeur d'alene jersey and other on a white roubaix probably in a yellow jersey.

We are planning on spending night in Portland Saturday night so we will hopefully be able to relax in the beer garden rather than having to jump on the bus to head home.

Good luck ladies and have fun! See ya in Portland.

ps, apparently there is some road closures at UW start line, so check the map on how to enter the parking lot. I think the road that is closed is the one we usually take.

[bikerHen]

My sister and I will be there in our club jerseys. White, orange and teal. They say WOW Womens Cycling - Spokane, WA.

Can any of you STP veterans tell me how early 2 day riders can leave? Any last minute tips for a couple of STP virgins? bikerHen

[malaholic]

Sweet. I will keep my eyes out for those of you who've responded. I think I can remember the bikes/jerseys and possibly the handles but I don't think I'll remember which handle goes with which bike or jersey, so please don't be offended if I have to ask who you are. I think I will be wearing a Native Planet jersey, red with a hellow center and black tribal-type markings on the sleeves.

BikerHen - I think 2-day riders can start between 5:15 and 7:30. I don't really have any super tips....just common sense stuff like pace yourself, make sure to get enough food & water, and be careful, especially in the big groups.

TTaylor - DH & I are also going to try to leave around 4:45 to 5:00 so there's a chance we could see you at the start. But knowing us, we'll be running half an hour late and will end up not actually leaving until 5:30 or so. As long as we can finish before the last bus leaves for Seattle I'll consider it good.

Hopefully I'll get to say hi to some of you - even if not, ride hard and stay safe!

[malaholic]

Or maybe a TRIRI 08 jersey that says "burn carbohydrates not hydrocarbons"

lauraelmore1033 - what is TRIRI? I've seen that slogan before but never on a jersey - very cool!

[lauraelmore1033]

It's Touring Ride in Rural Indiana. An extremely well run tour that runs from state park to state park in.....rural Indiana (where I grew up).

[evangundy]

Can any of you STP veterans tell me how early 2 day riders can leave? Any last minute tips for a couple of STP virgins? bikerHen

Best advice I was ever given for STP: The rest stops can be the biggest time-suckers. At the rest stop, park your bike, get in line and get your food, take the food with you to the porta-potty line. By the time you have reached the front of that line, you'll be done with your food, use the facilities, go refill your bottles and leave.

Next best advice: communicate - call out "on your left" when passing, "slowing" when you slow down, "stopping" when you stop (and remember to pull off the road when you stop). This will help keep you from getting run over by riders behind you.

Don't go out too fast at the start. It's really easy to do - everyone's adrenalin gets pumping and you're in with a big crowd, and you'll try to keep up for awhile, and then late in the day you'll suddenly realize that you're worn out already and think "maybe I went out to fast in the morning".

You are out there with 9,999 of your best friends. You can still have lots of fun, but be aware of the riders around you and pay attention. Especially near the end of each day. There will be tired riders who are zoning out, not holding their line, maybe weaving. They aren't getting in your way on purpose, they're just really tired.

I try to say something cheerful to the few people I pass. It's harder when you're in a big crowd, but when it thins out, it's easier. I like to put a smile on those tired faces. I like it when those people passing me say something nice as they go by. It makes me stop thinking about how tired I am, even if for just a few seconds :-)

Have a great ride everyone, my DH will be there on his Long Wheel base recumbent, sporting his red/white hawaiian floral bodysock. His nickname is Slug :-) I'll be crewing for a solo racer on Race Across Oregon this weekend, out in Eastern Oregon, so I won't be on STP. Maybe next year I'll ride it again.

Edna

[Aint Doody]

Lisa, evangundy has good tips. And really be careful; there are lots out there who don't have a clue as to what they're doing. I hope your bike is all fixed up wheel-wise. You and Melinda have fun.

Susan

[MM_QFC!]

My sister and I will be there in our club jerseys. White, orange and teal. They say WOW Womens Cycling - Spokane, WA.

Can any of you STP veterans tell me how early 2 day riders can leave? Any last minute tips for a couple of STP virgins? bikerHen

Yep, 2-day riders are 'supposed' to wait until 5:15 AM to leave, however I always saw quite a few at the start line way earlier, as they had not done it before, didn't have any idea how long it would take them, how to pace themselves and/or were just nervous about getting to their Sat overnight location in time for dinner, relaxing before dark.

The riders are released in waves to start, and the tips posted earlier are excellent, as there are so many people, that you really just need to focus on riding safely, and not following too closely as you wind through Seattle, south to Renton and beyond...call out when you're stopping, use hand signals too, and even when you start back up at a traffic light (you'll have police stopping cross traffic at most lights all the way to Seattle/Renton city limits), as that's where too many riders who are inexperienced either as riders and/or when riding in a large group - get wobbly and can be a real hazard to others around them. Some can't pedal, without clipping in and have to look down, take a long time in the intersection, everyone is moving along and trying to avoid the shaky rider near them...just ride with awareness and keep away from anyone who isn't practicing good riding rules of the road.

+1 on the rest stops too; in fact, you can use your helmet as a bowl, so that you can collect snacks, put them in your helmet, carry it with you as you munch and stretch on the potty line, throw your trash away, keep some snacks for your jersey pocket and get back out there. I used to only stop at the bigger official stops @ 50 miles and, if needed, I learned that there is always a mini-market along the route and - for the cost of a small snack - I could have the restroom to myself, with running water, no less; so civilized! I am not a crowd-loving person, so anytime I could ride past the long lines, I kept going.

Also, if anyone has family or friends driving PSVs/personal sag vehicles, PLEEEEASE, stay off the STP route! There are great directions included in the route booklet, for PSVs to use other roads/highways to get to rest stops if they're wanting to meet their riders. With so many riders on the road, there are always too many who assume that every road is closed for the STP riders (wrong!) and they take up much more than the whole lane too often, making it impossible for a car to drive legally in order to pass them - whew!

I wish you those lovely tailwinds on hwy 30 to carry you easily into the finish line festival at Holladay Park in Portland!
Mary

[oxysback]

+1 on saying something nice when passing.

I rode the first 100 last year and the one comment I remember is right after 'the hill.' A gal passed me and said "Way to go twenty-one-thirty-six!", and gave me a big smile as she whooshed past me. It really lifted my spirits!