Chilly Hilly 2010

[jdubble]

Anyone doing this? My friend and I are driving up from Portland to ride it for the first time. Will we have fun? Is it worth the trip up?

I'm at the very least looking forward to getting to use my new birthday present - my bike's in the shop right now, getting upgraded from a 9 year old Campy Veloce 9 speed with a standard double crankset to a Campy Athena 11 speed with a compact double! Should help me on those hills, or at least that's what I'm hoping.

[bikerHen]

Hey! I was going to post about this ride too. Looks like a friend and I are coming over for the ride. It's been on my to do list and this seems like the year to do it. So, how hilly are we talking about? Anyone have any tips? Secrets about dealing with the crowds? Special things to see or do? The best places to grab a snack? Us newbies want to know! bikerHen

[missjulied]

I did this ride a few years ago, and am thinking about doing it again this year. It was fun! Of course, that year the weather was fantastic. I'm going to wait and see what the rain situation is before committing this year. Cold I don't mind, but rain I really have to be motivated for.

There are some pretty steep climbs, and a lot of people who can't make it up them. Not everyone is good at getting over to the right before putting their feet down either, so you really have to watch who you're riding behind.

The roads are open to cars so riding in the left lane is generally out of the question. And you can wind up behind cars too. The worst is being behind a car which is behind some people walking their bikes up the hill in the lane. You can't pass the car because of traffic going the other way, and the car can't pass the walkers/slow cyclists either, so you might get stuck walking your bike on a hill that you might normally have been able to ride successfully.

But the scenery is fantastic, the islanders are really nice, and the route is challenging but not insane. There is food all along the way, plus a lot of good restaurants in the village by the ferry station. The restaurants will probably be packed though.

And seeing all the bikes loaded on the ferry in the car parking area is awesome!

[jdubble]

Of course, that year the weather was fantastic. I'm going to wait and see what the rain situation is before committing this year. Cold I don't mind, but rain I really have to be motivated for.

i'm hoping that almanac.com's long range forecast/prediction is accurate - "Feb 22-28: Sunny, warm." though truthfully, i might be a bit disappointed if a ride called "chilly hilly" isn't at least a little chilly!

thanks for your report - that's good to know about the cars/hills. and that it's challenging but not insane. i think i can handle that.

[lauraelmore1033]

Dh and I did chilly hilly 2 years ago and really enjoyed it. It was challenging enough that it felt like we'd really accomplished something when it was over, but we weren't dragging or anything like that. There was a camper on the road creating a huge bottleneck when we encountered the steepest hill, so it wasn't physically possible to stay on the bike without riding left of center. People were dismounting in droves and others were riding on the wrong side of the road creating a very dangerous situation. There are riders of all fitness levels which seems to open up many possibilities for collisions. Not sayin' where I am on that spectrum, but I recall hearing one of the "bandit" riders complaining about being stuck behind me: "How do you go that slow and not fall over?" he said to his buddy who advised him just to suck it up and wait until it was safe to pass. Many more don't/won't wait.

[MM_QFC!]

+1 to what missjulied said re: riding on hills behind slower, inexperienced riders, walkers and car traffic...

This is a great ride and has rightfully been noted as a classic American bike ride in Bicycling magazine, so it's gotten bigger and bigger each year, but that's all part of the experience. You have everyone from area club racers to families taking their kids on tandems or in trailers, and there are lots of folks who haven't done rides with crowds yet so it's best to keep an eye out in front of you while also being alert for 'silent passers' - some even trying to pass on the right - ugh! Model the behavior you want as in, calling out as well as using hand signals, when possible (not always easy to signal when in the thick of a crowd, crawling up a hill or starting up from a traffic light, but calling out "slowing, stopping, or rolling" is always helpful to others nearby), point (or call out) hazards in the road, when you spot cars at driveways or cross streets too).

There is a rest stop with cider and baked goodies as well as a finish line festival; I also have enjoyed 'recovery' chili and beer at the Winslow pub before hopping back on the return ferry
I've attached the link with the details of the ride - route, elevation profile, ferry schedule, etc here from the event host, Cascade Bicycle Club. This has been the opening ride of the cycling season for 30ish years and so there is a ton of helpful information available. http://www.cascade.org/EandR/chilly/CH_details.cfm

I'd suggest that you not wait until then to register as, lots more riders wait until the morning of to see how the weather is and when we've had glorious weather, we've actually maxed out @ 5-6k registrations.
Also, try to lean your bike upright on the ferry and not flat on the car deck as I've seen riders trip while threading their way across the deck through lots of bike to get to the stairs, and the last thing you want is someone's foot mashing your spokes!

Tailwinds to each of you for a safe and great ride with lots of fun throughout.
Mary

[jdubble]

I'd suggest that you not wait until then to register as, lots more riders wait until the morning of to see how the weather is and when we've had glorious weather, we've actually maxed out @ 5-6k registrations.
Also, try to lean your bike upright on the ferry and not flat on the car deck as I've seen riders trip while threading their way across the deck through lots of bike to get to the stairs, and the last thing you want is someone's foot mashing your spokes!

We've pre-registered already, and plan to start on the island to avoid the ferry crowds - we're staying with some cycling friends in Lakewood and that's what they recommended and are doing, so we're following suit.

Thanks for all the tips! I'm getting more and more excited about it!

[bikerHen]

"How do you go that slow and not fall over?" he said to his buddy who advised him just to suck it up and wait until it was safe to pass. Many more don't/won't wait.

Since I'll never be setting any speed records going up hills, I find comfort in the slow end of the spectrum. I pride myself on how slow I CAN go and not fall over. It's a skill I tell ya! bikerHen

[lauraelmore1033]

Since I'll never be setting any speed records going up hills, I find comfort in the slow end of the spectrum. I pride myself on how slow I CAN go and not fall over. It's a skill I tell ya! bikerHen

I like to think so too!

[jdubble]

Since I'll never be setting any speed records going up hills, I find comfort in the slow end of the spectrum. I pride myself on how slow I CAN go and not fall over. It's a skill I tell ya! bikerHen

definitely a skill i've mastered as well!

[Biciclista]

starting on the island is good. Avoid as much of the crowds as you can and you should have a good ride.
I remember being terrified going up a slow long hill because there were people in front of me, lots of them; some were slowing down. Would someone stop directly in front of me?

this had already happened a few years before when we did this ride on a tandem (hint; i don't think this is a good tandem ride unless you do it a different day!)
a lady on a sparkly brand new bike did not know how to shift her bike into a climbing gear. She stopped and got off her bike in the middle of the road. We ran over her.
(she lived)
we had no way to stop in time. So be very defensive, careful, and legal.
good luck.
I really enjoyed this ride on my regular bike, except boy was I tired out at the end!

[MM_QFC!]

starting on the island is good. Avoid as much of the crowds as you can and you should have a good ride.
I remember being terrified going up a slow long hill because there were people in front of me, lots of them; some were slowing down. Would someone stop directly in front of me?

this had already happened a few years before when we did this ride on a tandem (hint; i don't think this is a good tandem ride unless you do it a different day!)
a lady on a sparkly brand new bike did not know how to shift her bike into a climbing gear. She stopped and got off her bike in the middle of the road. We ran over her.
(she lived)
we had no way to stop in time. So be very defensive, careful, and legal.
good luck.
I really enjoyed this ride on my regular bike, except boy was I tired out at the end!

Mimi...you're so right...there are lots of folks who pass someone at the start of a climb, but then slow down and get kind of wobbly all around the road...it's hard to know where they are going, and how to get safely around them while giving them plenty of room, when others are pushing past on both the left and the right, riding 2 or 3 abreast, or stopped and trying to unclip, falling over while trying to unclip, etc., etc.
I always tried to give as much room as possible, but it got difficult at times when so many riders would be 'clumping up'...so, just try to keep an even tempo, ride your own ride, stay alert/aware and ride defensively too.
This is not a long ride (33 miles), but there are always hills on an island ride, along with some twisting roads and downhills to ride along the shore too...so it might be too early in the season for some knees to comfortably enjoy those hills and miles if you haven't been on your bike all winter.

Wishing you all great weather (I recall riding through a hailstorm on part of the route one year!) and a very fun ride!
Mary

[missjulied]

We've pre-registered already, and plan to start on the island to avoid the ferry crowds - we're staying with some cycling friends in Lakewood and that's what they recommended and are doing, so we're following suit.

Just curious - what do you mean by "start on the island"? Are you spending the night there?

[jdubble]

Just curious - what do you mean by "start on the island"? Are you spending the night there?

Honestly, I'm not sure exactly, I was just following directions from our friends!

I imagine it means waking up super early and driving from Lakewood up and around Kitsap Peninsula to the top of the island and going across the bridge and driving to the start instead of taking the ferry. According to the ride website: "If you are starting on Bainbridge Island, the ride starts at the top of the ferry off-ramp on Winslow Way." I have NO idea how long this will take, but our friend Tony assured us that was preferable to waiting for the crowds on the ferries. So I'm trusting him since he does this ride every year.

[jdubble]

So be very defensive, careful, and legal.

always!