New Year's Day Group Ride

Dennis told me about an annual ride that happens each new year, starting from Enatai Beach in Bellevue. It's been going on for 37 years, so it sounded interesting. So we rode over I-90 this morning and found the group of ~100 riders rolling out - sweet, we made it!

I guess it's a mainly a team thing, as most of the riders were wearing full kits of the local race teams: Byrne-Invent, Zoka, Hagens-Berman, and a bunch more. It was a slow pace, and a cool route to Evergreen Point that I hadn't done before:


Once the group got to Evergreen Point, we ended up on that tiny trail parallel to 520, which really strung everyone out. But we caught back up on the steep descent, and then passed a bunch of people climbing up Northup Way. Once we got to the top of Northup, some riders went right, some stopped, and the ride seemed to be breaking up. We wanted to get in some climbing so we took a left up 24th, a 100 meter climb.

Here's a link to the route: Seattle to Bellevue & back

And here's the e-mail I was forwarded about the ride:

Bikies,

It is almost time for the New Year's Day ride. Will there be ice and
snow or sunshine??

Shake off the dust and mud and bring your bike out and start off the
New Year with a bike ride (rain, snow or shine??). This is the 37th
New Year's Day Ride. We all start at NOON from Enatai Beach (The
Bellevue side of the I-90 East Channel Bridge) and head north towards
Evergreen point and beyond... This a rather short (about 20 miles - it
could be shorter for me if the weather is disagreeable!!) social ride.
For most that is "plenty far" on the day after, but for some it is a
nice warm-up for a little more exercise later on.

Many of you are too anxious and start a little fast!! Do try and stay
talkable for the first 20 miles and then you can try the big ring.....
That means easy on the flats and the hills – otherwise I will be way
off the back.......

See ya all there.

Jerry Baker

It was a fun ride, although we broke off in about the middle of it to do some climbing. I guess I'll be seeing some of those folks at the FrostBite Time Trial on Feb. 25th!