On Saturday I'll be riding with the Seattle Intl Randonneurs (aka SiR) for the sixth of their Winter Training Series rides. This one is the Issaquah / North Bend Loop, it should be great. 63 miles long, the route will take us through Fall City, Snoqualmie, and North Bend. While I've ridden to Issaquah before, I've yet to go further East than that, so this should be a great ride.
The little green line on this terrain map shows the route we'll be taking:
Starting in Issaquah, and then heading north on E. Lake Sammamish, east on Louis Thompson Rd, then onward... see the map for details. Also, we're gonna pass local landmarks like Snoqualmie Falls & Mt. Si!I'll bring my camera, and (hopefully) get some good pictures like the one above. Except you'll be seeing a bunch of two-wheeled vehicles and reflective gear in the foreground!
The loop is 63 miles, and it's about 20 miles to get out there from my house (via I-90, Mercer Island, and Newport Way). So when I ride the 20 back from Issaquah, it should be just about 100 miles for the day! I haven't done that kind of distance since the High Pass Challenge last year.
I always like to click out the route on a Google Map prior to doing a new loop, in order to see the "lay of the land." Here's a link to the route on a Google Map: [link] And of course, here's the elevation profile, generated by veloroutes.org (w/ data from the USGS):
The first big bump is the Issaquah Plateau, and then the next climb flattens at about Snoqualmie Falls, then goes even higher and peaks at just past North Bend. The half-way point/turnaround is the North Bend/Tanner area, pretty damn far up into the Cascades! This would be a nice back-roads route to attempt a descent from North Bend heading West via I-90, or just to get on the pass without doing I-90 the whole way. Can't wait!
The SiR Winter Training Series is open to anyone, you don't have to be a member to ride with us! Just show up, sign in, get a cue sheet, and roll. But note that there are no regroups, and you need to be self-sufficient with food, water, and mechanical issues. And, you should really, really think about having full fenders if it's wet out! The peloton rolls at 9 AM sharp. See you Saturday!! [ride details]
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
SiR Winter Training Series #6 - Issaquah/North Bend Loop (Ride Preview)
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6 comments:
Wow! This sounds great! I once did the same ride -- Capitol Hill to North bend & back, but that was in my racing days. If I were in better shape, I'd be tempted to try to join in, just to see what SiR "feels like." Hmmm.
But, one thing I've always been curious about is, is there a way to go beyond North Bend, to get to the Pass, without using I-90. If there is some way to get from North Bend to Exit 47 (Denny Creek), that would suffice, because there is a very nice road, with a switchbacked hill at the end, going from Exit 47 up to the Pass. (In years past, this road was the site of a hill-climb time trial that was used to prepare for the state hill climb championships at Crystal Mtn). I really wish I knew more about that area.
Well, enjoy the ride, man! I look forward to your report.
hay matt- looks like joby, robert and i will be joining you on this new route. but we'll be driving to the start, 100+ miles would be pushing it a bit too much for me right now.
The big thing that makes me wanna drive to this is the fact that it starts at 9. I wake up early all week, I don't need yet another day to get up before the sun does.
sweet, i'll see y'all there! dennis hurt his foot last week, so he's resting tomorrow.
i'm definitely gonna have to rise super-early to make it out there by 9, it's gonna be a long day. i guess i have the advantage of waking up at about 9 AM during the week, so rising on the weekends isn't so bad.
i wish that:
a) these rides would start a little later, and
b) they'd actually start in seattle! seems like these rides just start in so-and-so's back yard so far.. maybe we should change the group's name to "Suburban Intl Randonneurs"...
ohh hoho... you think 9am is early. just wait until you hear what time the longer brevets start.
9am is early when you don't have a car and Seattle International Randos start their rides outside of Seattle.
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