I’m sure I am not the only “Ride Hard Grow Forth” rider who started gnawing on their fingernails after seeing photos and hearing stories of sludge and near-freezing temperatures during the Chilly Hilly. But fate was kind to riders who signed up for the 60-mile ride to raise funds for urban farming collective Alleycat Acres Saturday.
With weather that could hardly have been better, over 100 riders gathered in the Central District before heading out for a spin around Lake Washington. It was my first time doing the Lake Washington loop, and several people in my posse had never been on a ride longer than a few miles before.
Observations and lessons:
- Riding in downtown Bellevue was my least favorite part. Wide, scary roads and lots of people honking at us angrily. Out of the whole ride, it stood out clearly to me as the most uncomfortable place to ride.
- I need a new front derailer.
- Juanita Drive between Kirkland and Kenmore is fantastic and beautiful.
- Oh, so that’s why some people bring two spare tubes when they ride (poor Rodney!)
- Doing yoga before riding really does prevent sore muscles after. Doing yoga after chowing down doughnuts and coffee, however, produces less desirable effects.
- 60-mile bike rides that start and end two blocks from your house are the best.
- Urban farming and riding bikes are a great match. If you are getting discouraged about the state of the environment/public health/community, ride to the closest community garden and get dirty!
Big thanks to Sean and everyone else who sponsored, organized or volunteered to make this ride happen. There are more photos of the ride at the Flickr pool. If you went, add your own. What are your favorite (or least favorite) parts of the Lake Washington Loop? Please share.
Comments
8 responses to “Incredible weather graces Alleycat Acres 60-mile ride”
Hooray! I wish I had figured out who you were on the day. I was–as will become obvious as I add photos to the pool–the guy hanging out with a camera at the mezzanine of the Kirkland Arts Center.
I wish I could have made it but I’m in an Intro to Whitewater Kayaking class which meets every Saturday in March. I’m relatively new to Seattle but I’m looking to become much more active in fun rides like this. Keep up the good work Tom!
Riding in Bellevue is a special kind of awful. It saddens me that so many employers are located there.
I actually really liked riding up that winding 8 mile hill, mostly because I was able to bike down it really, really fast! Chatting with other riders was a great way to get to know a few new folks. Also, I loved offering yoga before the ride.
Is there a site that collects upcoming rides on a calendar of some sort? I keep finding about these cool rides when the pictures show up on blogs.
[…] ride last weekend which raised over $15,000 for the cause. A wonderful recap can be read on the Seattle Bike Blog. Julia Stonefelt has the wonderful print available to benefit the project as […]
[…] Then a huge thank you goes out to all the wonderful women who sponsored me in the ride and my friends who stuck it out all 60 miles. Finally, a huge serving of gratitude is sent out to the lovely sun […]
[…] of Alleycat Acres, remember that awesome fundraiser ride they held this spring? Well, they’re already hard at work planning the March 2012 ride, and […]