For this route, I'm going to do a clockwise loop around Lake Washington - starting with Burke Gilman trail entering from Metropolitan Market Sand Point (the address is 5250 40th Ave NE Seattle WA), for a total distance of 49 miles with about 1800 feet of elevation gain. Meet at 7:30am, wheels rolling by 7:45am. I'm capping attendance at 6 as I don't feel comfortable leading a bigger ride on the open roads there. We will meet on our bikes at the parking lot of Metropolitan Market and you will find me in front of the store. There should be plenty of street parking in the neighborhood, especially at our starting time.
Route: We will meet at Metropolitan Market Sand Point, enter Burke Gilman and follow the Lake Washington Loop to eventually end at Metropolitan Market Sand Point. There is a restroom and food/supplies for purchase at Met Market nearby the start/finish. There is a planned rest room break at Seward Park. We also have the option to refuel and use restrooms by Kirkland.
Pace and regrouping: I will be maintaining a 16.5 to 17 mph pace, which translates into 17-21 mph on the flats and 8-10 mph uphill. We will regroup at the top of the uphill climbs, as well as easy-to-miss turns if the group is slightly split. This is a drop ride. This means the group may ride away from you if you run into difficulty maintaining the described pace; you could be riding portions solo as you make it back to the start/finish. If you feel that you are unable to complete the whole loop after starting the ride with us, you have the option to split from the group and enter the 520 bridge on the east side (I will point it out when we get there). Entering the 520 bridge will cut your ride down to total of 27 miles, but you may be riding alone for the last 7-8 miles.
The total moving time will be just shy of 3 hours. The total elapsed time should be closer to 3.5-4 hours to account for bathroom break(s) and possible snack break (we may stop at a Starbucks on Lakeside Ave S)
Equipment and Safety: Helmets are required to ride. A saddle bag with emergency supplies (tubes, pump, multi-tools) is highly recommended. Rain (however unlikely) will cancel this ride. Bring your own nutrition you expect to need during the ride (you can also make last minute purchases at Met Market at the start/finish). Riders should be able to sustain the appropriate pace, know how to read a cue sheet, change a flat tire (and have the requisite equipment to do so) and have a positive attitude. Ride Leader will not stop long for flats or mechanical issues due to group safety.
In order to participate in any Seattle Triathlon Group event, you must sign our waiver. Waivers only need to be signed once per year or if your contact info has changed. As this is early season, if you participated in an event with us in 2024 you like still have an active waiver from last year - you can login to your account at https://www.seattletri.org/dashboard to check. I will only be accepting electronic waivers - please complete the waiver ahead of time! Thanks and Tri On!