I was thinking about doing this next year. 200 miles in two days sounds challenging. I have family in Portland that it would be good to visit. Maybe Gma or Patience will come with part of the time. It coincides with Wild West 150 training, which is the last weekend in July.
The 30th Annual STP will be held July 11 – 12, 2009!
The 2008 Group Health Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic was a terrific success. Thank you to all the riders who rode safely and respectfully from Seattle to Portland. Thank you to all of the wonderful volunteers who helped make the event smooth and enjoyable for the 9,500 participants.
Cascade Bicycle Club
Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic
The Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic, or STP, is an annual one and two day supported bicycle ride from Seattle, Washington to Portland, Oregon in the United States. The STP “is considered one of the 10 biggest recreational bicycle rides in the country, drawing riders from across the nation and from other nations”, and has been operating for more than 25 years.[1] The ride is organized by the Cascade Bicycle Club. It is approximately 200 miles (322 km) in length. Most riders complete the distance in two days; however, about 15% complete the ride in one day.[2]
The ride takes place on the second or third weekend in July mostly on country roads, avoiding the direct freeway (U.S. Interstate 5) route between the cities. The Cascade Bicycle Club describes the 2006 route as “pretty flat with the “Big Hill†coming at the 45-mile mark. It’s a mile long with about a 7 percent grade. … The majority of the ride is on beautiful, rolling rural roads”.[3] In 2005 approximately 30 miles (48 km) of the 202 miles (325 km) were considered uphill with a combined ascent of approximately 2,000 feet (600 m).[4]
The halfway point is near the towns of Centralia and Chehalis in Washington. For two-day riders, the hotels and guesthouses in the area cannot accommodate the thousands of cyclists, so schools, churches and other charitable organizations provide indoor spaces for riders to sleep and food for a fee. Some riders also arrange to camp in parks or fields near the halfway point.[4]
on Wikipedia