"STP ride will wander through South Sound" -- July 14, 2006

BY CALEB BREAKEY
THE OLYMPIAN


A bombardment of bicyclists will ride through Thurston County on Saturday during the 27th annual Group Health Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic, an event that runs through Sunday.

With up to 9,000 participants, the ride is the largest multi-day bicycle event in the Northwest. It will follow state Route 507 through Yelm, Rainier and Tenino in Thurston County and will pass through Centralia and Chehalis in Lewis County.

Roads used by cyclists are open to traffic.

"This is going to go rain or shine," said Cascade Bicycle Club marketing director Carry Porter. "You're going to see 9,000 people on the road through (Thurston County)."

Riders will start their voyage at 4:45 a.m. Saturday in Seattle.

Porter said residents who live along the STP corridor should check the bicycle route by checking Cascade.org on the Web and plan alternate forms of transportation.

Among the cyclists is Kyle Coffey, who rode the 204-mile event on a Big Wheel last year. Keeping with his antics, Coffey will journey through the scenic northwest on a bicycle with 16-inch rims this year, a bike normally ridden by 7-year-olds, Porter said.

"A little kosher-break kind of deal," Porter said.

James Worrel, 84, might be the oldest rider of the bunch. A broken hip caused Worrel to miss last year's ride -- a rare absence from the bicycling event for him -- but he is healthy and ready to ride.

About 95 percent of the riders will gut it out to the Finish Line Festival at Holladay Park in Portland, where riders' favorite activity is sleeping on the grass after the ride, Porter said.

"They train, (and) they know what they're doing," she said.

"It's the crazy guys on Big Wheels that we're never quite sure about," Porter added with a chuckle.

Kim Thompson, a member of the Cascade Bicycle Club staff, said most riders are committed to finishing the route, which passes through the countryside and small towns.

"Once they want to do this ride, they're geared up -- they're doing it," Thompson said. "They don't back out, they just do it."

The ride is not a race -- the starting line is staggered by 10-minute waves to help prevent traffic congestion, and riders aren't officially timed from start to finish.

Food stops in Kent, Spanaway, Centralia (one-day riders only), Lexington and St. Helens offer riders Clif Bars, bagels, fruits, cookies and small sandwiches -- energy for the cyclists, who burn an average of 4,500 calories, Porter said.

"You can ask anybody, and they would say, 'I pretty much ride because I like to eat,' " she said. "(Some) people have been training for as much as six months for this ride. They're pumped, and they're excited."

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Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic
When: Saturday and Sunday
Distance: 204 miles
Elevation gain: 3,898 feet
Participants: More than 8,770 riders, making it the largest multi-day bicycle event in Northwest. Last year, riders came from 38 states, plus England, Japan, Canada and the United Arab Emirates. About 23 percent of last year's cyclists completed the ride in one day.
Registration: Closed, although cyclists can sell their registration before the ride.
For more information: Check on the Web at www.cascade.org.