# So I rode on Whidbey Island for the 1st time and..



## giovanni sartori

Holy [email protected] is that a hilly island!!!! I found an 81 mile route on the web and rode it two days ago. It might be the hilliest and hardest 81 miles I've ever done. Beautiful island and great roads, a nice, quick ferry ride too. Weekdays are definitely the way to go for the islands in the summer, I bet fewer than 50 cars passed me and I think I only went through 5 stoplights the entire ride.


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## kreger

which route? did you do.

yeah, driving on it makes my CAR tired


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## giovanni sartori

kreger said:


> which route? did you do.
> 
> yeah, driving on it makes my CAR tired


I just googled whidbey island cue sheet and an 81 miler came up, I had no idea which way was North half the time, it kind if zig zagged all over.


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## hoehnt

kreger said:
 

> yeah, driving on it makes my CAR tired


Now THATS funny


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## tyro

I rode from Winslow to Port Angeles in the summer and really liked the Bainbridge Island portion. It's hilly but friggin beautiful. Honestly, I didn't think about it much because I was so distracted. I think it's best when you don't know the ride because your mind is fixated on the "newness". I'm looking forward to Chilly Hilly this year...or is it next year?


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## martinrjensen

*cue sheet?*



giovanni sartori said:


> I just googled whidbey island cue sheet and an 81 miler came up, I had no idea which way was North half the time, it kind if zig zagged all over.


What's a cue sheet or where do I find it? It sounds like fun, I like hills. I just found out about a listing made by (I think) Seattle DOT about Seattles 20 steepest hills. I plan to cross those off my list but what' a slittle scarry is that the two hills I know of hat I thought were plenty steep, didn't even make the list. They would be 4th north from the fremont bridge up to boston and Dravus St on Magnolia from 15NW heading west.


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## hoehnt

There are a few steep hills out here. Mainly there are just a lot of hills.


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## martinrjensen

*found it!*



giovanni sartori said:


> I just googled whidbey island cue sheet and an 81 miler came up, I had no idea which way was North half the time, it kind if zig zagged all over.


I had Bainbridge island stuck in my mind for some reason. when I actually opened my eyes and read your message I figured it out.


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## OldEndicottHiway

giovanni sartori said:


> *Holy [email protected] is that a hilly island!!!! *I found an 81 mile route on the web and rode it two days ago. It might be the hilliest and hardest 81 miles I've ever done. Beautiful island and great roads, a nice, quick ferry ride too. Weekdays are definitely the way to go for the islands in the summer, I bet fewer than 50 cars passed me and I think I only went through 5 stoplights the entire ride.



Hee hee hee. It is hilly. I used to ride it quite a bit. Nice quiet roads, and always rode into the little town of Langley (I think it was). But at least the hills are long-ish gradual grades so you can find some sort of rhythm going up. imho it's better than "roller coaster" roads where it's a persistant, irritating, "up down up down up down." 

Back in the day, the island used to be fairly lightly traveled even on weekends. Great riding, glad you got to experience it.


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## MTT

giovanni sartori said:


> Holy [email protected] is that a hilly island!!!! I found an 81 mile route on the web and rode it two days ago. It might be the hilliest and hardest 81 miles I've ever done. Beautiful island and great roads, a nice, quick ferry ride too. Weekdays are definitely the way to go for the islands in the summer, I bet fewer than 50 cars passed me and I think I only went through 5 stoplights the entire ride.


All of the islands are like that: Vashon, Bainbridge, Orcas and the rest of the San Juans. There is a road on Vashon called Burma road that takes the cake. So beautiful and so painful; but an absolute blast. Paved before codes or regulations.............MTT :thumbsup:


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## hoehnt

good for training I guess.


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## MTT

Yes it is; I do a loop around Bainbridge once a week in the summer that really keeps me in shape for mountain biking on weekends.........MTT


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## hoehnt

I live on Whidbey...my regular (every day or 2) loop is a little over 20 miles with about 2000 feet of climbing.
I like the hills.


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## epicxt

Did a fun weekend romp with some friends on my team on Whidbey early this spring. Very cold, wet and hilly. Was a lot of fun. The wiseguy planning the route ended it with a dead-end downhill all the way down to the water. We groaned when we realized we had been snookered into climbing another hill to get to the house we were staying at.:cryin: 

On another note, early spring wet riding on the island is REALLY rough on the drivetrain. What do they put on the roads there? Or is it just wind-blown sand or something? I literally had to replace my fairly-new chain after that weekend (I think it had maybe 800 miles on it).


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## hoehnt

epicxt said:


> Did a fun weekend romp with some friends on my team on Whidbey early this spring. Very cold, wet and hilly. Was a lot of fun. The wiseguy planning the route ended it with a dead-end downhill all the way down to the water. We groaned when we realized we had been snookered into climbing another hill to get to the house we were staying at.:cryin:
> 
> On another note, early spring wet riding on the island is REALLY rough on the drivetrain. What do they put on the roads there? Or is it just wind-blown sand or something? I literally had to replace my fairly-new chain after that weekend (I think it had maybe 800 miles on it).



I am not aware of anything they put on the roads. There is a lot of wind blown sand though.


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## epicxt

Does it wreak havoc on your equipment as well, or did I just hit it on a special weekend? It rained pretty hard both days and we put in about 80 miles each day. I douched my chain pretty well the first night, but it still had a lot of grinding feel at the beginning of the ride on Sunday...


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## hoehnt

I always thought my stuff was wearing out because of the hills. The rain should have washed off the roads of any sand, etc I would think.


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## epicxt

hoehnt said:


> I always thought my stuff was wearing out because of the hills. The rain should have washed off the roads of any sand, etc I would think.


Hmmm...I don't think that the hills alone would have such a marked effect on the drivetrain wear. The grinding in my drivetrain at the beginning of the second day was so pronounced that I could literally feel it in every pedal stroke. But the chain didn't really look that bad. 

Wierd. Maybe the sand on the island is extra-abrasive compared to the normal road-grime we get in Seattle.


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## hoehnt

could be. The island is mostly glacial sand and clay.


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## hoehnt

Here is an elevation map from the Tour de Whidbey


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## tyro

hoehnt said:


> Here is an elevation map from the Tour de Whidbey


When is the Tour de Whidbey? Looks like fun!


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## hoehnt

tyro said:


> When is the Tour de Whidbey? Looks like fun!


end of Sept.


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## tyro

hoehnt said:


> end of Sept.


Damn, missed that one. Is there a good list of all the rides and races around WA and OR?


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## hoehnt

tyro said:


> Damn, missed that one. Is there a good list of all the rides and races around WA and OR?


http://www.cascade.org/EandR/Activities_Calendar.cfm


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## tyro

hoehnt said:


> http://www.cascade.org/EandR/Activities_Calendar.cfm


Thanks.


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## epicxt

And more on the racing side of things, look at www.wsbaracing.com/events.asp
The 2009 calendar isn't up yet, but it should be soon.
Cheers!


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## tyro

epicxt said:


> And more on the racing side of things, look at www.wsbaracing.com/events.asp
> The 2009 calendar isn't up yet, but it should be soon.
> Cheers!


Thanks! That has tones of info on races. I have never raced before but I might try one here this summer.


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## Vettekid

MTT said:


> All of the islands are like that: Vashon, Bainbridge, Orcas and the rest of the San Juans. There is a road on Vashon called Burma road that takes the cake. So beautiful and so painful; but an absolute blast. Paved before codes or regulations.............MTT :thumbsup:


I haven't seen that much actually on a bike but I have to second your take on Burma Road on Vashon.

I am pretty novice as a rider. I have seen Burma on Vashon........the hard way, pushin'. In over my head I ended up walking up most of the "slopes." Completely demoralizing was the point when the speedometer that usually registers maybe 4 mph while walking was stuck on zero the hill was so steep. That is a wired unit not a satellite dependent type.


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## MTT

I understand completely. The first 4-5 times I rode it I had to walk most of the hills, but over time I was able to ride up them. It will feel great the first time when you make it to the highway with out putting foot to pavement. Good luck.............MTT :thumbsup:


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## DPCX

MTT said:


> There is a road on Vashon called Burma road that takes the cake. So beautiful and so painful; but an absolute blast. Paved before codes or regulations.............MTT :thumbsup:


Ahhh Yes, Burma Road. I used to work on Vashon a few years ago & would commute by bike from the North end. If the six mile TT from the ferry (starting with a mile long climb w/ cold legs) didnt get you then the hour of power lunch ride would. Sometimes we hit Burma on this ride & it made the second half of the day seem kind of foggy. Before you knew it, it was time to kit up & TT it back to the ferry. Along with all the riding we sometimes got some work done.  I miss riding/working on that island.

DP


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## MTT

Burma road as a TT! Man that would separate the climbers from the sprinters. You are right there are days when trying to make the ferry feels like a TT.............MTT


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## brujenn

Did my first ride of substance with a youth group in the 70's on Whidbey. I recently rode Camano for 2 days, one of those days was around the perimeter. Yeh, hilly there too. Maybe a bit less than Whidbey. Narrow roads and not many riders, so car drivers seem unsure what to do.


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