Olympic Peninsula 600k Pre-ride
Monday and Tuesday, May 29th and 30, 2006

Mark Thomas, Peter McKay, Eric Vigoren, Dan Turner and Peter Beeson pre-rode the Olympic Peninsula 600k course this week.

Here are the highlights:

Parking:
The SIR website, with the details on the 600k, does a great job of describing the best parking in Edmonds. Please be good SIR ambassadors and work quietly while setting up your gear - this is a residential neighborhood.

Ferry Terminal:
If arriving by car leave plenty of time to park and set up your bicycle. The ticket booth for cyclists is inside the ferry terminal building.

Ferry Fare:
I'd recommend having exact change for your ferry fare - $7.50 per rider. This ticket booth inside the ferry terminal opens at 5:30am - we're expecting roughly 50 cyclists. You'll want to move quickly to make the boat in time for the 5:50am departure time.

Weather:
This is the Olympic Rain Forest. Be prepared for highs and lows in temperature. Sun and rain. During our ride we experienced rain, wind and sun. At night temperatures were in the low 40's. On the final 200k we hit near 70's.

Registration:
We'll process everyone's registration on the ferry over to Kingston. Eric Vigoren will handle registration on the Kingston side.

Please have your registration forms completed and if possible a check payable to SIR for your ride fee and optional medal. If you're not using checks please have the exact change for your ride fee - this too will speed up registration.

Gear:
600km is a long way - check your equipment carefully; lube your chain and make certain that your bike is ready to cover 380 miles of cycling. I'd recommend installing new bulbs for your E6 and Lumotec lights - these bulbs gradually dim over time - a new bulb will make your lights ever so bright.

Equipment needed:
Remember riding gear for inclement weather, bike tools, spare tubes, and food/water for yourself. All riders should be familiar with the SIR Brevet Riders Expectations.

Headlights (white and clearly visible from 150 yards to oncoming traffic), tail lights, and red rear reflectors are required. Note that many taillights are also legal reflectors. These may be checked and riders disqualified if they do not function. Functional lights must be mounted on bike at all times. Lights must be operating at night on each bike in a group. Blinking taillights are permitted, but note that these may bother other riders.

Reflective vests and leg bands are required for riding at night or during poor visibility. This is for your safety and others in the group.

Hand held flashlights or helmet mounted lights are recommended for repairs made in the dark.

As a courtesy to other riders, fenders (with 1/4 coverage front wheel and 1/2 coverage rear wheel) are a must or you'll face the scorn and abuse of your fellow randonneurs. Additional rear splashguards are recommended for group riding.

Helmets are required on all SIR events.

Route:
A beautiful route - gentle rollers, a couple of sustained climbs and mostly good road surfaces. SR-107 chip seal will make you appreciate the rest of the roads (smile). Route Sheet here. The ride features two crossings of the Hood Canal Bridge. If you've never crossed it before, you may be surprised by some of its "features" for cyclists. Be careful of the grated decks. On the side are noisy but safer metal plates. Around mid-span is a particularly awful seam that runs across the road at a very shallow angle. Treat it as you would a really bad train track crossing.

Controls:
Port Angeles
Your first control is 61.5 miles into the ride. Pace yourself and remember to eat and drink through this section. Port Angeles is an "open" control - you may select any spot to get your card signed. Reload your food and water and keep pushing on to Clallam Bay (now a Shell Station). At mile 92.17 you'll rip through a roaring descent at a 9% grade - enjoy!

Clallam Bay
Limited services with one restroom. Keep moving to the control in Forks for "posh" services.

Forks's Thriftway Mart
The Forks Thriftway (bathroom at end of aisle 8) is a great control - just to your right as you enter the store is a very nice seating area. Our pre-ride team found this to be a lovely control.

Kalaloch Control - SIR Staffed
Staffed by Bill Gobie and Ted Vedera. Be prepared to be spoiled - the view from this control is out of this world. A great combination of food, beverages and snacks. Don't tarry too long - the next stretch has some rollers.

Lake Quinault Lodge - SIR Staffed
SIR Randonista Max Maxon greets you at the "Fireside Suite" at Lake Quinault Lodge. More good food and beverages. If you need a few winks before pushing on to the official overnight control this is a good place. Be ready as the next stretch was particularly challenging for our pre-ride team. No services between the Lodge and Aberdeen. Pitch dark, cold and at night most riders average speed will drop. For many riders this will be nighttime riding without much variation in the terrain to help maintain alertness. A very good place to ride with others. If the skies are clear (as they were for us), the stars will be a great sight.

Aberdeen - Official Overnight
Melinda and Trent welcome you to the official overnight control. We've reserved 8 rooms. You'll find your very, very small drop-bag here. Although traffic should be light on Sunday morning, be advised that the first couple of miles east of Aberdeen are not very bicycle-friendly. Be careful.

I'd recommend putting a bath towel in your drop bag (we'll try to get extra towels from the hotel - this is always hit and miss).

More good grub and 40 winks for you. In the morning - Denny's is literally a block away - we all enjoyed breakfast, coffee and hit the road fully charged.

Shelton at Wallace Kneeland Blvd Exit - AM/PM or Denny's
Last control with top notch services before your push along Hood Canal. Fuel accordingly and the next stretch will be an enjoyable one. From Shelton you have gentle rollers all along Hood Canal with the classics of Potlatch, Hoodsport, Eldon, Brinnon and then up and over Walker Pass. You summit Walker Pass at mile post 300 and enjoy a rip roaring descent to Quilcene.

Quilcene - Peninsula Foods
The classic stop for our controls in Quilcene. A great min-mart with some hot food offerings. Peter had a double strawberry cone and smiled for the rest of the ride.

For those riders arriving before/after the store closes there'll be an informational control in place of the store - jot the answer down on your control card.

Finish Line Control
Smiley's Motel
11045 NE State Highway 104, Kingston, WA 98346
360.297.3622
Duane Wright greets you at the finish line and congratulates you on completing an awesome 600k. You just finished riding 380 miles and estimates of 13,000 to 16,000 feet of climbing. Nicely done!

Control Courtesy: Along the way, we encounter many nice and helpful folks in the stores where we stop. Please leave them with as good an impression of us!