The Flying Wheels Summer Century bike ride is a great way to experience the suffering and joy of cycling in a very short time.
The suffering comes on the steep climbs that interrupt the 45-, 70, and 100-mile routes. The joy comes in reaching the top and pedaling along rolling country roads that pass pleasant Northwest Washington rural scenery.
It's been a few years since I've done the Flying Wheels, and I'd forgotten what a great ride it is. The rest stops are every 15- to 20-miles and are well stocked. Most of the roads have good shoulders or have very little traffic. A bonus this year is that the weather stayed dry; we even had a little sun.
Some 3,100 of us rolled past the Marymoor Velodrome in Redmond on Saturday to start the ride. Organized by the Cascade Bicycle Club, they tout it as Washington's largest century ride and a great warm-up for their Seattle-to-Portland bike tour that happens July 12-13.
Training
That's what brought us here. My 17-year-old son is riding his first STP with me and my friend, so we all thought it would be a good idea to get some miles on an organized ride like this.
The Flying Wheels is known for its hills that climb out of the Samammish River Valley and up to the plateau and in and out of the Snoqualmie River valley. We chose the 45-mile option that features three climbs of 1/2 to 1 mile. The 70-mile option has four climbs and the century features five.
I'm always amazed at how well my son does on these rides, given his level of training. He never fell behind, and only pleaded with me once to slow down. I try to roll along at a comfortable, not killer, clip to keep him from burning out. I'll probably be struggling to stay with him by the time STP rolls around.
The three of us were joined by my friend's female coworker, who powered ahead and had to stop to wait for us on a couple of occasions. She lamented that she couldn't go faster on the downhills, and we all told her that being able to go fast uphill is better.
Cow statue
After riding along Lake Samammish, then taking the steep Inglewood Hill Road, we finally broke free of suburbia and into the Carnation area. The first rest stop was sponsored by Camp Korey, a summer camp for children with medical special needs. They used the site of the Nestle Training Center, which overlooks dairy operations.
Overseeing it all is a statue of Segis Pietertje Prospect, the World Champion Milk Cow. The statue was erected by Carnation Milk Farms in 1928 for her “service to mankind.”
Rolling
The road rolls along over the next few miles, and it's a good time to strike up a conversation with whoever's around you.
I chatted with a guy wearing LiveStrong jersey. He's a survivor of lymphoma, who underwent chemotherapy and kept riding his bicycle right through it all. He's bicycled in the Portland LiveStrong ride every year and plans to be there this year as well.
Final hill
Somehow I don't remember the second climb, but the third starts shortly after the route crosses 202. It's one of those never-ending, winding climbs that constantly has cyclists second-guessing, “Is this the top?”
After the Sunny Hill Elementary is a steep descent back to Lake Samammish and then the return to Marymoor Park.
The finish line festival is always fun. The Little 100 Cascade Challenge Race features four-person coed teams in costume that race on cruisers. Also food, beer, massages, and lots of free stuff.
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