Chilly Hilly 2008 is Feb. 24. See more Washington rides
See pictures from 2008 Chilly Hilly
See more of my Chilly Hilly 2007 pictures here
The Chilly Hilly bike ride lived up to its name again this year, providing the same old hills and the same old chilly, wet weather.
How hilly? The Cascade Bicycle Club organizers say there's 2,675 feet of climbing. How chilly? 40 degrees when I left the house this morning (you can calculate the wind chill with the drizzle, wind, and fast downhills).
That didn't deter me or thousands of other recreational cyclists from the Pacific Northwest, however, who took the early morning ferries across Puget Sound to the 33-mile ride around Bainbridge Island.
This is the official kickoff for the cycling season in these parts, and it was fun to see everyone out on their bikes. I don't know the official tabulation from this 34th-annual Chilly Hilly, but last year the Cascade Bicycle Club counted 4,200 cyclists out there.
Last year, the oldest registered cyclist was 90 years old and riders came from 19 states.
It was some of the worst weather you could imagine for an organized bike ride; weather like this for other rides would have killed attendance. But this is the Chilly Hilly, and the bike riders accepted the hardships as part of the ride.
I didn't hear anyone complaining about the weather and the layer of grit that covered our bikes; we just tried to calculate how much sand from Bainbridge Island was being taken home across the ferry to Seattle.
Didn't hear any complaints about the terrain either. Had to walk some hills? People just talked about how they would walk fewer next year.
Maybe this is a lesson for other bike ride organizers. Instead of ignoring the hills and possibility of bad weather on a ride, promote it. People will come for the challenge.
Now, for those reading this who actually participated in this year's Chilly Hilly, check out what Jim Langley has to say about “how to clean your bicycle.”
See more 2007 Washington bicycle rides
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