CHEW 9 Vigorous

Climbing Hills Everywhere in Winter (CHEW) 2022

Let's meet in Kirkland Wester Parking Lot along 3rd Avenue just south of Kirkland City Hall. Parking in the lot is limited, but there is parking available on the streets around City Hall and in the municipal complex lot, Be certain to check that you aren't parking in a space that has a time limit that might be too short for this ride. There are no bathrooms or water available at the start, but we will stop at Kirkland Marina Park, which has both, within the first half-mile of the ride. 

This route is part of a hill-training series, running on Sundays through March 27. The rides will start from various locations around the greater Seattle metropolitan area and generally change from week to week.

This is a progressive series, meaning that each week the distance or the amount of climbing increases -- sometimes both. It is a good idea to click on the route link below to see where and what kind of hills we will be climbing. The ride profile appears just below the map. If you scroll over the profile, you can see how long the climbs are and the approximate grade.

These routes are challenging and if you cannot hold the posted pace you may have to finish the ride on your own. If you don't have a GPS unit or cell phone guidance for your bicycle, please, print out a cue sheet so you can navigate the route. Unless the day is dry, it is advisable to download both the full route and the rain route or to print out a cue sheet for both. Barring cancellation, the decision on which route to use is usually made at the ride start.

Please, be ready to ride at 9:30 a.m. We will start with a required safety briefing, and roll out when that's done.  If you miss the briefing you will not be able to ride with the group.

We will climb and descend hills at our own pace, and our goal will be to regroup occasionally. We'll limit our speed on any multi-use paths to the legal maximum (usually 15 mph.)

Bring a spare tube and tools to fix a flat, just in case. Please have full fenders if the roads are wet, or you may be asked to ride at the rear of the group.

Note: If weather conditions meet the weather cancellation criterion listed above or if there are unforeseen hazardous riding conditions or other unexpected events, the Ride Leader will post a ride-canceled note in the Comments section below at least two hours prior to the start and Ride Leader(s) will not be at the start location.