CHEW South 2018 #3 (Moderate - Brisk)

Climbing Hills Eastside Wintertime “CHEW” - South End Series

CHEW is a challenging, progressive winter-time hill training series. Riders who like the challenge of hill climbing and riding outdoors in the winter, and who are looking to stay in shape through the winter will have a great time on this series. The CHEW South rides are climbing routes on local hills in the South end which progress from 30 miles and 2100 feet of elevation gain to 50 miles and 3800 feet of elevation gain over the twelve weeks of the training series.

The CHEW South End Series is held Saturdays beginning, January 6th, and ending March 31st at various locations in the South end of Seattle. Two paces are currently offered, moderate (14-16 mph on flats with no headwinds) and brisk (16 - 18 mph on flats with no headwinds). A vigorous pace is not currently available, but we hope to be able to offer the pace in the near future. All pace groups use a common route each week.

Registration: Please register for this ride in advance on the Cascade site, it helps ensure there is sufficient Ride Leader support on each pace. You can register now by selecting the Register Now  button at the top of this page, then follow the prompts. Online registrations are accepted until 6 AM of ride day, after that all riders must register at the ride start. In addition, those who register in advance, please check in at the ride start to verify attendance. Thank you.

Ride Start Details: This week’s ride will start promptly at 10:00 a.m. out of the Five Mile Lake Park parking lot.  The park is located off of Military Road in Auburn.  This week's ride is a fantastic new route taking riders across the valley, along the White River, up to Lakeland Hills, and back down. EPIC!

Please arrive early enough to set up, check in and/or sign the ride waiver, and participate in the ride overview and Cascade SMART talk.

If you are a new rider to Cascade Free Group Rides, we welcome you! Please be sure to go to the Cascade Bicycle Newcomers page to read important information, for a link to the site, see the links section at bottom left of this page.

Week Three Tip: Pedaling.

When pedaling especially up hills, by completing full pedaling circles you engage your hamstrings and glutes, which provide more power and endurance for your legs.

How so...by sliding back slightly on your saddle and keeping your heel parallel to the road at the bottom of each pedal rotation and pulling upward with one foot as you push down with the other foot. Focus on making complete circles with both feet.

Ride Requirements: Please print off and bring cue sheet. Please be knowledgeable and equipped with tubes, pump, etc to handle flats or minor mechanicals. The group may not always be able to stop for mechanicals. It is important to bring adequate food and water as there may be limited opportunities to purchase along the way.

If roads are wet, full fenders with long mudflaps are highly recommended. A good headlight and taillight are recommended. Helmets are required to ride.

Regroup: We regroup at the top of major hills and at major turns for a reasonable amount of time. This is a training series so we will ride with the best interest of the group in mind. Stops will be brief, and slower riders may need to fall back to a slower pace group. Riders in the last pace group, and unable to keep up should expect the Rider Leader to check in, give guidance on returning back to the start, but in this case slower riders or those dropping off must be able to manage riding independently for the duration of the ride. It is highly recommended all riders print off and bring a cue sheet to have just in case.

Planned Stops: Starbucks at mile 15.4.

Cancellation: Ice, snow or otherwise unsafe riding conditions will cancel this ride. In the event of a cancellation, a notice will be posted in the comments section in both the Cascade and Meetup postings.