December Green Lake -- Mercer Island -- Leschi Ride

"What better way to start December than by going on a bike ride?" asked the guy from Buffalo!  Sunday looks like it will be a nice day, so let's do it!  Leaving Green Lake we will head south through Wallingford to the Burke-Gilman Trail. We'll follow the Trail to the UW before heading across the 520 Bridge to the Eastside. We'll ride down Medina's Millionaire (Billionaire?) Row before heading to Bellevue. After riding through Bellevue, we will cruise across the top of Mercer Island and across the I-90 Bridge. We will stop at the Leschi Starbuck's for sustenance before heading back to Green Lake through the Arboretum and the U District. 

This will be a leisurely paced ride that will stay at 10-12 mph on the flats.  We will climb at our own pace and regroup at the top of each hill.  Please review the route ahead of time and print your own cue-sheet as the ride leader will not have copies at the start.  The weather can be unpredictable this time of year so if it looks like rain please have the appropriate rain gear and fenders with buddy flaps on your bike, both for your comfort and the safety of the rider behind you.  We will ride in light rain but steady rain cancels.  Ride cancellation will be announced in the comments sections of this post 2 hours ahead of the ride start.  If canceled the ride leader will not be at the ride start. There are restrooms at the start, at Madrona Park, and at Starbuck's.

Please register for the ride by clicking on the “Register Now” button.  Note you will need to be signed into your Cascade account prior to that.   Registration is not mandatory, but it allows us to print the rider list beforehand and helps us save time at the ride start. Riders should be able to sustain the pace, carry nutrition/water, and have the know-how and equipment to fix a flat tire. We strongly suggest you carry a phone to call for assistance if needed.  Also bring some cash or credit/debit card if you want to purchase anything at Starbuck's. Arrive at least 20 minutes early so that you can get yourself ready, sign the waiver, and listen to the S.M.A.R.T. briefing. This allows us to have an on-time departure.