Cascade Headquarters to Mercer Island: UW Cherry Blossoms (Steady)

Let's meet at the parking lot in front of the Cascade Bike Club headquarters. Be there, ready to go at the time listed above. We will start with a required safety briefing, and roll out when that's done.  All riders must attend the safety briefing to participate.  

We will begin by taking the Burke-Gilman Trail to the SR-520 trail and cross Lake Washington to Medina, then continue south to Bellevue. From there we’ll connect to the I-90 Trail and ride to Mercer Island, where we will complete the loop clockwise with a stop for coffee, food, and restrooms at Einstein Bros. Bagels in the Mercer Island business district.

After our break, we’ll ride north along Lake Washington, cut through the Washington Park Arboretum (UW Botanic Gardens), and continue to the University of Washington to see the cherry blossoms. Due to the expected crowds, we will dismount and walk our bikes through the Quad.

There will be at least two great photo opportunities: Drumheller Fountain (often with a spectacular Mount Rainier backdrop) and the UW Quad with the cherry trees in bloom.

From there, it’s just a short ride back to Cascade Bicycle Club.

We will climb and descend hills at our own pace, and we will regroup frequently.  We'll also limit our speed on any multi-use paths to the legal maximum (usually 15 MPH, occasionally 10 MPH).

Restrooms are available at the start/end at Magnuson Cafe and Brewery (opens at 9 am for breakfast), in Bellevue, at our stop on Mercer Island and near the Quad on the UW campus (honey buckets).

Bring a spare tube and tools to fix a flat, just in case. Other things to bring: phone; ID; cash and/or credit card; ORCA card; water and a small snack. 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 in the Weather Status or if there are unforeseen hazardous riding conditions or other unexpected events, the Ride Leader will cancel the ride and all registered riders will be sent a notification email. If the ride is cancelled at least two hours before the start, Ride Leader(s) will not be at the start location. Please check before leaving for the ride.

We hope you can join us!