Oh, Henry! (Steady)

Ryan Henry Ward, known as Henry, is one of Seattle's most prolific public artists known for his humorous murals (often featuring iconic characters like Sasquatch, wizards, and fantastical creatures) on building exteriors, school interiors, garages, and vehicles. Today's ride will seek out over 24 of these murals including an entire house and a 3D installation.  

Let's meet at the at the east entrance to Gas Works Park. Please arrive early to use the restroom, socialize etc. and be ready to roll by 10 AM. We will start with a required safety briefing, and roll out when that's done.  All riders must attend the safety briefing to participate.

ROUTE:  Our route will take us to explore several neighborhoods in Seattle in roughly two loops (Ballard and North Seattle, and the Waterfront and Queen Anne), with a bailout after the first loop if you need to return to Gas Works Park sooner.  Be prepared for some climbing and craggy streets since we will be riding in Seattle. This route will be hilly!

As we will be stopping frequently to admire the Henry murals and take photos, expect this ride (including the lunch break) to take 4-5 hours. Please note that parking is only allowed for 4 hours at Gas Works Park, so if you’re driving, you might want to look for street parking on one of the nearby streets instead of parking in the Gas Works lot.

PACE:  The pace of this ride will be a Social Steady:  12-14 mph on the flats, faster on the descents, slower on the climbs.  We will climb and descend hills at our own pace, and we will regroup frequently to stay together. We'll also limit our speed on any multi-use paths to the legal maximum (usually 15 MPH, occasionally 10 MPH). 

RESTROOMS:  Restrooms are available at the start.  Please arrive early enough to use the facilities before the ride starts. A brief rest stop is also planned at Green Lake (mile 11), and a food stop is planned at MOHAI (mile 15). 

FOOD:  Pack snacks and a light lunch.  We will also have the opportunity to stop at MOHAI for lunch.  Gourmondo at MOHAI offers many Grab & Go sandwiches, salads, soups, and pastries and desserts from Gourmondo’s in-house bakery.

FLATS/MECHANICALS:  Bring a spare tube and tools to fix a flat, just in case. We will stop to assess the situation, but unless it is a very quick fix, the group will likely proceed with the ride. Please have the route with you so that you can rejoin us, or return to the start.

OTHER:  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!