Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic presented by Alaska Airlines

Event Description

The Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic presented by Alaska Airlines is the ride of a lifetime! Join STP and celebrate the Pacific Northwest bucket list challenge in its 46th year. Bicycling Magazine calls STP "one of the best cycling events in the nation" because this ride is a treat for young and old.  Heading south from Seattle and ending in Portland, Oregon, STP is a thrilling back-to-back double-century ride through urban and rural settings. Challenge yourself to bike 206 miles through western Washington in one or two days.

This event is a fundraiser for Cascade Bicycle Club's programming in advocacy, education, and community rides, such as our sliding scale biking and maintenance classes and the Pedaling Relief Project.

Pricing

*Membership not required to purchase an early-bird 5-Pack.

Registration

Your registration fee covers your entry, access to rest stops, ride support, baggage truck service, a meal at the finish line, and an STP finisher souvenir.

Parking, bus passes, and bike transport are sold as add-ons. Early start line bag & bike drop are purchased on location on the Friday before STP. Lodging arrangements are made directly with hosts.

STP Swag

It's baaaaack. Our popular retro STP Tyvek jackets are for sale. Get yours today, or purchase an STP jersey, STP shorts, or an STP T-shirt. STP Swag is available to purchase as an add-on to your STP registration, or as a standalone item via Shop Cascade Gear.

Packet Pickup

If you register by June 17, your packet will be mailed out the week of June 28 to the address listed in your user profile.

If you registered on June 18 or later, your packet will be available for pickup at the start line on Friday, July 12  from 6 to 9 p.m. or Saturday morning of STP. See the full schedule below.

Please see us at the green Cascade tents at the start line if you have lost your packet.

Route

The route is 203 to 206 miles long. 

Map below subject to change. We encourage you to wait until the day before the event to download these maps to your preferred device for easy access on the day of the event. 

Printed cue sheets are available at the start line tents. The route is marked with navigational markings on the road surface.

Click through to see the full map on Ride With GPS.

Schedule

Transportation

Alaska Airlines Discounts

Pre-Ride Bus

For riders in the Portland area, the Portland Bicycling Club arranges buses and trucks to deliver you to Seattle on Friday, the day before the ride. Please see their website for more information. These can be purchased as add-ons when you register. Space is limited to 200 passengers and parking capacity is limited to 100 vehicles.

Post-Ride Bus

Transportation from Portland to Seattle for you and your bike from the finish line can be purchased as add-ons to your registration. Buses are available on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to return you to to the University of Washington in Seattle. You can also purchase separate truck transportation for your bike. If you are returning home by air or train, purchase delivery of your bike box to the finish line.

Inclusion

Everyone is welcome at Cascade events. We are committed to celebrating and promoting diversity in the bicycling community. We aim to provide safe spaces at start lines, finish lines, and official rest stops. Read our commitment to anti-racism and our participant code of conduct and grievance policy.

We would like to acknowledge that our rides take place on native land. Our offices are located on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present.

Food & Breaks

Four official rest stops are located at miles 20, 54, 146, and 176. A full selection of snacks, fruit, and PB&Js are available to riders.

Additionally, one-day riders will have a lunch stop on Saturday.

Thirteen official mini-stops are located throughout the course.

Many unofficial rest stops pop up along the route and you are welcome to enjoy them. 

Where to Stay

You must arrange for your own lodging at the start line, mid-point areas, and at the finish line as needed.

The University of Washington offers dorm rooms on Friday night near the start line.

Are you a two-day rider looking for mid-point lodging?  Lodging will be available through Centralia College, the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce, and other community organizations between the 100- and 150-mile marks. Lodging ranges from private rooms to tent and RV camping.

DoubleTree and Hyatt Regency offer promotions for STP riders adjacent to the finish line in Portland.

Support During the Ride

This ride is supported by Cascade staff and volunteers, local community group volunteers, and municipal and county services.

Support and gear (SAG) vehicles are present on the route and dispatched when you call the ride support hotline. SAG vehicles can transport you and most models of bikes in the event of a mechanical or minor medical event. You should always call 911 in a life-threatening emergency.

Outriders are volunteers in white, green, and black jerseys that ride on the route, assisting you with minor mechanical and minor medical issues, like cuts and scrapes, dispensing advice and directions, and helping you to Ride S.M.A.R.T. 

Medical riders are volunteers on bike in red and blue jerseys that can assist you with minor medical issues like cuts and scrapes, dehydration, sprained joints, and other non-life threatening issues. 

Mechanics are posted at the start line and at most official rest stops.

Traffic officers are posted at highway crossings. Traffic officers will direct riders in large groups across the Longview Bridge into Oregon on Sunday only, between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

We ask that personal support vehicles please stay off of the STP route. Riders should plan to meet with personal support vehicles away from the route to prevent unsafe interactions with rider traffic.

Weather

July weather can bring many things: rain, extreme heat, and lots of sun. Morning temperatures may vary drastically from midday temperatures. Wear or bring layers to have available on your bike with you,

Get your bike tuned up and in shape to ride in slick, rainy, low-visibility conditions. Bring front and rear lights, backup batteries, install fenders, service your brakes, and clean your chain.

Training

The Cascade Training Series is a twelve-week ride series designed to prepare you for STP. Riders of all paces will not only building their strength and endurance, but also their confidence.

To help you prepare for this ride, you can also check out our extensive schedule of Free Group Rides in the Puget Sound area. Find rides that fit your schedule and desired pace and distance. 

Training on your own? Use this handy Google Sheet to plan your rides and track your progress.

Hall of Fame

Have you completed the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic five or more times? You can join the STP Hall of Fame! Hang tight -- we'll have a new form for you to fill out to get onto the list or to update your listing.

Volunteer at This Event

Help make this event a success by volunteering! 

The hard work and passion that volunteers bring to Cascade make our Free Group Rides program, major rides (like this one!), advocacy work, and education programs possible. 

Become part of the Cascade volunteer family and make a lasting impact on building a better cycling world for all!