Week-end Rides

Mount Baker

Native Planet Cycling
Week-end Rides

This page offers a short description of the various "official" week-end rides organized by Native Planet Cycling. You can review the calendar for an idea of when a ride occurs, but please check our Facebook page for the latest information on the schedule, participants, and to sign up if you're interested in joining us.

IMPORTANT: Please note that all participants are encouraged to ride at their own pace and should emphasize safety and strict adherence to traffic rules. Helmets should be worn at all times. All these rides are social group rides. Your participation in any of these ride is voluntary and you assume all risks associated with your participation. During any ride, certain dangers are inherent in riding a bicycle.

All rides are different and descriptions includes pace, distance, terrain, meeting place and cancellation policies. Please choose rides appropriate for your skills and experience; if you are unsure, choose conservatively. You should be able to ride at your chosen pace on the flat for at least 20 minutes without interruption, though climbing paces are much slower. Cyclists who initially enter rides one or two levels below their abilities are welcome to ride toward the front, but the ride hosts will lead at the pace indicated for the ride.

• Easy: Under 10 mph
• Leisurely: 10-12 mph
• Moderate: 14-16 mph
• Brisk: 16-18 mph
• Strenuous: 20+ mph

EASTSIDE ALPS (41 miles, 4,400+ feet)
About this Ride: This ride was designed to appreciate some of the great hills on the Eastside to include, Cougar,
Tiger and Squak Mountains. Enjoy an intense, but short, weekend ride -- 41 miles with 4,400+ feet of elevation gain.
Difficulty: Hilly.
Meet Location: Issaquah, WA

Issaquah-Fall City-North Bend-Duvall (75 miles, 3,950 ft +/- elevation gain) (44, 60, and 98 mile route options)
About this Ride: It is a very scenic route mostly on low traffic rural roads. A lunch stop is planned in Carnation (for all routes except the 44 mile route).
Difficulty: The longest guided route is 75 miles. There are many possibilities to skip hills and shorten the distance using the 60 and 44  mile options. There is also an option to increase the distance to 98 miles (with about 5,000 ft of total climbing)
Meet at: Issaquah, WA

MT. CONSTITUTION (40 miles, 3,400 feet)
About this Ride: Ride off the ferry onto the idyllic Orcas island, wind your way around the peaceful roads on the island for a nice warm-up before the arduous, but scenic, climb up to the top of Mt Constitution. There you can take in the gorgeous view of Orcas, the surrounding San Juan islands and the nearby American continent.
Difficulty: Hilly.
Meet Location: Anacortes ferry docks, or Orcas Island

Sammamish Trail and Lake Loop (47 miles)
About this Ride: This is a scenic relatively hill-free route mostly on dedicated bicycle trails and bike lanes through one of the greenest
valleys and around one of the most beautiful large lakes in the greater Seattle area. A food stop is planned at Lake Sammamish State Park - no restaurants there at the park, so it's byob (i.e., bring yer own energy bars or whatnot!)
Difficulty: The basic route is about 47 miles. Since much of the ride distance consists of the Lake Sammamish loop there are limited options for shorter distances, but a turnaround on Sammamish trail (before starting the Lake loop) can be made at any time to keep the total distance under 25 mi.
Ride Start: Kenmore

LOGBOOM to SNOHOMISH (44 miles, 1,360 feet)
About this Ride: "Local" ride, from the familiar start of our Thursday evening rides. We ride through the pleasant rural outskirts of Greater Seattle to the charming town of Snohomish. Pie in Snohomish!
Difficulty: Moderate.
Meet Location: Kenmore

MT. ERIE-FIDALDO ISLAND (36-40 miles, 2,100-3,000ft+)
About this Ride: Primarily on low traffic and coastal roads, this is a great scenic route. The route is 40 miles with 3,000 feet of climbing (36 miles & 2,100 feet if you skip Mt. Erie) You have the option of adding a 76 mile extension on Whidbey Island for 101miles and 5,400 feet.
Difficulty: The climb of Mt. Erie is very challenging and cyclists who don't have sufficient base miles may skip it: just wait 30 minutes for your group to go up and down or get a head start on the route. Feel free to repeat the climb as frequently as you'd like. The rest of us will enjoy the view from the top.
Meet Location: Deception Pass State Park

OLD BLEWETT PASS (75 miles, 5,000+ feet)(w/Chiwa Loop option = 118 miles, 7,000+ feet)
About this Ride: Routes range from 75 miles/5,000 feet to 118 miles/7,000 feet. Old Blewett Pass is a very challenging climb and those without sufficient base miles should not attempt it, but the reward is a great mountain switchback on a small rural road with nearly non-existent traffic. The scenic Chiwawa loop is not particularly challenging on its own, but Old Blewett looms ahead! Be sure to carry enough water (2 large water bottles) to make it to Leavenworth - there are no good places to get water along the way, and it can get warm on the Leavenworth side.
Difficulty: Hilly.
Ride Start: Outside Cle Elum

SNOHOMISH to GRANITE FALLS (45-53 miles, 3,500 feet)
About this Ride: This ride is a very scenic & hilly route mostly on low traffic rural roads.
Difficulty: The longest route is 53 miles with about 3,500 feet of climbing. There is late detour to skip 500 feet of climbing and shorten the ride to about 45 miles, returning to the start via the Centennial Trail.
Meet Location: City of Snohomish

VASHON ISLAND (27-53 miles, 2,300-4,800 feet)
About this Ride: This ride is a very hilly scenic island ride on low traffic roads with many options to skip some hills, though the first one mile hill right off the ferry is unavoidable.
Difficulty: Hilly, however there are possibilities to skip hills and shorten the distance.
Meet on the Fauntleroy-West Seattle Ferry Dock.

NATIVE PLANET SUPER CENTURY (69 miles/7,300 feet) or (125 miles/13,000 feet)
About this Ride: The Native Planet Super Torture Super Century is a unique way to discover most of the scenic and challenging hills in the vicinity of Redmond, Kirkland, Woodinville, Bellevue and Issaquah. J-Philippe Soule and Jeff Tanka have designed the Pacific Northwest's most grueling ride just around those hills, so you'll have the chance to meet them all. Some you will love and some you might hate; fortunately, the ride will be modular so it's easy to omit the steepest hills from your route or even cut the entire ride short before you bonk.
All experienced riders, regardless of their physical fitness, will find both distance and hills that will challenge them, but with an option they may survive. The Native Planet Super Torture-Super Century is by far the most challenging ride in the Seattle area. Climbers, if you think you can go the distance; here is a challenge for you! Invite all your friends to come and ride with us on this challenging local ride. Choose the Metric Century (69 miles), the Super-Century (125 miles) or from many other options, and test yourself on the region's best hills.
Difficulty: Very, Very Hilly. You are welcome to just do a metric century (South section only which is a little less than half of the elevation and distance), or shortcut the North end at any time. The first metric century (south) is 58 miles with more than 6,000 feet and 11 hills (the North metric century is 67 miles with 7,000 feet and 17 hills) that will challenge all. The 125 miles super century will have a staggering 13,000 feet of climbing. This ride is certainly one of the most challenging super-centuries in the entire Pacific Northwest, but this ride is modular so there are many possibilities to skip hills and shorten the distance to ride routes from 47 to 125 miles.
Meet Location: Marymoor Park