When I think of what makes a perfect populaire, among the important parts are things like this:
- it should start with an espresso (doppio of course)
- 20 meters of gravel and a bit of climbing at the beginning to warm up
- have a near- equal number of left turns and right turns
- at 33.7K (give or take a few hundred meters), a twice- baked almond croissant magically appears
- gently rolling roads through farm- and pasture- land with views of a winding river
- somewhere around 77K, opportunities for more coffee and a treat, before a bit of climbing to justify all those calories (don't overdo it- there's only 30K to go!)
- 100 meters of single track, just enough to enhance the post-ride stories
- a nice, quick downhill before 7K of water views along E Lake Samammish Pkwy NE
- finish at a brewery (with a food truck!) to quench my thirst and visit with other riders
If this checks any of your boxes, come to our Summer Populaire on Saturday, June 19. Checkin should be quick, just to pick up your brevet card to start around 8:00 AM.
Route & Cue Sheet: RWGPS Route (FINAL)
RUSA Route 1446 Snoqualmie River Run Populaired
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28988869
Parking: Avoid parking in the Peet's/ Whole Foods parking lot. There is a bike trail parking lot just to the west of Peet's, enter from NE 70th St.
Or you may consider street parking on NE 65th street by Postdoc Brewing, less than a kilometer from the start.
Note: Printed cuesheets will not be available at the start. You may choose to print your own. To print the cuesheet from the route page, click the More button, then select Print Cuesheet.