Brevets - Event View

Description

The Olympic Peninsula Spin circumnavigates the most northwestern mass of land in our state. Resplendent with mountain ranges and beautiful waters, hence we sometimes refer to it as the Watery 600K. A popular route in the past, this year it is on steroids with increased use of the Olympic Discovery trail instead of Hwy 101 and routing inland at the Hoh Rain Forest to avoid more Hwy 101.

The ride starts at 7:00 AM at Bike Barn Bainbridge Island and finishes at the Quality Inn & Suites on Bainbridge Island. See "Logistics" section below for details on rider check-in and bike/equipment check.

The ride starts by cutting across Bainbridge Island and crossing the Agate Pass Bridge before heading to Poulsbo. From Poulsbo the route zig-zags across SR 3 (without actually getting ON it, thankfully), then follows West Belfair Valley Road to Belfair. At Belfair (services) we catch Hood Canal to Union (services), Dayton (more services), and on to Matlock (even more services). Riding west past Matlock we use the gravel surface of Cougar Smith road to connect to the Wynoochee Valley Road that gets us to Wishkah. At Wishkah we turn north to catch the 101 first to Humptulips (services) and then Lake Quinault (services). We continue north on the Hwy 101 to the Hoh Rain Forest, avoiding the bustle of the weekend Hwy 101 by moving further inland on very quiet roads. The route also avoids Queets and Kalaloch, returning to Hwy 101 to get to the vampire town of Forks. This is the longest stretch without services but the blood suckers won’t want your blood for the lactic acid.

Riders will overnight in Forks as soon as they arrive, then ride the out-and-back to Mora (control) the next day. Fast riders may choose to do the out-and-back before returning to Forks for sleep. This option only adds a few kilometers, but it means more night riding and missing some beautiful coastal scenery. NOTE: Through-riding is not an option on this route. Portions of the Olympic Discovery Trail are closed from 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM, and the Spruce Railroad Trail is closed from dusk to dawn. Signs along the trail warn of hefty fines for using the trail after hours.

After Forks and Mora it’s back on 101 and the Olympic Discovery Trail to Crescent Lake where we turn north to the control at Joyce (services). Now we continue East to Port Angeles (services), and then to the control at Sequim (services). Here we turn south through Discovery Bay to cross the Hood Canal Bridge and then through Port Gamble (services, but likely closed for slower riders) back to Bainbridge. The finish control will be in a room at the hotel.

Pre-Ride Notes

Day 1

• There is ~4K of gravel on Cougar Smith Road from 153K to 157K, between Matlock and Humptulips.
• There are short sections of gravel on Hoh Mainline Road from 267K to 310K, the longest being about 300 meters.
• 28mm tires and above recommended.
• The road surface on Hoh Mainline Road is deteriorating badly. Watch for cracks and slumps, most are unmarked.
• There are no services in the ~105K between Amanda Park and Forks. Stock up on supplies, especially water. Bring a third water bottle if possible.
• Dino's Pizza in Amanda Park @ 234.7K, just after crossing the Quinault River bridge, has good food and reasonably fast service. They close at 9:00 PM.
• Northshore Grocery @ 237.8K has plenty of supplies and is open until 10:00 PM. This is your last chance to stock up before the overnight in Forks.
• Large sections of the route (especially Hoh Mainline Road) have zero cell coverage. A satellite messaging device or tracker would bring peace of mind in these areas.

Day 2

• Note that Day 2 has a sting in its tail – fully half of the day's climbing happens in the final 90K.
• There is a 24 hour Circle K about 0.5K north of the overnight hotel on Hwy 101. This is super convenient if you need something specific before the overnight or day 2 supplies while rolling out of town. (I can confirm they're open at 2:00 AM – Keith)
• Garmin generates some random mystery U-Turn cues on this route. The only real U-Turn is at the end of the Mora out-and-back, all other U-Turns are just Garmin being Garmin.
• The Olympic Discovery Trail has some surpringly steep climbs and descents. Many descents are punctuated with sharp turns and pedestrians, so keep your speed under control. Pay particular attention to any "10 MPH" signs – they mean it.
• At about 89.7K the trail crosses Hwy 101. Watch out for high speed traffic.
• Expect heavy pedestrian traffic on Spruce Railroad Trail along Lake Crescent, especially near the parking lots. Slow down, stop if necessary, and pass everyone safely.
• There is a tunnel at 106.1K on the Spruce Railroad Trail. It is 140 meters long, curved, super dark, and likely crowded with pedestrians. Walk if necessary.
• The left turn off of the Hood Canal Bridge onto Hwy 104 is awkward on a bike due to heavy traffic. Use the signalled crosswalk to cross Hwy 104.

Dropbags

You may leave a dropbag during rider check-in (either with Holly on the ferry or with Tony at the finish hotel). Your dropbag will be hauled to the overnight hotel on Saturday, then hauled to the finish hotel on Sunday.

Please keep your dropbags to a reasonable size and weight; a small duffle bag or backpack weighing 10 pounds max would be perfect. The volunteers, like most endurance riders, are built like Tyrannosaurus Rex – powerful legs, but no upper body strength. Take pity on us while we're shlepping your bags around. Leave your lucky rocks at home.

Note: At the end of a long day of cycling all dropbags kinda look the same. Please attach a clear, legible name tag to your bag. Volunteers at the overnight will do our best to ensure everyone gets the correct bag, but please double check before heading to your room.

Logistics

Most riders will take the ferry with their bikes from Seattle's Colman Dock to Bainbridge Island. The first ferry departs Seattle at 6:10 AM, arriving in Bainbridge Island around 6:45 AM. IF COMING FROM SEATTLE YOU MUST BE ON THE 6:10 AM FERRY. The next ferry departs Seattle at 7:55 AM. If you miss the first ferry you will miss the start cutoff and the ride. For the return trip, ferries depart Bainbridge Island every hour or so, with the final ferry departing at 1:25 AM. See the Official Sailing Schedule for details.

Holly Diop will be on the first ferry departing Seattle at 6:10 AM. Find her (she will arrive early and should be near the front of the vehicle queue) and she will get you checked-in and collect your dropbag. The goal is to have all riders on the ferry fully checked in before the ferry arrives in Bainbridge Island.

Tony Medina will be stationed at the finish hotel to check-in riders who are not taking the ferry (island residents, people who spend Friday night at the finish hotel, etc). He will also collect dropbags here. After checking in, ride the mostly downhill ~1.5K to the start.

All bikes and riders MUST pass a safety inspection. Bikes must have front and rear lights, and backups are highly recommended. Riders must have a reflective vest or sash, reflective ankle bands, and of course a helmet. Portions of this route (especially Hoh Mainline Road) are profoundly dark and far from the lights of civilization.

The overnight control is at the Forks Motel, but there are other options in the area. Riders are responsible for making their own overnight accomodations.

Note: The Forks Motel front desk is open from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM. If there is any chance you will be rolling into Forks after 11:00 PM, please call the front desk at 360-374-6243 and make arrangements for late arrival. Don't wait until the day of the event; you can call any day after you've made your reservation.

If you choose to stay elsewhere you MUST still check-in at the overnight control.

Start

Bike Barn Bainbridge Island
260 Olympic Dr SE
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

Rider check-in begins at 6:00 at the Colman Dock ferry terminal in Seattle and continues during the ferry crossing. Rider check-in also begins at 6:00 at the Quality Inn on Bainbridge Island.
Ride briefing at Bike Barn Bainbridge Island at 6:50 AM. We roll out at 7:00 AM sharp.
Please contact the ride organizer if you will be arriving after 7:00 AM or if you are registered and choose to not start.

Overnight

Forks Motel
351 S Forks Ave
Forks, WA 98331

Forks Motel reservations and info

Overnight control opens Saturday 06/06 at 5:15 PM, closes Sunday 06/07 at 5:40 AM.

Finish

Quality Inn & Suites Bainbridge Island
920 Hildebrand Ln NE
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
206-565-2914

Quality Inn reservations and info

Finish control closes Sunday, 06/07 at 11:00 PM (40:00 time limit)

Parking

If you choose to bring a motor vehicle to the island, you will need to park somewhere. The Quality Inn only allows parking for those people staying at the hotel. If you booked a room from Friday to Monday, then you're golden. If you just have a room on Friday (or just on Friday and Sunday, skipping Saturday) then you'll need to park elsewhere during the event. Long-term parking is available at the ferry terminal very near the Bike Barn.