If you have not yet registered for Seattle Randonneurs “End of Mann” 200km brevet on April 10, there’s still time. And you don’t want to miss it.
A group of us pre-rode the brevet course last weekend, and we all think you’ll enjoy this ride. It follows a generally clockwise loop north from Woodinville to Granite Falls and then back south towards Sultan and Fall City before coming back to the start.
Taking in some familiar roads along with a few that we have not ridden in several years, the course passes by rivers, lakes, horse farms, and valleys with mountain views, as well as through a few small towns so that you can replenish your supplies along the way. Keep your eyes open for eagles, llamas, horses, cows, ducks. You might even see a long-horned steer if you are lucky. Because this is our first brevet in a long time, it’s not too hilly (although it would not be a brevet without a few bumps here and there.)
Almost all of the course follows quiet roads or trails. There is one stretch of busy road after leaving the Centennial Trail along 84th Street NE for 3 miles. The road has a wide shoulder, but please be very careful at the end of this stretch when turning left across the road onto 147th Avenue NE due to oncoming traffic. Your reward after this stretch is one of the most beautiful parts of the course.
Here are a couple of reminders/suggestions for the ride:
- Remember that there is no day-of-ride registration/payment. Please pre-register and pre-pay online at the SIR website. https://www.seattlerando.org/
- Bring your own pencil or pen. There will be several information controls, and you will need to write the answers to the control questions on your card.
- Although there are services in towns along the route, none of the controls will be at convenience stores or supermarkets. For this reason, you might wish to bring some extra food on the bike, and make sure that your water bottles are full. Best stops for services are probably Snohomish (mile 16, with public restrooms on Main St on the right), Granite Falls (mile 39, with various choices), Sultan (mile 62, various choices but the Arco minimart is well-stocked and has restrooms, located on course at the left turn for Stevens Pass HWY), and Carnation (mile 98, various choices including Sandy’s Espresso, our favorite)
- If the weather looks inclement, you will make more friends if your bike has fenders and a buddy flap.
- It’s an early season brevet, so your bike should have a fixed taillight and headlight, and you should have a reflective vest with you.
- The brevet finishes by taking the Sammamish River Trail from Marymoor Park in Redmond towards Woodinville. If the weather is nice, the trail may be crowded, so please be respectful of other trail users – don’t ride too fast or in large groups.
- Make sure you come to the correct starting location: The Northshore Athletic Fields are the ones located off of NE 145th Street close to Hollywood Hills and the Chateau Ste Michelle winery, just off the Sammamish River Trail.
Finally, please observe good social distancing behavior: Wear a mask at the start, finish and all controls, and don’t congregate closely; keep some distance from other riders on the road; bring some hand sanitizer; be self-supporting to the extent you can.
Bonne route!