BengeBoy 

When I got back on the bike several years ago one of the rides I learned about was RAMROD (Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day) -- a 154-mile loop starting on the far edge of suburban Seattle and looping around and through Mt. Rainier National Park.

With 10,000 feet of elevation gain, it includes two big climbs (the steepest comes at mile 100), and one "moderate" climb:



In addition to sounding a little crazy, it's hard to get into -- 2,000 + potential riders from all over compete to get their names pulled for 800 slots. This year I made it into the lottery, and today was the day. Though I've done some challenging rides in the past couple of years, this is the longest yet.

Here's the ride report.

Course map - starts in Enumclaw, Wa. and travels counter clockwise. The green part in the lower right of the map is Mt. Rainier National Park; the actual peak of Mt. Rainier is just north of the spot marked "Paradise" on the map below.




Here's a computer-animated "flyover" of the course, with serious/scarey music to indimidate new riders (like me) the night before the ride:


https://youtu.be/tpbjNNKquIQ

I had to get up to 3 a.m. to make the ride start -- left home at 3:30, had breakfast from 4:30 to 5, and rolled out right after 5 a.m. It was still a half-hour before dawn, and there was a heavy fog, almost a mist. I had a blinkie on front and back; next time I do this I'd wait another 20 to 30 minutes to get a bit more light before starting out. I know of at least one crash that occurred in the dark.

First rest stop, 33 miles into the start. I saw BF member "northbend" right after this -- he was riding RAMROD on a beautiful vintage Schwinn Paramount that he converted to a fixed hear; he was riding with a friend on a single speed SOMA. They were the only certified lunatics I met all day.



Though there is a gradual climb from the first rest stop to the National Park entrance about mile 58, the real climbing starts after that. There is a 20-mile climb from the park entrance up to Paradise, one of the main visitor centers in the national park.





At about mile 78, we reach the top of the first big climb, and take a rest at Inspiration Point.



My favorite shot of my bike was taken here last Fall. Today I got another one, same point. This is looking at the Tatoosh mountain range:

BengeBoy 

I am too tired to look up the name of this lake. It's nice, though.




Descending through Stevens Canyon. This is the prettiest part of the ride, but at 40 mph I didn't stop to take photos from some of the better views. I did pull off to get this view down the canyon.



The toughest part of the ride starts at around mile 99 -- there is a 10-mile climb up to Cayuse Pass. It's exposed to the sun, steep, and long. Here I am pulled off to the left side to rest and take photos. I saw a few people walking; but most people made it to the top. This was a challenging climb.

Today the weather was great -- it topped out at between 75 and 80 at this spot; last year it was 95 and people were melting on this climb.



Final rest stop is the "deli" at mile 118, with made-to-order sandwiches. This same spot is the parking lot where I (and other folks) park our cars on weekends when we drive out to the national park to do rides into various spots in the park; it's about a two hour drive from my house.



After this, about 35 miles downhill (mostly) to the finish. There was a headwind from here to the end, but with the modest downhill one could still make pretty good time. There were a fair number of pacelines that formed the final 35 miles, but after hanging on a couple I dropped off; they were going just a bit faster than I was able to ride at that point.

The finish, in Enumclaw, Wa. You can see the peak of Mt. Rainier to the south of us -- it's sort of intimidating in retrospect to say that to leave this spot, ride around the mountain you can see in the background, and then return, takes all day.



All in all, another big ride that I wouldn't have imagined doing a few years ago.

Averaged *exactly* 15.0 miles per hour on the bike; lots of miles at 5 to 6 mph uphill and quite a few downhill from 25 mph to 40 mph. Very few flat miles.

From start to finish (including stops), the ride took me 11 hours 40 miles, beating my "goal" of 12 hours by 20 minutes. I think to significantly improve on that I need to lose some weight so I can make better progress on the climbs.

Felt pretty good for the first 100 miles; the climb up Cayuse Pass definitely left a mark, and I had some modest cramping problems in my legs from about mile 130 to the finish.

My bike fit is *fantastic;" no pain in butt, hands, neck -- something I used to struggle with in my younger days.

Great day; I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to travel to the PNW for a great summer ride (the lottery is held each year in February or March).

kr32

Very nice post, thanks for sharing.This looks like something I would like to try someday.
Very nice pictures too. I guess I could maybe do it, but I dunno, 158 miles is a long time in the saddle.
What size is your bike?

DnvrFox

WOW - and thanks for posting.

I guess one could go around the country and do all the epic one-day rides if they so desired. Triple By-Pass in CO, assault on Mt. Mitchell, Mt Washington Climb, etc. That would make an interesting book/DVD if it hasn't already been done.

I think I will start a 50+ thread on most challenging rides in the US of A

Thanks so much for taking the time to share. The scenery is fantastic, as is the accomplishment.

northbend 

[QUOTE=BengeBoy;11199599]I am too tired to look up the name of this lake. It's nice, though.

BB, I believe that is one of the Reflection Lakes

It was great seeing you yesterday.

Allegheny Jet

Impressive day you had. I would love to do a ride like that some time. Since we don't have views like that in Ohio, I would be sure to slow down riding up the climbs to enjoy the vistas.

rck

That is one nice looking bike!

BigBlueToe

You da man! I'd love to ride this route. I'd probably do it in 3 days though.

Shifty

Beautiful ride!! Well done BB and Northbend! I need to get up to Ranier for a long ride, looks fantastic.

northbend 

My report posted of the fixed and SS forum:
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...8#post11202378

BengeBoy 

If you're thinking of this, I would *strongly* encourage this 83-mile loop. It has all the highlights of RAMROD, with some additional miles that are very quiet with very little traffic. It skips Cayuse Pass, but you could always throw that in and turn this into a century:

https://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united...25572701516265

The Weak Link

Well done. One of the photos is now on the desktop of my office computer.

Mojo Slim

They were the only certified lunatics I met all day.

Hmmmm. It seems to me you met 2000+ certified lunatics.

Great ride and post. Loved the pictures.

And you, too, Northbend. Great shots on your poste

jppe

Wow!! I'm going to have to do this one. The most attractive part is the long downhill finish!! That is one long day in the saddle!!

Is the ride the same time each year? My daughter is getting married the first of August next year and that might be a problem......

BengeBoy 

As far as I know, it's always on a Thursday late in July.

wrk101

I lived in Enumclaw for nine years (82-90). You bring back great memories. Thanks for sharing.


thrifty bill

BluesDawg

Beautiful! Thanks for posting this. I've got to figure out a way to retire to the PNW. Hmmm, we do build a lot of parts for Boeing...

stringbreaker

You really don't want to retire here its not very retiree friendly. Real estate prices are stupid and it rains 9 months out of the year.

ecrider

Great travelogue. Great outing.

zacster

Wow, that looks great. It is one of those rides that I always wanted to do, but never felt fit enough. Climbing just isn't my thing. Maybe next time I'm in Seattle...

FL_MarkD

Great report and an impressive ride. Thanks for sharing. Oh yeah, nice bike!

Mark

George

I was up there last year, but I didn't have my bike. It is absolutely beautiful.