Portions of the event will feel extra crowded. Ride safely and courteously to other riders and motorists.
Are you riding the Group Health Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic this year? The event has been happening since 1979, and it’s become a bucket list event and life-changing journey for thousands over the years. Despite all of that positive energy, we hear back from people telling us what a great event STP is except for… the other riders.
Here are some of the top complaints, and what you can do to avoid being “that rider.”
Someone passed me on the right!
When riding, stay to the right, as much as possible.
When passing, pass other riders on the left when it is safe to do so.
Signal and call out when passing.
Do not pass on the right.
Someone stopped right in front of me, and I crashed into them.
Walking a hill is perfectly OK. Make sure you walk single file, on the far right side of the road so that cyclists may pass you safely.
Leave a safe stopping distance between you and the rider in front of you.
Downshift before you are going uphill and continue shifting down as needed to keep pedaling without dropping your chain.
If you need to stop, pull over to the side of the road first. Call out and signal that you’re stopping.
Riders crossed the yellow line into the oncoming traffic lane!
Stay to the right as much as possible.
Ride no more than two abreast, and only when it is safe to do so.
Ride single file where appropriate. Remember, SINGLE FILE IS SAFER especially when on a narrow road where cars or other bicyclists might want to be able to pass you.
I tried to call out to the rider who was weaving in front of me, but he was lost behind his earbuds.
Never ride with earphones or earbuds. These are not allowed while riding this event. Riders must be able to hear approaching traffic clearly or other riders calling out when passing.
Riders in the back, tuck it in! Don't cross the yellow line.
A rider was talking on his phone and riding erratically.
Pull off and stop when using a cell phone.
Pacelines, pacelines pacelines:
… that scare people because no one knew they were coming
… that run red lights
… that disobey a police officer at a stop
… that ride unsafely and behave rudely. “OMG, I can’t believe how unsafe they were. They were wearing the jersey of <fill in the blank> team / organization.” Do you want people going online complaining about your organization’s 20-person-long paceline and dragging your organization or company’s reputation down?
… that are so long and riding so closely to me that I was unable to pass people.
Don’t be that paceline.
STP is not a race. Always ride safely, courteously and legally. Obey all law enforcement personnel. Cascade Bicycle Club supports ticketing for violation of traffic laws.
Single file is safer.
Avoid riding in pacelines if you are unfamiliar with riding safely using this technique
Paceline leaders: call out when passing other riders and indicate there is a paceline.
Be respectful of the size. We highly discourage pacelines longer than six riders.
Be courteous to the communities we are visiting.
True story:
*ring, ring*
Me: Hello, Cascade Bicycle Club.
Community resident: I’m looking out the window at one of your @#%&#!@@ riders with his shorts down as he’s #@#$%^! IN MY YARD!
Me: [Spending the next 20 minutes apologizing and urging a call to the police.]
Ride Referees will be on the course.
We get an earful from the neighbors in communities calling to report cyclists littering, urinating (and worse!) in their yards. You wouldn’t behave this way in your own yard, and don’t do it on the event.
NEVER EVER use yards or bushes as your personal porta-potty. We’re shocked and disappointed that this happens, and it is incredibly damaging to our reputation. There are facilities along the way for your comfort. Please note them on the route map and plan accordingly.
Give a friendly wave or nod to our hosts along the way – people in the country acknowledge one another. Smile!
Thank the volunteers and community spectators along the route.
Make sure that your snack wrappers and banana peels are secured deep in your pockets until you get to the rest stop. Pitch in and pick up some trash before you leave the rest stop.
Ride Refs will be on the course as a friendly reminder of the rules. Give them a nod and a thank you too.
Ride SMART, be friendly, have fun, and help everyone have a good time on the STP.
This post isn’t meant to totally harsh your mellow. It’s a reality check. The STP is, generally, a great time for the majority of people. We know that most of you 10,000 excited, cheerful riders will do a good job of riding SMART. And if we all work together to ride with more courtesy, the experience will prove to be even better for everyone involved. Thank you for doing your part.
Hello so this will be my 6th stp and for sure not my last.I just wanted to put in a litle note about people and bikes.First some people no matter what you say do or the way you ride do not like bike riders and the people that do dumb stuff in others yards are making a bad name for the rest of us.second i just rode the lake tahoe century and ran into plenty of people that dont really understand pace lines or cant ride fast enough to enjoy the benefits,most likely they are the ones complaining.With so many people riding the stp it will be up to those people to learn the ropes i did.The stp is so much like a race because each and everyone of us has a little competitiveness in us and it is a long way and you really need to be on it.The stp for me has been such a good thing i now have 4 other family members doing it.Put a little something out there about beginners and people that dont want to be aggressive to just be ware because i dont think your going to get the advanced riders to slow down it is so awesome to be riding in this and we are all so stoked and ready to lets say compete that its really hard to have a lot of patience for the people who are riding with a lack of experience, but we all need to be careful and you can be sure with my 5 years experience with the stp and 27 years of riding and training i will be out there to help keep it safe. But im time trialing it this year and i will be one of the first out the gate hehe.. thanks stan
I wittnessed some of these very behaviors during a ride for cancer this past week end. It was a Canadian event. I Kindly and Gently Asked one of the wives watching for her husband to pass too inform some of the riders that there are rules and laws regarding riding in both lanes. there were groups of 30 60 or so riders some in the opposing lane. This on a two lane strech with narrow shoulders and turns to boot.
Thanks for the tip sheet and all that will follow.
Dave
Working at one of the small newspapers along the route of the STP, I hear a lot of comments about the two-day ride. The comments are pretty neutral for the most part, more of a shrug and a “Well it’s over in a couple of days.” There are negative comments about a few miscreants, but the major complaint is that it’s hard to get out on the highway when the main bodies of riders are passing through. Even a free right at a light is not possible some of the time. Remember most of us live here and are not used to the “traffic jams” this can create. To us, it seems like trying to drive I-5 through downtown Seattle on a Friday night. Thanks you for your advice on being courteous. A friendly note, I will shoot (with a camera) anyone using my yard as a rest room stop and post it on YouTube for everyone to see. Have a good ride and smile once in awhile. We’re not all uneducated hillbillies down this way.
I trained for my first STP with a small group this year. On my first training ride the group leader admonished me for not being willing to urinate in someone’s driveway when we took a break, the reason being that on the STP the lineups for the bathrooms would be too long. I thought about the event, and if 10000 people were urinating (or whatever) every chance there was cover, that would be pretty gross for the people that live along the route. Needless to say, I quit that team and these tips confirmed for me that they were not the right group for me. I am glad to see this addressed. Lets respect people’s property along the route.
I might add to M.J. most excellent discourse, please don’t have your personal support car on the course with you. Couple of years ago there was a group with a van and a pick-up truck trying to drive right next to their riders. Very dangerous for others. The pick-up had a photographer in the bed taking action picture of the group- and the driver was weaving into the oncoming lane forcing cars off the road.
I (Ride Ref) sent a Goldwing motorcycle support rider after the van and truck , pulled them over and we had a nice chat. That group’s name was turned into M.J. from Cascade. You don’t want this to happen to your group, if your employer name is on your jersey, they won’t like this either.
It’s a great ride, icon of the North West, and a rite of passage, but we want it to be able to continue and to be a wonderful experience.
Gears to you….leo
Sounds as though you are all doing a pretty good job at police-ing yourselves…I and the other GWTA goldwing riders appreciate the help when it comes to trying to curb some of the behaviors that cause trouble along the route. Stay safe out there….don’t want to have to bandage too many people up.
This was my first STP, and though overall the experience was glorious and well worthwhile, I was appalled at the behavior of some who clearly feel that the ride is their own private road race. Running red lights … swerving in front of cars – on freeways, no less … recumbents in the middle of the bike lane … pace lines whizzing by my left shoulder with no warning whatsoever … knocking over traffic cones to reach a stop light a few seconds more quickly … I could go on. (Don’t get me started about ear buds.) Something about riding in a large group makes some folks feel invincible I guess.
Still, the vast majority of fellow riders were courteous and clearly having a great time. What a pity a few yahoos have to tarnish the reputation of cyclists everywhere. Reading the comments above, it’s no surprise (alas) that some residents along the route have a less than positive impression of STP cyclists.
Amen, Mr. Brewington! I am still laughing, particularly to your “hillbilly” reference! As some reading this post may not know, “hillbillies” are typically some of the friendliest and most helpful individuals you would ever want to meet when shown some respect! My husband and I are traveling from Ohio to participate in this year’s STP with our son and friends. Many of the riders here are also city-dwellers with the same attitude toward those of us who appreciate country-living. Riding with 10000 peeps is alot to comprehend. With that number, there’s bound to be a few inconsiderate, inexperienced riders. Just the same, we are looking forward to the experience and hope our John Deere jerseys blend in with the crowd!
I have been participating in group rides for almost 30 years and this year I will be riding in my second STP. Unfortunately, the complaints reported here are no different from the ones we have for our rides here in Kansas and Missouri. However, that does not mean we can’t do anything about it. If you see inappropriate behavior, don’t simply ignore it. If you can, speak (don’t argue) with the rider involved and let them know they are accountable for their actions. You’d be surprised how many times you will get an apology even though you will also get an earful at times too. If you can’t speak to the rider personally, give the rider number to a route monitor so Cascade can take some action. Perhaps not being able to ride in STP will change some behaviors. Finally, the best advice has been mentioned here several times. Smile, enjoy the ride, share your enjoyment with those around you including the volunteers, spectators, and residents, be courteous, and take that chip off your shoulder for a couple of days. You will be surprised at the attitudes you will get in return. One more thing directly for folks like Stanley Y. who posted over a year. The comment you made about warning beginners to beware of all you competitive folks who want to turn rides like this into a race is just ignorant. My family will tell you that I am one of the most competive persons around but I have no need to prove anything when 10000 other folks are involved. Please find another venue to fuel your competitive fire and leave the STP to those of us who want to have some fun and enjoyment while completing such a worthwhile challenge.
Not mentioned: lights. I’ve done the ride in two days and we’re doing it in one this year. We live towards the end of the route and seems pretty stupid to get run over two miles from the finish line because traffic can’t see you at 10PM. If you don’t think you can finish the route before dark, be smart, not THAT rider.
Wow, riders relieving themselves on bushes, in the open. How inconsiderate and downright crass is that? I’ve never been surprized at the boorishness of bike riders, and this tops the list especially with the number of planned and unplanned comfort stations on the route.
I thought earbuds and other headphone devices were illegal, let alone unsafe. These folks need to be ticketed and fined. I’ts impossible to pass safely when the person ahead of you isn’t hearing you yell at them “On Your Left” as loud as you can, and I yell loud enough to pierce armor!
Lastly, you didn’t mention riding no hands. In any ride let alone a big group like the STP, it’s not only unthinking and stupid, it can be fatally dangerous.
Pace Lines are a fact of life and everybody needs to get used to them, especially the beginners. I suggest paceline training sessions for future events. It’s truly amazing how much more people can enjoy the ride if they can handle a paceline.
Good luck to all the riders, have a safe trip, enjoy it, cars and trucks are still the boss and remember the rubber side stays down!