I did my last training ride before Saturday’s MS Bike Ride through the covered bridges. I decided to do some hill training, so I took Little Joe up to Mt. Calvary Cemetary at Barnes & Skyline. It was a fun, albeit short (20 miles) ride. I managed to ride the entire hill without stopping (except for street lights), and I managed to keep from going into granny gear.

The Stats:

  • Distance: 20.9 miles
  • Time: 1:39 (hey, it was a decent hill and it was in the heat of the afternoon (so I’m not Ricco; sue me!)
  • Top Speed: 39.1 mph  

I would have done better on my top speed coming down Barnes Rd., but my shocks in front occasionally cause my computer to ding the magnet, knocking it off. I heard the sound and instantly knew my computer was not giving me a read. I can’t stand not knowing my top speed, so I stopped to fix it (it took me a block to stop). Had I been completely unfettered, I would have easily topped 40.

Route:

  • Take Baseline (from Aloha) to 158th
  • Left on 158th & head north to Cornell Rd.
  • Right on Cornell Rd & head to Barnes Rd. (aka Salzman for a moment)
  • Turn right on Barnes (it’s a light just before Salzman)
  • Take Barnes up the hill
  • Turn to the right when Barnes turns into Burnside (it’s a right and quick left)
  • Continue on Barnes to Skyline
  • Turn around and have fun coming back

The Lowdown

Most of the route has a beautifully wide shoulder, but the traffic is heavy pretty much everywhere until you turn from Barnes to Barnes (to avoid Burnside). Be careful on Barnes about a mile past the hospital as the shoulder virtually disappears.

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