Did you ride the STP?

This week-end is the 30th annual STP - Seattle to Portland Annual Bike Ride. It's an untimed recreational bike ride and is not a race. It is Cascade Bicycle Club’s largest fund-raising event and supports bicycle education, advocacy, commute and riding programs.

It left from Husky Stadium area. You can follow the route here.

Were you one of the thousands that rode this year? A staffer heard 6am announcements from their house on the hill getting the riders off on their way yesterday morning.

We have a staffer whose husband rode it a few years ago in one day! He left at 6am rode to Portland then caught the last bus back! Wow what a day.

If you rode, we'd love to hear your experience when you get back, after you have rested. How did your trip go? Tell us about it. Post a comment or send email to laurelhurstblogger@gmail.com and we'll post your story.

Here's some stats from this year from the STP 2009 site:
 30th annual ride. Sold out on June 1, 2009.
 Untimed, recreational bicycle ride, not a race.
 First event was a time trial race between Seattle and Portland City Halls. Jerry Baker won the race.
 10,000 registered riders
 Total distance (miles) 202.25
 Uphill distance (miles) 30.87
 Uphill altitude (feet) 1,951
 Maximum altitude (feet) 463
 Start: University of Washington E-1 Parking Lot on Montlake Blvd., just north of Husky Stadium
 Five major rest stops en route to Portland
 Midpoint: Centralia, Washington
 Finish: Holladay Park in northeast Portland
 100 safety and medical riders on the course
 20 Ride Referees on the course
 12 support vehicles
 200 Gold Wing Touring Association motorcyclists
 How much food? Here’s a sample:
 26,000 sandwiches
 35,000 cookies
 43,000 snack bars & treats
 11,000 fig bars
 16,000 servings of bananas
 10,000 servings of oranges
 9,500 servings of grapes
 46 states represented (see list below)
 Eldest rider: 87.
 Youngest rider: 2 years 4 months.
 2,834 female riders; 7,166 male riders
 51 riders will have ridden 20+ times
 321 riders will have ridden 10+ times.
 Riders from 7 countries and 47 states