What I Learned from Finishing the Seattle to Portland Bike Ride

This July, I completed the Seattle to Portland (STP) bike ride—a 200-mile journey that's become a Pacific Northwest tradition. Here's everything I learned along the way, from training on a tight timeline to surviving the heat on day two.

What is STP?

The Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic is one of the largest multi-day recreational bike rides in the country. Organized by Cascade Bicycle Club, it's been running since 1979 and attracts over 8,000 riders each year. The route stretches approximately 200 miles from the University of Washington in Seattle down to Portland, Oregon, passing through Puyallup, Centralia, Longview, and crossing the Columbia River into Oregon.

Most riders complete STP over two days, with an overnight stop in Centralia or Chehalis. Some ambitious cyclists do the "one-day" option, but for my first time, two days seemed like the right call.

Two Months to Train

I signed up for STP in May, with the ride scheduled for July. That gave me roughly two months to prepare—not ideal, but workable. The first thing I needed was a bike.

I found a Felt F3 from 2008 on Craigslist for $500. It was a monocoque carbon fiber frame, still in solid condition. Not the newest bike on the road, but more than capable for what I needed.

The Training Plan

My approach was simple: start short and gradually build up distance.

Weeks 1-2: I started with 20-mile rides, twice a week. The goal was to get my body used to being on the bike without worrying about nutrition. No food, just water. This was about building a base.

Weeks 3-5: I extended my rides to the North Lake Washington loop—a 40-mile route with real hills. The loop goes from Bothell to Woodinville, through Redmond, down to Montlake, then up through Lake Forest Park and Kenmore before returning to Bothell. I did this once a week and started bringing Clif bars—two per ride, about 500 calories total. This is where I learned what my body could handle mid-ride.

Final training ride: One week before STP, I did a 70-mile ride. I started at 5AM in Bothell, rode to the east side of Lake Sammamish, came back to Seattle via the I-90 bridge, biked through Interbay to Golden Gardens, then took the Burke Gilman Trail back to Bothell. I only did this once—it was enough to prove to myself I could handle the distance.

Day One: Seattle to Centralia

The ride started on July 15th, 2023, at 5:30AM from the University of Washington. I was nervous about the hills, particularly the climb out of Puyallup. I'd actually swapped my cassette from 11-29 to 11-31 just to have easier gearing available. With my chainring at 52-35, I wasn't sure I'd have the legs for a sustained climb.

Turns out, I worried for nothing. The climb was challenging but manageable. For the last 100 feet, I got out of the saddle and cranked hard to the top. It felt good.

I averaged 16 MPH and rolled into Centralia a little after noon. Getting there early had its advantages—I found a shaded spot to pitch my tent before the grounds filled up.

There was some confusion at the showers. I thought I'd pre-paid, but apparently not. After sorting that out and getting cleaned up, I grabbed food and a beer from the cafeteria, watched some Tour de France replays on a big screen, and crashed in my tent around 3PM.

When I woke up, all the food vendors had packed up and left. I panicked—I hadn't eaten enough to fuel the next day's ride. With limited options, I walked to a nearby KFC and got two big bowls of mashed potatoes and some fried chicken. Not exactly cycling nutrition, but it was calories. I went back to sleep around 10PM.

Day Two: Centralia to Portland

I woke up tired. Packing up the tent, getting organized, and getting back on the road felt harder than it should have. The first hour was rough—legs heavy, motivation low. But once I found my rhythm again, things clicked into place.

About three and a half hours in, I crossed the bridge from Longview into Oregon. That's when the heat hit. Temperatures climbed past 95 degrees, and we were riding on open roads with no tree cover. The sun was relentless.

I crossed the finish line at 2:30PM. Tired, but not destroyed. I heard later that some riders who'd teamed up with others struggled more than expected—frequent stops in the heat made it harder to maintain momentum, and the high temperatures took a toll.

Lessons Learned

Hydrate regularly. Drink water every 15 minutes or so, even if you don't feel thirsty. My Garmin cycling computer has hydration reminders built in—I'd recommend using them. By the time you feel dehydrated, you're already behind.

Figure out your nutrition strategy before race day. During training, I discovered that gels didn't agree with my stomach. Some people swear by them, but my body preferred energy bars. You don't want to find this out 80 miles into a 100-mile day.

Train smart, not just long. Your body really only needs to get comfortable with 40-50 mile rides. Beyond that, the challenge is purely about hydration and energy management. You don't need to do a full 100-mile training ride to complete STP. A 70-mile ride gave me the confidence I needed without destroying my legs before the event.

STP was one of the most rewarding physical challenges I've taken on. If you're thinking about signing up, do it. Two months of training is tight, but it's doable. And that feeling of rolling into Portland? Totally worth the KFC mashed potatoes the night before.