Beware of massive numbers of bicycles Saturday July 13!

July 13-14 is the Group Health Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic. It is a 200-mile bicycle ride, the largest multi-day bicycle event in the Northwest. There are up to 10,000 participants riding from Seattle to Portland in one or two days.

The route takes them through Summit, Waller, Spanaway, Roy and McKenna. This is a link to the detailed route map. Lunch food break is at Spanaway Middle School beginning around 9am.

They usually begin arriving as early as 9am and continue through the afternoon. We are talking about huge numbers of bicycles often riding 4 abreast. Please give them the space they need. The entire right lane of Pacific Avenue, let them own it. It is difficult to get from the Spanaway Lake side of the road onto Pacific. Use they traffic signals Saturday the 13^th. Please be calm, patient and safe around them. There are so many, it will take a major dose of patience.

Here are road segments you should avoid to give the bikes the best possible ride:

Canyon Road from Pioneer to 104^th Street.
104^th Street from Canyon to Waller Road
Waller Road from 104^th to 152^nd Street
152^nd Street from Waller Road to B Street
B Street from 152^nd to 159^th – This is the Food stop for lunch at Spanaway Junior High. It will be especially busy as will the Spanaway Safeway parking lot where they will also seek refreshments.
159^th Street from B Street to Pacific Avenue – This is where they get onto Pacific Ave. it will be a small nightmare near the Spanaway Safeway at the SE corner of the golf course.
Down Pacific Avenue to the Roy-Y and SR 507 to Roy, McKenna, Yelm, Rainier, Tenino, Bucoda and Centralia.