Top Century Cycling Events in the Northwest
Four weeks of centuries
Summer’s end signals Century ride season in the Northwest
By Fiona Cohen
Photo at right: Harvest Century cyclists make their way to hot cider and live music.
Centuries, the coveted reward for long hours in the saddle, are long, organized, non-competitive rides. There are different variants ranging from metric centuries (100 kilometers or 62 miles), 100 miles and even a “double metric century” (200 kilometers or 124 miles). Many events feature even shorter routes for those who are a little less ambitious.
But one thing they all have in common is they all feature gorgeous scenery. Other regions may have a “Tour de Beige Suburb” or “Open Pit Mine Classic,” but here in the Northwest, we like our rides pretty.
The organization behind the rides ranges from bare-bones—a map, rest-stops and not much else—to luxurious—parties, meals and live music.
Jennifer Hughes, of Eugene, picked September for her event, the Willamette Valley Farm to Farm Century, because it is harvest time. Her ride, scheduled for Sept. 14, is definitely on the high end of the spectrum.
“I wanted to start a bike ride that focused on local and healthy food,” said the Eugene-based race organizer. Along with a good breakfast, locally sourced rest-stop food and a fine after-ride meal, riders are rewarded with a reusable grocery bag full of gourmet goodies.
Also, September weather tends to be just right.
“June is hit or miss, July and August tend to be kind of hot, September tends to be a perfect day for riding,” Hughes said.
There are numerous centuries of various lengths scheduled for this fall. Here are some of our top picks:
Century Rides
Willamette Valley Farm to Farm Century
Date: Sept. 14
Distance in miles: 100
Start and finish: Monroe, Ore.
Scenery: Willamette Valley farm country.
Besides: The course visits five farms. Meals before and after the ride, food during the ride and “bounty bags” given out after the ride all showcase locally produced food.
Info: www.farmtofarmride.com
Chuckanut Century riders are all smiles as they cross Deception Pass Bridge. Photo by Marc Ambers Photography
Chuckanut Century riders are all smiles as they cross Deception Pass Bridge. Photo by Marc Ambers Photography
Chuckanut Century
Date: Sept. 15
Distances in miles: 25, 38, 50, 62, 100, 124
Start and finish: Bellingham, Wash.
Scenery: Beaches, farms, parks, towns and lakes of northwest Washington.
Besides: Bellingham, a burg of
80,000 people, boasts six bike shops. They take their cycling seriously around there.
Info: www.chuckanutcentury.org
Bridges to Breakers — McMenamins Hammerhead 100
Date: Sept. 21
Distance in miles: 100
Start: Portland, Ore.
Finish: Gearhart, Ore.
Scenery: Portland streets, the St. John Bridge, then through forested hills to the Pacific Ocean.
Besides: Oregon football hero Joey Harrington’s family started this event two years ago after an SUV struck Harrington while he was riding his bike. The aim of the ride is to raise awareness and money for bicycle safety.
Info: www.bridgestobreakers.com
Tour de Whidbey
Date: Sept. 21
Distances in miles: 10, 30, 40, 50, 100
Start/finish: Greenbank, Wash. (10 miler starts in Coupeville, Wash.)
Views of Mount Baker from the Chuckanut Century route. Photo by Marc Ambers Photography
Scenery: The beaches, prairies, farms and glades of Whidbey Island.
Besides: The Whidbey General Hospital foundation hopes to use this event to raise $40,000 for a Breast MRI Scan system.
Info: www.tourdewhidbey.com
Ryder Hesjedal’s Tour de Victoria
Date: Sept. 22
Distances in kilometers: 50, 100, 140
In miles that would be: 31, 62, 87
Starts: Sidney, B.C., for the 50, Langford, B.C., for the 100, and Victoria, B.C., for the 140
Finish: Victoria, B.C.
Scenery: Seafront, more seafront, Victoria streets, outlying farms, forests and parks.
Besides: Along with the endorsement of 2012 Giro D’Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal (a local boy), this event offers a variety of features to appeal to road-biking nerds, including timed sections, a detailed course map featuring quirky named corners (example: Sheep & Gumboot), and shuttle buses to the start areas.
Info: www.tourdevictoria.com
Peach of a Century
Date: Sept. 22
Distances in miles: 62, 75, 100
Start/finish: Salem, Ore.
Scenery: Farms and foothills around Salem.
Besides: Organized by the Salem Bicycle Club, this ride has rest stops and a sweep vehicle at the end, but little else in the way of frills.
Info: www.salembicycleclub.org, click on “Event Rides.”
Harvest Century rider cruises along the open road.
Harvest Century
Harvest Century rider cruises along the open road.
Date: Sept. 29
Distances in miles: 3, 45, 75, 100
Start/finish: Hillsboro, Ore.
Scenery: Vineyards and woods around Hillsboro.
Besides: The course is marked with pumpkins, rest-stop treats include hot apple cider, and the 100-mile-route includes a ferry ride across the Willamette River.
Info: www.harvestcentury.org
Ellensburg Manastash Metric Bike Tour
Date: Oct. 5
Distances in kilometers: 50, 104
Start/finish: Ellensburg, Wash.
Scenery: Dry hills, windmills, the Yakima River and pine woods between Ellensburg and Cle Elum.
Besides: There’s a reason the organizers tout this as “the drier ride.” There may be wind and clouds, but there’s a whole lot less rain than there is on the other side of the mountains.
Info: www.drier-ride.org
tom, 1 year ago
The Peach of a Century has been changed to the 22nd of Sept.
Chuck Schultz, 1 year ago
Thanks for the update Tom. We’ve changed it here on the Web page.