“Loving Island Life” Chilly Hilly Bike Race

02/17/2015|Sonja Jones
Cyclists board a ferry at a dock.

Riders for the “Chilly Hilly” Bike Race head for Bainbridge Island

Hard to believe we are coming up on the end of February already. “Loving Island Life” means loving the great outdoors, and even if it’s cold and wet, the beauty of Bainbridge Island inspires us to get outside.  This Sunday, February 22, 2015 – 8:00am to 3:00pm, several thousand bicycle riders will be enjoying, or perhaps surviving, the hills and valleys of Bainbridge Island with us.  Here is some really cool information from the Cascade Bicycle Club website, and a link to the route map.  If you must be on the roads during the ride, take it slow and drive carefully!   Chilly Hilly route map.

With chillyFebruary weather and 2,675 feet of hilly climbing, the name says it all!

Chilly Hilly has been kicking off the cycling season in the Northwest on the last Sunday in February for the past 43 years. The 33-mile route around Bainbridge Island starts with a scenic early morning ferry ride across Puget Sound from Seattle, or you can join the crowd directly on Bainbridge Island.

Join us on Sunday, Feb. 22, for the ride Bicycling Magazine named “One of Four Classic Rides” in the nation. It’s guaranteed to be hilly, probably chilly and always a heck of a lot of fun. So, get the dust off of your bike and get ready for cycling season early!

Course is open from 8 a.m to 3 p.m. If you are taking the ferry over from Seattle, the ride starts when you get off the ferry. If you are starting on Bainbridge Island, the ride starts at the top of the ferry off-ramp on Winslow Way.

Enjoy:

  • A scenic cruise on a Washington State Ferry (Seattle start)
  • Free food stop at Battle Point Park
  • Supporting local Bainbridge Charities
  • Finish Line Festival with a fantastic chili feed benefiting a different Bainbridge Island non-profit each year

Who rides Chilly Hilly?

  • Chilly Hilly record number of riders is 6,029 (set in 2010)
  • Each year riders come from far and wide including Alaska, Iowa, Nevada and New York – plus British Columbia and France
  • Typically 25% of riders are female; 75% are male
  • The oldest registered rider was 78 years old. The youngest was one and a half years old. (We’re not sure, however, how old the youngest rider who actually rode.)
  • For more information about Events and things to do on Bainbridge Island, our Real Estate Market, Bainbridge Island Lifestyle, Condominiums, Luxury Waterfront Homes, Equestrian Properties, and Estates and Farms, visit www.homesforsaleonbainbridgeisland.com. Discover what “Loving Island Life” is all about!

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