Summary: Ride from Seattle to Vancouver [BC] & Party

Most Memorable Moments of Cascade Bicycle Club’s RSVP 2026:

Most of the first 5o miles were on two of Washington’s best rail-to-trail parks: the Burke-Gilman along Lake Washington from UW, and the Snohomish County Centennial Trail up to Arlington. What a great way to start a two-day ride! – Bob Currey-Wilson

It was fun to collaborate with fellow PBC riders. I was impressed with Cascade’s support system – medical and mechanical support riders. With a tire-and-tube failure, I replaced the tube, then walked back to a rest stop, where a mechanic mounted a tire boot. The repair held for the last 50 miles. My favorite view of this year’s RSVP was David Lam Park, at the finish, with the waterfront and highrises in the background. – Bob Glascock

RSVP was one of my longest rides of the year. For two days we covered 185 miles! Pretty hilly too on Day 1. I camped on the rec lot next to UW track. That went well except for 3:00 AM police check. The PBC take-off in the morning was blown. We didn’t meet up on time. The group that left at the same time as I did was large. We thinned out, and I was riding alone after the first half hour. The bike trail through Seattle went for 15 to 20 miles. It was cool to see how great a trail system could be. I loved the views and ride up through Kenmore. Perfect riding weather. Rest stops were plentiful and had good food. Great to come across PBC riders through first day. Bob and Luci especially. Friendly faces. I took a couple of pics on Chuckanut Drive. Bellingham was a fun party. At the start of Day 2, rain. I missed the early morning meetup again. I rode alone to the border town of Lynden where I caught up to our PBC group and rode mostly with Lynn and Travis for the rest of the day. Travis was an impressive hill rider. Great smiles and miles with our three-person group. Coming into Vancouver was breathtaking. Lots of big, beautiful bridge crossings. River Road “time trial” was awesome – in the rain. We flew that road at 20-22 MPH. The miles flew by. Great to hang out together after the ride. Thanks to Lynn for helping me charge my wet dead phone. Returning, I made the train on time. My girlfriend, Dawn, and I had a great dinner back in Bellingham at Langford Cafe. Midnight, back in Portland. – Doak Kimball

This year’s RSVP is one of the most memorable bike events that I have ever done. Riding along with friends, chatting, listening to stories and laughing together are what made this ride so special to me. And if I have another opportunity to do it again next year, I will. – Elmer Lorenzo

It was a fun experience, and I am so glad I had friends to share the adventure! It was a time to meet new people and get to know some people better. Bob C-W and Lynn put together great training rides, and I appreciated all the encouragement and support on the rides and from friends who did not ride RSVP this year…not to mention the tips from people that rode it before. Washington and Canada have some great biking trails and a good network of trails that link together long stretches for riders. (Perhaps we can learn some things from our neighbors to the north.) The scenery was really beautiful, especially at the top of the big climb up Chuckanut Drive before descending into Bellingham. The lemonade stand at the top of one of the hills was a treat. And most impressive is that the distance and hills did not defeat me! – Luci Hise

On Day 1 we had ideal conditions for riding 107 miles…safe route, smooth road surfaces, beautiful scenery, moderate temperature, and enthusiastic PBC friends. There were 10 of us, and only 1 had ridden RSVP before – 9 newbies! For me, it was my first point-to-point, overnight ride in my life. I’ve never ridden STP or anything like it before; in fact, I haven’t even ridden many centuries, so I wondered to myself, “Would I be able to finish Day 2?” (knowing that I usually take the day off from riding after completing a century). However, I felt great at the end of Day 1. Lemonade Hill was one of my favorite memories on Day 1. After steadily climbing from Mile 90-something past Mile 100, not steep but continuous, there was a lemonade stand at the top with ice-cold lemonade, so refreshing! (The water in my bottles had become the temperature of warm bathwater.) It was such a nice surprise! I had two cups! That revitalized me for those last miles. On Day 2 rain was forecasted, conditions were less than ideal, but I still had enthusiastic friends, and we were all excited about crossing the border into Canada and completing 78 miles. The distance was shorter, and there was less elevation gain than Day 1, so when the rain came, finishing still seemed do-able. It was a light, warm rain. We didn’t always ride together. It was more of a mix-n-match, and we often checked in with each other at rest stops. One of my favorite memories of the weekend was getting together with PBC friends for dinner in the evenings and carpooling to and from Seattle. The highlight of the RSVP was sheer continuous beauty for 185 miles! – Lynn Blanchard

I enjoyed riding the RSVP this year with all the PBC members. We had a great group. I liked the Burke-Gilman Trail that starts the ride out of Seattle. A bit later near Lake Stevens was the Centennial Trail, another great car-free portion of the ride. Nearing Bellingham you catch a good view of Samish Bay and a couple oyster / clam farms. Many memorable moments encountered on a well thought-out route. Highly recommend! – Michael Schulte

I checked off a bunch of firsts during the RSVP, and I couldn’t have asked for a better squad to share the memories with. Having familiarity in unfamiliar territory makes everything so much easier and made me feel safe. The ride was a literal change of pace for me. It’s no secret that I like riding fast, but I made it a point to slow it down and socialize for RSVP. I still had my speedy moments, and I can admit it took a lot of resistance not to hop on some of the wheels that zoomed by, but I chose to stick with familiar faces as much as I could. I also made sure to cross the halfway and finish lines alongside PBC members. The goal was memories over metrics for this one. After the show was over, the bus ride back to Seattle offered a different perspective of the bridges and highways that I pedaled over the day before. It gave me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that solidified the journey. – Travis López