This ride starts at Gerk's Ski & Cycle in Issaquah. (They moved to this new location about 8 months ago so be sure to check the address and your GPS so that you're not late to the start!) Speaking of the start... this ride starts at 8 am. The ride leader meeting is at 7:30 am and riders are expected to arrive at the start by 7:40 am so that they can ready their bikes and attend the safety briefing. Riders who are not present for the safety briefing will NOT be allowed to ride with the group. This ride shares a lot of elements with the full lake route, but we add some miles by throwing in an extra lake for you to ride around. With this ride there will be a focus on efficiency for our restroom and food breaks. At this point in our training series we need to focus on our average pace and using our off-the-bike time wisely. Red-paced riders can expect to spend 8-9 hours of pedaling time per day for STP, thus, if we can use our breaks efficiently we can avoid extra-long STP days. This route of ~70 miles will be a good way to gauge your timing for STP. Logistics: There is no restroom at the start because we're starting before Gerk's opens. Instead we'll head over to the PCC/Tullys and riders can use the restrooms there. It's also your opportunity to quickly get any last-minute items you might need for your daypacks. Other restroom breaks will be at Gene Coulon Park, Seward Park, Sandpoint Metropolitan Market (both a restroom and our official lunch stop), Log Boom Park, and Marymoor Park. Gerk's should be open when we return to the start and they will let you use their restroom if needed.