Riding a bike 200 miles over the course of two days is no easy feat.
This year, our very own Paul Ingalls, Jason Bodie, and Carl Tydingco, as well as their friend Keith from Portland, spent July 8-9 completing the Group Health Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic.
Smileboxers Fed Johnson and Wayne Rambo also got involved, driving a support vehicle to keep our riders supplied and motivated.
The adventurers from our development and quality assurance teams were happy to share a few photos and videos so you can get a peek into their trip. Make sure to check out the Smilebox of their journey at the bottom of the post!
The Trek
After departing the Emerald City of Seattle, the four riders burned some rubber while the support vehicle did a fantastic job keeping phones charged and transporting the camping gear for the night. But that’s not the only way they contributed to the cause. Fed, the driver, shared the following story about how the public address system in his truck helped inspire hundreds of riders:
“We were listening to ‘Eye of the Tiger’ by Survivor, and while we were at a street light, some random biker told us to ‘crank it’. So for about five miles we drove by the bikers with ‘Eye of the Tiger’ playing over the P.A. All the bikers were raising their arms and cheering. You could tell we were pumping people up big time. I think I listened to ‘Eye of the Tiger’ eight times in a row.”
With the help of the tunes and a few rest stops, everyone reached the halfway point and set up camp for the night.
Waking up early once again on Sunday, the bikers mounted their rides once again and completed the journey through southern Washington and over the sparkling Columbia River that marks the Washington-Oregon border. After a final burst, they found themselves in the city of Portland. The journey was over.
After catching their breath and stretching out their tired legs, the Smileboxers surprised their friend Keith with a party for his 35th birthday. It was a great way to relax after the two day trip and, needless to say, there were smiles all around.
What is STP?
The ride, organized by the Cascade Bicycle Club, starts early Saturday morning outside the University of Washington’s football stadium. According to the Cascade Bicycle Club website, the event had 10,000 registered riders representing 43 states and 3 countries. Most riders rest at the midway point, in Centralia, WA, then resume the ride to Portland on Sunday morning.
If you are interested in more information about the STP Bicycle Classic or statistics from the 2011 ride, head over to the official Cascade Bicycle Club STP page.
Click the Smilebox to play:
Also check out this awesome time-lapse video of the REI rest stop outside their company headquarters in Kent, WA. Have a great day!
