The Donut

• 45 Miles; 19-ish mph pace
• Saturday Mornings from Trek Store
• Departs 7am March-September; 7:30am in the dark months.

This is Bellingham’s classic group ride and my personal favorite. Its a nice round 50 miles from my house, which is just about perfect for a Saturday morning. Leaving the Trek Store (née Kulshan) at 7 am during the months that are worth getting up that early for, you’re ensured a solid ride and good conversation.

In peak summer days the Donut can draw 40 or 50 people and even a weak summer ride has at least 20. The group is friendly and the pace is conversational in the pack. Nobody gets dropped on the Donut. Things do heat up for the sprints: first up Vista Hill in Ferndale, second coming into Birch Bay State Park (where there are bathrooms and water), third along Red River Road, and finally at the Bellingham City line. If you’re not feeling it, the group stops to regroup after each sprint (although the last is more of a rolling regroup) and there’s no pressure to participate. Depending who shows up the sprints can get pretty fast, but are always safety conscious and never agro-fests.

On the way back in, many peel off on Broadway and grab an espresso at The Lettered Streets Coffeehouse. It’s my understanding the stalwarts do this ride year round, presumably the coffee is more applicable in December.