Everyone in Yellow

Let’s face it. You are not Lance Armstrong. You're probably OK with that fact, and Seattlest is proud of you nonetheless. But, maybe you still got a little inspired during the Tour de France and ran out and bought yourself a road bike. A few spins out and back on the Burke Gilman trail and you’re ready for something more interesting? Try the Tour de Peaks this weekend.

The Tour de Peaks offers three different road bike routes of varying difficulty, and one mountain bike route (of unknown difficulty, based on all available information on their site). All routes are fully supported, meaning there are food/water stops and restrooms along the way. Spin the easy Family Route for 14 miles on mostly flat terrain, and still manage to take in spectacular Snoqualmie Valley views. Got a little more Lance to you than that? Try the 31-mile Half Century route that is mostly rolling but packs on more miles, or tack on the additional Upper Route section to complete the 62-mile Metric Century with some leg-grinding climbs through North Bend and Snoqualmie.

Once you’ve found your limits and gotten back in one piece, spend the rest of your day (let’s hope you have that luxury) at the Railroad Days Festival. Overflowing on the banks of the Snoqualmie river, you’ll find a parade, kid’s activities, food, the free Blues Festival (yea verily, with beer garden), and the 2005 Washington State Chainsaw Carving Competition.

Ed note: If you are shaking your head at the use of miles and metric in the same sentence, you are not alone. A "century" ride is 100 miles, no small feat for us non-Lance types. But if you go by the Metric system -- which many will argue we should have adopted long long ago -- then you can cheat and get 100 kilometers for the price of 62 miles, hence a Metric Century.