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The 36-year-old from Richland was riding in his first Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Classic on Saturday, hoping to do it in one day pedaling in his Velomobile, a three-wheeled aerodynamic bicycle he purchased last year.
Hoffman, who works in computer support, even makes the 10-mile one-way ride to work, and parks near the bike rack at his office.
“It really works for me,” Hoffman said. “I race with it, I commute with it and do weekend rides.”
More than 10,000 riders took part in the 31st annual event, which began in the early hours at Husky Stadium in Seattle. Tenino’s City Park was one of two mini-stops in Thurston County where riders could get refreshments, bike repairs and rehydrate before the halfway point in Centralia.
More than 3,000 riders attempted to do the event in one day, with the remainder finishing today in Portland’s Holladay Park, celebrating the feat of cycling more than 200 miles over two consecutive days.
Hoffman’s Velomobile weighs about 80 pounds and is made of fiberglass. He can go about 38 mph on flat ground, and can get up to 65 mph downhill. He was one of at least two velomobile riders in the event, and had some close calls with possible crashes.
“It covers everything,” Hoffman said. “The whole key is aerodynamics.”
Heidi and Randy Camp of Renton boarded a tandem bike during the ride for the first time, with this being Heidi’s first STP ride. The Camps rode to Centralia, where their 18-year-old daughter was waiting for them.
They planned to end the tandem ride after 100 miles and put the bike in the car so Randy could finish the one-day ride to Portland on a traditional bike for the fourth consecutive year. His wife and daughter greeted him when he ended the ride later Saturday.
A couple riding a tandem bike, Heidi said, can work wonders for a marriage.
“It either makes it or breaks it on one of these,” she said.
Riding for a good cause was popular, too. Barbara Beattie of Snoqualmie sported a purple tiara atop her helmet in honor of a cycling friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer. She also was honoring a friend who had died recently, carrying a photo of him near her number on her back.
“It puts a different spin on it and makes it more significant,” Beattie said.
STP was “the first real bike race” for Jonah Moses of Kenmore. While riding around a lake last week with friends, he was convinced to take part in the ride 48 hours before Saturday’s early morning start.
“I feel fantastic,” Moses said. ... “I’ll be here next year.”
Just before noon, Tracy Granda and Vest Henry of Portland were easily spotted when they rolled through wearing Hazmat suits.
The plan was for Granda and Henry to dispose of the light-weight white suits with bright orange dots at the first mini-stop, but with the overcast and cool mid-50s temperatures Saturday morning, the husband and wife kept the suits on for warmth.
“We’ve had a lot of people ask us questions,” Henry said.
Meg Wochnick: 360-754-5473 mwochnick@theolympian.com
