Maybe it’s a gentle rolling trip through prairie farmland or a challenging single-track roaming through old-growth fir and cedar. It could be a long, leisurely exploration of seaside roads and paths with stunning views of the waterfront, stopping at a country inn, store, restaurant, or pub. Perhaps it’s a demanding climb from sea-level to a mile-high summit where you take a break while looking out over a million acres of pristine wilderness and anticipating the rewarding thrill of a 21-mile descent. Whatever your dream cycling adventure, you’ll find it here on Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula.
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Simply put, these are routes on paved roads. They may have sections on city streets, highways, backcountry roads, or bike paths like the Olympic Discovery Trail, but what they have in common is: they’re paved. Some cities and towns have dedicated bike lanes and on any road route, shoulder widths can vary. In nearly all cases, of course, you’re sharing a road route with motorists.
Road routes are suitable for all kinds of bikes and tires: road, mountain, touring, recumbent, trikes, etc., with skinny or fat tires or anything in between.
On a given road route, you may encounter short stretches of gravel or hard-packed dirt where construction or maintenance is underway. We try to ensure that all our posted road routes are updated with notices of where you’re likely to encounter an unpaved surface and the specific conditions, but on any road route you should anticipate this possibility even if it’s not indicated.
Many of the routes in this category are specifically designated as mountain biking trails—single-track, dirt path, trails, etc. Others are identified as a mountain biking route because they’re entirely or mostly off any paved road surface although some include extensive stretches of graded hard-packed Forest Service or State Trust Land roadways and, in a few cases on the OP, such roadways may be paved.
The most important characteristic of a mountain bike route, though, is that it is best suited for… mountain bikes—your skinny tire road bike is not going to like it at all, your touring bike will object vehemently whenever it’s not on a graded surface (and may protest even when it is), and your recumbent and your trike will flat out refuse to go.
While riding a mountain bike route you may encounter vehicles, including the all-terrain variety (ATVs), but more likely you’ll be sharing the route with either hikers or horse riders.
A key thing to keep in mind on a mountain bike route is that you may be further from readily available assistance, especially in an emergency. Needing help on a well marked, well maintained, and frequently used trail system close to a city or town is one thing; requiring immediate aid on a single-track route 10 miles deep in the forest is something else entirely. If you’re taking on a mountain bike route, ride prepared.
On routes designated “mixed surface,” be ready to ride over some combination of paved roads, loose gravel, dirt, or sand, and hard-packed dirt or gravel, all in a single route.
Mixed surface routes don’t include paths or trails that would otherwise be classified as mountain bike routes. A mountain bike trail might intersect or connect with a mixed surface route and offer another option, but it won’t be an integral or unavoidable part of the mixed surface route.
The best set of two wheels for these routes is a super-versatile bike that’s at home on various surfaces. Sometimes called gravel bikes, adventure bikes, or hybrids, they’re made for riding on all surfaces, whatever the mix. A skinny-tire road bike may, in some cases, be able to handle the mixed-surface routes we’ve listed, but check the route details to make sure you won’t find yourself walking long stretches with your bike on your shoulder.
Riding a mixed surface route can take you further afield, into forests or more remote terrain where both emergency and non-emergency help, if needed, may be more difficult and take longer to get. So, as with mountain bike routes, it’s best to ride prepared on a mixed surface outing.
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