News Tribune Adventure writer and novice cyclist Craig Hill is training to ride the 202-mile Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Classic in one day and discovering the local riding scene and the sport’s nuances along the way. In his blog, he explores ideal riding routes, events, relays tips from the experts and helps you figure out if you’ll need to shave your legs for your next big ride.

Guest blogger: Rick Beitelspacher teaches junior high English in the Puyallup School District. You can contact him at tshirtguys@comcast.net.