The loop around Mercer Island is a bit more of a road-cyclist’s time-trial route than most of the other, more touring-oriented rides I recommend here. It’s not ugly by any stretch of the imagination, but neither is it particularly scenic, as most of the best views of the sound are reserved for the homes that line Mercer Way. The I-90 bridge is always a very interesting part of the Seattle cycling topography, albeit a fairly noisy, high-traffic, and wind-swept one.

Once you’ve left the bridge behind and peeled off the I-90 trail, the loop around the island has a series of rolling hills on both sides, with a ridiculously fun bit of windy roads on the East side that remind me of the bike equivalent of driving along the windy coast of US-101 north of San Francisco. I’d use this one for a workout, and if you’re simply interested in exploring, but its lack of shoulder as well as particularly notable scenery makes me hesitant to recommend it for more casual riders.