Administrator and author of Biking Bis. Currently live in the Seattle area; previously Texas, California, Maryland, Georgia and Ohio. Own a Lemond road bike for light riding and Rockhopper for poor weather riding and touring.

Most commented posts

  1. How to enforce 3-foot passing law to protect bicyclists — 51 comments
  2. Washington state lists parks with bike/hike campsites — 20 comments
  3. 10 longest rail-trails for bicycling — John Wayne Pioneer Trail in Washington leads the list — 19 comments
  4. Indiana town says “No” to bicycle tourism — 18 comments
  5. Are bike path bollards an unnecessary hazard? — 17 comments

Author's posts

Seattle Bike Show limits weekend event due to coronavirus; Seattle Bike Swap, Sea Otter Classic postponed

You’ll want to check for possible last-minute changes before heading out to watch or participate in bicycling events because of growing concern over COVID-19. Organizers in the US and Italy have just started reacting to the epidemic.

So far, we have limitations at this weekend’s Seattle Bike Show and postponements of Seattle Bike Swap and …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2020/03/06/check-for-bicycling-event-cancellations-due-to-coronavirus/

When it rains in western Washington, it also floods bicycle trails

Seemingly continuous rainfall the past few weeks in the Puget Sound area has led to closures on bicycle trails used for recreation and commuting. Even with an interruption in the rain forecast for this weekend, it will be a while before the flood waters recede and the messes are cleaned up.

Preston Snoqualmie Trail — …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2020/02/07/when-it-rains-in-western-washington-it-also-floods-bicycle-trails/

‘Idaho Stop’ rolls into Oregon for bicyclists

A new law in Oregon allows bicycle riders to slide through stop signs at intersections without coming to a full stop after first yielding to right-of-way traffic.

The law, Senate Bill 998, went into effect on Jan. 1, 2020. It enables bicyclists to treat stop signs as “yield” signs; it does not apply to stop …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2020/01/02/idaho-stop-rolls-into-oregon-for-bicyclists/

3-foot passing becomes law on Jan. 1 in Washington state

Motorists in Washington state will be legally obligated to give bicyclists at least 3 feet of clearance when passing in the same lane beginning on Jan. 1.

The law, signed by Gov. Jay Inslee in May, passed the legislature this past session. With its enactment, Washington joined the more than 30 states that require motorists …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2019/12/26/3-foot-passing-becomes-law-on-jan-1-in-washington-state/

Bike history: Illustrated

U VT prof cartoons

Sometimes an illustration, or a fully drawn cartoon, is the best way to tell the story. That is as true in bicycling as in anything else.

Here are two examples of stories that used illustrations or cartoons to explain moments in bicycle history that caught my attention recently.

One is a cartoon by Taj Mihelich, …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2019/12/23/bike-history-illustrated/

Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail featured in Rails to Trails magazine

This past summer I spent several weeks researching and visiting the newly minted Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail for an article that appeared this fall on the cover of the Rails to Trails Conservancy magazine.

Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail is the cover story for fall Rails to Trails Magazine

You can read …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2019/12/09/palouse-to-cascades-state-park-trail-featured-in-rails-to-trails-magazine/

Senior looking for bicycle advice

Occasionally people reach out to this blog for advice about bicycle routes, bicycles, or bike accessories. I’ve researched these topics for myself in the past, but with so many new products coming on the market, my personal knowledge isn’t that extensive or up-to-date.

That’s why I’m putting out this question about the best bicycle for …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2019/05/29/senior-looking-for-bicycle-advice/

Trail to span USA nearing completion

Live celebration for Great American Rail-Trail is Wednesday

Rails to Trails Conservancy is promoting a live event this Wednesday to reveal the preferred route for the Great American Rail-Trail — an off-road trail route that will stretch 3,700 miles from Washington DC to Washington state and fulfill the dream for off-road bicycle travelers.

The …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2019/05/06/trail-to-span-usa-nearing-completion/

R.I.P. “Buzz” Grant, president of Foothills Trail

Condolences to the friends and family of Buzz Grant, president of the Foothills Rails to Trails Coalition. The 74-year-old died at his home in Puyallup last week.

Mount Rainier looms over trail

He’d been an advocate for completion of the trail for more than 30 years. The trail runs non-stop through Pierce County from eastern …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2019/04/30/r-i-p-buzz-grant-president-of-foothills-trail/

Postponed Stinky Spoke bike ride in Redmond is Saturday

A funny thing happened on the way to the first Stinky Spoke mountain bike ride scheduled on Feb. 9 by the Redmond Rotary — the weather got too stinky for a safe ride.

If you remember, the lowlands of the Pacific Northwest were blanketed under more than a foot of snow (some of which is …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2019/03/03/postponed-stinky-spoke-bike-ride-in-redmond-sammamish-is-saturday/