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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/

Can you help cyclists find long-distance bike routes?

A couple of long-distance bike travelers have checked in seeking advice on bike routes for their travels this year.

Can you help?

The first is Mitchell Morrison, who is looking for a route from Portland, Oregon, to Spokane, Washington, on the opening leg of his cross-country trek this spring. His eventual destination is his home …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2019/02/10/can-you-help-cyclists-find-summer-bike-routes/

Stinky Spoke postponed due to weather

An early Pacific Northwest bike ride that ushers in the mountain biking season has been postponed from this weekend to March 9 due to predicted heavy snowfall.

The ride — Stinky Spoke — bills itself as “Good Times, Bad Weather,” but apparently the Seattle area snowfall predicted for this weekend threatened bad weather that wouldn’t …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2019/02/08/stinky-spoke-postponed-due-to-weather/

Commuters take to bikes to avoid “Seattle Squeeze”

Automatic bicycle counters on the Spokane Street Bridge below the West Seattle Bridge are showing a spike in bike traffic since the closure of the Highway 99 Viaduct last week.

The rate of bicyclists opting for two wheels to get from West Seattle to downtown has jumped to numbers equal to typical spring and fall …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2019/01/24/commuters-take-to-bikes-to-avoid-seattle-squeeze/