Category: Northwest Cycling

Bellevue WA hosts more bike rides for input from cyclists

The city of Bellevue is hosting short rides for bicyclists this Saturday and next Wednesday to get some ideas to improve streets and signs for bicycle riders.
 
They're the second and third such rides recently. Some members of the city's transportation staff rode with cyclists through the busy Factoria-Eastgate Corridor back in July to get some input on making that area more …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/09/23/bellevue-wa-hosts-more-bike-rides-for-input-from-cyclists/

Mature response to rash of bicycling deaths in Seattle area; Memorial bike ride on Saturday

Many bicyclists are doing some soul-searching after the deaths of three cyclists in the past two months in Seattle, a gold-level bicycle-friendly community.

Two of the bicyclists crashed with left-turning motorists; the third fell after missing a turn and going down some sidewalk steps.

Those bicycle riders — Mike Wang, Robert Townsend, and Brian Fairbrother — will be honored at “Safe Streets Social: A slow bike ride to honor the fallen and to support each other.” See Seattle Bike Blog for details. There's also a Facebook event page.

The Cascade Bicycle Club, which represents 14,000 members in the area, and Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn put aside the rhetoric last week in a mature response to the deaths. …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/09/20/mature-response-to-rash-of-bicycling-deaths-in-seattle-area-memorial-bike-ride-on-saturday/

Hyak to Easton: Bicycling the high & dry side of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail


Most of us bicycling on the rail-trail through Iron Horse State Park in Washington limit ourselves to the 20-some miles between Cedar Falls and the 2.3-mile Snoqualmie Tunnel at Hyak.

The John Wayne Pioneer Trail doesn't stop at Hyak, however. It continues eastward through Washington to the Idaho border.

Recently I rode the 20-mile section from Hyak to beyond Easton to learn more about the trail east of the Snoqualmie Tunnel.

This is the high and dry side of the Cascades. …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/09/16/hyak-to-easton-bicycling-the-high-dry-side-of-the-john-wayne-pioneer-trail/

Two more bicycle traffic fatalities in western Washington; victims identified

A man delivering sandwiches by bicycle in Seattle's University District was struck by a left-turning driver and killed on Saturday, and a woman on a bicycle near Port Angeles was struck from behind and killed by a motorist on Sunday.

The two became the fourth and fifth bicycle traffic fatalities in western Washington since late July.

My memory might be faulty, but I don't remember a summer so devastating to people who ride bicycles here in the 11 years since I moved to the area. …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/09/12/two-more-bicycle-traffic-fatalities-in-western-washington-victims-identified/

Upcoming Washington bicycle count seeks volunteers

If you can count, and who can't, then you meet the qualifications for the Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts Project in Washington later in September.

The annual count — this is the fourth year — measures the number of people who use their bicycles or walk during the morning and evening commutes. The information is used to advocate for more trails and better facilities.

This year, the Cascade Bicycle Club and the Washington Department of Transportation are seeking volunteers for the 30 cities …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/09/07/upcoming-washington-bicycle-count-seeks-volunteers/

Buttcrack cycling jersey cracks up fellow riders

A cycling jersey designed by a Seattle area man is the butt of a lot of jokes on long bicycle rides.

Lance Oyler says that's OK with him. He created the CycleButtCrack cycling jersey to lighten the mood among riders as exhaustion or pain begins to set in.

The problem is that some cyclists might not want to be heading out at the crack of dawn behind someone wearing this jersey.

On the recent Ride Around Puget Sound (RAPSody), for instance, a woman told him that she pulled off the road earlier, saying to herself, “I'm not going to ride behind that.” She later realized it really wasn't Lance's ass hanging out of his shorts.

That's kind of how Lance got inspired for the jersey, which he sells at his website CycleButtCrack.com — the “home for cheeky cycling gear.” …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/09/06/buttcrack-cycling-jersey-cracks-up-fellow-riders/

Snoqualmie Tunnel reopening rejuvenates Washington rail-trail

As someone who usually avoids crowds, I'll have to admit I was happy to see so many bicyclists riding on the John Wayne Pioneer Trail on Saturday.

The reopening of the 2.3-mile-long Snoqualmie Tunnel in July has once again made this 21-mile section of trail between Cedar Falls and Hyak a popular destination for outdoorsy folks, including families.

It proves that money spent on construction — or in this case repair — of biking and hiking trails pays off.

This was my second trip here this summer, this time with my neighbor, Kazuki. He wanted to experience the long, but mild climb up to and through the tunnel that connects western and eastern Washington, and the speedy return. …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/09/04/snoqualmie-tunnel-reopening-rejuvenates-washington-rail-trail/

Full calendar of bicycle rides on West Coast this fall

Although summer is behind us here in the Pacific Northwest, potentially some of the year's best bike riding is still ahead.

Every weekend in September is chock full of recreational cycling events in Washington and Oregon. Most are charity bike rides that raise funds for a worthy cause.

Twenty-one bike rides are listed at the Washington Bike Ride Calendar for September. The Oregon calendar has rides every weekend and the California calendar lists nearly a dozen.

The Cascade Bicycle Club has two rides …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/09/02/full-calendar-of-bicycle-rides-on-west-coast-this-fall/

WA state ferries drop bicycle fees for many passengers

Starting in October it will be possible to roll your bicycle onto a Washington State Ferry for free.

The ferry commission voted this month to remove add-on charges for bicycles for passengers who use monthly passes, multi-ride cards, or an ORCA ePurse.

In the San Juan Islands, only customers paying with a multi-ride card may travel without paying the bicycle surcharge.

Bicyclists will still have to pay …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/08/30/wa-state-ferries-drop-bicycle-fees-for-many-passengers/

A memorable August weekend bike ride

It's not everyday that I have a rolling conversation with a guy riding a bike with one wheel, also known as a unicycle. That' just one reason why I'll remember my 56-mile bike ride from Saturday for a long time.

Memories from most of my bicycle rides dissolve away in a matter of days. Same route. Same weather. Same traffic. Rinse. Repeat.

But on Saturday, after finding that my planned route was very clogged with bicyclists enjoying the super weather here in the Pacific Northwest, I hung a right turn up the bicycle ramp toward Factoria.

Goodbye to the cycling hordes cyclists hammering around Lake Washington. With no clear destination…

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/08/29/a-memorable-august-weekend-bike-ride/