Category: Northwest Cycling
I've always enjoyed sharing my favorite bicycle routes with friends; even more so when it's my son.
So when Memorial Day dawned clear and warm, we headed up to the Iron Horse State Park just east of North Bend where I introduced him to the John Wayne Pioneer Trail.
In spite of a sign at the trailhead that warned the Snoqualmie Tunnel was closed 20 miles ahead, we saw dozens of bicyclists out on the rail-trail of the Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul-Pacific Railroad — aka The Milwaukee Road.
Since there's no way through, or around, the 2.3-mile tunnel, the only destination for these bicyclists was an out-and-back trail ride to stretch their legs and enjoy the sunny, blue skies….
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/05/26/memorial-day-bicycle-ride-into-the-cascades/
Bicyclists who want to use the interim Hood Canal ferry during the 6-week replacement project won't have to mess around with shuttle buses anymore.
Bicyclists can now ride directly to the water shuttle docks at South Point or Lofall.
Earlier, bicycle riders had to board a shuttle bus in Port Gamble on the east side, or take a transit bus from the Olympic Gateway Visitor's Center on the west side.
The only catch is that bicyclists have to dismount and walk their bicyclists in the vicinity of the shuttle docks; a minor inconvenience compared to the hassles of taking the buses. …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/05/17/bicyclists-can-now-ride-directly-to-hood-canal-ferry/
One of the most important factors in the success of Bike to Work Day in Seattle on Friday was the forecast: No rain; just partly cloudy skies with highs reaching 67 in the afternoon.
I bicycled down to the Bellevue Commute Station Friday morning. The kiosk at the base of the I-90 bike path across Lake Washington was one of 44 set up around the Seattle area by the Cascade Bicycle Club.
More than 300 folks had stopped by in the first 1 1/2 hours, slightly ahead of last year at this time. Just eyeballing the cyclists, I'd say eastbound and westbound cyclists were split nearly 50-50, with a slight edge going to those heading to Seattle ….
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/05/15/bike-to-work-day-details-for-seattle-nice-weather/
When your company does something that you're proud of, you want the world to know.
That's the impression I got from Ryan Burns, an employee at the Logos Bible Software company up in Bellingham.
With Bike-to-Work Day coming up on May 15, he wanted to brag a little about the in-house bicycle shop that Logos has funded.
You wouldn't be surprised to hear something like this about Microsoft, which has a bike repair shop for its hundreds of employees at the sprawling campus in Redmond. But Logos has just 170 employees, many of whom are serious bicyclists who work on their own bicycles.
By the way, Bellingham has been named a silver level Bicycle Friendly Community.
Here's a story that Ryan wrote up about the bike repair shop …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/05/10/bellingham-wa-software-firms-bicycle-shop/
A Seattle-based outdoors magazine is offering a new Norco bicycle as first prize to the person who tells the best bicycle commuting story — in 300 words or less.
The publishers of Outdoors NW are looking for real-life bicycle commuting experiences from the Northwest:
“Stories may include your experiences about your first bike commute, why you decided to start commuting, your best – or worst – commuting day, your rainiest commute, how it helped you get in shape, how it changed your life, etc. Stories may be funny, sad, contemplative … anything goes…
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/05/06/best-pacific-northwest-bike-to-work-story-wins-a-new-bike/
Back in the years before I moved to the Pacific Northwest, a rainy day like today would have kept me indoors. Not anymore.
Here's a small club ride I ran into along rolling May Valley Road between Issaquah and Newcastle on Saturday morning.
Why do you find so many bicyclists out on a rainy day on the first weekend of May? Here are some reasons:
— If you're going to ride your bike here, you have to do a lot of riding in the rain. I never heard this saying until I got here: “There's no bad weather for bicycling, only bad gear.” …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/05/02/why-the-rain-doesnt-stop-bicycling-in-pacific-northwest/
Car-free days for bicycling along Lake Washington Boulevard in Seattle return this Sunday, but the event is better than ever this year.
Renamed as Bicycle Sundays, the event is scheduled on 19 Sundays from May through September this year. That's every Sunday except July 5, 26, and August 2.
In previous years, the lake-side road was closed to cars two or three times a month on alternate Saturdays and Sundays. This year the city upped the ante to just about every Sunday …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/04/30/new-and-improved-bike-sundays-begin-this-week-along-seattles-lake-washington/
The Hood Canal Bridge will be closed for repairs for six weeks beginning Friday, but there will be limited service for bicyclists who want to cross the waterway.
Bicycle riders can use a free passenger-only ferry between Lofall on the Kitsap Peninsula and South Point on the Olympic Peninsula that runs every 30 minutes.
The catch is that the ferry can take only five bicycles at a time, and they must arrive by shuttle bus from nearby park-and-ride lots (bicyclists cannot ride directly to the ferry). Those shuttle buses can only carry three bicycles per trip.
Shuttle and pickups
On the Kitsap Peninsula (east) side, the bicycle riders can catch the shuttle bus at Port Gamble Park & Ride lot at the old waterfront mill site in Port Gamble. It's right off State Route 104.
On the west side in Jefferson County, bicyclists cannot use the Shine Pit Park & Ride (the one marked for cars) because of a dangerous road into the parking lot. Bicyclists must use the Olympic Gateway Visitor Center at 93 Beaver Valley Road (or State Route 19), where they will pick up a Jefferson County transit bus to the South Point water shuttle.
The Washington State Department of Transportation says there will be bicycle racks at the Port Gamble Park & Ride and the Olympic Gateway Visitor Center Park & Ride (none at the Shine Pit because bicycles aren't allowed there). ….
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/04/29/bicycling-around-that-hood-canal-bridge-closure/
When I found this washout (at left) along the Cedar River Trail back in January, I was afraid the trail would be closed for good or another good gully-washer would take out the rest of the river bank.
So I was surprised when I returned there Tuesday (right) to find tons of rip-rap had been dumped along the stream channel to prevent it from eroding away.
Great job for the King County Parks to jump on this problem before it got worse.
The 17-mile Cedar River Trail runs from Renton to Landsburg along the historic old Burlington Northern Railroad grade …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/04/29/your-king-county-nickels-and-dimes-at-work-for-rail-trails/
Unseasonably warm temperatures in the 60s and 70s are hitting the Seattle area, but the high country along the North Cascades Highway still has plenty of snow.
Washington state highway snow-clearing crews working from the east have hit bare pavement on the way to the 5,477-foot Washington Pass on Highway 20.
They're trying to clear by May 1 arguably one of the nation's most spectacular stretches of highway. It's a big draw not only for motorists but for touring bicyclists.
The 50-some miles of Highway 20 between Mazama and Newhalem in the North Cascades National Park is featured in Adventure Cycling Association's Northern Tier and Washington Parks bicycle routes.
It's also a destination for many bicyclists riding alone or in groups who want to test their climbing abilities in rarified air ….
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/04/21/plowing-and-bicycling-the-north-cascades-highway/
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