The Kona Bicycle Co. recently rolled its one-millionth bicycle off the assembly line after about 20 years in Ferndale, Washington.
Now the company wants to create a Willie Wonka-style lottery to celebrate the manufacture of the special bike, a Cinder Cone, pictured here.
The Cinder Cone was the first bicycle that Kona made, back in 1988. The durable hardtail has evolved, but the name lives on. Kona has made about 77,155 Cinder Cones, making it the company's most popular bike …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/09/20/one-million-kona-bicycles/
The League of American Bicyclists has ranked all 50 states on 70 different factors and determined that the state of Washington is the most bicycle friendly.
Others in the top 5 are Wisconsin, Arizona, Oregon and Minnesota, in that order.
The least friendly — West Virginia.
In releasing the bicycle friendly state list, the League president Andy Clarke cited:
“…Washington’s model bike laws, signed and mapped statewide bike route network, dedicated funding from the state for bicycle related programs and projects, and an active statewide bicycle advisory committee …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/09/05/washington-state-is-most-bicycle-friendly/
The Burke-Gilman bike trail's 1 1/2-mile missing link in Ballard could open in two years.
Funding for the trail project is included in the proposed 2009-2010 budget for the city of Seattle.
If you're wondering why it has taken so long to complete this section from 11th Avenue Northwest to the Ballard locks, consider the $14.1 million overall pricetag. The city is including $8.6 million in its upcoming budget for the work, and the remainder is to come from King County. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/09/04/building-the-burke-gilman-bike-trail-missing-link-in-seattle/
Seattle is now officially a gold level Bicycle Friendly Community.
The League of American Bicyclists made the award to Mayor Greg Nickels at the opening of the international Pro Walk / Pro Bike Conference in Seattle.
The designation comes about a year after the city council unanimously approved a resolution in favor of the hard-fought 10-year, $240 million bicycle master plan.
Although it was issued to Nickels, all the bicyclists in Seattle are responsible for the award. It notes that more than 4% of Seattle's commutes are by bicycle, which is 10 times the national average.
If I have a chance to ride my bicycle over there tomorrow, I probably wouldn't notice any change in bicycling, in spite of the new designation. It really is a recognition to the work done by people in and out of city government to make bicycling work in the city …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/09/03/seattle-joins-list-of-bicycle-friendly-communities/
Whenever I head north along the Sammamish River Trail, a gravel trail that breaks off to the east about 6 miles from Redmond frequently catches my eye.
Leaving my road bike at home, I recently paid a visit to the Tolt Pipeline Trail, left, on the used Rockhopper mountain bike that I bought to explore the many dirt and gravel trails in my big back yard.
This trail is the right-of-way for a water pipeline the serves the City of Seattle. The total distance of the trail, not counting the interruptions, is about 12 miles. I bicycled the 7-mile central section from Sammamish River Trail to just above West Snoqualmie Valley Road.
Steep grades
Those of us who are used to the oh-so-gentle climbs on rail-to-trail right-of-ways will certainly find these steep grades challenging. The pipeline simply goes from Point A to Point B and the trail follows, with no grading to get in the way …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/08/17/bicycling-the-tolt-pipeline-trail/
It was all about bicycles (all shapes and sizes), beer (New Belgium Brewery), bands (two of them) and babes (The Sprockettes) when the Tour de Fat rolled into Seattle on Saturday.
While the Blue Angels roared overhead, hundreds of bicycle enthusiasts celebrated the gasoline-free culture of the bicycle at Gas Works Park overlooking Lake Union.
The Tour de Fat is on an 11-city swing through the West this summer to raise awareness about bicycling as sustainable form of transportation. Proceeds from the Seattle event go to Bicycle Alliance of Washington and Bike Works. The next stop is Portland on Aug. 16 …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/08/03/tour-de-fat-bicycle-party-rolls-into-seattle/
This Saturday the Tour de Fat rolls into Seattle's Gas Works Park. Bicycling enthusiasts can join in a parade, participate in challenging bike contests, and enjoy entertainment from the Portland-based Sprockettes bicycle dance troupe, left.
The New Belgium Brewery's tour is visiting 11 cities throughout the West this summer where it mixes good fun with a chance to raise funds for local bike-related groups — in Seattle that's Bike Works and Bike Alliance of Washington.
Tour de Fat opens with a bike parade out the Burke Gilman Trail toward Golden Gardens that leaves at 10 a.m. Participants are invited to decorate their bikes and wear outrageous costumes …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/07/30/tour-de-fat-comes-to-seattle-this-weekend/
Some Seattle bicycle riders made the news this weekend, but I can't say that I'm proud of them.
An altercation during a Critical Mass ride on Friday night between a motorist and some cyclists led to injuries on both sides, some messed up bicycles, and a messed up car. Fortunately no one was killed or seriously hurt.
Granted, the motorist was acting like a jack ass and should have been a little patient instead of driving his car into some cyclists. Still, there's no excuse for the reciprocal violence against the driver. It does nothing to help the cause of bicycling or to make the road safer for people on bicycles.
I'm sure violence wasn't the intent of the bike riders when they set out on Critical Mass. Most of those folks are out there for an en-masse bike ride through the streets of their city. The danger comes from largely disobeying traffic laws in trying to keep the group together. If they piss off enough people, someone is eventually going to react. It's inevitable …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/07/28/sad-state-of-seattles-critical-mass/
It's been two weeks since the Seattle to Portland bicycle classic. Do you still have it?
Three bicycle tours are coming up Sunday in western Washington where you can test your fitness or just roll along and enjoy the scenery without competing for road space with 9,500 other souls.
There's the Tour de Kitsap based in Silverdale in the west and Tour de Peaks in the Snoqualmie Valley in the east. Sandwiched in between is the inaugural Seattle Century rolling out of Magnuson Park ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/07/26/three-cool-seattle-area-bike-rides-on-sunday/
I had heard about bicycling the John Wayne Pioneer Trail and the Snoqualmie Tunnel ever since moving here in 2000, but I didn't have the right bike until this spring.
With a day to myself, I threw the knobbies on my Rockhopper mountain bike and drove up to the Cedar Falls (exit 32 on I-90) trailhead to find out about it for myself.
Briefly, it was a great bike ride, and I can't wait to return with my camping gear. I rode the first leg of about 22 miles to the next trailhead at Hyak on the other side of the 2.3-mile long Snoqualmie Tunnel, looked around, and returned. I was shooting photos with my Canon Elph, and made a spur-of-the-moment decision to try a video. It appears at left.
The John Wayne Pioneer Trail is the old Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul-Pacific Railroad — aka The Milwaukee Road — that rolls two-thirds of the way across Washington state. About 100 miles of it is a packed gravel rail-to-trail maintained as part of the Iron Horse State Park from Cedar Falls west of the Cascades to the Columbia River to the east …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/07/21/iron-horse-state-parks-john-wayne-pioneer-trail-in-washington/
Adventure Cycling Association Trail biking Rails to Trails Conservancy League of American Bicyclists
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