Personal Privilege and Biking: It Takes More than a Bike Lane to Start Riding

By Barb Chamberlain | Published June 2, 2014

The way I used to tell the story of  how I started bike commuting, it was an infrastructure story: I started riding because the city put a bike lane in front of my house. Short, sweet, simple — and grossly oversimplified.

Riding my bike at the official opening of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way in Spokane. The city's official plans for the opening didn't involve bikes but when I started rolling and headed past the police officers who were there, no one challenged me. That's privilege.

Riding my bike at the official opening of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way in Spokane. The city’s official plans for the opening didn’t involve bikes but when I started rolling and headed past the police officers who were there, no one challenged me. That’s privilege. If you could jump into an official event with the mayor and have no one question you, you have it too.

Infrastructure Does Matter

Granted, infrastructure and other visual cues are incredibly important tools to build bicycling — perhaps more so for women than for men because of the greater attentiveness to possible risk that shows up in studies of women across many realms.

The bike lane certainly worked to suggest the idea. I bought my house on a bus line to provide transit access, I had walked the 3.5 miles to work a few times, and I occasionally rode my bike for fun on weekends. The bike lane cued me to put all that together and try biking to work. Infrastructure does matter to help people start biking on city streets.

But when I started unpacking the invisible bag that I carry with me through life I found many other factors beyond infrastructure that made it possible for me to get on two wheels and stay there.

[Tweet “More than bike lanes: Privilege plays a role in bicycling we don’t often acknowledge. #bikes4all”]

Privilege Matters

If this seems like a really long list, that’s the point. If you hold privilege in this world you take a lot of things for granted that others don’t have. They can’t get the same things without thinking about it and working to overcome barriers you’ll never notice because they don’t exist for you. (You don’t need to feel guilty — it’s not that you deliberately set up this system — but you do need to do something about it.)

A list of the advantages I have thanks to privilege (primarily arising from my race and socioeconomic status) that made it possible for me to start bike commuting:

  • I already owned a working bike. Simple, right? But the #1 reason people don’t ride a bike is that they don’t own one.
    • In some cities a community bike shop like Pedals2People in Spokane or The Recyclery in Port Townsend makes it possible for people to learn how to build and maintain their own bikes but that wouldn’t have interested me at the time I started riding.
  • I knew how to ride a bike because my parents taught me when I was a little kid — when I also had bikes that they provided for me, moving me up to bigger bikes as I grew so I went from tricycle to banana bike to 10-speed.
    • We learn a lot of our outdoor activities from our families, whether it’s riding a bike, cleaning a fish, going camping, or finding the North Star. If your parents don’t ride a bike, odds are good they didn’t make sure you learned how.
  • Physically, I was completely capable of riding a bike, with no disabilities that would prevent me from riding or make it difficult (and more expensive) to find a special bike.
  • I’m of average size so if I wanted to purchase any bike-specific clothing it would be easy to find it at a local bike shop, and I’m not so large that I would require a special bike built to hold my weight or fit my height.
  • I am of the predominant skin color in my community. Should anything happen along my route, I could count on law enforcement to be reasonably accepting of my explanation of what happened. I’m the same skin color as most (probably almost all) of the officers I might encounter.
  • I speak the dominant language of American culture so all the signs are in my native language, all the materials in the traffic skills course I took later were in my language with no translation required, and I could rely on my language being spoken by almost 100% of the people I would encounter along the way if I needed to ask for help or directions.
  • I lived close enough to work that a ride was pretty simple, because I hadn’t purchased a house in the “drive until you qualify” outskirts and suburbs.
  • I had chosen that house specifically for its location on a transit line so I had a fallback transportation option available.
  • I felt confident enough about my personal safety along the route between home and work that I wasn’t afraid to set off that first day. This goes back to my financial ability to purchase a nice home in a good neighborhood.
  • I had the ultimate fallback: A partner with a motor vehicle who would come pick me up if anything went really wrong, and a cell phone to place that call immediately.
  • I’m married to a man. Even with the passage of marriage equality in Washington, referring to “my husband” as a woman means I fit into the mainstream assumptions about gender roles. If I’m talking to a police officer after an incident and say I need to call my husband, I don’t need to worry about what the officer might be thinking and how that will affect my treatment. (No offense intended toward hard-working police officers — just addressing the possibility of inherent biases.)
  • I worked in an executive-level position with enough flexibility that if I ended up 15 minutes late to work because I had to fix a flat, I wouldn’t get fired. Everyone would accept my apologies and take my explanation at face value, not question it as something indicative of a fundamental character flaw.
    • In fact, my employer at the time I started riding (WSU Spokane) took part in Commute Trip Reduction, had a guaranteed ride home program, and gave me a reduction in the cost of my parking pass for every day that I rode my bike, took the bus, or walked to work (a funny incentive system when you think about it, but still).
  • If anything went wrong with the bike, thanks to that job I had the resources to pay for gear and repairs, a good thing too since at that time I lacked the ability to so much as fix a flat tire. I could afford bike gear such as a headlight (required by law) and a better bike when I was ready for it. This became particularly important when I had two different bikes stolen; I could replace them.
  • I already had a regular exercise habit (yoga). Getting on a bike did not mean stepping very far outside my normal range of exertion, as I was already reasonably fit.
    • You may not think of an exercise habit as a form of privilege, but consider that I had both leisure time and money that enabled me to take classes in the activity of my choice and my kids were old enough that I didn’t need to ensure they were directly supervised. I wasn’t working two or three jobs to feed my kids. (When I was a divorced mom with a baby and a toddler working as a freelance editor and eating a lot of ramen, I wasn’t going to yoga studios.)
  • I had personal motivations for riding like environmental concerns and personal health that are highly correlated with educational attainment, and I had two bachelor’s degrees, a master’s degree, and some doctoral-level coursework then under way.

The Sixth E: Equity

When Washington ranks as the #1 Bicycle Friendly State in the US (a spot we’ve held 7 years in a row), it’s based on the League of American Bicyclists system of looking at 5 Es: Education, Encouragement, Engineering, Enforcement, and Evaluation.

In our office and in the offices of many bicycle advocates across the country you’ll hear discussion of another E: Equity. The League has an Equity Initiative led by Dr. Adonia Lugo, whose research into Seattle bike justice was supported by Bike Works and WA Bikes.

In your city, in our state, and in our nation, we need to examine our transportation systems through an equity lens to see the effects of disparate access to many kinds of resources. Owning and driving a car has long been a symbol of personal financial success — how about looking at access to everything it takes to ride a bike?

[Tweet “We need to examine our transportation systems through an equity lens. #bicycling #bikes4all”]

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Your Turn

  • Have you ever thought about the barriers — and lack of barriers — that made a difference in your decision to ride?
  • Can you do anything to decrease the barriers for someone else to make it possible for her or him to consider riding?
  • What am I missing on my list of the ways that privilege enabled me to start bicycling? I continue to learn about it and I’m sure I don’t see every form of it that benefits me.

[Tweet “After reading this I’m pledging to work on bike equity. RT if you believe in #bikes4all”]

In September 2012, about a month or so after I became the executive director at Washington Bikes, I delivered the keynote address at a conference in Tacoma on Equity and Health in Transportation, put on by the Seattle-King County Public Health District. I wrote a post on my personal bike blog, Bike Style Life, to capture some of the story I told in that speech. This is an updated version of that post.

Posted in Advocacy, Attitudes, Equity, News, Women | 25 Comments

Cookies & Muffins & Cupcakes, Oh My! A Bike Trip to Lake Forest Park

By Barb Chamberlain | Published May 31, 2014

On a sunny weekend day, my sweetie and I rode to Honey Bear Bakery inside Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, a great unexpected destination if you’re looking for a pleasant day trip bike ride in Seattle and a useful stop if you’re on a longer bike tour and need a few things.

As newcomers to Seattle we didn’t realize how iconic the original Honey Bear in Greenlake was. When I posted our destination on Facebook a friend who used to live in Seattle asked, “Was it as busy as it always is?” Nice to stumble across something everyone else already knows is awesome!

The Food

A few bakery case pictures should have you getting on your bike immediately.

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Cakes, pie, cookies, croissants, cupcakes with thick swirled frosting…. They have long been known for the amazingness of their cinnamon rolls, although I can’t (yet) personally attest to those. The menu of sandwiches, soups, and weekend breakfast scrambles sounds delicious. We’ll definitely head back there for a weekend breakfast bike date one of these days.

A sampling of the bike supplies available at the Ace Hardware in Lake Forest Park Town Centre mall. Good stop if you're bike touring--grab some tubes or patches, then head into Honey Bear Bakery for fuel.

A sampling of the bike supplies available at the Ace Hardware in Lake Forest Park Town Centre mall. Good stop if you’re bike touring–grab some tubes or patches, then head into Honey Bear Bakery for fuel.

Restaurants, Groceries, & Bike Supplies

Additional points for Lake Forest Park as a destination if you happen to be on a bike tour of the Seattle area and find yourself on the north end of the Burke Gilman Trail:

  • The Ace Hardware next to Third Place, which stocks tubes and a few other bike things
  • An Albertson’s if you need to stock up on basic groceries
  • Lake Forest Bar & Grill if you want a pub atmosphere
  • Not in Lake Forest Park Town Center, but a source of far more bike supplies and expertise: Bothell Ski and Bike, 2.8 miles farther north on Bothell Way (go back to the trail for a more pleasant riding experience; Bothell Way is wide, fast, and busy).

Parks

You have your choice of parks nearby if you want to take your food somewhere to eat outdoors:

  • The tiny half-acre Blue Heron Park just off that same intersection where you cross Bothell Way, with McAleer Creek running through it,
  • Lyon Creek Waterfront Park on Lake Washington just north of the intersection (go back to the Burke-Gilman Trail and look to your right/east)
  • Ride one mile north on the trail to Log Boom Park in Kenmore, where your inner child can find expression on the playground and you can swing your legs from the dock and gaze at Lake Washington.

Bike Touring — To a Mall?

Barb_Bike-Rack_Lake-Forest-Park_Honey-Bear-Bakery_forwebIf you were bike touring through the north end of Seattle anywhere near the Burke-Gilman Trail you’d want to know about this spot. Malls aren’t usually on anyone’s list for a bike travel destination but this one has locally owned businesses with atmosphere, bike supplies and groceries, and is worth the stop.

Getting to Honey Bear Bakery

Your destination: From the Burke-Gilman Trail northbound, cross Bothell Way NE (which is also Hwy. 522) at the 170th NE Place traffic light where you see the Lake Forest Park Town Center mall. Third Place Books/Honey Bear is toward the back of the overall mall.

Option 1 — Direct route coming from the south: This map starts from the Washington Bikes Seattle office in Pioneer Square, which is just four blocks from King Street Station and the light rail stop in the International District.

We’re open Monday-Friday and always happy to have biking visitors stop in to pick up the Seattle bike map and other bike maps from around the state. (We also have a bike gift shop if you’re in the mood to shop before heading to the bakery.)

This route uses Fourth to Pike. You’ll have a left-side bike lane much of the way, then need to move to the right lane to turn right onto Pike. This can be busy during standard business hours; you have a slight downhill helping you keep up with the cars as you change lanes.

Alternatively, you can stay on First Ave. from our office to Pike and turn right. Move to the left lane before Seventh for your turn. (Urban traffic note: If you ride in the far left lane on Pike you’ll keep getting hung up behind left-turning cars waiting for pedestrians to cross. Take the second left lane and you’ll cruise. This takes you through the Convention Center traffic so you’ll see lots of taxis, buses, and pedestrians.)

Heading north this route makes use of the Melrose Trail above I-5 and the trail shortcut under I-5 to get you to the University Bridge. This is a quieter option with lower traffic volume than taking Fairview/Eastlake to the bridge. It’s more direct than the first suggested route on Google Maps, which makes more use of trails but routes you out of your way.

After crossing the bridge you’ll head right and pick up the Burke Gilman Trail.


 

If you’d rather take trails for almost the entire route, you’ll double the miles and have a very pleasant ride along the waterfront, past the Seattle Great Wheel and other attractions, and through the Olympic Sculpture Park. You’ll get hit with a bracing wind off the sound as the trail curves right away from the water that becomes a tail wind as you head east.

From Woodinville

If you’re taking advantage of the great trail connections in the region and coming from the East Lake Sammamish Trail, it’s easy. You could also come south from Snohomish County on the Interurban Trail.

 

No matter where you’re starting from, you’ll want to end up at Honey Bear. Be sure to comment here on the goodies you ate. Cinnamon roll, anyone?

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Your Turn

  • If you’re a long-time Honey Bear fan (or just discovered them), what’s your favorite baked good?
  • Malls aren’t usually written up in glossy travel magazines. Any others you’d recommend that have the kinds of places bike touring folks might want to check out?
  • Essential question! What bakery should we make a future destination on a weekend?

 

Posted in Food, Gear/Maintenance, Lake Forest Park, Travel | 3 Comments

Tacoma Treat: Car-Free Five Mile Drive

By Louise McGrody | Published May 30, 2014

Tacoma File Mile Drive Dalco Passage

Tacoma Open Street Event Occurs Every Weekend All Year Long

Seattle has its seasonal Bicycle Sundays, but do you know that Tacomans can enjoy a similar car-free experience on Five Mile Drive in the city’s Point Defiance Park? But wait—it gets better. Five Mile Drive is closed to motor vehicles until 1pm on Saturday AND Sunday. Hold on—there’s more. This open street event happens YEAR ROUND.

I have wanted to experience this car-free route for some time and I spontaneously went for it on a recent Saturday morning. My journey to Tacoma was car-free as well, but I wasn’t interested in biking the distance to Tacoma. I left my residence in West Seattle in time to catch the 8:35 Fauntleroy ferry to Vashon Island.

vashon marketVashon is a rural oasis in Pugetopolis. As I pedaled up the big hill to the village, my senses were teased by nature: the smell of salty air, the melody of thrushes and the croaking of frogs, and the rainbow of spring colors in the trees and flowers.

The village of Vashon was bustling when I arrived. A couple of yard sales were underway and farmers were busy setting up their stands for the Saturday market. Islanders were arriving at The Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie for their morning fix of caffeine.

I pedaled onward to the little shoreline community of Burton, then up and over another hill to the Tahlequah ferry terminal. I arrived just in time to roll on this ferry for its 15 minute sailing to Point Defiance in Tacoma.

???????????????????????????????Point Defiance Park is Tacoma’s crown jewel of public spaces. Granted to the city in 1888 by President Grover Cleveland, the park is an interesting mix of natural areas, historic buildings and developed recreation sites. Point Defiance is home to the zoo and aquarium, old growth trees, public gardens, and more.

The views begin as soon as you roll off the ferry. I immediately took a detour to pedal the shoreline promenade to Owen Beach and back, then meandered my way through the park until I found Five Mile Drive. Metro Parks Tacoma has a downloadable map of Point Defiance Park that is helpful in guiding you directly to Five Mile Drive and lists the viewpoints and points of interest you will encounter on the route.

???????????????????????????????I wasn’t alone on Five Mile Drive. I saw plenty of bicycle riders, joggers and families savoring the car-free atmosphere of this route. No one seemed to be in a hurry on this lovely Saturday morning. I often met the same folks at various viewpoints taking in vistas of Vashon Island, Dalco Passage and the Narrows. I pedaled through old growth trees, along high bluffs overlooking the water, and past the preserved structures from Fort Nisqually.

As I neared the Pearl Street park entrance, I stopped an approaching cyclist and asked him where the new Ruston Trail connection was. He said he couldn’t explain it to me, but he could show me. We biked through a parking lot to the start of an unmarked trail. My guide assured me that this path would lead me down to the waterfront and connect to the older segment of trail that follows Ruston Way. He was right!

???????????????????????????????I followed the new trail segment to its junction with Ruston Way, then returned back to Point Defiance and the ferry for my return home. I had other things to do that day, but I intend to make this trip again and allow for more time to explore Tacoma!

Metro Parks Tacoma has a pilot program underway through October 31, 2014 that closes the outer loop of Five Mile Drive to motor vehicle traffic until 10 am Monday thru Friday. You can share your input about the pilot program through their online survey.

Posted in Family biking, Ferries, Tacoma, Trails | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Tacoma Treat: Car-Free Five Mile Drive

Snohomish County Bikes: The Centennial Trail

By Josh Cohen | Published May 30, 2014

Debora Nelson

Snohomish County Bikes: an ongoing series highlighting great Snohomish County bike rides. Share your own great ride with us here!

Location: Snohomish County [Trail Map]
Distance: 1-60 miles (choose your own adventure!)
Best for: beginners, families
Highlights: Car free, scenery, restaurants, shopping

The Centennial Trail is a gem of a multi-use path in Snohomish County. The paved trail runs from the City of Snohomish to Nakashima Farm, 8 miles north of the City of Arlington. At 30 miles, the Centennial is longer than the Burke Gilman and the Sammamish River Trails combined, making it one of the longest continuous paved trails in Washington!

Centennial Trail Crosses the Stillaguamish River at the convergence of its North and South Forks. Photo courtesy of Debora Nelson

Crossing the Stillaguamish River at the convergence of its North and South Forks. Photo courtesy of Debora Nelson

The Centennial Trail winds its way past old-fashioned farms with horses and cows out to pasture, through green forests, along the Pilchuck River and Little Pilchuck Creek at times, and across Stillaguamish River at the convergence of its North and South Forks. On a clear day, the trail offers the occasional views of the North Cascades looming in the distance. The diversity of scenery helps keep things fun and interesting as you pedal your way down the trail. The county has installed interpretive signage at various key points and intersections on the trail explaining the history of Snohomish County’s farms, industry, and more.

The Centennial Trail’s first section opened in 1989 in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of Washington’s statehood. The newest section of the trail, from Arlington north to Nakashima Farm was just completed in 2012. An additional gap in Arlington will be completed in June 2014.

Centennial Trail Sound Garden - a Great Place for Children

Arlington’s Sound Garden – a Great Place for Children

With the recent acquisition of 12 miles of the Eastside Rail Corridor in Snohomish County, planning is now underway  to extend the Centennial 12 additional miles south to the King County border, and then on to the Burke Gilman Trail.

With 11 trailheads spread out along the 30 miles, Snohomish County has made it exceptionally easy to create a ride suited to your needs. Want to ride the entirety of the route? Park in the City of Snohomish and do an out and back on all 60 miles of trail. Want to take a short ride with the kids? Park at Bryant Trailhead, ride four miles south to Arlington, play in the sound garden on the trail, then pedal back north. The options go on and on.

Josh Cohen is a freelance writer, editor of The Bicycle Story and a contributing author to the newly released Cycling Sojourner: a Guide to the Best Multi-Day Tours in Washington.

Top photo of bike by the Stillaguamish River is courtesy of Debora Nelson.

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Posted in Adventure, Arlington, Economic Impact, Family biking, Kids, Rides, Rural, Snohomish County, Tourism, Trails, Travel | 4 Comments

Washington’s Great Outdoors: Task Force Meeting June 10 in Spokane

By Barb Chamberlain | Published May 28, 2014

What do you think?

  • How can we help activate Washington’s innovative outdoor gear and clothing businesses?
  • How can/should we be marketing and promoting outdoor recreation in Washington as an incredible asset of the state?
  • What does access to recreation and opportunities for physical activity do for the health of individuals, communities, and the state?
  • What types of outdoor activities appeal to the people who represent our changing demographics in age, national origin, and other human characteristics?
  • Are we doing the right things with our city, county, and state parks and other recreational assets and green spaces to inspire and engage people in getting out there?
You'll spot this old trestle over the Spokane River if you hike or bike in Riverside State Park.

You’ll spot this old trestle over the Spokane River if you hike or bike in Riverside State Park.

These and other questions are being pondered and researched by members of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Parks and Outdoor Recreation and the many residents of Washington who are commenting on our online townhall and attending our public meetings.

We’re working into the fall to address three important issues:

  • finding stable solutions to state park funding challenges
  • getting kids outdoors so our future generations become healthier and connect with nature (proven to improve health, scholastic performance, and much more that we value)
  • recognizing, promoting, and leveraging the value of the outdoor economy in the state.

Opportunities to provide input:

  • Online at engageoutdoorwashington.com
  • June 10, Spokane: Riverpoint Campus, Nursing Building, Room 205, 9am-1pm. Panels will focus on youth and on health, followed by a public comment period.
  • July 8, Wenatchee: Wenatchee Valley College campus, 1300 5th St, Van Tassell Center Café, 9am-1-pm.
  • August 19, Port Angeles: Location to be determined.

Think big. Think bold. Give us your inspiration and your creativity. Tell us what we should do for the future of Washington’s great outdoors.

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Your Turn

  • What ONE thing would make it easier for you to get a friend to join you in riding a bicycle?
  • What ONE thing would make it easier for you to try a new outdoor activity you haven’t yet done?
  • Now that you’ve narrowed down your answers on these to your top priority, what are your other thoughts and ideas?
  • Now that you’ve told us here, go check out the questions and other people’s comments at engageoutdoorwashington.com

 

Posted in Accessibility, Advocacy, Family biking, Funding/Policy, Health, Legislature, Rural, Tourism, Trails, Travel | Comments Off on Washington’s Great Outdoors: Task Force Meeting June 10 in Spokane

Ride your bike to work, and you too can acquire ESP!

By Kevin Henderson | Published May 27, 2014

stewart3I began bike commuting for purely economic reasons. In 2004 I was working a low-paying job with wildly unpredictable hours in an area not well served by public transit. As gas prices soared, I realized I couldn’t continue to drive each day and still afford things like food and shelter.

So, I started riding my bike to work. Twelve miles each way, North Seattle to Boeing Field. Like so many, I was surprised to discover unexpected benefits above and beyond saving money. First, I noticed I was beginning my day fresh and energized. I am not a morning person, but here I was actually relishing my mornings. I began to view my trips to and from work as a part of the day I looked forward to rather than just a wasted time span to be endured.

In fact, though my current boss does not like to hear this, my commutes are often the best part of my work day. There is something about being active in your surroundings, senses engaged, that allows the mind to wake up and work creatively. It’s an environment that more and more is missing from the workplace as digital displays we type into seemingly replace people to see and talk to. But I digress (slightly).

As the weeks and months of riding to work passed, I noticed other things, like the fact that along my route, I had pretty much learned every bump, crack or pothole in the roads. I could anticipate and navigate them without a lot of thought. Further, I noticed that traffic had certain behaviors depending on where I was and what time of day, sometimes even what day of the week it was.

One of my favorite stretches on the morning ride in is surprisingly one of the busiest. Stewart Street, beginning by REI where both the I-5 main line and express lanes empty out, is four one-way lanes of commuter rapids that lead to the core downtown area. Many streams of cars, buses and bikes converge for a few blocks before scattering to their respective destinations. When Stewart is busy, the traffic speed slows enough that, especially with the downhill grade going west, it is relatively easy to move at “bicycle speed” in the center of whatever lane I need. If traffic is more sparse, then things open up so much that even though motorist speeds increase, I have plenty of room along either the left- or right-most lanes, once again depending on my needs.

Here is where the really fun stuff began.

I’m sure everyone has experienced the situation where a lane change or turn happens with no signal, or, where the turn signal is going and yet the person just continues on for blocks. As bicyclists, we generally learn not to place too much trust in signals, activated or not. Look for eye contact, watch to see what happens before committing. Always leave a way out just in case.

I began to try and predict, as much just for my amusement as for my safety, what my co-commuters were up to. And I noticed gradually that my abilities of precognition were becoming better and better with time. I was pretty impressed with myself, at least until I realized where the “magic” was coming from. If you haven’t already picked up on this, when you’re in city traffic, listen carefully to the sounds around you. Before the blinker comes on (if it ever does) when that driver next to you first thinks of making a change in course, the pitch will almost always change as they either let off the gas or step on it to make their move. When I hear the pitch change, it’s like a message: that driver is thinking of doing something. This game of “guess their move,” while entertaining is also quite valuable, since we can use as much advance warning as possible. And of course, it’s not extra-sensory at all, it’s just the normal senses, getting put to use for a change.

Give it a try!

Posted in Bike to Work, Commuting, Encouragement, Humor, Infrastructure, Safety, Seattle, Transportation | Comments Off on Ride your bike to work, and you too can acquire ESP!

Riding in the Rain Shadow: Day 3 – Olympic Discovery Trail to Sequim Bay

By Guest Blogger | Published May 26, 2014

Olympic Disco Trail PA

Today we present the final installment of Riding in the Rain Shadow. Tim Hennings describes his bicycle adventure on the Olympic Discovery Trail between Port Angeles and Sequim Bay.

Sunday Breakfast: Nutritious!

The morning brought blue skies, but we took our time getting going. Top priority was a first rate Sunday breakfast. We picked First Street Haven. It was as good as promised by the glowing reviews. They even include a fresh pastry with their tasty omelets. That is probably over the top, but we could reasonably claim a calorie deficit for the weekend.

Sunday Riding: Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) to Sequim Bay

The amazing thing about the Olympic Discovery Trail is that it exists at all. Hats off to the heroes who have accomplished so much already, with many more miles in the works. It is so striking because Port Angeles has a mostly industrial waterfront with paper mills dating back about 100 years. It is not the first place you think of when considering where to go for a scenic bike ride.

We wondered what to expect as we headed east out of town. The ODT starts out going past a gritty former mill site, and for about a quarter mile is rough gravel (hopefully temporary). It looked iffy. We were glad to see the trail quickly evolve into a nice, paved path. It goes for 4 miles along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. For the first half mile or so, there are lots of benches and tree plantings on the water side of the trail. The ODT is well-suited to road bikes.

This first flat stretch on the ODT out of Port Angeles is recommended for anyone looking for a short, easy ride with great views.

Olympic Disco Trail Bridge - croppedThen the trail turns inland for a couple miles, zig zagging for a climb of about 200 feet, nothing noticeable. Then it suddenly plummets 100 feet to a covered bridge over Bagley Creek, requiring a climb (or walk!) back up. Over the course of our day on the ODT we encountered a few of these ravines along the trail. Each of them was a small challenge, but also scenic and interesting with cool bridges. Variety is a good thing!

Before starting out, we were worried that some of the trail might go along 101. That was not at all the case. It came close a couple times, but hardly worth mentioning. Mostly it meanders through woods and farms. It has stretches of gradual incline or decline — punctuated by the ravines.

Mossy ODTThe trail uses some residential roads when passing through Sequim. This wouldn’t really be a big deal except that it is not well marked. More than once we missed a turn. You have to keep a sharp eye out for the small signs. The locals were happy to point us in the right direction, and they also commented about the poor markings. It seems strange that the community would invest so heavily in the trail itself, but then cut corners on budgeting for trail signs. Maybe some merchants could be persuaded to help with signage in exchange for some exposure. It would certainly make the ride more fun if it was always clear which way to go!

One other interesting note about the ODT concerns moss on the trail. This happens on some of the forested stretches and is quite picturesque — but disconcerting to a road cyclist with skinny tires. Isn’t moss slippery? However, neither Catherine or I had any problem at all. And that was after a day of rain. It seemed to be a non-issue.

Sequim BayWe rode past Sequim to Sequim Bay State Park. It has nice views of the Bay, plus drinking water and places to relax. That was a turnaround point for us.

On the way back, we lunched at the Black Bear Diner in Sequim. It is very close to the trail. I wonder if the manager there has thought about adopting a trail segment, and pulling in more riders? It sure seems like a natural supply of ravenous travelers! The food was good, too!

ODT crossing Dungeness RiverOur ride back to Port Angeles was quick, and seemed even easier than coming the other way. Maybe it was because we didn’t stop so often, and we were more relaxed because we knew the trail. We did make one notable stop on the way home at the Railroad Bridge State park. It is an unusually impressive bike/ped bridge. It crosses over the scenic Dungeness River west of Sequim. As a bonus, Catherine spotted a pair of Wood Ducks on the river, which are among the most beautiful waterfowl in North America. We wished we’d had time to visit the Audubon Center, which is supposed to be terrific. Next time!

For details on the trail segments that we traveled, visit the official Olympic Discovery Trail site.

The day was 52 miles, with 1,600 feet of climbing. Here is the Garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/476182927

Related Posts:

Riding in the Rain Shadow: Exploring the Port Angeles Area by Bike

Riding in the Rain Shadow: Day 2 – Zig-Zag to Lake Crescent

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Posted in Adventure, Guest Blogger, Olympic Peninsula, Port Angeles, Rides, Tourism, Trails, Travel | Comments Off on Riding in the Rain Shadow: Day 3 – Olympic Discovery Trail to Sequim Bay

Enumclaw Bicycling: Racing and Pie

By Barb Chamberlain | Published May 25, 2014
Case full of pies: Black Forest Lush, Lemon Lush, and more at The Pie Goddess, Enumclaw, WA

Pie Goddess indeed!

“What you see is all we have. We’re just about wiped out.”

Not what you want to hear from the woman behind the showcase of amazing deep-dish pies with names like Caramel Lush and Cherry Almond Crunch — unless you’re happy to hear that bicycling really means business for Enumclaw.

“Is it the bike race?” I asked.

“Yes, they come pouring in. We love it.”

I asked if she got business throughout the year from other bike travelers. “All the time,” came the reply.

Sign for The Pie Goddess, Enumclaw, WA. Because stressed spelled backward is DESSERTS.One bite of apple pie told me why. You’d ride your bike to Enumclaw just for the pie, the way Louise rode her bike to Snohomish for pie. (The Squeaky Wheels Bike for Pie event on Bainbridge Island in August comes to mind too.)

It’s only about a 4-1/2 hour bike ride from Seattle so this pie ride is under serious consideration at our house — just as soon as we finish the whole apple pie we bought that must have weighed five pounds.

This past weekend Enumclaw hotels, motels, campgrounds, restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, and the Pie Goddess (yes, yes she is) did a brisk business selling calories galore and a place to rest a tired body to a pack of hungry bike racers and their family members in town for the annual Mutual of Enumclaw Stage Race.

We packed the racing gear for my sweetheart and camped at Kanaskat-Palmer State Park. If you’re not in town for the racing you could camp out, bike to town for treats, and bike back to sleep among the pines by the Green River; it’s just over 9 miles one way to the quiet, walkable streets near Pioneer Park.

My personal Driver Courtesy-O-Meter gave Enumclaw gold stars for the drivers who stopped to let us cross when we hadn’t even stepped off the curb and their generally slow pace through the part of downtown with lots of little shops and people walking around.

Cat 3 racers start Sunday's road race in the face of rain and a killer climb up Mud Mountain--4 laps, 4 climbs.

Cat 3 racers start Sunday’s road race in the face of rain and a killer climb up Mud Mountain–4 laps, 4 climbs.

Racers ranged in age from 37 junior racers ages 10-16 up to master’s class 50+, with family names showing up in more than one category to highlight traditions of bicycle competition.

Boys and girls, men and women — around 270 racers gave it their all through the time trial and criterium on Saturday and the road race up Mud Mountain in the rain on Saturday.

Oh — and the adorable kidlets on their push bikes and spider bikes tore it up in their own special races before the start of the road race on Sunday. Categories: Up to 6 years old, 6-8, and 8-10.

Washington state Share the Road bicycle license plate, #200

Low Share the Road plate numbers are a point of pride for many bicyclists in Washington state.

The parking filled and emptied for the various stages, with licenses from British Columbia and Oregon sprinkled among the many Washington plates. Among them: at least half a dozen Share the Road plates, including this low-number treasure.

Bicycle racing relies on dozens of volunteers who plan and mark the course, officiate, drive lead and follow cars, tally registration and results, and more. That means a single race brings perhaps 200-400 or more racers plus family members and support to town.

A stage race or omnium like the ones in Walla Walla, Wenatchee, Enumclaw, and elsewhere with their three race types (time trial, crit, road race) bring people to town for at least two nights and two days — a good-sized impact in the towns that play host to these events.

Mutual of Enumclaw Stage Race, women bicycle racers, 2014

Women line up waiting for their start, while the follow and wheel cars take their places behind and spectators line the street by the downtown park.

Watching a crit provides great viewing, with racers sweeping around tight turns in downtown every few minutes. The loud whirring of the wheels warns you they’re coming back around. (Don’t stand close to the edge on corners — they really lean in.) It’s over pretty fast — they go as many laps as they can in the time allotted, perhaps 30 minutes.

After a road race pack takes off, by contrast, family members have 3 or 4 hours to kill depending on the distance — maybe more, if your racer wants to cheer on team members coming in with other packs after he/she finishes.

Fortunately, downtown Enumclaw offers — in addition to that killer pie — a variety of shops and restaurants in which to pass the time. They’re all just a block or two from the downtown park where the race starts, making it easy to support your racer and local businesses.

Storefront of Kelly's MercantileCheck out Kelly’s Mercantile — the Merc — for local food, vegan and gluten-free offerings, a line-up of beers and wines, espresso and sandwiches, and free wi-fi, with open mic Thursdays and live music on weekend evenings.

The Sequel Bookstore & Espresso sits on the same block, also offering up free wi-fi and plenty of reasons to hang for a while if you’re a reader.

As I read menus posted in windows I made a mental list of the places we could eat when we ride our bikes back to Enumclaw another weekend. Possibilities within about 3 blocks from Pioneer Park:

  • The Mint Alehouse and Restaurant, serving up local produce and mac & cheese made with Beecher’s cheese from Seattle along with steaks and coconut curry noodles
  • Rendezvous Wine & Brew with a 2-6pm “Happier Hour” and what feels like the standard menu of soups, salads, burgers, wraps, pizza, and pasta

    Rendezvous Wine & Beer

    Rendezvous Wine & Beer

  • Rainier Bar & Grill, with quite a line-up of appetizers (mostly fried), burgers, wraps, and other pub food; vegetarians might try the black bean burger with sweet potato fries (two of my personal favorites anywhere)
  • Europa for Eastern European comfort food — German, Polish, Russian — with strong ratings on Yelp as some of the best food in Enumclaw
  • Sweet Necessities for ice cream and housemade salted caramels. Say, get some ice cream, stop at Pie Goddess, and you’re a la mode!
Enumclaw Day Spa Salon & Boutique sits just a block from the race starting line.

Enumclaw Day Spa Salon & Boutique sits just a block from the race starting line.

I also took note of the calming back yard of the Enumclaw Day Spa on the same block as the starting line, which gave racers a coupon for a discount on post-race massage. Hey, honey, if you’re not using that coupon….

If you have kids in tow who aren’t racing, you may want to check out Station 082 with its social space for gaming and the great handwritten welcome sign on the door.

Welcoming sign for bikes at game stop Station 082 in Enumclaw.

Welcoming sign for bikes at game stop Station 082 in Enumclaw.

I didn’t have time to check out the shops selling home decor, antiques, consignment clothes, and other funky items. I know I could spend the day poking around pretty happily.

Now that I’ve been to Enumclaw I’m playing with the map to put together a little weekend jaunt. From Seattle we could head to Issaquah, stop there for lunch, be in Enumclaw in time for dinner, spend the night, and come back the next day.

Station 082 game playing place in Enumclaw, WAYour advice needed: 

— You folks in south King County, how would you get back to North Seattle without retracing the route for day one?
— What other towns do we want to ride through, and does this turn into a three-day weekend? (Will brake for pie.

More information on Enumclaw:
City of Enumclaw Visitor Information

Campgrounds:

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Posted in Enumclaw, News, Racing, Travel | 2 Comments

Riding in the Rain Shadow: Day 2 – Zig-Zag to Lake Crescent

By Guest Blogger | Published May 24, 2014

Lake Crescent cyclist - cropped

Guest blogger Tim Henning’s bike exploration of the Port Angeles region continues with a ride to Lake Crescent. This is the second of three installments.

Saturday Riding: Zig-Zagging to Lake Crescent

We headed west the next morning on the should-be-famous Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) out of Port Angeles. More about this when I talk about Sunday’s ride, but this trail needs to be on everyone’s checklist. The eventual vision is for it to go all the way from Port Townsend to the ocean, but what already exists is amazing.

Crossing Elwha RiverTo get on the ODT westbound, go along the waterfront trail to Hill St — aptly named. You climb up the trail on the south side of the street. It continues on residential streets for a few blocks before reaching the separated trail on an old railway. It goes another few miles to the beautiful Elwha River. If you are out for a short ride, say, with kids, this is a worthwhile destination in itself. There is an impressive ped/bike deck under the bridge over the Elwha, which is a cool place to hang for a while. The views of the river are spectacular.

For now, the west end of the ODT is the Elwha bridge. But thanks to some local knowledge shared by the proprietors of our bike cottage, we had heard about some road bike-friendly roads to explore.

From the Elwha bridge, we followed the Elwha River Road to 112. We turned right on 112 for about 100 yards, then left on Dan Kelly Road — a nice, low traffic, paved road. It goes for 3 miles until it meets Eden Valley Road, for a gain of about 600 feet on a steady climb. Nothing steep. We had planned to turn right on Eden Valley in order to head back downhill, but we were surprised to see that it was paved in both directions. So we continued left on Eden Valley on some rollers, past more farms and forests, for another 2 miles until it dead-ended on a dirt road.

PA Eden Road

This was a good little side trip, because it gave us the opportunity to ride the full length of Eden Valley Road all the way back to 112. It is a beautiful paved road, all downhill from the junction with Dan Kelly Road. Nice views, pretty farms, low traffic, just what you want out of rural cycling.

We rode west on 112 for 4 miles. Riding on 112 was not great, not terrible. The shoulder was sufficient. We’re not fans of riding on highways, but it is a fact of life when bike touring. You have to get from one back road to another, and often a highway is the only choice. Once again, it helped that we were doing this before tourist season.

Salt Creek County ParkWe turned right off 112 onto Camp Hayden Road. This road is said to get significant traffic in the summer, but on this day it was empty and delightful. We mostly coasted about 4 miles to Salt Creek Recreation Area. If we’d had bike locks, we would have stayed to explore. It looks like it has nice trails and a fun beach. In fact, it would make an excellent place to terminate a ride, if you could figure out the shuttle back to Port Angeles (hint to local bike shops — how about offering do-it-yourself cycling tours around Port Angeles, including a pick-up service at a few locations?).

Crescent Beach RoadWe continued west on Crescent Beach Road, which goes along the unspoiled, scenic Crescent Bay for our flattest mile of the day. We heard that you could pay a small fee to go out on the private beach, but did not verify that. If true, that might be a good deal for cyclists, provided that they lock up your bikes for you. Hopefully they will read this and realize there’s an opportunity!

By this time, lunch was on our minds. So we continued west on Crescent Beach Road, which soon turned south back towards 112. The road starts out fairly steep, then is gradual for the next 2 miles. You gain about 350 feet.

Our destination was the Blackberry Cafe in Joyce, recommended by a chatty new friend we met at the park (that sure happens a lot on bikes!). To get there, we turned right on Agate Beach Road for about half mile, then left on 112 for a couple hundred yards. It was classic diner fare and met our needs exactly.

By this time the rain had settled in, so Catherine and I contemplated our next move.

  • Option A: Ride 112 back to the Elwha bridge
  • Option B: Take the bus back to Port Angeles (it carries up to 2 bikes)
  • Option C: Ride Joyce-Piedmont Road to Lake Crescent, and maybe take the bus back on 101.

We opted for (c), which turned out to be an excellent call. Joyce-Piedmont is another great cycling road, paved and low traffic. You do some significant climbing, about 600 feet over 3 miles. Then it is downhill for a mile or so to Crescent Lake.

You reach the lake at Log Cabin Resort, which is closed until May 23. Its closure made for ideal riding along the shore of Crescent Lake. It is about 3 fairly flat miles on East Beach Road to 101. The road is narrow and beautiful, but you would not want to share it with an RV. There are no shoulders. My guess is that East Beach Road would not be fun or safe on a busy day. On this day it was just Catherine and me on our bikes. Very nice. (Another hint to local bike shops: A pick-up or drop-off at Log Cabin Resort might be great too!)

Once on 101, we rode 7 or 8 miles to Olympic Hot Springs Rd. Again, we’re no fans of riding on 4 lane highways, but this was fine. The shoulder was wide, the pavement was smooth, and we dropped about 500 feet. Even though it was raining, that stretch zipped by in no time.

In less than a half mile, we turned left off Olympic Hot Springs Road to Little River Road. True, we had just done this road (see yesterday’s ride report above). But we were chilled from the wet and fast ride on 101. So a climb up Little River (and yes, we walked the steep part this time), followed by a cruise down Black Diamond Road to Port Angeles made a perfect capstone to our day’s ride.

The day totaled out to 55 miles, and 3,600 feet of climbing. Here’s the Garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/476183065.

Saturday Dining: Original!

Catherine jumped on Trip Advisor and researched a number of good possibilities for dinner. We chose the Kokopelli Grill, and loved it. I had the Crab Chile Relleno, which was one of the more original and delicious meals I’ve had in a while.

Day 1: Riding in the Rain Shadow: Exploring the Port Angeles Area by Bike

Day 3: Riding in the Rain Shadow: Olympic Discovery Trail to Sequim Bay 

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Posted in Adventure, Guest Blogger, Olympic Peninsula, Port Angeles, Tourism, Trails, Travel | Comments Off on Riding in the Rain Shadow: Day 2 – Zig-Zag to Lake Crescent

Riding in the Rain Shadow: Exploring the Port Angeles Area by Bike

By Guest Blogger | Published May 23, 2014

Port Angeles Olympics - 1

Tim Hennings is the founder and President of the software company Catalog-on-Demand. A lifelong cyclist and member of our board, Tim is a proponent of bicycle tourism as an economic generator for rural communities. He and his wife Catherine recently spent several days exploring the Port Angeles region by bike and shares his experience with us. This is the first of three installments.

It was the start of April and Catherine and I were itching to get out of town for our first biking weekend of the year. Trouble was, the weather forecast for the Puget Sound region was worse than bleak. And we couldn’t go east of the Cascades because of lingering ice and snow.

What to do? Well, it seemed like a great time to check out the north side of the Olympic Peninsula. This area is the big winner of the famous rain-shadow effect. The Olympic Mountains block the storms coming in from the Pacific. The clouds dump their moisture on the south and west sides of the Olympics. This leaves the northeast side comparatively dry. The numbers tell the story. Port Angeles gets 25 inches of rain, Sequim gets only 16. Compare that with Seattle, which gets about 38 inches. Or the places we like to ride in the Cascade foothills, which get about 60 inches. We knew we wouldn’t escape the rain entirely; after all it was April. Still, we liked the odds.

Shoulder Season = Light Traffic

Our other big consideration was the promise of fewer cars this time of year. The shoulder seasons are excellent for visiting the Olympic Peninsula.

We left Seattle early afternoon on Friday, and headed for Edmonds. The ferry line was inconsequential, as expected this time of year. Any trip involving a ferry ride is more fun. No matter what the weather, you’re sure to get amazing views.

The drive from Kingston to Port Angeles was easy with no traffic. The best part was crossing beautiful Hood Canal, noting the awesome safety improvements to the bike lanes on the bridge. There is now a comfortable 5 foot shoulder with an excellent riding surface. Before, the grated sections were scary narrow with slippery steel plates. I had ridden the bridge a couple times back then, and swore I’d never do it again. Now it is safe and fun —  vastly improved. This is one of the most significant, but unsung, success stories for cycling in the state. Huge thanks to Washington Bikes and the local clubs for their tireless advocacy efforts!

Accommodations: Simple and Tasteful

We checked into a fun bike cottage in a quiet, working class neighborhood in Port Angeles. It is one bedroom with a living room, kitchen, locked storage for your bikes, and good wi-fi. It has a highly imaginative cycling motif. The best part is the bathroom vanity, but you have to visit to see it! If you have more than two people in your group, you might consider the bike-friendly Downtown Hotel: “Bikers are welcome to take their bikes to their rooms, or leave them in our store room for retrieval in the morning”. We did not see any other hotels in Port Angeles put out the welcome mat for cyclists in this way. Hopefully that will change soon!

Friday Riding: Picturesque Calorie Burner

Port Angeles Olympics - 2It stays light till past 7:30 this time of year, so we had plenty of time for a short bike ride before dinner. We headed out of town on Pine Street, which quickly becomes Black Diamond Road. This road is made to order for rural cycling. It has it all — farms, forest, and vistas. It is also low traffic — at least this time of year. Even in the drizzle, the mists drifting over the farms, valleys, and forested hills are just beautiful. And partly cloudy or sunny weather gives you spectacular views of the Olympic peaks.

It is mostly steady climbing for about 5 miles to the top of the hill, which is about 1000 feet above sea level. There are no steep pitches. Then it becomes Little River Road and you fly 4 miles down to views of the gorgeous, rushing Little River. There you meet up with Olympic Hot Springs Road. For us, that was a turnaround point. Little River Road was so beautiful we decided to head back the way we came. The first hill is seriously steep, but short. It can be easily walked if necessary. Other than that, the climb is reasonable back to the hilltop. From there it is an easy downhill all the way into Port Angeles.

From our cottage, we booked about 18 miles and 1700 feet of climbing. Here’s the Garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/476183147

Friday Dining: Classy Ethnic

Most cyclists will agree that their sport is as much about eating as it is riding. Everything tastes better after a ride. Plus you can claim the moral high ground to indulge in something special. After giving thought to a surprising variety of choices in Port Angeles, we headed to Sabai Thai. It had excellent dishes, nice ambiance, and reasonable prices.

Next Up:

Riding in the Rain Shadow: Zig-Zag to Lake Crescent

Riding in the Rain Shadow: Olympic Discovery Trail to Sequim Bay

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Posted in Adventure, Guest Blogger, Olympic Peninsula, Port Angeles, Rides, Tourism, Travel | Comments Off on Riding in the Rain Shadow: Exploring the Port Angeles Area by Bike