Rainy season is upon us, and it’s time to dig out those gloves, jackets, and booties boxed up from last year. Not that we ever get a complete break from the rain in Seattle, but we have had it pretty well these first few fall months.

Pardon my absence throughout these past months; thoughts of Marketing, International Business and Management have been taking all of my thought. One debatably more exciting event that has taken place since my last post is the new bike I have acquired! It is nothing fancy, which is purposeful, but she does look pretty. A simple internal geared 3-speed Milano Parco equipped with fenders and all is a good ‘campus/rain bike’, which for anyone who has ever had a nice fancy bike stolen, knows is a must have in a city like Seattle.

All white and nice, ready to get muddy!

Another thing that has been brought back in the past few months, and in a big way, is BIKE THEFT. Not the usual ’stumble upon an unlocked bike’ or ’snatching parts off uncared for bicycles’, but people with plans. Working at a bike shop that just so happens to be a block away from a police station as well as a block from Broadway, we see it all. Just about everyone who has had their road bike locked with a cable in any of the surrounding areas for longer than a 12 hour period has had their lock clipped and bike gone.

These thieves know what to look for, and how to get rid of the bikes quickly. Some good news is that a few of these guys were caught by people finding their beloved bikes on Craigslist within a day of their having been taken. The police got ahold of them, but they stole a bike… and unfortunately that doesn’t give them a life sentence, so they can be back on the streets a day or two later. So, some advice: use a u-lock anytime you are leaving your bike out of eye-sight, or for more than a half an hour. They are big and bulky and not fun to carry around, but they do the job.

One more thing that I missed towards late September: INTERBIKE! The wonderful, humongous bike convention in Las Vegas that takes place once every year. Sadly, this year I did not attend, but last year was probably overwhelming enough for a good two years. Many of the biggest distributors of bikes, accessories and parts attend, and it is a whirlwind three or four days trying to see all of the booths. New products are launched, new technology is taught and cyclists from all over the country invade Vegas and party hardy. Check out Interbike.com if you wanna see what kind of things are involved.

Looking forward to the rain writing!

When the sun decides to make an appearance in the rain city, it is kind of a big deal. Everyone tries to get outside, and what better way to do that then going on a bike ride? The only issue is figuring out where to go, since at any moment this beautiful, warm sunshine could turn into a dark downpour of defeat. Maybe that is a little bit dramatic, but no one wants to be caught by pouring down rain in the middle of a 50 mile bike ride. There are a few shorter rides that I enjoy when I can’t be sure what the weather is going to decide; a quick trip down to Seward Park and back, or head the opposite direction towards Redmond Town Center.

Riding towards Seward Park from the University District is a nice ride since it has a little bit of everything, some hills, flats, waterside, and a quick viewpoint above the 1-90 bridge. The distance comes out to around 20 miles, which takes around an hour and a half depending on how lively I am feeling at the time. I really like riding along Lake Washington Boulevard because it is a place where you see all types of riders; from folks on their beach cruisers with their children to team Second Ascent on a training ride. This way I get a nice ego boost when passing some toddlers, and I also have different levels of riders to help me set my pace. Since this ride is not something that will take me all day, if I do happen to start feeling those lovely water drops, I am never more than 45 minutes away from home and a nice warm shower.

This is the route I generally take to get down to Seward Park, it winds around a bit, but there are always other riders following the same path.

Going on a bike ride to Redmond Town Center is a very different experience. The entire ride is a combination of the Burke-Gilman trail and the Sammamish River Trail; so essentially the ride is completely flat. I am definitely not opposed to rides that have no hills, it just depends on how hard I feel like pushing myself. I much prefer doing this ride with at least one other person, since when riding on the trail (especially depending on the weather) it can be pretty easy to ride for miles without seeing anyone else. Starting the ride by catching the Burke at the University Village makes this around a 30 mile bike trip, and if you include a stop for coffee and refreshments at Redmond Town Center, the ride can take three hours plus. Even though the ride takes longer, it is a nice day-trip ride and sometimes I would prefer not to deal with cars when on my bicycle.

The route is pretty easy to follow, just have to make sure not to miss the transfer from the Burke-Gilman to the Sammamish River Trail

These are just two of my common rides, but I have already started to divert from them and see the sights of Seattle instead. Let me know some of your favorite rides and places to visit so I can get this adventure started!

When I bought my bike, I knew very little about what I was looking for, and what would be best for me in the long run. I had just started working at a bike shop and besides the color of the bikes, it was hard for me to tell them apart. This however was over four years ago, and in those years I have learned more facts than I can keep straight. These facts have led me to deduce that I may not have made the best choice four years back when I purchased my bike, although it has not failed me yet.

Although this picture was taken one day waiting for a class to begin, it is a common scene. At least you can see my signature 'celeste-colored' Bianchi!

I ended up with a steel frame Bianchi Brava with Shimano Sora components, which is just an entry level road bike. The bike works well and has had a lot of miles put on it, but there is always something with a lighter frame and nicer parts. Here are some tips for if I was to go back and do it all again:

• Try more than one bike! I know how exciting it can be to have a sunny day and decide that you need a bike right then and there, but I have seen people purchase bikes this way, only to come back later realizing they got the wrong size, or wanted something nicer. Buying a new bike is a big investment, so try a few different shops and give yourself a day or two to decide.
• Know what you are looking for! Decide what kind of riding you see yourself doing in the future, because you would not buy the same bike to ride around Greenlake with as you would to ride the Seattle to Portland. It will be better to buy a bike that can support the kind of riding you would like to do.
• Biking is generally more fun with other people, so if you can find some friends who either have bikes already or want to get into it as well, bring them bike shopping with you.

So even though my bike could be lighter, or have better shifting, it works perfectly for the kind of riding that I am doing now. All in all I ended up with I bike I enjoy, so now I will just have to get a second one for those team ’spandex suit up’ rides!

Hope some of these tips help you out, and now let the riding begin!

People tend to have differing views on whether Seattle is ‘bike friendly’, but one thing is for sure, there is a lot to be seen by bike here! And lucky enough, from now on what I see, you see. Most of my riding in the past few years has been commuting from home to school to work and back, then start over the next day. So as fun as this kind of riding is, it is time to get out there and see what Seattle looks like on two wheels.

Everything in the biking world is varied, from the kinds of bikes, to the places to see to the riders themselves. The only way to experience all of these things is to hop on my trusty steed and ride into the sun (or the windy, rainy dark, but either way). Wish me luck!

If I am cycling in Seattle, these are the places I must go