bikeseattle.org

The annual Ride of Silence is happening on Wednesday May 21st. Local details as follows:

Contact: Gary Strauss
Distance: 10-12 miles
Notes: This Annual Ride begins at 6:30 p.m.in Gasworks Park and progresses through the U. District, Downtown Seattle and Queen Anne. Arrive no later than 6:10 p.m. to get into line. Volunteers welcome to help before or during the ROS at the start and along the route. Contact Gary Strauss for more information.

From the Ride of Silence website:

A little history of this ride and how it came to be….

The 2003 Ride of Silence™ at White Rock Lake in Dallas drew 1,000 cyclists through word of mouth and email communication over a period of only ten days. There was no registration, no fees, no t-shirt. Local media reported the ride to be incredibly moving as these cyclists rode in silence, occasionally wiping away a tear or patting a friend on the back.

Chris Phelan, a friend of Mr. Schwartz and the person responsible for starting this initiative, thought the ride was a one-time event. However, as word got out other cyclists began to contact him with a desire to do the same thing in their own communities.

Seattle, WA - Sunday May 18th

The Urban Assault Ride is a funky bike scavenger hunt that involves street-smart riding, obstacle courses, and a huge after party. Mental muscle is just as important as bike skills as teams of 2 choose their own course to checkpoints around the city.

The event is well known for its checkpoints where physical and mental obstacle courses must be completed before moving on. Kinda like American Gladiators with a demented cycling twist. The first team to hit all of the checkpoint and cross the finish line wins! Then the party begins with New Belgium beer and lots more two-wheeled shenanigans!

It is THE MOST FUN you will ever have on a bike.

Benefitting: Bike Works

The 1st year in Seattle and the 1st event of the season. We’ll be head-quartered in Fremont - only seems to make sense it IS the center of the universe. We have some great obstacles and checkpoints in store for you - and of course a great after party. There are a lot of riders in Seattle, so we expect that all the local street knowledge will make for some speedy finishing times. The fastest takes home 2 New Belgium bikes - who’s it going to be?

*Please note that due to Washington law, beer can not be offered for free. A donation must be made to BikeWorks at the event to recieve beer at the after party.

Packet Pick Up:(Saturday 5/17 12-3pm)
Red Door Ale House: 3401 Evanston Ave N

Start/Finish: (Sunday 5/18 9am)
Fremont Outdoor Cinema: 3501 Phinney Avenue N

Full details at the Urban Assault Ride site. [sign up]

From Kent’s Bike blog:

To celebrate the life, spirit and enduring wisdom of Sheldon Brown, a bunch of us are gathering in Seattle for a ride on Tuesday April 1st, 2008. We will meet at 6:00 PM at the Seattle Bikestation at 311 3rd Avenue S

Look out, golf courses. There’s a new old-boys club in town, with tighter clothes.

A growing number of Seattle business types are shunning the links in favor of biking trails as a place to strengthen work relationships and cut deals.

“For my age, and even coming up a little bit, the golfing way of doing business seemed like something more of my dad’s era,” said Troy Nebeker, 39, co-founder of Hammerquist and Nebeker graphic design in Redmond.

“To me, cycling is more of a creative way of conducting business, whereas golf is more of a businessy, suit-and-tie way of doing business.”

Full article (Seattle PI )

Leave it to the Transport for London group to come up with an incredibly effective message on the importance of keeping an eye out for cyclists.

Imagine…

A passer-by asks you for directions. As you talk to him, two workmen walk between you carrying a door. In a flash the passer-by switches places with one of the workmen, and you are left giving directions to a different person. Do you think you would notice?

Researchers at Harvard University played this trick on some unsuspecting people and over 50 per cent failed to spot the change.

This phenomenon is known as “change blindness” - only a tiny fraction of all the information going into your brain enters your consciousness. People often fail to see a change in their surroundings because their attention is elsewhere.

Even stranger, if you are concentrating on something, you can become blind to other events that you would normally notice. This “inattention blindness” is possibly the reason why motorists collide with cyclists.

Just as it is important for road users to keep an eye out for cyclists, cyclists must also take steps to ensure they are seen by motorists.

I’m feeling a little ‘me too’ about this post, since it’s really probably no secret that the Cascade Bike Expo is happening this weekend.

One thing to note is the venue change. It’s not in the hanger at Magnuson this year, it’s down at Terminal 30 (just south of Safeco field)[ google map ]

Hours
Saturday March 8, 9:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday March 9 10:00am- 4:00pm

Tickets
Group Health Bike Expo tickets cost $8 per adult at the door. New this year, we’re offering a two-day pass for $10. Please note: We accept CASH ONLY at the door; however a ATM machine will be available near the front entrance. Kids 15 and under are FREE!

*Cascade Bicycle Club members can receive a $1 discount off the one-day ticket (not the already discounted two-day pass) by presenting the coupon from the March edition of the Cascade Courier (or membership card).

The man said he was an oncologist, and he looked and talked the part. So the staff at Speedy Reedy Multisport set him up with a $6,800 road bike and a helmet, and he sped off for a test ride on the Burke-Gilman Trail, leaving just his name, which he said was Tony.

He also left behind a Tully’s coffee cup — with “Jake” written on it.

When neither the bike nor the man returned, the store called Seattle police. They took that coffee cup and tested it for DNA, which traced back to an unlikely suspect

–Full article(Seattle Times)

update: Unfortunately the suspect took his life over the weekend in the hospital. Obviously, that’s just no way to go, and I’m very sorry to hear it. My condolences to his family.

WHEN: Saturday, February 23, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
WHERE: Magnuson Park, Hangar #30, Seattle
Admission: $5.00 adults; free for kids under 15

The 12th annual Seattle Bike Swap returns. The Swap is a bike bargain hunter’s paradise with up to 100 vendors offering great deals on used bikes and accessories.

Sellers with a surplus of road, mountain, or track bike gear can rent 10′ x 10′ selling spaces for $40 prior to January 25. Reserve a vendor booth online today

Seattle Public Utilities officials estimate there are between 70,000 and 80,000 grates throughout the city. Some have vertical slots such as the one in Schaefer’s accident. Others, including all replacements, have designs that make it unlikely bike tires can get stuck.

Full article (Seattle PI)

Starting Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008, bike racks will not be available on some Metro Transit routes and trips.

Some bike racks are being removed due to rack-operating concerns, and will be replaced in the coming weeks as they become available.

This change affects all bus trips on routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 12, 13, 14, 49 and 70, and some trips on routes 7, 36, 43 and 44.

The concerns regard bikes remaining tightly secured to the 3-position bike racks. Metro is working with the manufacturer to resolve the issues. In the meantime, all 3-bike racks are being removed. The goal is to temporarily replace them with 2-bike racks, but there are currently not enough of the 2-bike racks to equip every vehicle in Metro’s fleet.

During the transition, it is possible that some buses may or may not have racks when or where cyclists expect them. It is not possible for Metro staff to know ahead of time if a bus has a rack. Cyclists are reminded that rack use is first come, first served, and, with the exception of bikes that fold safely, bicycles may not be carried inside buses.

Metro appreciates your patience while this issue is being resolved.

From King County Metro