bikeseattle.org

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

The idea of charging cyclists a registration fee has been floated by lawmakers in Olympia, but not seriously considered in recent years. For each of the past several years, legislators have asked transportation officials at look into the idea of establishing such a program, said Paula Reeves, of the state Department of Transportation.

After talking with other states, the department believes the programs raise little money — if any — beyond what they cost to run, Reeves said. “We wouldn’t see a big opportunity to improve facilities with that kind of a program,” she said. “We also have some survey results that are fairly recent that show that most cyclists also own a car or multiple cars, so they’re paying license fees and gas taxes.”

Full article (Seattle PI )

SDOT is doing a survey to see how effective the sign here to the left is. I took the survey and it only took about three minutes.

The survey contains some general questions on if you ride more or drive more, and then what do you think the sign is trying to portray. I’m pretty cyclist biased in my thinking about this one, so it will be interesting to see what the survey results show (that is what do cyclists think the sign means vs. what drivers think it means).

If you’d like to participate, you can take the Seattle Dooring Sign Survey

Gene over at BikingBis has a great write up of the Seattle Likes Bikes protest ride regarding the new Seattle Streetcar which happened today.

Up to 100 An esimated 40 to 60 bicyclists showed up for the ride, with plenty of police on hand. The bicyclists say the city hasn’t done enough, in fact has done very little, to ensure that the tracks for the new South Lake Union Trolley (SLUT) are safe for cyclists.

The tracks for the SLUT, which began operation earlier Wednesday, run along the curb lanes where bicyclists are supposed to ride under city regulation (as far right as possible). The gaps in the track catch bicycle tires, causing cyclists to fall to the ground or into traffic or parked cars.

Full post

Gene includes this in his post as well, but I think it’s important to get whatSeattle Likes Bikes is asking for out as much as possible.

What cyclists are asking for is minimal:

1. An alternative route to be added early in 2008. Bicycle lanes are planned for 9th Ave N, but the city wants to postpone adding them until late 2008 or early 2009 when construction on Paul Allen’s buildings in that area is complete.

2. Caution signs (like those in Portland) indicating that cyclists should exercise caution around the tracks and that motorists should give cyclists a few more feet of maneuvering room so they can avoid the tracks.

3. Where the tracks are in the right lane, sharrows should be installed in the left lane to remind cyclists and motorists of the safest place for cyclists to ride.

4. That Seattle Department of Transportation will consult with Portland Department of Transportation, learn from Portland’s experience, and adopt guidelines that consider cyclists when installing future sets of tracks in roadways.

5. For a feasibility study of rubber track filler that could be installed to compress under the trolley wheels while being rigid enough to prevent bicycle wheels from being trapped in the tracks.

I was thinking on the ride home tonight that winter is definitely here. It’s that special time of year when you finish your commute feeling like your finger tips are going to freeze off. That or your toes. I tend to alternate between frozen fingers or frozen toes. Never both.

So, to keep up the pace a little through the chilly season, here are a few things to keep you in shape (and warm)

Herriott Sports Performance

Herriott Sports Performance has just opened a new location in Fremont located between the Fremont bridge and Seattle Pacific University at the 101 Nickerson Business Park, suite 150.

Parking is available for cars and bikes, easily accessible by the Burke-Gilman trail or by Hwy 99.

The new facility boasts a cycling studio for efficient power-based training, indoor swim conditioning, strength and conditioning classes classes for endurance athletes, and is across the street from the SPU track for track work-outs.

Additional services provided by HSP include coaching services, personal strength and conditioning consulting, VO2 testing, lactate threshold testing, training zone creation, and many more.

If you’re interested in trying any of the HSP classes you can view and register online

Cycle University

Another great option is to try out an Indoor Time Trial (I wrote about these awhile ago) from Cycle U. They do them on Wednesdays and have four heats going from 5pm-8pm. It’s a great time of the week to get in a workout. They’re located just off of Sand Point way in Magnuson park in the same building that Cascae Bicycle Club headquarters are. 7400 Sand Point Way NE #101S (formerly building 138)

If you want to give the indoor TT a try you can register online too

I have to admit that I worked from home on Monday so I didn’t get a chance to see what the BGT was like until today (does it count that all ways out of my area in Bothell were closed off due to flooding? ).

I figured that the portion between Matthews beach and about 145th would have some interesting bits and I wasn’t disappointed. I counted three separate slides, the first of which you could walk around/through, the second two you had to get off the trail and use the road that parallels the trail. As of tonight, I think that just two areas are still being cleared.

Here are some pictures of the fun. There is one of a backhoe clearing off the trail, a generic “Trail Closed” picture, and then a shot of a landslide that is covering the trail. I didn’t get a picture of the first one, but I was chatting with another cyclist as we walked through it about the home above (they had a detached deck that was looking dangerously close to the edge of the slide zone.

I can’t say as though I’d wanna buy a home in this area either above or below the trail. I know the view is great but the risk of sliding down the hill seems a bit high.

I’ll of course end by saying that there are quick and easy detours for all sections that are closed, and a huge thumbs up to the City of Seattle/ King County for being out there so soon to clean up the mess.

Actually, this would be just as good of a time to give them a shout out for all of the BGT improvements that have been going on since this summer, thank you.