bikeseattle.org

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.

Just a quick note to say that Joe Kurmaski will be at the Seattle Flagship REI December 11th at 7PM
12/11/2007 7:00 PM. Presented by Cascade Bicycle Club

“Join world traveler, author and Adventure Dad extraordinaire Joe Kurmaski with all the latest tales from his 2007 Trans-Canada family bicycle expedition.”

By next fall, students, faculty and staff at UW will be able to use a fleet of 40 “power assisted” bikes that can be used as electric scooters that travel up to about 20 miles per hour or that can be pedaled like normal bikes. The university says theirs is the first college transportation initiative of its kind to offer automated hourly vending.

Anyone with a campus identification card would be able to snag one of the bikes on demand at kiosks placed throughout campus. A student could rent a bike at one location, take it into town and return it to another location. Kavanagh said some rental programs force users to pay per minute or

Full article (Thanks to Fritz for the pointer )

I was browsing around this morning and came across this picture of Interstate Avenue in Portland (thanks to Joby from .83) and thought it was very interesting how PDX handles dangerous intersections vs how SEA does. Granted I don’t know the fully history of the Interstate Ave intersection and how long it’s been a thorn in the cycling community, but at least something is being done about it now.

Here’s an excerpt from
BikePortland.org

“Commissioner Sam Adams and the Portland Office of Transportation are closing the right turn onto Greeley from N. Interstate. Crews are setting up barricades and traffic controls to prohibit a right turn onto Greeley from N. Interstate. This is due to a bicycle collision that occurred there earlier today at this intersection - the second bike collision at this intersection within two weeks. Today’s collision although not fatal was serious.

This closure is indefinite while the Commissioner and PDOT explore other solutions to improve bicycle safety at this intersection.”

A transportation comparison depicting how many cars, bus, and bikes to transport a few people.
Photo credits: Münster, Germany, Press Office

A friend of mine put a deposit on a Smart car this weekend, so I’ve been looking around online to see what it’s all about.

Turns out starting early next year, Smart cars are going to be officially available to the US market for the first time (non gray market that is). My thought here, is if you don’t want to give up the car, or need a good city/commuter car, why not one of these?

They have a $99 refundable waiting list, start at $11,590, and supposedly get over 40 mpg.

From Cascade Bicycle Club:

With a unanimous vote the Seattle City Council today passed the Seattle Bicycle Master Plan (BMP) — a comprehensive roadmap toward a more bicycle-friendly city. The BMP proposes a network of bikeways to help Seattle bicyclists travel more safely and easily, including bicycle lanes, shared lanes, signed bike routes, and bicycle boulevards. Altogether, the BMP calls for over 450 miles of new bicycle facilities to be installed over the next 10 years.

Time to get out and vote. One of the bigger ticket items (bicycle related) on this November’s ballot is Proposition No. 1

To reduce transportation congestion, increase road and transit capacity, promote safety, facilitate mobility, provide for an integrated regional transportation system, and improve the health, welfare, and safety of the citizens of Washington, shall Sound Transit (a regional transit authority) implement a regional rail and transit system linking Lynnwood, Shoreline, Northgate, Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, SeaTac airport, Kent, Federal Way and Tacoma as described in the Sound Transit 2 plan,

The Roads & Transit package integrates the Sound Transit 2 plan for transit investments and RTID’s Blueprint for Progress, which details investments in state highways, bridges and local roads in three counties.

Purposes of the Roads & Transit Plan

• Prepare for the projected 1.2 million additional people who will be living and working in the region by 2030
• Move more people faster through the region’s most congested corridors
• Meet the public’s call for an improved and well-maintained road system as well as a fast and reliable mass transit system
• Connect many of the region’s population and employment hubs with light rail, transit and improved highways
• Provide more transportation choices

(taken from RTID.org)

For reference, here is what the Bicycle Alliance of Washington and Cascade Bicycle Club have to say about it.

update: More local opinions

• Seattle Transit blog
• The Stranger
• Metroblogging in Seattle

The Seattle PI reports

A West Seattle bicyclist is recuperating after someone shot him with a BB gun late Thursday on his regular commute home in what appears to be a random attack.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Mark Thomas, a friend of the victim. “It feels like it’s an assault on cyclists everywhere.”

The BB pellets hit Peter McKay, 46, with such impact that one penetrated his left lung, releasing air into his chest cavity, and the second just missed his aorta and spinal cord.

McKay first described the incident on his personal blog, where he noted that the “damage could have been much worse.”

Man, what the hell? Isn’t it enough to deal with dark, rainy traffic? So glad it wasn’t worse Peter, and heal quick! (here’s his personal account of the incident).