Friday, March 30, 2007

SNAP SHOTS OF THE WEEK

{click images to enlarge}

Here's a run of snaps that were taken throughout the week - getting 5 work days in on a bicycle is a sure sign that spring has arrived. Enjoy your weekend everyone and if you haven't been over to how to avoid the bummer life or the crooked cog today you should click here.

Until, Monday...





Wednesday, March 28, 2007

GOLFING IS THE NEW CYCLING FOR MATT & I

{click on images to enlarge}


Some days we don't ride in and on those days we go for a "lunch ride" and Monday was one of those days. Raleigh HQ is located just off the Green River trail, a trail that meanders through the Kent valley which is made up of farmland, golf courses, and industrial parks. Matt and I mounted our cycles at about 11:30am and started to pedal - after about 50 min we must have felt the lack of calories from not eating before we left and thought a game of BOLF or is it GIKE, would be fun to play. I just watched Matt as my One Way was a bit to heavy to follow through with - I guess carbon really is the way to go for this game.

Bikes: Matt - Podium 5 Carey - One Way

Friday, March 23, 2007

RCW 46.61.770 - YES IT IS LEGAL

Brian and I were pulled over this morning by a Seattle Police officer for riding two abreast on a somewhat sleepy four lane road near Georgetown. It was all a bit unbelievable and humorous, but it also made me realize that I don't know any of my rights as a Washington State cyclist. Funny, since I ride 250 or more days out of the year.

We talked ourselves out of the situation and promised we would never ride two abreast again (wink-wink). When we made it to Raleigh, I checked to see if what we had done was an "official"
violation of the law. Ha, it wasn't! According to Washington State Law RCW 46.61.770 and Seattle law 11.44.060, bicyclists are allowed to ride two abreast. I kind of wish he had ticketed us so that I could make a big to do about being harassed while riding my bicycle to work and going well under the speed limit.

*Note* Learn your rights as a bicyclist and carry along that little rule book if your state or city provides one.

Washington Bicycle Laws
Seattle Bicycle Laws
All Other States

Bikes: Brian: Rush Hour Carey: Prestige
Coffee: Zeitgeist

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For some reason the comments link for the posting bellow has been lost. If you would like to leave a comment for the posting Validated, feel free to leave it here.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

VALIDATED

{words by carey}
Not every bike commute is as sublime and refreshing as some we have posted, but it's the gem-like days that reward us for our decisions to head out on those that are rainy and windy. So, no reward of warm sunny weather today, just rain, wind, and spray from passing cars.

I rode solo yesterday and today, which allowed for an hour and twenty minutes of close listing on my way to Raleigh. I listened to my thoughts, my music, the rain, the cars, the industrial movements of cranes, a backhoe, and the countless other sounds the ear collects while pedaling through a city. Today was interesting in the sense that I had a bundle of thoughts unwind during the duration of my ride. Apple should put a recording device in my ipod so that as I listen to Spoon, Radiohead, Neko Case (to name a few) my thoughts will be recorded for later perusal. My initial thinking was about the conceptual experiences we have while riding. It is different for every rider and for every type of ride one goes on.

Maybe I haven't read the right publications, blogs, or books, but in my wandering through the bike world I have found very little prose that records the thoughts of a cyclist. I will say that Rouleur is one publication that prints cycling stories and photographs that have more of a contemplative and artistic approach. It seems the thoughts of racers are recorded the most, thoughts of acceleration, victory, maximum threshold counts, strategies, agony, etc. But what is the woman across the street on the hybrid with panniers and rain-socked jeans thinking about as she waits for the light? I suppose in part this is why I have started this blog: to raise an awareness for the thoughts and feelings that are generated as we ride, and to encourage others to share them. With over a thousand winter commuting miles under my belt (and Brian's) the scenery tends to become a bit familiar on the way to work, but as soon as I open my senses (my mind), the world is no longer familiar but super stimulating.

What do you think about when riding?

Pictures are from Wednesday March 21st (super frosty morning), Thursday March 22nd & straggling images from a stellar day on Friday March 16th

Sunrise Pioneer Square (Seattle)

Frosty Silloutte (Green River Trail)

Ice crytals. Where is Spring? (Green River Trail)

Alaskan Way rail yard storage w/ Seattle in the background.

Container Cranes (Harbor Island)

Friday's ride home;






Coffee: Zeitgeist
Bikes: Carey: Professional (2days) Prestige (the other) Brian: Rush Hour
Rant: Thoughts, music, and the perfect cadence can amazingly transform wind & rain into an imaginary ride in the sun.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

THE SEASONS ARE CHANGING

{words by Reed Pike}
Finally – the first bike commute of 2007!

March 20, 2007 and I finally rode my bicycle to work. I know, I know. But really, I have some great reasons for missing almost 50 days of commuting.

First, though, I want to apologize in advance for the length of this post. My experience this morning was too spectacular and too rewarding not to record and share with others. So before I enumerate the “excuses” for not commuting on the bike sooner, and before I share my particular motivation for riding today, let me highlight my morning’s ride.

It was crisp and cool this morning as I began my ride, the sun was just beginning to light up the eastern horizon at 6:55am. It was not raining, reason enough to celebrate a spring ride in the Seattle area, but the streets were still wet from yesterday’s rain – almost an inch of rain. I quickly hooked up with the Lake Washington Bicycle Route, a network of streets, bike lanes, and bike paths that circumnavigates the lake and provides spectacular views of Mercer Island, the skyline of Seattle with the Olympic Mountains as a backdrop, and of course the lake itself.

The lake was a little choppy this morning from a southwest wind that was temporarily clearing out the cloud cover, and as the day brightened I crossed several creeks running full with yesterday’s rainfall; clear, cold water running over the moss-covered stones and sandy bottoms that make such great salmon spawning habitat. The sound of the rushing water was a clean and bright sound that seemed alive.

Soon I was riding through a more urban area on streets lined with trees showing the first signs of spring. There were trees that were just leafing out, and fruit trees in full flower. Several times as I rode through areas protected from the slight breeze, the petals fell around me like snowflakes and I was riding across carpets of pink and white blossoms. The experience was sublime; it was like nature was providing a “pink” carpet for my ride. I arrived at work (17 ½ miles and 1 hour and 4 minutes later) bathed in sunshine and reassured that long ago I made the correct lifestyle and professional choice—bicycling!

Now as great as that ride was, I am sure (or I hope) you are wondering why it took me so long to get back on the bike. There were reasons—good reasons:
1. I sold my commuting bicycle (yes, many of us have dedicated commute bicycles here in Seattle – equipped with long fenders with buddy flaps, racks, bells, etc.) and I was waiting for my new one to arrive. Even working at Raleigh we often have to wait for new bicycles, just like you, and we ship the first ones to our dealers before we fill employee orders. It always seemed like the bicycle would be here in a few days—but no, weeks went by.
2. I missed my commuting buddy. Last year through the darkest months, come rain or snow, after a late night of work or other activities, regardless of the circumstance, Pat was ready to ride. Pat has left the company and I now have no one waiting for me, except myself (see below).
3. I am a wimp. I was born and raised in Northern California, and lived in San Diego for 11 years. Down there if it rains, you just wait for the rain to stop then go ride. In the Seattle area if you don’t ride in the rain, you pretty much don’t ride. Worse, I just cannot abide having cold hands and feet! I am a wimp.

So, what motivated me to overcome these obstacles and ride this morning? Well, there were reasons—good reasons:
1. My new commuting bicycle finally arrived! It’s a tricked-out Raleigh Cadent Carbon (more on that—and pictures—in a future posting).
2. It wasn’t raining this morning when I walked out to get the paper, so the wimp factor was mitigated.
3. I am just back from the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC, March 14-16. Highlights included reintroduction of the Bicycle Commuter Act (amending the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the transportation fringe benefit to bicycle commuters) in the House and Senate; an inspirational presentation from the Mayor of Louisville, former Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater; and a surprise appearance from 2006 Tour de France winner Floyd Landis (Dave Hull {Raleigh Customer Service Manager} w/ Floyd Landis) Plus our little Washington State delegation had some success—after our meeting with Justus Geist, Legislative Correspondent for Senator Maria Cantwell, Justus sent us an e-mail notifying us that Senator Cantwell has decided to co-sponsor the Bicycle Commuter Act. Wow!
4. Finally, my boon traveling companion on the trip to Washington, Dave Hull, rode yesterday in the pouring rain – both directions.

With that kind of motivation how could I not ride? I have probably taxed your attention span to its very limits, so enough for now. I hope that I will see all of you on your bicycles soon. Until then, “Enjoy the Ride!”

Thursday, March 15, 2007

WIND, RAIN, SEA, & SCULPTURES

A mish-mash of images here, not in any particular order. Two days of commuting - one rainy the other windy and clear, one with Matt and one without. Enjoy.

{click on images to enlarge}

It was a very windy day and we asked ourselves
why we grabbed the single speeds.
{Claus Oldenburg Sculpture}

Matt & Brian {Approaching South Park}

Weeeeee........

Heading Forward

Brian Self Portrait {Across from Eagle Man, Tukwilla}

Eagle Man {Tukwilla}

Is my top tube transparent? I thought carbon was light, but not that light.

Morning blur - we hope the coffee kicks in soon {Airport Way}

Elliot Bay/ West Seattle {Olympic Sculpture Park}

Route home w/ views of Elliot Bay and the Olympic mountain range
{Myrtle Edwards Park/Olympic Sculpture Park}

I was surrounded by beautiful sculptures so I thought
I would give my headset some praise also.
{Olympic Sculpture Park}

Same on my stem, beautiful stuff! {Olympic Sculpture Park}

Reminder: Always ride with a front fender in Seattle.

Bike Pile {Alaskan Way}

Coffee: Zeitgeist
Bikes: Rainy Day - Brian: Rx 1.0 Carey: Prestige
Windy Day - Brian: Rush Hour s/s Carey: Professional s/s Matt: Podium 5

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

SICKNESS FROM HELL & RIDE OF YEAR

{words by carey}
I'm fully recovered after 14 days of stagnation, coughing, headaches, and all the other symptoms of sickness that knocked me down. I can now see the light (literally, as the Pacific NW is now staying lit until 6pm) and smell all the new cherry blossoms that are in bloom. As mentioned in the previous post, I'm a bit late updating things, so this post will contain images from the last ride before hell (i.e. prolonged sickness) entered my body.

First, though, I must say that yesterday was a glorified day for everyone living in the Pacific NW - 67 degrees of warmth licked our faces and arms; it was joyous. Raleigh has a fun bike in the mix for 2007 called the Coasting bike; it incorporates a Shimano computer that shifts automatically for its rider. With 3 speeds, a coaster break, classic look, and an awesome six-pack rack on the front, it's a stylish bike. Brian and I rode the freshly built bikes yesterday, had a blast on the bike path, and generated enough heat to roll our pant legs up and sport t-shirts. Here a couple images of our stroll.

The "commuting" ride into work was rather uneventful, which is always a bonus when pedaling with cars and dodging traffic. The ride at day's end was beautiful; we decided to take a longer route home that hugs Lake Washington and takes you through neighborhoods with names like Seward Park, Madrona, and Leschi. Just after Leshi it was time to say farewell to the Lake and with a short climb we passed by the old house of Kurt Cobain followed by a beautiful section of uphill switchbacks. "I really think these switchbacks are great fun," Brian shouted as he raised out of the saddle to start the climb (we were on our single speeds). I agreed silently as I started to find my rhythm with at least 3 more switches to go. When we topped-out, I was surprised I wasn't breathing as hard I thought I should be. Maybe my cold actually made me stronger or maybe it was the intake of warm air. Either way, we were smiling, chatting, and looking forward to spinning through the Arboretum, after which we hooked up with the Burke Gilman trail in the U District and thence to Ballard.

FEB. 28th PICTURES

{click on images to enlarge}
Rush Cog & Chain

Cars: 75 mph Brian & I: 18-20 mph Chain Link Fence: Zero Protection
{Scary}

Carey Slacking

Kent, WA Sprawl - Makes For A Good Picture

Basically Our 2 Biggest Addictions: Coffee & Bicycles

Watch Out For The Deer!!!
The Bike Paths Aren't Even Safe.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Hmmm...CARS?

{words by Brian}

This post was supposed to happen on February 28th, but I was at United Bicycle Institute for a week and then came down with the most brutal virus which knocked me off kilter for a total of 14 days. While I was away, Brian wrote a little something about traveling in a car for 14 miles from Seattle to Kent where Raleigh is located.

Today…drove into work, which is never fun. Hmm...why is that? Why don’t you hear people talking about how SWEET their drive into work was? How their drive has totally gotten them off on the right foot? How they felt so energized after sitting behind their wheel in traffic, staring at the bumper of a VW clad with a sticker about Bush and our dependence on Oil, while the bike rack on top is empty and rusting. No movement for minutes (even hours), only taking in the exhaust of the flat bed truck next to you, occupied by a big, hairy guy named Clem who buys his “muscle T’s” like his beer…cheap and in six-pack form.

Hmm...Maybe because cars suck!