Bike Hugger 

Reimagining Bicycle-Friendly Cities

I’m hosting a panel about Bike Culture at the Urban Bike Symposium in June, here in Seattle, on the UW Campus. There’s academics, advocates, bloggers, and cyclists. Also, a call for builders and makers to participate. On the agenda are social events and a showcase for bikes and gear for free. Contact the organizers and we’ll see you there.

King Willem-Alexander is a biking King and at 1:25 his mom drops everyone on official state visits. Oh how we would love to use some Hollywood technology and embed ourselves in this film, like we grew up and rode in the glorious Netherlands. As close as we’ve got to a ride like the King was with Amsterdamized.

Boys in a box bike

Seeing a father with his kids in a box bike punctuated a sad day in Seattle. A reminder that life goes on and this morning cyclists rode again on Seattle’s streets. It’s tense out there, as @mszitka observed

West Seattle cyclist react with fear manifesting to aggression after yesterdays death. Watched a woman stop to yell at car in a bike lane.

and a reminder of where this blog started. I’ll ride later today on Alaskan Way and past this Ghost Bike.

Another Ghost Bike in Seattle

Photo: West Seattle Blog

Think that box bike maybe this one, with another kid in it.

A gauntlet of semis, trucks, construction, trains, and game day traffic

Alaskan Way is ridden by thousands of cyclists, heavily trafficked by semis, intersects the tunnel project, and is as hazardous a road as any. I’ve referred to it as a gauntlet. Cite it too as a reason Seattle isn’t the bike town advocates say it is, as they pat each other on the back, citing best of lists or giving themselves an B grade. The disconnect between city hall, lobbyist offices, and the streets where cyclists ride in Seattle too often results in tragedy.

This one happened on the first day of Bike to Work month. There are no further details and it occurred a few hours ago during the commute. We’re saddened here, feeling it for the families, and those involved. Alaskan Way is ridden by thousands ride daily.

To the cyclists in our town and others who choose to ride instead of drive, safety is a constant concern. For updates on the story, see this post from the West Seattle Blog. Also Cascade’s blog and a map of pedestrian and bicycle accidents.

Turned the bikes away from these clouds fearing that may spirit us away to Oz

Snow in Seattle in late April, almost May further indicates this is very unusual weather, from a place where the weather is a way of life. I’ve noticed odd wind patterns too, like in two decades it hasn’t blown from that direction. Also my preternatural ability to read clouds is totally out of whack. Wispy gray clouds don’t deliver a deluge. Suspect that above the billowy ones in stealth mode are the dark, wicked clouds that float in fast and hurriedly drop their payload. I was so upset about suggesting we turn away from one set of clouds and another wetted us out, that I apologized during the ride on Sat. It was jackets on/off, repeatedly.

The route we rode was 40 miles in the city, protected by trees when it’s stormy on best-of roads like Monster and Macadam.

In my jersey pocket for unpredictable warm then cold rides like this is Gore’s Xenon Active soft-shell. It packs up small and passes the tortilla test.

Xenon out of the pocket and worn

For Urban rides, dressed up and more stylish, I like Rapha’s Rain Jacket and reviewed it in this post. For the next storm, I’ll try Giro’s jacket that came in on test with their New Road Line.