Bike Hugger 

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.

Before each ride with SRAM during their 22 launch, we were warned about Motos on Mulholland. The post I wrote about Red Kite Prayer was on that famed highway. There hadn’t been an incident that anyone knew about, until now. From the crash video page, it says no one was hurt, but you know, two objects can’t occupy the same space at the same time. The motos on the road when were were there, all passed accordingly with plenty of room.

Update

The Video from the trailing moto has been removed by the owner of it and deleted from this post, but commentary from Mark V below describes it.

Shows that there was a still photographer at the inside apex, right at the road’s edge. the lead motorcyclist almost certainly was looking for the photographer rather than paying attention to his line and traffic ahead. While I obviously assert the motorcyclist’s culpability in this incident, I cannot help but feel that the presence of the photographer, videographer, and the cultural phenomenon of Youtube contributed to the event. and I cannot ignore the likelihood that incidents like this involving bicyclists filming themselves plunging through pedestrians and traffic must also result in innocent bystanders being injured for no good reason.

Another update comes from Biking LA who’s got the inside story that this was a Hincapie-led ride.

Ariel Zambelich/Wired

A Wired take on Google’s bike culture, including behind-the-scenes photos from the secret bike shop where the bikes are maintained

You’ll find a secret bike shop where people like Robert Jimenez and Terry Mac twist wrenches and true tires all day long, rocking out to AC/DC and Pink Floyd. Then, if you slip into the back room, you’ll see them: 1,300 green, blue, red and yellow Google Bikes, stacked Santa’s workshop-style as far the eye can see.

A couple years ago, took photos of the campus bikes and last year posted on the new bikes arriving on campus. Also, the code for the bike layer on Google Maps was written here in Seattle by then Google engineer Andy Schwerin. Rode with him in Fremont.