October 7: Orlando Trip
An opportunity to travel is an opportunity to explore by bike! The only US city I’ve visited outside the Northwest in the past couple years has been Denver in 2016. At the time, they had a couple of decent protected bike lanes and some nice trails. I’d like to go back to see how it’s improved. This trip to Orlando was my first trip to the east coast as an adult. I knew going in that it would probably be the least bike friendly city I’ve ever cycled in with its grand total of 0.0 miles of protected bike lanes. Orlando does have a decent trail system, but it did require some sidewalk riding to create a loop. I found Orlando to be as flat as the Netherlands. The weather was interesting, mid 80s in October and got a bit of rain towards the end of my ride. I had a fun time on the Cady Way Trail which turns into the Cross Seminole Trail. The Orlando Urban Trail was also nice, but short. I ventured downtown which has a couple of bike lanes, but it wasn’t safe infrastructure, and not a network. Overall, I had a great time exploring a new city!
Twitter Thread
Strava Activity
October 13: SW Lake Washington History Ride
This is the second history ride I’ve been on led by Bob. Once again it was well planned and very interesting. This time I got to act as sweep to help keep the group together. It was also a great fall day and I enjoyed seeing the changing colors. It was a good route with a fun downhill in Lakeridge Park that I hadn’t done before. The most interesting part for me was the history of the Rainier Ave streetcar. Rainier Ave has seen better days, and hopefully will have a better future.
Lots of interesting locations on another great history ride led by @bobco85! This time we explored the area around southwest Lake Washington. Well planned and a great route making use of the new Rainier Greenway. Also got to see some fall color! #SEABikes pic.twitter.com/xCrvSDA8Qy
— Nick vdH (@206Husky) October 14, 2018
October 14: Bainbridge Island Loop
Bainbridge Island is a fun place to ride, and it was my first time back to the island since the 2017 Chilly Hilly. I followed the same route, and it was much more enjoyable when the weather isn’t freezing and raining! Amazing views especially while on the east side of the island. I also explored the new mile long Sound to Olympics Trail. I’m excited to see the long term vision of this trail, as it is planned to connect to the Olympic Discovery Trail. Unfortunately, the voters on Bainbridge Island rejected a levy that would have paid for extending the trail.
Twitter Thread
Strava Activity
October 20: Interurban Trail (North) Adventures
I hadn’t been north of Edmonds on the Interurban Trail for a while and wanted to check out Lynnwood’s new section of the trail which bypasses the narrow path in South Lynnwood Park. Unfortunately, after riding the new part of the trail I hit a couple of detours. The first was a small one around Lynnwood Park and Ride and the second was on Maple Road which was a longer detour requiring some sidewalk riding. Aside from those stumbles, I had a great time riding to Everett and back. The fog was thick into the afternoon, but it cleared up a bit on my journey back.
Twitter Thread
Strava Activity
And then a trail closure without a detour posted. pic.twitter.com/ExKNyT0cu0
— Nick vdH (@206Husky) October 20, 2018
October 21: South King County Gravel Trails
As fall was in full swing, I decided it would be a good time to bus and bike down to Renton and ride a couple of gravel trails I haven’t done before. I started on the Cedar River Trail which is paved for a bit over 10 miles and then turns to gravel. I then made my way to the south end of the Green to Cedar Rivers Trail which is currently gravel but will eventually be extended and paved. The scenic Lake Wilderness was a pleasant surprise! I also took a trip to the Lake Youngs Trail, which, despite the name, does not have a view of a lake. This trail won’t be on my list to visit again, as it is a hilly gravel trail which is narrow in some sections. There are some nice low traffic roads in the area that I might explore next summer on my road bike, however. As I got a late start, the sun was starting to set as I returned to Renton to get the bus back. Like the day before, the fog hung around well into the afternoon, and only cleared up for a couple of hours.
Also went on the Green to Cedar Rivers Trail which goes by scenic Lake Wilderness. Looking forward to the trail being extend further south! pic.twitter.com/BLdvoMhO9b
— Nick vdH (@206Husky) October 22, 2018
October 27: Ballard, Magnolia, and Queen Anne
There seems to be a correlation between the weather getting colder and my rides getting shorter! As we are entering the rainy season, I couldn’t let the amazing clear day go to waste, so I decided to go on a quick ride around the classic Ballard, Magnolia, and Queen Anne routes. While going through Ballard, I also visited the brand new Gemenskap Park. I actually found myself there during the park’s grand opening event! It also connects nicely to the NW 58th St Greenway which I used to travel west to the Burke-Gilman Trail. I rode through Discovery Park and the Magnolia neighborhood. After that, I made the climb up Queen Anne which provided great views of the city on this clear day. It always feels refreshing to go on a quick ride in this crisp weather!
Great day from the top of Queen Anne! pic.twitter.com/kFeoM9cz5P
— Nick vdH (@206Husky) October 27, 2018
Seattle Bike Routes 