Category Archives: seattle

Neighborhoods and Bikes: Ballard

Posted on January 22, 2008 by Anne | Leave a comment

It’s fun to re-discover neighborhoods by bike. Sunday we took an afternoon jaunt down the Burke-Gilman trail with the kids. We’ve visited Ballard more frequently since we’ve been on two-wheels than we ever did in our car. Some of the things that make the neighborhood a bummer by car (lack of parking, long traffic light waits, and its misfortune of not being on the way to anywhere) actually make it more desirable from a pedal-powered perspective. It’s a 30-minute cruise from our house — far enough away to make it an afternoon destination yet close enough to make it doable with the kids on the back of the bikes.

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Do you really need a shower?

Posted on January 18, 2008 by Anne | 11 comments

Interesting discussion on Bike Hugger yesterday about accommodations for bike commuters. I agree – facilities for all types of cyclists are needed in urban areas. It would be great if Seattle provided secure bike storage facilities similar to bikestation around the city. Wouldn’t have to be huge – the size of a couple of parking spaces would probably be enough. Heck – I’d sure ride downtown a lot more for entertainment, errands and shopping if I was sure I’d have a secure place to park my bike. Tim and I often rule out downtown as a date destination because we’re not comfortable locking our bikes on the street while we’re seeing a movie etc. (edit by tim – especially in light of horror stories about stolen bikes, racks and all)

However, I don’t really understand the need for showers in the workplace or in a bikestation type facilities. Do you really need one? I’d think if you could just take a shower at home, dress properly for the weather, slow down a bit so you don’t work up that much of a sweat, you wouldn’t need to shower once you got to work.

Do you think these people shower when they get to work?

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11 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, Commute, seattle

Tagged bikes, bikestation, commuting, cycling, seattle, showers, transportation

Smackdown, day 2

Posted on January 16, 2008 by Tim King | 4 comments

I woke to the crunching sounds of feet on snow; my early-bird neighbors apparently made an unusual choice to leave their cars parked in favor of foot or bus. Welcome to Seattle where an inch of snow provokes panic. I must have been a bit nervous about the weather myself — crunching pedestrian parades wouldn’t normally drag a morning hater like myself out of a sound sleep a full 40 minutes early.

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4 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, Burke-Gilman Trail, Commute, seattle, xtracycle

Tagged bikes, commuting, ice, metro, seattle, snow, traffic, weather, xtracycle

You deserve that treat

Posted on January 12, 2008 by Anne | Leave a comment

The best thing about running errands by bike is you can justify that cookie at the end of the day. We stopped in at the Dahlia Bakery after a day of running errands. I did manage to resist their famous coconut cream pie – which they sell in 4 different sizes including a coco bite for $2 – for those who can’t justify a whole pie. Mmmmmm. Maybe next time.

-Anne

New Year’s Day ride update

Posted on January 1, 2008 by Anne | 4 comments

We had a great time riding to Golden Gardens today. The weather was great – (it didn’t rain), the pace was slow and the company enjoyable. We even witnessed some Christmas tree burning in the fire pits on the beach (yes, they really do burst into flames) as well as some hardy folks doing New Year’s Day polar bear swims in Puget Sound – Brrrrrrrrr.

Great way to start the New Year.

More photos here

– Anne

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Posted in alternative transportation, BIG Loads, bikes, extravehicular activities, longbikes, seattle, sustainability, xtracycle

Tagged bicycle, bikes, cargo bikes, seattle, xtracycle

Happy New Year and Ride Reminder (today!)

Posted on January 1, 2008 by Tim K | 1 comment

We’ve been a little lax about posting in the past week. You know how it goes — holiday time with the family and all that. I know riding more is going is a goal of mine for the new year (I try to stay away from actual resolutions because I suck at them) so maybe I should add “posting more” to the mix, too!

Our first opportunity is the New Year’s Day cargo bike ride, noon at Greenlake. If you are local, come on by. Folks will be meeting near the basketball/court baseball diamond. This is the side of the lake where you’ll find the big hole (formerly Albertsons) and kind of close to Gregg’s Greenlake Cycle.

If you can’t make this one, try start the year off with a ride, no matter how short. I’m sure lots of folks have resolved to exercise more in 2008. If you are one of them, remember that utility bike trips count as exercise and reduce car trips. So, instead of driving to the park, saddle up the kids and ride over for your swing and climbing structure session. Do you have some vices you want to hold onto for just another day? Then hop on the bike and cruise on over to 7-11 for that pack of smokes and a ~~2nd~~ 3rd bottle of champagne. It won’t seem so bad that way. And, if you are set on using the gym for your “workout” resolution, try riding there.

We’re going to try to step up the bike power in 2008. How about you?

Happy New Year from Car Free Days!

-Tim and Anne

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Posted in alternative transportation, bigger than here, extravehicular activities, seattle, sustainability

Tagged bikes, cargobikes, exercise, food, Greenlake, kids, picnic, resolutions, seattle

Holiday Loop

Posted on December 22, 2007 by Anne | 2 comments

We took the kids to see Santa at University Village yesterday afternoon/evening. It started in the afternoon but ended in the evening but that’s a whole nother story that I’m trying to put behind me. Let’s just say Santa doesn’t have a very good process. The kids enjoyed it all and the four year old got to put in his Santa request for Beef Jerky so all is well.

After the Santa experience, we took the long way home through Candy Cane Lane. Ester is right on – I wouldn’t want all of that traffic clogging up and polluting my street every day for 3 weeks. I’m sure when the tradition started 48 years ago, people walked through the loop to enjoy the lights and decorations. Now, the few hardy walkers are overshadowed by the drivers. We couldn’t help but be annoyed by the drive throughers. They wouldn’t want to get out of their car, would they?

Happy Holidays and keep riding!

– Anne

2 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, extravehicular activities, kids, neighborhoods, seattle

Tagged , bicycle, bikes, christmas lights, santa, xtracycle

New Years Day Ride – Meet at Greenlake

Posted on December 20, 2007 by Anne | 2 comments

We had a great time on the Day-After-Thanksgiving ride from Pike Place Market to Gasworks Park.

Val shot us an email about the first ride of the year. Meet at noon at Greenlake near the basketball court and baseball diamond on the east side of the lake.

We’re planning to be there. This time I don’t think I’ll be able to keep Tim from loading up the bikes with everything we might need to keep us warm and fed. We have the space on the Xtras so why not? Live a little.

– Anne

2 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, BIG Loads, bikes, extravehicular activities, seattle

Tagged bicycle, bikes, cargobikes, Greenlake, seattle, xtracycle

Tree Haulin’

Posted on December 17, 2007 by Tim King | 4 comments

You’ve probably seen about a zillion Christmas-Trees-on-Xtracycle photos already this year. I mean, everybody is doin’ it.

Said photos are usually cute and harmless and kind of fun to look at. For our sake, let’s hope that’s true because the CarFreeDay team is making it a zillion and two right here. Continue reading →

4 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, BIG Loads, extravehicular activities, kids, seattle, shopping, sustainability, weather

Tagged , bigload, bike, Christmas 2007, Christmas Tree, Christmas Tree Ride, kids, seattle, xtracycle

Hardwick’s – a good ol’ fashioned hardware store

Posted on December 13, 2007 by Anne | 3 comments

We are lucky enough to live within biking distance to Hardwick’s.

“Hardwick’s is a family-owned and operated hardware store located in the heart of the University District in Seattle, Washington. Passed down through three generations, Hardwick’s is rich in family tradition. Grandfather Charles Dean Hardwick established the business as a secondhand store in 1932 after he lost his real estate company in the market crash. Starting with his own office furniture as the original inventory, Grandfather Hardwick’s business continued to thrive in the Depression era by including factory seconds and damaged freight from the Milwaukee Road and Union Pacific Railroad and by purchasing goods from the public….”

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