Tag Archives: seattle

Leaf-Blower Elegance in a Bike-friendly Package

Posted on April 1, 2009 by Tim K | 14 comments

Oma Tanker As most of you know by now, the team at Car Free Days is involved in an outright crusade to drive less and ride more. So far it’s been great. We’ve been riding (our Xtracycles and Anne’s Oma, mostly) nearly everywhere we need to go.

Those of you adept at reading through the lines, however, have probably noticed a little discord along the way. There was our son’s brush with hypothermia on the New Years cargo bike ride. There were challenging logistics for a 10pm wedding reception in Auburn. And we still get grief for the 50″ Plasma we scratched the crap out of hauling it home from Costco on the Xtracycles. And yes, the hills. Always the damn hills.

In many cases, my friends, pure people power isn’t the only answer.

We’ve dabbled with the idea of powering our Xtracycles with a Stokemonkey. Everyone we know who’s used one loves it. And Todd at Clever Cycles is a total peach. Really, the Stokemonkey is a perfect product, save one major shortcoming: They run on electricity. Franky, we just can’t condone the wasteful use of electrons wondering if perhaps a salmon got trapped behind a dam or a seagull met its demise at the blade of a wind turbine.

Though people can overlook such negatives, we at Car Free Days like to think our moral junk is of a stiffer quality than average. So that’s meant schellping our damn kids up the damn hills on our damn bikes with only our damn legs to thank.

Until now…

Continue reading →

14 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bigger than here, buildin' the xtracycle, consumerism, gas, Ha, safety gear, sustainability

Tagged alternative transporation, april 1, april fools, e-bike, motorized bike, oma, seattle, xtracycle

Tour de Seattle’s On-Street Bike Parking

Posted on March 26, 2009 by Anne | 2 comments

On-Street bike parking in front of Stumptown on 12th

On-Steet Bike Parking on 12th

On-Steet Bike Parking on Broadway

Tim and I have blogged about bike parking many times. You could say we’re into our bike parking.

Having access to a convenient bike parking spot is the key to using bikes as everyday transportation.

One of the main reasons we have embraced getting around on bikes is the simplicity and ease of parking a bike. No other “alternative transportation” option beats pedaling to the local store, pulling right up to the front door, pulling out a U-lock, locking your bike and walking into the shop. You can’t do that in a car, ever. And the bus…um….

As we’ve said before, we appreciate a nice rack.

Aesthetically pleasing racks add so much to the street ambiance. I love the artistic and whimsical racks. They seem to say, “not only am I practical and utilitarian, I’m also fun and pleasing to the eye, so use me or just stop and admire me for a bit”. They invite people to linger on the sidewalk. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, Rack that Bike

Tagged bike racks, Broadway, Capitol Hill, Greenlake, on-street bike parking, seattle, Stumptown

Park Your Car and Walk a Block to School

Posted on February 1, 2009 by Anne | 17 comments

Ever since my kids started school, I’ve become fixated on a strange American practice: the school drive-through drop off. Many parents it seems have made the choice to drive by the school, open the door and drop their kids off at the school entrance without leaving the comfort of their car. I know every one does not live walking distance from school and some parents must drive their kids to school. But is it necessary to do a drive-through drop off? Can’t they park their cars and walk their kids to the school yard?

Sure it may be easier, more convenient and less hassle to do a drive-through. But what about the impact to the whole community around the school? What about the unnecessary pollution and increased traffic they are creating and the sedentary habits they’re teaching kids? Continue reading →

17 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bigger than here, bikes, kids, neighborhoods, School

Tagged Safe Routes to School, schools, seattle, Walk a Block

This just in: January 1 Cargo Bike Ride is on!

Posted on December 31, 2008 by Tim K | 6 comments

2008 Opening Day Ride

We just received word from the Grand Pallet of Cargo Bikes, Val. The traditional Seattle Cargo Bike Opening Day Ride is a go:

Yep, this has to be the shortest notice ever, but it’s on for 1/1/09. Meet at noon at Greenlake, cruise to Golden Gardens, and light some fires to celebrate the new season.

These winter cargo bike events are as much about standing around eating, drinking, and telling lies (“so there I was riding down 5th Ave and that damn SLUT pulled out in front of me. I was fully loaded down—I had just picked up a an old toilet, two double-hung windows, and 10 gallons of paint from Second Use in South Park—and wasn’t sure I could stop in time. So I did what any Xtracycle rider would do—I took a deep breath and bunny-hopped the mofo while flashing a big smile to the driver and tourists as I cleared the roof”…) as they are about actual riding.

So plan to dress warm, bring some hearty food (expect flames of some kind for heating food and souls), your preferred beverage(s), and your sparkling personality. Heck, last year folks enjoyed a Christmas tree bonfire on the beach; you could even bring your tree if so inclined.

To get a feel for the event, check out our photos from last year. The carfreedays.com crowd had planned to be on our way out of town the morning of the 1st, but this event is forcing us to revisit our plans: we hope to stick around and at least make ride (though we may have to save the food and the lies for next time.

Hope to see you there!

-Tim

Edit: PS: Last year we met near the pool/community center — right by the outdoor basketball courts on the Gregg’s Greenlake Cycles side of the lake. I’m guessin’ that’s where we’ll gather again.

6 Comments

Posted in bikes, cargo bikes, seattle

Tagged 1/1/09, cargobike rides, cargobikes, seattle

Dear SDOT: A little Sand on the Univ. Bridge, please

Posted on December 16, 2008 by Tim K | 1 comment

Day: The only stretch of ice on the whole commute

Night: University Bridge: Glare Ice on the Bike Path

To my friends at Seattle DOT,

If, by chance, you happen to read this little blog before heading out Tuesday morning, I’d first like to mention how much me and my bike commuting buddies appreciate the great job you did clearing the University Bridge deck Monday morning. It was cold but you were out there working it.

Thanks!

With that out of the way, do you mind if I ask a small favor? Is there any chance that you could pretty-please finish the North and South approaches to the deck? It’s very slippery, especially at night.

I know it may not seem like there are many riders out right now, but you’d be surprised: I think more than a few of us would benefit from such an effort.

Keep up the good work!

-Tim

PS: I used your online contact form to report this issue, but it said I’d hear a response in 10 days. I figure it will be 55 F and raining by then, so this venue will have to do.

1 Comment

Posted in bicycle neglect, bigger than here, bikes, Commute, kids, seattle, streetsblog, weather

Tagged ice, seattle, streetsblog, traffic, weather

Second Annual Xtracycle Tree Haulin’

Posted on December 15, 2008 by Anne | 15 comments

We pedaled up to the local tree lot over the weekend and picked up our Christmas tree. Although the novelty of hauling a large tree by bike has faded a bit, it was still pretty satisfying to pull up to the tree lot on our bikes, park right in front, choose our 6′ Noble fir, strap it to Tim’s bike with very little effort, and pedal home. No drama, no fuss, no big deal. Continue reading →

15 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, BIG Loads, bigger than here, bikes, kids, seattle, streetsblog, sustainability, xtracycle

Tagged 2008, christmas, Christmas Tree, local, seattle, streetsblog

Times bike fee plan: Let’s get us some readers

Posted on December 10, 2008 by Tim K | 1 comment

By now, most of you have read the “bicycle licensing” nonsense in the Seattle Times by formerly ready-for-pasture James Vesley:

Seattle went through a lengthy process of enhancing the Burke-Gilman Trail through industrial Ballard. Among the pretzel routes, all were made to make cycling as easy as possible. Those costs, born by the industries of Ballard and the city, could be offset by a modest fee.

Good James or Bad? Do you ride a bike or own a shopping mall?

Uh, you mean the trail project that voters levied themselves to pay for as part of the Complete Streets/Bridging the Gap measures? Yeah, that one.

In the past couple days I’ve read a number of the comments in response to the editorial and for the most part they are fairly civil, reasoned, and lacking in the hate that the PI Soundoff seems to generate. Frankly, most people are shocked that Vesley could put forth such a stupid idea.

Personally, I don’t think the guy is stupid.

Instead, I see his tirade as a well-planned effort to show that even the aging dean of the newsroom can still can bring in the readers. Newspaper budgets are shrinking, after all. You’ve got to demonstrate your worth to the advertising machine, and Vesley did just that.

Of course, as a long-time crony of Kemper Freeman and the Bellevue pavement brigade, it’s not like he had to stretch to play the part. (Side note: Kemper Freeman doesn’t have a Wikipedia entry. Interesting….)

All this allowed James to score points with the pro-development community just when they were stinging from their election losses, while shoring up his big man on campus reputation with those whipper-snapper Gen-Y kids in the Times analytics department. Well played, James.

Never mind that some will use his pathetic ideas as an excuse to validate their hatred toward cyclists.

It’s just business, right?

– Tim

1 Comment

Posted in bicycle neglect, bigger than here, bikes, sustainability, traffic

Tagged bellevue square, kemper freeman, seattle, seattle times

Walk and Wheel Month

Posted on October 14, 2008 by Anne | Leave a comment

Walk and Wheel Month is off to a great start. 108 kids from our local school have officially signed up. That’s a lot of walking and biking. Even if every kid doesn’t walk or bike every day, at least we’re getting some cars off the road on a regular basis.

Last week we walked to school with some neighbors who normally drive the five-uphill-blocks. The mom admitted that shame kept her from driving that day—she didn’t want us to see her driving to school.

I say, whatever motivates you to get out of your car, roll with it!

– Anne

Grocery Getters in the Mainstream Media

Posted on September 26, 2008 by Anne | 3 comments

The Seattle Times reports that people are changing their shopping habits. It seems people are abandoning their cars in favor of—and this is really wacky—bikes and feet.

The article mentions Xtracyles and Bakfietsen as good grocery hauling machines. It’s great to see bikes in the mainstream media. Little by little people are realizing how simple it is to use bikes as transportation.

(btw The Times photo editor may need to be enlightened—the bike on the front page of the article is not an Xtracycle, it’s a bike with a rear rack and paniers.)

Have a good weekend!

-Anne and Tim

3 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, extravehicular activities, news, seattle, xtracycle

Tagged bikes, msm, seattle, transportation

Dexter Darkness brings Danger

Posted on September 17, 2008 by Tim K | 18 comments

Anne's Oma with generator hub is always ready for dark

I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but my evening commute has quickly slipped into darkness. My inherent laziness means I never took the lights off my Xtracycle but unfortunately it’s looking like few of the city’s bike commuters are on the same legacy lighting program. Continue reading →