BICYCLING: ‘Ride Everywhere Day’ Friday – celebrate with West Seattle Bike Connections

| Transportation | West Seattle news

We’re midway through Bike Everywhere Month. Friday is Bike Everywhere Day (the former Bike to Work Day). Haven’t tried biking between here and downtown yet? West Seattleite Doug Ollerenshaw shared two sped-up clips of what it’s like to ride between here and the north side of downtown (to lower Queen Anne, from South Lake Union):

If you’re riding on Friday morning – whether for the first time or five-hundredth – and your ride will take you under the West Seattle Bridge, make time to stop by the West Seattle Bike Connections celebration station, 6 am-9 am – details here.

Tim May 15, 2019 (6:42 pm)

Dont like electric bikes on bike paths. I remember the gas ones in the 80’s. Still dont like them . Ride on the road. The paths aren’t set up for that fast of travel. I’m assuming that the video is an elec bike.

WSB May 15, 2019 (6:51 pm)

I don’t know what kind of bicycle Doug O. was riding. He was kind enough to offer that we could share those videos as a sped-up look for anybody wondering what the route was like.
KBear May 15, 2019 (8:09 pm)

Tim, I ride an electric bike on the bike paths. The bikes that pass me? About two out of three are pedal powered. Haven’t seen any gas powered bikes lately.
WSResident May 16, 2019 (8:05 am)

Agree, don’t like electric bikes on bike paths. If you can ‘bike’ 30mph you need to be in the street.
AJP May 16, 2019 (3:24 pm)

There is a difference between e-assist and full electric. My e-assist doesn’t go upwards of 20, and with my kids on it, I don’t go above 15.
Mark H May 17, 2019 (8:10 pm)

Well in the road they are not at all predictable (to drivers, walkers, and other cyclists) to other users in the way pedal bikes are.I find them super annoying. It’s like our president golf cart driving for fitness.

Doug May 15, 2019 (7:32 pm)

That’s just a regular old leg powered bike. 8x real-time. I wish I could actually ride that fast.

Don Brubeck May 15, 2019 (8:18 pm)

Correct link to West Seattle Bike Connections is http://westseattlebikeconnections.org We hope to see you at the bridge bright and early Friday morning!

WSB May 15, 2019 (8:48 pm)

Fixed.

Don Brubeck May 15, 2019 (8:27 pm)

If your bike route includes Avalon Way, here’s an biking option to get around the paving project work, recommended especially for going uphill (westbound). http://westseattlebikeconnections.org/2019/05/10/sw-avalon-way-bike-detour/

wsbiker May 16, 2019 (9:16 am)

I use an electric bike because I can not ride a regular bike due to medical issues. I’m not going 30 mph. I’m barely moving and being on the road is very dangerous for me. I feel extremely lucky to be on a bike at all. I appreciate these bike trails and hope that those who speak badly of electric bikes will keep an open mind about them.

Que May 16, 2019 (10:13 am)

I think a lot of the talk about electric bikes is due to a not insignificant minority of e bike users having very poor riding etiquette. Close passing at high speed with no call out or bell is a problem caused by folks who don’t have much riding experience but got an ebike to skip out on car traffic. However most people on e bikes, cargo bikes, family bikes are perfectly reasonable to share a trail with. To me someone on an e bike is just one less person in a car I have to watch out for.

Mj May 16, 2019 (10:04 am)

As an adult bike rider I avoid using sidewalks that are for pedestrians, however with Avalon construction using the sidewalk upgrade is the best option in the construction zone.

Que May 16, 2019 (10:14 am)

It is legal to ride a bike on the sidewalk anywhere in Seattle. It’s not the safest or fastest option but sidewalks are by no means “for pedestrians”.

MJ May 16, 2019 (12:07 pm)

QueYes it may be legal, but I believe adult riders should not use sidewalks as a general rule. And I believe pedestrians should not walk on bike paths when there is an adjacent ped path.MJ

Que May 16, 2019 (1:56 pm)

Fine and good but your beliefs do not dictate other people’s actions. Please remember that when dispensing advice about “general rules”.
- St May 16, 2019 (4:25 pm)
  
  True. There’s talk of making it illegal to ride ebikes on county trails but people will still do it and it won’t be enforced just like other things that have been brought up on wsb.

KR May 17, 2019 (8:12 am)

Please don’t do what the rider in the first video did at 1:07. There is a perfectly good cross walk just before (or after) where you don’t have to blindly dash across the double yellow in front of speeding traffic. I see people nearly get clipped daily doing that. The other alternate is to continue on the pathway along the West side of the road. In all cases, you must still be very alert as a lot of truck drivers can’t or don’t see you.

Felix Grounds May 17, 2019 (10:40 am)

That move is actually the safest move, just use proper timing and awareness…That crosswalk you speak of is cumbersome at best due to the Port driveway/3 way street intersection.I’ve been using the method in the video for 2 decades, never had even a remotely close call.
Q May 17, 2019 (3:11 pm)

Double yellow is no passing, not no turning. What is the deal with people making up rules for others and dispensing advice that has nothing to do with laws or correct behavior? Maybe you should worry more about actually knowing the laws first?
- KR May 17, 2019 (9:52 pm)
  
  @Q, re-read my post. I said nothing about laws, only safety concerns. I see close calls from others doing that maneuver daily, so… keep doing that I guess. The cross walk at Spokane takes an extra 30 seconds at most and puts you out of the path of Southbound riders as well. The second cross walk in between Spokane and Hanford I agree is not great.
  - Q May 20, 2019 (12:41 pm)
    
    If you have a concern for your safety then by all means, act accordingly. Just don’t try and tell other people how to act when it has no basis in reality. I’ve been commuting through there daily for eight years and have never seen a “close call”.

Sorry, comment time is over.