East side, west side, all around the town

August 27, 2023

Our busy schedules have prevented us from bike camping this year. It's a shame, because there are so many opportunities around here. Even more importantly, those little shakedown tours are important for boosting confidence before a big trip. We feel woefully out of shape. Of course, it turns out I said the same thing after our first day of touring last year, and we did just fine. In fact, we rode 99km the day after landing in Incheon!

We are getting some training rides in. It's not the same as riding fully-loaded, but it sure is better than nothing. We've done some hill training. We climbed Cougar Mountain twice. The first time just about killed us. The second time was manageable. Progress!

Today we rode the Lake Washington Loop clockwise. The air quality wasn't great, so the views weren't great. I wanted to complain about the warmth and sun, but with an even warmer Rome awaiting us, it felt more like part of the training -- acclimation to a Mediterranean climate.

We took our time, made lots of stops, and generally enjoyed ourselves. The loop has one big hill, and enough smaller ones to make us feel like we got a workout. Fatigue set in over the last 15km of the ride (I'm trying to get used to metric again), which, honestly, is the norm for us when we're touring. But, we racked up 98km today. Not too shabby.

This may be the last training ride before we set sail for Rome. At the very least, it was the last ride with our touring bikes, because they'll be going into boxes very soon! If you're into that sort of thing, check back in a day or two for the obligatory boxing post.

We'd heard good things about this place. The coffee was great, and surprisingly, the pastries were reasonably priced!

First time riding the Eastrail southbound. I love that when you take the same trail in the opposite direction, it's a completely different experience.

End of the line... or start of the line? Rail trails are weird.

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Scott AndersonIt’s strange having you describe riding around Lake Washington as if it’s such a normal thing to do. I did it once also - when I was about 16, in high school almost exactly 60 years ago. It was a real challenge, especially on the east side that was much less developed then. Not what you’d call bike friendly. I should head up there and do it again.
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8 months ago

Kevin StevensTo Scott AndersonWow, that was before even the Burke Gilman trail existed! The Lake Washington Loop is now 80% on trails or bike lanes. The remaining 20% is low-speed 2-lane road. I'm grateful for all the hard work that bicycle advocacy groups have put in over the years to spur local governments to bring these projects to fruition.
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8 months ago

Scott AndersonTo Kevin StevensYou’re right! Another personal vignette from that era is that I used to walk three miles each way to junior high and high school. A part of the walk was along what’s now the Burke-Gilman Trail. It was still a rail line then though, and I’d challenge myself by trying to balance myself on the rails for a quarter of a mile until the next intersection. The first sections of the trail wouldn’t open for another 15-20 years.

But enough about me. Have a splendid time in Italy!
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8 months ago