non-fixie 

After lunch mrs non-fixie suggested we go out for a ride and have an icecream somewhere along the way. I thought that was a marvelous idea. So out we went.

The weather was nice, so we took some roads we hadn't explored yet.





It was a really nice day, and COVID-19 or not, everyone was out today. We passed by the Reeuwijkse Plassen, and it might have been a normal August day.







A little over 65k and no icecream.

Drillium Dude 

I wonder if I passed by you on my way to Seattle and points west? I should pay closer attention to faces of the people riding the bikes coming towards me instead of checking out the head badges of their bikes!

DD

etherhuffer 

You made me laugh, I was looking at head badges too, counting vintage bikes. I was on my big yellow turd Fuji, which I seem most comfy on. I saw a Colnago at Woodinville at about 130 PM. Total count of vintage from Kenmore to Marymoor and back: 5 Not a big number. People sort of stared at my bike in horror at the Woodinville rest area. I don't blame them, its huge and its 40 years old. One guy asked if I had ever heard of modern materials, which I thought was pretty funny. Told him about Cino but he didn't really get the concept. Too close to Bellevue I think, has to be shiny and new. Either way, great fun ride. With things opening up maybe we should get some Cino folks together for a ride in the area.

Drillium Dude 

I know what bike to watch for now, too!

Here and there I make out a vintage bike on the trail. More so now as people are dragging their old bikes out for rides due to CV19-itis. I saw quite a few vintage, lower-range things like Varsities and Continentals near the Ballard Locks on yesterday's ride.

I think we can manage a group ride or two when things calm down

DD

gugie 

Great pix as always, Jeff!

northbend 

Quite gusty in the foothills so I headed west instead.
Restrictions lifted a little in Washington State so I felt it was OK to toss the bike in the a car a drive to a location other than my home to start a bike ride.

Starting on Mercer Island, I rode out to West Seattle and took the ferry over to Vashon Island.

I had the best seat on the boat down on the car deck sitting next to my bike tied up on the front of the car ramp, the sun being warm enough to negate the wind blowing off the water from the ferry’s forward progress.
The best seat on the boat today by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

Vashon Island by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

The Island is special to me as my family has had a presence here for over 40 years..

My plan for the day was to ride around and hit my favorite roads then visit my big brother Mike and one of my nieces later on in the afternoon.
I’d also stop by the cemetery and spend some time tidying up my mom’s gravesite.

The climbing begins as you leave the ferry dock, a brief respite then a turn off the main highway onto aptly named Burma Road. Riding this narrow road North to South, it snakes it’s way up and down through some wild contours of heavily forested ravines and ridges. When the road is dirty and wet, it can be downright dangerous but on a sunny day like this, it is simply thrilling. At one point you drop down an incredibly steep ravine and shoot up the other side, centrifugal forces sucking you down into your saddle as the road tilts upward like a bungy jump on a bike. The speed bleeds off quickly which is good because at the top the road turns sharply to the left. If you’ve never ridden it before, you may be fooled into braking to negotiate the corner but this would be a mistake as you’d find yourself really stalling on a 20% hill. The wild ride eases up in less than a mile and I feel both relief and exhilaration when it’s over.
Burma road by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

I ride the quiet rural Westside Road getting my breathing back in check then turn off onto Cemetery Road. TIme to pay my Mom a visit.
My parents bought a beachfront home on the Island back in the late 70’s after they were done raising us kids.
It was a beautiful place looking southeast over the puget sound with a killer view of Mt. Rainer. It was going to be their retirement dream home until a drunk driver ended her life one night as she was diving home from the ferry.

I sat in the sun, pulling weeds and grass away from her headstone. I really need to come back again and give it a proper scrubbing.
My Mother by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

Getting back on the bike I crossed over to the east side of the Island and rode some of my favorites over there.
Heading to my brother's place on Maury Island by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

Rainier from Pt Robinson by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

Riding over a narrow isthmus to Maury Island I stop and visit with my brother Mike. He’s just gotten off of work and prepping dinner when I arrive. After a fine steak dinner I need to take off and start heading back to the ferry dock.
Sunshine by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

I stop in town for a brief visit with one of my nieces who’s working there. It was a surprise visit so I didn’t stay long. I have a ferry to catch and it’s getting kind of late.
Waiting for my ferry by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

Offloading in West Seattle, I ride thru Lincoln Park along the seawall on my way to Alki. A lot of folks out enjoying the evening.
Lincoln Park West Seattle by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

northbend 

Alki was a zoo, so many people out and I avoid the worst of it by staying on the boulevard with the cars trying my best to keep up with their pace. Once clear of Alki I slowed down and got onto the Alki Bike trail passing thru Harbor Island.
Harbor Island View by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

Riding North twords downtown, I’ve always liked the view of the city from here.
Heading North into Downtown by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

Navigating the streets near Dearborn, I pick up the I90 bike trail and soon, I am at the tunnel.
I90 Bike Tunnel by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

One last picture for posterity. This one taken on the other side of the bike tunnel looking out over Lake Washington and the Floating Bridge that takes me back to Mercer Island where my car is parked.I90 Floating Bridge by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

Dfrost 

Apologies from the get-go for no pictures (left my phone at home). But what follows really did happen, I promise!

My wife, Mary, is doing well in her recovery from shoulder replacement last December, but no long or hard rides just yet. Today we headed out to Snoqualmie Valley for an easy 29-miles north from Fall City on favorite lovely flat farm roads that are very popular with cyclists of all sorts. Two surprises today:

A large black bear crossed the road ahead of us about 5 miles north of Fall City! Thankfully, or unfortunately, no cubs following.

Then we had a lovely surprise meet-up with Glenn Erickson and his wife Nancy at our turn-around! Glenn built Mary’s custom frame in 1997 (now hanging among other classic beauties overhead at Recycled Cycles in Seattle). He with then-fiancé Nancy devoted a lovely afternoon highlighting our map of SE France in fabulous detail for our honeymoon tour (just the two of us, as you’d imagine, self-guided but for Glenn’s map highlights) the following spring. Besides building beautiful custom “art frames”, Glenn used to lead fast cycling tours in France and Italy, so he certainly knew his way around the area. Those highlights got our 3-week ride from Geneva to Nice started in the best way.

He is suffering from Parkinson’s now, and sadly this has affected his memory of those events, but Nancy remembered some bits of our visit and Mary’s bike, as well as long ago conversations we’d shared about the concept of getting married over there. I rode a few miles with her sharing a nice chat. Glenn rides every day on a battery-assisted Orbea, but rarely using motor assist. Wish I’d remembered to mention the wonderful staff photo and comments from the early days at R&E Cycles that bulgie provided in the Alex Singer dumpster find thread (Post #63) a few months ago.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...er-find-3.html

Pugs2xLove

Extremely windy and overcast today so I may have to skip out unless the winds die down a bit.

northbend 

Highway 410 crosses through the East side of Mt. Rainier National Park.

It is closed during the winter and each spring I look forward to riding it before it is opened to car traffic.

Early this morning, I ducked under the gate and had it all to myself, not another soul around.
Hwy 410 all to myself by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

Rainier by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

I was hoping that the road to Chinook Pass would be ridable too but when I reached the intersection at the top of Cayuse, work hadn’t even begun yet.

Guess I’ll have to come back in a week or two and try it again.
Chinook Pass Road is still snowbound by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

So I sat in the sun and enjoyed a sandwich before heading back down.
Lunch on Cayuse Pass by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

It’s all downhill from here…
The road is in good shape by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

merziac

@northbend

Hi Matt, is it just me or is the Woodrup a compact climber or are most of your others taller, stretched out flyers?

I realize you probably addressed this somewhere before but I cannot recollect.

Beautiful pics, your mileage makes me tired just reading about it.

AliH

On one of my Sunday morning rides north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia I came across some of these guys.


Some Cambodians believe that these ទិងមោង (ting moung) scarecrows are protecting their households from Covid-19

Edward1066

View from Alameda NAS...

northbend 

Hi Van,
I'm embarrassed to admit that I really don't understand your question. Sorry

camjr

Up and out before dawn this morning on the '76 Moto GT. I wanted to get into the lake when dawn was breaking. Riding up to the west side of the lake gives me some great sunrises.

curbtender

My son lives in Roanoke. I'll have to get some rides from you next time I get down that way. May be a while.

merziac

No worries, my bad, should have stated more clearly.

Looks to me like the headtube on the Woodrup is shorter than the Hollands, BG, etc.

Drillium Dude 

I think he's confused by your use of the moniker "BJ". I'm assuming the initials refer to Bob Jackson - but the bike in the photo is a Woodrup.

DD

merziac

Doh!
You're right, more my bad.

Drillium Dude 

Freaking 85 degrees today! Didn't feel too bad, to be honest. I was planning on a good round-the-lake ride, but I flatted in Redmond as a result of a pretty substantial cut in the tire. Booted it with a buck and then turned around to curtail my day early. Still got in 20 miles and took some photos.











My tire went flat with a loud hiss just after taking the photo below. I had first thought I'd poked a hole in it by running over a thistle or blackberry thorn in the grassy patch surrounding the wood carving. Nope.





DD

merziac

Sorry Matt, I'm even more embarrassed now, Woodrup, not BJ.

Kuyaspidey

Don't know if anyone else rides near me but Horseshoe trail near Grapevine Lake in Dallas Texas was a great ride!

northbend 

The Woodrup was designed to fit 38mm 700c tires with fenders. Longer fork blades, shorter head tube. Seat tube and top tube are roughly the same length as the Bruce Gordon.

merziac

Tx Matt, I see it now, very interesting and wondered about this on the new Strawberry, didn't ask enough questions I guess.

Dave did a great job with what we had to work with and I think the fork blades were the longest he could find as it was.

I was a pita about short reach brakes and that didn't help but it was imperative to me and 32's fit just fine, might see if 35's will go with some kludging.

zukahn1 

Got some new tires so I went for a short rainy day ride on one of the many no name roads around Fairplay.