Bisque had the great idea to go to the Canadian gulf islands for a bike trip over the July 4th weekend and I was so in. I had two other friends that had gone the last year and had all come back sunkissed and blissed out from hanging out on beaches and eating pastries. I was so excited! The Canadian gulf islands are a series of islands off the north coast of Vancouver Island which are connected by a network of ferries.
Read MoreMy partner and I have a bad track record of trying to hike or ride in the mountains too early. We’re both from warmer places (California & Georgia) so, even after 8 years of living here we both get a little confused. Last year we tried to backpack around Mount Baker in early July and were thwarted by thick snow cover, this time we tried to bike around the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in late May and also ran into a lot of snow. I was trying to come up with a fun and simple backcountry route for an upcoming Friends on Bikes campout and this was not the one.
Read More2021 is the second instance of SPLAIN, and it took me longer than usual (two year, yikes!) to get the data out because I'm a lot busier with a job I really love and building a home within a wonderful partnership. I am one person, doing this for free, because I’m a data nerd who loves bikes.
Read MoreFriends on Bikes began as a way to foster community with trans, women, intersex and gender nonconforming BIPOC, and it is so fitting that our sibling chapter in Portland reached out to do a joint ride! It was a short and sweet trip — in and out in a weekend, no gear packing, just car camping and a sweet day ride.
Read MoreI got into riding gravel/unpaved trails and roads a few years ago and I gotta say, it’s pretty great! I am lucky to live in Seattle which is surrounded by lots of forests with publicly accessible logging roads and unpaved trails on old rail lines. Here is an non-comprehensive list of some gravel routes I have enjoyed in Western Washington!
Read MoreI LOVE hot springs. So much. I used to live in Colorado and would be out finding hot springs several weekends a month. Since I moved to the Pacific Northwest I have been in search of nice natural hot springs, but it has been tough. Most of the nice springs in the Pacific Northwest are concentrated in Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia which is more convenient than going all the way to the Southwest, but still not as nice as having it close to home.
Read MoreSomething really incredible happens when you find people that know how to listen, feel, and work as a team with an attitude of abundance. Every time I am able to get even a few of my wonderful shrimpies together it is usually nourishing and uplifting physically, spiritually, and emotionally. This trip to Whidbey, Fidalgo and Lopez Islands was no different!
Read MoreWhat is gravel riding, and why is it so seductive? The bike industry loves using images of svelte cyclists plastered in mud out in the middle of the woods. How did they get all the way out there and how can I be that cool?
Read MoreFall has been closing in on Seattle: The sun is coming up closer to 8am and setting around 6pm, rain is falling and the gray sky is not letting up. In search of better weather, we went south to Northern Paiute and Tenino lands (Eastern Oregon) to complete the route we had attempted last year.
Read MoreFour goofy friends decided in early July 2020 that they would circumnavigate the Olympic Peninsula at the end of July. We planned to go counter-clockwise and take the Olympic Discovery Trail for as long as we could. It was personal for two of the group since they had attempted the route a few years ago but mechanical issues and a serious rainstorm in South Beach made them call a ride.
Read MoreIf you are starting out, or attempting first trip, it might be a good idea to either start small (under 30 miles/50 km each way), or connect with other cyclists that can show you the ropes. There is no award for cyclists who subject themselves to the most pain and hardship. Bike touring should be fun!
Read MoreI commend anyone that has moved through their fear and anxiety to try something new, and to continue living their lives in spite of all the things that may be designed to hold you back. I hope you find that thing that makes you scared in that very particularly exciting way.
Read MoreThe Bikery has become well known for its accessible bike camping throughout the beautiful Seattle summers. This was my first time going on one of the trips and it did not disappoint. Registration for the campout took place online in the weeks before the ride, which was the weekend of the summer solstice. Registration was $5/person to cover the cost of the campsite reservations, but nobody is ever turned away from Bikery events for their ability to pay.
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