I think that gear envy is a pretty real phenomenon for a lot of people. Those feelings of scarcity or inadequacy (I wish I had that” or “Why didn’t I think to bring that?!”) are amplified when your friends have cooler gear than you; or perhaps it’s the high stakes of outdoor survival that put the lizard part of my brain on edge. Whatever the case, here is a list of stuff that didn’t make it to my helpful packing list spoke card, but are nice (and lightweight) additions to your setup. I will periodically update this list, since there is always new gear to covet.
This post expands on Cycling 101, and is intended for cyclists who want to safely and confidently take their riding outside their neighborhood or town. Appropriate places to ride vary from place to place, and will also depend on the cyclist’s ability, and bike type. If you are starting to ride longer distances, add distance gradually until you are comfortable and confident in your ability to get back home.
I felt to nourished by the rhythm of our days. It felt so natural to be moving on a bike all day with some of my best friends, helping one another make food, work through feelings, and tackle mechanical issues. It felt good to sleep under trees, pack up my bike bags every morning, and bathe in lakes and rivers. Eight days was all it took to adapt enough to a different type of life that I didn’t want it to change. Maybe I would get tired of this pace of life? If the weather was bad? If I couldn’t find good food? If it wasn’t as scenic? Whatever the case, I felt inspired to tour for longer, to keep going, to develop a new frame for cycling in the future.
Four 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.
Every body can cycle. Whether you ride with a conventional bike, a bike with training wheels, a recumbent, or a bike that allows a partner to pedal alongside or with you, there are a number of ways to ride a bike.
If 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!
I conducted a survey of Seattle bike shops called SPLAIN in the fall of 2019, and worked with the Seattle Bike Blog to publish the results to a wider audience. The blog’s editor Tom Fucoloro kindly invited me to do an interview about the survey and its results. I get into more detail about my process and intention with the survey. Tom asked so many great questions and although I don’t have many answers, I loved getting to hang out and chat!
I came up with the idea to distribute a survey about Seattle bike shops as I was developing the syllabus for an introductory workshop on cycle touring for women, trans, and femme people at the Seattle Colleges. I did not know who will show up for the class, so I had to consider: What would I have wanted to know about cycling in Seattle when I started?
I have met a lot of shorter cyclists and they got me out of my bubble. I decided to make a list of bikes with frame sizes under 50 cm, so if you are not the height of the average U.S. man (me) you can find a bike in your size.
I 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.
Sometimes you just wanna take a trip with a small group of folks that you can be your dumbest/best self with. I spent a lot of my summer up until this trip meeting new bike folk and cobbling together groups of new friends to ride into the woods. This time it was just the shrimpy gals — minus a few key players of course.
I wanted to make the most of this time of year by planning to explore the Olympic Discovery Trail, yet another one of Washington State’s amazing rail to trail conversions. The rail lines were removed from the Olympic Peninsula in the 1980s and advocacy to create a multi-use trail began shortly after.
The League of American Bicyclists has named Washington as the most bike-friendly state in the nation since 2013. There is no better example of this than the Palouse-to-Cascades Trail (formerly known as the Iron Horse Trail, which was formerly known as the John Wayne Pioneer Trail) which spans 285 miles across the state to the Idaho border.
In 2019 I got more confident about planning bike trips, and started planning some trips on my own. I planned out a few overnight bike trips throughout the summer. I had wanted to ride to Fort Flagler the previous summer, but had not been able to convince any of my friends to go with me. I chose a weekend at the end of June and hoped we would get good weather.
A friend I had known for some time asked me if I would be interested in riding in Oregon over Memorial Day Weekend with a bunch of rad women. One of the leaders at The Bikery was put together a group ride for femme, trans, and women-identified folks. I did not know anybody except my friend, but was so excited to meet more femmes that are into cycling.
The 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.
Hiker-biker sites in Washington State Parks make it so much easier to coordinate trips because as long as you are riding a bike, you can assume you will have a place to stay. I found Scenic Beach State Park and thought that it looked like a pretty phenomenal spot to hang out for a weekend.
I have been lucky to have been a cyclist for most of my life. After a few years living in Seattle without a car, and riding these hills with panniers full of all manner of household items and groceries, I figured that hauling camping gear would not be that much of a stretch. Since I love the outdoors but did not have a car, if I was carrying all of my camping gear I would not need a car to get out of town in the first place!
