Tag / cycling

by Adron

A VLOG Trio – Eastside Bakfiets Bijeenkomst – From Bellevue to Mercer Island to Seattle – Grub @ Burgermaster & Enjoying Spring District!

This is a consolidation post to catch up with the ole’ VLOGs, so this is going to be a short and sweet summary of the VLOGs I shot for the:

Eastside Bakfiets Bijeenkomst

In this episode it’s off for a trip down to the Spring District of Bellevue WA for a “Bakfiets Bijeenkomst”. Translated that means “box bike meet”. For details on our future meetups, check out the Bakfiet Bijeenkomst details here!

  • 0:21 the trip to Bakfiets Bijeenkomst.
  • 0:58 The 40th Street Underpass & a video glance of the tunnel internals of the underpass.
  • 1:29 The 148th Street crossing and its lunacy, this time with lots of other people riding through!
  • 2:03 A downhill race with a peloton rider! 😱
  • 2:15 Arriving at the cargo bike meetup!
  • 3:07 The latest configuration for the Insta360 and GoPro mount.
  • 4:05 Crew Portrait: wololo (Glen), Hanoch, Chris, Jer, Charlie, & Lara with me being invisible.
  • 4:12 Onward to the bakery, Belle Bakery. Check them out at http://www.bellepastry.com/.

Bellevue to Mercer Island to Seattle Long Form Video of the ride

This is a one off long, long, long video of almost a complete ride. I depart from the Bakfiets Bijeenkomst and ride up through Bellevue, across the Interstate 90 Bridge, across Mercer Island, and into Seattle. 0:21 the ride begins, departure from the cargo bike meetup.

Grub @ Burgermaster & chilling in the Spring District

On the ride home from the previous episode I stop in at the Burgermaster for a bite to eat. Join me for a stop there, then a ride back over to the Spring District to enjoy the burger and some introspection. 0:21 On to Burgermaster. 1:07 Going full aero on the cargo bike! 1:38 Gettin’ a burger at Burgermaster. 2:03 I chat with the fella that strolled over to take my order. Love how they take orders here, it’s fun. 4:06 The map of the route from Burgermaster to Spring District that I took. It’s the monster uphill onto the Cross Kirkland corridor right here, but with the Riese & Müller Load 75 it’s a simple walk in the park! 5:09 Back at the Spring District I opted for this cool public space and the marble table! This table is NICE! 5:10 Diving into a bit of introspection and pondering about this Spring District area.

by Adron

Train Life, Bike Life! Portland & Richland trip is done, back to Seattle!

After that last few days I visited some family and friends it was time to head back north to Seattle. On this trip back to the train station I take a slight different route and show that route. All good, all valid, all generally the same trip times.

I get into the station and get the bike tagged, and this time per the baggage attendant’s suggestion I check my Burley. More on that momentarily.

I then went and relaxed in the first class sleeping car lounge to wait for the boarding call. In short order the call was made and out the door to board. As always, with roll on bicycle service I headed to the baggage car, lo and behold I knew all the handlers today! I was greeted warmly, handed off the bike and we chatted for a minute or three. After wrapping up a good conversation with some interesting details – as always with the crews – I headed for my roomette.

When arriving at the sleeping car some other passengers and I waited outside for the car attendant to make up some beds and straighten up real quick. This is a common practice at Portland since so many people detrain and so many board for Seattle. You’d be surprised how many opt for roomettes and such just like I do for the Portland to Seattle trip. While out I snagged a video pic of the station…

and ended up giving a knowledge drop on the station to some fellow passengers that found the plight of Portland’s station rather interesting.

From there I enter my room, and oh yeah, I didn’t get a roomette I got a bedroom! Even MORE space, so that being the case I decide to provide a short tour of the bedroom accommodations.

For the final short segment of the video, enjoy a ride through the dark streets of Seattle as I head back to Redmond, with a quick – as I do often – one take session of some thrash metal for ya. 🤘🏻

  • 0:21 – Back to Union Station in Portland, but with another arrival trip, just like the previous one discussed in this episode    • Bike + Train Life…   (time marked so you go right to it).
  • 2:20 – No bike box for this trip, just rolling on. But I do check my Burley trailer.
  • 5:02 – A tour of Amtrak’s Superliner Bedroom accommodation.
  • 8:00 – Getting comfortable and a few words.
  • 9:23 – Arrival in Seattle, detraining, and into the streets accompanied by a little thrash from yours truly! 🤘🏻
Episode 35 of the VLOG.
by Adron

Bike Life. Gravel + Sand + Muck + Tarmac + More in Richland.

Into the haze of desolate cold lands of Richland. Coursing through the relief of the single track, with sparsely laced water elements to misdirect your route. Thickets sprung over the top of what seems like walls between you and your destination. The routes are interesting in this stretch of these woods.

In this episode I’ve made it to Richland and off my brother and I went to explore the surrounding single track, food options, and other sundry of things.

The route overall that we ended up taking was about half tarmac (i.e. paved surface) and a whole lot of gravel, dirt, rutted dirt, horse shoe trodden dirt, and a dose of sand thrown in that made it impossible to traverse.

Surfaces

Tarmac is of course the easiest surface to roll on. No need to even discuss that.

Gravel, in general, when mixed well for trails is a fairly easy surface material to roll on with the added friction. It is a lot of fun when mixed right with a bit of rock dust and dirt and whatever else to create an almost tarmac like surface. This route had a significant dose of both, very loose gravel and well packed gravel.

Dirt can have vast differentiation. Dirt can end up being mud and the issue of sinking comes into play or dirt can be as solid as tarmac too! On this route, the dirt was rarely just merely dirt, but often rutted from motorcycles of some sort or off road vehicles, and then on other parts it was stamped into horse shoes. I’d never thought about it much, but rutted with horse shoes can be some very difficult dirt to get through. When dried and hard, it creates an incessant bumpiness that can just rattle the bones while if muddy it creates an almost suction like pull as you attempt to roll through each shoe imprint.

Sand can be described in one word. Suck. Sand just puts an unquestionable halt to rolling through. If it isn’t mixed with something to solidify it a bit it’s impossible to ride through. In the image above I’ve hit some sand and just opted to hike through it and carry the bike. It was the easier choice.

As we rolled along through the first 2/5ths of the ride we worked up some hunger. We checked the ole’ “Google Maps” and fumbled our way over to Baby J’s BBQ & Burgers. A good stop indeed – even had a chance to eat and just shoot the breeze while we did. Check that out in the video at 8:31.

Mystified? Not particularly, but fed we were now ready for the other miles.

On the way back, we’d looped around and came back along the river, which gave us the treat of a glorious sunset while we road along riverside tarmac trail – unfettered by any traffic. A most excellent ride wrapped up this way would have been great.

But there was one more layer of icing on this cake, we went rolling through a golf course for that final leg back home! It was a somewhat hilarious thing, since we had no intent of rolling through a golf course. However once in the midst of the thing, we realized we were indeed in the middle of a golf course.

Great trip, great train ride, always great company being able to hang out with my brother, great food, and just a whole giant good ole’ time!

  • 0:21 – Quick intro to the ride.
  • 1:30 – Initial map trace and ride start.
  • 8:31 – Baby J’s BBQ & Burgers along with the BBQ Conversations and some ride recap.
  • 13:34 – Final stretch of the ride.
Episode 34 of the VLOG.
by Adron

Bike + Train Life. Boarding the Empire Builder, with PDX Orange, for Pasco 4 Gravel Rides!

VLOG posted at the bottom of this post, so scroll down if you want to skip the *reading* part and just watch the video. 🤙🏻

The trip started off with a departure form Fort PDX (where I stay when residing in PDX) and I headed south bound from Rosa Parks toward the train station. For those familiar with PDX routes, then you probably know this route, but I add a little detail for those that are curious or want some tips for south bound trips to downtown (or specifically the train station).

I zig zag a bit and then get to the loopity loop that goes up over the highway (or maybe it’s just a major street. It’s Going Street so I guess it’s just a major freight arterial, but whatever the case, not really worth going over multiple block just to cross it when you can take the up and over. In the video you’ll see more, it’s a rather interesting – yet oddly pedestrian unfriendly way to make things more pedestrian friendly.

After that I cut over to the Williams Corridor and had a Whole Bowl. More on that in the video, but suffice to say they’re so top tier quick meal options that’ll leave you with energy for the day! This kind of food, and the fact there is a plethora of options around Portland is something I miss extensively living in Redmond (Seattle metro). The Seattle metro, and especially in the surrounding metro, food like this at this quality and price just doesn’t appear to exist.

After getting into the station it was time to box the bike. Generally on Amtrak you don’t have to do this these days because you can just hand the bike off at the baggage car. However, Amtrak has had some equipment *incidents* and is short of baggage cars and other equipment options that enable that, so this is one of the routes that is minus a baggage/equipment for that option. Do note, it’s the Portland stretch of the Empire Builder, so when it reconnects at Spokane, the Seattle baggage car joins the train and has roll on capability. But between Portland and Spokane it’s down to boxing it.

In the video I show you how I use two simple wrenches to take the pedal off and adjust the bars. It takes all of about 30 seconds to get done and get it boxed, then they just take the box and will load it for you as a checked bag. Easy peasy.

Once the bike was boxed and ready I strolled off to wait in the first class lounge. Once time was called we all headed out to our train for boarding. One of Amtrak’s new engines was setup to lead our train.

Once aboard I just settled in for the ~5ish hour journey, had snacks and hacked away on some video edits and such. These videos don’t make themselves.

Finally wrapped up the trip by rolling into Pasco! Got the bike and rolled out to my brothers. Next episode, we ride! Where shall we go? What shall we do? Do we get any flats? Do the bikes stay intact? Does it rain? Does it snow? All will be answered in the next episode of whatever it is these VLOGs I make end up titled. 🤣

  • 0:21 – North Portland to Union Station via the Broadway Bridge, with a few route suggestions to avoid inclement segments. First up, Whole Bowl, a bite to eat before boarding the train.
  • 5:55 – Right turns for the route that are important to get right.
  • 6:41 – Broadway Bridge and loop around and under route trick to Union Station.
  • 7:27 – Not turning left on Broadway Bridge, loopity loop to the right, into the Pearl and then under teh Broadway Bridge.
  • 9:20 – Arrival @ Portland Union Station & boxing the bike for boarding the Empire Builder. More details on bike boxes here https://www.amtrak.com/bring-your-bic…
  • 11:16 – Metropolitan Lounge, the sleeper/first class/business class waiting room accommodations plus the bathroom secret!
  • 12:58 – All aboard Empire Builder!
  • 14:04 – On to Pasco! A relaxing journey via Roomette!
  • 14:24 – Arriving Pasco, detraining, a bit of FRN activity, into the station, and waiting for the bike baggage! 🤙🏻
Episode 33 of the VLOG.
by Adron

Bike Life. Train Life. Redmond to Seattle by bike, Seattle to Portland by Train.

This trip was a multipart adventure that was extremely rewarding. I also used new gear for the first time that I’ll talk about.

The trip started with the decision to take the Sammamish and Burke Gilman trails around the north end of Lake Washington on the way to get to King Street Station. This is clearly not the straight route to the train station, but it is the flattest of routes. I wanted to try out the Burley Travoy and also check timing overall since this is also my first trip from Redmond – new home – to downtown Seattle and King Street Station. I checked the google times on the trip and the most direct was 2 hours and 7 minutes, and this longer stretch was 2 hours and 23 minutes. With the trip being as long as it is to start with, another 16 minutes didn’t seem like a big deal.

Thus off I went, departing Redmond heading north, up through Woodinville, Bothell, down the west side of the lake into University District, through downtown, and finally to King Street Station.

Part of the way there, passing through Woodinville.
The tunnel, which is painted rad colors, that I consider the midway point on the north side of Lake Washington.
The full route from Redmond to downtown and King Street Station.

Burley Travoy

Upon arriving at the station I had my first *in the field* attempt at breaking down and stowing the Burley Travoy in its included bag. You can see in video, with these two images, that it went quickly and smoothly. It’s a great product and really easy to use.

Final step after fold up, sliding the detachable wheels into the base.
Slipping the folded Travoy into its bag.

Boarding Coast Starlight Southbound

Once the ride was complete, Travoy packed, bike loaded on the train, I was ready to board myself.

Being greeted at the sleeper car I was assigned to.

After boarding, a tradition I have is whipping together a traditional “train coffee”. Yes, it’s commodity beans, yes it is indeed drip, no it is not premium stuff but anything on the train just has an air of leisure to it, thus “train coffee”.

Train Coffee!

At this point in the video I play an acoustic improv bit that I felt matched the passing scenario.

Train Power Brick: Ankor USB Power Strip Surge Protector!

When taking train trips, specifically the long ones, you should bring yourself a power brick. At least, if like me, you have more than one or two pieces of gear you’d prefer to be able to plug in or recharge. In the past I’ve used a particular strip I have, and have talked about in past videos, but now I’ve picked up a new one with some additional features and hardware! Introducing my new train brick strip, the Anker USB Power Strip Surge Protector(300J), 5ft Extension Cord, Flat Plug, 331 PowerStrip with 6 Outlets & 3 USB-A Ports!

Ankor USB Power Strip Surge Protector

For more details on the Ankor, give the video a watch @ 8:48 along with final arrival at Portland Union Station.

  • 0:21 – From Redmond to King Street Station.
  • 3:17 – Packing the Burley Travoy.
  • 4:03 – Bike stowed, boarding the Coast Starlight.
  • 8:48 – IMPORTANT! Getting an appropriate power strip for the train trip. (Anker USB Power Strip Surge Protector(300J), 5ft Extension Cord, Flat Plug, 331 PowerStrip with 6Outlets & 3USB-A Ports – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09…)
  • 10:18 – Arrival in Portland, Oregon.
Bike Life. Train Life. Redmond to Seattle by bike, Seattle to Portland by Train.

That’s it for this episode. Catch some of the earlier episodes and be sure to subscribe the channel on YouTube. Albeit, if you’re subscribed to this blog, I’ll be posting them here too just a little delayed along with more details about what’s up with each video.