That price isn’t awful. Will this light work with a magicshine or something as a helmet light for nighttime mountain biking?
Did a nice little 70 miler last weekend with some people, and we did some mild trespassing on some fancy neighborhoods private doubletrack. It was good.
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I ran a Grinduro today. 16 riders turned up. We had awesome weather and finished with a tail wind. Had too much fun to take any decent photos. 96kms and 1600 metres climbing. [https://www.relive.cc/view/1931200601]
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X-poast from NüMTB thread:
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This bike is soooooooo hot
Edit: The geometry seems a little weird in this picture tho
Edit edit: When I reloaded the page the picture went back to normal. It was all stretched out horizontally
Hmm…now it’s ack to all stretched out.
Anywho
What’s the name of that bridge? Looks gorgeous.
That’s the Sydney Harbo(u)r bridge.
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Thanks man! It’s sooo much fun to ride!
I can just assume it’s google photos fucking up the picture. Or maybe my routing of my own post from the MTB thread that does it… Strange none the less.
Yeah, Sydney Harbour bridge. Also known as the coathanger.
Ah another Elephant down under
A few days late to post. We had perfect autumn riding weather on Sunday, so decided to ride to Duxbury. Covered a little over 100 mi, with ~80 on roads I hadn’t ridden before. Highlights:
John Adams/John Quincy Adams house (also rode past the Daniel Webster estate)
a flooded cranberry bog
long wood bridge in Duxbury
view from the Myles Standish** Memorial tower. Not much terrain by the standards of the west coasters, but some nice fall color.
** Standish was apparently the military commander for the Puritans in Plymouth and was kinda awful, but there are some nice parks named after him now. I’m planning a weekend bike camping trip to his eponymous state park next spring.
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Went riding out in the sagebrush and juniper. Got a babysitter so 'supwief and I could have a nice belated anniversary ride, followed by lunch and a beer.
It was a nice afternoon of zooming around on our mtbs, and at 45 degrees + the sun was pretty much perfect weather, there was even a light breeze keeping the dust at bay for the following rider.
This area is about 22mins from my door by car, won’t be a summer mainstay but it is useable most of the winter.
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Which trails are those? I don’t remember any overlooking the river like that back when I lived there.
quick weekend camping trip with the trailer
this is what it looked like saturday.
this was actually very warm (got to +20f overnight, felt completely warm the whole time.)
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Have you hit up Peterson Ridge in Sisters yet? It stays pretty nice through winter.
If anyone is interested I finally edited and uploaded all my Seattle to Montana photos & trip report from 2017. My writing leaves a lot to be desired so please forgive my crude descriptions.
Warning, over 500 photos, full set here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/andy_squirrel/albums/72157683260965464
11 Day Bike Tour from Seattle, WA to Missoula to Whitefish, Montana with Andrew, Ben and Tiff. 13 Days total including a day for mountain biking in Whitefish and the Amtrak Empire Builder train ride home.
Planned Route Here with POI: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21469775
Recorded Routes split by day:
Day 1: www.strava.com/activities/1004379338
I awoke early giddy with excitement to begin my first big tour of 2017. Departing Seattle before the sun rose I stopped by Madrona Park on my way out to bid my friends partaking in #CoffeeOutisde a farewell. I would be riding from Seattle to Rattlesnake Lake solo then meeting up with Ben & Tiff (cheaters!) who were getting dropped off by a family members. Together we climbed up the Iron Horse / Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail (formerly known as the John Wayne Pioneer Trail). The 2.3 mile Snoqualmie Tunnel had just opened a few days earlier and there was still some snow on the trail near the top. Americorp volunteers were still clearing trees and branches that had fallen over the winter so we followed in their snow tracks. We stumbled across another group of touring cyclists that were making their annual journey to the Sasquatch Festival at the Gorge Amphitheater, we made quick friends and leapfrogged each other the entire day. As the sun began to set we found some really nice campsites between the Yakima River and the trail, my Strava read 113 Miles & 4,488 ft of climbing for the day, I was pooped!
Day 2: www.strava.com/activities/1006427638
Traveling down an absolutely beautiful section of the Palouse to Cascades Trail we enjoyed the Yakima River, rocky cliffs and plenty of retired train tunnels. Our first stop was in Ellensburg to stock up on food for the next couple days. We jumped off the loose gravel trail at this point to ride the magnificent Vantage Highway which is a fairly low traffic and brings you through the center of the Puget Sound Energy wind turbine farm. A thrilling descent into the Columbia River gorge dumps you in Vantage, the last food/drink stop for a long time. We staged here and decided to push ourselves to ride over the dangerous Interstate 90 Vantage Bridge which is uphill and has no shoulder to trudge along in. We somehow survived the horrifying crossing and vowed to advocate for the repair & improvement of the nearby Beverly Bridge which would connect with the Palouse to Cascades Trail. We set up at the Sand Hollow campground not far from the bridge and took a dip in the Columbia River as the sun began to set.
Day 3: www.strava.com/activities/1008887473
We began the day on the banks of the Columbia River and almost tripped over a rattlesnake that slept in a nearby bush at our mostly empty campsite. We made our way south toward the retired Beverly Bridge which we hope someday will carry cyclists across the “Palouse To Cascades Trail” formerly known as the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. Opting for the lovely RD 17 SW gravel road instead of the trail which was much better maintained. We also didn’t see a single car this entire 30 mile stretch of road. We made our way to Othello, Estes, Kahlotus and finally finishing at Palouse Falls where we camped for the night. We had an interesting campsite denial encounter that was summed up well by Gene at Bikingbis : www.bikingbis.com/2017/06/13/how-bicycle-travelers-can-pi…
Day 4: www.strava.com/activities/1008887449
I woke early to catch the sunrise on Palouse Falls and was not disappointed. After doing some yoga to loosen up after 100 mile day previously we took a group picture and hit the road and had our first sight of the Snake River. We saw some big flocks of white pelicans in formation and endured the heat of eastern Washington as we opted for a modification of our very optimistic pre-planned route. We decided to stick to the busy highway 12 and not kill ourselves today. We passed through some amazing wind turbine farms and crossed over the Aipowa Summit. Stopped in a small town and I ordered the worst pizza I’ve ever had in my life, then proceeded to consume it over the next 3 meals. We ended the day near the border of Idaho where the Clearwater & Snake Rivers join in Clarkston / Lewiston. We camped that evening at the Chief Timothy Park which is an island on the Snake River.
Day 5: www.strava.com/activities/1010737344
Crossing into Idaho first thing in the morning we were able to ride the fantastic Lewiston Levee Parkway Trail that had great views of the river and was separated from traffic. Wish we could have backtracked up the Hells Gate but we had a long, hot and hard day ahead. I had done some previous research and discovered a cool abandoned road called Hewett Rd which was a nice break from the highway stress. It began in the town of Spalding then rejoined the highway few miles later where the Lewis and Clark Scenic Byway was unfortunately getting a repave which made the road even narrower and more stressful. We finally reached a point where I had scouted a “Type-two” off-highway alternative route that paralleled Route 12 starting in Cherrylane, ID. At this point Ben and I accepted the challenge while Tiffany continued on Route 12. We quickly discovered the gravel and steep grades were not to be scoffed at but the road afforded some fantastic views and virtually zero cars. By the time we rejoined the highway at Ahsahka the sun was already peeking behind the hills and Tiff had already made it to the campsite. Ben put the pedal to the floor and pulled me the last thirty miles to Kamiah where we found a mostly empty KOA campsite with warm showers. What an exhausting day!
Day 6: www.strava.com/activities/1015453128
The first town we rolled through was Kooskia which was a cool place to restock food and hang out for a minute before following the Clearwater river deeper into Idaho. Unfortunately much of Route 12, Northwest Passage Scenic Byway, didn’t have much shoulder or any low-traffic alternatives. It more than made up for it in beautiful views, cool refreshing air and plentiful campsite options. The latter allowed us lots of flexibility for speed & distance and places to stop for lunch. We ended this day by camping at a low-profile spot that had a super secret Hot Spring. What an amazing day!
Day 7: www.strava.com/activities/1015453109
One of my favorite days on the tour. I awoke before the sun and my friends, rapidly packed up camp, shoveled breakfast down and quickly hiked a mile to the Hot Springs. I arrived to an empty set of tubs just as the sun was cresting the hillside, filtering through the trees, dropped my drawers and hopped in the steaming water. We realized we had a short day ahead of us so we took our time climbing the pass. Later that afternoon we stopped for a bite at the summit lodge then proceeded to crest Lolo pass and cross the Idaho/Montana border before a ripping descent toward Missoula.
Day 8: www.strava.com/activities/1015453214
Morning descent from Lolo Pass down to Missoula Montana. We stumble across the brand new Bitterroot Trail which parallels Highway 93 and provides a low stress way to enter Missoula. A day for laundry, Adventure Cycling Association HQ visit and lots of food and drink. Ben and Tiff pack up their bikes (since this concludes their tour) while Whitney Ford-Terry gives Andrew a tour of the amazing Museum at ACA headquarters where she works. Delicious Ethiopian food for dinner and drinks at a great dive bar. Friendly roommates and cute puppies greet us at Whitney’s home as a thunder storm billows outside. The next morning Andrew will set out solo to ride to Whitefish. Thanks so much to Whitney Ford-Terry for hosting me for the day and evening!
Day 9: www.strava.com/activities/1033363713
My first day solo! After packing up at Whitney Ford-Terry’s house, playing with their indoor sheep and puppies, checking out the other outdoor farm animals I headed out of Missoula’s suburbs towards the Flathead reservation. It was slightly damp celebration of Adventure Cycling Association’s official “Bike Travel Weekend”. Passing by livestock including bison I began climbing Jocko pass, checking out the reservoirs and dropping down to Seeley Lake to stay with another gracious host I had never met before. I arrived at their house while they were out but they encouraged me to have some tuna they prepared for me. I unfortunately passed out before they arrived home that evening but I’ve never felt so welcomed and trusted by complete strangers.
Day 10: www.strava.com/activities/1020004703
I awoke at a friend of a friend’s house in Seeley Lake and knew I had a big day of unpaved forest roads ahead, 100 miles and 6,200 ft of elevation. In the morning as I was packing up my bags I emerged from the front door to discover a black bear with its head in my handlebar bag. I instinctively started yelling and lunging at it and luckily the bear was spooked pretty easily not before getting a good look at me. I gathered my yard sale and cleaned off the pans / knife it was licking. I chose to take Rice Ridge with the hope of getting some good views of Swan Valley and the snow capped mountains on either side. I wasn’t disappointed although the low hanging clouds did obstruct some of the views. With the snow melted on the roads and plenty of streams still running from snow melt it was the perfect time of year. The roads were in fantastic condition and only saw a couple cars on the forest roads over the course of the day. I finished off the afternoon at Swan Lake and enjoyed a mostly empty campsite before turning in early.
Day 11: www.strava.com/activities/1020004970
I woke up early, packed up quick and made breakfast down on Swan Lake at sunrise. I backtracked a few miles to take the west side of the lake and follow the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route through the valley. It linked up many decent forest roads that were conveniently all closed to motorized vehicles. Unfortunately the roads had very few tree clearings so I missed out on some nice mountain views. I detoured down to the small town of Big Fork via a really lovely muti-use trail opposite a highway that followed the drainage of Swan Lake into Flathead Lake. Had a filling lunch, explored the town and rode down to Flathead Lake. The afternoon brought me down quiet cattle ranching roads with nice vistas, through some small Montana towns and and eventually dumped me into my final destination in Whitefish! From downtown I discovered that the best route to the Whitefish Bike retreat was connecting the very well marked “Whitefish Trail” which was primarily groomed singletrack. When I rolled into the retreat Elyse was already there to welcome me. We also discovered that the creators of Path Less Pedaled, Russ & Laura were the only other guests at the bunk house! What a cool surprise. Turns out that R & L were also taking our same Amtrak train back West but terminating in Portland instead of Seattle.
Day 12:
After a restful evening in the bunk house at the Whitefish Bike Retreat Elyse and I rented some mountain bikes & explored the trails surrounding the property. It was fun to hang out with the cool staff including the owner Cricket and their dogs. We met back up with Russ & Laura in the afternoon, hitched a ride back to town in the van together, went out to dinner in Whitefish downtown then hung out at the Amtrak station until our Empire Builder Train arrived from the east. R&L had to box up their bikes for the train car bound for Portland but our Seattle train car allowed for roll on service since it had bike hooks. Elyse and I decided to try out one of Amtrak’s fancy private sleeper car rooms for the ride from Whitefish to Seattle since the Empire Builder always travels through the night during this section.
Day 13:
We awoke in the Amtrak Empire Builder sleeper car and discovered that the top bunk moved around a little more than the bottom bunk for this leg of the trip. Luckily the sun came up around Wenatchee during this high point in the summer so we were able to see the beauty of the Cascade mountain range as we passed through. Our room included breakfast in the dining car but unfortunately only a window facing north so when the conductor announced nice views facing south we had to run downstairs to find a window facing the right direction. The rail line over Stevens pass is full of amazing scenery and long tunnels.
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Nice write up!
Glad you didn’t die on the vantage bridge. Even just thinking about crossing on a bike makes my b.hole real puckered.
Yeah, that was kinda terrifying and would not recommend.
Back in 2015 we paid a guy with an empty trailer & suburban at the gas station to ferry us across the bridge. He was apparently going to pick up his daughter from college and was excited to get a free tank of gas. His dog unfortunately was not as stoked to have 6 sketchy dudes in the back of the car. Skeptical dog face was skeptical.
TypeTwo Desert Dessert Day 1 by Andrew Squirrel, on Flickr
versus 2017:
Seattle To Montana Bike Tour Day 2 by Andrew Squirrel, on Flickr
Here is the nearby Beverly Bridge which needs restoration work:
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