Seattle

[tommyquinlan]

Newbie patience. thanks

I am going to start my tour to Key West out of Seattle this summer. Does anyone familiar with the city know where the best bike shop to send my bike for assembly, and a nice place to stay for a couple of nights preferably close to dipping in Puget Sound before I head out. Also, any best bike directions towards North Bend to get me out of city appreciated. Thanks, This is my first post so sorry if I am in wrong place.

[johnsondasw]

Recycled Cycles might be a good option. Also Greg's, which has a store in Bellevue, east of Seattle. There is even a good bike shop in downtown NB called, I think, Singletrack.  Recycled Cycles is near routes that lead you out of Seattle via the I-90 bridge bike lane toward North Bend.  If you are going to NB, I assume you are planning to go over Snoqualmie Pass on I-90, which has had major construction going on for years now and in places has been clsoed to bikes.  Stevens Pass to the north (HWY 2) or White Pass or Chinook Pass to the south of I-90 might be better choices.  Also, these other three options are not major freeways and are quieter and the roadside is less dirty.  I have always gotten lots of flats on I-90. You can check with WSDOT aboiut the status of I-90 and the other passes. 

For routes out of Seattle, some of them  are kind of complicated but all are good bike routes if you know where you are going.  You may get good info and even maybe maps from the Cascade Bicycle Club at cascade.org.

Best wishes! Sounds like a great time to me! 

[tommyquinlan]

Thanks so much, Great information. I will check on all your leads. Just made my flight reservation, starting to get PUMPED up for my tour.

[Pat]

Hi John,

THIS ONLY DISCUSSES HOW TO GET OUT OF SEATTLE - WE DIDN"T SPEND MUCH TIME IN THE TOWN ITSELF.

You are in for a wonderful ride.  I envy you.  Make sure to take a camera, because you are going to get some spectacular shots.

I'm not sure how you are getting into Seattle.  We came into Seattle on AmTrak.  We were NOT impressed with the train station.  It was being remuddled, and the staff were unfriendly.  If we had been forced to assemble our bikes in Seattle rather than Portland the night before, I'm not sure how it would have gone.

I have no experience with SEATAC.  But riding to the ferries seems pretty straight forward.

The ACA maps for the Pacific Coast take you from Brimmerton, Washington, to North Bend, Oregon.  We took the ferry from Seattle to Brimmerton (about an hour), and then rode to the west side of town, where we spent the night in a pretty good ACA suggested motel.  We were able to duck under the highway, and catch the ACA route.  It takes you down, roughtly parallel to I-5 down to Longview, Washington, where it takes a right at the Columbia River, and on the Cathlamet ferry.  Once across the river on the ferry, US-30 takes you in to Astoria.  And, from there, it is down US-101 to North Bend.

We loved the Oregon coast, especially the Otter Crest Loop.  The Washington State route had very little coast line south of Seattle.  And, to our good fortune, last June was the wettest June in some time, with 200% of normal.

If I we have a do over, we will strike out for the coast from Portland, rather than starting in Seattle.  As it turns out, because my wife's rear hub starting making "funny noises", we took the train from Centralia Washington to Vancouver Washington, where the guys did their magic and charged us a pittance.  TO get back on track, we rode side roads from Vancouver to Kelso (the only strenuous part was Green Mountain Road which was a bear).  From there, we were able to rejoin the ACA route.

Happy Trails,

Pat

[tommyquinlan]

Thanks Pat,
I plan on taking a diagonal and catching the Adventure Cycling Routes in Lowell.

[JHamelman]

Washington DOT and localities have some good map resources available here:

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/bike/

Have a great trip and keep us posted on how it goes!

Best,
.Jennifer.

[tommyquinlan]

Thanks

[erniegrillo]

Elliott Bay Bicycles is one block north of Pike Place Market.
There is a nearly off road bike trail from Downtown Seattle to Issaquah,  It follows I-90. Some on a bike trail, some on roads with good shoulders.
A longer option but dead flat and maybe more scenic is to follow the Burke Gillman - Sammamish - East Lake Sammamish Trails
from Seattle to Issaquah.   About 40 miles all on converted rail road lines. From Issaquah you can ride I-90 to North Bend or detour to Fall City, Snoqualmie. There is a off road ride, the Iron Horse Trail that extends from North Bend to the Columbia River. It is gravel but Ok for fat tired touring bikes. If there is construction on I-90 in the pass area when you are crossing, they offer a free bike shuttle thru the construction area.  There is a Hostel in downtown Seattle. Hotels get less expensive as you leave downtown.