Visiting Bellevue - Ride info + LBS Rental

[RJBTrek]

I'm traveling from Chicago in June and will be staying in Bellevue. I'm looking for recommendations for a place to rent a road bike as well as any group rides both of which I would like in the vicinity of Bellevue Way and 8th if possible.

This is a business trip so most of the time I have will be in the early morning or evening. I saw the thread on the Lake Washington loop but 50mi is more time than I think would have. I figure I could go as far as time allows and always turn around and come back the same direction.

Suggestions?

[markjenn]

Gregg's is the big fancy bike shop about 4 blocks S on Bellevue Way from where you're staying - they just built a new/huge swank, three-story facility. Don't know if they do rentals though. I'd give them a call and if they don't, they might know someone who does.

http://www.greggscycles.com/

You can do the N or the S half of the Lake Wash loop - the I-90 floating bridge has a dedicated bike trail cuts across the lake about 2/3'rds the distance N to S. So the S loop is about 27 miles and the N loop is about 38 miles. Unfortuantely Bellevue is about the least friendly place to get across on the loop as the bike lanes are spotty N to S and the construction activity downtown is like Hong Kong. Gregg's wil have some good bike maps and/or you might try either of these web sites to find maps:

http://www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/walking_biking.htm
http://www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/roads/bike/index.cfm

Another option is to take the new Hwy 520 trail (nice but very noisy) east to Marymoor Park where you can pick up the Sammamish River Trail which is a very nice quiet rural ride up to the N end of the lake around Bothell. There you can pick up the Lake Wash loop and either say on the E side of the lake and go back to Bellevue, or join the Burke Gilman trail which takes you down the W side of the lake to Univ of Wash. But if you get on the W side of the lake, you'll have to continue all the way S to get back across the lake at I-90 - there are no bike lanes on 520 and it is impossible to cross the lake there, except by busing (the buses do have bike racks on the front).

Cascade Bicycling Club is very active on the group ride front:

http://www.cascade.org/Home/

Enjoy your visit.

- Mark

[zippyh]

Gregg's doesn't do rentals anymore.

Here's a link to Cascade's bike rental page.
http://www.cascade.org//Community/rental.cfm
I don't know how accurate or up to date it is.

Montlake Bikes seems to be your best bet.
There's one in Kirkland which is not too far from Bellevue.

[BengeBoy]

If you can get a bike, ride from Bellevue to I90, take the I90 bridge to Mercer Island and do a lap around Mercer Island.

It's 6 to 8 miles from downtown Bellevue to Mercer Island, 13 or 14 miles around Mercer Island, then back to Bellevue. Only tricky part is finding the proper path through Bellevue to get to the bike path; but there is a good map on the Bellevue city website. Also, lots of routes on Bikely.com show you the lap around Mercer Island.

If you like to climb, there is a 40-mile route called the "Seven Hills of Kirkland." It's an annual event...google their website and you can see their route. You can catch up with the route in northern Bellevue/Southern Kirkland.

[markjenn]

If you can get a bike, ride from Bellevue to I90, take the I90 bridge to Mercer Island and do a lap around Mercer Island.

It's 6 to 8 miles from downtown Bellevue to Mercer Island, 13 or 14 miles around Mercer Island, then back to Bellevue. Only tricky part is finding the proper path through Bellevue to get to the bike path; but there is a good map on the Bellevue city website. Also, lots of routes on Bikely.com show you the lap around Mercer Island.

This is a great suggestions - I loop Mercer Island a couple times a week and it is a very pleasant ride.

A pleasant (but hilly) route to the I-90 trail (which goes across MI) from your hotel is to head W on NE 8th a couple blocks until you reach 100th. Turn left/south - you'll on a road just to the W of Bellevue Square Mall. Go down eight blocks until it "tees", turn left on Main St., then take the next right on 101st and you're on a road that goes up and over a steep hill past Chism beach park. Follow this road (more or less - it winds around and changes names a few times - don't get me started about the Seattle area's screwy street naming system) until you get to the I-90 trailhead at the E end of the East Channel bridge going over to MI.

Alternatively, you could just head S on Bellevue Way which is more direct and less hilly, but this is the main commuter route, has heavy traffic almost all the time, and there are no bike lanes to speak of. A compromise between the two is to take Bellevue Way S untill SE 8th and fork off on 104th.

- Mark

[BengeBoy]

A pleasant (but hilly) route to the I-90 trail (which goes across MI) from your hotel is to head W on NE 8th a couple blocks until you reach 100th. Turn left/south - you'll on a road just to the W of Bellevue Square Mall. Go down eight blocks until it "tees", turn left on Main St., then take the next right on 101st and you're on a road that goes up and over a steep hill past Chism beach park. Follow this road (more or less - it winds around and changes names a few times - don't get me started about the Seattle area's screwy street naming system) until you get to the I-90 trailhead at the E end of the East Channel bridge going over to MI.

This is the route to take from Bellevue to M.I. I was too lazy to explain it last night. The first hill south of Main Street is kinda steep, but it's a very pretty ride after you get over the hill.

[RJBTrek]

Thanks for the suggestions. It will be interesting to do the hills. Illinois is pretty flat...and Chicago area is flatter.

[Packeteer]

Thanks for the suggestions. It will be interesting to do the hills. Illinois is pretty flat...and Chicago area is flatter.

Go to Montlake. I bought my bike there recently and they are great.

The steepest road in seattle is only a few blocks away from Montlake bike shop. E Roy Street hits a wopping 21% grade if you want to check it out. It looks like a wall going up to it. Check out the link below, there is another link to a google map of where all the hills are. Many are on the north east side of capitol hill there. The neighborhood is quiet enough so you should feel safe.

Also if you REALLY want to get into it there are many cobblestone sections on really steep roads in that area. That is just plain masochistic though.

[markjenn]

Thanks for the suggestions. It will be interesting to do the hills. Illinois is pretty flat...and Chicago area is flatter.

We got hills, big time. If you want real hills, take the ferry over to Bainbridge Island and do the Chilly Hilly Route (the route should be on the Cascade web site). This really gives you a feel for the rural area surrounding Seattle and is a wonderful ride, but it is big-time climbing. Another great way to sample the ferry and do a big ride is to go over to Vashon Island. But both probably require you to bus/car over to the dock as it's a heavy slog in traffic to get across town to the ferry docks.

- Mark

[CliftonGK1]

Chilly Hilly is a nice route, but I didn't think the climbing was too tough on it. Nice rolling course with only 1 gnarly climb on it toward the end. The worst part for me was coming up Marion Ave after getting off the ferry so I could ride back to Woodinville. Now Marion Ave... That's a hill!

The 7 Hills of Kirkland route is about the same degree of climbing (about 1000' per 10 miles) as you get from the Chilly Hilly route, but the traffic is less out on the Island. Scenery is better if you're coming to visit. You can get some nice views of downtown Seattle on the ferry ride over to Bainbridge.