Brian Ratliff

Hi, Brian here.

I live on the top of Bald Peak Hill near Bald Peak State Park a little south of Hillsboro, OR.

donnamb 

Before you go and get AC, talk to some locals about how to manage your house so that it stays cool in the day and then super-cool it off at night. In our dry summers, this actually works quite well.

KingTermite 

Hmmmm....everybody I know has been screaming about either getting AC or being glad they got one last year.

But I do understand what you say.....it is cool enough at night if I opened all the windows I could probably cool the house down really well so that it wasn't too bad for the poochies.

donnamb 

I had a Doberman housemate for about 4 years. I think her heat tolerance was about the same as your greyhounds. This worked fine for her.

I'm surprised to hear that east King County is so wimpy. Of course my girlfriend in Bellevue would scoff at such weaklings. IMO, there's only about 2 weeks out of the year when I wished I had AC - and it's not that bad compared to the hot and humid Michigan summers of my youth.

I've found that a house that is well insulated for the winter will stay cooler in the summer. Also, cedar siding does not retain much heat, and also repels mold/mildew in the winter. What we do is put fans pointing outward in one direction, turn on, and then open the windows in the other direction. We can cool the place down in 45 minutes. Then we keep it on so it's downright chilly by morning. Works nicely.

East Hill

It's only a problem if you're like me and need to sleep during the day. Fans work most of the year (and I do mean ALL year, as the fans also mask outside noises), but there's about a month or so where AC is desperately needed for shift workers.

Unlike some people, I CAN'T leave windows open. Too much outside noise. Eventually your body will adjust and you too will start thinking that it's exceptionally hot outside when it's 80 degrees .

On the other hand, eventually you'll think that 60 degrees is quite balmy .

East Hill

srsly

indeed. these last few days i've done just that. i live in a recently (last couple years) renovated building, so i imagine it has some decent insulation now. i'm surrounded by units on all sides and it gets to be an oven in here since i'm ground floor and can't really leave windows open. but when we get home we just open our windows, have one fan downstairs and one in the loft and it's comfy in about half an hour.


oh, i'm jared by the way. i live in seattle. nice to me you all

MillCreek

Like any true native Puget Sounder, I start to whine, complain and feel faint once the temperature goes above 75 degrees. My wife, who was born and raised in Iowa, was amazed that almost no one has air conditioning in their homes here. She said that everyone back in Iowa did.

roquentin

my name's brooke and i live in olympia, wa. i've lived in the puget sound area nearly my entire life. (except for a bit of time in bellingham and a year or two in spokane).

good to see so many people from the pacific nw on bike forum!

velocity

Hello and welcome are you doing the STP this coming weekend?
V

wakingjonas

i'm tessa, and i live with jared (srsly) in seattle.

i grew up on the hood canal, in a little town called tahuya. anyone familiar? i know there's a race that happens every year starting in tahuya and connecting through seabec, dewatto, and belfair. i've never done it because i moved away before i really started riding, but i'd like to know if anyone's participated, or would like to.

East Hill

Tessa, there's not many people who would know where Tahuya is--I do because I work for the US Postal Service .

What kind of a race?

And welcome to Bike Forums!

East Hill

EffSizzle

I guess I should have introduced myself first before I posted anything.

I'm a 34yo male, grew up in Redmond, WA, lived in downtown Bellevue for the past year and now on the Sammamish plateau. Haven't ridden or owned a bicycle since I was 13, delivering the Seattle Times each and every day.

For some strange reason I decided that I want to get into cycling. Of course, living in the Seattle area we're accustomed to seeing cyclists everywhere we go, in all types of weather. I guess at some point this past March I decided that I want to give it a try...so I did.

I chose a TREK 7.3fx because I knew that I was going to be out of shape at first, so I dedicated this entire year to "getting in shape". Well, being 34 years old and having the notion that my body can still perform the way it did when I was 18 was absolutely ******** because the day I bought my bike I rode the Burke Gilman from Marymoor Park to the UW....AND BACK!!! Oh yeah, WITHOUT CYCLING SHORTS. Oh yeah, WITH NIKE RUNNING SHOES. Needless to say I almost didn't wake up the next morning. That was the first time in my life that I realized that I'm not 18 anymore, that I probably should take it easy and work my way up to cycling shape. Silly me.

The second day of owning my bike I bought some cycling shorts, Shimano SPD pedals and cleated shoes (highly recommended), a computer w/ cadence (I love spinning). I'll probably invest in some bar ends seeing that my hands get tired of being in the same position on rides of 30 miles +.

I'm absolutely, 100%, unequivocally addicted to cycling and all that it brings. I've lost 20 lbs since March, I sleep better at night, shoot...even my sex life has improved. Here's something even more crazy...I sold my Mercedes Benz. I did something as "extreme" as that because I love cycling THAT much. Plus if I decide not to ride and need to get somewhere I can just take the bus, or have my girlfriend take me. Ain't life grand?

My eyes are on the Specialized Allez Triple. From what I've seen and read it looks to be a great introduction into the world of road bikes. I'll probably keep my Trek for farting around town.

Well, enough from me. I'm glad to be a part of this forum and please let me add that my experience so far has been nothing buy joy. Cycling has, is and will continue to be a life changing experience for me. Thanks!!!

East Hill

You need to put that in every post that member 'exas' has posted!

[he has a very strong fixation on what cycling will do to him ]

Seriously, glad to have you join us here!

East hill

Stromen8

Hey everyone,
Just moved here from spending 2 1/2 years in Germany. Great for me and Bike. Well I now live in Olympia/Lacey area. Can't wait to start riding again.

D

srsly

it's a road race from tahuya to seabeck and back. there's some nice riding out in that area in general. especially if you like hills

East Hill

As a matter of fact, I do .

East Hill

mstrpete

Another Olympian here! My name really is Pete, and I've been prowling the mean streets of Thurston County on this hefty Huffy for the last year or so:

I just recently found this with a "Free Bike" sign on it, so I plan to switch:

We are a family of five with one motor vehicle and 11 bikes See you on the Chehalis Trail!

East Hill

What's the free replacement, Pete?

My husband and I have you beat on the collection (although you're doing better with the fewer motor vehicles) of bikes!

East Hill

mstrpete

It's a Trek 830 from '85 or '86. Sorry the pic's a little fuzzy. All that bike needed was a little WD-40 (and possibly a new rear tube) and it's ready!

djwright

I am in Snohomish, East of Everett. Right by the wonderful Centennial trail. 13.5 miles one way to work with 750 elevation gain. I try to ride 4 days a week and am training for the flowing lake triathlon.

East Hill

Oh, you can take better photos and do a post in the Classic & Vintage forum if you haven't already done so . I see you got the Fuji over there.

East Hill

wakingjonas

the roads are rough through dewatto so you have to prepare for some deep soul vibrations

East Hill

Are the soul vibrations there because the road is rough, or because Dewatto has ghosts?

East Hill

mstrpete

Once I get it cleaned up a little, I'll take some better pics. Right now, though, I'm laid up with a large cut on the bottom of my foot, right under my toes I can hardly walk, let alone ride!

East Hill

Ow! Sounds a bit like me, on my first day of wanting to try out my new vintage cycling shoes (Detto Pietros, size 37 ). Managed to drop something very heavy on the top of my foot. Never mind the Dettos, I went with something a bit more forgiving. Soon...

So what happened?

East Hill