Medic Zero

Hello!

So I am planning on riding from Greenwood up to Paine Field Saturday morning for one of the Flying Heritage Collection Fly Days. Any suggestions for:

- route
- resources for picking out a route
- any cool bike shops to stop in at and check out
- cafe's or lunch spots in the Everett area or on the way back

Just tossing my address and Paine Field into Googles' directions gives me a suggested route but I'm wondering if there is a better resource or anyone commutes this area and has some suggestions. BTW the circa 40 mile roundtrip is totally in my comfort range.

dminor 

Interurban to the Puget Park area and over?

Medic Zero

I'm not familar with Puget Park, I'll have to check that out later tonight when I get a chance, but yeah I'm thinking Interurban. I had only taken Interurban down south near the airport, I didn't realize that there was a northern leg of it until I started looking at the google directions in a rare slow moment last night at work.

The google directions keep telling me to get off the Interurban every few blocks and get back on it. Does the Interurban fade in and out or is this a glitch in the directions? Can I just stay on the trail?

moleman76

https://www.commtrans.org/FAQs/Images...rurban2010.pdf is a link to Community Transit / Snohomish County's rendition of the "north" Interurban Trail. When you get to 128th -- aka "Puget Park" -- head west. Not the most bike-friendly route but the shortest; will bring you in at the south end of Paine Field.

macd55

The interurbin does fade in and out at different spots but it is onto user friendly streets. It is hard to follow sometimes until you have been over it. I have ridden on it from Everett to 125th quite often. To get from the trail to Paine Field go north to the next road beyond 128th which is 112th. Get off after you go under 112th and head west. It has a bike lane and takes you right to Paine Field. I've gone that way before and its much safer then 128th.

Medic Zero

Many thanks folks! I love this site!

I'm toying with the idea of detouring over to 99 to poke around that cluster of bike shops. As the crow flies, continuing on 99 would make sense from that point, anyone know if it is totally inhospitable to bikes? Does it have big wide sidewalks if so?

Thanks again for the intel!

macd55

Highway 99 through Lynnwood does have sidewalks and you'll need them as there isn't much room for bikes and the traffic is bad at all hours of the day. I personally don't/won't ride on highway 99. If you stay on the Interurbin trail just past the Alderwood mall there is Greggs cycle in a stip mall to the left at the bottom if a short hill.

Medic Zero

Thanks again! Maybe if I do decide to check out the Cycle Barn those other shops right nearby I'll do it as a detour from the Interurban and go right back to it. I love gear, I always like to stop in at shops and see what they have in the way of panniers, bags and accessories.

macd55

You do know the Cycle Barn is a Harley dealer not a bicycle dealer don't you? If you are going to go there leave the interurbin trail at the Lynnwood park and ride and go west on 200th to highway 99. Go north to 188th. Its on the NW corner of 188th and highway 99.

moleman76

If you venture over to Hwy 99 in Lynnwood -- which I would not suggest as a route to ride a bike on for very far -- just do it as a west on 200th, visit to Harvey's Bike Shop, andthen go east on 200th back to the trail.

Harvey's epitomizes the old school bike shops with bikes (and all other sorts of stuff) hanging from the ceiling and adorning all the walls. Truly a sight to behold.

112th would be a better approach to Paine Field than 128th/Airport Road.

Medic Zero

Haha! No, I hadn't noticed that yet! Thanks! I got interrupted while researching at work and had only gotten as far as seeing the name on the flag/pin on the map.

Medic Zero

Many thanks!

I'll have to hold off on my trip report for a couple of weeks, my girlfriends hiking plans fell through and she isn't up to as long as a ride as this yet. So we are going to use the unexpected time off together to go for a shorter ride in-town together. I'm definitely still going to do the ride up to Paine Field this summer, I have every other weekend off and am excited about it and another detour I have planned as part of the trip.

Thanks again everyone! I'll report in when I do it.

Bogester 

I've done that route several times. I personally try and avoid the hole Lynwood-Interurban maze. Basically I ride the Interurban up to about 200th then head north on Meridian (76th ave w. in Lynnwood). I wander usually but a good basic route is up 76th ave W., right on 196th st. SW, left on 64th Ave. W, right on 176th st. SW, left on 52nd Ave. W., head north and veer right on Beverly Park Rd. and it will take you right to Paine Field. Roads are pretty decent, bike lanes on most roads, lots of side street alternatives...just follow that basic route.
The interurban path is ok but it really veers to the east, is tough to follow the first couple times, and zig zags in many areas. I think the side streets in North Seattle/Lynnwood/South Everett are really great places to ride...especially if you get off on the side roads.

Medic Zero

Thanks! That is great advice. That was the kind of thing I was hoping for. I'm all for trails and glad they are there, but if I am going to be looking out every few blocks for a direction change and road signs anyway then if there are neighborhood streets that I can easily roll down with good visibility and maintain pretty much my top speed then well sometimes I prefer that. It's good to know that is there and the experience finding/picking a route is invaluable and why this forum is so great!

At this point I think when I do it (probably two weeks from today) I'll try your route on the way up and see about the trail on the way back. Any potential turn I miss on the trail I just have to continue heading south and eventually I'll get home.

percy kittens

Hi there~

I just did that ride a couple days ago. I took up an errand for a friend of mine and used it as an excuse to ride somewhere different. From Shoreline I rode 99 to 168th in Lynnwood, where I cut over west to Beverly Park Road, which is a nice little road for bikes. It put me back on 99 (Evergreen hiway or whatever it is called in Everett) right about where I needed to go...41st in Everett.

Coming back I took roughly the same route. I like Hiway 99 just fine. Except for a few spots, the right lane is mostly Transit only (read"and bikes"!) so it is mostly void of cars. That little section of Beverly Park is super nice as it let me avoid the stretch in Lynnwood where 99 has NO transit lane.

Another thing: if I am on unfamiliar territory, I stay near 99, but choose to ride the side streets and residential areas that run parallel to 99. It really makes a difference, suddenly quiet and un-smoggy.

All in all it was 38 miles r/t.

MillCreek

Something to bear in mind on the side roads is the presence of potholes. Due to budgetary reasons, Snohomish County has been deferring road maintenance, and fixing the crumbling shoulders or potholes on the side roads has the lowest priority.

You could ride Highway 99 all the way up into south Everett, turn left on Airport Way, and this will take you to the airport. Due to traffic, Highway 99 is not my first choice, though.

dminor 

Apologies for the old-skool reference. I grew up at Martha Lake, left in the early '70s - - the old Puget Park drive-in was about the only thing at that interchange in those days.

MillCreek

^^^ FYI, Swedish has just built and opened a free-standing ER on the grounds of the old drive-in. No vestiges of the old drive-in remain.

dminor 

Fascinating. Ahhh . . . times change. Funny, Mill Creek wasn't even there when I left. Just the interchange of 164th and the Bothell-Everett Highway, a defunct trout hatchery and acres of old orchards we used to ride dirt bikes in .

Timothy

Some resources
https://www.kingcounty.gov/transporta...ling/Beta.aspx King County
https://www.commtrans.org/FAQs/Images...ikeMap2010.pdf Snohomish County