Gunga Dan

I've seen people biking across the 90 floating bridge which runs from Mercer Island to Seattle. I've always wanted to do it, but I have no idea where to get on, where I could park my car, etc. Any tips?

TIA

Dan

themuteherald

Dude, if I live in Shoreline and ride there, so can those in the Edmonds zip code.

You could park in the Leschi neighborhood and get on from ...South Irving, I think. It's ridiculously close to Lake Washington BLVD and it's fairly well marked.

Otherwise, follow my wheel when I ride the north side of Lake WA and see it that way. It's a quick 45 mile loop from our neck of the woods...

kudude

Get to the arboretum, or wherever in that neck of the woods and head south on Lake Washington Blvd. Stay on that and drop downhill 1/2 a block on S Irving (I-90 trail on the map)

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=seattl...93.076172&z=16

It's all neighborhood on lake washington blvd, so you could park anywhere there, head out to mercer island and do the loop, ride back. It's something like 15-20 miles from the west side of the bridge

Gunga Dan

Thanks for the replies. 45 miles is a bit out of my range at the moment, 15 to 20 is more doable ;-)

GD

Cyclist00976

You could always park in our parking lot just down 77th Ave (<2 blocks from the Mercer Island Park & Ride) and have multiple 15-20 mile loops that include the I-90 bridge. It's pretty easy to get on and off the bridge from North Mercer Way.

BengeBoy 

A very nice ride would be to park somewhere around Seward Park, ride up Lake Washington Blvd., take Lake Washington Blvd. up thru Colman Park to the overlook over I90, then follow the signs to the bike path. Take it across the bridge, do the loop around Mercer Island, and return. That's about 25 miles round-trip.

(You can stop in Veloce Velo to look at bikes while you're at it).

Another nice ride is to the do the "southern loop" around the bottom half of Lake Washington -- park anywhere close to the path, take I90 bike path across Mercer Island, then follow the path/roads/trails around the lower half of Lake Washington, return to whereever you parked your car.

Gunga Dan

Thanks for the continued suggestions, I appreciate it. That ride across the water has got to be great. I'm gradually increasing my range, did 16 miles in an hour today. Not much to most here no doubt, but I'm pleased with it ;-)

GD

Dean7

Wondering where you can park your car = fail.

BengeBoy 

To be completely honest, I've never really enjoyed the ride across the water (perhaps because I've done it hundreds and hundreds of times; I do it 2x a day when I commute...). It's fabulous that we have a bike lane as a way to get across the bridge, but it's not really as pleasant of a ride as it looks:

- If it's rainy anywhere in Seattle, it's raining 2x harder over the I-90 bridge
- It's noisy
- The pavement is rough; it's not a super-smooth path

Gunga Dan

I can see your points, but I still want to give it a go.

Gunga Dan

I didn't realize I was being tested :-/

kudude

Agreed on the "not super pleasant" part, but it is very cool in concept. Loud and exposed is certainly how I would describe it.

BengeBoy 

You definitely should! Not trying to discourage you, but you'll find that riding either along Lake Washington or around Mercer island is more pleasant than the actual journey across the bridge.

Also, when it's snowy out, the plows throw big chunks of crud on the path:

Dean7

You're posting on t3h interwebz. You're always being tested.

Dean7

That's a nice, rugged-looking commuter.

busygizmo

Agreed. Used to live in the Seward Park neighborhood and crossing the bridge to do an out an back on Mercer Island was my standard ride and the bridge was alway the worst part of the ride by far. After the smooth pavement on Mercer Island (and on the Seattle side for the most part) the rough concrete on the bridge & the noise are unpleasant. The worst part was heading west when there is a head wind, the western rise can seem to go on forever and bring you to a crawl.

I am glad it is there because it does allow access to some great rides via bike.

BengeBoy 

1988 Specialized Stumpjumper ($100 on Craigslist) with a super powder coat job by Seattle Powder Coat in Fremont.

Gunga Dan

It's beginning to slide down my list of ride priorities...

GD

kudude

you need to do it once at least, and then decide for yourself. You can't NOT do it.

MillCreek

And tested from someone 200 miles south in Portland, no less. All of us Seattle-area people should all go and comment on riding on the Steel Bridge in Portland!

BengeBoy 

If ya'll want to complain about the I-90 bridge, you'll have to add to this infantile thread I started several years ago:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-%28Seattle%29


Here's a photo I pasted into this thread showing what it looks like on a windy day in the winter; during my commutes this is even more fun because it's dark out:

kudude

yeah, but the bike lane is on the OTHER side of the bridge. I'm sure it's sunny and warm there

themuteherald

Hey, we all had to work up to bigger distances. It lays a good foundation for your body to build slowly to avoid injury. See you out there, man!

Gunga Dan

Thanks for the encouragement ;-)

Dean7

Feel free when I post a thread about it. I would expect no less. And have no fear: I'm sure I can find many areas where you can park your car to ride over just about any bridge in Portland!

Anyway, I need to do more riding in Seattle area. My father in-law lives in Bothell and there is a hill that he was talking up as so brutal nobody can ride up it. Sounds like a personal challenge. I'm going to ride it on my single speed.