daihard 

Thanks for the info! How does the loop around Lake Union go? I now commute from Pinehurst to DT, so I can definitely spend a little time going around the lake before I head home.

Seattle Forrest

Pinehurst is up by Northgate, right? My internal city map is a little foggy up that way...

Get yourself to Gas Works Park (when I worked at N'gate, I'd usually take 5th Ave down, which gets you to Green Lake; I'd turn onto Ravenna and either take the Burke Gilman Trail to Gas Works, or go over the University Bridge) for an easy-to-find starting point. But it's a loop so of course you can start anywhere, the U bridge might be more convenient. We'll use Gas Works as an example though.

Ride out of the park on the BGT going east. After a mile or so, you'll want to go up a slight hill at that busy intersection, and then go over/down the University Bridge. That gets you onto Eastlake, this is the worst mile of the ride because of traffic. Go right on Edgar Street. Take the first left onto Chesihaud, then right after a block, the road curves left and now you're on the lake shore, on Fairview I think. Follow that until it meets Eastlake again, this time you have two lanes and one of them "belongs to" cyclists as it goes over a "bridge" by Zymogenetics. Go right at the end of the lake, through or around South Lake Union Park, and then you can take the road or the parking lot up to the Fremont Bridge. Go right after the bridge, then right again down a small ramp under the Aurora Bridge. Immediate left after the ramp, you'll go a short distance on new pavement by Lake Washington Rowing Club, out onto Northlake, and pretty soon you're back at Gas Works.

The loop is 6 or 7 miles in all.

Shoot me a PM if you want to try and set something up for an after work ride.

daihard 

Thanks a lot!

I am looking at the bike map published by Seattle City now. I usually go down on Roosevelt to commute. When I'm not in the mood to tackle the hill on the way in, I take Ravenna via Green Lake as well. Either way, I hit University Bridge and Eastlake.

That Gas Works Park route around Lake Union sounds wonderful. I don't think I've got the time this afternoon, but I will definitely try it sometime next week.

As for riding together, I'm pretty sure I'm not up to your level yet. Let me do some more training before I'm moderately confident that I won't be too much of a burden to you.

nyrikki

FYI, if you take the very first right after the bridge and follow it around it becomes Fairview, it dead ends but the last left is "Hamlin" which is a very steep hill BUT you only need to make it up a very short distance to what appears to be an alley on the Right. If you carry your speed into the hill it is easy.

This alley is actually "Yale Terrace" If you go two blocks and hit Roanoke you get back on the route you described above. But there is less bike and car traffic and you get a fun fast downhill.

daihard 

Thanks! I will definitely take that route part ways on my next bike commute in. Looks like I can take Fairview --> Terry --> Mercer --> 9th to go into DT!

Seattle Forrest

I'm always tempted to take that right immediately after the bridge (it goes by the scenic park / grassy area with benches near the water, then follows some neat residential areas and p-patches) but I always avoid it because of that short and steep uphill. Maybe I shouldn't, that section of Eastlake is really no fun to ride on.

NVanHiker

King, not sure what part of NJ you're in but South/Central is some of the nicest touring country I've ever been in! I have found almost all the roads to be very bike friendly with good shoulders. Try 47 down to Cape May some time.

Medic Zero

Depends on what you mean by "better". 26" wheels are also inherently tougher, and I find that commuting in Seattle where I have to stop for a light or stop sign every 5 blocks or so, that I appreciate that the 26" tires are quicker to get started.

daihard 

I rode on the Burke-Gilman trail for the first time today. It was an amazing path! We started at Lake Forest Park, rode along Lake Washington and then Lake Union - all the way to Fremont for lunch and beer (Fremont Brewery, anyone). We then headed north on Stone Way towards Green Lake, stopped by Gregg's for a couple of questions, and then rode on regular roads back to Lake City, where we got back on the trail. It was a lot of fun.

Medic Zero

Thanks to these posts, I'm now tempted to try it again. I tried it once going the other direction, and it didn't strike me as worth the detour on my daily commute, although I rarely go that way on the way home these days. Now that I'm reminded of this option though, I'm tempted to try it southbound, I suspect the flow is better that way and I'm going right past there seven days a week. It's nice to get away from the traffic noise and proximity to cars.

Speaking of which, not sure where the OP is commuting to, but you might consider a detour through Interlaken Park. This nets you right at 1 mile of riding on an extremely quiet road through forest, with views over Lake Washington for the part of the year the trees don't have leaves. Usually only two or three cars pass me when I'm on it, and I usually travel through it in either the morning or evening rush hour times. If you aren't starting out on Capitol Hill or First Hill, it is a climb to get to though. I use it as a quiet detour into work and school pretty often, and occasionally will bomb down through it on the way home. For me, it's a nicer way to ascent Capitol/First Hill, and well worth the 5 minute detour for the utter peace and beauty it offers. I enter the southern end at Delmar and exit onto 19th, or the reverse when headed home.

Medic Zero

From your neighborhood, I'd recommend exploring the Interurban Trail as well. We recently rode it from where we live in Greenwood up to 200th and then headed over to Fremont then 205th/244th continuing on Firdale and 100th. From there good signage guides you on the bike routes through Edmonds. In Edmonds there is a nice little pocket park overlooking the ferry terminal and Puget Sound and nearby there is a light house and small park or the Edmonds Marsh for another destination. This route has very few hills and they are very tame. Just riding up the Interurban and back is nice as well, as it is separated from city streets for much of its route and other than the slightest grade at times is flat. Familiarize yourself with it on maps/Google street view or bring a map your first few times as it does get a little confusing to follow the trail around 200th in Seattle and 212th SW in Snohomish County and a few other spots further north.

daihard 

Thanks! In fact, I've been riding the Interurban Trail between 110th and 200th pretty often. That sure is a very nice route. My favourite part is where we go over two bridges to go over Aurora. There's also a very small pond near the county line. Last weekend my wife and I rode there all the way up to Alderwood Mall. I haven't explored into Edmonds yet. That's going to be our next destination!

[EDIT] To go to Edmonds, should we turn left onto 205th from the Interurban trail, cross Aurora and head west? That's what Google Maps suggests when I entered "Firdale and 100th."

Medic Zero

We exited the Interurban on 200th. If you take it the extra 5 blocks up to 205th, you not only lose some altitude that you have to regain, but then you are on a busy street with no bike lane, as well as continuing to the NE when you want to head NW. Google is helpful, but you always want to double check what it is recommending and see if you can't modify their routes into something makes more sense. Typically, I end up using a third to half of what google recommends for routes! Using the terrain overlay and dropping it down into Street View and zooming way in with the satellite view all help with determining whether the route they recommend is good or if alternates are better.

I didn't think much of those two bridges over Aurora until recently when we were passing through them at night. They've got a neat light display on them and are really pretty and interesting to cross over in the dark.

Seattle Forrest

Interlaken Park is a great ride!

daihard 

How's the route to Interlaken Park? Is it pretty flat or are there hilly sections? Just want to be mentally ready.

Medic Zero

Oh, it's quite a hill! You go as if you were climbing Capitol Hill from the north; crossing the University Bridge climb up Harvard to the funny little bicycle only left turn lane. Take the first right and go through the little passage in the barrier dividing the street and into and through Roanoke Park. If you were to continue up the hill on 10th it'd eventually put you onto Broadway, instead head east on Roanoke (the east-west street that runs along the northern edge of Roanoke Park) and it'll turn into Delmar. 2nd street on the right is the street that runs through Interlaken Park. There's a sign just before it that has a symbol of a bicycle and an arrow pointing up the hill with "To Interlaken Park" on it. The first 1/2 or 3/4's of the ride through Interlaken is just pleasant. The last part from this direction is practice climbing hills in a really nice park with no traffic!

Coming from the other direction, you just want to make your way to 19th, which means up and over Capitol Hill if you aren't already on it! 19th goes directly into the park and becomes the park road. I'm usually coming from work on Pill Hill, so my usual route isn't probably what most people would use. Although occasionally when I am making my way back north from Beacon Hill, I'll end up on 19th and take Interlaken to get the University Bridge. These days I'm more partial to the Myrtle Edwards/rail yard/Ship Canal route, because even though it adds about 3.5 miles to my trip, 5.5 miles of my trip becomes just pedaling. For that five and half mile stretch it only passes through a single traffic light!

yamsyamsyams

I ride around downtown in the mornings/afternoons all the time and see plenty of hybrids, mountain bikes, vintage road bikes, and bling new CF road bikes. Buy whatever you think will make you happiest (whether it be cheapest option, fitness, all-terrain, etc), go ride and have fun!

daihard 

Thanks! You may have seen me. I bought a Trek FX about 4 weeks ago and have been hooked to it ever since. I've racked up more than 200 miles on it so far, including commuting to downtown.

yamsyamsyams

Which color is your bike and which streets do you take? I have seen at least 1 red and one blue trek around on 4th or 5th close to university st

daihard 

Mine's black. I ride on 5th in the morning, so if you're around there, you will eventually see me.

Seattle Forrest

Funny, I do mostly the same route, in reverse.

When I've got time (like if I'm in town for the weekend, which is rare these days) I like to do a "grand loop" of Seattle. Ride down Lake Wash to Seward or Beer Shiva Park, come back along the Chief Sealth Trail, I'm not sure what the name of the park is but you can go right onto a bike trail just before the 15th Ave Bridge, it's really pleasant and drops you off at Judkins Park (?), then you follow another trail down to Dearborn, and come into the ID. From there I like to go up Cap Hill, make my way to 19th (usually I'll ascend near Volunteer Park) and come down Interlaken, out at Roanoke Park, and head north through the neighborhoods until I have to join Eastlake for the bridge. Roanoke Park is small but I like it a lot, it's really pleasant. Plus there's a water fountain (in season) and nice gardens.

I agree, Interlaken is a really pleasant ride. It's nice and curvy, a fun descent, and probably 2/3 of the time I won't see a car.

yamsyamsyams

saw a middle aged white male riding a black trek around 5:30pm today on 4th. you?

daihard 

No, that wasn't me. I have this week off and haven't been to downtown. Also, I'm a middle-aged Asian male.

ngateguy

I like the 29" because of comfort as well as speed and they seem to climb the hills better. when ever I have to come to a stop I downshift so that when I take off again it is an easier start. At 6'3" when I was on my Fuji and Bianchi 26" MTB's I always felt like I was to tall in the saddle, not a problem with the bigger tires. Of course I am a big believer in ride what you want and at your comfort level.

Medic Zero

I always downshift too, larger diameter wheels simply take longer to spool up. Of course, once they are rolling, they do eat up more ground per revolution.

I can see where 29er would have more comfort over narrower 700C tires, but I can't see any advantage in 29er versus 26" when it comes to comfort. If anything, the advantage would go to 26" wheels due to the greater variety of tires available to them.