Taking An Italian on a Tour of Seattle

This has been a pretty busy week and I have had only a little time to arrange photos and post them. Although I have been dealing with family things, I have managed to get a couple-few rides in during this break in the weather.

The bike I am riding is a loaner from my cousin, who happens to be my exact size, so switching bikes is easy. He is loaning me a steel, Bianchi Veloce with a mix of Campy Veloce and Centaur in a triple crank. The ride is stable and smooth, but lacks the feeling of speed of my regular bike. The shifting is crisp and accurate.

All in all, I am happy to be riding in this town.

I started in Beacon Hill and took the Jose Rizal bridge to Capitol Hill and crested Broadway, which is Seattle's own little Castro... or at least it was until the junkies took over in the late 90's. The area is changing drastically with new apartments and other gentrification that heals the bad, but kills the soul. I stopped for a minute at the Jimi Hendrix statue on Pine and Broadway. I remember seeing the Hendrix family dedicating the statue many years ago. I always remember seeing Jimi's cousin walking around the Renton Highlands, just unable to let the image die.

I continues on until Aloha St. and then climbed the hill up to Volunteer Park, which used to be a prime cruising spot. When I was a kid I guess we wandered into some bushes that were in use and surprised a couple of dudes in the act.

Volunteer Park houses the Asian Art Museum where I would ride the camels. Decades of child camel jockeys had worn the originals, which now sit in the Seattle Art Museum.

After passing through Volunteer Park, I detoured into the Lake View Cemetery where Bruce and Brandon Lee are buried.

I took off down the hill to the Harvard Exit and passed through the University District and paid my respects to the University of Washington. I spent many a day enjoying all the sights on campus.

The weather was beautiful and Mt. Rainier was clearly visible from the Rose Garden.

I left campus and headed up University Way to Ravenna Park on 55th St. The cool shade of the tall trees was a welcome relief from the direct sunlight. I then took off down the hill to the University Village and headed up 25th St. to 65 and then took it all the way to Greenlake Ave. These places are all very special to me and I enjoyed the feeling of passing through them again. Greenlake is a small, urban lake that is used by walkers, joggers and cyclists for recreation.

I was quite famished after a morning of meandering, and so I headed for the closest place I could think of where I could eat and watch the bike. I knew I had to go eat Dick's.

Dick's was established in 1954, and my father was there for the opening. They have the best burgers in town and even better fries. The shakes are the only thing to wash it all down.

With a mouthful of Dick's, I took off again and headed for the former Hippie hideout of Fremont. During the 1960's, Fremont was a district full of radicals and rabble. It is now full of Techies as Adobe makes its HQ there.

One feature of Fremont is the famous troll under the Fremont bridge. I remember discovering the troll when it was first built. I was a preteen and I remembered the site as a place to take future dates. Lot's of neckin' at the troll.

The Fremont signpost proudly points toward Taiwan, so I always remember where home is no matter how long I stay.

I then took the Burke Gilman Bike Trail out to Ballard and visited my friend's tea shop. Miro Tea is in Old Ballard and they serve a huge selection of some of Taiwan's best teas. After a refreshing iced Baozhong Tea from Pinglin, I went to the Hiram Chittenden Locks, a series of locks to make boat traffic possible between the fresh water lakes and Puget Sound.

A fish ladder allows the visitor to watch the salmon swim up to Lake Washington from Puget Sound.

The Locks let me pass the ship canal to Magnolia, where I headed back on Admiral Way and then over to the low side of Queen Anne Hill. I first had to pass through the Seattle Center on Dexter and 5th.

Seattle Center was one the site of the 1962 World's Fair, where "it" happened. Many of the old "Space Age" attractions still sit. Unfortunately, the Flight to Mars is long gone.

I then climbed a killer hill on Queen Anne Blvd. to the top where the view is absolutely stunning.

After a tip toeing my way back down I stopped at Top Pot Doughnuts on 5th and Lenora for a maple bar.

Finally, I headed through town to the Pike Place Market, one of the oldest continually run farmer's markets in the US.

My escape route was through Post Alley, and the wall of bubblegum.

The Hammering Man was right where I left him in front of the Seattle Art Museum. I still like him better with the massive ball and chain the guerilla artist Subculture Joe a.k.a Jason Sprinkle, attached to his leg on Labor Day.

I finished up in Pioneer Square and Smith Tower, once the tallest building west of the Mississippi. I then returned through the International District.

Giant Comfort Bike-FOR SALE- (SPAM)

I normally don't use this space to advertise, but my buddy in Lin Kou, Michael C., is trying to unload his while Giant Ltd. comfort bike. There was nothing wrong with the bike, it was just not right for the rider. If anyone is interested in this you can get more info from the seller HERE.

*I will not be receiving any money or reimbursement for this notice of solicitation. Any agreement reached between the buyer and seller is strictly a private matter between the two parties and does not involve this blogger.

The Politics of Cycling in Taiwan

I predicted a while back that it wouldn't take long for the bicycle to enter the political arena in stump speeches, campaign ads and policy propositions.

The Taiwan News reports that the DPP candidate for Xinbei City, Su Tseng-chang, ( chong, chong, chong!!!)

has dragged out a proposal for improving bicycle lanes in Taipei, taking a pot shot at his KMT rivals and their disaster of a Dun Hua Rd. bike lane. The article states:

Su, a former Taipei County magistrate, also reiterated a series of policy on the promotion of bicycle industry as a local governor, including a long-distance trail linking the Yingge Ceramics Museum and the Shihsanhang Museum of Archaeology in Bali Township, both of which are popular attractions.

I am all for promoting cycling, but I strongly feel that most politicians are having a difficult time wrapping their minds around the bicycle as something other than casual entertainment. The local governments need to start concentrating on safe, bicycle viaducts and bicycle corridors through urban areas to encourage people to leave their cars at home.

Unfortunately, all we ever hear about are projects to drive tourism. It really feels like Taiwan is seeking to become another Okinawa or Hainan Island; a tourism Mecca for visitors from a wealthy metropole.

Bike Walker: Ad from Seattle Craig's List

Emerald City Bicycle Walking Service

Reply to: sale-d9ps4-1135168401@craigslist.org

Hi there! My name is Brad and I am the founder and CEO of Emerald City Bike Walkers. Our team here at ECBW provides the best bicycle walking in the greater Seattle area. In case you haven't noticed there is a lot of bicycle walking happening in our city. Especially with the weather improving a lot of people are taking their bicycles out of the garage, dusting them off, and walking them through our beautiful city. If you have been on Capital Hill, Downtown or in the University District lately I bet you have seen a number of fixed gears, track bikes, 10-12 speeds and even race bikes being walked around. The committed staff at ECBW understands that you live a busy life and may not always have time to walk your beloved bicycle as much as it deserves. For a surprising low $15 ECBW will walk your bike up and down Broadway, pass the messengers Downtown and up the Ave in the Univesity or anywhere else you would like. This frees up valuable time for you to shop at American Apparel, see a show at Neumos or the new Crocodile, grab a drink or six at the Cha Cha, sit at Bauhaus, browse the Stranger personals or listen to Pitchfork's newest top rated artists. On top of adding additional time to your day, ECBW also allows your flashy fixie or tricked out track bike, race ready road machine or otherwise to be seen around town building your street cred! Don't delay, book your next bicycle walk with Emerald City Bicycle Walkers today!

• Location: Seattle
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Original URL:http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/1135168401.html

A Few Seattle Pics

Free Drink

Beer at the Buckaroo

Riding For Beer

The Bellevue Bike Store

Vivace Macciato

Don Katsu from Hana

Bike Parking

Learning to be Urbane

These Bikes Should Be Ridden Well, Not Well Hung

Are We Not Men?

Pancakes

Pigs in Blankets

Heading For Town

High End Bike Store

Although I was raised in a suburb of Seattle, I spent my formative years in the city and I have lived in urban Taichung for the past 12 years, so my taste in lifestyle reflects the urban qualities over those of suburbia.

Yesterday I ventured out of the city for a little culture shock in the city of Bellevue. Bellevue is where I grew up and went to school. It is, to steal a phrase from Davy Jones and the Monkees, "status symbol land."I remember growing up with rich kids who would vacation in Mazatlan or Maui. Their dads fought the battles of the mid-life crisis in war machines with names like Alfa Romeo, Berlinetta, or Corvette. Dads were test pilots, CEOs, Boeing executives, and later Microsoft millionaires. A person's value was often measured by how much lakefront one's family had for their sailboat or where the summer "cabin" was located. Being the son of a Reagan era high school teacher, I lost a lot of friends when it was determined that I had nothing of any real "value" that classmates could use me for. Sad but true. This is the Bellevue I have always known.

We went to the mall to see all the white people and feel out of place. I couldn't believe how many children looked just as frumpy and middle aged as their parents. It is a good thing the weather is so cold or half the people might melt into puddles of botox and silicone... and the meat; the fleshiness of everyone... anyways...

So I noticed they had a bike store that is a branch from one of the Seattle chains. I walked in and looked around at Trek, Specialized and Cervelo. I knew pretty well where the bikes are coming from. Lots of bikes for sale and lots of guys in their 50's and 60's looking to purchase their first bikes-- Trek Madone or Cervelo S3... the perfect choice for the novice.

As I stood around waiting for my wife to buy a drink I thought I would chat up a guy who was testing bikes. Here's how the conversation went:

Salesman to customer:

Yeah, once you get into the $5000 range, you get into the danger zone. The bikes are so nice you don't want to come back down. That's where the big difference is.

(Salesman leaves)

Me: Eh, that guy's full of shit. Just get what feels right. The price isn't going to make much performance difference.

Customer: Yeah, but I want to go fast.

Me: Oh, do you race?

Customer: (surprised look) No, but I want to keep up with my friends.

Me: What's fast?

Customer: (Funny look unsure of what to say)

Me: The bike won't make you go much faster. Work on the fit and the engine.

Customer: Yeah, but the components...

Me: If you are not racing then the difference between SRAM Force and SRAM Red are minute. There are lots of good bikes at different prices, make sure you have good wheels. I can go pretty fast on an alloy CX bike and it doesn't make that much difference.

Customer: I was thinking about one of those too.

Me: Well... I am sure you know what you want to use it for, so just be sure you get the right bike for your intended use.

Customer: I tried the Roubaix, but it was too relaxed, the Tarmac was more aggressive.

Me: Ummm... yeah.. they're all good bikes here.

First off...yes, I am probably a dick.

Second, the salesman totally had this guy figured out and was playing him along. The customer sooooooo wanted to believe the sales pitch and marketing hype and was just as eager to be "had". The guy is going to get the bike he wants. He wants a bike he can show off to his friends to gain the acceptance and envy of others for the price of his purchase. He needs their affirmation and really isn't interested in the bike so much as his prestige of owning it. I should have talked to him about Crumpton or some other high zoot frame. This was the perfect picture of Bellevue. I hope the salesman made his sale and many more like it. These fools drive the industry and keep the manufacturers pushing technology along.

Early Impressions

I have been in Seattle for a couple of days, but not riding, and I have some early bike related observations.

The first is that Seattle is a very bike friendly city, with bike lanes and wider shoulders for cyclists. Riders use them and drivers don't.

There are lots of people on bikes. In the city I am seeing a lot of urban hybrid bikes, cyclocross bikes and... oh help us... the fixie. If there was ever a city that should discourage fixed gear bicycles it should be Seattle... ok... San Francisco and then Seattle. These hipsters seem to be doing more walking than riding up and down the hills. Lots of waterproof pannier bags.

People ride with a little more aggression, purpose and authority on the street as if they belong there. Predictable traffic gives riders confidence.

Lots of Kona, Masi, Jamis, Trek, Specialized... and oh so much Bianchi celeste colored paint. More alloy and steel over carbon fiber. I haven't seen a CF bike yet. Lots of places to lock a bike too.

Bikes are everywhere.