Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[kahn]

David Berry's map is so much better I can zoom in and see boats golf course and such , our two cyclist friends i didn't even know they were British.
The graph indicates miles perhaps elevation is in feet?

Actually, they are from different islands. One in the Atlantic and the other in the Pacific. The Brits use feet for length measures but as I clarified about a week ago - centigrade/Celsius for temps.

 

[Haystacks]

Actually, they are from different islands. One in the Atlantic and the other in the Pacific. The Brits use feet for length measures but as I clarified about a week ago - centigrade/Celsius for temps.

Nope. Modern UK uses centimeters, meters, kilometers, grams, kilograms etc. It's right wing gammons that are trying to revert. Their next plea will be to bring back shillings, then groats.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Nope. Modern UK uses centimeters, meters, kilometers, grams, kilograms etc. It's right wing gammons that are trying to revert. Their next plea will be to bring back shillings, then groats.

Modern UK still uses miles for distance and feet for elevation, mph for speed. More funny is they specify tube length in metres but the diameter in inches

Outside that, UK is a metric country.

 

[Art Deco]

Nope. Modern UK uses centimeters, meters, kilometers, grams, kilograms etc. It's right wing gammons that are trying to revert. Their next plea will be to bring back shillings, then groats.

Ahoy, Matey. Shillings and Pieces of Eight...

 

[Haystacks]

Modern UK still uses miles for distance and feet for elevation, mph for speed. More funny is they specify tube length in metres but the diameter in inches

Outside that, UK is a metric country.

Oh yeah i forgot, wtf do i know about the UK.

It's a generational thing, the brexity type generational thing. Those of us educated after the dark ages use Metric, Gammons of course prefer Imperial. It's how they were raised and want to die that way as they become more confused, meanwhile 40 years of Metric education is cast asunder.

OS maps are meters btw.

 

[DiggyGun]

Is the elevation in feet?

Yes. In feet.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Oh yeah i forgot, wtf do i know about the UK.

It's a generational thing, the brexity type generational thing. Those of us educated after the dark ages use Metric, Gammons of course prefer Imperial. It's how they were raised and want to die that way as they become more confused, meanwhile 40 years of Metric education is cast asunder.

OS maps are meters btw.

Here in Canada, it’s still a botched arrangement ever since the gov’t converted the country over to metric over 45 years ago. Most Canucks, IMO, have yet to totally embrace metrication even now. We still buy plywood and studs in 4' x 8’ sheets and 2 x 4s. Ambient temperature is always referred to in degrees C but when we cook F rules. Go figure.

My wife, who is native Japanese, has slowly adjusted to adopting this approach through no choice of her own. Not surprising is the fact that most young people here likely feel more comfortable using metric over their baby boomer counterparts.

 

[Prairie Dog]

When I just saw your photos again, I recalled a device we use to have - A Flick Stand. It was a wheel stop. If I recall it was probably pretty darn cheap. I just googled:

Vintage Rhode Gear Flickstand Bicycle Kickstand Early Version Flick Stand T1 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vintage Rhode Gear Flickstand Bicycle Kickstand Early Version Flick Stand T1 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Outrageous pricing!!!!

…and that doesn’t even include shipping. I used to have their quick release mirror that I attached to the hood of my Bianchi via a Velcro strap like the one shown in the image. I even remember wearing versions of those crocheted cycling gloves that were top sellers back then…. Yikes!

 

[kahn]

…and that doesn’t even include shipping. I used to have their quick release mirror that I attached to the hood of my Bianchi via a Velcro strap like the one shown in the image. I even remember wearing versions of those crocheted cycling gloves that were top sellers back then…. Yikes!
View attachment 98534

I still have that mirror in the basement "odds and ends" bike box. To distinguish it from the plumbing odds/ends and the electric odd/ends and the camping odd/ends boxes! And funny, I, too, used it on a Bianchi. It was some kind of hybrid thingie that I used for my commute at one time.

 

[BlackHand]

I decided to take a ride on Sunday over as much of the Tolt Pipeline Trail as I could. This pipeline is Seattle's secondary water supply and the primary supply for Bellevue and much of the eastside. Turned out to be a tougher ride than I expected as utility trails tend to cut straight across the landscape without regard for topography. Lot's of short steep climbs and descents. The scenery mostly consists of mini horse ranches and endless blackberries lining the right of way. Ended up with a 100km ride after a few detours due to private property.

The easiest place to get on the Pipeline trail was about 14 miles into my ride where I was greeted with the 20% grade of Heart Attack Hill. No heart attacks here, but I did end up walking the bike up the last 50 ft or so after I lost traction in the loose gravel that I got into when avoiding blackberries.

Once at the top, you start the ride of ridgeline to ridgeline - saw a couple groups of horseriders and quite a few folks out walking, but only 1 or 2 other bikes on this whole stretch. Fun except for the gates at the top and bottom of virtually every grade.

I found out why my nav really didn't want to let me route from the western edge of the Pipeline Trail back to the Burke Gilman trail even though they are only separated by one last ridgeline. That last 500 ft drop is REALLY steep and choked with blackberries in the middle. Feeling tired and stubborn after 50 miles, I decided to hike the bike down on some switchback trails and an unofficial MTB trail that was showing on OpenMaps. Probably a dumb move but I did make it down the combination of trails to about 2/3 of the way down then was able to go straight down the -25% grade for the rest after getting past the choke point.

 

[DiggyGun]

Modern UK still uses miles for distance and feet for elevation, mph for speed. More funny is they specify tube length in metres but the diameter in inches

Outside that, UK is a metric country.

We buy fuel in litres, but still work out consumption in MPG. A UK gallon is eight pints, known as an “Imperial Gallon”, whereas in the US, it is six pints. We still have the Pound, £ (GBP), made up of 100 pennies. We also refer to stones and pounds, when asked about our weight.

When I was a kid, it was all imperial, but when the metric system came, some old imperial units were retained and we’ve just got used to this anomaly.

Mind you, it is still nice to buy beer in Pints.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Mind you, it is still nice to buy beer in Pints.

...which is larger than the U.S. pint

 

[Art Deco]

...which is larger than the U.S. pint

It's usually much better beer. And a larger pint. Win Win !

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It's usually much better beer. And a larger pint. Win Win !

I disagree with you, Art The American craft beer is the best in the world. Only the smaller Pint... However, the American craft ales and Imperial Stouts are far stronger than anything Britain can offer, so smaller pints are quite acceptable

 

[Art Deco]

Most US bars don't carry the craft beers ... only the upscale ones. Regular bars are full of Coors light, Bud light, and such.

 

[BlackHand]

Most US bars don't carry the craft beers ... only the upscale ones. Regular bars are full of Coors light, Bud light, and such.

Hmm, I suspect my experience in Seattle is a little different than yours in PA. There are about 70 breweries in Seattle alone, around a dozen or so in my work neighborhood. On the other hand, I don't know of any drive thru beer distributors here (or is that just a western PA thing?).

 

[Art Deco]

Hmm, I suspect my experience in Seattle is a little different than yours in PA. There are about 70 breweries in Seattle alone, around a dozen or so in my work neighborhood. On the other hand, I don't know of any drive thru beer distributors here (or is that just a western PA thing?).

It varies state to state and even county by county. No drive thrus around here, but lots of good little breweries. I was actually thinking of the big 'sports bars' that popped up around all the cities with my comment about light beers.
People around here use Seattle as a model for good beer.

 

[DiggyGun]

It varies state to state and even county by county. No drive thrus around here, but lots of good little breweries. I was actually thinking of the big 'sports bars' that popped up around all the cities with my comment about light beers.
People around here use Seattle as a model for good beer.

Traditional American beer is very different from traditional British beer, more what we would call a Lager. Agree about the beers around Seattle, as I recall trying a number of craft beers when I was there.

In the UK as well as the large brewers, we have a very good network of small local brewers and also micro-breweries. Indeed, some pubs have their own micro-brewery attached to them.

Our beer tends to range from 3.6% alcohol for an IPA up to around 8% alcohol for a Porter style beer. Compared with American beer, they will always be, flat, not chilled and brown.

 

[kahn]

I decided to take a ride on Sunday over as much of the Tolt Pipeline Trail as I could. This pipeline is Seattle's secondary water supply and the primary supply for Bellevue and much of the eastside. Turned out to be a tougher ride than I expected as utility trails tend to cut straight across the landscape without regard for topography. Lot's of short steep climbs and descents. The scenery mostly consists of mini horse ranches and endless blackberries lining the right of way. Ended up with a 100km ride after a few detours due to private property.
View attachment 98544
View attachment 98546
The easiest place to get on the Pipeline trail was about 14 miles into my ride where I was greeted with the 20% grade of Heart Attack Hill. No heart attacks here, but I did end up walking the bike up the last 50 ft or so after I lost traction in the loose gravel that I got into when avoiding blackberries.

View attachment 98548
Once at the top, you start the ride of ridgeline to ridgeline - saw a couple groups of horseriders and quite a few folks out walking, but only 1 or 2 other bikes on this whole stretch. Fun except for the gates at the top and bottom of virtually every grade.
View attachment 98550

I found out why my nav really didn't want to let me route from the western edge of the Pipeline Trail back to the Burke Gilman trail even though they are only separated by one last ridgeline. That last 500 ft drop is REALLY steep and choked with blackberries in the middle. Feeling tired and stubborn after 50 miles, I decided to hike the bike down on some switchback trails and an unofficial MTB trail that was showing on OpenMaps. Probably a dumb move but I did make it down the combination of trails to about 2/3 of the way down then was able to go straight down the -25% grade for the rest after getting past the choke point.
View attachment 98551

I will stick with the Burke-Gilman Trail (BGT) and Sammamish Slough. We used those about two weeks ago then transferring to the 520 Bike Trail which just ends and throws you on streets to find you own way to another segment of the 520, then the Bridge and home. I've always seen the connector to the Tolt along the Sammamish. The 520 Trail leaves a lot to be desired - like quiet from the continuous traffic noise!!!! What is fascinating is that some sections of the other major water pipeline for Seattle is still wood staves/pipes.

edited to add - looks like the wood was finally replaced after 60 years:

"For 60 years, an old wooden pipeline carried water from the Cedar River to the Seattle Water Department's Lake Youngs reservoir. Now, it's finally been replaced with a pipeline made of steel.

While construction is going on, there will be no public access to the pipeline right of way.

Construction crews will work through May on a 4.3-mile section of pipeline between Southeast Petrovitsky Road east of Southeast 196th and Southeast 248th streets.

The 78-inch-diameter wood-stave pipeline was installed above ground in the 1920s. The new 92-inch pipeline will run underground."

 

[BlackHand]

Yeah, the 520 trail is noisy and navigating on and off on both sides seems like its harder than it should be. I usually go around the top of the lake as that's easier and closer for me.

The most tranquil part of this ride was the couple miles of the Snoqualmie Valley Trail I did from Duvall down to Novelty. Felt like I had the trail to myself.