More Wild Kingdom

On the way home, I took the Interurban Trail south and came up behind this pet owner who was walking both her dog and her parrot. She agreed to a photo, and the parrot complied, and then gave me a friendly squawk.

350 miles so far on the new ride.

What I Saw On My Bike Today

Came across Mama Raccoon and her little ones as I rounded the corner into the alley in Montlake at the end of a 33 miler this a.m. New Nifty Swifty tires made the ride even smoother and easier. 320 miles on the New Ride.

Major Taylor

In response to my post about the African Cyclist, the good folks on the Cascade Message Boards sent this link to a site dedicated to Major Taylor, champion bike racer from about a century ago.

The African Cyclist

Robin sent me this link.....way cool, remarkable.........

No STP - Hilly, Not Chilly

No STP for me this year. Last week's SF trip and the resulting catch-up at the Learning Factory, plus booking the Brown Dog at the Spa made that out of the question.

Instead, I got my STP fix by volunteering at the Packet Pickup at REI yesterday, after Bob made a few minor adjustments to the New Ride.

This morning, I took off for Bainbridge Island to ride an Unchilly Hilly, the same route from February but under considerably brighter skies and with much warmer temps. Spectacular scenery made me once again appreciate all that this area has to offer, especially on one of those crystal-clear North Wind summer days.

Upon the return and a refueling at Zeitgeist in Pioneer Square, I strolled through the Fire Festival, then out to the Locks and back home via BGT. 86 glorious degrees at U-Village at 530 p.m. 60.3 miles. New ride is great. Time to sell the Lemond?

One of the World's Great Cities

Visiting SF with Z to see H, as well as the nephew and his lovely bride, and am amazed at the City. Easy to get around on Muni, Bart and on foot. Many bikes, no real need for a car. We walked from the Sunset through the Haight and down to Market. Trolley car to Fisherman's Wharf to get our tourist fix, and then back out to the Mission for lunch.


The Mission is amazing. Colorful murals, wonderful mix of cultures, bright colors, lots of different peoples on the streets. Stopped at 826 Valencia to check out the Pirate Store, the Writing Center, and to get my teacher ticket punched. These two photos say a great deal about the cultural stew here:




Took us all out to the ballgame at 'ATT Park' and watch Giants win in a come-from-behind thriller vs. the hated Dodgers! More photos here.

First commute

First commute on the New Ride. 26.5 miles of bliss, interrupted by chain slips caused by the cables stretching out in the hot (for Seattle) weather. Expected to happen in the first 100 miles.

But, the long and mean Meadowbrook Hill is manageable, there's no difference in my commute time, and I figure I saved about $10 in gas and auto depreciation by using the no-oil commute.

Bleriot Line to be Discontinued?

Looks like I got in just under the wire....