Some questions about biking! (Seattle: house, neighborhood, living in)

[angelenogirl]

I love to ride my bike, but I am a little overwhelmed about riding in Seattle. In California, I have never really ridden in the street. Most people don't, unless they want to be killed by a texting actress on her way to a callback. But in Seattle I notice a lot of people riding in traffic, and frankly it looks frightening and confusing. There are sometimes bike lanes on the left, then on the right, sometimes there are green lanes, and green boxes. Sometimes there is no lane. And sometimes the roads are so narrow it just freaks me right the heck out.

Can I just ride on the sidewalk? Better yet, is there a good way to get to a paved trail from my house in Ravenna? Is there a good path through Ravenna Park? I tried to dissect the Burke-Gilman interactive map and I just got more confused. Perhaps I'm just a bit dimwitted, which is even more of a reason for some kind soul here to take pity on me and help me find my regular bike route.

Seriously, this is one of the HUGE draws for me about living in Seattle, and I am just looking for some easy to understand info. I like flat, long, paved paths specifically for biking. I know they're out there, there's just SO MUCH information to digest!

Thanks for any help. Oh, also, do they peg you for not wearing a helmet? I was surprised to read that's the law!

[SitoUK]

It is legally allowed to ride your bike on the sidewalk but you have to give way to pedestrians. Commons sense also dictates that you should not go to fast on a sidewalk when pedestrians are around.

Google Maps actually does bike routing. So if you want to go to a certain place it'll show you how to get there on bike-lanes etc, minimizing cycling on the road. Give it a try, it usually works for me. If you're a tech geek you could even stick your smartphone to your handlebar and it's give you directions, just as the GPS in a car

[RVD90277]

I think maybe it just takes getting used to. You do have to assume that most drivers aren't paying attention so don't insist on your right of way. Also, be careful so that you don't get doored from a parked car so leave some space between you and the cars parked and pay attention so that as soon as a door starts to open, you can stop or swerve. After awhile, you also get a better instinct for when you should take the lane (so that you don't get squeezed by a bus and a truck parked to the side) vs ride on the side.

Don't listen to music while you ride and stay alert. Groups of riders are good. Wearing a lot of reflective clothing is good. Lots of bright lights at night is good.

Some streets are better than others. If there is a bike lane, then it's usually not too bad. If there is no lane and the cars are driving by quickly, it's usually bad news so find an alternate route (e.g. don't ride on Aurora near downtown Seattle).

Sidewalks are ok but ride very slowly and yield to pedestrians. Many areas don't have sidewalks or have sidewalks that are very narrow, disappear at fire hydrants, etc. so sidewalks aren't so good either.

[angelenogirl]

Originally Posted by RVD90277

I think maybe it just takes getting used to. You do have to assume that most drivers aren't paying attention so don't insist on your right of way. Also, be careful so that you don't get doored from a parked car so leave some space between you and the cars parked and pay attention so that as soon as a door starts to open, you can stop or swerve. After awhile, you also get a better instinct for when you should take the lane (so that you don't get squeezed by a bus and a truck parked to the side) vs ride on the side.

Don't listen to music while you ride and stay alert. Groups of riders are good. Wearing a lot of reflective clothing is good. Lots of bright lights at night is good.

Some streets are better than others. If there is a bike lane, then it's usually not too bad. If there is no lane and the cars are driving by quickly, it's usually bad news so find an alternate route (e.g. don't ride on Aurora near downtown Seattle).

Sidewalks are ok but ride very slowly and yield to pedestrians. Many areas don't have sidewalks or have sidewalks that are very narrow, disappear at fire hydrants, etc. so sidewalks aren't so good either.

Yeah, I'm not like a spandex and spiky shoes kind of rider; I'm way more casual than that. I don't ride at night, never listen to music, and when I am on the sidewalk I'm always pretty slow. I'm sure I'll get used to it, I just don't come from a huge biking city.

SitoUK, I actually tried to route from my house to Burke Gilman on Google Bike Maps and it kept taking me to Golden Gardens.

Thanks for the input. I hope to find a good route to the kind of path I'm looking for - long and flat, only foot and bike traffic.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by angelenogirl

Yeah, I'm not like a spandex and spiky shoes kind of rider; I'm way more casual than that. I don't ride at night, never listen to music, and when I am on the sidewalk I'm always pretty slow. I'm sure I'll get used to it, I just don't come from a huge biking city.

SitoUK, I actually tried to route from my house to Burke Gilman on Google Bike Maps and it kept taking me to Golden Gardens.

Thanks for the input. I hope to find a good route to the kind of path I'm looking for - long and flat, only foot and bike traffic.

Start small. Trips in your neighborhood, etc. google some resources about riding in te street. You will get more comfortable.

Seattle is where I made the transition to the street, and I'm prett fearless now. Happy trails.

[Ira500]

Don't know where your house in Ravenna is, but there is access to the Burke-Gilman at NE 25th St and NE Blakely Street(just south of 55th). 25th is a miserable street to bike on, so ride down one of the quiet parallel streets. And definitely wear a helmet! I know that helmet hair ain't pretty, but you have to assume that the folks driving cars are not going to notice you, and brain cells are nice things to keep.

[angelenogirl]

Originally Posted by Ira500

Don't know where your house in Ravenna is, but there is access to the Burke-Gilman at NE 25th St and NE Blakely Street(just south of 55th). 25th is a miserable street to bike on, so ride down one of the quiet parallel streets. And definitely wear a helmet! I know that helmet hair ain't pretty, but you have to assume that the folks driving cars are not going to notice you, and brain cells are nice things to keep.

I hear ya on the helmet, but the Libertarian in me bristles.

And 25th really is a bear, isn't it? Love the access, hate the craziness!

[Hemlock140]

A recent law requires that a car passing a bicycle must remain at least 3' from the biker, meaning that the car must often stop or go into the oncoming traffic lane. Since then there has been some animosity between bicyclists and cars, but in general they get along fine. The mayor in Seattle is a big bike fan, and has actually made traffic worse by expanding bike lanes by eliminating traffic lanes. And yes, you can be ticketed for not wearing a helmet, it's not a state law, but many cities have it, including Seattle and all of King County. Unless it's been changed since I last checked the fine was $30.

[angelenogirl]

Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown

Start small. Trips in your neighborhood, etc. google some resources about riding in te street. You will get more comfortable.

Seattle is where I made the transition to the street, and I'm prett fearless now. Happy trails.

Thanks! I actually finally googled what looks to be my Holy Grail route (thank you, Ira500!), at least by way of Street View. I am super excited! Happy trails to you, as well.

[tobester]

Do you have a route you are trying to traverse? Or do you just want nice places to bike? BTW, a helmet just saved my son-in-law from serious injury - so wear it! A very popular route is along Lake Washington Blvd from the U District to Seward Park. Yes, you're with cars, but there are so many bikes that cars know to look out for you.