Weekend Wheeling: Tempus Puget

Seattle by night

Seattle is, among other things, the starting point for the annual Big Ride Across America benefiting the American Lung Association. It is only fitting that this ride and the riders see this great city.

In the 1990s, Seattle saw a huge population boom, mostly the result of an influx of individuals riding the high-tech wave. Fortunately, Seattle remains a friendly and pro-cycling city. Seattle and King County support local cycling groups, work to develop bike lanes on main arterial roads, and also provide places to lock your bikes in the downtown area.

Seattle and the Puget Sound region provide a beautiful backdrop for both road and mountain bike riding. However, what makes it so beautiful does also have its ugly side. Rain. Yes, as you may have heard, it does rain in the Northwest. Known as liquid sunshine, rain gives us some of the most picturesque cycling around. So while there are many days spent waiting for the rain to clear (yes, I'm a fair-weather cyclist), it is always worth the wait.

One of the great things specifically about the Seattle area is that in relatively short order you can be riding the quiet back roads east of the city, or drive a few short miles farther east and be in the Cascades riding a single-track or rail-trail. Since moving to Seattle from the mountain biking mecca of Utah, I've taken up road biking and discovered a great road route or two. In the process I've also found many an off-road trail.

In a nutshell—or maybe a coffee ground—there are seemingly endless roads and trails to explore in the Puget Sound area. There is also a large cycling community (see their Web site) that can get you started in the right direction.