Bikes – Washington Gravel

An Ode to Bikes in The End of The World

You take your car, I’ll take my bike, and when you’re out of fuel, I’m still alive.

The Palouse to Cascades Trail: Rock Lake to the Idaho Border

The rolling hills of the palouse region await you on the Palouse to Cascades Trail.

The Palouse to Cascades Trail: a guide to crossing Washington by bike

A guide to crossing Washington on The Palouse To Cascades Trail.

Palouse To Cascades Trail. Wrapup. Final Takeaways From The Ride.

Now that everything is done and my bike is basically clean, let’s talk about tires, chain lube, and mud.

Palouse To Cascades Trail. Day 1. Cedar Falls (*Technically Easton) to Ellensburg

It’s amazing how much the reality of an experience differs from the expectation, especially when you’ve been planning something for a decade.

A decade? Yes. That’s how long I’ve been planning this ride. That seems ridiculous now that I’ve typed it out, because while it sounds impossibly long, it doesn’t feel like it now that it’s finally done.

Palouse To Cascades Trail. Day 4. Escure Ranch to Tekoa

Nothing but darkness and despair await you in Tekoa

Palouse To Cascades Trail. Day 3. Warden to Escure Ranch

From Warden to Escure Ranch.

Palouse To Cascades Trail. Day 2. Ellensburg to Othello

From Ellensburg, over the Columbia, to Othello.

New Bike Day / Rodeo Labs Flaanimal 5

At this point in my life as a cyclist and a bike mechanic, there are very few bikes that truly catch my attention anymore. It’s really got to be something special, and even then, there’s usually at least one feature that bugs me or that I find missing from the design. Enter the Flaanimal.

Fill Your Fork! (with the Wolf Tooth Double Bottle Adapter)

Not all of us are lucky enough to have the triple anything mounts on our forks. Some of us are stuck with regular old double bosses on our fork blades, giving us space for one lowly water bottle cage on each side.So, how do you make the most of your space and carry all of the things that you want without resorting to using an entire roll of electrical tape and a bunch of zip ties?

Palouse To Cascades Trail: Rock Lake

Rock Lake is an enigma of the Palouse To Cascades Trail. It is by far one of the most scenic sections of the entire trail, and yet information about it remains elusive. The trail requires a detour around the lake, making it difficult to get to, but it’s totally worth it.

Rene Herse Tires

Of all the component options that you can put on a gravel bike, tires are the thing that causes the most stress and the most debate. What size, tread pattern, and pressure you choose can completely change how your bike handles in different conditions, and your tire choice can definitely make or break a given ride.

The Renslow Trestle

The last time a train rumbled over the Renslow Trestle was in 1980. Today, this bridge is part of the Palouse to Cascades Trail, and up until today, this span was one of the few major barriers left on the west side of the Columbia River. It is now open to the public.

Family Friendly Gravel

If you’ve read my writeup on the Palouse To Cascades Trail, then you know that the stretch between Cle Elum and Thorp is one of my favorites. It’s a great experience for riders of all ages and skill levels, as long as they have a bike that is capable for the surface and you prepare them ahead of time for what to expect.

Look Fast Ride Slow!

Stickers! Look Fast, Ride Slow is an ethos. How slow should you ride? It’s relative, and it’s entirely up to you. Can you ride fast sometimes? Yeah! It’s fun. But stop trying to race everybody all the time.

Let’s Get Low (gearing)

I want it all. I want the ability to ride miles of pavement at road speed, and then climb an 18% forest road while carrying all of the necessary supplies for an overnight trip. And I want to do all of this on the same bike.

The Love of the Ride. or: Cycling is for Everyone

There are a lot of people in the cycling world who want you to believe that if you just had that new component, shoe, or bike, all of your rides would be absolutely awesome and you’d always be happy. The industry as a whole has an awful lot to come to terms with. Cycling should be accessible and welcoming to all folks.

Project Party Bike

Get rad! 90’s rigid mountain bikes tend to make the best party bikes. They typically have massive tire clearance, they can be built with basically any components you want, and they’re pretty much indestructible. Plus, they’re cheap, easy to find, and usually come in some fun color schemes. 26 isn’t dead.

The 1000 Acre Wood

The 1000 Acre Wood is a large swath of privately owned timberland perched atop the eastern edge of Crescent Valley, just north of Gig Harbor. It contains a surprisingly large network of gravel forest roads, wide dirt trails, single track, and tight hiking trails

The Dark and Slow of Winter

As the beautiful colors of fall give way to the dark and cold days of winter, it’s difficult to stay motivated and want to go outside; The daylight hours are short, the temperatures drop, and the weather can become a larger obstacle than any hill you may encounter. Winter riding requires a mental shift, asContinue reading “The Dark and Slow of Winter”