Geeking Out on Bikes

This month, we highlight one of our favorite outdoor activities — riding bicycles! May is National Bike Month and a perfect opportunity to solve those housebound doldrums. Redmond is rich with areas to explore by bike, while maintaining a socially safe distance from others. Bike-riding keeps us healthy and happy, and since we’ve all been cooped up for weeks, geeking out on bicycles is an essential endeavor.

If you are looking for a leisurely ride through Redmond, travel the Central Connector to Downtown Park. You will discover a scenic tour through a beautiful area of town. Consider bringing a picnic to the park, or order takeout from one of the many Redmond restaurants offering pick-up.

Feeling like you can conquer any path? Redmond Watershed Preserve serves up some tasty terrain offering an off-road challenge for those bike geeks who are willing to get dirty. Redmond is loaded with casual biking trails, too — like Sammamish River Trail — where you might hail others with a cheerful, “hello” as you cruise along a paved, multi-purpose trail for bicyclists and pedestrians. Looking to bring the little ones along? Perrigo Park is perfect for little bicycle geeks trying out their training wheels. Bring the family and a snack to satisfy as everyone works up an appetite.

Owning a bicycle is a passion many of us established at an early age — when we pedaled till the wheels fell off, geeking out on our rad rides from sun-up to sun-down. Today, bikes have evolved, so perhaps it is time to upgrade your ride. What better place in the world to find a new two-wheel toy than in Redmond, the bicycle-geek capital of the Northwest?

Redmond proffers a plethora of primo bike shops to geek out on. Edge & Spoke has a “Rent a Roll” program if you are unsure of the bike you want, and their knowledgeable staffwill put you on the set of wheels that best suits you. Element Cycles is known as a high-end road and mountain bike shop, though they have bikes for every level of rider, from novice to pro. For some of the best local advice about riding in the area, Trek Bicycle Redmond is a destination for the latest products from Trek and Bontrager. If you feel more comfortable shopping from home, support the oldest bike shop on the Eastside, Redmond Cycle — family owned and operated for over 44 years. These guys want to assure that you are getting the best deal, and they are currently offering a price match guarantee. Looking to try something new? Pedego Electric Bikes provides a fun, electric alternative to sweating it out on a long ride. Try a Pedego for free, and geek out on a zippy assist up those hard hills.

If you were looking forward to your “Bike To Work Day” commute before we all started working from home, please be aware that Redmond has officially moved Bike To Work Week to September 21-27, 2020. The annual biking celebration coincides with Car Free Day on September 22.

With the weather changing, we are happy to see people venturing outside at a safe distance again, rediscovering the joy of riding a bike. Whether you seek fresh air, or you’re interested in joining a Redmond bike club, we encourage everyone to geek out on bicycles this month! Here are a few additional suggestions to make your ride a little more fun:

1. Sing a song loudly as you pass pedestrians, or people in their yards. This may very well overtake the less popular, “on your left!” that sometimes makes others jump out of their skin.
2. Work on getting your wheelie back. You don’t need to re-build the ramp you once made out of scrap plywood, but you can still look cool again by holding your front wheel off the ground while rolling past the neighborhood teenagers.
3. Take a moment to stop and read the roadside signs. Pause to peruse the message on the memorial, city sign, or tree marker you’ve always passed by.
4. Go ahead — splurge on a really, really, really nice bell. Ring it joyfully as you travel down your own path.

Riding bikes can be life-changing, so let’s geek out on two wheels together as we experience the rad roads of Redmond.