My Favorite Bicycle Commute

This map shows my current favorite bicycle commute. It is a mix of about 50% dirt trails and 50% road riding, but most of the roads are low traffic. It is about 11 miles of riding (and 3 miles of bus riding) which means I can do it in about an hour. I rarely see other people on the route, so it gives me some quiet time to escape work.

Each of the flags on the map corresponds to one of the pictures below. Eventually I will make an image map so that you can click on the flag and see the correct picture.


Bridal Crest Trail

My commute starts from the corner of NE 156th Ave and 40th Ave NE in Redmond, WA. I ride along 156th (which has moderate traffic to 51st Ave NE, then almost no traffic) to 60th Ave NE. At 60th Ave NE I get onto Bridal Crest Trail. This is a skinny dirt trail that can get a little overgrown in the summer but is otherwise fun to ride. In the winter I'll often skip the trail and take Old Redmond Road instead (which is about 1/4 mile north).

156th Ave NE between 51st and 60th.
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156th Ave NE between 51st and 60th.
Bridal Crest Trail starts on the left.
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Bridal Crest Trail starts on the left.
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I leave the trail here to the right.  You can also go straight for a fun but tricky climb.
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I leave the trail here to the right. You can also go straight for a fun but tricky climb.
This is the climb that you get if you stay with the trail.
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This is the climb that you get if you stay with the trail.
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60th Ave NE

Bikes aren't allowed in Bridal Crest State Park, so I have to stick to 60th Ave NE for a couple of miles. There is a pedestrian bridge that crosses 405. Just after the bridge take a left onto 114th to get to Watershed Park.

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The 405 pedestrian bridge at 60th Ave NE.
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The 405 pedestrian bridge at 60th Ave NE.
The spiral ramp on the west end of the bridge.
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The spiral ramp on the west end of the bridge.
A temporary end to 114th.  Go behind the fence to the right to get around it.
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A temporary end to 114th. Go behind the fence to the right to get around it.

Watershed Park

Watershed Park isn't on most maps, but has a couple of miles of nice trails. It also lets you avoid a bit of the riding on 108th (not that 108th is bad, the park is just more fun). Inside the park I take the lower part of loop 1 from the entrance on the upper left to to the peace sign, then trail 1 to the you are here indicator. To do this just take a right at every intersection. On a nice day you might as well take the time to ride all of loop 1 and loop 2.

The park entrance from 114th.
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The park entrance from 114th.
Typical Watershed Park trail.
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Typical Watershed Park trail.
There is a big peace sign in this manmade crater.
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There is a big peace sign in this manmade crater.
The park map.
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The park map.

Finishing off the Eastside

For the rest of the route I basically follow 520. First I take Northup Way and Points Drive, then get onto the trail that runs just north of 520. Where 520 meets the water I take the bus across Lake Washington. 108th and Northup way have traffic, but you don't stay on them long. Points Drive has almost no traffic since there is a car barrier halfway up it.

The dip on 108th.  It doesn't look that long or steep, but you can easily hit 40mph on this and coast up the far side.
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The dip on 108th. It doesn't look that long or steep, but you can easily hit 40mph on this and coast up the far side.
Climbing Points Drive.  The longest hill on the route.
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Climbing Points Drive. The longest hill on the route.
Look at all of that traffic!  I'm glad I'm biking instead.
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Look at all of that traffic! I'm glad I'm biking instead.
The barrier at the top of Points Drive.  I just barely squeeze through with my pannier.
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The barrier at the top of Points Drive. I just barely squeeze through with my pannier.
The trail that runs next to 520.  The trees make the highway seem much like it is much farther away.
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The trail that runs next to 520. The trees make the highway seem much like it is much farther away.
My bus ride across the lake.  Busses come every few minutes during rush hour.  This one was heading back to a base and had no passengers.
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My bus ride across the lake. Busses come every few minutes during rush hour. This one was heading back to a base and had no passengers.

The Burke Gilman and Ravenna Park

The bus drops me off at the Montlake Flyer stop on 520. I head across the Montlake Bridge to the Burke Gilman Trail and take that north to Ravenna Park. Ravenna Park is yet another fine dirt trail and leads me almost to my house.

The view from the Montlake Bridge.
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The view from the Montlake Bridge.
The Burke Gilman Trail as it runs through the University of Washington.  There were less users than typical for a weekday evening in the summer.
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The Burke Gilman Trail as it runs through the University of Washington. There were less users than typical for a weekday evening in the summer.
Riding through Ravenna Park.
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Riding through Ravenna Park.

The Bike

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This summer (2003) I'm mostly commuting on my Heron Touring. When I'm carrying my laptop I use the Arkel Briefcase pannier that is shown. Many days I only carry a change of clothes and they can fit along with my tools in the Baggins Little Joe saddle bag shown behind my seat. I use the Carradice SQR to make the Little Joe easily removable for the bus part of the commute. Most of my bikes have a generator hub, but I just bought this one, so currently I'm using a rechargable battery light. This bike is ideal for commuting on because I can carry a good amount of stuff on it, it fits wider tires (good for the dirt portions of my commute) and it has a more upright position that I find to be better for city riding.


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A covered bridge on the 520 trail.
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A covered bridge on the 520 trail.
The end of the 520 trail.  The bus stop is ahead on the right.
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The end of the 520 trail. The bus stop is ahead on the right.
The end of Ravenna Park.
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The end of Ravenna Park.
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