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gravl

Outdoor adventures, mostly gravel rides, but not always

Silhaldenstrasse

Christmas ride through the mud and fog

Fog through the trees

Christmas Day weather is generally hit or miss, especially on BI with the frequent rain. I was expecting snow for Christmas after the move to Switzerland but we had far more rain, and far less snow, than Bainbridge this year. I enjoy a good muddy ride and today was no exception.

Adventure ride along the Sihl

An adventure following the path of the Sihl complete with farm roads, gravel paths, and singletrack

Gravel road to a farmhouse

A little bit of everything: chunky gravel, forest service roads, singletrack, oblivious baby goats, tunnels, farm roads, fast descents (some too fast on too chunky gravel!), river views, hike-a-bike, and great weather.

Näfels - Mühlehorn

A point to point walk highlighted by an old bridge

Looking down the valley

A point-to-point between small villages highlighted by an old stone bridge.

Big Skidder Hill

Lower elevation adventure ride on the Olympic Peninsula

Quiet forest service roads beyond the gate

In January the higher elevation forest service roads are covered in snow & ice and inaccessible, safely, by bike. Wanting to ride some forest service roads, I opted for one of the lower elevation areas which is muddy and cold but generally snow free. The area around Big Skidder Hill is closed to vehicles but open to walker and bikes so it’s a wonderful place to ride in the winter.

Flying Wheels++

The Cascade Bicycle Club Flying Wheels course with the addition of two transport stages along 520

Flying wheels route

A group from Seattle I had toured around BI a year ago had been planning a ride of the Flying Wheels 100M route for a few months, being pushed off by a number of factors. Finally this weekend, albeit without perfect weather, we were able to ride the course. To mix it up, we opted to ride it backwards and, with inspiration from Jan from BQ, I rode two transport stages as well.

Islands & Bridges

A tour of some of the islands and bridges of Kitsap and King county

The 520 bike lane

A departure from my usual farm and logging road riding, this loop offered a lot more city riding along with bridges and islands I had never visited on bike.

Vashon & Maury Islands

A cafe ride of rolling hills, quiet roads, and well-maintained trails on two island of Puget Sound

Switchback down to the water from Point Robinson

Blue skies and warming temperatures promised ideal riding conditions so I chose to venture to Vashon Island to tour the farms, coffee stands, and bakeries. I started with a route from the Seattle International Randonneurs, 2020 WTS #9: Vashon Island, and modified it slightly to add some gravel and a trip through Dockton Forest, both of which turned out to be great additions to the route.

#Festive500

Rapha's annual winter challenge to ride 500KM in the eight days between Christmas Eve Day and New Years' Eve Day

Waiting

I’m a huge fan of Rapha’s annual #Festive500 challenge. The challenge rules are simple: ride 500KM in the 8 days between Christmas Eve and New Years’ Eve, inclusive. I look forward to it every year because there’s something about riding in the cold, dark, wind, and rain which appeals to me.

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