How to get started on your Seattle Biker Journey

Seattle resident Lisa Jensen, now an avid bicyclist, didn’t start biking until she started college at University of Washington. 

Without a car and not wanting to wait for a bus, she thought she’d pick up biking. Now she’s an evangelist of biking for all beginners. 

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Lisa Jensen posing on her overnight biking trip outside of Mount Rainier National Park where she rode over 70 miles on her bike to and from Mount Rainier. “I camped outside the park and it was so nice to have space to myself while feeling so accomplished.” (Photo provided by Lisa Jensen)

When starting to bike more regularly, she began using an old bike that she found in her parent’s garage, she said.

“A good starting point would be to loan or rent a bike, I do not suggest making a big purchase. Recycled Cycles is a great starter place to check out some bikes,” Jensen said.
 

In a recent 2021 Northwest Poll, the survey found that 74 percent of Seattle bicyclists consider themselves to have beginner or intermediate cycling skills and  say they feel somewhat or not at all comfortable when sharing the road with cars and other bikers. 

The poll showed that the nation is continuing to experience bicycle fever in response to COVID-19, with 33 percent of Seattle cyclists showing an increase in biking activity. With this increase, more and more resources are becoming available to share helpful tips for beginner Seattle bikers.

Jensen believes the Burke Gilman Trail, a 20 mile-long trail, is the most protected bike infrastructure. It is long enough for a biker to choose how short or far they want to bike. 

The route, with many access points, winds through North Seattle with great views along Lake Washington. With 6-foot-wide trails, there is plenty of space to avoid other trail users and to also easily maneuver around other bikers or pedestrians.

One major note made by many cyclists is: Use caution and be aware of the bike path crossing under the Ballard Bridge, as the train track intersects with the Burke Gilman bike trail.

Tom Fucoloro, founder and editor of Seattle Bike Blog recommended starting the journey in simple ways. “The best way for beginning bikers to get practice is to make a simple trip to the grocery store,” said Fucoloro.

By making a trip to the grocery store, you are staying somewhat local to your area while practicing locking your bike and figuring out how you will carry your groceries back home. 

Another Seattle biker, Erin Caldwell moved with her boyfriend from Atlanta to Seattle in 2020 and started off her biking journey by practicing riding in empty parking garages. Caldwell grew into an avid biker who still rides to and from work to this day. 

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“I was terrified. I felt that I could redeem my sense of balance, but I had no idea how to navigate traffic, it was my first time riding a bike with multiple gears which took tons and tons of practice,” said Caldwell.

“Finding a lightweight bike with multiple gears can be a great starter that fits the city of Seattle,” says Caldwell. She went on Facebook Marketplace to help find an inexpensive bike that better suited her size. 

In 2021, after a long day at work, Caldwell decided to go climbing for an hour and when she finished her session, her bike was gone, and her lightweight lock was cut in half. 

“It was one of those things where you’re questioning your reality. You’re pinching yourself to make sure you’re not in a nightmare,” said Caldwell. “I filed a police report and had my serial number that I registered online.” 

A couple weeks later, Caldwell received a call from the King County Sheriff’s office that they found her bike next to a homeless encampment.

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Erin Caldwell photographed after being reunited with her stolen bike. After reporting her bike serial number, police officials found her bike weeks later (Photo provided by Erin Caldwell).

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“I will never use a flimsy lock again,” said Caldwell.

Jensen’s first few experiences biking around the U District were not easy either.

“The first couple of weeks into biking my tires got stolen at least three different times. I realized bike theft was a real thing,” Jensen said.

Because of this experience, Jensen learned how to protect her bike, repair her bike, and do basic bike mechanics by getting a job at the ASUW Bike Shop. 

The ASUW Bike shop, which serves staff, students and faculty, is a retail shop with repair services that also connects riders to resources such as workshops and bike mechanic classes.

A helpful tool for beginner bikers is the ABC's, she said. 

“When going out to bike regardless of how far, you always need to check you have Air in your tires and they are properly filled, check that your Brakes are fully in check and sharp, especially when dealing with hills, and lastly, check that your Chains are oiled and riding smoothly,” Jensen explained.

“I felt a sense of independence, but it took some time to feel comfortable biking next to cars and I sort of threw myself into it,” Jensen said when she was finally gifted a road bike in college.

Like many others, Jensen needed a lot of practice with her bike before she improved her confidence. For Jensen’s first solo bike trip, she traveled to Mount Rainier National Park. 

“I mapped out a speculative route and did research but had no idea exactly what I was getting into. A lot of initiation was coming from friends and applications like Strava and looking up existing routes for road bike packing in Washington state,” she remembered.

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Now as an avid biker, Jensen finds time for weekend adventures and new ways to immerse herself into the landscape and social experience that comes with biking. She has completed a five-day biking trip in Utah and went through Zion National Park, and even went to Cuba with her sister for an out-of-the-country biking experience. 

Jensen and Caldwell have both found key information on the Seattle Bike Blog website, as it covers a wide range of topics when it comes to Seattle biking.

“I biked as a child, as most people do where you start with training wheels… but I hadn’t rode a bike as an adult,” says Caldwell. Becoming an avid biker is a slow process. “It was terrifying and it took tons of practice.”

After purchasing her own bike, something clicked and she got hooked.

“It sometimes felt easier riding a bike than taking my car or riding on a bus,” said Caldwell. 

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