Two possible rail-to-trail projects are on the drawing boards in Washington state -- one in scenic northeastern Washington and another in the traffic-choked Seattle suburbs.

One could be a nationwide draw to bicycle tourists who could pick up the trail near Republic and follow the Kettle River 28 miles north to the Canadian border. The other could serve as a north-south bike commuter path from Renton to the Snohomish county line, 33 miles away.

Kettle Falls railroad

The proposed rail-trail in eastern Washington's Ferry County would be the first in the West to connect to Canada's rail-to-trail network ...   more »

See more Chilly Hilly 2007 pictures here

The Chilly Hilly bike ride lived up to its name again this year, providing the same old hills and the same old chilly, wet weather.

How hilly? The Cascade Bicycle Club organizers say there's 2,675 feet of climbing. How chilly? 40 degrees when I left the house this morning (you can calculate the wind chill with the drizzle, wind, and fast downhills).

That didn't deter me or thousands of other recreational cyclists from the Pacific Northwest, however, who took the early morning ferries across Puget Sound to the 33-mile ride around Bainbridge Island ...   more »

Here's a great way to jumpstart your spring bicycling to get that mileage base up for those long summer bike tours and rides.

The Seattle International Randonneurs is hosting a five-day spring training camp at Wenatchee, Washington, from April 26-30. The festival is designed for cyclists of all abilities who want to put in some good miles out of the rain.

The camp features two fully supported bike rides each day with options for short, medium and long mileage. Cue sheets are also available for unsupported rides. ...   more »

And the envelope, please.

Boulder Sports Research has announced its list of the top 100 specialty bicycle shops in the US.  The best out of 5,100 retailers.

But first, let's make it understood that the voting was done by sales representatives from 7 leading bike makers and 5 accessory makers. That means your favorite, dusty, hole-in-the-wall bike shop might not have made the list. ...   more »