Written by Greg and Lauren. First the data
- Here are Greg’s gmaps of the trip in two parts, due to the ferry. From Bainbridge Loop + Poulsbo sidetrip, and home to Colman dock and back (not very exciting).
- Lauren’s link to the data on her GPS, which had some problems on 2nd and in the trees on the east side of Bainbridge.

Now the details:

We started at UZ a bit after 8… and somehow, crazily made it to the ferry RIGHT at 8:45. We were averaging 17-18mph most of the way there, minus going up Denny hill. Lauren quickly paid while the three FASTER three guys went to the ferry, but she did catch up and we were on just in time.

We met a guy from Wisconsin who sold his business and is now just biking around (actually he’s biking back to Green Bay) We rode with him from the NE corner of Bainbridge to Poulsbo; he was heading on to Port Townshend. We basically had lunch with him at the Liberty Bay Bakery and Cafe in downtown Poulsbo. But why did we go to Poulsbo you ask?

Lauren’s back rack came undone (again) doing approx 20mph down hill, in spectacular but luckily symmetric fashion, so nothing went into the spokes. The bolt on holding the rack to braze-on (where it connects to the frame up at the front) came free. The whole rack became one big huge break.

The rear flasher was destroyed, and a chunk of her tire was taken out. Here are some pictures of what happened to the rear deflector as a whole AND especially what happened to the part that was rubbing on the tire. A bit of heat anyone? Oh and the force of the tire pulling on it made the back part where the deflector attaches bend to the point where she just snapped it off when she tried to bend it back.

However! Bontrager puncture resistant tires are awesome. The few gouges did warrant replacing the tire (the people int he cycle shop confirmed this), but I wound up riding all the way to Poulsbo and back on the thing with no flats… She just didn’t feel safe continuing to ride on it, all the way home.
This led to our search for a bike shop in Poulsbo. There are none.

We did get a copy of the phone book and found there are 2 bike stores on Bainbridge: one purportedly on High School and the other on Djune in the center of town.
A guy who we asked gave us his map and directions for leaving Poulsbo that took us on a much nicer route than 305 (which isn’t bad for a state highway, but hardly scenic). We wound up giving the map to the guy from Wisconsin.

After we crossed back across Agate Pass, Lauren took 305 straight to Winslow, stopping at High School way… but that cycle shop didn’t exist. She asked a who had just finished shopping at the Safeway there. HIs mode of transportation was a tricycle like thing that weighs approx 300 lbs with a big cargo area. He modified it to have a motor assist him going up hills, but he pedals it all the other times. I asked him how fast it will go and he said “Scary fast” (the tricycle shakees). He took her to the nearest cycleshop was on Winslow Way - Classic Cycle. As they were parting, he said “Tell Jeff (if he’s in there) that Dave with the tricycle says ‘hi’” - So she did. They helped her pick a good replacement tire and reflector, and Jeff fixed her bike tire. However (and it happens to the best of us), it there was a pinch flat. Within four blocks of trying to catch up with the guys, she had another flat, but they fixed it for no charge right away. She took the 2:05 ferry back to Seattle and had a pretty uneventful, but headwind filled ride home.

Paul, Erik and Greg did most of the rest of the loop (the Chilly Hilly, plus the side route to Battle Point Park to hit the restroom. Greg remembered it had a restroom from the loop he took about 15 years ago. That’s about the only thing that hasn’t changed. Oh, and the Lynwood movie theater (which at the time was showing “Do the Right Thing” was still there and now showing “An Inconvenient Truth”).

After deciding to continue with the loop without Lauren, Greg got a flat at
about the farthest possible SW point. Luckily he had spare tubes and luckily
he found the piece of glass that had probably been in there for a few weeks.
He had to stop an extra time to try to inflate the tire, but otherwise no
damage except we missed Lauren’s ferry by 2 minutes. Back to town for a
treat at the bakery, oh well.

This entry was posted 2 years, 4 months ago on Monday, July 10th, 2006 at 12:25 am and is filed under Rides, Unsupported. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.