I recently explored a newly opened forest area on Whidbey Island that happens to be close to my house. After an easy 2 mile ride there on the mountain bike, I had high hopes that the trails would be single-track and awesome. They were, and it was!
Posted by Brian Hanson | Filed under Cycling, MTB, Northwest
04 Friday Sep 2026
It’s been a long quiet stretch here. Last steady writing was years ago, and a lot of life filled the gap, graduations, jobs, weddings. I’ve got more time now, and I want to write here again as a creative outlet — short notes on bikes, trails, and the miles around Seattle and Whidbey Island in the Pacific NW. Some words next to the photos, when there’s something worth getting off my chest.
I rebuilt my father’s old Miyata Triplecross. It was his RV travel bike that he kept on the rack when he travelled back and forth in retirement. Lots of dust from the trips from AZ, and some good beausage. The base is a Taiwanese-built triple-butted steel lugged frame that’s a real gem. Rides like a champ.
I went through a few upgrades/changes: new Compass drop bars, brake/shifter cables, flat pedals, and some new old stock Longboard SKS fenders for the coming deluge. Shifters are some Silvers from the Rivendell stash, on Shimano bar-end pods. I had the pods, but no related shifters, so had to order a few parts and figure out how to set up a friction setup that worked. I also had to find a brake cable stop for the front. I had an older part I had modified that attaches to the fork crown and works great.
Bar tape is my signature harlequin green/orange with 2 coats of amber shellac. I had to remind myself how to do this via my old video: harlequin wrap video if you want to geek out on the pattern. I kept the 7-speed Biopace drivetrain and Exage deraileurs. It is barely used, so still shifts quietly/quickly in friction mode – almost perfect for this. As for the Biopace, I feel it on the downstoke mostly when climbing hills, so it is a win.
I replaced the saddle with a really old Selle Anatomica from a trade. I added this, after the shakedown bare-bar 20-miler around Seattle (Golden Gardens, the canal) reminded me I needed something kinder to the taint. Major bruising from the terrible Brooks Cambium C15 I had laying around. Felt like a brick after 10 miles. Nope…
On the geometry, the bottom bracket sits higher than I’m used to, it being a hybrid/cyclocross style, but I set it close to my Homer Hilsen, and it feels pretty good. I basically set the rear of saddle to bar center, and then the center of crank to seat height, and bar height to seat height relation (about 1-2cm higher bar).
It’s pretty well set up – I do need to add new tires and will probably order up some soon. Now I need to ride this thing…
Pics from the rebuild: Miyata album on Flickr.
More soon when the miles pile up.
26 Wednesday Aug 2020
Tags
I haven’t been writing for a while now. It looks like my last post was in 2018 and “A LOT” has happened since then. Highlights: a graduating senior is leaving us for college in a month and I will be very sad at her departure, I’ve been through some work changes, but work has been stable, and then there is this pandemic thing…
I’ve spent a lot of time on Whidbey Island this year – probably more than half-time since February. I love how it feels rural, but is still an hour from Seattle. It has helped me maintain my mental state through the pandemic and social disorder affecting the world.
Now, back to bikes. I have moved most of my bikes up here, including the following that are getting very regular (daily) use:
My normal day starts early with half my team on the east coast. I’ll usually do a lunch ride for 1 to 1.5 hours – either a nice 15 mile road ride, or a 6-10 mile trail ride. I then work to the end of the day. After dinner, I will go on a beach walk, kayak, or fish for whatever is nibbling. I enjoy standing in the cold Puget Sound waters for an hour or so while fishing to numb up my legs and relax from the day’s work.
Typical Road Ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/55001772?privacy_code=NBuzdhA7QvKegnWl
Trail Ride at Trillium: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/16459760#postcard
Posted by Brian Hanson | Filed under Cycling
17 Saturday Mar 2018
ridewithgps.com/trips/21379894
I did the ride up north the hard way today. I knew it would hurt, but I made it thru the ordeal. Beautiful day. Will post some pics if they turned out.
Posted by Brian Hanson | Filed under Cycling
20 Saturday Jan 2018
Tags
bicycle, bike, cycling, kona, MTB, schwalbe, Seattle, Trillium Reserve, Whidbey Island
In an attempt to get out for a quick ride today, I chose the MTB. I found reasonable trails even in the winter in the Trillium Park on Whidbey Island. I headed up the eastern edge on mostly damp leafy single track until I reached the access road on the north end. After the climb, the real fun starts. There were a few trees down that I had to stop and hop for, but it was a good flow, nevertheless.
On the downhill nearing my favorite twisty section, I ran into a hiker who warned me that it was “wet up ahead”. I soon ran into a pond where the trail should have been. Being at least a foot deep with no way around, I abandoned and headed home.
The Kona was impressive as always. After a nice wash and oil, it’s ready for the next adventure.
Posted by Brian Hanson | Filed under Cycling
Cycle Seattle 