Day -1/Day 0 - Fun in Seattle's University District and the Rent-a-Bike Arrives Via Bike
Day -1: Carole and I flew out to Seattle on the Thursday before the ride and checked in to our hotel near the STP starting point and literally on the Burke Gilman bike trail. We set out to do a bit of sight seeing - the University District has a lot to see.
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We went down to the Washington University Arboretum area and strolled the Seattle Japanese Gardens. Very nice, but once you've seen the Japanese Friendship Gardens in San Diego's Balboa Park, everything else kinda pales in comparison.
We walked over to Frank's Oyster House and Champagne Parlor and had a great dinner, highlighted by Carole performing her favorite magic trick: making a half-dozen oysters disappear in a matter of seconds.
Day 0: Right on time the next morning, I got a text from Pedal Anywhere that the bike would be delivered to the hotel in the next 15 minutes, so I went and sat on a bench out front expecting a van or a truck pulling a trailer to show up.
I put my own seat on the Fuli Sportif, meticulously adjusted it to reproduce the key dimensions of my Trek Domane setup and took a 16 mile test ride on the Burke Gilman trail, heading north. I had rented a bike here back in the mid 1990s and done much of this trail - phenomenal views of Lake Washington were constant.
I've been spoiled by the Domane's carbon wheels, disc brakes, wider tires and vibration dampening features - the Fuji was definitely a rougher ride and much slower stopping. But the gearing range was identical (though spread over a 2x9 setup vs. the 2x11 on the Domane) and overall it felt perfect.
That night we did a 3 mile walk around Green Lake, had dinner at nearby Brunello (serious carb loading via the Gambrieri Fra Diavolo) and made a stop at iconic Archie McPhee's.
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The weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday were for partly cloudy skies, no chance of precipitation and temps peaking in the low 80s - perfect biking weather.
Today's ride: 16 miles (26 km)
Total: 16 miles (26 km)
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