Western Washington: bikeable?

[Bearded Man]

For those who live in the Puget Sound area, specifically South King County, do you feel it is feasible/manage to actually bike year round?

For me, where I live at the moment, no, unless I kept my work from home job. Last two houses I lived, yes, IF I only worked in Tacoma or Seattle proper, so I could bike and take public transport (bus, train, etc.)

Also, I'm not so sure I'd want to be biking out in the extreme cold and wet days/weeks. When I was younger I had a higher tolerance for it, and I'm still a camp in the winter kind of guy, but on a daily basis? No thanks. Once retired, maybe, as I hardly leave my house, but if I had to get around day after wet, cold and miserable day, I wouldn't be so thrilled.

[matchewed]

You don't seem to be actually asking a question. More making a statement that you don't want to bike in bad weather...

The actual feasibility of biking all year round is yes, pretty much anywhere. The real question is are you willing to do the things necessary to do so. You've already said no. So...

[HPstache]

For those who live in the Puget Sound area, specifically South King County, do you feel it is feasible/manage to actually bike year round?

For me, where I live at the moment, no, unless I kept my work from home job. Last two houses I lived, yes, IF I only worked in Tacoma or Seattle proper, so I could bike and take public transport (bus, train, etc.)

Also, I'm not so sure I'd want to be biking out in the extreme cold and wet days/weeks. When I was younger I had a higher tolerance for it, and I'm still a camp in the winter kind of guy, but on a daily basis? No thanks. Once retired, maybe, as I hardly leave my house, but if I had to get around day after wet, cold and miserable day, I wouldn't be so thrilled.

From my experience you would face a 50%-70% chance of a wet bike ride every day from about November to April.... not sure if that answers your question?

[Bearded Man]

I'm asking if biking in South King County is feasible considering weather most of the year, and how far most of the high paying jobs are from the lower cost suburbs, such as the suburb I live in/will be moving back to.

In South King County, I think distance limits you to working in Seattle so you can take public transit, after biking to said transit. Either that or take whatever run of the mill job they have a few miles from you. Then the next question is, is it feasible to do it in inclement weather that we have here half the year?

[matchewed]

Then the answer is yes.

[TrMama]

Distance and weather are independent issues. I bike year round on Vancouver Island and don't find the weather to be a big deal. The saying about, "There is no bad weather, only bad clothes" is very true and applies to our climate as much as any other climate.

Whether you can handle the distance is a completely separate question. You can increase your range by getting a road bike or an electric assist bike.

[big_slacker]

On weather. I rode in to work around 6am this morning and back around 3:30pm, 16 miles or so. You know what it was like out, and I enjoyed myself. One of the great things about the puget sound area is how warm it stays in the winter. 46 this morning and probably around the same on the ride back. All you need is a nice waterproof shell, helmet cover, some booties and whatever layers are required based on the temp. Outside of weeks where it's freezing temps (I can layer up but F risking frost on the road at 30+ mph) it's year round.

On the south sound I'll say this: You've mentioned in other posts you're in tech so and if you're talking working for one of the big companies in downtown or redmond it's probably too far to make biking every day feasible. Bike + bus and you're spending so long commuting you'd really need to make a call on paying a housing premium to live closer or a lesser paying job closer to you.

[Bearded Man]

On weather. I rode in to work around 6am this morning and back around 3:30pm, 16 miles or so. You know what it was like out, and I enjoyed myself. One of the great things about the puget sound area is how warm it stays in the winter. 46 this morning and probably around the same on the ride back. All you need is a nice waterproof shell, helmet cover, some booties and whatever layers are required based on the temp. Outside of weeks where it's freezing temps (I can layer up but F risking frost on the road at 30+ mph) it's year round.

On the south sound I'll say this: You've mentioned in other posts you're in tech so and if you're talking working for one of the big companies in downtown or redmond it's probably too far to make biking every day feasible. Bike + bus and you're spending so long commuting you'd really need to make a call on paying a housing premium to live closer or a lesser paying job closer to you.

Bus or train to Seattle are only 30 minute ride. I could walk to the train station it's so close, but THAT wouldn't be worth it. If I drove to the train station, I could easily have a slightly over 1 hour commute each day, on a half a tank of gas a month, with an ORCA pass that costs me $90 or free (past employers in Seattle always paid for my pass).

The bike may be a bit too much outside a really urban area. So I guess in the south sound/south king county, it's not really worth it, especially if I live close to transit.

Plus I don't know if I want to risk riding through the ghetto in the dark.

[honeybbq]

I work with people that bike year round, so it CAN be done.

I think the best thing is to do a combo of busing and biking since all the buses have the bike carriers on them. If it's torrential downpour like today, skip the bike all together. But most days it just sprinkles a bit. Get some good outer gear and some VERY good lights and you'd be ok.

I'm in North Seattle so I'm unfamiliar with the biking corridors, but on the north side there are many which pass right through a bus station. Very convenient.

[ministashy]

I bike+train or bike+bus from Kent to South Lake Union almost every weekday.  I used to bike+bus from Kent to Redmond as well.  It's very doable, and it doesn't require fancy gear if you aren't marathoning/being a speed demon.  I bike in my work clothes--all you need is a waterproof exterior layer--jacket and pants, with rain hood and booties optional--and you're good to go.  Layers are your friend.  It starts sprinkling, I wear the jacket.  It stops, I stuff it in a pannier.  And I find this much less stressful than trying to drive in commute traffic and pay for parking every day!

[hyla]

Also, I'm not so sure I'd want to be biking out in the extreme cold and wet days/weeks. When I was younger I had a higher tolerance for it, and I'm still a camp in the winter kind of guy, but on a daily basis? No thanks. Once retired, maybe, as I hardly leave my house, but if I had to get around day after wet, cold and miserable day, I wouldn't be so thrilled.

I think another key to biking year round is to try to bike most days in the winter, but don't feel you need to be completely hardcore and bike every single day.  Bike when it's just sprinkling rain, but take a bus or car if it's downpouring and the weather's just above freezing.

[Bearded Man]

I bike+train or bike+bus from Kent to South Lake Union almost every weekday.  I used to bike+bus from Kent to Redmond as well.  It's very doable, and it doesn't require fancy gear if you aren't marathoning/being a speed demon.  I bike in my work clothes--all you need is a waterproof exterior layer--jacket and pants, with rain hood and booties optional--and you're good to go.  Layers are your friend.  It starts sprinkling, I wear the jacket.  It stops, I stuff it in a pannier.  And I find this much less stressful than trying to drive in commute traffic and pay for parking every day!

Bus from Kent to Redmond? How long did that take? Did it put you near the MS campus? I didn't think transportation to the east side was that good, but let's see how long the bus ride was.

[ministashy]

As I recall (it's been a couple of years), it took me about 45 min on the express bus in the morning, and about 1 hr 15-20 min coming home in the afternoon.  Depending on traffic, of course.  When I was first starting out with the commute, I drove my car to compare, and it took me as long or longer in the morning, and DEFINITELY longer (and infinitely more aggravating) in the afternoon.  The bike part was actually pretty negligable--I live a mile from the bus/train station, on a long steep hill, so it was 5 minutes getting there, and 30 getting home.  :)

And Sound Transit runs express busses every morning/evening straight to Bellevue and Overlake Transit Center--Overlake is in the heart of the main Microsoft campus.  Can't get much closer than that!