A friend and I scouted part of the route for the Seattle International Randonneurs 600 km brevet recently. It was like a trip into the past, taking old roads into the mountains, almost free of traffic, as modern roads have diverted most cars onto main roads, leaving the back roads for us cyclists. Add to that budget cuts that have prevented the forest service from clearing roads after the winter, and you feel like it must have been 70 years ago.
Riding my 1973 Singer, it became clear once again that a classic bike was a better choice for this type of riding than my friend's modern carbon machine - whether it was climbing, descending, tire width or capacity to carry clothes and food.
Photos are at
http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/
This is part of Bicycle Quarterly's "Rides Archive." The "Rides Archive" is intended to inspire riders to venture off the beaten path, and to provide routes for those looking for places to go. Everybody is invited to contribute - send me a short note if you have a ride you'd like to share. We need a few photos and a map or sketch of the route to publish it.
Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
140 Lakeside Ave #C
Seattle WA 98122
http://www.bikequarterly.com