Bellingham and Whatcom County are home to some of the best biking trails and roads in the Pacific Northwest. Rolling fields stretch towards mountains and sea amongst easy country roads. World-class trail riding, from beginner to expert, abounds. It’s not just hyperbole – professional bike racers live and train right here in town. Recently, the City of Bellingham has introduced new road markings and technology to help ease relations between car and bike, which helps to train both drivers and cyclists on how to share roads safely. After all, a whopping four percent of Bellingham commuters bike to work. While that number is astoundingly low considering how easy it is to get around town due to our low speed limits in town and interurban trail system, it’s higher than many American communities, including Seattle. While drivers’ blood pressure rises on pace with the growing traffic problems on Seattle roads, bike commuting there clocks in at only 3.4%. That’s among the country’s highest.
To get you ready to get out on your bike, here are some great resources to check out.
Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism has a thorough page devoted to lists of places to ride. In town, outside town, trail and city, this is a great page to inspire you. Scroll down to find maps and places to rent a bike if you don’t have one of your own.
Map My Ride’s Bellingham page shows cycling maps and routes, as well as upcoming cycling events.
I wouldn’t be a very responsible personal injury lawyer if I didn’t offer tips on safe riding, would I? The truth is, if a biker goes down, there’s usually an injury involved. In bike versus car collisions, you can guess who will be carted away on a stretcher and who gets to walk. Rescue teams are pretty familiar with Galbraith Mountain’s trail system. However, there are a few things you can do to decrease your chances of a debilitating injury. The first one is obvious – wear a helmet. Just do it. Here’s a post about why it’s a good idea to wear a bike helmet, if you need any convincing.
One last resource I’d like to share is from Whatcom Smart Trips. Information and tips on being carless are listed there, from walking to ride-share to bus schedules.
Though March is still roaring like a lion, at least today, rest assured this too shall pass and we’re in for a glorious summer.