The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures

The weather is getting better, and I have bikes on hand... it's time to explore more of Seattle by bike! On this edition we start kind of big - crossing Lake Washington via the floating bridge by bike. Plus bonus Lunar New Year festivals! Lake Washington Crossing

The bike is in Seattle safe and sound, but the adventure getting it here? We have things to talk about! On this episode the takeaways from Minimal California! Takeaways

Hey we have some production delays on the latest episode, so look for that within the next few days... but to ensure your earballs get a regular Thursday listen, here's a special best of that goes ALL the way back to the leading 0 era!

Look, we all know there's some inherent risk in bikepacking, bike touring and even bike commuting. Between bad infrastructure and inattentive drivers, we assume some degree of risk every time we're in the saddle. But as with anything, there are things we can do to make our bicycle adventures safer than by doing nothing. On this episode, some thoughts on all the things you can do to have a safer ride! Originally podcast October 19, 2023.

A fun night adjacent to the Happiest Place on Earth, but work to do on the final day of the adventure. A scouted ride to Orange County airport seemed easy, then challenging, then maybe easy again. But there's been a peculiar lack of drama on this podcast that tends to have unnecessary drama in the trips. I wonder… could we find some? Statistics Miles biked 27 Zippers broken 2 Yards of tape used by SNA TSA to seal the bike bag 3 Futile attempts to repair the zipper in Seattle 1 Flats 0

A flight to San Diego and operation get my bike to Seattle begins! Sunny Southern California lures me in with perfect… wait, what's that? Rain all day? In San Diego? Statistics Miles biked 25+2=27 Busses 1 Trains 1 Water bottles needed to wash sand off bike brakes from beach side quest 4 Flats 0

Welcome back from Winter Break! I was busy while we revisited some classic adventures, and went off and had a brand new one. On this edition, we preview Minimal California, a pared down adventure with a purpose, a destination, and... would you believe things that went awry? I should have shownotes but I'm still on winter break mode... it's a good episode and you should listen to it!

Enough of my tour journals, let's shake it up and bring in special guest star and longtime friend of the show, Pedalshift Society member Brock Dittus in on a tour of not the Oregon coast! Brock travels solo through some of the steepest riding in the state, fueled by fried spicy goodness. Would that be enough to handle the climbs and our old nemesis, wildfire smoke? Originally podcast July 13, 2023.

With my proper trail bike in the shop but a real need to get out for an overnight, I turned to a C&O newbie… my trusty 12″ wheeled, very orange Brompton as my chariot to an urban(ish) stealth camping overnight. Would the trail chew up the Brompton? Would my orange gear prove too, well, orange for stealth camping? If you can't get your adventure by the liter these days, may as well do it in sips… Originally podcast July 16, 2020.

In the second of a two-parter, it's Pedalshift Tour Journals: Vol. 9: Olympic Peninsula! Join me and my trusty Brompton for 4 days of transit-aided bicycle touring from Washington, DC to Seattle to the Olympic Peninsula and wrapping things up in Astoria, Oregon. This week features a more-challenging-than-expected short mileage day, a visit to Kurt Cobain's riverfront hangout, and a long bridge serving as a finish line. Originally podcast March 29, 2018.

In the first of a two-parter during winter break, it's Pedalshift Tour Journals: Vol. 9: Olympic Peninsula! Join me and my trusty Brompton for 4 days of transit-aided bicycle touring from Washington, DC to Seattle to the Olympic Peninsula and wrapping things up in Astoria, Oregon. This week features the machinations of getting from DC to a tent in the shadows of the Olympic Mountains (if there were, y'know… sun) and the first very soggy day of riding. Originally podcast March 22, 2018.

Every once in a while it's nice to look back on where it all came from – on this edition, we explore the evolution of bike touring gear from the beginning of the modern era in the 1970s through today's high tech enhancements to bikepacking and more. Plus, a nod to what the future might hold with new materials and tech to make bicycle adventuring more fun and accessible! Originally podcast June 22, 2023.

One more episode before we take a little winter break (with some great best of's!) we do our annual setting of goals. This year we mix in one non-cycling goal on top of the others. Hey if I hit all of these it's going to be a great year! Adventure Goals for 2026 Continued fitness upgrades Oh Canada! New bike(s) Ultralight gear and ultralight tours A Brompton adventure Seattle S24Os Big toe dip: backpacking… Hoh Rainforest? A transit-assisted adventure A food and beverage-centric adventure A ferry-centric adventure

Our very first live show of 2026 is also the inaugural live show from Seattle! On this episode we chat more in depth about Seattle biking adventures to come, both locally and launched from here, give a quick Brompton update, an even briefer ACA update, and then a bunch of questions in the live show AMA! Live from Seattle Thoughts on Seattle as a bike launching point Local trails Gateway to multiple adventures Vancouver crossing loop Pacific coast Washington Parks STP SEA direct flights Year round cycling Brompton update ACA Building Sale Seems like the sale of the building is serving as a proxy on "do you like how things are going" Conflates a lot of stuff, which makes sorting through a lot of the arguments to be tricky Make sure you vote, and I think we all are hoping whatever ACA does in 2026 and beyond that it stays as a major voice in bike travel adventures!

We've often talked about how slow travel by bicycle helps you see your adventure with far more detail than by car. But can we slow it down even more and reinforce that lesson? On this episode, exploring the parallels of exploring a city by foot and how that proves the point! All Who Wander... Live Show January 16 5pm PT Details at pedalshift.net/live!

So you've decided to relocate - congratulations! Now you have to figure out what to do with all of your bikes. Do you just move them all or is it time to rightsize your fleet? On this edition, we take a long hard look at my situation with a cross-country move. Do I move them all or is there a better solution? • Moving long-distance as a forcing function for downsizing • Applying "does this still serve me?" to bikes • When sentimental value isn't the same as utility • Overlapping bikes and letting go of duplicates • Keeping the most flexible, all-conditions bike • Rethinking an e-bike that isn't quite right • Pulling parts, donating frames, avoiding bad resale math • The Brompton as the ultimate utility / travel bike • Donating vs selling bikes and why effort matters • Downsizing now to make future bike choices easier • Escaping n+1 without abandoning future upgrades • Letting go to make room for more intentional riding

You know you've got a bike tour coming up this year, so you want to make sure you're ready for it. What are some things to do to make that easier in the bike touring offseason? On this episode, some insight into my plans this offseason plus tips from ACA, REI and other experts! ALSO... Pedalshift SEATTLE Live will be Friday January 16 at 5pm PT/8pm ET. Check out the details in your email, YouTube and pedalshift.net/live.

Shifty the Elf returns for the annual holiday spectacular! 2025 was... a year. And as Shifty and I pack up for Seattle, there's a bunch of things we're going through and boxing up as we bid adieu to the year! Happy Holidays and see you in 2026!

A walk along Elliot Bay to discuss the short trip to Honolulu and more on the transition to Seattle and all the bikey adventures to come. Honolulu and Seattle

Big news for the show: The Pedalshift Project is setting up camp in a new city! This episode breaks down what that means for future tours, how this opens up brand-new riding possibilities, and why the destination may be a bit of a surprise and also not a surprise at all. My new home: Seattle! Why? This move is all about geography, access, and expanding the Pedalshift touring sandbox. Seattle places world-class touring terrain right outside the door and increases the show's ability to cover more routes, more often. And yes—this is a return to the broader PNW. Think of it as a new basecamp, and not a commentary on my beloved Portland. It remains the land of sunshine and bunnies, and it's just down I-5. There's obviously other details to all of this but they are far more weedsy than worth getting into for you all. Let's focus on the parts that impact the pod! What Seattle Unlocks for Bike Adventures Puget Sound & the Islands Olympic Peninsula Cascade Range British Columbia Western US Access Simpler jumps to NorCal, SoCal, Alaska, and Rocky Mountain tour starts How the Show Evolves More Micro-Tours Seattle puts quality riding minutes—not hours—away, which means more short trips, more experiments, more rapid-fire episodes. Some Non-Bicycle Adventures Exploring by foot - hiking, urban adventures and more. Not a replacement for bikes, but a compliment. New Possible Arcs The Islands ProjectThe Puget Sound LoopsPalouse to Cascades: Piece by PieceReturn to the Coast Year-Round Riding Milder PNW winters = more shoulder-season content and gear discussions. Also proximity to southern CA for winter riding? What Stays the Same Early Seattle Recon Production Notes Listener Input Wanted