A nice place for a good old-fashioned bike ride

Spring has unleashed a flood of cyclists upon the roads and trails of Western Washington. High-achieving pedalers clad in fluorescent Lycra and aerodynamic helmets are training for ambitious summer feats, such as triathlons and the Seattle-to-Portland ride.

But what about those of us who aren't looking to become the next Lance Armstrong? A glorious spring day can just as easily beckon the uncompetitive cyclist — even someone who doesn't have a bike, or doesn't feel like taking the old Schwinn in for a tuneup.

In that spirit, I ventured with a companion to Redmond to rent a pair of bikes for a leisurely excursion along the Sammamish River Trail. Our 21-mile round trip between Redmond and Bothell made for a few hours of good exercise and was peppered with stops at historic Bothell Landing, lunch at the Redhook Ale Brewery, and even a fleeting glimpse of hard-core cycling with a spin around the Marymoor Park velodrome.

Welcome to Bike Town

If you're looking to rent a bike for a day trip, you can't go wrong starting in Redmond, which bills itself as the Bicycle Capital of the Northwest. The city has its own cycling monument west of downtown, and its annual Derby Days event in July is North America's oldest bicycle derby.

We got started at Redmond Cycle, just a short jaunt from the trail. Ernie and Linda Estrin, an amiable couple who have run the shop together for 15 years, got us going with friendly directions, a map of the trail and a free chain lock for our rentals.

When we mentioned that we were planning to stop for lunch at the Redhook Ale Brewery, Ernie chuckled and handed me the shop's business card.

"Call if you need us to come get you," he said. "It's been almost six months since we had to go get someone there."

On that reassuring note, we set off for the day, navigating our way to the trail's entry point at City Hall. While many of Redmond's downtown streets have marked bicycle lanes, it's still a burgeoning city with some testy drivers, so helmets — provided for free with rentals by many bike shops — are a good idea.

A sculpture park at City Hall greets passersby on the Sammamish River Trail, which continues north for 10 miles before becoming the Burke-Gilman Trail at Bothell's Blyth Park. The two trails combine to form a seamless 27-mile path from Redmond to Ballard, but they differ somewhat in character.

While the Burke-Gilman Trail cuts through neighborhoods along the shores of Lake Washington, the Sammamish River Trail offers a more pastoral setting of farms, wetlands and meadows. (Still, with sprawling office parks in the distance and a brief stretch beneath the bustling Interstate 405 overpass, this is not the French countryside.)

The Sammamish River Trail's flat grade and open spaces make it a popular day trip for a variety of users, especially when the weather cooperates. Even on a chilly weekday with brisk winds, we encountered in-line skaters, joggers, dog-walkers, parents pushing strollers and serious-faced cyclists. Horses are permitted on the trail from Woodinville southward. So on a typically crowded spring or summer day, you'll probably want to take heed of the signs that ask cyclists to dismount whenever you come to a narrow underpass.

"It's good for all users, as long as everybody respects everybody else's right to be there," said Mark Keller, advocacy director for the Cascade Bicycle Club.

Park at Bothell Landing

About five miles into our ride, as we pedaled through Woodinville, we caught the scent of hops emanating from the Redhook brewery. Tempting as it was to stop right then and there, we pressed onward to Bothell, momentarily satiated by visions of a relaxing lunch on the way back.

Four miles later, the arched, wooden bridge to the Park at Bothell Landing invited us to cross over for a visit. We hopped off our bikes to peer through the windows of century-old structures, including a schoolhouse, log cabin and the 1893 William Hannan house, which doubles as the Bothell Historical Museum. The museum was closed when we were there, but is now open on Sunday afternoons, making it an ideal weekend stop along the trail.

With lunchtime approaching, we returned to Woodinville. Getting to the Redhook brewery requires a short detour off the trail, during which we passed the Willows Lodge, home to upscale restaurants Herbfarm and the Barking Frog. A friend, enjoying lunch with her mother and a neighbor at the Barking Frog, noticed us riding by and popped out to say hello.

The Barking Frog's swanky environs looked pleasant enough, but we weren't in the mood for anything fancy, so we found our way to Forecasters Public House, the brewery's restaurant. A cajun salmon sandwich and spinach salad — not to mention a pint of copper ale — hit the spot, and we capped the meal with a delectable piece of carrot cake.

Minutes later, cruising along the trail with a full stomach, I couldn't help but feel a bit gluttonous as runners passed by sweating profusely. Determined to atone for the libations and carrot cake, I sought out the velodrome at Marymoor Park, which hosted bike races at the Goodwill Games in 1990.

It's safe to say I didn't break any international records as I zigzagged up and down the velodrome's steeply banked walls. But this trip wasn't about setting new standards for cycling excellence. I'll leave that to the high achievers in skin-tight Lycra and aerodynamic helmets.

IF YOU GO

The Sammamish River Trail runs for 10 miles from Marymoor Park in Redmond to Bothell's Blyth Park, where it turns into the Burke-Gilman Trail. See www.metrokc.gov/parks/trails/trails/burke.htm.

Redmond is a good starting point. For rentals, Redmond Cycle, 16205 Redmond Way, 425-885-6363. Open 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays; 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Hybrid bikes rent for $4 per hour or $20 per day; recumbent bikes rent for $6 per hour or $30 per day. Helmets and locks free.

Alpine Hut, 7875 Leary Way, 425-883-7544. Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Hybrid bikes rent for $5 per hour or $25 per day. Helmets are free with rental; bike locks are not provided.

Possible lunch stops:

Redhook Ale Brewery, Forecasters Public House restaurant, 14300 N.E. 145th St., Woodinville. 425-483-3232. Kitchen open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Price: roughly $10-$15 per person. Brewery tours are offered twice daily on weekdays and three times on weekends for $1 per person. Daily tours become more frequent after Memorial Day. See www.redhook.com and click on "breweries" and then "Woodinville."

Pachanga Tortilleria & Deli, 18132 Bothell Way N.E., Bothell. 425-424-0570. Located directly across from the Park at Bothell Landing. Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and Saturday; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Price: roughly $5-$10 per person.

Other destinations along the trail:

Bothell Historical Museum, 9919 N.E. 180th St., the Park at Bothell Landing. 425-486-1889. Open 1-4 p.m. Sundays. Admission free.

Columbia Winery, 14030 N.E. 145th St., Woodinville. 425-488-2776. Open daily 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; tours and tastings twice daily, every half-hour on weekends from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. See www.columbiawinery.com.

Jake Batsell can be reached at 206-464-2718 or jbatsell@seattletimes.com.