Downtown Seattle to South Bellevue E-Bike Commute | 1 Hour Ride w/ Commentary

[@BestSideCycling]

What did you think of this format? Is it helpful for those of you trying to figure out your commutes? What route do you want to see next? It helps a lot to have some of these videos in the mix that aren't as heavy on editing!

[@setholson2878]

I really like this format. You get to see the city at a good speed. It's very relaxing. I've been watching Bike vlogger for year just because he just has uncut rides. Please I want more :)

[@cheetos-]

Quite good for my coworker who's been considering a similar commute!

[@Ferret440]

This is a good video to have on the side while I play some games :)

[@SoundBottles]

Love this format, I think it would be helpful to have a map overlay with the route or maybe show on the map whenever you make a turn 😊

[@lita7676]

I love this format and it helped me in my first commute! Would love a video to downtown!

[@mattpark589]

$1 million bike lane guy was such a clown. You handled that confrontation flawlessly!

[@rip6200]

no hes just saying how much these bike lanes is costing the taxpayer. 1 million dollars a block is insane for some paint

[@yinisyang3419]

@@rip6200 Wait until you learn how much paving a road costs! Oh boy.

[@skinnybricks]

@@yinisyang3419 So paving the road (path) and adding paint? That dude's anger is also misdirected. Not our fault they went with such an expensive contractor. $1m is insane.

[@wicho5062]

Tbf, a million dollars for someone to paint lines on the road is incredibly dumb. We should be getting Dutch style paths with that kind of money

[@LimitedWard]

Don't tell that dude how many millions of dollars new car infrastructure costs to build in the city. His head would explode.

[@BestSideCycling]

Indeed, how are you enjoying Seattle

[@LimitedWard]

​@@BestSideCyclingit's been awesome so far! Managed to finally get out and bike this weekend. Trying to learn optimal routes and interesting destinations, so videos like this are super interesting to watch imo!

[@zacharymarentette5269]

Especially considering that paving a bike lane takes a fraction of the needed width and thickness that cars and trucks need.

[@YosukeMatsumura]

Hey! That was me (and my kids) in my cargo bike you saw. I recognized you on this ride but flew by too fast to say hello!

[@BestSideCycling]

That's so great! Sorry didn't get to stop and say hi :) I have stickers for anyone I run into so hopefully we'll run into each other again soon

[@GStarGoku3]

A million dollars?? Why you could almost buy half a house for that.

[@davidtran9410]

It's nice to see long/slow content. Will be flying in for my first STP later this year and it's nice to see other states' biking infrastructure.

[@BestSideCycling]

Thanks for the comment! Definitely hearing positive things from you and others so there will be more :) Good luck on your first STP I will have some more relevant videos to that soon.

[@Magus36]

This commentary is not only a benefit to riders. As a driver in Seattle I find this an excellent tutorial on how to watch and predict the paths of riders. Thanks for posting!

[@BestSideCycling]

I'm really glad to hear this and hope you continue to watch my videos! Let me know what you're interested in knowing

[@Kattbirb]

"Million dollar bike lanes" guy doesn't see bikes in the lanes, because the bikes don't get stuck in traffic like cars do. I used to drive a taxi in that area, and I can assure these folks that there are more than enough bikes using the lanes to make them worthwhile.

[@sierracunningham5367]

I like this a lot! I'm wanting to get back into biking, and commuting in Seattle via bike or e bike would be my ideal for things like weekend cruising and grocery runs. Currently a bus commuter!

[@CascadeBicycleClub]

Love this new format!

[@BestSideCycling]

More of it to come

[@deanspiker3436]

I just found your channel yesterday and I'm a new subscriber. I really like what you're doing here. I'm an older guy, retired now and living on the east side, but the Seattle I knew for bicycle commuting was back in the 1980s. With all the construction that's been happening, all the congestion I've pretty much sworn off ever returning, let alone by bike. Your videos have open my eyes to all the really nice bicycle infrastructure, we never had this back in my days of commuting to Seattle. After watching your videos I feel confident about an exploratory ride into Seattle again. Keep up the good work!

[@fadedpages]

I really enjoyed this video as a Seattle resident who lives in the downtown area. I'm new to cycling and it's helpful to see someone else navigate the trails.

[@BestSideCycling]

You're welcome more to come

[@JustMikeH]

Oh, you just eased my ride through the I.D. to the I-90 trail. Rarely go that way so never looked up a better way. Thank you!

[@BestSideCycling]

Haha that's what these videos are all about! I'll try to cover more and more areas. Curiosity, what did you do before?

[@JustMikeH]

@@BestSideCycling - Jackson to 12th. ☠

[@readyplayer2]

@@JustMikeHYeah, Jackson is rough! Between the heavy bus traffic and streetcars tracks, I try to avoid as much as possible. The corner of 12th and Jackson can also get really sketchy at dark. Another option when you're heading into downtown after leaving the I-90 trail and crossing the Jose P Rizal Bridge is to make a left from 12th on Weller, then a left on 10th down to S Dearborn, and use the bike lane until you join up with 5th Ave S. That skips a lot of sketchy 4-way stops through the ID. Ride north on 5th past Uwajimaya on your right and join up with the two-way protected bike lane at S. King St, and continue on 5th until S Main, left, and you join up with the protected bike lane on 2nd.

[@williamstevenson6387]

I used to commute from Wallingford and later lower Queen Anne to Redmond about 30 years ago. Many changes--thanks for posting.

[@crowthebard2790]

i love this kind of content! we need more of it. thanks for sharing!

[@BestSideCycling]

And there will be more! Thank you all for the positive feedback

[@markleahy9585]

Thank you for that. I'm a long time rider but new to this area. Now I can't wait to ride from Issaquah to Beacon Hill.

[@BestSideCycling]

You're welcome and welcome to the Pacific North West. It's awesome riding here

[@JeffMendoza]

As an alternative for the first part, I enjoy this route: 7th to pike, turn left pike up to broadway, turn right broadway down to yesler, cross then turn left turn right for a shortcut on 10th ave S then down to 12th, turn right 12th down to the I-90 trail at S Charles

[@subjekt5577]

Bike up to Broadway is great, just gotta watch for inattentive cars making a turn

[@daveleephoto]

This is really helpful for those of us who live in south Bellevue and want to know the best route to commute in to Seattle. Thank you for posting this!!

[@pcraze1]

So interesting to see that route. Good way to learn to ride through traffic and detours. At the start of the ride I wished that you showed your ebike and panniers and mentioned the brand/model. Enjoyed your commentary.

[@BestSideCycling]

@@pcraze1 thanks for the suggestion. I'll do an ebike kit review soon

[@jakelondon]

Such a public service. Most of this route is familiar to me, but if it wasn't, this would really help me to understand what to expect.

[@readyplayer2]

This is a great route, and follows a chunk of my commute from South Seattle to Pioneer Square (Lake WA Blvd to I-90 Trail to Dr Jose Rizal Bridge, 12th to King, etc.). Nice of you to use your bell and voice with a fellow cyclist at 23:21, but don't forget to do the same when passing pedestrians (15:17, 16:36, 18:15) and give hand signals when turning (13:26). :) Million dollar bike lane man with an axe to grind was likely referring to numbers that were thrown around that parts of a bike lane in Seattle (I believe the one on 7th) cost $12MM per mile. Of course, that factored in a ton of road construction work (including drainage and signal work that would have needed to occur anyway), but SDOT lumped that in with the bike lane cost and coverage of it made international news. Not sure why such a fuss was made, because the average cost of adding a lane in an urban area is close to $10MM a mile according to the Federal Highway Administration. Add in higher construction costs in Seattle, and it doesn't seem particularly odd.

[@howerk]

Nice healthy commute for you. Great to be beating the cars along a big chunk of it during rush hour. Keep up the good work!

[@melondoo6129]

This is great! thanks for making this video! I really enjoy the camera position you have and your commentary. I love watching videos like this because I get to see a slice of the city and the thoughts of the cyclist as they role around town

[@MitchellValine]

Love the format. I'm mostly commuting between UW and downtown and this helps me scope other areas to branch out on the weekends! Planning to take the kid across the 520 on the cargo bike when the 2 starter line opens so we can check it out. Definitely want to do Mercer and 90 as well.

[@drill_fiend1097]

My biggest regret is not cycling at all while living there. I look back to places I walked around and realize how I could have explored further if I had a bike.

[@evanzhong3411]

Nice seeing the Vado SL getting some use. Were you on Turbo the entire time or shifting through the PAS levels?

[@BestSideCycling]

Basically turbo the whole time minus the descents where I shift down. I'm definitely putting in decent effort. My average commute speed loaded up is usually about 18mph!

[@danawehrman1425]

Love this format as a newbie cyclist, more please!

[@BestSideCycling]

There will definitely be more! Check out the KZbin playlist there's a bunch of others too

[@treyquattro]

I'm in Vancouver without bike so I have to get my cycling fix by watching you ride from Seattle to Bellevue! It's quite therapeutic... Would love to know what "Million Dollar Bike Lane (Baby)" dude was exercised about.

[@BestSideCycling]

My hometown?! That's great. I was nervous to put out videos like these in fear that it would be "boring" but glad you enjoy it. They were saying they only see 1 bike per million dollar bike lane.... :P

[@treyquattro]

@@BestSideCycling the same! And only one pedestrian per million dollar sidewalk! What's going on?!?!?

[@treyquattro]

@@BestSideCycling it was good to see some of the new infrastructure. I haven't been to Bellevue or on I-90 for several years and it was interesting to see how it's been improved. Must try it.

[@harryduex894]

Entertaining & enlightening! Thanks

[@BestSideCycling]

That's a huge compliment! It's what I aim for on the channel and thanks for watching

[@niccatania9658]

Thanks for the video! Im moving back to seattle in the fall and am going to ebike as my main commuter to work. This gets me stoked

[@jaygreer7430]

Great video! Very helpful in terms of learning the best bike routes around Seattle.

[@shaod88]

You filmed my commute :)

[@BestSideCycling]

Looks we have the same commute then!

[@FranBunnyFFXII]

* watching just to see if you captured me in your video * I live in Seattle, haha. I used to live on Bell street. I ride a motorcycle almost everywhere but I use the bikelanes a lot because I own an escooter too. The situations downtown have certainly improved. Counteracted by so much increase in traffic though.

[@pacitasoria6238]

I used to commute from Beacon hill to eastgate five days a week, the Mt Baker tunnel was painted with murals. Now grafilties. What a shame. Still a nice route. Scenery still beautiful, except for the filt in SEATTLE and the ongoing constructio Enjoyed you video. Stay safe

[@BestSideCycling]

Would have loved to see those murals, that sounds amazing!

[@elliots4370]

Nice video! I would love more waterfront content once it's open. It's going to be so pretty but I find it a bit confusing. Something like Centennial Park > Bainbridge Ferry Terminal > Pike Place Market > Denny Park

[@BestSideCycling]

You bet there's going to be a ton of Waterfront content / the new Pike and Pine configurations. I'm just moreorless waiting for things to settle so it doesn't get too confusing for folks.

[@jaewooahn1291]

I have 40mins of overlap with your commute. Probably people who commutes between SLU and South Bellevue would be similar, but I was laughing when you made the exactly choice as me in some segments! These days I prefer 7th - Pike - Broadway/12th to going through the ID. There are too many signals and pedestrians hopping into bike lanes suddenly.

[@BestSideCycling]

I'll definitely be rolling around other parts of downtown soon.

[@adamblomgren6503]

This video is interesting to watch! Keep them coming

[@BestSideCycling]

Thanks, will do!

[@haroldhollingsworthesq]

those showers pass gloves rule, have a pair myself and love them!

[@BestSideCycling]

Indeed! Love how they feel and warm it is

[@readyplayer2]

Agreed, they're great! I have them in grey. I recently splurged on a bright yellow / orange Shower's Pass rain jacket, and it's amazing too.

[@PNW4K]

This is such a great route to ride. I don't ride it for commuting though, just for the fun ride and all the great views 🤗🤗

[@BestSideCycling]

I totally agree! Good to see you again, hope your filming adventures are swell :)

[@eliandrew2318]

More of these kind of videos would be great!

[@BestSideCycling]

There definitely will be more! Let me know what kind of routes you'd be interested in

[@eliandrew2318]

Anything that highlights routes with good bike infrastructure between different points of interest would be great. I really like the ride from Seattle to Woodinville, but anything else with good bike infra would be fun to see.

[@starfilmsanimation]

Love this style of video! Do you ever ride up towards / around Redmond?

[@BestSideCycling]

Thanks for that feedback, there will definitely be more! Don't usually make it all the way to Redmond and when I do, it's usually going past via the Sammamish River Trail or East Lake Sammamish Trail. Any recommendations or areas you're thinking of?

[@tonytigerking]

Pretty useful series!

[@BestSideCycling]

Hope so! Will try to find other areas to cover that would be suitable :)

[@SteveKing-zq5cu]

Would love to see a ride from Microsoft’s Redmond Campus to Northgates light rail station via 520 trail.

[@SoundBottles]

Nice video! I just started working in Eastgate, used to work on Mercer island. Do you think a lot of people do this commute by bike?

[@BestSideCycling]

Yes! Quite a decent # of people but not as popular as the 520 bridge and trail.

[@SoundBottles]

@@BestSideCycling thanks for responding! That’s good to know. I really miss my bike commute but I work delivery now so I need my car 😅 I also live by skyway/rainier beach and bike infrastructure is basically nonexistent there

[@umut_demirkol]

Hello, amazing content! I'd love a Lynnwood-Seattle commute video if possible. Have been considering getting an ebike for my commute but I am unsure hoe to proceed figuring out a route. This would also be my first ebike so I'd love it if you have any tips you can share.

[@BestSideCycling]

Yes! I hope to get around there when the Link opens so that's a good one.

[@dennislee5710]

Instead of going up 12th and unto Jose Rizal Bridge, have you tried going through Dearborn and Hiawatha Place to hook up to the I-90 trail? That's what I do on the way up and feels a lot safer than having to navigate through 12th and the left turn at the top of the hill.

[@BestSideCycling]

@@dennislee5710 I use Dearborn and Hiawatha for my way to work I e westbound. Going in the other direction is awkward with the signals at Rainier and having to cross the interactions.

[@justLOGify]

I'm moving to a new spot that is further from transport and has more incline than my old area, so a bike commute seems to be an inevitability. Do you have a list of your gear anywhere? Looking for recs on everything from bikes to helmets and jackets if you have any recommendations or amazon links!

[@adamblomgren6503]

How does the time compare riding bike vs public transit? Or even bike and transit?

[@BestSideCycling]

Definitely faster than transit since I have to do a connection. The express buses to the Eastside are pretty good actually. Though traffic is super bad going home eastbound so it ends up taking same amount of time by car or ebike ( who would have thought! )

[@jelinlikeafelin]

Personally, I hate biking down 2nd, despite the protected bike lane. I've had multiple close calls (and one minor accident) with cars making illegal left turns through the bike lane, pedestrians have harassed me multiple times, pedestrians randomly wander into the bike lane a lot (especially problematic since it's a somewhat steep downhill), and people on rentals are often in the lane going the wrong direction. Most of the time I actually bike down 5th until Pine St and then transfer to 2nd. Vehicular biking sucks of course but the right most lane is isolated from the other two, and because it's slightly downhill it's easy to keep up with traffic.

[@Liusy182]

Thanks for sharing looks like eBike is a much better choice than brompton for such commute.

[@BestSideCycling]

Haha, once the Link is out I should make that version of the commute! It will be very different

[@aaroneow]

Lol, saw my co worker getting in his car!

[@BestSideCycling]

Nice lol it's crazy how small this city is in ways

[@sephiroth127]

11:55 establish eye contact with the drivers: that's why I hate front tinted windows, and I think they should not be legal: I cannot tell where the driver is looking or if they have seen me.

[@LeeBoris974]

Is that a Vado? Been trying to get one with an internal gear hub, but they are never in stock.

[@BestSideCycling]

This is a Specialized Turbo Vado SL 4.0! Not internally geared, I have another video reviewing it :)

[@trekon2023]

I think you did a great job of replying to that passive aggressive comment about expensive bike lanes. Not your fault how much people spend on bike lanes. Let me thank you for contributing to the community by promoting ways to reduce pollution, congestion, and barriers to bike use.

[@SterlingYun]

miLLiOn DoLLaR biKE LaNe

[@dustinbranham9746]

Do you have any restaurant recommendations in the CID?

[@BestSideCycling]

Lots! Any cuisine in particular?

[@dustinbranham9746]

@@BestSideCyclingNot really. Just something that would be a good intro for someone new to Seattle. Chinese would be good.

[@cycologist7069]

Off topic, but I noticed you like both e-bikes AND traditional?

[@BestSideCycling]

Yes! I love climbing steep hills on my carbon road bike, to commuting on my e-bike, to chilling on a Brompton. On this channel, you'll find the complete road range :)

[@kylea6171]

I want your bike. How many miles do you average before the battery dies? Thinking of biking from Seattle to Kirkland and back for work.

[@BestSideCycling]

I bought the extender battery for an extra 50% juice. I can get easily probably 35 miles going max power the whole way.

[@kylea6171]

@@BestSideCycling Thanks for the reply! Is the 35 miles before or after the extender?

[@BestSideCycling]

@@kylea6171 Without the extender, I had about 30 miles with like 1800~ feet of elevation (yes it's hilly here xD) max power. To be honest if you are reasonable with the e-bike mixing in eco/sport mode you can probably get 60 miles+ with the extender. It's a pretty lightweight motor.

[@peterdorn5799]

2025 check out alaskan way blvd new bike trail, should be nice all the way to alki

[@RyanTsou-t4v]

What's your camera and mounting gear?

[@BestSideCycling]

Go Pro Hero 12 with a GoPro Chest Mount and with Rode Wireless Go 2 Mics

[@NottinghamshireMadness]

Cool video, it’s great to see un-edited real-time videos, I don’t edit my videos.

[@BestSideCycling]

Thanks for watching! Indeed it's nice to change it up and glad to see everyone enjoying it

[@sephiroth127]

I don't like the I-90 bridge, the bike lane is narrow and the lack of barriers makes it very windy

[@sklegg]

I wave like a goofball at almost every rider and hardly get an acknowledgment back. It’s not going to deter me though 😂

[@BestSideCycling]

This is the way!

[@allenu]

Man, I'm so out of touch, I didn't know about that new Safety Stop law (new as of 2020 anyway). I used to hate cyclists flying through stop signs when I was walking as a pedestrian, but I think treating it as a yield when there's no traffic is a good compromise. When I'm on my bike, it is definitely a pain to have to stop when there's nobody around and you're not even going that fast.

[@FirstLast-jm4dx]

Not sure if your e-bike is PAS only,, but I always wonder if say a 500W motor using only throttle gives the same speed as a regular bike doing the same wattage as measured by a power meter.

[@BestSideCycling]

Mine is PAS only and a class 3 but with a much lower duty lightweight motor. It even comes with a power meter! I think the answer is yes but ebikes are generally a lot less aero / heavier than regular bikes so you'd need to equalize that. So in that sense if you could pull off the watts your motor gives you'd be way way faster on a usual road bike.

[@kldstl]

I addition to posting your work commute, post other bike trips /commutes..

[@BestSideCycling]

Will do! Feel free to comment suggestions

[@kldstl]

​@@BestSideCyclingoh, a keep the commentary. I've been to Seattle many times but it's always good to hear from locals. 👍

[@arlenefox558]

there will always be bike lane haters, but cyclists deserve space for commuting. people have sidewalks, people have car lanes, and cyclists deserve bike lanes

[@Ferret440]

This video should have been relaxing, but honestly it just makes me hate the sound of cars even more :P

[@BestSideCycling]

Haha I think a nice trail or gravel ride could be some good cycling "ASMR".

[@heidenburg5445]

I think its cause the guy wants to be able to walk. I dont believe you sghould be allowed to drive a car but you should give every piece of respect for pedestrians unless they are driving a car.

[@puregsr]

Bellevue might be different, but Seattle is such a terrible bike city (North Seattle/Shoreline). I stopped riding on the street because I don't want to die.

[@aceventuraaceventura2003]

Whatever happened to just riding a fixed gear road bike with no brakes. C'mon, be a man.