swellguy
Wear out, don't rust out.
I just came back to Victoria from a ten day shooting trip in Seattle and Portland. I had my truck since there was a fair amount of photo gear but certainly wish I had a my bike with me. When I had some free time, I tried to check out the vintage/café scene wherever I went
I've been to Seattle a number of times and am getting familiar with it. When you look up "cycles", single speed bicycles quickly jumps to the top of any Google search. I was mainly looking for shops, bars, etc that might have some café connection for when I ride down. I found a number of coffee shops that seemed to have café racer themed names, like the Café Racer Café, but short of the odd scooter meetup, none seemed to be motorcycle friendly.
I discovered Sodo on my last day and Smarty Pants bar which has a bike night every Wednesday. Wondering how popular it is with folks on this board? Also saw the previous post about Shanty Tavern but the Facebook page makes it look more like a VTwin style of place. Really like the feel of Georgetown and figure that there must be some shop located there. Never really had a chance to find any bike shops, plenty of Harley dealers though.
Never been to Portland but really liked the vibe for the three nights I was there. Driving in the downtown seems near impossible with single lanes for cars, buses and trains, plus one way streets just made walking that much more sensible. Tried contacting See See Motorcycles (who do the One Motorcycle show) for a visit but emails bounced and their phone never got answered. Did find Cheshire Motorsports who had some airhead parts I was looking for. Really nice, laid back attitude, white floors, art on the walls, different bikes on display or sale. Never really found a classic bike/café racer friendly bar but I'm sure they're there.
Had a few extra days and drove out to the Oregon high desert to see the painted hill, John Day Monument, etc. Stayed in Mitchell which seemed to be in the middle of everything. It's a town that's been pretty hard hit economically. Even though done a fair bit of desert photography, the scenery is spectacular. Plus, all the roads seem to be freshly paved and there are more twists, turns and switchbacks . . . it's got to be one of the best places in the PNW for a ride.
Hope to get back soon on two wheels, not four. Anybody who'd like to add some places to "be" on such a visit, feel free to chime in.
I've been to Seattle a number of times and am getting familiar with it. When you look up "cycles", single speed bicycles quickly jumps to the top of any Google search. I was mainly looking for shops, bars, etc that might have some café connection for when I ride down. I found a number of coffee shops that seemed to have café racer themed names, like the Café Racer Café, but short of the odd scooter meetup, none seemed to be motorcycle friendly.
I discovered Sodo on my last day and Smarty Pants bar which has a bike night every Wednesday. Wondering how popular it is with folks on this board? Also saw the previous post about Shanty Tavern but the Facebook page makes it look more like a VTwin style of place. Really like the feel of Georgetown and figure that there must be some shop located there. Never really had a chance to find any bike shops, plenty of Harley dealers though.
Never been to Portland but really liked the vibe for the three nights I was there. Driving in the downtown seems near impossible with single lanes for cars, buses and trains, plus one way streets just made walking that much more sensible. Tried contacting See See Motorcycles (who do the One Motorcycle show) for a visit but emails bounced and their phone never got answered. Did find Cheshire Motorsports who had some airhead parts I was looking for. Really nice, laid back attitude, white floors, art on the walls, different bikes on display or sale. Never really found a classic bike/café racer friendly bar but I'm sure they're there.
Had a few extra days and drove out to the Oregon high desert to see the painted hill, John Day Monument, etc. Stayed in Mitchell which seemed to be in the middle of everything. It's a town that's been pretty hard hit economically. Even though done a fair bit of desert photography, the scenery is spectacular. Plus, all the roads seem to be freshly paved and there are more twists, turns and switchbacks . . . it's got to be one of the best places in the PNW for a ride.
Hope to get back soon on two wheels, not four. Anybody who'd like to add some places to "be" on such a visit, feel free to chime in.
