Two of my best friends, Keith and Catherine Walberg, are moving to Seattle. Catherine starts a new job early next week and Keith is going to stay around Topeka for a little while clearing up loose ends. I’ve known these two for close to a quarter century. They started riding bikes with me in the very early 90’s. The first time I saw them at a MTB race, they were wearing hiking boots, riding with toe clips. Since then, we’ve done some pretty incredible things together.
A lot of you know Catherine from racing. She started touring in college, then got into road riding, switched over to MTB racing in the 90’s, took up cyclocross for the Nationals in Kansas City in 2000, now does it all still. Keith mainly rides on the road in the summer and does cross in the winter. He’s also been testing the waters of long (200 mile) gravel road races. Plus, he travels around with us and makes pretty great videos of some of the more major races around the Midwest.
I’m flying out to Seattle this morning with Catherine to help her get sent up. I packed her road bike, plus a Ritchey Breakaway cross bike that she is going to use to commute to work. (I need to get some fenders to put on it.) If anyone has a good suggestions on where they should end up living permanently in the Seattle area, feel free to comment. She is working pretty much right at the Pike Street Market and is looking for a stress free commute to work, along with good places to train.
We had a going away party last Saturday night at our house. Mainly of our friends, that have known them for just as long me, came. It was nice. I’m sure that they’ll be back here in Topeka pretty often, so it really isn’t goodbye. But, that doesn’t mean that they won’t be missed. They are part of the tribe.
Here is a slide show of few photos from the last few years.
A group shot from the party on Saturday night.
Big change for sure – but we will all look forward to your visits to Chequamegonland throughout the year. And note to Catherine & Keith, I’ll give you a heads up the next time my son Eric’s Portland United bicycle polo team is playing in Seattle – they go there quite often for Cascadia based bike polo adventures. Best regards on the move.
I assume you mean you’ve known them for a nearly a quarter CENTURY.
I ride all winter in Vancouver, and would recommend not skimping on the fenders. Link below to a picture of my current setup. I used Crud Road Racers for a while (they’re good for road bike with 4 or 5mm rear brake bridge clearance) but this is my new setup: CAADX with SKS Race Blade Long with a couple of custom pieces added from old fenders. The whole fender set is detachable for dry days or racing or whatever. That and winter shoes to keep feet dry. These Sidis are great. I had a Shimano pair before. Luckily it’s not cold; usually in the 40’s, so staying warm isn’t hard. I have a pair of rain mittens for over gloves as well from Mountain Equipment Coop. Maybe REI has something similar. Water moving down the sock into the shoe is my last remaining issue. That front fender keeps the feet much dryer as it limits splash from inside the fender. I hope they enjoy the rainforest. It is beautiful. (And man, the transition to cantilever brakes has been difficult. Any counsel anyone? I’m even thinking of going to long V-brakes with Travel Agents for these older STI levers. I’ve used two pairs of cantis, FSA energy on now and both completely suck when wet.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/christophergruver/10069735873/
http://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/4004-58th-Pl-SW-98116/home/151855/nwmls-549792
A friend posted this, not sure if it’s where they want to be but looked like a nice house. good luck.
Great slide show. Thank you for sharing it. The essence of Catherine. Bill, Steve, Catherine and Keith, thank you for modeling friendship. Our family has been changed by experiencing it. Good luck Catherine.
Good luck, Keith and Catherine!
what a great slide show. Steve
Keith and catherine..enjoy Seattle,and if you ever need a break from the weather,you have a place to stay and train in La Jolla (and Idyllwild 😉
Those guys are west Seattle people for sure. Easiest commute to downtown on a bike or in a car, good riding, nice neighborhoods, maybe still affordable and kind of funky and cool.
I own Classic Cycle on Bainbridge Island, and we have about 500 daily bicycle commuters who take the ferry to downtown Seattle. Come on over for a day trip and see what island life is like.
If a person is willing to commute in the wet there should be tons of options. A friend lives in Renton and commutes to Pike Brewing via bike and sometimes bus.
Welcome to Seattle! There are lots of good routes to downtown, and lots of popular but dangerous ones. As you probably know, Capitol Hill sits to the east of downtown, meaning a 10-15% grade for 1/4 to 1/2 mile to get out of downtown headed east. Some readers may remember the 1994 nationals’ road course went up Yesler Street, with a 400 meter stretch at 18-22%. Yesler is an arterial to the First HIll and Central District, but it’s representative of the climb getting out of downtown bearing east. (My wife rides Yesler every day on her way home from her job near Pioneer Square, and she claims it’s not bad. We live in the Central District.) Anyhow, a stiff climb is not much fun on a rainy, chilly evening. Getting to Pike Place Market and away is proabably easiest from the north and south. For example, you can access the market easily from the north through Myrtle Edwards park, which has a dedicated bike path that takes you you all the way up to the ship canal that runs east-west a few miles north of downtown. So neighborhoods like Fremont, Ballard, and North Queen Anne could be good locations–they are mid-range price wise. Access from the south, or from West Seattle, is in my opinion less desirable, because you have to deal with the truck traffic going into and leaving the port, located to the south of downtown. A cyclist was killed by a truck last spring (on his way from W. Seattle). I find the trucks dangerous when I’ve ridden down there. Locations to the south and east are better price wise, for example the Central District, Beacon Hill, or even Rainier Valley, although coming from the south you have to ride through downtown to get to the market. For some info about the commuting picture in Seattle, check out these links:
A map of self-reported crashes and danger areas: http://goo.gl/ChwW65
To catch up on a recent debate about the problems riding in downtown: http://goo.gl/qqFEcN and http://goo.gl/dhofaS
All best wishes getting settled in. My email is attached. Don’t hesitate to drop a line, if you want more info about good places to ride in and around Seattle.
Best,
Andy
Welcome to Seattle! There are lots of good routes to and from downtown, and lots of popular but dangerous ones. As you probably know, Capitol Hill sits to the east of downtown, meaning a 10-15% grade for 1/4 to 1/2 mile to get out of downtown headed east. Some readers may remember the 1994 nationals’ road course went up Yesler Street, with a 400 meter stretch at 18-22%. Yesler is an arterial to the First HIll and Central District, but it’s representative of the climb getting out of downtown headed east. (My wife rides Yesler every day on her way home from her job near Pioneer Square, and she claims it’s not bad. We live in the Central District.) Anyhow, a stiff climb is not much fun on a rainy, chilly evening., but Capitol Hill, First Hill, and the CD are moderately priced, with lots of riders, and close to downtown. Getting to Pike Place Market and away is probably easiest from the north and south. For example, you can access the market easily from the north through Myrtle Edwards park, which has a dedicated bike path that takes you you all the way up to the ship canal that runs east-west a few miles north of downtown. So neighborhoods like Fremont, Ballard, and North Queen Anne could be good locations–they are mid-range price wise. Access from the south, or from West Seattle, is in my opinion less desirable, because you have to deal with the truck traffic going into and leaving the port, located to the south of downtown. A cyclist was killed by a truck last spring (on his way from W. Seattle). I find the trucks dangerous when I’ve ridden down there. Locations to the south and east are better price wise, for example the Central District, Beacon Hill, or even Rainier Valley, although coming from the south you have to ride through downtown to get to the market. For some info about the commuting picture in Seattle, check out these links:
A map of self-reported crashes and danger areas: http://goo.gl/ChwW65
To catch up on a recent debate about the problems riding in downtown: http://goo.gl/qqFEcN and http://goo.gl/dhofaS
All best wishes getting settled in. My email is attached. Don’t hesitate to drop a line, if you want more info about good places to ride in and around Seattle.
Best,
Andy
Kansas to Seattle? Sounds like trading one hell for another.