Joined: 15 Aug 2006Posts: 2666Location: No Fun Town, USA
The first Street Scramble of the year is Sunday, April 29, at the University Heights Center in the U District. Various other Street Scrambles occur for the rest of the year, mostly in the summer.
If you don't know, a Street Scramble is a human powered (bike/walk/run) race, where you have 90 minutes or 3 hours (your choice) to visit as many checkpoints as you can. The races were originally envisioned as an orienteering course, so you get a topo map with all the checkpoints marked, and reading the map and plotting your route is part of the challenge. But, needless to say, it's not easy to get really lost in the middle of the city, and compasses really aren't worthwhile when you're on a street grid, so it feels very similar to an alleycat race, minus the booze.
Checkpoints are unmanned; you answer a multiple-choice question to prove you were there. You can see a sample map and question sheet to get a better idea.
I think they're great fun, and there really aren't a lot of bicyclists who do it, so if you're looking to win a prize, you have a good shot. Unless you enter the family category; Omar and I will beat you down. But, for example, there's never been an entry in the Corporate Bike classification, so Aaron's Bicycle Repair has the field wide open. And there are frequently no entries in the women's bike category, either.
If you're unsure whether you want to try, it's probably best to start with an event in a neighborhood you know, such as, say, the University District. If money is a problem, volunteer to help out (http://www.streetscramble.com/scramble-volunteer.asp) and get a free entry. They're even having one in the evening at Seward Park June 22, so even you late risers have no excuse.
Some notes:
I know the organizers (Terry Farrah and Eric Bone), and in fact, I went to grad school with Terry. But I didn't know they were in charge before I did my first Street Scramble. They haven't paid me anything for this, probably because they don't really have a lot of money.
If you want to save some money without volunteering, preregister by mail. There's are a few other discounts as well; see the registration page: http://www.streetscramble.com/register.asp
Unlike an alleycat, there are a lot of runners and even walkers who participate, which means there are a lot of checkpoints that are close in and walkable. This has the effect of making things more chaotic (since people tend to scatter in all directions from the start), and also to slow down the bikers, since each checkpoint (usually 30) takes some time just to write down the answer. I believe they try to set the course so that you need to travel 25 miles to sweep it, which doesn't seem like very much given you have 3 hours, but most people can't do it.
To give you an idea of the scale, previous U District Scramble checkpoints have ranged from Green Lake to Matthews Beach or Magnuson, south to Gasworks and the Arboretum, and on the north side of Capitol Hill (St. Marks Cathedral, for example).
Per the rules, bicyclists are supposed to wear a helmet and everyone is supposed to obey traffic laws and wear some sort of bright clothing. Terry and Eric have actually discussed this with me; they do it not because they're safety nazis, and not so much for legal reasons, but because they're genuinely concerned that someone's going to be hurt. I've seen a lot of people running across the street or biking while trying to read a map, and I can see their point. Humor them as best as you can, and be safe.
If you can't get enough, register for Seattle Night and Day in July. The same basic idea, but it starts at Green Lake at 4pm, and you can go for 3, 7, or 16 hours.
_________________ I have always thought in the back of my mind: Cheese and Onions
henry
Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 2:11 pm
somewhat piggishJoined: 05 Aug 2005Posts: 5415Location: on porch with shotgun
gsbarnes wrote:
it feels very similar to an alleycat race, minus the booze.
Joined: 15 Aug 2006Posts: 2666Location: No Fun Town, USA
henry wrote:
gsbarnes wrote:
it feels very similar to an alleycat race, minus the booze.
disappointment.
Bring your own, you cheapskate. No one's stopping you.
_________________ I have always thought in the back of my mind: Cheese and Onions
gsbarnes
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 11:10 am
Joined: 15 Aug 2006Posts: 2666Location: No Fun Town, USA
This Sunday, MB's.
1. It's a great time.
2. Omar and I will kick your asses. Yeah, that's right, a 6 year old and a guy older than Aaron fricking Goss can take you.
Well, maybe not Daniel Featherhead if he shows up. That dude's scary fast.
But the rest of you, pah! Ptooie! General scoffing and ridicule!
_________________ I have always thought in the back of my mind: Cheese and Onions
langston
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 11:41 am
Joined: 25 Jul 2005Posts: 5547Location: Columbia City
Concurrent with the UW Spring Game, which I was going to go to. Crew race, football scrimage, softball game and a pancake feed in the basketball arena. OH, and except for the pancakes it's free. 10am, Husky Stadium.
I'm deeply torn over this conflict. I want to do the street scramble badly.
gsbarnes
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 1:52 pm
Joined: 15 Aug 2006Posts: 2666Location: No Fun Town, USA
langston wrote:
Concurrent with the UW Spring Game, which I was going to go to. Crew race, football scrimage, softball game and a pancake feed in the basketball arena. OH, and except for the pancakes it's free. 10am, Husky Stadium.
I'm deeply torn over this conflict. I want to do the street scramble badly.
You're confused. The Spring Fling is Saturday. The Street Scramble is Sunday.
They normally have the Scrambles on Saturday, but starting this year, the University District Farmer's Market is taking over the whole parking lot they use, so they had to move to Sunday.
I'll be at the UW Saturday afternoon (with 4 kids!) getting free ice cream from my former grad department, and maybe seeing a free robot demo or dinosaur skeleton.
_________________ I have always thought in the back of my mind: Cheese and Onions
langston
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 1:56 pm
Joined: 25 Jul 2005Posts: 5547Location: Columbia City
gsbarnes wrote:
langston wrote:
Concurrent with the UW Spring Game, which I was going to go to. Crew race, football scrimage, softball game and a pancake feed in the basketball arena. OH, and except for the pancakes it's free. 10am, Husky Stadium.
I'm deeply torn over this conflict. I want to do the street scramble badly.
You're confused. The Spring Fling is Saturday. The Street Scramble is Sunday.
They normally have the Scrambles on Saturday, but starting this year, the University District Farmer's Market is taking over the whole parking lot they use, so they had to move to Sunday.
I'll be at the UW Saturday afternoon (with 4 kids!) getting free ice cream from my former grad department, and maybe seeing a free robot demo or dinosaur skeleton.
so sweet. I have to be sober enough afterwards to go to dinner with the 'rents but I think I'm going to be able to participate. Megan has sunday plans, anyone want to team up?
TrikerTrev
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 3:39 pm
Joined: 23 Oct 2006Posts: 2303Location: FOCO, MOFO!!!
gsbarnes wrote:
langston wrote:
Concurrent with the UW Spring Game, which I was going to go to. Crew race, football scrimage, softball game and a pancake feed in the basketball arena. OH, and except for the pancakes it's free. 10am, Husky Stadium.
I'm deeply torn over this conflict. I want to do the street scramble badly.
You're confused. The Spring Fling is Saturday. The Street Scramble is Sunday.
They normally have the Scrambles on Saturday, but starting this year, the University District Farmer's Market is taking over the whole parking lot they use, so they had to move to Sunday.
I'll be at the UW Saturday afternoon (with 4 kids!) getting free ice cream from my former grad department, and maybe seeing a free robot demo or dinosaur skeleton.
Ice Cream, robots, dino bones AND a bike ride....
oh boy, I'm thinking we outta have our kids meet and we can all do it!
two oh six, six oh for, for oh two niner
PJ Diddy
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 3:39 pm
Joined: 25 Jul 2005Posts: 567Location: magnolia
I’ll consider it, only if we go for being the most loaded team. Oh and safety being of utmost importance. I wonder if Joby has a shirt I can borrow.
_________________ "They better stop cause I'm NOT!" Paul
henry
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 3:50 pm
somewhat piggishJoined: 05 Aug 2005Posts: 5415Location: on porch with shotgun
PJ Diddy wrote:
I’ll consider it, only if we go for being the most loaded team. Oh and safety being of utmost importance. I wonder if Joby has a shirt I can borrow.
whoa, it's Paul! I thought you'd become Dead Paul 2.
Joined: 15 Aug 2006Posts: 2666Location: No Fun Town, USA
TrikerTrev wrote:
gsbarnes wrote:
langston wrote:
Concurrent with the UW Spring Game, which I was going to go to. Crew race, football scrimage, softball game and a pancake feed in the basketball arena. OH, and except for the pancakes it's free. 10am, Husky Stadium.
I'm deeply torn over this conflict. I want to do the street scramble badly.
You're confused. The Spring Fling is Saturday. The Street Scramble is Sunday.
They normally have the Scrambles on Saturday, but starting this year, the University District Farmer's Market is taking over the whole parking lot they use, so they had to move to Sunday.
I'll be at the UW Saturday afternoon (with 4 kids!) getting free ice cream from my former grad department, and maybe seeing a free robot demo or dinosaur skeleton.
Ice Cream, robots, dino bones AND a bike ride....
oh boy, I'm thinking we outta have our kids meet and we can all do it!
two oh six, six oh for, for oh two niner
Trevor: all sorts of shit's happening at the UW campus on Saturday:
Unless you're a CSE alum, no ice cream for you, though. And I don't know what the deal is about the Burke and its dinos, but I get in for free at all times (UW employee), so I don't care. But the robots are definitely free (at the new CSE building, the Paul Allen Center, not to be confused with the Allen Library).
The bike ride is Sunday, the next day. With 4 kids, I'm busing it Saturday.
Anyway, I'll be dragging around my kids and Sean Herring's kids Saturday, so don't count on me to coordinate anything. I'll feel I've accomplished my mission if, as my wife says, there's less than $500 worth of property damage and 0 trips to the emergency room.
_________________ I have always thought in the back of my mind: Cheese and Onions
gsbarnes
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:26 pm
Joined: 15 Aug 2006Posts: 2666Location: No Fun Town, USA
PJ Diddy wrote:
I’ll consider it, only if we go for being the most loaded team. Oh and safety being of utmost importance. I wonder if Joby has a shirt I can borrow.
Actually, if you want to look like a dork, er, like Joby, they have orange vests you can borrow. No, I'm not kidding. And yes, I wear one and (here's the important part) my kid does, too.
_________________ I have always thought in the back of my mind: Cheese and Onions
langston
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:16 pm
Joined: 25 Jul 2005Posts: 5547Location: Columbia City
the art nerd in me thinks this might be the best part of the whole weekend;
www.washington.edu/alumni/weekend/2007/event_info.php?event_id=58
Enid Mark went to Smith with Sylvia Plath, who, I'm not going to explain to you. She makes (made?) lithographic works, usually on display in large, popular, $$$ galleries. This is a coup for UW, I wonder who's books they are.
ripper
Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:05 am
evilmikeJoined: 19 Apr 2006Posts: 640Location: Capitalist Hill
You know, UW Libraries has one of the largest (if not THE largest) collection of artist's books in the country. Part of that is due to Sandra Krupa, who I studied under briefly. The fact that they have a significant collection of Mark's works isn't surprising. The size of that collection (and it's variety -- it even has a pickled book) is staggering.
_________________ Some of us like things. Some of us are just joyless, bitter assholes.
TrikerTrev
Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 11:21 am
Joined: 23 Oct 2006Posts: 2303Location: FOCO, MOFO!!!
gsbarnes wrote:
Trevor: all sorts of shit's happening at the UW campus on Saturday:
Unless you're a CSE alum, no ice cream for you, though. And I don't know what the deal is about the Burke and its dinos, but I get in for free at all times (UW employee), so I don't care. But the robots are definitely free (at the new CSE building, the Paul Allen Center, not to be confused with the Allen Library).
The bike ride is Sunday, the next day. With 4 kids, I'm busing it Saturday.
Anyway, I'll be dragging around my kids and Sean Herring's kids Saturday, so don't count on me to coordinate anything. I'll feel I've accomplished my mission if, as my wife says, there's less than $500 worth of property damage and 0 trips to the emergency room.
I'm no alum, but I have $ for ice cream (who needs their free crappy ice cream any way...sniff), and I would most definitely NOT expect you to co-ord anything considering the gaggle of minis your managing...but...maybe a phone call or a chat during CM and we can figure something out. Either way, i'll head down there and see what I can find. It would be cool to get the kids together though on a ride.
something to think about...oh and you'd have a second set of eyes and another wallet which always helps!
gsbarnes
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:48 pm
Joined: 15 Aug 2006Posts: 2666Location: No Fun Town, USA
Everyone who I beat pulling Emmett in a trailer on Dave's 50th Rallycat, you now have some company, as Omar and I somehow got the top score in the University District Street Scramble as well.
My wife did pretty well as well, pulling Emmett.
Langston was nowhere to be found. Probably too early for him. See you at Night and Day, Chris --- it starts at 4pm, so you have no excuses.
_________________ I have always thought in the back of my mind: Cheese and Onions
langston
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 10:46 pm
Joined: 25 Jul 2005Posts: 5547Location: Columbia City
gsbarnes wrote:
Langston was nowhere to be found. Probably too early for him. See you at Night and Day, Chris --- it starts at 4pm, so you have no excuses.
correct on all accounts. I was easily found, if you were to look in my bed. I got home from work last night at ~12:30 and honestly tried to get up with my alarm this morning. Just wasn't going to happen. I'm bummed i missed it, but gotta make that monies.
All times are GMT - 8 Hours
The time now is Sat Aug 12, 2023 9:13 am
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Joined: 15 Aug 2006
Posts: 2666
Location: No Fun Town, USA
Joined: 25 Jul 2005
Posts: 5547
Location: Columbia City
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
Posts: 2303
Location: FOCO, MOFO!!!
Joined: 25 Jul 2005
Posts: 567
Location: magnolia
evilmike
Joined: 19 Apr 2006
Posts: 640
Location: Capitalist Hill
