2223 24th Ave E
Seattle, WA 98112
USA
Montlakebike.com is hosting the blog of touring cyclist Bob Kingsley as he navigates this great country. Meet the author and learn more about the custom ride he’s put together with the help of Montlake Bike shop. Help us send him off by showing our support and enthusiasm for his adventure. We will be hosting a meet and greet at the shop at 7:30pm on May 31st.
“I met Bob while doing mechanical support at Cascade Bicycle Club’s 2013 Ride Around Washington, or RAW. As I recall his Bianchi Giro was having some wheel issues that had initially brought him to the Montlake Bicycle Repair tent. The years have made the details of the mechanical issues fade, but not the enjoyment of meeting a like minded cyclist like Bob. Our rest day at that years RAW was in Leavenworth, WA. Bob and I had more time to talk over some beverages and the topic turned to bike touring, a passion we both shared. We spoke about a bike tour I had done from Amsterdam to Barcelona amongst other bike related topics. Our friendship cemented, we would next meet back in Seattle at Montlake Bicycle Shop to continue our discussion on touring as well as repair aforementioned Bianchi Giro.” -Gary TeGantvoort, MBS store manager
Bob Kingsley has lived in Seattle with his wife Jan since 1997, working as an administrative law judge. He previously lived in Spokane, where he and Jan met, and where they raised their family. He grew up in Rochester, New York, and went to college in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Bob is now retired and about to set out to ride Adventure Cycling’s Northern Tier route. He will be riding his trusty Trek 520 touring bike which we recently outfitted for his adventure. The bike needed some help with the gear range and some wheels built to handle the rigors of cross country riding. Rather than delve into the technical details of the rebuild, lets just say, here at Montlake Bike Shop we built some very stout wheels with a generator hub, installed a much wider range of gears and set up a charging port to keep him charged throughout the trip.
It’s been a pleasure to help get Bob ready for his ride. We will soon be able to follow Mr. Kingsley through Bob’s cycling blog we are honored to host on our website.
“May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.”
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