I finally got the chance to hold an advance copy of my book Biking Uphill in the Rain: The Story of Seattle from behind the Handlebars, and it was a bit surreal. As soon as I got word that advance copies had arrived, I walked over to the press office inside UW Tower to get one. This thing has been coming together in my head and in various text documents for 4 years, but now it’s a real thing. It has an ISBN. I have an ISBN! The former used book store clerk inside me is giddy to know that book store and library workers all over will be punching 9780295751580 into their tenkey pads and finding me (and hey, do me a solid and put it on one of the highlight shelves, maybe like a mid-autumn hygge display because it has the word “rain” in the title).

If you want a copy, you can preorder it today from my publisher University of Washington Press. Or you can join me for the book release 7 p.m August 28 at Elliott Bay Book Company on Capitol Hill. I will gladly sign your copy, of course.

I really can’t wait for you all to get a chance to read it. I think everyone will learn some new things, and my biggest hope is that it will help change the way you look at this beautiful city and at the role bicycling played in shaping it. As is seemingly common among people writing long pieces like books and dissertations, I have swung wildly since 2019 between thinking it is good and thinking it is the biggest piece of trash anyone has ever written I am so sick of it OMG. Now that I’m reading it again in printed form for the first time in many months, I’m back to thinking it is good.

Thanks to everyone who has supported this work, including all of you wonderful readers who pitch in to the monthly Seattle Bike Blog Supporter program. You not only keep this independent news site running (and free for everyone), but you also made this book possible.