I called Seattle Powder Coat and talked to Sharon.
She said that sandblasting the frame (and fork) and powder coating them would cost between 125-165 dollars, not including taxes, with the variation being if the frame was previously painted (lower cost, blasting) or powder coated (higher cost needing a chemical strip as part of the process).

Having the finish removed only would be $40 for blasting, and $65 if they had to remove a powder coat finish. Certainly an easier step than renting equipment and going through the hassle yourself. Seems like it might be worth considering.

She says they do a lot of bicycle frames. You could always ask for some satisfied customer reports or bike shops they have dealt with for references.

Any errors in the above should be blamed on my reporting accurately what I was told and not the actual information I got from Sharon.

http://www.seattlepowdercoat.com/

Seattle Powder Coat
4025 Leary Way NW
Seattle, WA 98107
ph: (206) 297-1029

info@seattlepowdercoat.com

Congrats to your Hubby on his new job, reduced commute, and resolve to join the dashing, intrepid, healthy, eco-conscious, and yes, occasionally smug ranks of Seattle cyclists. I have been commuting to work exclusively by bicycle starting this past summer and have been dealing with the question of what bike is right for me and where do I get it from since then.

One thing I have discovered, both through experience and an obsessive reading of bike blogs, is that people often buy a bike and then figure out that it’s not quite right for them, therefore, buying a used bike is a good idea even if saving money isn’t a primary consideration. Basically, you buy a used bike that should be right for you, you ride it a while, you figure out where it doesn’t work for you after a couple of months riding, and you make a much more informed decision when you go to buy the perfect bike .

Craigslist is full of good deals; it is also full of people who don’t know how to measure their bike, or how to properly describe it, so what you save in money you can often lose in time and just general fussing. A store that sells used bikes on consignment is often a good idea, though I would question the motivations of any used bike store that has more new bikes than used, or that devotes as much floor space to spandex clothing as they do to their spare parts section. Certain bike shops in town seem to have a condescending attitude towards anyone who has a pussy, luckily this should not be a problem for your husband. Bikeworks is a non-profit in Columbia City that sells refurbished donated bikes, I 110% support their mission but unfortunately haven’t been able to find the “just right bike” there (but my needs are very specific at this point.)

An important consideration is fit, here is a chart http://bicycling.about.com/od/howtoride/a/bike_sizing.htm
You will note that inseam is a key measurement, as leg length can vary greatly among individuals of the same height. Here is an article about bike fit with good instructions for measuring inseam (they call it PBH or Pubic Bone Height) somewhere about the middle of the page. http://www.rivbike.com/Articles.asp?ID=247. I have a long torso for my height and I have found the bigger bikes keep me from having that “my knees will bump into my chin” sensation. Here is a good video on basic bike sizing, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6pUGA1mtTo. I have found bikes designed to be touring bikes tend to have a long wheelbase and long rear stays which leaves a lot of room in back so your heels don’t bump into your panniers, which drives me nuts.

As far as equipment: I have read that two front white lights are safer than one because it allows the viewer better comparative information on the bike’s speed and direction; a rear red light is required by law after dark but I put one on each pannier, too, to indicate the width of the whole package when riding at night; he will NEED fenders unless he just loves getting wet; for 2 1/2 miles no special clothing should be necessary, although jeans get uncomfortable because of the mega-seam at the crotch; any old breathable waterproof jacket is good enough, many people favor the safety colors; he will need a rack for panniers, which are more useful and flexible than baskets. Ortlieb Back Rollers are the king of panniers, waterproof, adjustable sized, adjustable connections, durable and they tend to stay upright, which is great when you are loading them. Pricey, though.

Some good local bike blogs: Seattle Bike Blog http://seattlebikeblog.com/ Kent’s Bike Blog
http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/ Velo Bus Driver
http://velobusdriver.com/And of course, if you ride in this town, sooner or later you will need something Cascade Bicycle Club offers, they have all sorts of classes and all sorts of rides.
http://www.cbcef.org/classes-bike.html

There are multiple good ways. Cascade Bicycle Club does it (in reverse) every year:

http://shop.cascade.org/content/events/rsvp-details

I think their 2nd day route (Bellingham to Vancouver) is a bit too long and convoluted, probably because they head way east to avoid overwhelming the border crossings near I-5 and the western, more heavily-used Fraser River crossings. But their route from Seattle to Bellingham is solid.

Between Bellingham and Vancouver, I'd just buy a Vancouver area bike route map and make it up as you go along (note: Vancouver area bike route maps cost money and are what you want; Vancouver city bike maps are free and don't get you to the border). Avoid heading south into Richmond, but any Fraser River crossing east of that is fine, and the route to the border should be easy to pick out from there). Use the Whatcom County bike map to get to Bellingham (https://www.whatcomsmarttrips.org/pdf/CountyBikeMap.pdf) then take the RSVP route from there.

The ferry to Victoria/Olympic Peninsula route is more scenic, but much longer. I'd avoid it in favor of the land route, which is plenty scenic, particularly on Chuckanut Drive. If you were riding south from Seattle, I might advise the ferry route, as it's hard to avoid I-5 otherwise, but between Vancouver and Seattle it's easy to stay off I-5 and still see some nice backroads.

Incidentally, riding Interstate highways in Washington State *is* legal, outside large metropolitan areas (and even legal then if there is no viable alternative route, like near Ft. Lewis). So you could take I-5 much of the way (I don't know if Bellingham or Everett count as metropolitan areas). Just FYI; don't do this, as the backroads are much nicer.

The main thing I can think of is that bamboo is a monocot, and therefore splits very easily. A head-on crash or sudden stop...anything that puts direct pressure on the front or back of the bike...might crack those spars right in half.

On the other hand, they might be equally easy to repair or replace. Cheaply, anyway.

did you know that recycled cycles has a whole shop fulla nice boys and girls waiting to help? you're probably not going to buy anything. that's okay. just go in when they're not busy - weekday mornings or midday - and bring a six pack or a pint of ice cream. there's a tip jar if you forget to bring a treat. a ten spot will get you tons of attention, and those folks know what they're doing.

We can institute something called neighborhood greenways, which they have in Portland and provides alternative paths all over the city for pedestrians & cyclists with minimal gas traffic. Seattle seems pre-equipped for this, since nearly every neighborhood block has an alley up the middle of some kind or another.

Here's my condensed bike maintenance checklist. This is by no means comprehensive, but I'll try to give you a rough idea.

1. Drive train
First the simple stuff. Lube the chain regularly. (Like, every few days if you ride daily.) Turn the bike upside-down and oil the whole chain, then shift through all the gears so they get oiled too. Then take a rag and wipe excess oil off the outside of the chain by holding the rag on the chain while turning the crank. You want oil in the rivets in the chain; the stuff on the outside does nothing but attract dust.
Every so often, take your chain off, clean with solvent, dry, and then put back on and re-lube. This is simple and totally worth learning to do yourself. You will need a chain breaker, which you can find at your local bike co-op, or you can buy your own for <$10. While you have the chain off, you can clean the crud off your gears and rear derailleur (the thing that moves the chain from gear to gear) with a stiff brush or rag. Old socks are good for running between the gears. Ideally, if you're riding daily, this should be done every one to two weeks (note: in reality, I'm too lazy to do it that often, as are most bike commuters I know, but I'm talking theory here).
Cleaning your drive train regularly will probably solve some of the shifting issues, plus, the more often you clean it, the slower your gears will wear down - the oily, pasty crud that forms on gears acts like sandpaper and wears your gears down faster.

2. Shifters/derailleurs
Check the tension on your derailleur (shifter) cables, and check that you can shift through all the gears. There are a lot of potential reasons why your bike might not be shifting smoothly, too many to really get into here. I can virtually guarantee, though, that if you haven't maintained your bike in a while, your shifter cables need to be tightened, as they stretch out over time. Tightening the shifter cables requires only a wrench and a pair of pliers, and you can easily learn to do it yourself.

3. Brakes
Check the tension on your brakes regularly. The brake cables also tend to stretch out over time, making braking less efficient. Make sure you can stop quickly. You should be able to brake with full force without the brake levers touching the handlebars. Make sure your brake pads are aligned with the wheel rims (when you brake, they should be in full contact with the wheel rim, not hanging over the edge, or touching the tire). Make sure the brake pads don't rub on your wheels when you ride. Check your brake pads for wear, and debris. Brake pads need to be replaced once in a while, just like on a car.

4. Wheels
Check that wheels are in true. Turn the bike upside down and spin the wheels. Do an eyeball check - are there any obvious wobbles? (You might also be able to see these wobbles while you're riding.) Are there any spots where the wheel rubs on the brake pads? Feel the spoke tension by grabbing the spokes, two neighboring spokes at a time, and squeezing them together. Are any of them noticeably loose? If you notice any of the above things, your wheels need truing. (Another complicated topic that I won't get into here, but your friendly mechanic or bike co-op staff can help you.)

5. The bearings inside your wheel hubs, headset (where the handlebars attach to the frame) and bottom bracket (where the pedals turn) need to be taken out, cleaned, and re-packed every so often. I've heard a lot of different opinions on how often this should be done, but I'd say minimum once a year for the wheels and bottom bracket, ideally once every three to six months. To be honest, I almost never touch my headset, because it's much less exposed to water and dirt than other moving parts, but some people will tell you it should be cleaned regularly too. If you take your bike to a mechanic for an annual tune-up, they will sometimes re-pack your wheel hubs and bottom bracket as part of the tune-up package. Ask.

6. Tires
Change when the side walls dry out and crack, or when the treads wear out, or when you get a large puncture (e.g., from running over a screw or a big piece of glass). Keep a tube patching kit and a couple of spare inner tubes around the house for fixing flats. Ask the staff at the bike shop to help you get the correct sizes of tires and tubes - it's not always obvious.
I always say, if you own only one bike tool, it should be a pair of plastic tire levers, for taking off and putting on tires. You can get these for a buck or two at the bike store. (A lot of people use screwdrivers for changing tires, causing a lot of unnecessary flats.)

There are a lot of good bike maintenance books out there. I can recommend these:

http://www.amazon.com/Big-Blue-Book-Bicycle-Repair/dp/0976553007

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_45?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=zinn+and+the+art+of+mountain+bike+maintenance&sprefix=zinn+and+the+art+of+mountain+bike+maintenance (this is more unorthodox and personal - a great DIY book)

There is a lot of information about bike maintenance to be had on the internet.

If you are good with cars, you should be able to learn to do any of the things I mentioned above without too much trouble, assuming you have the time and interest. If you want to learn more about your bike, I highly recommend getting involved with your local bike co-op. They often offer help with repairs and maintenance, and courses on bike mechanics, and they have tools you can use, including a lot of bike-specific tools. Even if you don't plan on being a DIY mechanic, it's worth it to learn some bike basics and terminology. I'm unfortunately not very familiar with the local resources for cyclists in Seattle, not being from there, but here's one place I know of:`http://www.thebikery.org/

There you go. That's kind of a long-winded answer, but I hope it helps.

I did the same, and enjoyed it. Route & notes here: http://dsz123.net/PortlandBikeTrip/

I'd recommend skipping the first part of the STP route and going over to Vashon, then over to Tacoma (by ferries) instead. Meet up with the STP route south of Tacoma and you're golden.

I did the trip in 3 days, and stayed at the McMinnamin's Olympic Club in Centralia the first night, and then at a motel in Longview.

Good luck!

http://ridethecity.com/

Not sure if you mean an e-map or where you can order a paper one, but this waymarked google map seems quite accurate, althoug honly starts where the actual trail begins at 110th (i.e. does not include the marked streets up Fremont Ave.), 

You are right to be terrified. I'd get something good for campus or anywhere in the udistrict. And it doesn't hurt if your bike isn't the nicest one on the rack either. UW is the numero-uno hotspot for bike theft around here. Spend the money.

Up in Greenwood if you have a semi-decent cable-lock, you should be OK leaving it while you shop; but I wouldn't leave a bike locked up for more than a couple of hours pretty much anywhere.

Certainly not my area of expertise, but I notice for just 20 dollars more you get larger wheels (20 inch alloy spoked) in a wheel guard design, a 16% drop in overall weight, a rear storage area, and (2) five point seat harnesses that aren't mentioned in the EZ write-up.

InStep Rocket on Amazon

Larger wheels would give a smoother ride over all surfaces and the wheel guard design appears to present just a little more protective side structure.

The manufacturer lists this upgraded model at over $100 higher suggested retail sale price than the EZ. Look over the info on each model on their website.

InStep Manufacturers website 

From my co-worker, Davey Oil:
The Bikery is a great place to go to get help wrenching on your own bike in a safe and supportive environment. There are two ways to pay for the use of tools and the friendly guidance of the volunteers at the Bikery. One way is to pay cash or check, five dollars an hour. Another way is to spend a little time volunteering first. You can come in any time the Bikery is open and the volunteer staff will find a job for you to do, regardless of your previous experience with bike repair. In return, you’ll earn ten dollars an hour in credit, which you can use to pay for “stand time” or used parts for your project. The Bikery’s model is very similar to that of the Bike Kitchen, with a little more emphasis given to providing access to folks traditionally marginalized by bike culture and folks who are actively impacted by systemic oppression in our larger culture, LGBTQ folks, people of color and women come to mind, but of course the list is shamefully long. With that as the focus of the project, all people are welcome to stop by the Bikery’s space at 1265 S Main St #104, (entrance on 14th Ave) Saturdays 12-6, Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays 2-8.

Tires are supposed to deform at the point of contact with the pavement. That's what gives them their grip; otherwise you'd be cornering on a point of contact about the size of a cockroach's butt.

It sounds more like you don't like riding on the gooshier feeling tires. What width are your current tires? They sound like 28 or 32 mm based the max pressure.

Despite the max pressure being a lawyer's number you don't really want to exceed it. With that in mind, get some less gooshy tires, assuming your rims can handle them. Road racing/training tires are awesome, and surprisingly flat resistant. 25 or 28 mm is a good width for Seattle, I like 25. I used a pair of Vittoria Diamante Pros for almost two years and probably 3k miles with one flat. Now I'm using some Vittoria Rubino Pro Techs which I like even more and are cheaper than the Diamantes.