Earlier this week, I decided to take advantage of a gorgeous summer day to do something I have never done before: bike along the "Missing Link."

Taking this bike ride gave me a much different perspective to this long-standing issue of contention in the Ballard community. After biking it, I realized that even though it is not the perfect solution, if it is built the way it is currently being proposed, it could end up being a tourist attraction for Ballard.

Because of where I live in Ballard, I have never really needed to bike along the Missing Link. If I want to go to Golden Gardens, I ride to the end of Northwest 61st Street and pick up the Burke-Gilman Trail down there.

If I want to go somewhere on the rest of the Burke-Gilman, I bike down to Fred Meyer. On this day, however, I pretended like I was a random biker who had to bike from where the trail ends currently by Fred Meyer at 11th Avenue Northwest and rode along Shilsole to the Locks, and then back down along Ballard Avenue to Shilshole.

The Missing Link is planned to run along Shilshole Avenue, Ballard Avenue and possibly Market Street.

The trail is not a straight shot on Shilsole, and one of the biggest criticisms from both sides, the biking community and the industrial business owners, is that there will be bikers who will ignore the trail and use the entire street. But the trail is not just for the expert biker, it's supposed to be for all of us, right?

The trail as it currently stands will partially avoid one of the more active areas of Shilsole, which will help out some of the industrial businesses. While I was biking, I took in the industrial businesses as part of the scenery and it made me think about them.

They are an important part of Ballard not only financially speaking, but as part of our awesome maritime heritage.

Let's face it -- most bike trails are boring. You have a paved strip lined with trees and maybe an occasional bench. The Missing Link, however, will be a living tour through Ballard.

The first part of the trail takes you from Fred Meyer down Shilsole, and gives you a glimpse into some of the industrial businesses that are an important part of Ballard that a visitor might otherwise never see.

Then bikers, or walkers, are redirected onto Ballard Avenue, where they can take in all the interesting restaurants, bars and shops on their way down to the Locks or Golden Gardens. You can't ask for a better introduction to Ballard.

The real hardcore bikers who want to bike as fast as possible don't like the plan and will just forego the Missing Link detour and instead go down Shilsole, but there's no law against biking on the street, is there?

The industrial businesses are concerned over the impact that the trail will have on their ability to do business safely, and their concerns should be taken seriously. They provide something for Ballard that the casual cyclist does not: jobs and essential services that can't really be put anywhere else.

If people want to bike in a hazardous area on a public street and avoid a marked trail where drivers will be watching out for them, it is their choice.

A plan that accommodates all the wishes of the bicycling community could drive many of the businesses along the Missing Link out of business. A plan that accommodates all the wishes of the business community would mean continuing the dangerous status of the unmarked trail.

The Missing Link plan on the surface may not look perfect to all parties involved, but if you look at it another way, it could make the Ballard stretch the most interesting part of the entire Burke-Gilman Trail.

Do you have a column suggestion or a comment for Brian LeBlanc? Leave a comment on this story or reach him directly at brianleblanc76@yahoo.com.