A Bicycle Built for Two Billion

By Louise McGrody | Published August 26, 2015

bicycle-two-billionWhen life handed Jamie Bianchini several bowls of lemons, he sought comfort where he always found it—on his bicycle. In April, 2002 Jamie set off on a bicycle ride around the world on a tandem. Riding solo. As he made this incredible journey, Jamie invited strangers to join him on the rear seat of the tandem.

After eight years, 81 countries and over 1000 riding companions, Jamie returned home and put his Peace Pedalers expedition to paper in A Bicycle Built for Two Billion. Now he shares his intercultural adventure through a captivating multimedia slideshow featuring stunning photos, videos, music and stories.

Seattle area cyclists will have an opportunity to meet Jamie and view his presentation at a special event on September 1 at 6:00 pm at Cascade Bicycling Center. His talk is receiving rave reviews around the country, so you don’t want to miss it!

This is a free, family-friendly public event and is presented by Washington Bikes, Cascade Bicycle Club and Ortlieb USA.

Event Schedule:

6:00pm to 7:00pm: Meet-and-greet with a door prize raffle with prizes from Ortlieb and more for all those who arrive before 7:00

7:00pm to 8:00pm: Jamie & Cristina’s multimedia presentation of A Bicycle Built for Two Billion

8:00pm to 8:30pm: Mix, mingle and book signing.  Signed copies of Jamie Bianchini’s newly released book A Bicycle Built for Two Billion will be available

[Tweet “Join @cascadebicycle @WAbikes @OrtliebUSA for tandem travel talk 9/1 w/@peacepedalers”]

Posted in Events, Seattle | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Washington Bikes and Cascade Bicycle Club Announce Merger Discussion

By Barb Chamberlain | Published August 22, 2015

Barb Chamberlain, Executive Director, Washington Bikes, and Elizabeth Kiker, Executive Director, Cascade Bicycle Club, August 2015The boards of directors of the Cascade Bicycle Club and Washington Bikes are discussing a non-binding Letter of Intent to merge the two organizations at the end of 2015. This move would amplify the work of both organizations and power bicycling to a higher level in Washington State, which is already ranked the #1 state in the U.S. for bicycle friendliness. 

Cascade Bicycle Club’s board voted unanimously in favor of signing the joint Letter of Intent last week. The Washington Bikes board is currently discussing the letter and plans to vote next week.

“Washington Bikes is dedicated, in Olympia and across the state, to improving bicycling statewide. It partners with many local advocacy groups and bike clubs across the state,” said Catherine Hennings, board chair of the Cascade Bicycle Club. “This proposed merger would truly yield more than the sum of its parts.”

Bringing the two organizations together would result in a single bicycle education curriculum for students in the Puget Sound region and across the state. The advocacy work of both organizations would be strengthened when unified.

“This could prove to be a big win for people who welcome improved bicycling connections,” said Brian Foley, board chair of Washington Bikes.

Committees from each board are meeting to talk about processes, review ideas for program integration, and plan for the future, with the hope that the process will move toward a formal proposal for vote by each organization’s board later this fall.

“We are considering this merger to continue the great work we’ve each been doing with even better results and successes,” said Barb Chamberlain, executive director of Washington Bikes.

The merger would result in saved overhead costs and more money directly funding current work and new programs, like Cascade’s Major Taylor program and Washington Bikes’ state bike tourism initiative. Washington Bikes’ grassroots successes across the state could be a great partner for Cascade’s statewide tours, events and rides.

“We would be an even stronger force for improving lives through bicycling and growing bicycling statewide together than we are individually,” said Cascade Executive Director Elizabeth Kiker.

Both boards are very interested in hearing from people who ride bikes and from members of Cascade or Washington Bikes. They are using a shared email address for feedback: washingtonbikes@cascadebicycleclub.org.

Posted in Advocacy, Alert, News | Tagged | 2 Comments

Drink Freely With GRAYL

By Louise McGrody | Published August 18, 2015

Grayl-packStaying hydrated is important when you’re on a bike ride. You don’t have to be a mountain biker or an adventure bicycle traveler to care about the water you drink while out on a ride. We want to introduce you to a personal water treatment product that is practical, portable and good for bicycling (more about this later): the GRAYL cup.

GRAYL, a Seattle startup company, makes a line of unique personal water filtration and purification systems.  The patent-pending design works like a French Press to filter toxins from water in seconds.  GRAYL makes water treatment for every occasion, whether that be at the tap or a campground water pump, creek side on a mountain bike trail or gravel grinder, or when facing the rigors of international travel.

The GRAYL cup has interchangeable filters to provide varying levels of protection. TAP removes many chemicals and heavy metals, TRAIL adds protection from bacteria and protozoan cysts, and TRAVEL provides the added from viruses while traveling in developing countries or highly impacted wilderness areas. The TRAIL version will appeal to mountain bikers, gravel grinders, touring cyclists and others who venture into remote outdoor areas because it gives you the option to pull your drinking water from creeks, stock watering troughs and other unfiltered water sources. Visit GRAYL’s FAQ page for more info, including a video on how to use the cup.

The company has had a great ride so far, including winning the first episode of All-American Makers on the Science Channel earlier this year, and one of GeekWire’s “Seattle10” Most Innovative Startups at the end of 2014.

Grayl-bike frameTravis Merrigan, COO & co-founder of GRAYL, has been riding bikes for 15 years in several large US cities. He commutes via bike almost daily across Seattle from his Columbia City home to GRAYL’s Phinney Ridge office. His wife also rides – they rode the 2014 Seattle-to-Portland on a tandem while his wife was 4 months pregnant!

Travis says, “I love to take my GRAYL on mountain bike or urban adventure rides. I can ride for hours, filtering water from trailside streams or lawn sprinklers (try it sometime, ha!). Seattle is a wonderful city to bike – don’t fear the hills!”

GRAYL Gives to Bikes

Did you read our blog post Bikepacking the John Wayne Trail? Author and cyclist Sara Callan used a GRAYL cup on her tour and recommends the product. In a testimonial Sara said:

“We took the GRAYL on our yearly 4-day bike trip, and we were so glad that we did. The west end of the John Wayne Trail is dotted with a handful of backcountry camp sites, but no running water anywhere. Lucky for us we had plenty of mountain creeks and the GRAYL! It turned out to be our one source of clean water to keep us going through our tour. Cheers to GRAYL!”

Now you have an opportunity to purchase your own GRAYL cup and help grow bicycling in Washington state.  For each online GRAYL purchase by a Washington Bikes supporter, GRAYL will donate 5% of the purchase price to us to support our mission. Be sure to enter the promo code WABIKES when you place your order.

Posted in Gear/Maintenance | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Ride to Gigantic Bicycle Festival With Team WA Bikes

By Louise McGrody | Published August 17, 2015

anteater_and_bicycleLooking for something bikey and musical to do this weekend? Pedal out to the community of Snoqualmie for the Gigantic Bicycle Festival!

Gigantic Bicycle Festival is a Pacific Northwest summer celebration of bicycle culture. The two-day festival combines live music, visual and performance art, film, hand-built bicycles, speakers, and an event ride to the festival on August 22.

Register as a team rider for Washington Bikes and Gigantic will waive the late fee and donate 15% of your ride registration to Washington Bikes.

You have two scenic road routes to choose from: a century or the 77-mile ride. Rides depart from Seattle’s Magnuson Park between 6:30 and 7:30 am. Your registration includes admission to the festival. Use this link to sign up for the ride as a member for Team WA Bikes. Learn more about Gigantic Bicycle Festival here.

Posted in News, Rides | Tagged , | Comments Off on Ride to Gigantic Bicycle Festival With Team WA Bikes

Bikes Count! Volunteers Needed for Annual Bicycle and Pedestrian Count

By Louise McGrody | Published August 15, 2015

Data is important in the transportation world and there is a significant lack of documentation regarding bicycle use. This is why WSDOT’s annual bicycle and pedestrian count is important.

Cyclists offload at Colman Dock Ferry Terminal.

Cyclists offload at Colman Dock Ferry Terminal.

WSDOT is preparing for its eighth annual survey September 29 through October 1. The state agency and Cascade Bicycle Club are enlisting volunteers and organizations like Feet First and Washington Bikes to help count the number of people bicycling and walking on paths, bike lanes, sidewalks, and other facilities. Counts will be taken in a least 38 cities throughout the state.

“Counting bicyclists and pedestrians helps us more accurately measure demand, gauge the results of our investments and plan for future improvement projects,” said Secretary of Transportation Lynn Peterson. “We couldn’t document the number of people walking and biking without the help of many volunteers from across the state.”

Get involved

Those interested in helping can learn more by visiting WSDOT’s survey website, or by contacting Cascade Bicycle Club at cpa@cascadebicycleclub.org or calling 206-861-9890.

WSDOT and the Cascade Bicycle Club are asking volunteers from across the state to perform the counts in participating cities including: Bainbridge Island, Bellevue, Bellingham, Bothell, Bremerton, Burien, Ellensburg, Everett, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kelso, Kent, Kirkland, Lake Forest Park, Lakewood, Longview, Mercer Island, Milton, Mountlake Terrace, Oak Harbor, Olympia, Orting, Parkland, Puyallup, Redmond, Renton, Richland, Seattle, Shoreline, Spokane Valley, Spokane, Tacoma, Tukwila, University Place, Vancouver, Vashon Island, Walla Walla, Wenatchee and Yakima.

WSDOT’s count is part of the National Documentation Project, an annual bicycle and pedestrian count and survey effort that is sponsored by the Institute of Transportation Engineers Pedestrian and Bicycle Council. The count will also help measure WSDOT’s progress toward the goal of increasing bicycling and walking while reducing the number of vehicle miles driven.

Permanent Bicycle Data Collection

Washington Bikes has partnered with WSDOT on a project to install approximately 50 permanent bike counters statewide. Safe connections for biking can’t come fast enough. The bike counter network, combined with the annual survey information, will help provide important data to improve safety and to make data-driven decisions about smart investments.

Posted in Advocacy, Funding/Policy, Research | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Let’s Move Seattle

By Blake Trask | Published August 13, 2015

Seattle’s transportation levy on the November ballot will push Seattle forward in improving biking and safety citywide.

Seattleites this fall have a chance to make historic investments for better biking and safer streets citywide. November’s ballot features the renewal of the nine-year Seattle transportation levy. It’s called Let’s Move Seattle and it takes a huge step forward in making a city that works for residents and visitors alike. logo

To ensure its passage, we need you to get involved in the Let’s Move Seattle campaign!

The Let’s Move Seattle levy will improve Seattle’s transportation system in three key ways:

  1. More transportation choices to improve mobility – Levy dollars will go to critical projects, like the Northgate biking and walking bridge, as well as hundreds of additional mobility improvements across Seattle.
  2. A focus on safety – Investments will improve safety in every Seattle neighborhood, notably Safe Routes to School improvements at every public school, as well as funding to keep implementation of the Bicycle Master Plan on track.
  3. Taking care of what we have – Since no one likes potholes or unsafe bridges, the nine-year levy fixes existing infrastructure, too.

Let’s Move Seattle makes Seattle safer and more accessible whether you bike, drive, take transit, or walk. Take a look and see the great projects slated to be built in your neighborhood.

The campaign is just getting started and the Let’s Move Seattle levy team needs you to get involved today. While you’re there, endorse the levy by adding your name on the Endorsements tab.

Let’s make 2015 a year to remember for better biking in the Emerald City. Let’s Move Seattle!

Is your town considering a local transportation measure that would improve bicycling? We want to know about it so we can help spread the word. Contact Blake Trask, blake@WAbikes.org. 

Posted in News | 1 Comment

Time to ride PROS: Perimeter Ride of Seattle

By Louise McGrody | Published August 11, 2015

PROS Banner - Don Willott

Is PROS on your bucket list of bike rides? It should be.

The Perimeter Ride of Seattle—or PROS—is a Labor Day (September 7) ride organized by the Cyclists of Greater Seattle (COGS) that literally follows the perimeter of Seattle. PROS circumscribes the city, following a counter-clockwise route from its start at Discovery Park. Seattle’s hilly and ravine-divided landscape makes for a challenging but very rewarding ride. You will see Seattle from all sides, including spectacular city, mountain, Puget Sound and Lake Washington views.

Labor Day - September 7 2015
Labor Day – September 7 2015

The full PROS route entails 80 miles and 4,200 feet of elevation gain. PROS Lite is a shorter option of 60 miles and 2,700 feet of elevation gain, which eliminates the challenges of Seattle’s northern border. Both routes include snack stops (2 for PROS and 1 for PROS Lite) and lunch featuring tasty Banh Mi, Vietnamese-style sandwiches.

Unlike other rides that hand you a map/cue sheet and send you on your way, PROS divides riders into groups based on their distance and riding pace, and provides ride leaders who pedal with you. And yes, you still get a cue sheet or you can use GPS. Learn more here.

Ready to sign up? Registration is $35 ($40 after August 31), includes lunch, and supports bicycle advocacy in Washington state. COGS donates all proceeds from PROS to Washington Bikes to further our work to get more folks on bikes.

You can register online. Sign up by August 31 and you will be eligible for prize drawings for a WA Bikes jersey made by Castelli and a custom bike sketch by Seattle artist Andy Goulding.

Banner photo credit: Don Willott.

Posted in Rides | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Experience the Palouse on Tour de Lentil

By Louise McGrody | Published August 10, 2015

Tour de Lentil 2Prepare to be challenged!

Tour de Lentil is a 50k, 100k, or 150k bike ride through eastern Washington’s scenic Palouse region on August 22.  Cyclists are taken on a beautiful tour across the rolling–and often windy–hills of the Palouse region. All routes include elevation, and 150k route includes a summit of Steptoe Butte and the amazing views it provides.

The ride begins at the City Playfields in Pullman, then rolls through Colfax, Palouse, and more before returning to Pullman. This event is organized by and a fundraiser for the WSU Cycling Club. The club is generously supporting bike advocacy in Washington state with a donation from this ride to Washington Bikes.

Register today. Your registration fee includes rest stops and a post-ride BBQ.

Tour de Lentil is held in conjunction with the National Lentil Festival, so consider making it a Palouse weekend! More details about the festival can be found here.

Posted in Rides | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Experience the Palouse on Tour de Lentil

Who Are Your Everyday Superheroes of Bicycling?

By Barb Chamberlain | Published August 8, 2015

 “Where are they now? They are living among us. Average citizens, average heroes. Quietly and anonymously continuing to make the world a better place.” — From “The Incredibles”

Superman on a bicycle made with his X-ray visionYou know one. You may even be one. An Everyday Superhero of Bicycling who works to make the world a better place for bicycling, that is.

Some of the things an Everyday Superhero might do:

  • Teach someone to ride a bike
  • Help someone find the best route from Point A to Point B
  • Start a local group that does something to promote and improve bicycling
  • Help develop a bike master plan and get it adopted
  • Get a Complete Streets ordinance in your hometown
  • Teach someone to fix a flat
  • Get 20mph (the Neighborhood Safe Streets Law) adopted in your town
  • Serve on a Bicycle Advisory Board
  • Run for office as a bike-friendly candidate
  • Organize or volunteer at a Kidical Mass ride or Open Streets event
  • Nominate your town for Bicycle Friendly Community recognition
  • Make your business a Bicycle Friendly Business
  • Contact a legislator in support of more funding and better laws
  • Take local leaders and traffic engineers on a bike ride to highlight areas that need improvement
  • Run a community bike shop
  • Volunteer for a kids’ bike program at a school, community center, or youth program

Everyday Superheroes also serves as the theme of this year’s Washington Bikes Auction and Gala, coming up October 17, 2015, at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront. We like to call it the biggest bike party of the year. It also serves to bring in revenues essential for our bike advocacy work.

We want to highlight and thank your Everyday Superheroes before, during, and after the event. Tell us about them using the form below, and attend the gala if you can. It’s a Super thing you can do for bike advocacy.

About You

We may want to contact you for additional information. If you prefer we use email, be sure to provide your email address in the field above.

About Your Everyday Superhero

Maximum file size: 516MB

Maximum file size: 516MB

Thank you

Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your Everyday Superhero. We'll send you bike news with our profiles and other recognition of Superheroes from around Washington, information about the Gala Auction, and opportunities to be a Superhero to others as a local advocate.
Sending


And in case you were wondering — no, you don’t have to wear Spandex to be a superhero.

 

Posted in Events | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Who Are Your Everyday Superheroes of Bicycling?

North Kitsap Peninsula Bike Loop

By Guest Blogger | Published August 6, 2015

Today’s ride post was written by Seattle cyclist Lee Nathan. The post first published on his personal blog Tenacious. You can also find Lee on Twitter @tenaciouslee.

Back in June, we took a bicycle tour of North Kitsap Peninsula, amounting to about a 40 mile ride. We’ve been getting ready for the STP bike ride, so this was one of a slew of training jaunts, but this one was memorable due to some nice views and challenging hills!

North Kitsap Loop MapWe started and finished at Poulsbo High School. Since we live in Seattle, we had to first get over to Kitsap County, so we took the Bainbridge Ferry across the Sound. Summer ferries can be tricky if you’re in a car due to the heavy volumes, especially over weekends as people look to escape from the city for a few days, but biking on is always nice – no waiting! We were one of the first groups of bikers to arrive for the 8am ferry over, successfully navigating our way across the Rock ‘N Roll Marathon course complete with thousands of runners!

We cheated a bit and caught a ride with a friend from the Bainbridge Ferry Terminal. We could have ridden that stretch, but we were on a bit of a time crunch and that section isn’t the most scenic out and back along the highway.

North Kitsap Point No PointFrom the PoulsboHigh School, we headed North, picking our way around Indianola, through Kingston, and up towards Hansville. The ride was pretty quiet with limited traffic. Early in the ride, we had no problems with a gentle climb heading towards Kingston, and then another gradual hill as we climbed up to the high point around mile 17.

We dropped into Hansville, and were rewarded with some impressive views of Puget Sound spreading in front of us. This was about halfway through the ride, so we stopped at Point No Point in Hansville to fully appreciate the scenery and refuel.

North Kitsap Little Boston RoadFrom the park, we continued rolling through Hansville, heading west and south and back up! You’re rewarded with views to the west, Port Gamble and the Olympic range beyond. There are a few rollers on those roads as we headed back towards Poulsbo, and one particularly punchy hill (11% grade, but only 0.1 mi long) on the appropriately-named NE Cliffside Road and one final major climb up NE Little Boston Road. After some huffing, we stopped to catch our breaths and enjoy the view behind of us, this time gazing at the Olympic Range to the West.

From here, we followed Gamble Bay Road and Stottlemeyer Road back to Poulsbo. After a few rollers, we were back at the high school. We got back to the car just as the crowd was starting to arrive for the graduation ceremony going on that afternoon at the stadium. We enjoyed a well-deserved lunch at the Loft at the Poulsbo Marina before catching a ride back to the Bainbridge Ferry Terminal for our trip back to Seattle. One more biking leg got us back home from Colman Dock in Seattle. Phew! All in all, it was a great bike tour!

Route details can be found here.

Write Your Ride!

Do you know of a great bike route that others might enjoy? Submit it using our Write Your Ride form and we’ll share it.

 

Posted in Rides, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment