Working for Better Bicycling in North Central Washington

By Barb Chamberlain | Published July 14, 2014

After a great trip to Wenatchee last week and hearing what local bike advocates are focusing on, I wanted to share the work of Washington Bikes in north central Washington the past 2-3 years. Our route to better bicycling all over the state relies on (at least) 3 things:

Map of Washington State Department of Transportation North Central Region: Chelan, Okanogan, Douglas, and Grant Counties

  • the day-to-day efforts of people who live and bike in their community every day
  • the priorities identified by local advocacy organizations where those exist and by local transportation planners
  • our role as the state organization helping amplify these local voices and share great projects and ideas from town to town.

What we’ve done the past few years in north central Washington* that adds to the tally from local efforts:

Washington Bikes to School

Around 2,300 middle-school students have learned to ride with confidence thanks to our bike/walk safety curriculum in Brewster, Bridgeport, Moses Lake, Omak, Pateros, Quincy, and Wahluke school districts.

Washington Bikes and Walks More Places

In the 2013 legislative session local projects received $5,384,545 in state investments we worked for that all mean more comfortable and connected miles you can ride:

  • Quincy Valley K-7 path
  • Brewster’s Ferry Street safety improvements
  • Okanagan and Red Apple Road pedestrians enhancements in Wenatchee
  • Susie Stephens Trail Phase 2 in Winthrop
  • Rocky Reach Trail connection to Wenatchee’s Apple Capital Loop Trail extension
  • Omak Complete Streets project

Working with Local Leaders So That Washington Bikes

  • In 2012 we brought a workshop on Growing Biking and Walking in Your Community to Wenatchee, drawing people from a wide region interested in creating more comfortable conditions for people biking and walking to share the streets with all modes.
  • Our route coordination for USBR10 in 2013 took us to meetings with transportation planners and officials in Okanogan County.
  • We met with a number of local advocates in Wenatchee in 2013 and supported their efforts to turn people out on behalf of the bike master plan update that was subsequently adopted by the Wenatchee Valley Council of Governments. (Change takes time and we’re in it for the long haul; we published a blog post in March 2011 seeking input for the plan.)
  • We talked with the publisher and editor of the Wenatchee World about the economic value of bicycling—a message that showed up in editorials in support of the plan, and we sure love that they both ride so they really get the view from the saddle.
  • We rallied people from throughout the region to testify on behalf of bicycling and walking investments at the Senate Transportation Listening Session held in Wenatchee Sept. 23, 2013.
  • We came back in 2014 to meet again for an update on local projects and to look for opportunities to partner in new initiatives.

Washington Bikes For Travel

In spring 2014 we brought out Cycling Sojourner: A Guide to the Best Multi-Day Tours in Washington. The first guide book to multi-day bike tours in Washington state to be published in over a decade, the book includes two tours that traverse north central Washington and great tips for developing your own routes:

  • The Okanogan: Overlooked Northern Reaches. Towns: Tonasket, Loomis, Oroville, Chesaw, Curlew, Republic, Wauconda.
  • Epic Washington: North Cascades Highway to the Methow Valley (traversing part of USBR 10). Towns: Mount Vernon, Concrete, Rockport, Marblemount, Mazama, Winthrop, Twisp, Carlton, Methow, Pateros, Chelan, Entiat, Wenatchee.

We have similar lists for other regions of the state; watch for those posts in days to come to get an understanding of just how much goes on all around the #1 Bicycle Friendly State.

*Where’s North Central Washington? We’re using the Washington State Dept. of Transportation North Central Region map. Communities define their region in various ways and the boundaries vary from person to person.

 

Posted in Advocacy, Chelan County, Douglas County, Funding/Policy, Grant County, Infrastructure, Issues & Advocacy, News, Okanogan County, Safe Routes to School, Tourism, Trails, Travel, Wenatchee | Comments Off on Working for Better Bicycling in North Central Washington

Bikes Are Blooming in Wenatchee

By Barb Chamberlain | Published July 10, 2014

We don’t just want to be a Bicycle Friendly Community. We need to be a friendly bike community. — Rufus Woods, Publisher, Wenatchee World
Words worth sharing! [Tweet “We don’t just want to be a Bicycle Friendly Community. We need to be a friendly bike community.–Rufus Woods/@WenatcheeWorld”].

 

Bicycle riders on the bike/pedestrian bridge that connects East Wenatchee to Wenatchee at Pybus Market.

Riders on the bike/pedestrian bridge that connects East Wenatchee to Wenatchee at Pybus Market.

What a wonderful takeaway from a trip to Wenatchee this week, along with a 28-mile sunburn (it’s warm bicycling in Wenatchee this time of year — good thing they have a river to jump into), pictures of the Apple Capital Loop Trail, and new bike friends.

WA Bikes has connected with local advocates several times the past couple of years, including a workshop on creating a more bikeable/walkable community in 2012 and a visit in 2013 with a number of local riders including people working to get bikes for kids who don’t have them. Every time we go we see more people riding and more infrastructure connections to help grow bicycling.

This list will inevitably miss some of the great things happening in this beautiful valley to make bicycling better for everyone from 8 to 80; I’ll take a run at what I heard and Wenatchee bike folks can add more in the comments.

  • Bicycle Master Plan: Recently adopted by the Wenatchee Valley Council of Governments
  • Wenatchee Valley Velo puts on a great Tour de Bloom omnium. My husband raced it and said it was outstanding and he’ll be back; I’m going to plan to come with him (not to race….). They’re now working on getting the entire Wenatchee Valley designated as a Bicycle-Friendly Community — a great goal in the #1 Bicycle Friendly State!
  • The Complete the Loop Coalition, trail advocates working to connect the Wenatchee Valley’s outstanding outdoor assets, has raised money to link the Apple Capital Loop Trail with the Rocky Reach Trail and Lincoln Rock State Park. The first mile has been paved, with four to go in later 2014 after harvest season.
  • The Coalition also has a vision for a Wenatchee Valley Scenic Bikeway linking Wenatchee to Leavenworth — a popular route for bike touring travelers exploring the scenic climbs and descents through the North Cascades. This fits right into our work as route coordinators for the US Bicycle Route System in Washington, with the future proposed USBR 87 coming through the valley north/south, since travelers on the US Bicycle Routes are looking for great places to explore (and spend money). The USBR will put Wenatchee on the national map for bike travel, and the more assets business and community leaders can develop in the Wenatchee Valley to take advantage of that visibility, the better.
Confluence State Park, Wenatchee, WA -- a refreshing stop along the Apple Capital Loop Trail. With campgrounds, swimming in the Columbia River, play equipment for the little ones, and wonderful birdwatching, it's a great place to put on your list as you plan a bike trip to the Wenatchee Valley.

Confluence State Park, Wenatchee, WA — a refreshing stop along the Apple Capital Loop Trail. With campgrounds, swimming in the Columbia River, play equipment for the little ones, and wonderful birdwatching, it’s a great place to put on your list as you plan a bike trip to the Wenatchee Valley.

  • Sparkplug and WA Bikes member Deb Miller created the Pybus Kids Century, challenging local kids to ride the Loop Trail 10 times to finish a century. Now in its second year, the event has grown from 55 kids last year to nearly 150 so far this year, with at least one rider on track to finish a double century by the end of the challenge in October. She testified about her work at the meeting of the Governor’s Task Force on Parks and Outdoor Recreation held Tuesday.
  • Deb is also working to build on the momentum from our 2012 workshop, the Bicycle Master Plan adoption, and these initiatives to build support for Complete Streets.
  • Nancy Warner of IRIS (Institute for Rural Innovation and Stewardship) described the Listening Post they’ve added on the Apple Capital Loop Trail as part of a regional network of places you can learn about by calling or clicking.
  • Bike tourism is growing in Wenatchee: people who ride through on multi-day tours, those who come in for a major event such as Tour de Bloom, mountain bikers looking for the outstanding trails in the area, and people coming for a visit and renting a bike at Arlberg’s in Pybus Market to pedal along the Loop Trail.

 

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Two quick stories from the Tour de Bloom that help illustrate the value of bicycling to the Wenatchee Valley, whether or not you ride:

  • Bikes mean business: [Tweet “Wenatchee restaurant had 50% increase in sales in a single night thx to Tour de Bloom race. #bikesmeanbusiness”] A local restaurant owner we’re sure wants to remain nameless initially expressed some unhappiness about having the streets closed for the criterium race (fast loops on a short loop course in downtown). At the end of the evening, however, this owner said a typical night for the restaurant would bring in $3,500-$4,000. That night they did $6,000 in business. Not bad to have a 50% increase in just one night thanks to those hungry, fueled-by-calories racers and the family and friends who come to watch.
  • Bike events are good for community: The Wenatchee Police Department looked at the citations they issued during the Apple Blossom Festival and Tour de Bloom. According to Wenatchee Valley Velo member Ace Bollinger, they said they issued far fewer citations during the events than they did on any normal night — and that was with hundreds more people thronging the downtown streets. They were able to downsize their staff during a shift in which they expected an overload, which meant a direct savings to taxpayers.

Wenatchee is really rolling, and at the same time local advocates say they have a lot of work to do and projects to complete. My list doesn’t include everything I heard and learned on my visit.

Your turn: If you bike in Wenatchee, what do you think people need to know about what’s happening there to grow bicycling and make it even better?

Share this on Twitter to thank local bike leaders for all their hard work:
[Tweet “Thx local advocates in Wenatchee Valley/North Cascades for all your work. #bikeWA”]

Want to read more about what’s happening for better bicycling in Wenatchee and around the state? Sign up for our e-news.

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Posted in Advocacy, Chelan County, Douglas County, News, Tourism, USBRS, Wenatchee | 3 Comments

Snohomish (and Island) County Bikes: The Classic Camano Island Loop

By Josh Cohen | Published July 8, 2014

Take the train to Snohomish County’s Stanwood and begin your circumnavigation of hilly and rural Camano Island. Snohomish County Bikes: an ongoing series highlighting great Snohomish County bike rides.

Distance: 50 miles
Elevation: 3,023 feet of climbing
Good for: Intermediate to advanced road cyclists
Highlights: Beautiful scenery, low traffic roads, challenging climbs, possible trail ride

The Camano Island loop is a classic western Washington cycling route. The 50-mile ride traces the perimeter of the island, offering scenic Puget Sound vistas, quiet roads, and punchy ups and downs to keep things interesting (not to mention the occasional roadside kitsch).

Most people ride the loop counterclockwise starting just across the bridge in Stanwood in Snohomish County’s upper northwest corner.

Stanwood is also a stop on the Amtrak Cascades line, making it an excellent option for car-free cyclists or those of you who simply want to leave the car behind for the day. The Cascades line is the only Amtrak train that allows bicycles on board that aren’t boxed up (though they’re expanding the service to 15 additional lines soon). Bikes cost an additional $5 and the train’s rack only holds 10, so reservations are recommended. Whether arriving from the Seattle or Bellingham directions, expect to arrive in Stanwood between 8am and 9am and expect to depart around 8pm. Keep in mind, schedules are subject to change so please check the current Amtrak Cascades schedule.

If you’re driving, the Seattle Randonneurs start their annual Camano Loop ride around the QFC/Starbucks in Stanwood.

As with most of the islands peppered throughout Puget Sound, there are hardly any flat stretches of Camano Island. And though none of the climbs are very big (the tallest of them are only about 200 vertical feet), you’ll be feeling those near-constant ups and down by the end of the day.

Camano Island State Park. Photo by Amit Chattopadhyay. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Camano Island State Park. Photo by Amit Chattopadhyay. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

About 17 miles into the ride, you will face an important decision. Many riders choose to dip down through Camano Island State Park for a stop at its beautiful beach. But, as any western Washington Cyclist knows, a ride to the shoreline almost always means a steep climb back out and Camano Island State Park is no exception. Skipping the out and back cuts off about six miles and the aforementioned climb.

Shortly after the park and about halfway through the loop, the route passes Elger Bay Grocery, a small convenience store where riders can fill up bottles and grab a mid-ride snack. From there the route takes you around the island’s southern tip and back up the eastside towards Stanwood.

Click here for a map and cue sheet for the Camano Island route.

Do you have a ride report from this route you’d like to share? Click here to submit it to Washington Bikes to inspire others to ride.

Planning to add this to your personal “#bikeit” list? Tweet this to tell people about it: [Tweet “Putting Camano Island bike tour http://ow.ly/yZ4Mt on my #bikeit list. Love to #bikeWA!”]

 

Josh Cohen is a freelance writer, editor of The Bicycle Story and a contributing author to the newly released Cycling Sojourner: a Guide to the Best Multi-Day Tours in Washington.

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Posted in Adventure, Island County, News, Rides, Rural, Snohomish County, Tourism, Trains, Travel | Comments Off on Snohomish (and Island) County Bikes: The Classic Camano Island Loop

Create Adventure: Lopez Island Bike Camping

By Guest Blogger | Published July 7, 2014

Lopez Island - RebRoush

Today’s guest blogger is Rebecca Roush of Seattle. She is a bike commuter and edits the blog Seattle Bicyclist Portraits.

 

 

Q.  What happens when five women want to try bicycle camping, and they work with a woman who’s done it?

A.  A six-woman bicycle camping trip!

Washington Bikes board member Kirste Johnson took five of her coworkers from Sound Transit on a post-Bike Month tour and camping trip that she made sure was well-planned and well-supplied. It was a big success, and an added bonus is that we all became better friends.

The trip went from Seattle to Lopez Island and back over three days, and due to work schedules and a funeral, we met up at different points along the way. How did people do this before smart phone technology?

Skagit Valley road - RebRoush

Riding quiet back roads to Bow.

Kirste and I took the train from Seattle to Mount Vernon. She showed me how to “process” my bicycle for loading on the train (well worth researching prior to taking a bicycle on Amtrak). Kate boarded the train in Edmonds. Sue drove from Tacoma to Mount Vernon, and once there, the four of us rode our bicycles to Bow to camp at Harmony Fields, an organic farm run by Kate’s friends. This was a leisurely and lovely ride on Skagit County roads through farm country with little traffic. That evening we rode to The Edison Inn for dinner, and the ride back to the farm was extraordinary because of the sunlight, the blueberry farms, and three young men performing Tex Mex music in a garage.

We pitched our tents in a lawn with some mole hills. In the middle of the night, I could hear something moving underground under my pillow. I’d hit the ground with my fist and it would stop for a few seconds, and then take up the scurrying again. Ah, country living!

The next morning we broke camp and rode to the Farmhouse Restaurant on Highway 20 for farm-worker calories and to meet Candace, who took the train that morning with her new bicycle built by her sister. She rode by herself from Mount Vernon to meet us. We were all proud of her and admired her bicycle, which she said was “Awesome!”

Crossing Fidalgo Bay on the Tommy Thompson Trail.

Crossing Fidalgo Bay on the Tommy Thompson Trail.

Kirste guided us to Anacortes, which is impossible to do without travelling a few miles on Highway 20. While it’s unpleasant, there is a wide-enough shoulder to feel safe. This was made up for by the stunning Tommy Thompson Trail into Anacortes, which warns bicyclists to watch out for the pieces of clam shells left by seagulls, and the possibility of punctured tires. Along the way we passed an inlet at low tide that was full of fishing Great Blue Herons. It was “herondous”.

In Anacortes, Kirste met a friend for lunch at the Adrift Restaurant (510 Commercial Avenue) in old town Anacortes while the rest of us bought picnic food for dinner from the local farmer’s market and The Market at Anacortes, a fabulous local grocery store. We put air in our tires at bikespot, a small bicycle shop (210 Commercial Avenue) and headed for the ferry. By the time we left Anacortes, our panniers were bulging.

We pedaled to the ferry terminal, which took us through older residential neighborhoods with charming houses and yards. The shoulder along this busy route varied in width and quality. It was good to have a ride leader who pointed out scars in the shoulder. If we’d had more time, we would have stopped to visit Causland Memorial Park which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its stonework structures are sometimes likened to that of Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi.

Our last group member, Jan, was hightailing it by car from Silverdale, and just squeaked onto the ferry in time. I was waiting at the loading dock after everyone else had boarded, with her ticket in my hand. She breezed by with a grin on her face and grabbed the ticket, leaving me the last to board.

Happy campersThe route from the Lopez Island Ferry terminal is a steep one for the first mile, so after our deboarding, the ferry crew had us wait to the side until all cars had unloaded before our continuing to Odlin County Park, where we had reservations to camp.

Kirste had smartly made two campsite reservations. The campground was packed with kids, families, partiers, and other camping bicyclists. We set up camp, checked out the park, ate our picnic dinner with wine made by Jan and her husband, and settled in. We all sat at a picnic table and loved being there in the sunset’s rays, drinking wine, getting to know each other better and laughing as Candace and Jan imitated various regional accents from around the eastern seaboard. They was wikkit.

The next morning, Jan, Sue and I rode into the village on Lopez Road and discovered that the park in the village has showers and restrooms. Good to know as bathing opportunities at the campground were nonexistent.

bikes on ferries - RebRoushOnce we were all packed, we headed to the ferry landing. There had to have been 30 bicyclists waiting for the ferry with about 30 different kinds of bikes; so many that the ferry personnel appeared to be overwhelmed and ended up having us stow the bikes between cars on the upper deck. When the ferry landed in Anacortes, there was a steady stream of bicyclists unloading and heading up the hill.

We kept a good pace getting back to Mount Vernon, pedaling by the refinery in Anacortes, a bit on Highway 20, and past more acres of blueberry fields. We had a few hours to kill before the train, so Sue headed back to her car, some of us went to Skagit River Brewery, and some of us hung out in the comfortable lounge area in the Skagit Valley Food Coop  – a bronze level Bicycle Friendly Business.

Amtrak homeAt the train station, we scrambled to load our bikes on board (we were waiting at the wrong end of the platform) and once settled on the train, pretty much collapsed.

A few days after our return, I tested the waters by inviting the other five to a lunch-time planning meeting for our next bicycle camping trip. All immediately accepted the invite. Now that we’re seasoned camping bicyclists, we’re already wondering what our next trip might be.

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Posted in Adventure, Encouragement, Ferries, Guest Blogger, Rides, San Juan Islands, Skagit County, Tourism, Trains, Travel | 2 Comments

Members Matter

By Louise McGrody | Published July 3, 2014
louise_daffs

It’s easy to stop and smell the daffodils when you’re on a bike.

This is my 20th year with Washington Bikes. That’s two decades of advocating for better and safer places for all of us to ride our bikes. And I feel the blood, sweat and tears are paying off. In every neighborhood and every community I visit in our state I see people biking!

So why do I bike? Plain and simple: it’s joyful! Riding a bike puts a smile on my face, a song in my heart, and lifts my spirits. Riding a bike keeps me connected to my inner child and reminds that simple pleasures are the best ones.

Why do I support Washington Bikes as a member? I want future generations to have the opportunity to experience the same joy that I experience today. As happy as I am to see the uptick in bicycling, I know things can be even better. I know that some of our kids do not get to experience the same joy and freedom on a bike that I did as a child.

My membership in Washington Bikes is also an investment in my own biking future. I want to ensure that the trails and bike routes that I use and enjoy today remain accessible and safe. I want stronger penalties for distracted driving and enforcement of those laws. I want other cyclists to follow the rules of the road and trails.

Washington Bikes works hard to pass policies and legislation that make our streets safer for biking, encourages safe behavior among all users of our streets, and makes it easier for folks to hop in the saddle for a pedal to the store, a park or a cross-state adventure.

I am proud of this organization and its contributions to preserve and enhance our quality of life in Washington. I will continue to support Washington Bikes and I hope you will too. Join us today and be counted. Members matter.

Posted in Accessibility, Attitudes, Membership | Comments Off on Members Matter

Capital Bicycling Club’s Two County Double Metric ride has highest attendance in four years

By Guest Blogger | Published July 2, 2014

Flagship event ride hosted 150% as many riders in 2014 as in 2013

Today’s post comes to us from Stephanie Randolph, Promotions Director for Capital Bicycling Club. The club organizes the Two County Double Metric ride and donates a portion of the ride’s proceeds to Washington Bikes.

two-county ride371 riders from across Washington and British Columbia converged on Tumwater City Hall on Sunday, June 22 to participate in the 32nd annual Two County Double Metric hosted by the Capital Bicycling Club. When asked their impression of the ride, most riders repeated one word. Wonderful. Wonderful weather, wonderful ride, and especially wonderful volunteers.

Cyclists highly praised the volunteer crew along the route. 56 individuals, including three kids, made the event a success. Volunteers welcomed and registered riders, served fresh fruit, sandwiches and burritos at rest stops, drove the course to provide SAG support, and offered mechanical repairs throughout the ride. Several volunteers did double duty, working before, during, and after the event, from 5:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

According to CBC president Bill Stevenson, “This was a perfect day for cycling in western Washington. Everyone I’ve spoken with had a great time, and loved the beautiful, rarely cycled roads. Riders really liked the fresh food served at rest stops. Kudos to ride organizer Anita O. for another great job in what she swears is her last year in the role.”

Past president Blaine Wheeler said, “It was wonderful the weather cooperated. In my experience, Lewis and Thurston County have some of the nicest bicycling roads in Western Washington. The roads are wide and well-maintained. The little traffic there is, drivers are polite. And it’s really scenic. Thanks to all the organizers’ and volunteers’ work, everyone had a good ride.”

The CBC’s second event ride this year, Ride the South Sound, is being replaced with a smaller-scale fundraising ride. Visit the club website for more information in August. The club is planning to offer more activities for the 2015 Two County ride and is seeking a new event coordinator from its membership rolls.

The nonprofit Capital Bicycling Club has been a mainstay of the cycling community in the South Puget Sound region for over thirty years. A 100% volunteer-run organization, we support all aspects of cycling, from recreational to commuting. CBC advocates real change in our community to benefit cyclists of all types.

In addition to weekly cycling activities year-round, the club hosts at least one major event ride per year and supports the annual Intercity Transit’s Bicycle Commuter Contest, the Thurston County Bicycle Map, and more. Rider registration fees for CBC events help support these and other activities, including Washington Bikes, the International Mountain Bike Association, League of American Bicyclists and the Thurston County Food Bank.

If you’d like more information about the Two County or CBC, or to schedule an interview with Bill Stevenson or Blaine Wheeler, please contact Stefanie Randolph at 360.464.5300 or stefrrandolph@yahoo.com.

Consult our Rides Calendar for additional upcoming rides that support Washington Bikes.

Posted in Bike Clubs, Events, Guest Blogger, Rides, Thurston County, Tourism | Comments Off on Capital Bicycling Club’s Two County Double Metric ride has highest attendance in four years

Mile for Mile: The Outerwall Team Cycles for a Good Cause

By Guest Blogger | Published July 1, 2014

Today’s post comes to us from Emily Hanning, Senior Sustainability Manager for Outerwall in Bellevue. They’re the company behind the brands Redbox and Coinstar. This post originally appeared on the company’s blog.

bikemonthIn May we celebrated National Bike Month by challenging our employees to reduce their carbon footprint, improve wellness, and – new this year – give back to cycling-related nonprofits. The challenge is our call to action for everyone on the Outerwall team. It’s a call to get fit, be eco-conscious and give back.

Thanks to the suggestion of our senior hardware engineer, Paul Graham, who is an avid cyclist, we tested a new approach to bike to work month this year. Based on the success of our Season of Sharing walkathon, where we made a donation to GlobalGiving for each employee who had volunteered and walked at least 3,000 steps per day that month, Paul suggested we make donations for the miles commuted by bike.

The idea quickly caught on! In our Bellevue office, employees formed teams based on the non-profit organization they wanted to support. And for the first time ever, employees in our Pasco customer service center joined in as well.

Mile for Mile Matching

outerwallWe donated $1.00 for every mile commuted by bike in May to cycling related nonprofit organizations selected by our employees. The donation opportunity proved to be an added incentive for participants.

“I would have done bike to work month anyway this year, but I am over the top about the nonprofit donations.  It motivates me and makes me get on my bike when I really don’t want to (like every morning when the alarm goes off at 4 AM)!”  – Denise Driscoll, talent management coordinator, Outerwall

Bike Works builds sustainable communities by educating youth and promoting bicycling. Since 1996 they’ve worked to educate and empower youth, and make bicycling accessible and affordable to the Seattle community.

Washington Bikes is a statewide organization that represents cyclists and works to make sure that they have convenient, safe and accessible places to bike ride.

World Bicycle Relief is a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides specially-designed, locally assembled bicycles to entrepreneurs, healthcare workers and students across rural Africa through sustainable work-to-own and study-to-own programs.

3 Rivers Bicycle Coalition is a bicycling advocacy and resource organization that promotes an improved quality of life in and around the Washington tri-cities area.

Are you leaning toward switching from the gas pedal to the bike pedal? If so, then keep reading.

Benefits of Cycling to Work

Whether you prefer to cycle solo or in a group, cycling to work is a fun way to start the day, no matter your fitness level. If you want to make a difference in your physical health, while also helping the environment, then cycling to work may be a great way to do so.

According to The League of American Bicyclists, bike commuting has grown an average of 47 percent between 2000 and 2011 across the U.S. And with nearly 50 percent of all auto trips in metropolitan areas at a distance of 3 miles or less and 28 percent at one mile or less – it is easier than ever to make trips by bike.

Here are a few reasons to join the trend:

1.   Health

Cycling is good for your health. Did you know that the average person may lose 13 pounds within the first year of cycling to work? Cycling is also good for your wallet. According to the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, thirty minutes of cycling a day can lead to $544 in health savings a year for an individual.

Additionally, through cycling, you can have a stronger heart, while also reducing your cardiovascular disease risks.

2.   Environment

If you live and work in a bike-friendly location, then making the bike to work commitment can lead to a lower reliance on vehicles and an overall improvement in air quality over time.

Did you know that driving a 10-mile roundtrip commute during a 5-day work week in a small, 35-mile per gallon car will consume 68 gallons of gasoline and emit 0.7 tons of carbon dioxide? You can reduce your environmental impact by choosing to bike to work, while also reducing vehicle expenses.

3.  Cost savings

It’s a lot cheaper to ride a bike to work than to drive a vehicle to work. Consider this:

“If American drivers were to make just one four-mile round trip each week with a bicycle instead of a car, they would save nearly 2 billion gallons of gas. At $4 per gallon, total savings would be $7.3 billion a year.” Sierra Club

What’s the annual cost of maintaining a bicycle? The cost is an affordable $308. The average operating cost of a car: $8,220.

Join the bike challenge

If you want to start your own bike to work challenge, visit the website National Bike Challenge to learn more.

Many thanks to our dedicated employees for joining us in our bike to work challenge! Keep pedaling!

 

Posted in Bike to Work, Commuting, Encouragement, Events, Guest Blogger, King County, Tri-Cities | Comments Off on Mile for Mile: The Outerwall Team Cycles for a Good Cause

Tour de France 2014 Poll: Would You Watch It In Pioneer Square?

By Barb Chamberlain | Published June 29, 2014

Tour de France logoWe’ve heard “oohs” and “ahhs” from the crowds of 150-200+ who have packed Nord Alley in Pioneer Square during the lunch hour the past couple of weeks. They’ve come to watch the World Cup matches on a big-screen TV behind the Nord Building, which houses our offices/bike gift shop and Back Alley Bike Repair.

We’re looking into whether we could show coverage of the Tour in the Alley weekdays during July 5-27. Since we have a really small staff, we can only undertake the full outdoor logistics if we know lots of people will show up. We’ll provide the popcorn, you bring your favorite coffee or sports beverage, and we have a race viewing party.

NBC Sports Network hasn’t published its schedule so we don’t know whether we could run during the lunch hour or at some other time. The Tour partially overlaps the World Cup, which wraps up July 13, and that may affect the schedule as well.

If we can figure out a way to manage the logistics, would you come watch and would you bring friends?

Our decision depends on in large part on how many people say yes. Share this poll with your friends who live/work/bike in places that make Pioneer Square a reasonable destination for hanging out with a lot of people who love bicycling.

To receive notice on whether we’re going ahead, fill out the e-news sign-up form at the bottom of the poll. Share your ideas for other events that would bring you to Pioneer Square too.

Poll: TdF 2014 Viewing

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How You Can Support Events Like This and Bike Education & Advocacy, Too

 

Posted in Events, King County, Racing, Seattle | Comments Off on Tour de France 2014 Poll: Would You Watch It In Pioneer Square?

#wabikes on Instagram

By Louise McGrody | Published June 27, 2014

Washington Bikes is using Instagram to tell the story of bicycling in our state, so follow us @wabikes. We recently asked our fellow Washington IGers to share biking images from their communities with us by tagging their images #wabikes. Thanks for sharing! We have been regramming some of your images and here’s a sampling:

@cadenstockwell shared the pure joy of summer biking in Wenatchee’s Sage Hills.

@stephen70 gave us a glimpse of his morning commute in Spokane.

And we joined @lww76 on a family ride in Walla Walla.

It’s inspiring and reaffirming to see who is biking, where in Washington folks are riding, and why they are biking. Please keep sharing by following us @wabikes and tagging #wabikes on Instagram.

 

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Snohomish County Bikes: Gravel Grinding the Stillaguamish Valley

By Josh Cohen | Published June 26, 2014

Darrington Gravel Grinding

Snohomish County Bikes: an ongoing series highlighting great Snohomish County bike rides. Share your own great ride with us here!

Gravel grinding is one of the cycling industry’s genres-du-jour. Loosely defined as any ride taking place predominantly on dirt and gravel fire roads, logging roads, or the thousands of miles of Midwestern “B roads,” gravel-grinder races and events are popping up all over the place from the original TransIowa race to Vicious Cycles’ Gran Fondo series in Eastern Washington. And though the terminology is as much marketing as anything, gravel grinding’s popularity makes sense. After all, who doesn’t love a good, challenging two-wheeled adventure with little to no car traffic to distract from the ride?

Nestled between impressive Cascade peaks at the northern tip of the Stillaguamish Valley, the town of Darrington is a hotbed of gravel adventure riding opportunities. Over 100 years of mining and logging industry have left a large network of gravel roads snaking their way through the forests around town. Darrington cyclist George Winters has spent years exploring and mapping gravel routes that leave right from town and offer terrific views of waterfalls, rivers, lakes, and, of course, the Cascade Mountains. He’s compiled that knowledge into a comprehensive map with GPS tracks, photos, difficulty rankings, and riding tips.

Darrington gravel routes

Extensive gravel griding opportunities exist in Darrington.

The routes listed range from 5-23 miles. Because they all loop back to town, they can easily be combined for longer days in the saddle. Winters rides these routes on a 1.5-inch wide mountain bike tire and recommends people use a GPS unit for navigating.

If you’re only going to do one, Winters suggests Bridge to Nowhere-Whitehorse Trail as the loop to do. The route starts on the northern terminus of the Whitehorse Trail before connecting with DNR logging roads that loop back to the Whitehorse at the Bridge to Nowhere. At 12 miles, it’s short enough to be accessible, but features steep gravel climbs. It is rated 3 stars on a scale of 1-to-4.

Gravel Grinding - Bridge to Nowhere

Bridge to Nowhere. Photo by George Winters.

Other options to consider:

The Squire Creek Loop: A looped trail through mixed old and young forest with views of a beaver pond, and Jumbo and Whitehorse Mountains.

The North Mountain Climb: A challenging climb that rewards riders with wide-open views of Jumbo and Whitehorse Mountains and the Stillaguamish Valley.

The Gold Hill Loop: A scenic, 24 mile ride on paved and gravel roads with occasional views of Pugh and Whitechuck mountains, Clear Creek, and the Sauk River.

When you’ve had your fill of gravel adventure consider swinging by Mountain Loop Books and Coffee to refuel. The owner Tony bike toured across Ireland and loves to chat with his customers. Or quench your thirst at the newly opened Whiskey Ridge microbrewery located in the old City Hall building.

Josh Cohen is a freelance writer, editor of The Bicycle Story and a contributing author to the newly released Cycling Sojourner: a Guide to the Best Multi-Day Tours in Washington.

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Posted in Adventure, Darrington, Guest Blogger, Snohomish County, Travel | 4 Comments