The National Bike Challenge is back—and it promises to be bigger than ever!

By Louise McGrody | Published April 3, 2013

Have fun! Challenge yourself! Win prizes! Grow bicycling!

This summer, join more than 50,000 Americans as we unite to ride more than 20 million miles in communities big and small across the country.

The National Bike Challenge is a health and wellness initiative that encourages people to bike for transportation and recreation. Whether you’re biking to work or to the grocery store, riding with your friends on a club ride or a leisurely outing, or tackling a gnarly mountain bike trail or a gentle rail-trail, the miles count every time you get on a bike.

The Challenge kicks off May 1 and runs through September 30, and it’s free to join. Just go to nationalbikechallenge.org to sign up. You can create a team for your workplace, bike club or friends—then invite others to join you! You can also choose to ride solo, or join the We Bike WA team if you’re anywhere in Washington. Your riding miles can qualify you for national prize drawings that will occur each month. The Bicycle Alliance will also hold monthly prize drawings for Washington residents.

The National Bike Challenge is organized by the League of American Bicyclists, and Washington Bikes is hosting the Challenge for our state. In 2012, 594 Washington residents logged over 228,000 miles in last year’s event (read more in this post). We want to double the number of Washington participants in this year’s Challenge!

  • Are you participating in a local Bike to Work event? Sign up for the National Bike Challenge and make those bike miles do double duty by applying them to the Challenge too! But don’t stop riding when your Bike to Work event ends—keep riding in the National Bike Challenge through the end of September.
  • Do you ride with a bike club or racing team? Ditto! Register for the National Bike Challenge and apply your riding miles here.
  • Are you a mountain biker? Those trail miles count in the National Bike Challenge so join us in this event!
  • Are you an occasional bike rider who has been thinking about riding more? We want you in the National Bike Challenge! This summer long event may be just the encouragement you need to ride your bike a few times each week.

The National Bike Challenge site has both national and local pages. The Bicycle Alliance is hosting your local page and it’s an interactive one! Participants can ask questions, share their riding experiences, and offer words of encouragement to each other via posts on the page. The Bicycle Alliance will regularly post updates and items of interest in the news feed. It’s quite the community!

So what are you waiting for? Join the National Bike Challenge today!

Posted in Bike to Work, Commuting, Encouragement, Events, Health | Tagged | 2 Comments

Spring 2013 Go By Bike Course Offerings at Local Colleges

By Administrator | Published March 28, 2013

The Go By Bike Program
Once again we are excited to be gearing up for Go By Bike courses at Pierce, Olympic and Bellevue Colleges and North Seattle Community College. Building on a year of stunning success teaching courses in 2012, our instructors are excited to teach the course in 2013! The course focuses on bike safety including rules of the road, traffic law, bike handling skills and much more. About half of the instruction time is in the classroom and the other half is spent riding bikes.

A student practices the quick turn, one of the more advanced bike handling exercises in the course

Spring Quarter Offerings
We’re kicking off Go By Bike this spring at the Steilacoom campus of Pierce College where the course begins on Saturday April 6 and runs consecutive Saturdays through May 4th 2012 from 9 AM-12:30 PM.

The spring Quarter Go By Bike course at North Seattle Community College begins on April 20th and runs on consecutive Saturdays until May 11th from 11:30 AM-4 PM.

At Bellevue College the Go By Bike course begins on March 24th and runs on consecutive Wednesdays until May 15th from 1:30-4:30 PM. The Bellevue course includes a San Juan Island bike tour on Friday May 24th and Saturday May 25th.

At Olympic College in Bremerton, the Go By Bike course is Saturday May 18th and Sunday May 19th, from 10 AM-3 PM on both days.

Program Description
All Go By Bike courses are open to anyone who is interested in participating. Cost of the course for non-matriculated students who are state residents is in the neighborhood of $100. As in the past, loaner bikes and helmets are available during class time to students who do not have proper equipment. Anyone who is interested in taking the course is encouraged to join us.

A KHS Urban Xcape loaner bike with a diamond frame

A KHS Urban Xcape loaner bike with a step through frame

The course is designed to have value for students of all levels of bicycling ability and experience and we tailor the content to student’s interests and experiences. A major focus of the courses is to help participants overcome their personal barriers to bicycling so that they can bike more safely, comfortably and confidently for trips of all purposes.

The program will continue in summer and possibly fall quarter of 2013. Please contact program manager Joshua Miller (joshm at wabikes.org) with any questions about the Go By Bike program and courses.

Posted in Bike Culture, Education, Encouragement, Go By Bike, Kitsap County, News, Safety, Seattle, Tacoma, Transportation | Comments Off on Spring 2013 Go By Bike Course Offerings at Local Colleges

First Thursday Open House April 4–Spring Fling!!

By Jack Hilovsky | Published March 26, 2013

To celebrate First Thursday Art Walk, the Bicycle Alliance of WA will fling open its doors from 5:30-7 PM on April 4 for our second Open House of 2013.  We’ll serve up Interurban IPA , chips and salsa, and some tasty treats from KIND Healthy Snacks.

We’ll also feature on our handsome red brick walls the art of  photographer and Bicycle Alliance member  Louise Kornreich of Seattle.

So come on over, check out the art,  join the revelry,  and enjoy a nice cold one. Bring your friends, family and neighbors (anyone who loves biking!) down to our Pioneer Square Offices for a fun-loving good time.

We thank our sponsors Fremont Brewing Company and KIND Healthy Snacks for donating our delicious refreshments for the evening!

 

Important Details:

Date and Time: Thurs, April 4 from 5:30-7 PM

Location: Bicycle Alliance of WA, 314 First Ave S. (betw Main and Jackson)

Posted in News | 1 Comment

Walla Walla Bicycle Weekend: We’re offering you a chance to win this!

By Louise McGrody | Published March 24, 2013

UPDATE: Raffle ticket sales have now closed. The winner was Eric Abbott of Seattle.

Still interested in biking in Walla Walla? Washington wine country will be one of the featured regions in Cycling Sojourner: A Guide to the Best Multi-Day Tours in Washington; you can preorder an autographed copy and other items through our Kickstarter campaign, which runs until Aug. 28, 2013. We’re also putting on a benefit bike tour in wine country that lets you help research that tour.

Walla Walla is listed as one of the 10 Best Small Towns in America by Fodor’s, Random House Publishing’s travel and tourism division. (Seattle Times, 3/21/13.)

Walla Walla lies in Eastern Washington’s wine country in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. The region is home to over 100 vineyards and wineries, Whitman Mission National Historic Site, and offers some outstanding outdoor recreation – including bicycling.

Thanks to our board member Andy Pryor, the Bicycle Alliance is raffling off an amazing Walla Walla Bicycle Experience Weekend for Two valued at $600. This experience package  is for the weekend of June 14 & 15, 2013 and includes:

  •  A two-night luxury stay (June 14/15) for two in the Viognier King Suite at the Girasol Vineyard & Inn. Your suite is one of only three in this European style inn located in the vineyard. It has a private entrance and an east-facing patio with views of the vineyards and foothills. Included in your stay is a welcome wine and cheese tray upon your arrival and a gourmet breakfast served up fresh each morning by the owner/chef.
  • A $50 gift certificate good towards dinner at Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen. This small and intimate restaurant is a tucked-away treasure in the Walla Walla wine country. Owner/chef Chris Ainsworth has been a semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef in the Northwest” and has been nominated to the 2013 edition of “Best Chefs America.” Union Bulletin, 3/11/13.
  • Two registrations to the Ann Weatherill Cycling Classic on June 15. The Ann Ride is organized by the Walla Walla Wheatland Wheelers and showcases the wheat fields, vineyards, orchards, and Blue Mountain foothills of this amazing region. Choose from 30-, 60- or 100-mile route options. The Ann Ride is fully supported and includes a spaghetti and meatballs feast at the finish line.

Tickets are $5 each and proceeds from the raffle will be used to grow bicycling in Walla Walla and Washington. Use this form to purchase your chance(s) to win this Walla Walla Bicycle Weekend Experience package. You can also sign up for the raffle at the Bicycle Alliance office in Pioneer Square. Chances will be sold until May 8 and the winner will be notified by May 9.

Posted in News, Rides, Tourism, Walla Walla | 1 Comment

State Legislative Action Alert: Invest in Bicycle Trails Today

By Blake Trask | Published March 20, 2013

Bicycle trails in Washington state are great. Name them: Centennial Trail in Snohomish County, Fish Lake Trail in Spokane, Bill Chipman Palouse Trail between Pullman and Moscow, Burke Gilman Trail in King County.  They’re places we go to teach kids how to bicycle and routes we take to commute to work and school. Trails that support bicycling, walking, jogging, and other activities serve as integral connections and sources of pride for cities and towns across Washington.

A beautiful day on Spokane’s Fish Lake Trail

While we can name many of these trails, our work is not done. Many of these great trails for bicycling still have gaps and many more remain great visions for the future.

Right now, the Washington State Senate is working to develop the state’s capital construction budget and we need your help to let them know that trail investments are a priority for Washingtonians.

Many of our state’s bicycle trails depend on investments from the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP). Funded through the capital construction budget, WWRP has a track record of growing our state’s trail network through a competitive grant process that requires community leadership and support. In the next two years, we have an opportunity to invest in eight great trail projects in every corner of the state.

Our friends at the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition are leading the charge. This year, over 280 organizations (including BAW) representing business, recreation and conservation are asking for $90 million for the WWRP in the state’s capital construction budget. A number of great bicycle trail projects would be funded if the state invests $90 million for WWRP, including these:

If you happen to live near one of these trails or know them well, contact your state senator and convey the following:

  • The Washington Wildlife & Recreation Program plays a key role in Washington’s quality of life and $22 billion dollar outdoor recreation economy by protecting wildlife habitat, preserving working farms, and providing state and local parks. Of particular interest to me are the bicycle trails that this program funds.
  • The WWRP grant program is time-tested, proven and fair. A nationally recognized independent ranking system not only ensures that only the best projects are funded but also that communities across the state, large and small, can fairly compete for limited state dollars.
  • Will you support the WWRP (and the specific bicycle trail projects of interest) at $90 million?

Thank them and let them know that today is the time to make a great investment in Washington state.

Posted in Advocacy, Alert, Economic Impact, Funding/Policy, Infrastructure, Issues & Advocacy, Legislature, News, Trails | 1 Comment

Make Your Pedaling Count: Spring Rides that Support Growing Bicycling

By Louise McGrody | Published March 20, 2013

flickr – Mr Ush

It may be a wet and blustery day for biking today but it’s an ideal time to look ahead to some upcoming rides.

Our Ride Calendar lists a number of upcoming event rides, but I hope you’ll pay special attention to the rides listed in RED on the calendar. Why? These rides support the Bicycle Alliance’s work to grow bicycling statewide with a contribution—typically a dollar per rider.

When you sign up for one of these rides you will experience great Washington landscapes, quiet roads, and friendly communities offering some great local hospitality. You will also help us ensure that you have convenient, safe and accessible places to ride all year round! So make your pedaling count by signing up for one or more of these spring rides:

The 38th Annual Daffodil Classic is on April 14. Organized by the Tacoma Wheelmen, this ride winds through the Orting Valley and offers up some tasty strawberry shortcake at the finish line.

The Lilac Century and Family Fun Ride on April 28 is an Inland Northwest classic. Routes feature the Spokane River, Centennial Trail, Long Lake and West Plains areas. This ride is organized by the Spokane Aurora Northwest Rotary.

Ride Around Clark County (RACC) on May 4 is a beautiful and challenging ride through the scenic countryside of southwest Washington.  RACC is the largest cycling event in southwest Washington and this marks the 30th anniversary of this Vancouver Bicycle Club classic.

The May Day Classic on May 5 is a challenging recreational ride designed for the cycling enthusiast. Routes guide you through the lesser traveled roads, byways and trails of the South Sound region. The May Day Classic is organized by Phil’s Bike Shop as a fundraiser for Washington Bikes and Orting Food Bank.

May 11 features a trio of rides that showcase the diverse beauty of our state:

The Skagit Spring Classic uses quiet rural roads as it takes riders through the Skagit flats and into southern Whatcom County. Organized by the Skagit Bicycle Club, this popular ride features rural forests and marine views and offers several route options.

The Group Health Inland Empire Century showcases the scenic beauty of the lower Yakima and Columbia River valleys with its vineyards, wheat fields and orchards. This ride is put on by the Kiwanis of Tri-Cities Industry and Kiwanis of the Columbia.

Women’s Living the Dream Ride is a new offering this year and is for women only. Riders head out of historic downtown Snohomish and into scenic farmlands as they cruise the quiet country roads feeling free as the wind. This ride is organized by the Living the Dream Foundation.

Ready to plan the rest of your summer rides? Follow this link for all rides that are supporting our work to grow bicycling in Washington. Make your pedaling count!

Posted in Bike Clubs, Rides, Tourism | Comments Off on Make Your Pedaling Count: Spring Rides that Support Growing Bicycling

Barb Culp Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

By Louise McGrody | Published March 18, 2013

Barb Culp may have retired as the executive director of Washington Bikes, but she has remained active in the bicycle movement. Earlier this month she was honored at the National Bike Summit when the Alliance for Biking and Walking presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

In a blog post about their 2013 Advocacy Awards, the Alliance noted:

Washington State has been ranked the best state for biking by the League of American Bicyclists for the past 5 years, and this is due in no small part to the influence and leadership of Barbara Culp. Barb has been a leader in biking advocacy for decades. She has been the executive director of Washington Bikes twice, for a combined 13 years, as well as previously working for Cascade Bicycle Club as their education director and promoting bicycling and walking as head of commuter solutions at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Her leadership has led to increased bicycle infrastructure in Washington, better education for all users of the road, and increased communication between bicycle advocates and Washington DOT.

“This award comes as a complete surprise to me. I am thrilled and pleased to be recognized by my peers at the national level,” remarked Barb, who also served on the board of directors for the Alliance and was the vice-chair for part of her tenure.

Barb is not resting on her laurels and continues to support growing biking in our state.  This summer, she and husband Andy Goulding will help Bicycle Alliance board member John Pope ground truth portions of the future US Bicycle Route 10 in north central and northeastern Washington. Learn more about our USBRS work in Washington on our website.

You can read about all the 2013 Advocacy Award winners here.

 

Posted in News, People | 1 Comment

Washington Bike Blog Round-Up for the Week

By Barb Chamberlain | Published March 17, 2013

Earlier this year we compiled a list of bike blogs in Washington state and established the Twitter account @bikeWAblogs. We use an RSS feed so that Twitter account picks up blog posts as they’re published and send them to our Twitter followers.

We thought it might be interesting to look at one week’s worth of blogging around the state as a snapshot of our diversity in topics, types of riding, weather, politics, and everything else that makes this state a big, wonderful place to ride your bike.

Here’s the fun part–On our list we’ve grouped the blogs by geography. Here they’re in alphabetical order so you get a view across the state if you just browse on down the alphabet. If you’re used to reading about bicycling only in your own corner of the state, here’s your chance to mix it up a bit.

And if you know of a bike blog in Washington state that isn’t on the list, tell us! It’s ever-evolving, ever-growing, as bicycling grows statewide.

Thanks to all of the authors for biking and blogging!

 

Posted in Bike Blogs, Bike Culture | Comments Off on Washington Bike Blog Round-Up for the Week

30 Days of Biking Washington

By Barb Chamberlain | Published March 16, 2013

What did your father or mother, aunt or uncle, grandma or grandpa tell you when you first learned to ride a bike and fell down? Probably something like this:

“You can do it! Get right back on the bike.”

In other words, the key to riding a bike was to stick to it.

In a way that’s the premise of 30 Days of Biking, along with the science that tells us that if you commit to something in writing you’re more likely to complete it.

In its fourth year, 30 Days of Biking asks just one thing: Pledge to ride your bike every single day for 30 days. Whether you take your bike out of the garage and wheel it around the block for a breath of fresh air before bedtime or take off on a 100km randonneuring expedition, ride every day.

We know Washington is the #1 Bike-Friendly State in the nation (5 years running!). Can we be the #1 state for participants in 30 Days of Biking?

Map of 30 Days of Biking registrants as of 3-16-13If we want that title, though, we need to rally a lot of people to sign up. Minnesota is kicking our 30-days saddle, with over 300 registrants already, and California has over 200. We’re ahead of Oregon, but just barely.

Cities and towns all over Washington are already represented: Bellingham, Spokane, Cheney, Woodinville, Vashon, Mountlake Terrace, Seattle, Snohomish, Lynnwood, Ellensburg, Olympia, Fife, Walla Walla, Tacoma, and Vancouver so far.

If your dot isn’t on this map yet, sign up and tell us in the comments below. We’ll report our rankings again before April 1 when we all get rolling.

If you’re blogging about your 30 days of biking, let us know that too–we’ll post a round-up of your experiences undertaking the challenge. For those of you on Twitter make sure you use #30daysofbiking in your tweets; add #bikeWA or @bikeWA and we’ll spot them.

Some motivators for you:

  • Think of it as a warm-up for National Bicycle Month in May.
  • It might be a way to get one of your friends who’s been considering riding to head out with you: “Help me stick to my pledge–ride to the coffee shop with me Saturday.” (Another bit of science tells us we’re more easily persuaded to do something by someone we like or admire, so you’ll be inspiring your friend under the guise of your friend helping you.)
  • You could check out somewhere you haven’t ridden before, either in your city or as a weekend destination to a regional trail. (Bonus points: Could you bike in a different place in Washington every day for 30 days? Take it on and write a guest post for us about the experience!)
  • If you’ve been a recreational rider for years but haven’t done any errands by bike, now’s your chance. A grocery store run for a few items or your first time riding to work will help you check the box.

Ready to roll for 30 days in a row?

Posted in Events, News | 9 Comments

Gear Grinder Blend: Delicious Support for the Bicycle Alliance

By Barb Chamberlain | Published March 12, 2013

Label design for Gear Grinder Blend, coffee that benefits Washington BikesWe know how you start your day: Looking forward to that first jolt of caffeine in the system to help get you rolling. Let us make it even easier for you by having the coffee delivered straight to your door!

Our friends at Roast House Coffee in Spokane have cooked up Gear Grinder Blend to benefit the Bicycle Alliance. Organic, farm-to-cup fair-trade coffee in compostable bags and it benefits bicycle advocacy? Doesn’t get much better than that!

Roast House owner Deb Di Bernardo has long supported bike events in Spokane with donated coffee, from the Bike to Work Kickoff Breakfast put on by Spokane Bikes to races and rides like the great fall family ride Spokefest. As their site says, they’re “Spokane’s small, local, artisanal, goody-two-shoes roasting company.” Further evidence: Deb delivers coffee by bike to many of the Spokane coffee shops that serve her roast.

Available in dark French roast, medium roast, and medium roast decaf for those late-night cups to accompany your dessert, this is a smooth, delicious coffee. You can order it online; the price includes all sales tax and shipping and these bags are a full 16 ounces–an actual pound of coffee instead of the 12-ounce bags so common on the shelves these days. Your purchase benefits the Bicycle Alliance and supports a business dedicated to biking and sustainability.

Gear Grinder Medium Roast: Deb says this is her personal favorite for French press every morning, and that “In blind taste tests this blend kicked the pants of the Italian imports.”

Ethically sourced Mexican and Nicaraguan coffees combine to create a blend that showcases flavors of delicate chocolate and dry cocoa with mild acidity and a silky body. While it reminds some people of pudding, the blend turns sweet and tangy when prepared as espresso.

Dark Roast: This three-bean blend of sustainably grown and ethically sourced Mexican, Brazilian and Papua New Guinea is roasted to a deep, dark mahogany, revealing a pungent, bittersweet, smoky aroma. A splash of cream is the perfect finish for this intense brew, which is recommended for espresso, drip, French press and pour-over preparations.

Medium Roast Decaf: Ethically sourced, certified organic coffees from the most reputable cooperatives in Latin America, Indonesia and Ethiopia, roasted to bring out the depth of flavor that’s only possible in decafs processed in the chemical-free Swiss Water Process. It’s a deeply satisfying brew that’s 99.9% light on caffeine but heavy on flavor.

Fueled by caffeine!

Note: If you’re in the Seattle area, you can check with the office (Elliott at 206-224-9252 ext. 300) to see if we have some bags on hand to save on shipping. That’s not front-door convenience like the home shipping option but we welcome visitors!

 

Posted in News | Comments Off on Gear Grinder Blend: Delicious Support for the Bicycle Alliance