Thank you for remembering the Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation this holiday season!
DECEMBER 2012 / Vol. 42, No. 12
Improving business and the bottom line with BizCycle by Stephanie Frans, Commute Programs Manager
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ow bike friendly is your workplace? No matter where you are on the spectrum, Cascade’s newest program, BizCycle, is the answer. BizCycle features two key strategies to make local businesses more bike-friendly: provide technical guidance on bike-friendly best practices, and rigorously rate bikefriendly businesses. We were inspired to create BizCycle by demand from the business community as commuters alike. Businesses were increasingly recognizing that bicycle commuting benefits their employees, their communities and their bottom line. They were curious about what their peers were doing to
by Ellison Fidler, Administrative Coordinator promote cycling. They wanted to see what more they could do to improve and how they stacked up against each other. Rightly so. Research has shown that end-of-trip facilities (such bike parking and showers) are a significant motivating factor for those who are on the fence about bicycling to work. For example, researcher Ralph Buehler of Virginia Tech found that commuters with access to showers, clothes lockers, and bike parking at work are associated with a nearly five times greater likelihood to commute by bicycle. continued on page 4
Ride the second annual World Bicycle Relief Red-Bell 100, a Cascade Bicycle Club event Saturday, June 29, 2013 by Peter Verbrugge, Event Producer
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ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
7400 Sand Point Way NE, Suite 101S Seattle, WA 98115 www.cascade.org
PRSRT STD US Postage Paid Seattle, WA PERMIT No. 2172
2013 EVENT DATES Feb. 24 Jun. 9 Jun. 29 Jul. 13–14 Aug. 3–9 Aug. 16–17 Aug. 17–18 Sept. 8 Sept. 29
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Chilly Hilly Flying Wheels Summer Century Red-Bell 100 Group Health Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic Ride Around Washington RSVP RSVP2 High Pass Challenge Kitsap Color Classic
he 2013 event registration is about to begin, the following information will help ensure the process is a smooth one for you. As a Cascade member you can register for our events ahead of the crowd. Online registration opens to current Cascade members on Tuesday, Jan. 8 and to the
general public on Tuesday, Feb. 5. Register online by logging in to http://shop.cascade. org. If you have not logged into the website before, you’ll need to create an account with a username and password. In order to register during early registration your membership must be current. You can check your membership expiration date, find your member number or view other people listed as part of your household by logging into the your online account. If you have lost your username/password, email support@cascadebicycleclub.org.
New for 2013 There are a few changes to events this year. If you don’t want to take your chances by entering the lottery for RSVP, you can bypass the lottery by registering at the “buy continued on page 2
A 2012 Bike Ambassador year in review
ack by popular demand, we are happy to offer riders the chance to participate in the World Bicycle Relief Red-Bell 100! In 2012, this fully supported one-day century pledge ride from Redmond to Bellingham received tremendous reviews. The spectacular route offers riders the chance to enjoy low-traffic road and trail riding through beautiful rural countryside. Departing from Redmond’s Marymoor Park, the ride winds through Snohomish, Lake Arlington, and the Skagit Valley via Conway to Whatcom County. After climbing
TIME DATED MATERIAL
Here’s what you need to know about 2013 event registration
by Hanna McFall, AmeriCorps, Community Programs Assistant
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the stunning Chuckanut Drive, riders will roll into downtown Bellingham for a finish line party and fully catered cookout at the legendary Boundary Bay Brewery. This is a great ride to invite your friends along. It’s a terrific early-season or first century, not too hilly with killer road and food support all along the way. The World Bicycle Relief Red-Bell 100 will again be limited to only 600 riders, and is being produced by Cascade in partnership with World Bicycle Relief as a unique fundraiser. Proceeds will be distributed both locally to support Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation’s extensive youth programming, and globally to support the amazing work of World Bicycle Relief in Africa. Last year we raised $50,000 for Cascade youth programs, and in 2013 we know YOU can help us double that figure! continued on page 2
Is your membership expiring?
RENEW AT
www.cascade.org/renew
BIKE MAINTENANCE 2%
OTHER 5%
s a new AmeriCorps with Cascade, GENERAL CLUB 8% one of my responsibilities is to NEGATIVE 3% help with the Bicycle Ambassador program. Last month I represented at SAFETY 24% events with Sound Transit, the Columbia City Farmers Market, and the Rainier Valley Community Center in order to get ADVOCACY 10% to know the Ambassador program. Some COMMUTING 18% attendees I spoke to hadn’t ridden a bicycle YOUTH PROGRAMS 12% since they were a child, some wanted to learn about classes for themselves or their children, and others rode more frequently, CLUB RIDING 14% often commuting to work. Conversations ranged from how and where to purchase an affordable bike, where to learn to ride, and HELMETS 5% how to help make Seattle safer for people Phew! on bikes. During a Greenwood Summer Streets These one-on-one conversations are not event, the Ambassadors said “This was fun! unusual for the Cascade Bicycle AmbassaWe organized a bike parade and had lots dors: friendly, knowledgeable bicyclists who of local kids and families join us. The bike are armed with maps and safety brochures. decorating was a hit!” They’re itching to talk to you about safe ridIf you’d like to get to know them, read ing, commuting options, bike infrastructure their bios on the website. If you’re interested and the services that Cascade offers. in learning more about the Ambassador 2012 has been an amazing, outstanding, and very impressive year for the Ambassador Program (or perhaps becoming an Ambassador yourself), don’t hesitate to ask! Contact team. If you’ve gotten your tires pumped up the Community Programs Assistant at at an Energizer Station, or stopped to chat cmpa@cascadebicycleclub.org. and grab the newest bike map at a community health fair, then you’ve been to one The Bicycle Ambassador program is of the 170+ events that the Ambassadors made possible through your support attended this season. These experienced perto the Educ ation Foundation. Please sonalities have spread the bicycle enthusiasm return the enclosed envelope with your and information by speaking to more than year-end gift today or give online at: 4,450 people over the past several months. www.cascade.org/donate
IMPORTANT DATES!
Volunteer recognition party: Dec. 6 Office closure: Dec. 24 through 28 and Jan. 1. Members-only event registration period starts Jan. 8
December 2012
Cascade Presentation Series
Beyond the Doping Clean cycling: A new road ahead Tuesday, Jan. 8, 7 p.m. Seattle REI Store, 222 Yale Ave N Free!
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earn about pro cycling’s new passport testing for doping and hear about legal ways to go faster. Join dean of Cycle University, Craig Undem, with special guests Dr. John Amory and Bridget Nichols. Dr. Armory is professor of medicine and section head at University of Washington, and he served on the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) anti-doping panel from 2004 to 2007. Dr. Armory also testified in the Floyd Landis trials for the straight scoop on dope. Nutritionist Bridget Nichols, who has a masters in nutrition from Bastyr, will discuss ways to legally boost your engine.
Wrench bikes, eat pizza, do good, have fun! Who: You! Basic bike maintenance skills recommended but not required. What: Work on the BMX bikes that are used in the Basics of Baicycling Program in elementary schools. Why: To help prepare the bikes to go back out to schools in the spring . When: Weekly at 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Nov. 28, Dec. 5, 11 and 19 and Jan. 2, 8 and 16. Where: Cascade Bicycle Club office in Magnuson Park How: If you are interested, contact Lindsey Parker at ypa@ cascadebicycleclub.org
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e need your help to maintain almost 300 20-inch wheel BMX bikes for the Group Health Basics of Bicycling Program! These bikes are from our fleets that travel from school to school, and are used to teach bicycling and bike safety to school kids. Keeping these bikes working and in top shape, is critical for us to help elementary school students learn to ride safely. Starting at the end of November, weekly Bike Maintenance parties are on the schedule. Some of the work we will be doing includes adjusting coaster brakes, repairing flat tires, lubing chains and tightening handlebars. Don’t worry if you’re not a mechanic. You don’t need extensive bike maintenance experience. Every hand will be put to work and even pumping up tires is extremely helpful! Explanations of all work will be given, and there is plenty of guidance throughout the maintenance party. You can come for one night or for all of them, any support is huge. Please contact Lindsey Parker at ypa@cascadebicycleclub.org if you are interested in an evening of bikes, pizza and company.
Here’s what you need to know about 2013 event registration continued from page 1 it now” price of $200. There are only 250 “buy it now” spots available, and once they are all sold, you’ll have to enter the lottery. Don’t like to gamble? This year RSVP2 will not use a lottery and instead you can register for it online beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 29 at 10 a.m. If you’re new to Cascade events and registration, be sure to head over to our website and check out the Frequently Asked Questions page. There is a plethora of information about registration listed. We look forward to seeing you at our 2013 events!
Registration schedule:
Tuesday, Jan. 29 at 10 a.m. • Members-only registration opens for RSVP2. Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 10 a.m. • General public registration opens for Chilly Hilly, Flying Wheels. Red-Bell, STP, RAW and RSVP2 (if the events are not sold out). Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 10 a.m. • Members-only lottery opens for Tours - Bend and Central Ore, Long Beach Cruise and Wallowa and Hell’s Canyon.
Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 10 a.m. • Members-only registration opens for Chilly Hilly, Flying Wheels, Red-Bell, STP and RAW. • Members-only “buy it now” opens for RSVP1. • Members-only lottery opens for RSVP1.
Tuesday, Mar. 5 at 12 p.m. • Members-only lottery closes for Bend and Central Ore, Long Beach Cruise and Wallowa and Hell’s Canyon Tours. Registration process details will be sent with notification of lottery draw within two days.
Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. • Members-only “buy it now” closes for RSVP1. • Members-only lottery closes for RSVP1. Registration process details will be sent with notification of lottery draw on Thursday, Jan. 17 to those with an email address.
Tuesday, Apr. 2 at 10 a.m. • Member and public registration opens for High Pass Challenge and Kitsap Color Classic.
World Bicycle Relief Red-Bell 100 continued from page 1 Cascade’s youth programming reaches 25,000 local kids per year; World Bicycle Relief just distributed its 116,000th lifechanging bicycle for transportation in Africa this year. This exciting partnership and ride offers participants a true way to affect direct change though their support and giving. As a Cascade Bicycle Club event, riders can expect a high level of road support including full SAG and mechanical support and recommended hotel accommodations. The food and rest stop support will highlight top quality Pacific Northwest foods and themes, including a fully catered breakfast, lunch, and finish line cookout so cool you’ll want to invite the family to join you on the road to Bellingham! Riders can make their own travel arrangements, or take advantage of an optional bus ride home on Saturday night. All participants will receive an amazing array of benefits for their minimum pledge, including a new custom event jersey, other unique souvenirs and a chance to win top name new bicycles and prizes.
We hope you join us in “Thinking Globally and Riding Locally” to help make the World Bicycle Relief Red-Bell 100 a staple of the Pacific Northwest cycling calendar for many years to come. Event registration costs $100, with a minimum fundraising pledge also required. Online registration opens to Cascade members on Jan. 8, 2013 and to the general public Feb. 5.
M.J. Kelly, Editor Diane English, Editorial Assistant; Susan Hiles, Photography; December contributors: Ed Ewing, Ellison Fidler, Stephanie Frans, Max Hepp-Buchanan, Sander Lazar, Hanna McFall, Lindsey Parker, Anne-Marije Rook, Julie Salathé, Peter Verbrugge The contents of this newspaper do not necessarily represent the views of the Club or any of its members. The views expressed are those of the individual contributors. Submissions guidelines: Article ideas should be discussed with the Editor in advance as the publication calendar is planned two months prior to publication. Final materials are due the first Tuesday of the month, though earlier is appreciated. Articles submitted after that will be considered on a space-available basis. Queries can be emailed to. m.j.kelly@cascadebicycleclub.org. If you send text attachments, please format files as native MS Word files or .RTF. For line art please use an .eps format and for photos please use .jpg or .tiff format. The Courier is printed at 300 dpi, so a small 72 dpi photo will not reproduce. If you attach your name and phone number, I will do my best (conditions permitting) to discuss any major changes with you. All submissions are subject to editing for comprehension, grammar or space requirements. Please be concise!
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Inserts: We have room for 6 single sheet qualifying inserts in each issue. Please contact Leah Pistorius, (913) 579-7629 leah.pistorius@ cascadebicycleclub.org, for a copy of our insert policy and request form. The request and fee are due by the first of the month prior to the desired month. Advertising: Advertising: Display ads can be placed in the Courier. To check availability and reserve space, contact Leah Pistorius, (913) 579-7629 leah.pistorius@cascadebicycleclub.org Reprints: Articles may be reprinted or abstracted in publications of nonprofit groups provided that the author and Club are credited. Please send us a copy of the reprinted material. Membership Information: Club records and finances are available to members upon request from the club office at 206-522-3222.
www.cascade.org
Vol. 42, No. 12
Now accepting applications for the Advocacy Leadership Institute, Round 2
Education department highlights for 2012, on the move in schools, classes and camps
by Max Hepp-Buchanan, Advocacy Campaigns Manager
by Julie Salathé, Education Director
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Lots of bikes, excited kids, motivated adults and busy staff characterized Cascade’s 2012 Education programs. • Basics of Bicycling, our largest program, served 14,579 elementary school students in the 2011-12 school year in four districts. In this program, 399 students learned to ride for the first time. • Our events served 1,000 kids; safety assemblies served another 850. • Summer camps, our most intensive programs, taught 272 kids skills in week-long road and mountain-biking sessions. • Bike Month had 3,000 school participants around the region. • The Trips for Kids Program taught 200 disadvantaged teens to ride mountain bikes. • The Major Taylor Project reached 152 students through six clubs; 27 participants earned bikes, and 32 rode the Group Health Seattle to Portland Bicycle classic. • Twenty-three middle school students from Brettler Place and Sand Point Housing took part in the Scraper Bikes program and earned bikes. • We sold 1,000 helmets and gave away 500 free helmets with the sponsorship of Steve Sitcov Law Group. • Finally, we taught nearly 1,000 adult students with riding, maintenance and commute classes.
ast July, Cascade debuted a new and exciting program called the Advocacy Leadership Institute, or ALI for short. Between July and September, we trained 18 passionate activists from across Seattle and the region to be effective and strategic Community Bicycle Advocates. And this winter, we are back for another round. ALI was such a success last summer that we are launching Round 2 this January. The goal of the program is to develop another 10 to 15 local bicycle advocates and enthusiasts into leaders that will help us achieve our shared vision of a fully connected Seattle where everyone – from an eight-year-old child to her eighty-year-old grandmother – feels safe and comfortable riding a bike to where they need to go. ALI Round 2 is incredibly timely. In case you weren’t already aware, the Seattle Bicycle Master Plan is in the process of being updated by the Seattle Department of Transportation, and a draft plan should be finished this spring. Adopted in 2007, the original Bike Master Plan was a strong plan for its time, but right now we have the opportunity to rally the community around a new blueprint for bicycling in Seattle, one where our streets are safe, convenient and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. That’s where you come in, should you choose to apply for the Advocacy Leadership Institute. This three-month program will run from Jan. 23 through Mar. 27, meeting on Wednesday nights in downtown Seattle for a series of eight two-and-a-half hour workshops. At these sessions, we will teach you how to organize in your community, communicate our shared vision for bicycling in Seattle, advocate for better bicycle plans, policies with the funding to implement them, and execute the strategies and tactics necessary to get a connected network of world-class bikeways built in Seattle. ALI is a rigorous leadership development program and while we offer it at no charge to you, if accepted, you will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to the Cascade mission of creating better communities through bicycling, attend at least seven out of the eight trainings, engage in the update of the Bicycle Master Plan, and continue to
advocate for the policies, plans and funding necessary to create a more bikeable Seattle. To help mix things up over the course of the program and cater to different learning styles, we will host a number of VIP guest speakers who can speak passionately and in detail about the topic at hand, giving you firsthand knowledge from the experts. Upon completion of the program in late March, you will be awarded the title of “Community Bicycle Advocate” (and get a certificate and t-shirt), but more importantly, you will have the skills and knowledge to organize, advocate, and hold City of Seattle staff and leaders accountable for making Seattle a more bike-friendly city. In addition, we’ll continue to offer opportunities for you to develop new skills and apply them, network with other leaders within the bike movement and engage with Cascade Bicycle Club’s staff, board members and executive director. For information, including the application, are online at www.cascade.org. Application materials are due by Wednesday, Jan. 2. To apply, please submit your resume and completed application to MaxHB@ cascadebicycleclub.org. Admittance to the Advocacy Leadership Institute at the Cascade Bicycle Club will be based on your passion for making Seattle a world-class city for bicycling. Minorities, women and people of all ages are encouraged to apply. Interviews will be conducted the week of Jan. 7 and applicants will be notified of acceptance on Jan. 11. We look forward to reviewing your application and working with you to make our streets safe and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities.
The Advocacy Leadership Institute is made possible through your support to the Education Foundation. Please return the enclosed envelope with your year-end gift today or give online at: www.cascade.org/donate.
I want to highlight how the lives of volunteers, students and teachers have been affected by our programs. Volunteers put in amazing efforts. Our Major Taylor Project, a youth development program, now in its fifth year, serves high school students in South Seattle and South King County, at five schools. We saw a three-fold increase in committed volunteers this year, from 15 to 45. One of these volunteers, on completing the two-day STP along with the 32 Major Taylor students, said “Wow! Going back to work on Monday is going to be really boring after this amazing weekend. I had such a great time riding and helping the students!” Many thanks to our great volunteers. Students can do anything they set their minds to. One of the Major Taylor students, a 16-year-old named Maria, liked to ride with the club but had never done more than 25 miles by the time it came to decide about riding STP. Emma, our Major Taylor AmeriCorps assistant, told her that she was welcome to set a goal of 25 miles each day
The work our education team does in schools is made possible through your support to the Education Foundation. Please return the enclosed envelope with your year-end gift today or give online at: www.cascade.org/donate.
Thursday, Dec. 6, 6-10 p.m. Seattle Mountaineers Building Warren G Magnuson Park
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Club helmet donations
Fabulous
by Hanna McFall, AmeriCorps, Community Programs Assistant
VOLUNTEERS
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ascade sells helmets for $15 and also provides them for free* throughout the Puget Sound region to those in need. Last month, the following organizations received a helmet donation: • The Seattle World School • Lincoln Elementary APP Program Need a helmet yourself? You can be fitted for a helmet at the Cascade office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by making an appointment with the Community Programs Assistant at (206) 957-6623 or emailing cmpa@cascadebicycleclub.org.
VOLUNTEER A P P R E C I AT I O N PA R T Y
6 p.m. Casino opens 7 p.m. Buffet dinner & show 8 p.m. Volunteer Awards 8:30 - 10 p.m. More casino fun!
No R.S.V.P. necessary
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VEGAS-STYLE
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SHOWS
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PRIZES
“Creating a Better Community Through Bicycling”
and ride as far as she could before travelling in the sag wagon. Not only did Maria finish the first day, but she crossed the finish line on day two with the whole group of 32 students. Maria, now a freshman at WWU, called us to say she went on the freshman tour of Bellingham by bike. Students are leaders: the Major Taylor Project is not simply a riding club but a youth development program that teaches leadership skills and builds community involvement. Two students who took part in our two-day leadership retreat last April, have stepped up to help with the fall riding clubs, leading and sweeping club rides and helping organize equipment. They also plan to complete a community service project this year involving bicycling. On the theme of students, I want to commend our adult students for going outside their comfort zone in order to achieve better bicycling skills. One told us recently, “Even though I had been riding for years, I never developed any skills and have been fearful of going on roads with my new skinny wheels. The great tips you gave us on safety, proper starts and stops made me feel empowered!! I loved the hill climbing, gear changing and especially the best way to get going. Thank you for helping me feel more confident.” Teachers achieve great results! Edmonds Advanced Basics of Bicycling teacher from Alderwood Middle School, Breanne Shorthouse, was first to receive the bike unit this fall, and was assisted by Jenny Almgren, Cascade’s Education Program Assistant, on her first day of teaching the unit. The first on-bike day focused on basics: starting, stopping, standing and shifting, a significant lesson since it laid the groundwork for the remainder of the unit. At the end of the day, Breanne told Jenny how nervous she had been about the entire unit. She said, “I was so nervous about having bikes come to our school. I know how to ride a bike, but I am not a great rider. I had nightmares last night, worrying about how I would teach these kids, get them on bikes and riding. Instead, you showed up and the classes went better than I ever could have imagined. It was organized chaos. Kids were riding. Kids were listening. And kids were doing exactly what was asked of them. I have the confidence now to teach riding skills while having fun with it.” We look for great results and more confident student riders from Breanne and others like her who put their efforts into teaching Cascade’s Basics of Bicycling.
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CASINO
*Funding for our free helmet program is generously provided by the Sitcov Law Group.
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December 2012
2012 has been a momentous year for the Major Taylor Project
Bikeconomics
Single-origin coffees delivered to you by bicycle
by Ed Ewing, Major Taylor Project Manager
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Business: Conduit Coffee Owner: Jesse Nelson Industry: Food & Drink
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ehind a big white roll-up door of an industrial-looking building along Westlake Ave. hides a small business with a big future. The remnants and oil smells of the previous motorcycle repair shop still remain in the recently cleared out front room, but the tiny studio in the back beckons with warmth, music and the welcoming aroma of fresh coffee. Standing in the center of the small room is a blue Dietrich roaster surrounded by sacks and big containers of coffee beans. This is the home of Conduit Coffee, a new coffee company specialized in single-origin coffee from around the world and evolving blends. “Company” seems too cold a word. Conduit Coffee is more than a company, it is Jesse Nelson’s passion, vision, and true labor of love. Nelson fell in love with coffee when visiting a friend in Guatemala a few years ago. And upon his return, he started homeroasting. “It was a great hobby to have in grad school,” Nelson said. Working in the agricultural and sustainable development nonprofit world, Nelson soon “grew tired of the political fighting” and took some time off to farm in Sicily. “I decided I wanted to make more beauty and play with food,” he said. When he returned from Europe, Nelson was serious about getting into the coffee business and completed an apprenticeship with a coffee roaster in Colorado. Since November of last year, when Nelson obtained the tiny studio, he’s been hard at work to grow his hobby into a business, sourcing the best coffee, scrounging up funds to acquire a coffee roaster, and experimenting with blends. He officially launched Conduit Coffee in May, 2012, and started selling his coffee at a handful of grocers and cafes and at the Fremont Farmers Market. While he dreams of ultimately travelling to the various coffee countries throughout the world to be involved in the entire process from the farm to the cup, for now he’s working with an importer who specialized in beans from El Salvador, Brazil, Guatemala, and Hawaii. “I taste a lot of coffee,” Nelson said. “The Seattle coffee market is very saturated with lots of niches to get into.” His niche is single-origin coffees, light roasts and blends, which he enjoys educating people about.
“No, it’s not sacrilegious to add milk and sugar to coffee, but it is a frustrating part of the industry that there is so much bad coffee that needs to be masked with milk and sugar,” he said. “Part of being in this business is about educating people. Even for me, it’s a constant learning process with the coffee selection, the chemistry, marketing, etc.” But he seems to be doing something right. At barely six months old, Conduit Coffee has already received lots of press and accolades, including being awarded the second best espresso in America at the Seattle Coffee Fest this past September. “We had no idea what we were getting into when we applied [for the competition] but it was a heck of a lot of fun,” Nelson said. “I feel humbled. People respect us more because of the recognition and we are not stepping on anyone’s toes.” Nelson insists on using the pronouns “we” and “us” but really it’s just him with the occasional help from his friends. He’s the person roasting the beans and tasting the coffee, the person that will greet you at the Fremont market, and the person that shows up at your door to deliver your coffee order. Not only does he deliver to your door, he delivers by bicycle, hauling a trailer that can be loaded with up to 300 pounds of coffee and supplies. “A lot of it comes from wanting to offset carbon usage, challenging the status quo and to show that it is possible to do it. We need to change our car habits even if it’s not as efficient or it’s pouring rain,” Nelson said, while pointing at the pile of wet clothes laid out to dry from a trip earlier that day. “And it’s just so much fun to show up on a bike to the local market.” Six months in, Conduit Coffee is already expanding. Nelson now also rents the two front rooms of the building, adding space for an espresso cart, visits, parties, and a bicycle repair area in the near future. “I want to encourage people to come bike by, visit, and buy a bag of coffee,” Nelson said. “For me Conduit is really about quality coffee, community interaction, and celebrating this amazing fruit that’s grown throughout the world.” Bikenomics is a feature series to spotlight the greater Seattle area’s growing bike businesses. Know a business that should be featured? Send me an email at amrook@cascadebicycleclub.org.
rom record numbers of students attending weekly rides and completing the Group Health Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic to triple the number of community volunteers riding with the Major Taylor students, 2012 has been a game changer. This year, we’ve seen the Major Taylor Project transform and grow beyond the bike. We’ve seen possibilities and opportunities for youth transformation, development, and leadership. We’ve seen the realization of mentorship in community volunteers. We’ve also experienced the Major Taylor students asking for the next challenge and becoming actively involved in the direction of this great project. The Major Taylor Project completed a record 15 community events in 2012. The community events were in addition to weekly rides with students and volunteers. The season opened with students volunteering at the Seattle Bike Swap and the Seattle Bike Expo. For several of these students, the Swap and Expo experience were their first time north of downtown Seattle. Yes, north of downtown. Not only did students have the opportunity to travel beyond their neighborhoods and communities, they had the opportunity to engage with the greater Seattle cycling community. With each experience, students gained a better understanding of themselves and how they see themselves in the community. The 2012 season also opened with the second annual Major Taylor Project Spinathon fundraiser. This year’s Spinathon, held at Allstar Fitness in West Seattle, was a recordsetting event bringing Major Taylor students, program volunteers and the greater Seattle cycling community together in support of project expansion. Students, seated next to fitness enthusiasts and local bike racers, pedaled for one to three hours exceeding Spinathon expectations and raising more than $20,000. Students and community members saw the effects of working together towards a common goal. For many, it was a transformative experience and that was the adults! The spring and summer months were filled with more record-setting events. An all-time high of 42 volunteers attended the one day Major Taylor Project volunteer training in March. The diversity of volun-
teers not only mirrored the diversity of the students we reach with the Major Taylor Project, it was also reflected in their age and occupation. They are lawyers, doctors, project managers, accountants, and pilots. They are 18 and 72 years old. They are also mothers and fathers who understand and see the vision of the Major Taylor Project. They started 2012 as volunteers and finished 2012 as mentors. Records continued to break with this summer’s Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic. Thirty-five Major Taylor students and 20 Major Taylor adult mentors completed the 206-mile, two-day journey. One Major Taylor student, Isaias Amador, accepted the one-day STP challenge and completed the ride handily. The rest of the Major Taylor crew dominated the 206-mile challenge. We landed at the Chehalis camp site and established Camp Major Taylor. We rolled into Portland shouting “Ma-jor Tay-lor,” and the Rose City saluted. The game changer and most transformative experience in 2012 was the first annual Major Taylor Project Youth Leadership Retreat. In April, 25 students from the project participated in the two-day retreat at West Seattle’s Camp Long. In the MTP Youth Leadership Retreat, the project moved beyond the bike. Students explored and discussed leadership, community activism, diversity, race, and identity. They discovered how to affect change in their communities with their voices and actions. They also learned that we will listen to them and advocate on their behalf. Youth leadership, development and transformation are clearly the future direction of the Major Taylor Project. As stated before, 2012 was a momentous year for the Major Taylor Project. As director, I am extremely proud of the evolution and growth of the project. I see transformation in the youth we reach and in the volunteer mentors involved. The success is largely due to the many community supporters like you. You’ve volunteered, donated, offered your time, your energy, and your guidance. You’ve given bikes, jerseys, and food. Most of all, you’ve given your belief in the vision and mission of the Major Taylor Project. We have more work to do and more students to reach.
The Major Taylor Project work is made possible through your support to the Education Foundation. Please return the enclosed envelope with your year-end gift today or give online at:
www.cascade.org/donate.
BizCycle: improving business and the bottom line continued from page 1 Talk to any bike commuter, and they will confirm the importance of workplace support. Eleanor Kirtley, a marine engineer who lives in Phinney Ridge, starting regularly commuting by bicycle only after starting at The Glosten Associates, a downtown Seattle naval architecture and marine engineering firm where employees have access to showers and secure bike storage. “Biking to work has now become part of my normal routine year-round,” Kirtley said. Currently, the level of support for bicycling varies from workplace to workplace. Some organizations are actively investing in bicycling through amenities, incentives, education and advocacy. The results are
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dramatic, with some employers achieving as much as 10% of commute trips made by bicycle, compared to an average of 3% of trips in Seattle (and less elsewhere). Through encouraging and rating bikefriendly practices, BizCycle will support the continued growth of bicycle commuting in the region. Further, because bicycle commuting is such a smart business move, BizCycle will support the growth of our thriving local business community. Whether you think your workplace deserves accolades, or desperately needs to start making improvements, BizCycle is here to help. www.cascade.org
Vol. 42, No. 12
2013 Seattle Bicycle Expo 15th Annual Photo Contest March 9 and 10 at Smith Cove Cruise Terminal 91 by Susan Hiles, Expo Photo Contest Coordinator
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t’s time to look into your files or get out there with a camera and start thinking about what photos to enter in the 2013 Seattle Bicycle Expo Photo Contest. This year’s Expo will be held at the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal 91, which has a spectacular waterfront view. If you’ve never attended a Bike Expo, you are in for a great time. The Expo photo contest began in 1999, and the number of photos entered has grown every year, especially since almost everyone owns a digital camera or smart phone. The six categories this year are: Action, Comedy, Still Life, People and Places, Black and White and Creative Digital. The Creative Digital category is where you can have fun using your Photoshop skills. All the photos will be judged and ribbons awarded for first, second and third places, as well as two honorable mentions in each category.
Also, everyone who attends the Expo can vote for their favorite photo and that winner will receive a ribbon. Kenmore Camera is returning as the photo contest sponsor. So start taking those bicycle-related photos. The photo contest entry form is available online now at www.cascade.org/expo. You can enter as many photos as you want but remember that the photos must be flush mounted or they will not be eligible for a prize. Also, there will be no entry fees again this year! And, we encourage everyone to pick up their photo entries by 3:30 p.m. the last day of the Expo. Good luck. I’m looking forward to receiving even more photos this year and meeting all the photographers! I will be taking lots of photos at the Expo, so “SMILE” when you see me.
The Cascade Training Series rolls again by Sander Lazar, Rides Program Coordinator
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ould you like to ride STP or RSVP, but you’re not sure you can get ready on your own? Want the skills to ride safely in large groups? Are you relatively new to cycling? Have you ridden a major event before but want to do better this year? Looking for friends who are also planning on riding RSVP or STP? Then the Cascade Training Series is for you! This training series is designed for Club members who register for the Group Health STP or RSVP, with the goal of physical and mental preparation for these premier events. You and fellow event riders will be trained in group and safe riding skills that are key for all cyclists, and of particular value in these large events. Since all riders will be preparing for STP or RSVP, you will get to know riders at your pace level and can make plans to ride events with them.
HOW TO REGISTER The 39th Ave Greenway ribbon-cutting took place on Friday, Oct. 26! Watch our video of the event on the Cascade YouTube channel.
To participate in CTS, you must register for it when you register for one of these events. Since there are limited CTS spots available, we recommend you register early. Event registration for Club members opens in January.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The series begins with low-mileage rides in early April. During these early rides you will decide which of the four paces is best for your fitness level. The slowest pace will be 10 - 12 mph on the flats and a commensurate level of effort on hills. This is generally considered a “leisurely” pace, and you must be able to ride at this pace to participate. The fastest will ride at a brisk pace of 16 - 18 mph. If you want to ride faster than 16 - 18 mph, you should consider more advanced Cascade training series like CATS or RTS, both of which are posted on the daily rides calendar. Each group of about 20 riders will be lead by two trained and certified Cascade ride leaders acting as leader and sweep. Maps and cue sheets will be provided, and since these are stay-together rides with frequent regroups, you can be confident about not getting lost. During the 13-ride series, the route mileage and level of difficulty will steadily increase leading up to STP. Riders will be able to move up to faster groups as their fitness and skill improve. The distance progression culminates in a “century” ride shortly before STP. After the last CTS ride, we celebrate the times we’ve spent together and how far we’ve all come with an open- air party. After CTS, it’s time to ride STP or RSVP with your new riding buddies!
“Creating a Better Community Through Bicycling”
NEW IN 2013
In 2013, we are catering CTS more to the needs of people at different paces, so routes will increase in length and challenge more gradually for people riding 10 - 14 mph than for people riding 14 - 18 mph. BEYOND THE RIDES Cascade’s Group Riding Skills and Basic Bike Maintenance classes are included in the program fee, and will be held during the three weeks leading up to the first CTS ride. There will be several CTS seminars, which will include information on nutrition and riding techniques. Additionally, CTS riders will receive a unique Road ID wristband, valued at $19.95, with your name and emergency contact information. CTS riders will have a members-only website with all the details about the series, including maps, cue sheets and the master schedule. Riders will also have access to a rider/ride leader Facebook page where topics such as equipment, training tips, and other subjects can be discussed. All of these benefits will make you that much more confident and prepared on event day. Remember, you must register for the 2013 Cascade Training Series online at the same time that you register for STP and/or RSVP. The onetime cost of CTS is $95 and must be paid at registration. Cascade’s refund policy applies.
2013 SCHEDULE
The rides will run weekends from early April through July, right up to STP. Check the Cascade website for a more detailed calendar.
SUGGESTED PREPARATION
If you are not yet in condition to ride 25 miles or more at a 10 - 12 mph or faster pace or aren’t comfortable riding in a group, try some of the leisurely- or steady-paced rides listed in Cascade’s Daily Rides Calendar before starting the Cascade Training Series. As a registered CTS participant, you will have an opportunity to test your preparedness for CTS by going on one of two pre-CTS redpace ride, which will take place during the month before the first CTS rides. We also recommend taking on of our educational class to improve your group riding skills. Questions? Contact me via email at sander.lazar@cascadebicycleclub.org.
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December 2012
DECEMBER RIDES For a complete list of this month’s rides, visit www.cascade.org/dailyrides
Cascade Bicycle Club Ride Classification In order to pick the rides that suit your skills and energy level, use the following guidelines: • PACE: The speed on level ground without breaks: Easy: Under 10 mph Leisurely: 10-12 mph Steady: 12-14 mph Moderate: 14-16 mph Brisk: 16-18 mph Strenuous: 18-21 mph Super Strenuous: 22+ mph • TERRAIN: These descriptions should be considered in the context of the pace and length of the ride: Mostly Flat: Trails and/or mostly flat roads with a possible gentle upgrade Rolling: Climbs are short and easy, not too numerous. Some Hills: A few short steep hills, some moderate upgrades and/or longer gentle climbs. Hilly: Many true hills, but none outrageous.
Saturday, Dec 1 Salvadorean Beach Cruise 32 mi • Leisurely • Some hillsMap • Occasional regroup • 10 a.m. • Jack Block Park (access off Harbor Ave.) • Steady rain cancels • Jeff Stewart, 206356-6755, jeff@cyclepathescapes.com Casual ride from Alki past South Seattle C.C. for brief stop at the college gardens, then thru Burien beach community with one steep hill on return. Then to Salvadorean Bakery/Cafe in White Center before returning by way of beach route to Alki. See route on bikely.com as West Seattle (Alki) to Burien. Optional stop at Bamboo Bar & Grille on Alki afterwards.
Sunday, Dec 2 SUNDAY CREPES RIDE 25-30 mi • Leisurely • Some hills • No Map • Stay together • 10 a.m. • Gas Works Park, Seattle • Steady rain cancels • David Bordewick, 425-8228546, theborde@aol.com Join us for a Swedish Pancake Breakfast at the Swedish Club on Dexter Ave. Afterwards we will engage in bicycle activity to burn off the consumed calories. Crepe Breakfast is $9.00—cash or check. Credit Cards not accepted. Pouring rain and/or freezing weather & snow will cancel event. Or check with the Leader.
Monday, Dec 3 MUMPS: Do The Lake 40-60 mi • Moderate • Hilly • No Map • Frequent regroup • 10 a.m. • Tracy Owen Station/Logboom Park, Kenmore • Steady rain cancels • Craig Mohn, 425-890-5234 cell, cmohn_ cycling@comcast.net, (texts preferred to VM) The basic route is a counterclockwise loop of north Lake Washington with a food stop en route. Start at Logboom or meet us at the Leschi Starbucks at about 11:15 - contact the ride leader if you have questions about this. Distance and route may vary to suit weather conditions and group. A brisk pace group may be added only if a certified ride leader volunteers to lead it. Check with leader if weather appears questionable.
Tuesday, Dec 4 TREATS: GREEN LAKE TO EDMONDS 30 mi • Steady • Some hills • No Map • Stay together • 10 a.m. • Green Lake, Seattle, at the SW Restroom Facility •
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Extremely Hilly: Steep & long climbs with grades >9% and/ or mountain passes Unlimited: “Out of category”; only for those very sure of their ability to climb any grade, any length at the advertised pace. Off Road: Significant unpaved sections. • MAP: Whether a map or cue sheet is provided. • REGROUP: None and Occasional regroup categories expect experienced riders who can fix their own mechanical problems and follow a map/cue sheet if they are separated. • RAIN: Weather conditions that cancel the ride. Helmets are required on all rides. When using a cell phone you must pull off the road/trail and STOP. Put away all earbuds/headphones/music devices before the ride starts. All riders are required to sign a waiver form. Rides are cancelled or are no longer considered Cascade rides in the event that the ride leader does not show up or does not
Steady rain cancels • David Bordewick, 425-822-8546, theborde@aol.com If you’re driving to the start, park across W. Green Lake Way in the unpaved parking area on the west side of the street. We’ll take a lunch stop in Edmonds and return via Perkins Way and the BurkeGilman Trail. Route subject to revision due to adverse weather conditions. Snow and/or freezing weather also cancel the ride. Cycle Tuesdays 25-35 mi • Super strenuous • Some hills • No Map • Occasional regroup • 5:45 p.m. • Gene Coulon Park, next to Kidd Valley, Renton • Ice/snow cancels • Pete Grey, 425-558-0451, pgrey@ hotmail.com • Vince Haag, 425-7857451, vehaag@comcast.net Year-round training rides for one day STP riders. Rides stress safety, cooperation and group riding skills. Fast pacelines with regroups from Renton to surrounding areas. Large turnout splits into multiple groups. No parking in Coulon parking lot. Lights required.
Thursday, Dec 6 More Cycle Tuesdays 25-35 mi • Super strenuous • Some hills • No Map • Occasional regroup • 5:45 p.m. • Gene Coulon Park, next to Kidd Valley Restaurant, Renton • Ice/snow cancels • Lola Jacobsen, 425641-7841 • Tom Baker, 425-221-0631, tommbaker@hotmail.com Year-round training rides for one-day STP riders. Rides stress safety, cooperation, and group riding skills. Fast pacelines with regroups from Renton to surrounding areas. Large turnout splits into multiple groups. ** No parking in Coulon Park parking lot.
Friday, Dec 7 FRIDAY RIDERS go to Lake Forest Park 25 mi • Leisurely • Mostly flat • No Map • Frequent regroup • 10 a.m. • Gas Works Park, Seattle • Steady rain cancels • Bill Lemke, 206-284-2843 An easy trail ride on the Burke-Gilman. For some variety, we’ll leave the trail to see Magnuson Park and Windermere on the way to lunch. Lunch/brown bag stop at Third Place Books. Senior and new/ slower-paced riders welcome.
provide a waiver form for signatures of riders. Riders are expected to be ready to ride at the time listed (i.e. that’s not the time to drive into the parking lot with a full bladder and empty tires) and to ride in a safe, courteous, legal manner. Riders are expected to cooperate with the leader(s) and ride within the advertised pace. If unsure of your ability to keep up, try a slower level ride to get an idea of ride paces. For “Hilly” rides, consider choosing a pace down from your usual level. Unless indicated, it is not necessary to RSVP the ride leader to participate in a ride. Youth riders may also join regular club rides. Permission must be obtained from the ride leader at least 24 hours in advance for youth to join a regular club ride. Children 15 and under must be accompanied by parent or legal guardian OR must have parent/legal guardian sign a consent form designating a guardian for them on the ride; youth ages 16-17 may ride without a parent or guardian with advance permission of the ride leader AND a signed parental consent
form (available at www.cascade.org) which must be given to the ride leader at the start of the ride. Cascade does not sponsor or endorse any non-bicycling activities that people may participate in while on these rides. Each cyclist is responsible for his/her conduct and decisions while on a Cascade ride. Cascade membership and activities are open to anyone able and willing to participate in a safe, courteous and cooperative manner and in support of the purposes of the club. Ride information is also available at: www.cascade.org. Only Cascade certified ride leaders may post and lead Cascade Daily Rides. See Ride Leader Information on our website or email the Rides Chair at cbcrides@cascadebicycleclub.org.
FRUMPS: Just a little coffee run 25 mi • Moderate • Some hills • No Map • Occasional regroup • 10 a.m. • Tracy Owens Park, Kenmore • Steady rain cancels • Sue Matthews, 206-6879338 A little shorter. Let’s get a few hills in to take advantage of the pastries with our coffee. We’ll wander over Juanita, with an extra hill, and cycle to Carillon Point... then meander back.
back roads for lunch after a brief stop at Snoqualmie Falls. If nice weather, we may add 5 miles distance. Start at Fall City Park, which is north of river on west side of Route 203 (Fall City-Carnation-Duvall Highway).
Saturday, Dec 8 Redondo P&R/Tukwila Loop 29 mi • Moderate • Hilly • Map:Online • Frequent regroup • 10 a.m. • Redondo Heights Park and Ride, Federal Way • Ice/snow cancels • Geoff Jackson, 206-650-5370, jackson. geoffrey@gmail.com This ride is half flat and half rolling with a few steep but not very long hills. Much of the route is on bike trail, designated bike lane, or good road shoulder. This ride follows the least difficult climb from the Green River Valley, over the big hill that separates the valley from Puget Sound. If the weather is clear you will have a good view of the Sound as we ride through the Des Moines Marina. We will travel on the newest bike lane in South King County. We will regroup frequently. Map and cue sheet are on ridewithgps.com. Rain does not cancel. Ice, snow, or truly awful conditions will cancel. Start at the Redondo Park and Ride lot in Federal Way, located just south of 272nd St, a short distance from the I-5 272nd St exit. Take Exit 147 (S 272nd St). Head west to Pac Hwy S. Turn left and get in the left lane. Turn left at the 276th St stoplight into the Park & Ride.
Sunday, Dec 9 For a complete list of this month’s rides, visit www.cascade.org. Monday, Dec 10 MUMPS: Do The Lake See MUMPS, 12/3.
Tuesday, Dec 11 TREATS: Fall City to Northbend 25 mi • Steady Rolling • Map • Occasional regroup • 10 a.m. • Fall City Community Park, Fall City • No rain cancellation • Clarice Sackett, 425478-8306 We’ll ride to North Bend on wooded
Cycle Tuesdays See Cycle Tuesdays, 12/4.
Wednesday, Dec 12 WRUMPS: Winter on the Eastside ~30 mi • Steady • Hilly • Map • Occasional regroup • 10:30 a.m. • Juanita Beach Park • Showers cancel • Jane Volta, 425-828-0138 • Don Volta, 425-828-0138, 425-503-7186, don. volta@cascadebicycleclub. A HILLY ride in and out of Kirkland with a lunch stop. Route and distance are weather dependent. Ice/Snow also cancel. Note: Late start.
Thursday, Dec 13 More Cycle Tuesdays See More Cycle Tuesdays, 12/6.
Friday, Dec 14 FRIDAY RIDERS: To Redmond Town Center 30-35 mi • Leisurely • Mostly flat • No Map • Occasional regroup • 10 a.m. • Logboom Park, Kenmore • Steady rain cancels • Norm Tjaden, 206-525-2366 Distance will depend on weather. We may visit the wineries only or go directly to Redmond if there is good weather. Ride will be both on road and trail. Lunch stop in Redmond. Ice and snow also cancels.
Saturday, Dec 15 SPOKESPEOPLE-NE: Ride to Lake Forest Park- Bakeries, Shops, and More! 15 mi • Easy • Rolling • Map • Frequent regroup • 1 p.m. • Corner of 35th Ave NE and NE 80th St, Seattle (more below) • Steady rain cancels • Alan Miller, 425-488-4567, 206-6974603 cell, amiller7x7@comcast.net Ice/snow also cancels. Please join SPOKESPEOPLE NE for our third Saturday of the month community ride. This festive December ride will go north to Lake Forest Park and Sheridan Beach. At our destination there are bakeries, shops, and opportunities for you to find that last minute perfect holiday gift for someone (or for yourself!!) The route www.cascade.org
Vol. 42, No. 9
DECEMBER RIDES For a complete list of this month’s rides, visit www.cascade.org/dailyrides will be via community streets and the Burke-Gilman Trail for a round trip of approximately 15 miles. There is a modest grade rise on the return route but the rest of the ride is flat or downhill. These rides start between the Wedgewood Presbyterian Church and the Hunter Tree Farm property near 35th Ave NE & NE 80th St. Please show up by 12:45 to hear about safe riding, proper helmet fit, and bike function check. These “Easy” paced rides start at 1 p.m., typically include a midway stop, and are approximately 10-15 +/miles round trip. We’ll plan return to the starting point by approx. 3 p.m. All rides include experienced bike commuters who accompany us to offer encouragement and model good road riding techniques. This month’s draft route is shown at http:// ridewithgps.com/routes/1854596.
Sunday, Dec 16 S.P.O.K.E.S.: Tour de Poinsettias 20+/- mi • Leisurely • Some hills • Map • Frequent regroup • 11 a.m. • Sammamish River Park, 17995 102nd Ave NE, Bothell • Steady rain cancels • Michelle Burton, 425-890-4936 cell SPOKES will start at the Sammamish River Park in Bothell and head towards Woodinville to check out the poinsettias at Molbak’s. We’ll stop for lunch nearby and skirt the Snoqualmie Valley on the way back to Bothell. To reach Sammamish River Park, located off 102nd Ave NE, take SR-522 to 102nd Ave NE and cross the small bridge over the Sammamish River. Turn into the unpaved parking area on the right just after crossing the bridge. Please note ice/snow cancels too.
Monday, Dec 17 MUMPS: Do The Lake See MUMPS, 12/3.
Tuesday, Dec 18 TREATS: Winter Roads and Trails, Late Start 22-26 mi • Steady • Some hills • No Map • Frequent regroup • 11 a.m. • Logboom Park, Kenmore • Showers cancel • Jan Johnson, 425-672-0617 Icy conditions also cancel. A recreational ride using roads and some sections of trail. There could be a lot of turns, some hills, and a few sections of traffic. Route will depend totally on the WEATHER. There will be a food stop. Cycle Tuesdays See Cycle Tuesdays, 12/4.
Wednesday, Dec 19 WRUMPS: Monroe-Snohomish 35 mi • Moderate • some hills • Map • Occasional regroup • 10 a.m. • Monroe, Al Borlin park (on Lewis St) • Steady rain cancels • Sue Matthews, 206-687-9338 Let’s wander toward Snohomish. Distance and elevation wholly dependent upon weather. Plan on 30-40 miles, rolling to hilly. Lunch stop during last half of ride bring snacks to tide you over. No sweep.
Thursday, Dec 20 More Cycle Tuesdays See More Cycle Tuesdays, 12/6.
Friday, Dec 21 FRUMPS: Licton Springs Ramble 30-45 mi • Moderate • Some hills • No Map • Occasional regroup • 10 a.m. • Licton Springs Park, N. Seattle • Showers cancel • Dan Garretson, 425985-8570 We will ride from Licton Springs to an unknown location. The location and distance will be determined by the weather. Licton Springs Park is at 9536 Ashworth Ave N in Seattle. Meet by the playground. Ice or snow or a starting temperature below 37 degrees also cancels the ride. Winter Solstice Ride 10-15 mi • Easy • Mostly flat • No Map • Stay together • 5:30 p.m. • Gas Works Park, Seattle • Steady rain cancels • Serena Lehman, 206-291-4032, serena.lehman@ cascadebicycleclub.org Ice/snow also cancels. Let’s celebrate the holidays riding around checking out some of the best holiday lights in Seattle. Remember to deck out your bike with your own lights!
Saturday, Dec 22 For a complete list of this month’s rides, visit www.cascade.org. Sunday, Dec 23 For a complete list of this month’s rides, visit www.cascade.org.
bikey toys right away as we take a pleasant ride from Logboom Park (Kenmore) up to Edmonds (lots of coffee shops & pastries!) We’ll select from the available shops for a brief break for coffee and/or pastries. We will return via Woodway. Our routing tries to have us stay on quieter roads but we will be on some busier road for short stretches. The draft route & cues are at http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1785757. Riders should be able to sustain a steady pace, read a cue sheet, change a flat, and have a positive attitude in case it rains! Riders can ride on their own, in small groups, or with the ride leader. Faster riders and better climbers are welcome to join but for them the ride becomes selfguided. Printed cue sheets will be available at the start and riders can email the Ride Leader by the preceding Sunday noon for the final route cue sheet pdf and map url. More info at the Cascade Free Daily Rides group on Meetup.com. The ride leader is slow up hills but will always get there.
Thursday, Dec 27 More Cycle Tuesdays See More Cycle Tuesdays, 12/6.
Friday, Dec 28
This is my traditional West Seattle to Kent route only we will do it in reverse and start in Kent. There will be a lunch stop in West Seattle at the eclectic Luna Park Cafe. Check the Cascade web site, “Ride Start Points,” for directions to Russell Rd Park. If the weather is questionable check with the ride leader at 253-537-7356, or if no answer try cell phone at 206-979-1941. I will not be at the ride start to cancel the ride if weather not appropriate.
Saturday, Dec 29 For a complete list of this month’s rides, visit www.cascade.org. Sunday, Dec 30 For a complete list of this month’s rides, visit www.cascade.org. MONDAY, Dec 31 For a complete list of this month’s rides, visit www.cascade.org. MUMPS: CANCELLED MUMPS will not be scheduled on December 31 DUE TO the holiday. Check the website for a possible late listing of a brisk ride on the Eastside, weather and schedules permitting.
FRUMPS: Kent to West Seattle 45 mi • Moderate • Some hills • Map • Occasional regroup • 10 a.m. • Russell Road Park, Kent • Showers cancel • Jim Taylor, 253-537-7356, 206-979-1941 cell
Monday, Dec 24 MUMPS: CANCELLED MUMPS will not be scheduled on December 24 due to the holidays. Riders are encouraged to join the leisurely ride which departs Logboom at 10:30. ‘Twas the Day Before Christmas 20-30 mi • Leisurely • Mostly flat • No Map • Occasional regroup • 10:30 a.m. • Tracy Owen Station/Logboom Park, Kenmore • Showers cancel • Jan Johnson, 425-672-0617 It is time for the 13th Annual Day Before Christmas Ride. Are your holiday preparations done? Whether yes or no, you need to get out on your bike if the weather is fine. Let’s have a sociable ride to Redmond for lunch. There is one section of tricky traffic on the road not suitable for younger children on their own bike. Icy, snowy, frosty or slippery conditions will also cancel this ride.
Tuesday, Dec 25 TREATS takes the day off Treats takes a holiday for Christmas. See you in 2013. For a complete list of this month’s rides, visit www.cascade.org.
Wednesday, Dec 26 A Boxing Day Ride! Logboom Park to Edmonds 30 mi • Steady • Some hills • Map • Occasional regroup • 9:30 a.m. • Logboom Park in Kenmore 6100 NE 175th St, Kenmore • Steady rain cancels • Alan Miller, 425-488-4567, 206-697-4603 cell, amiller7x7@ comcast.net • Ice/snow also cancels. A Boxing Day Special! Here’s a great chance to try out and show all of your new
“Creating a Better Community Through Bicycling”
7
December 2012
NEW INTERNATIONAL TOUR DESTINATION ANNOUNCED!
Czech Republic and Austria: Biking in Bohemia Dates: Sept. 8 - 17, 2013 Pace & Distance: Suitable for all fit riders. Approximately 221 total miles, an average of 36 miles per day. Group size: 8 minimum, 20 maximum Cost: EUR 1,772 - 2,105 (Approx. US $2,259 - $2,683; depending on sign-up numbers and current exchange rate) Itinerary: Prague to Saltzburg (Austria) 9 Days / 8 nights
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his biking adventure gives us a fascinating taste of the medieval towns and cities of the Czech Republic and its impressive castles as we cycle on quiet country lanes through gently rolling hills. Crossing into Austria the excellent cycle ways continue as we bike first by the Danube and then head for the lakes and the mountains – a dramatic change in scenery. You will have every excuse to sample the local Czech beers and of course, the strudel and ice cream in Austria. It’s a fabulous trip. Cycling distances given are entirely optional; cycle as little or as much as you wish each day, the shuttle van will always be available.
hill. Our guest house is in the center of town, a short walk from the castle.
DAY FOUR: Hluboka to Cesky Krumlov Lodging: Hotel Garni Myší Díra and Pension Villa Margaria: Located in a quiet part of the historical center of Cesky Krumlov, just a 2 minute walk from the main square Our route takes us to the attractive village of Holasovice and then over a small range of hills before dropping down to the valley and Cesky Krumlov, a truly spectacular fairy tale town. The town is car free; set in a tight bend of the Vltava River – rafting available - it is crowned by a stunning castle and has a maze of attractive little lanes and an impressive town square.
DAY FIVE: Cesky Krumlov Rest Day There is much to see and do in Cesky Krumlov – explore the old town, laze the day away at a café in the town square or by the river, check out the castle and its grounds, go rafting or kayaking or even go for a bike ride in the countryside.
DAY SIX- Ceský Krumlov to Steyr
DAY ONE: Meeting Day Lodging: Hotel Golden Star ( Located in a magnificent baroque building underneath Prague Castle). You will be met at Prague Airport (Please notify us of your arrival details and look for the driver with the Pedaltours sign). Today is designed to allow you settle in and relax after your journey. We will also fit you to your rental bike or assist you to unpack your own bike. There is much to be said for arriving a day early to recover from the journey and to explore historic Prague by foot.
DAY TWO: Prague to Tabor Cycling: (85 km / 53 mi) Best Western Hotel Tábor: This historical hotel, dating to 1892, has been newly renovated. Located in the city center of Tábor and a short stroll from the historic Old Town Square of this beautiful medieval town. From Prague city centre we will drive 32 km to Kalstejn Castle; it dates from 1348 and is one of the most impressive castles in Europe. From here we bike, heading south east, crossing the Berounka and Vltava rivers, making our way on very minor roads, through rolling hills and valleys to Sedlcany. Joining Greenway 11 (one of the Czech Republic’s many cycle routes) takes us to Tabor where we stay the night in the centre of the old town. Perched on a steep hillside the town, founded in 1420, has one of Bohemia’s most attractive town squares.
DAY THREE: Tabor to Hluboka Cycling: 65 km / 41 mi (a longer ride available if wanted) Lodging: Pension a restaurace KA•PR (guest-house and restaurant) The Tabor region is wonderful biking with its forests and meadows, streams and lakes and gently rolling terrain. Hluboka nad Vltavou, our destination for the night, is a small town with a stunning chateau set on a
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Cycling: 85 km / 53 mi Lodging: Hotel Minichmayr 4*: Situated in the heart of the historic old town of Steyr, at the confluence of the rivers Enns and Steyr Leaving town we climb gently, following the Vlatava River, through woods as we head for the now deserted border post with Austria. On reaching the first town (6 km) – time for a coffee break – we join the off road cycle way which takes us to the Danube. We follow the river for a short way to Enns and then make our way up stream to Steyr at the confluence of the Enns and Steyr Rivers. The town is one of Austria’s most attractive with all sites within an easy walk of our hotel. As with many European towns, the locals cycle everywhere .
DAY EIGHT: Gmunden to Salzburg (Austria) Cycling:73 km / 46 mi Lodging: Goldenes Theater Hotel: A comfortable hotel located near Salzburg’s famous Old Town. Our last day of biking takes us over the one major hill on our tour as we cross from Lake Traunsee to Lake Kammersee – but what a downhill! Following the lake front – more cycleways – to Lake Mondsee we then take minor roads and cycle ways into Salzburg, a spectacular but small (pop.147,000) city, “Mozart’s town”, on the river Salzach.
DAY NINE: Salzburg Lodging: Goldenes Theater Hotel In the morning we will take a walking tour of Salzburg. The afternoon is free to spend at your leisure. Reward yourself with some strudel and some ever popular ice cream.
DAY SEVEN: Steyr to Gmunden Cycling: 65 km / 41 mi Lodging: Keramikhotel Goldener Brunnen: Located in the city centre, near Lake Traun We take bike route R8 out of town, following the Steyr River to the spa village of Bad Hall. From here the mountains of Salzkammergut can be seen in the distance, getting closer as we approach Gmunden on the shores of Lake Traunsee. The view from the lake front is spectacular – all achieved with very little climbing.
DAY TEN: Departure The tour finishes after breakfast this morning. We are happy to arrange a train to Vienna (around 50 euros) and accommodation in Vienna.
The Fine Print Pricing The Euro price for this tour is fixed. The US dollar price is dependant on the exchange rate and is included to give you an indication of the price at the current rate. The final cost of the tour will also depend upon how many people sign up, as follows - so encourage your friends and family to join you! • 8-9 cyclists: EUR 2,105 (approx US $2,683) • 10-11 cyclists: EUR 2,015 (approx US $2,568)
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12-15 cyclists: EUR 1,952 (approx US $2,488) • 16-20 cyclists: EUR 1,1772 (approx US $2,259) • (Single room supplement: $363 per person) • Bike hire: $225 per person Note: Price guaranteed in Euro, but the price in US dollars may fluctuate according to exchange rate. Trip Inclusions: • Accommodation as specified • Breakfast and dinner each day except dinner on rest day in Cesky Krumlov and on second day in Salzburg • Transport in comfortable minibuses • Local cycle mechanic and guide with good command of English • Czech and Austria maps, plus daily maps, one per cyclist • Airport pick-up • Souvenir Cascade / Czech tour tee shirt • Trip Exclusions • Alcoholic beverages • Lunches • Airport taxes • Laundry • Sightseeing other than specified • Pedaltours clothing – will be available to purchase. • Optional Train to Vienna – EUR 50pp • Airport drip off after tour • Sign Up To sign up, please go to our secure Pedaltours Bookings Page (linked at cascade.org) and choose “Czech Republic” from the “select a tour” drop-down menu. Alternatively, please phone us on 1 888 222-9187. We welcome enquiries on the Toll-free number. www.cascade.org
Vol. 42, No. 12
AmeriCorps Postcard by Julie Salathé, Education Director
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ollowing our welcome to our four new AmeriCorps members last month, I thought I’d check in with our previous members to hear what they are doing now. Cascade has hosted AmeriCorps members since 2005, and we’ve had 27 total (counting this year). Most came to us right after college graduation, so there’s a certain satisfaction in seeing them move on to successful careers. Popular choices are a masters’ in urban planning (two members), outdoor education (two members), and nursing (2twomembers). And not surprisingly, three have remained at Cascade. Serena Lehman, Anna Telensky, and Jenny Almgren currently work at Cascade. Serena serves as Community Outreach Manager, running the Ambassador Program and coordinating outreach programs. Anna is Events and Sponsorship Coordinator, assisting with all major events and Expo. Jenny is our Education Program Assistant, working with Safe Routes to School programs, Basics of Bicycling, and Summer Camps. Here are some updates from other members:
Anna Crandall:
I am working with at-risk youth in the arts as well as in the professional theatre scene in Portland. This past summer I managed a theatre arts program for Portland Public Schools Ninth Grade Counts program, which connects academically at risk incoming 9th-graders with community resources and mentors. I also just finished directing a show, which opened this past weekend and went very well! Still biking everywhere, though it feels like cheating in Portland where everything is flat :) I’ve just been offered a job as Education Assistant at Northwest Film Center.
April Mae Bartelme Johnson:
I’m living in Alameda, Calif, which is a very flat and bike friendly island in the San Francisco Bay. The entire island is only 25 mph just for the purpose of being ped/bike friendly. Riding a green (powder coated) 52-inch bike made from all recycled bike parts except for the tubulars, internal hub and campus pedals. I designed the bike to my liking and it has treated me well the past five years. Recent Fun Stuff: Sean and I got married this summer in Tiburon, Calif, and spent a month in Indonesia for our honeymoon. I met Sean in Seattle back in my AmeriCorps days! He actually did a century ride on his ancient Motobecane cruiser in surf shorts and flops. You can take the surfer out of the water, but you can’t take the surfer out of his surf shorts! Also, I am in graduate school at SFSU to become a Speech Language Pathologist. I am currently doing clinical work with adults who have cerebral palsy and use Alternative Augmentative Communication. It is so much fun and my clients--I hate that word, I prefer communication partners, teach me so much every day. In my spare time, I still do aerial circus arts three days a week and work as an emergency medical ASL interpreter. Love, Peace & Bike Grease.
Ashley Geisendorfer:
I just graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School this spring and have been working with an employment and labor law attorney in Minneapolis, but will be relocating to New Ulm to clerk with the Honorable Judge Docherty in Minnesota’s Fifth Judicial District. I look forward to hearing what everyone else is up to!
Ben Schecter:
I am currently in my senior year at Green Mountain College in Vermont where I’m studying Sustainable Agriculture and Food Production. Still trying to figure out what will be next.
Danielle Rose
I just moved to San Francisco last week to work at the SF office of Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates (I was working at the Seattle office of the same company). I started working at NN when I was in graduate school for Urban Planning at the University of Washington. I was an intern until graduating in June 2011 with my master’s, and am now a full-time associate. My work varies, and includes long and short-range transit plans, transportation and land use plans, special area studies, non-motorized plans, and parking studies. It’s really interesting work. When I get to work on bike-related plans, I definitely think about the young people I worked with in the Major Taylor Project at Cascade and continue to be inspired and motivated to push our work to be as progressive and innovative as possible, knowing that we have to create a safer and better transportation network for the next generation. I still have my awesome dog Olive, who is now six, and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down yet!
Darcy Mullen:
I’m currently working in outdoor education.
Samantha Conley:
I’ve worked at Theo Chocolate as a Tour Guide for 3 years now and am looking to enroll in a nursing program fall 2013 to become a registered nurse.
Sarah Bronstein:
After my time at CBC, I moved to Portland to get my master’s in Urban and Regional Planning with an emphasis on transportation from Portland State University. While I was there, I worked on a trails plan for economic development in the rural community of Cascade Locks in the Columbia Gorge. I also volunteered with the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition, a Pedestrian Advocacy group akin to Feet First, and conducted research on Complete Streets Policy. After graduation this June, I relocated to Seaside, Ore., where I have a one-year contract as the Planning and Disaster Preparedness Assistant for the city. Ironically, I am being paid once again by AmeriCorps, this time through a program called RARE (Resource Assistance for Rural Environments), which is a planning and community development oriented service program for rural Oregon communities. I am so grateful for the skills, experience and connections I made while working at CBC. I still ride every day, now on my trusty Soma Doublecross, and I still love helping others share the joy of life on two wheels!
Susannah Zeveloff:
Getting a master’s degree in social work/ outdoor education at a school in New Hampshire.
Rebecca Szper:
I’m working as a Technical Support Specialist at Tableau Software in Fremont. After Americorps, I attended the UW to earn a MA, Political Science and MLIS Library and Information Science.
Sarah Whitney:
I just started nursing school in Philadelphia.
“Creating a Better Community Through Bicycling”
9
December 2012
“Biking was one of the first things that made me feel empowered….when I was riding, I felt free.” CYCLIST OF THE MONTH
ROBERTO ASCALON by Anne-Marije Rook, Staff Writer, amrook@cascadebicycleclub.org Age: 38 Wheels: Trek 520 with fenders, racks and a radio. Occupation: Teaching artist/youth worker. Major Taylor facilitator and Bike Club leader at Chief Sealth High School.
N
ew York City in the early 1990s with its subway and taxi culture and lack of bicycle infrastructure might seem like an odd place to fall in love with bicycling, but to a then high school-age Roberto Ascalon, none of that mattered. What mattered is that he could get away from his crowded home and go wherever he wanted to go. “I really fell in love with biking when I was 15 and took a [bike] trip from New York City to Montreal with a group of friends. It was one of the best experiences of my life. But I rode all the time when I was in high school. It gave me independence and freedom and took me to places in New York City that I wouldn’t have gone had I not had a bike,” Ascalon said. “Biking was one of the first things that made me feel empowered. We often had eight people in a three-bedroom place. Biking allowed me to get away and ride to Central Park. When I was riding my bike, I felt free.” Now, years later, Ascalon is trying to introduce that sense of empowerment, freedom and adventure to the youth he works with at Chief Sealth High School. As a Major Taylor facilitator and Bike Club leader, Ascalon is part of a year-round youth development program, produced by the Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation, that introduces youth from diverse communities to the recreation and health benefits of cycling while teaching them about the importance of working toward individual goals. “I found that having a bike makes everything accessible,” Ascalon said. “It keeps me in touch with the essentials of feeling good physically, stopping, and making time for adventures every day. That sense of sensibility is especially accessible by bike. That is something I want to bring to youth, and youth of color in particular.” Ascalon is a man who wears many hats. He’s a poet, a cook, a teaching-artist, a youth worker. He’s involved with the King County Food and Fitness Initiative, Food Education Empowerment and Sustainability Team (FEEST), the Major Taylor Program and the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. If you’re a Delridge or White Center resident, chances are you or your child has heard of him. “I had always wanted to be a teacher, but took a roundabout way to do it,” said Ascalon, who’s passionate about youth leadership development. “I love cooking, bicycling, and poetry. And those are great vehicles for dialogue with youth.” The bicycle is one of his favorite tools of education, and he dreams of one day opening up a “full-fledged, fully-accredited high school on bicycles”. He envisions a school that’s centered around the bicycle with time set aside for daily bike rides and
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each module of the curriculum would culminate in a long-distance ride like the Lewis and Clark Trail or a ride that follows the local salmon migration. “The bike for me represents adventure and freedom,” Ascalon stated. “But it’s also about fun and style for me. I love the human ingenuity that went into creating such an amazing machine.” Ascalon’s bike is a Trek 520 touring bike complete with a little radio. “It makes running around town and going to the grocery store more fun. And on the STP I bring a full-on boombox that you can hear half-a-mile away,” he said. “The bike culture should be an open culture but in Seattle, I find it to be a closed culture – you’ve got the hardcore road bikers and the hipsters on fixies. Neither of them are open,” he said. The test to see if a culture is open and welcoming is simple, Ascalon said. “When you ride, do you smile, nod or wave at your fellow riders? And do they smile or nod back?” Ascalon said the biggest obstacles faced by the youth he works with is inaccessibility and closed cultures and communities. “The cost of bicycles alone is inaccessible and then there is this cultural understanding of needing all this fancy bike gear. A lot of the immigrant youth I work with come from cultures where they see the bicycle differently than we do. It’s their main form of transportation,” said Ascalon. One of the goals of the Major Taylor Program is to empower youth by giving them the means to explore their neighborhoods and the neighborhoods beyond. MTP promotes bicycling as a form of exercise, recreation, and transportation. “Major Taylor is about opening up possibilities and show these kids that they can be any kind of rider they want to be,” Ascalon said. “We’re not afraid of putting our kids in spandex even though we know there’s a culture clash for a black kid to hang out in spandex in the Rainier Valley. Major Taylor is very much about creating a community – a supportive, empowering, and safe community. That is the very thing I try to do in all my youth work.” If Ascalon were to run into one of his Major Taylor students ten years from now, he’d like to see them “physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy.” “I want them to have reached the goals they’ve set with us [in the MTP], I want them to be biking in some kind of way, but as long as they feel empowered, I don’t care what they’re doing,” he said. Know a cyclist who deserves some special recognition? Nominate them for cyclist of the month! Send your ideas to Anne-Marije Rook at amrook@cascadebicycleclub.org.
www.cascade.org
Vol. 42, No. 12
New members Sergey Adzhigirey Rich Arechavaleta Nathan Blinn Jackie Blinn Steven Bork Rob Born Leslie Brewer Pat Buchanan Tom Bugert Chris Burtner Dennis Capinpin Aaron Cengiz Tamara Cengiz Ryann Child Tammy Colvin Robert Cook Colin Cousseau Vicki Day Steve Demske Anne Devore Dan Driscoll Christopher Dunkle George Eastman Marge Eastman Daniel Fasy Guston Fieldhouse Jeffrey Fieldhouse Robert Fieldhouse Patrick Fitzgerald
CASCADE CONTACTS Roberto Franco Julie Fuller Chris Fuller Kate Fuller Isabel Funkenstein Kathleen Galloway Dennis Glore Sean Gottschalk Gwen Gutow Gary Harinski Rhonda Hartzell Thomas Hayton Wylie Hui Kate Hulsman Lily Hulsman Matthew Hutchins Liz Johnson Bruce Johnson Ron Kitchener Henri Kruse Sue Lamie Kelley Laxamana Charles Lukey John Mackay Bill MacKenney Michael (Sandy) McClinton Hanna McFall Karryn Meeker Angelito Mendoza
Gabe Miller Ann Moses Michael O’Leary Lindsey Parker John Parnass Shana Pennington-Baird Altaf Rahman Jamie Rawding Madeleine Rawding Mila Reid Donna Rosman Susan Rousseau Bruce Sanchez Barbara Sher Catherine Smith Gail Spann Alexandra Stanyon Bryson Steadman Dennis Tong Todd Tucker David Ulrey Nicole VanVoorhis Julie Wellman Donald Wells Doug Wolf Quinn Yackulic Judy Yorozu
Home Page: www.cascade.org Office phone: 206-522-3222 or 206-522-BIKE Fax: 206-522-2407 Email: info@cascadebicycleclub.org
Cascade Bicycle Club 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Suite 101S Seattle, WA 98115
STAFF
Robin Randels, Classes Coordinator
Note: All email address are @cascadebicycleclub.org
(206) 390-3945 • robin.randels@ …
Jenny Almgren, Education Program Assistant
Anne-Marije Rook, Staff Writer
(206) 694-9148 • jenny.almgren@ …
(208) 870-9406 • amrook@cascadebicycleclub.org
Chuck Ayers, Executive Director
Julie Salathé, Education Director
(206) 523-9495 • chuck.ayers@ …
(206) 523-1952 • julies@ …
Craig Benjamin, Policy and Government Affairs Manager
Lindsey Parker, Americorps Member, Youth Programs
(206) 713-6204 • craig.benjamin@ …
(206) 861-9875 • ypa@ …
Ryann Child, Americorps Member, Commute Program
Kat Sweet, Youth Program Manager
(206) 861-9890 • cpa@ …
(206) 427-3090 • kat.sweet@ …
David Douglas, Event Producer
Anna Telensky, Events and Sponsorship Coordinator
(206) 522-BIKE • david.douglas@ …
(206) 778-6099 • annat@ …
Noah Down, Development Specialist
Kim Thompson, Event Registrar
(206) 245-0001 • noah.down@ …
(206) 526-1677 • kim.thompson@ …
Liz Johnson, Americorps Member, Major Taylor Project
Alan Van Vlack, Database and Accounting Coordinator
(206) 957-6960 • mtpa@ …
(206) 226-1858 • alan.vanvlack@ …
Ed Ewing, Major Taylor Project Manager
Peter Verbrugge, Event Producer
(206) 778-4671 • ed.ewing@ …
(206) 399-9565 • peterv@ …
Stephanie Frans, Manager of Commute Programs
Tarrell Wright, Development Director
(206) 522-9479 • stephanie.frans@ …
(206) 240-2235 • tarrell.wright@ …
Ellison Fidler, Administrative Coordinator (206) 957-7944 ellison.fidler@...
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tessa Greegor, Principal Planner
Note: All email address are @cascadebicycleclub.org
(206) 204-0913 • tessa.greegor@ … Hanna McFall , Americorps Member, Community Programs (206) 957-6623 • cmpa@ … Max Hepp-Buchanan, Advocacy Campaigns Manager (206) 226-1040 • MaxHB@ … Mike Inocencio, Corporate Development Director
President Daniel Weise • daniel.weise@... Vice President Don Volta • don.volta@cascadebicycleclub.org Treasurer
(206) 522-2403 • mikei@ …
Michael Snyder • michael.snyder@...
M.J. Kelly, Director of Communications & Marketing
Secretary
(206) 853-2188 • m.j.kelly@ …
Ed Yoshida • ed.yoshida@cascadebicycleclub.org
Diana Larson, Volunteer Coordinator
Executive Committee Member-at-large
(206) 852-6827 • diana.larson@ …
Charles Ruthford • charles.ruthford@...
Sander Lazar, Rides Program Coordinator
Directors
(206) 694-9108 • sander.lazar@ … Serena Lehman, Community Outreach Manager (206) 291-4032 • serenal@ …
Kevin Carrabine • kevin.carrabine@... George Durham • george.durham@... Rayburn Lewis • rayburn.lewis@...
Kathy Mania, Finance Director (206) 522-4639 • kathy.mania@ …
Mo McBroom • mo.mcbroom@...
Evan Manvel, Director of Policy, Planning, and Government Affairs
Emily Moran • emily.moran@… Bill Ptacek • bill.ptacek@...
(206) 369-9049 • evan.manvel@...
Ron Sher • ron.sher@...
Kathy McCabe, Deputy Director (206) 409-0429 • kathy.mccabe@ … Erica Meurk, Grant Writer (206) 522-7517 • erica.meurk@ … Leah Pistorius, Communications Specialist (913) 579-7629 • leah.pistorius@ …
MEMBERSHIP FORM Please detach form and return to: Cascade Bicycle Club •7400 Sand Point Way NE, Suite 101S • Seattle, WA 98115 o New member o Renewal FIRST NAME
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Cardholder’s signature: *Contributing members may include household and family members on their membership. **The Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation (CBCEF) is an IRS 501(c)(3) charity. Donations to the CBCEF are tax-deductible. Membership contributions or gifts to the Cascade Bicycle Club 501(c)(4) are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.
“Creating a Better Community Through Bicycling”
11
December 2012
Hold on to your seats for the 15th Anniversary Ride Around Washington
C
ascade Bicycle Club is celebrating the 15th Ride Around Washington (RAW) with a return to a favorite route. For years Cascade members have been asking us to repeat the 2006 ride, which took riders down the middle of the state starting in Lake Osoyoos near the Canadian border and ending at Maryhill State Park on the Columbia River Gorge. The route is a favorite because of the diverse terrain, vegetation and climate; excellent roads; and striking beauty of the scenery. For 2013, we celebrate the 15th anniversary with a special seven-day edition of this event! The extra day provides ample time to cover the entire route and affords the luxury of a mid-week rest day in Leavenworth.
Day 1
Curlew Lake State Park to Tonasket, 75 miles, 3,836 feet climbing, 5,301 feet descending Our route starts at Curlew Lake State Park where Park ranger Ric Sanders is looking forward to our return. Curlew Lake was an overnight venue for our 2002, 2003, and 2010 rides. Once underway, we travel north toward the town of Curlew. At the Kettle River, we turn west and enjoy warming up as we traverse the scenic Kettle River valley. At Torada Creek, we turn south and start a gentle climb through ranch and farm land with unmatched beauty. Eventually, we return to our westward route as we enter the ponderosa pine forests and pass several finger lakes on our way to lunch in Chesaw. After lunch, we continue climbing until we reach the Sitzmark ski area and our highest elevation point for the week. Our reward for our climbing efforts will be a 20-mile grand descent on quiet roads into our overnight venue in Tonasket.
Day 2
Tonasket to Chelan, 80 miles, 2,968 feet climbing, 2,760 feet descending What would RAW be without rivers? For Day 2, we follow the Okanogan River south through one of the richest fruit growing areas of the state. As we pass through Riverside, we climb up onto Pogue Flats for great views of the river valley. The drier climate gives a sharp contrast to the lushness of the irrigated orchards. Continuing south through Okanogan and Malott, we join the Columbia River at Brewster and enjoy our lunch at the riverside park. From Brewster, it’s south along the Columbia through deep valleys of columnar basalt as we head for Chelan. Along the way, we see more agriculture, hydroelectric dams, and sage brush. As we round the final hills surrounding the lake, the innate beauty is apparent.
Day 3
Chelan to Leavenworth, 65 miles, 2,972 feet climbing, 2,920 feet descending We start Day 3 heading west along Lake Chelan. After a good 10-mile warm-up, we climb out of the Lake Chelan valley. Then we go up and over the Barrett Grade, and enjoy another descent down the Navarre
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Coulee. We rejoin the Columbia River for our ride to Wenatchee. We’ve mapped a new route from Wenatchee to Leavenworth. By staying close to the Wenatchee River and winding through the orchards, our ride will be nicer and quieter than it would be if we went straight up US 2.
Day 4
Leavenworth, Rest Day There are many activities available to you in Leavenworth. Enjoy the Bavarian architecture as you visit the various eating and drinking establishments. There are any number of bicycle routes up the Icicle and Wenatchee rivers and up the Chumstick Canyon to the Plains Grocery for ice cream. Maybe a trip to Lake Wenatchee is to your liking. There is always the opportunity to stay in camp trading stories with other riders, catching up with old friends, and maybe grabbing a much-needed nap.
Day 7
Bickleton to Maryhill State Park, 60 miles, 2,486 feet climbing, 5,330 feet descending Our route is coming to an end. As we move west, we find ourselves surrounded by more scrub brush and pine trees as we wind our way in and out and up and down the various drainage valleys to the Columbia. Lunch is in Goldendale. We continue west to Centerville and turn south to a viewpoint where we can see Mount Hood, Mount Adams and Mount Rainier. Now we are ready for our grand plunge to the Columbia. This descent has to be one of the best in Washington. Near the bottom of the hill we pass the Stonehenge replica war memorial. The small store at the memorial has great ice cream bars. After Stonehenge we make to final drop to the community of Maryhill where riders will be treated to a box lunch before busing back to Seattle.
the date: RAW 2013 is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 3 through Sunday, Aug. 11. Actual riding dates will be Sunday, Aug. 4 through Saturday, Aug. 10. Registration for RAW 2013 will begin on Jan. 8, 2013 for Cascade Bicycle Club members. We expect this will be a popular route. Plan on registering early. For more detailed information on the event and pricing, please review the webpages at www.cascade.org.
For those of you who haven’t been tallying the distance and amount of climbing, the 2013 route covers 450 miles with 21,222 feet of climbing. If you think this is a ride for you, please mark your calendar and save
We look forward to seeing you on this great ride next summer! Sincerely, The Ride Around Washington Organizing Committee
Day 5
Leavenworth to Yakima, 96 miles, 4,783 feet climbing, 4,969 feet descending Over the years, riders have enjoyed our trips over Old Blewett Pass. With little or no traffic and a reasonable grade, the climb is a chance to enjoy the trees, scenery and viewpoints. Once over the pass, the route rejoins US 97. At the top of Horse Canyon Ridge, the entire Ellensburg Valley comes into view. While still an arid climate, it’s different from that along the Columbia. After a pleasant descent and lunch in Ellensburg, the route heads down the always-scenic Yakima River Canyon. The lushness along the Yakima River shore and the surrounding dryness paint a sharp contrast and highlight the importance of water to the region. Once out of the canyon we wind through Selah and onto the Yakima Greenway Trail for a quiet and peaceful end to a great day of riding. Our overnight venue is Sportsman State Park.
Member of Cascade Bicycle Club, Bicycle Alliance of Washington and the League of American Bicyclists. Sponsor of Fischer Plumbing, Thumbprint Racing, Bikesale.com, Recycled Cycles Racing, Garage Racing, Cucina Fresca, Blue Rooster Racing, Starbucks and Lakemont Cycling Teams.
Day 6
Yakima to Bickleton, 72 miles, 4,177 miles climbing, 2,179 feet descending Where is Bickleton you ask? Well it’s on top of the gorgeous rolling Horse Heaven hills. When RAW rolls into Bickleton, we more than quadruple the population of the town. But first we need to get there. Out of Sportsman State Park, we head east and south through the plentiful Yakima Valley wine country. Irrigation and a rich, ancient lakebed provide an excellent growing environment for grapes, hops, corn, fruit and many other crops. As in interesting note, we will cross Konnowac Pass, the state’s lowest at 1,300 feet. Passing through Zillah, we continue down the Yakima River valley through Sunnyside and into Mabton for lunch. Out of Mabton we ascend onto the Horse Heavens Hills to enjoy acres and acres of dry land wheat farming and an excellent crop of windmills, new since 2006.
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www.cascade.org