Member and co-manager of the High Performance Cycling team, David Longdon, did a nice write-up on last Sunday’s High Pass Challenge event. Despite the dreary, windy wet weather that chilled many locations West of the Cascades, riders at the event — which starts and ends in Packwood — cycled through spectacular weather.
Archive for September, 2010
Dear fellow cyclists
Thursday, September 16th, 2010 by M.J. Kelly
Some interesting discussion going on at the Cascade forums about this sign, located at the NW corner of Dexter & Mercer. Have you seen it? The author clearly wants us to know s/he is a cyclist (read: one of us) and is frustrated enough by other cyclists who disobey traffic laws to paint a sign. You know who the author is talking about… that guy or gal who just can’t manage to hang at the traffic light and jumps out to take advantage of a gap in traffic.
Now imagine if drivers did that.
But no one was there. No one was watching. It’s a dumb intersection and the light is too long. …I didn’t see the pedestrian in the black coat. I didn’t expect a cyclist to be coming that fast. I didn’t mean to hit them.
Really, is there a justification that holds water here?
For the record: while there may be some out there who think it’s no big deal to skip or selectively apply the rules of the road, doing so is not something Cascade promotes, supports or advocates. To put a more positive spin on it, Miss Panniers would suggest riding visibly, predictably and lawfully. And considerately, too.
Ballard teens document Pedal Powered Bicycle Music Festival
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010 by Robin Randels
Orkestar Zirkonium playing while pedaling
Last Saturday, you might have seen a merry entourage of bikes towing trailers and fully loaded cargo bikes making its way around town. That was the pedal-powered Bicycle Music Festival! Upon its arrival at each of three local parks, the trailers would unfold, the bikes would attach, riders would pedal and voila… an extravaganza of pure biking fun and energy.
What do Cascade Bicycle Club and the Bike Music Festival have in common? Our mission is to create a better community through bicycling — here is how we had a bit part in this awesome event.
As part of our efforts to engage youth in bicycling we were awarded an SDOT mini-grant, to promote bike awareness and cycling among high school students. Cascade commissioned 243 Productions, a group of Ballard High School students to produce a promotional video about the event.
Chloe Warner-Moyer and Louis Weissman
Louis Weissman and his partner Chloe Warner Moyer spent the day procuring release forms and shooting footage. Over the next few weeks they will be editing and working their magic. The piece will be screened at Ballard High School’s video showcase, an event called “The Showing.” It will also be used by the participating bands, the Bicycle Music Festival, SDOT and us.
The fun factor and appeal of using bikes for something more than toys should go a long way towards achieving our goal of creating a better community through bicycling. We’ll let you know when their video is ready for viewing.
Ferry commuters – Go to the back of the line!
Monday, September 13th, 2010 by David Hiller
One has to wonder how long the cars had to wait for the bikes to unload on Bike to Work Day. (Photo: RedBox Pictures)
At the request of Governor Gregoire and the Washington Legislature, a panel of ferry system managers from around the United States was convened to assess Washington State Ferries planning, management and operations. Thursday, Sept. 9, the panel released its report and recommendations for improving ferry service in Washington state.
Unfortunately, the news isn’t good for ferry bicycle commuters. If you’re coming in to Seattle from Bainbridge or Bremerton, and planning on riding the last few blocks to your office – you’ll just need to cool your heels and wait… and wait… and wait.
Loading and Unloading of Vehicles and Passengers
WSF is seeking ways to expedite loading operations for several reasons. Currently, bicycle loading/unloading is a challenge since they are first off the vessel and can impede the unloading of cars. This creates a safety issue, which is more important than the delay, with the anxious drivers that have waited to unload now following the bikes down the road.
Panel recommends that cars be unloaded ahead of bikes.
Safety is of the paramount importance with efficiency second. The Panel recommends that a trial project be undertaken to change the loading/unloading sequence with bicycles being loaded last and unloaded last. This allows better separation of vehicles and bicycles and gives the Mate more control over the space allocated to bikes. Bikes are also slower than cars and can slow the disembarkation of those they are in front of. By holding back bikes, it also avoids the need for bicyclists to move through the car deck with their bikes in order to get to the front of the vessel. By off loading after the vehicles, bikes will not be sharing the road at the same time as the disembarking vehicles, allowing for a margin of safety.
Let’s think about this for a minute: the very people who are helping the state comply with the Climate Law, and the VMT Law, the people who are taking up little space on the ferries and not congesting the roads around terminals – it’s those people who are a problem. They’re a problem because they hold up cars. They frustrate and delay vehicle operators. Note the code words, like “anxious drivers.” (I wonder if “anxious” is a technical term and how the anxiety was measured. Did they count the number of sad faces spotted through windshields?)
Despite the transparent phrasing regarding delayed and “anxious” car-users, WSF tries to phrase the issue in the context of safety. One assumes that they mean that its unsafe for bicyclists to be passed by motorists. If that’s the case, then perhaps it would be safer if we all just stopped riding our bicycles – because we all get passed by cars somewhat regularly. Snark aside, in the 79-page report, no evidence or data is presented to support the assertion that load order has any impact on safety.
Bike commuters departing the ferry are absorbed onto city streets in minutes. (Photo: RedBox Pictures)
Finally, WSF goes on to offer a whopper of a red-herring by stating, “By holding back bikes, it also avoids the need for bicyclists to move through the car deck with their bikes.” As anyone who commutes on the ferries is aware, WSF crews don’t allow bicyclists to walk their bikes forward, for fear that cars may be scratched by bikes moving between the rows. (I guess cars are impervious to scratches from strollers, handbags and clothing with metal buckles. Moreover, one wonders why they even allow motorists to open their doors, as they’ve been known to ding other cars too.)
Let Washington State Ferries know what you think. Email Ray Deardorf, WSF Planning Director and Jill Satran in the Governor’s office to let them know what you think.
Three, two, one… POLO!
Monday, September 13th, 2010 by Stacey Panek
The grown-up on the lime-green bike, decked out with matching green wheel disks, hollers, “Three, two, one…POLO,” and two groups of three kids, facing each other across the pavement, wobble forth on their bikes. Why are they wobbling? Because they’re also carrying long mallets. They’ll use these mallets to maneuver a small ball toward goals made of orange pylons set one bike width apart.
The kids are playing bicycle polo for the first time, led by bike polo enthusiast Matt Messenger, the guy on the lime-green bike. This is day three of Cascade’s Urban Riders summer camp for ten- to thirteen-year-olds. After learning the basics of riding in traffic on Monday and whizzing around the Marymoor Park velodrome on Tuesday, the campers are now getting coached in the rules and requisite skills of polo.
They’ve learned, for example, that a hardcourt bike polo court is about the size of a tennis court and that there are two ways of using the handmade mallets, which are shaped like croquet mallets. You can shuffle the ball down the court with the wide end of the stick or shoot using the smaller surface area at the front of the mallet. You have to shoot to score. If you make a goal using the wide end of your mallet, I’m sorry—it doesn’t count.
Games are played three against three and up to five points. Put your foot on the ground during the course of play, and you’ve dabbed—as penalty you must ride a full 360 degree turn before handling the ball again.
Matt offers ample time for practice and then gets a game going, with kids rotating in and out of play. There’s a lot of toppling and crashing, lots of fumbling to get the ball. Cascade volunteer William Gerdes, on hand all week to supervise campers, says, “The most dangerous thing is when you have the ball and get excited. You go fast and lose track of where the other bikes are.” When asked about the hardest part of the game, 12-year-old Justin says, “To score!”
After a while, Matt calls out, “That was a REAL game of polo!” It’s time to break for lunch.
During the meal, Matt talks more about the game. He tells me that Seattle was the birthplace of hardcourt bike polo (as opposed to traditional, grass-field polo, developed in Ireland in 1891). About 35 people currently play in Seattle, and a team from the city placed fourth in the National Championships in Madison, Wisconsin this year. Adult games are intense, he says, with speeds up to 35 miles per hour, and skids starting from 20 miles per hour. Watch this video to see hardcourt bike polo in action.
That’s harder-core, hard-court playing than I witness from the kids, back on the pavement again after lunch. And yet their skills are definitely improving. I watch Nico, 13, shuffle the ball across the court at high speed and then adjust his mallet to score with the small end. The day’s MVP is ten-year-old Steven, also the smallest player of the bunch. Surprised to learn that he’s made eight goals that afternoon, he says, “Too bad we have to leave. That was fun!”
The day ends with a group photo and a chant: “Bike polo, bike polo, bike polo!” It sounds like most of the kids agree with Steven—bike polo is fun!
Bike Count says, “One bicycle… two, two! bicycles, hahahahah”
Thursday, September 9th, 2010 by Serena Lehman
Tired of the lack of bicycle lanes and feeling like Seattle is not moving fast enough towards being a bicycle friendly city that is can be? The city of Seattle needs your help to keep moving that agenda forward.
On Wednesday, Sept. 15 from 6:30 to 9 a.m., the city will be performing its annual bicycle counts, and they need volunteers. Counts will be conducted at 62 locations, and 20 more volunteers are needed.
Annual bike counts are essential to show the growing numbers of bicyclists on the streets. We all know the numbers are growing, but hard data — not just day-to-day observations — is what the city needs to make better plans and decisions. As the number of bicyclists increase, the more our governing officials will be compelled to dedicate more funding to bicycle infrastructure which help move us to being that bicycle friendly city we all dream about. All you have to do today is to sign up!
If you are willing to help, please contact Gina Coffman via via email or phone at 206-684-3902. Let her know:
1) Top two count location preferences from the table to the right. Each location needs one volunteer.
2) Mailing address
3) Telephone number
All volunteers will receive a packet with full instructions and counting forms. Results will be used to monitor progress toward increasing the number of bicycle trips as called for in the Seattle Bicycle Master Plan.
It’s unlikely that the bike count forms will include a column for fuzzy puppets, pigs or frogs, but check back to let us know the most interesting thing you saw during your count shift.
Thanks for helping make Seattle a better city for bicycling!
Restore Our Waters Cascade Spawning Cycle this weekend
Thursday, September 9th, 2010 by Erica Meurk
Bert says, "Bring the kids to Seward Park on Sunday!"
Looking for an excuse to make your way to Seward Park for one of the few remaining Bicycle Sundays of the season? Join us for Restore Our Waters Cascade Spawning Cycle this weekend!
We’re no longer offering the longer loop rides of years past, but we have teamed up with Green Seattle Partnership, Friends of Madrona Woods, and Seattle Public Utilities’ Restore our Waters Program to offer a fun, FREE, family-friendly ride that will run in conjunction with Bicycle Sundays.
There will be several self-guided routes of between two and 12 miles, suitable for riders of all ages and abilities (especially the littlest ones). No registration is required – just show up at Seward Park at 10 a.m., give Bert the Salmon a high-five and grab your map at the Cascade booth.
If you choose, you can test your knowledge of our city’s iconic salmon with our “Salmon Smarts” game. Your map is your game card; visit stops along the route and answer questions for a chance to win fun prizes.
The event runs from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., and Lake Washington Boulevard will be closed to vehicle traffic between Mt. Baker Park and Seward Park from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. If you need a helmet, we’ll be selling them at Seward Park for $10 each between 1 and 4 p.m.
Choosing a bicycle over a car is a great way to reduce the pollutants that enter our local waterways and keep Seattle’s salmon healthy. Come ride with us, and learn how you can help! Bert and his friends will thank you.
The many flavors of bike parking
Wednesday, September 8th, 2010 by John MauroWant to help get more people biking? As this Slate article notes, bike parking is a huge factor in making bicycling convenient and accessible. There is such a thing as free (or seriously cheap) parking, and it comes in various flavors.
- Vanilla: the regular bike rack that businesses in Seattle can request for free in public right of way. Learn more.
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Bike parking goes underground in Japan. Capacity: 9,400. Retreival time: 23 seconds.
- Gourmet: innovative on-street parking. Would you like to help decidewhere to put these on-street facilities? More details.
- NY Deli-style: bikes in buildings.
- Wildly Innovative: an underground bike parking facility with a capacity of 9,400 spaces—only in Tokyo. YouTube demo here.
Regardless of your taste, if your business fronts Seattle public right of way, request a bike rack. If you’re a customer, ask the manager or director of facilities to consider requesting a bike rack– and point him/her to SDOT’s resources and online form to make it happen.
Convenient, accessible, abundant and secure bike parking: that’s something of any flavor that I’d love to roll my bike up to.
Green Bike™ Project: transforming commutes and transforming lives
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 by Stephanie Frans
Triumphant Green Bikers gather at the finish line to celebrate with City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen
Back in May, 36 drive-alone commuters took a deep breath and pledged to convert at least half of their drive-alone commute trips to bicycle trips. In return, Cascade Bicycle Club pledged to provide them with all the essential elements to try out bike commuting, including their very own bicycle. We’re thrilled to report that three months later, an impressive 86 percent of participants reached their goal, fulfilled their pledge and have earned sole ownership of their Green Bikes.
We celebrated this remarkable achievement and officially handed over the ownership of the Green Bikes at a festive finish line gathering attended by Green Bikers, their friends and family, City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen (chair of the Seattle City Council Transportation Committee and an occasional bike commuter himself), and the local bicycle papparazzi. “This is an incredible result. In only three months, we’ve helped transform 30 people into comfortable, confident, and competent cyclists. I don’t know of many other programs that can boast an 86 percent success rate,” said Chuck Ayers, executive director of the Cascade Bicycle Club.
The Green Bike Project does more than transform participants’ commutes; it transforms lives. “I love riding my bike to work,” said Alex, of the Odyssey School. “I plan to keep it up for the rest of my life.”
Alex beams as she receives her certificate of ownership from City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen.
“I was really amazed with how quickly my body adapted to riding,” said Heather of Darigold. “I was really sore the first time I did it, and noticed huge improvements in how well I was able to go.” Heather also shared that prior to the Green Bike™ Project, she was a self-described “Move out of the way, bicyclists!!!” type of driver. Her commute from Bellevue to Southeast Seattle has given her a bicyclist-eye perspective on sharing the road that she will carry with her when she is behind the wheel.
In fact, the Green Bike™ Project has also helped transform the commuting habits of participants’ friends and family. Laura of Wellspring Family Services reported that her husband was inspired to purchase a bike for himself and rides nearly everywhere. It’s been so long since they used their car that Laura admitted “I’m afraid the battery of our car may have gone dead!” Similarly, Laura’s coworker Carmel (whose story delighted a visiting reporter from San Antonio) shared that her girlfriend also bought a bike so that they could ride to places together.
Congratulations to our 2010 Green Bikers and thanks to their employers Case Design, Committee for Children, Darigold, Iron Bow Technologies, Outdoor Research, Odyssey School, and Wellspring Family Services.
Driven to Depression: Unlocking the Vicious Cycle
Friday, September 3rd, 2010 by John Mauro
As the rain starts to hit, let’s not get too down. After all, we’re a pretty happy bunch. But let’s once again examine what we’re avoiding by choosing bike over car—admittedly harder to do as we head into the autumn/winter months.
Many of us know that driving can kill us—and not just the 40,000 a year killed and over 3 million injured in crashes. There’s a physical toll to the millions of Americans who suffer from obesity-related health issues, exacerbated by the hours—or weeks—spent in a car. But add to those already-staggering numbers the emotional toll that time spent commuting by car can have. It’s downright depressing.
According to a Gallup-Healthways poll of over 170,000 employed adults nationwide, the longer it takes you to get to work, the greater your worry, neck and back pain and cholesterol. Ouch. And longer commutes also translated to decreased enjoyment and less sleep.
The Gallup blog rightly notes that “The results imply that many employers may need to reevaluate their options for helping workers manage those effects, particularly in light of the costs associated with low wellbeing.” Here, here! It continues: “[e]mployers should also recognize that it’s not just the time lost in commuting that may have adverse effects.” Yes, yes!
It goes on to say that “[p]articularly in tough economic times, commuting expenses — whether they go to gas and parking or mass transit fees — may contribute to elevated worry levels. Helping defray those costs may help employees make the long trek to and from work with greater peace of mind.”
Well, not so fast. Calling on employers to better subsidize transit fees is a fine idea. We’re all too happy to offer our expertise in working with our business friends to get people to work on time, save company costs and—of course—reduce worry. (Have your employer give us a call.)
But calling on employers to subsidize our already-subsidized gas habit is going way too far. It also misses the big picture of their own polling data. Do we want employers to incentivize people to make a longer slog to work by car to reduce worry levels—while doing so actually elevates worry? Vicious cycle.
What’s missing is the obvious: instead of doing less damage by driving less, we can do less damage and actively improve our health. It calls for a vicious cycle of a different kind—one with two wheels.
