Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Seattle Public Schools Superintendent José Banda will bike to school with Bryant Elementary students in celebration of National Bike to School Day

Friday, May 3rd, 2013 by

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Seattle Public Schools Superintendent José Banda will bike to school with Bryant Elementary students in celebration of National Bike to School Day

An estimated 3,500 kids across Seattle region will bike to school on Wednesday, May 8

 What: Bryant Elementary school students, family members and public officials to bicycle en masse to school and hold a press conference about biking to school

Who: Seattle Public Schools Superintendent José Banda, Seattle School Board President Kay Smith-Blum, Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, Cascade Bicycle Club Education Director Julie Salathé, Bryant bike to school organizers and families

When: Riders gather at Top Pot beginning at 8 a.m. Ride departs at 8:40.

Ride start point: Ride starts from Top Pot Doughnuts at 6845 35th Ave NE, Seattle, WA.

Ride ending point and location of press conference: Bryant Elementary School, 3311 NE 60th St, Seattle, WA

 

A stream of Bryant students and parents riding on Bike to School Day 2012. Photo (c) carfreedays on Flickr. Click photo to view more photos from last year.

SEATTLE, MAY 3, 1013 – Following the “May is Bike to School Month” recognition at the Seattle Public School Board meeting on May 1, we are happy to announce that Superintendent José Banda will join students and families of Bryant Elementary School, School Board President Kay Smith-Blum, Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, Cascade Bicycle Club Education Director Julie Salathé and community members on a group bicycle ride to celebrate National Bike to School Day on Wednesday, May 8, 2013.

The group will gather at Top Pot Doughnuts beginning at 8 a.m. and depart for the 1-mile ride to school at 8:40.

Bryant Principal Kim Fox will welcome students and families in a Bike to School Day rally and press conference to be held on the school’s playground.

“Biking to school addresses two issues that the school district faces: students’ well-being as it relates to academic achievement and transportation costs,” said Superintendent Banda. “Studies show that students who get regular exercise are more attentive in class and reach higher achievement levels. More students biking to school means lower transportation costs, which translates into more funds for our classrooms. Ultimately, supporting bicycling will help us find happier, healthier, more focused students at their desks.”

The Seattle School District has partnered with Cascade Bicycle Club to offer its Basics of Bicycling curriculum in elementary schools for the past 15 years. The program teaches bike safety to 7,300 SPS students annually.

Last year at the Bike to Work Day rally at Seattle City Hall, school board president Kay Smith-Blum made a commitment to support biking to school.

“I’m pleased to report that we’re making progress,” said Kay Smith-Blum, school board president. “The district has partnered with Cascade Bicycle Club in grant-funded programs to encourage biking to school at four elementary schools this spring. And maybe most importantly, grassroots programs are sprouting across the District. Over 25 schools have active Safe Routes to School programs with parents and other partners promoting biking and walking to school.”

“That’s a start,” Smith-Blum said. “There’s much more we look forward to accomplishing in the near future through our pending Green Building Initiative, by taking walking and biking access into account when designing school grounds.”

“The Bryant Elementary School staff has been supportive of our bike to school efforts, but it also takes committed, active parents leading the charge,” said Clint Loper, parent of students at Bryant and Eckstein Middle School and a co-founder of Walk.Bike.Schools, which was formed last year to foster collaboration among walk and bike to school organizers throughout Seattle.

Full racks at Bryant Elementary on Bike to School Day 2012. Photo (c) carfreedays on Flickr. Click photo to view more photos from last year.

“The grassroots growth in bike to school programs over these past several years has been phenomenal,” Loper said. “It is beneficial for our kids in so many ways, and they are voting with their bikes and sneakers that kid-powered commuting is their favorite way to get to school. I encourage parents at schools throughout the city to work together so we can make every corner of Seattle safe and inviting for kids to bike to school.”

“Bike to School Day is a shared vision for our community – a vision where people of every age and ability feel safe and comfortable to bicycle in their neighborhoods,” said Julie Salathé, Cascade Bicycle Club Education Director.

“Next Wednesday’s event is an important signal from the district that they are committed to that vision, too,” Salathé continued. “We can already see great progress being made at individual schools and by groups like Walk.Bike.Schools. Now we are looking to our leaders to adopt policies and fund infrastructure that will make it safer and easier for kids to walk and bike to school.”

“I love seeing our bike racks full of kids’ bikes,” said Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw. “It means Seattle families are making the leap and working together to make biking to school not just a hope, but a reality for more kids. However, neighborhoods are still lacking in routes that are safe enough for everyone. We need to change that. I’m committed to establishing safer school zones and neighborhood streets that work for all our residents and give them safe choices in the way they travel to schools and other local destinations.”

#    #     #    #     #    #     #    #     #    #

Media contact:

M.J. Kelly, Cascade Bicycle Club
(206) 853-2188 m.j.kelly@cascadebicycleclub.org

Teresa Wippel, Seattle Public Schools
(206) 252-0203

About Cascade Bicycle Club

Founded in 1970, Cascade Bicycle Club is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization based in Seattle, Washington, serving 15,000+ members and more than half a million cyclists in the Puget Sound community. Cascade is operated by a 13-member volunteer Board of Directors, 34 professional staff and thousands of volunteers. More information about Cascade Bicycle Club’s advocacy, commute, education and riding programs is available online at http://www.cascade.org/ or by calling (206) 522-3222.
Find us online: Twitter|| Facebook || Pinterest || YouTube

 

Posted in Bike Month, Education, Kids on bikes | 8 Comments »

Rookie’s Perspective on Training for the STP: Week #4: 55 Miles, 2387’ Elevation

Friday, May 3rd, 2013 by

55 miles. That’s the kind of distance where people start to look impressed when you say, “Oh yeah, I rode 55 miles today.”

I need to start training.

I moved from Yellow (12-14 miles an hour) to Green (14-16 miles an hour) for Saturday’s ride from Marymoor out to Snohomish. I was nervous beforehand, but in an excited kind of way, not a dreading kind of way. I was curious about what 55 miles would feel like, but mostly I was looking forward to the route eastwards, to biking somewhere I’d never been before, to getting somewhere.

My subconscious had something to say about the ride: I had a dream the night before that my seven-year-old daughter was joining me on her kid-sized, gearless bike. In the dream I felt a little nervous about how she would manage 55 miles.

But the faster pace was fine and if I hadn’t started in yellow there would be no question about whether I could do it. The only difference between yellow and green that I could notice without a bike computer was that the pace didn’t sag on the hills.

We set out north from Marymoor, rode up and over into the Snohomish River valley, along the valley for a ways, and then up and out of the valley. Almost immediately, we were in old Redmond, riding past old farms and along rolling country roads, the busyness and congestion of the suburbs behind us. We passed a farm where a Bernese Mountain Dog (my first love) watched us with affable alertness and past an oddly jumping cow. I had a feeling I could ride a long, long way on country roads.

Well, except for the hills.

I usually have a good relationship with hills. I like to think of them as flats on an incline. I like the workout, I like getting to the top, I like how there is an end, usually in sight, if you keep pushing with patience. The rides I’m proudest of to date (the Chilly Hilly, the bonus CHEW ride) were hilly rides.

But there’s a chance I might have been a bit, well, overly confident in my climbing abilities. I didn’t get left behind, I didn’t – heaven forbid! – hold up the group but I got pretty tired climbing in and out of that river valley. I ate my emergency Mocha Double Espresso Cliff Shot but it didn’t help, or if it did, I was too tired to tell.

It started to pour around mile 30 and we rode mile after mile in rain. I could feel puddles squishing in my shoes. I hadn’t learned about the visor trick yet (thank you, Lamar!) and the rain dripped from my helmet in salty streams into my mouth. I fantasized about curling up in front of our gas fireplace when I got home.

We don’t have a gas fireplace.

On a very busy, fast, four-lane road back into Redmond, the ride leader signaled for us to take over the right lane and ride abreast with a buddy, even though there was a bike lane. Cars could pass us on the left, so we weren’t holding up traffic. I rode on the inside next to a nice, chatty woman and have never felt safer riding in traffic. I think the drivers out there felt sorry for the pathetic group of drowned rats riding down the highway on bicycles.

And then there was one last hill – not even a big hill – through the last light industrial section before getting back to Marymoor. And I ran out of gas. Rider after rider passed me as I slowly and humbly pulled my way up that damn hill.

When I finally got home, sat in a hot shower, and climbed into bed under the heating blanket on HIGH, I was so tired I felt like crying. So, yeah, I think I need to start taking this mid-week training recommendation more seriously. Next week is 65 miles.

Later that evening as I was putting the chickens to bed, after hosting a dinner party (which is something I’m never doing after a long ride again), I was grateful I didn’t have to get on Blue the next day.

I need to start training.

Kathryn Saxer is currently enrolled in the Cascade Training Series, a 13-week training series designed to prepare Cascade members physically and mentally for  the Group Health STP or RSVP. She’s a personal and professional coach in Seattle. When not learning how to bike long distances, she likes to run in the mountains, share adventures with her 7- and 9-year-old children, and cook terrible dinners for her beloved and long-suffering partner. She’ll be reporting on her CTS journey weekly. 

Posted in Cascade Training Series, Daily Rides, Events, STP | No Comments »

Finding a bike-friendly route to work

Friday, May 3rd, 2013 by

So you’ve decided to start bike commuting: you’ve pumped your tires, you’ve adjusted your helmet, and now you need to find your bike route. Let us help!

 We often take different routes when we bike than when we drive, bus, or walk. Here are a few handy resources for finding your way.

Local bike maps: Many jurisdictions produce local bike maps; search your local bike organization or government website to find a map for your area. For example, the Seattle Bicycling Guide Map presents bicycling information in a clear, user-friendly format. Seattlites can download the map or order a paper copy free of charge using our online form.

Follow wayfinding signs and pavement markings: Once you’re out on the road, you may encounter various bicycle wayfinding signs and pavement markings that indicate common or preferable bicycle routes. These include green signs, bike dots and sharrows, depending on where you live. See the types of bicycle infrastructure used in Seattle.

Ask a bike commuter. Tap into a wealth of knowledge by asking a seasoned local commuter.

When in doubt, Google your route. Search for bicycle directions in Google Maps by selecting the bicycle icon.

Puget Sound residents: for more specific route advice, peruse or post your questions on Cascade’s commuting message boards.

Posted in Advocacy, Around town, Bike Month | No Comments »

Dust Off Days offered free tune-ups to nearly 100 bikes

Thursday, May 2nd, 2013 by

The first in a series of free bike tune-up events,  Cascade Bicycle Club AmeriCorps interns partnered with various local bike shops to host Cascade’s first Dust Off Days event last Saturday.

Volunteer mechanics provided  free tune-ups for 85 attendees on nearly 100 bicycles of all shapes, sizes and levels of dustiness and disrepair.

Thanks to everyone who came out for Dust Off Days, we hope you were all able get your bikes in shape and ready to ride all throughout Bike Month and beyond.  Four mechanics, four hours and one hundred bikes is no small feat! Special thanks to our mechanics Gary and Ben from Montlake Bicycle Shop, Greg from WRENCH Bicycle Workshop and Bob from Elliott Bay Bicycles for volunteering their services to make this event possible.  Additionally, thank you to the Swedish Cultural Center for hosting us. We loved seeing people bike in for a tune-up from the buffered bicycle lane on Dexter Ave N.

Gary from Montlake Bicycle Shop takes on a tall challenge.

And the crowd grows! Thanks for waiting patiently, everyone.

Cascade Bike Ambassadors were on hand to answer questions, armed with bike maps, brochures and reflective stickers.

Lee, our fabulous helmet-fitting volunteer, holds up an officially retired helmet.

New uses for our waterproof seat covers are discovered every day.

Cascade's Event Producer, Peter Verbrugge, happy to have the Cascade AmeriCorps (from left) Ryann, Lindsey and Hanna take over an event for once.

We had a ton of fun at Dust Off Days and hope you did too! Follow the Cascade blog, Facebook and website to keep up to date on more Dust Off Days events happening this summer. Thanks again to everyone for making this a successful event! Now get out those tuned bikes and ride–it’s Bike Month, make tracks!

Posted in Events | 2 Comments »

Commute Challenge Corner: Three ways to wear your Commute Challenge souvenir

Thursday, May 2nd, 2013 by

Every year Cascade gives away a fee souvenir item to all participants in the Commute Challenge–usually something that adds a little safety and bling. This year we are giving away a laminated placard that can be used as a bike license plate, bag tag or spoke card.

Write your name or team name (or nickname, if you’re a solo rider) on the placard in permanent marker and show your Commute Challenge spirit! Use rubber bands, zipties, or twist ties to affix the card to your bike, your bag, or your wheel.

When you see other Commute Challenge riders around town, give them a wave and a smile! By displaying your souvenir you may be eligible for prizes at Energizer stations and Commute-Challenge only drawings.

1)   Attach it to your handlebars or seat as a bike license plate

2)   Tag your bag

3)   Insert it in your spokes

How do you show your Commute Challenge spirit? Send us a photo at photos@cascadebicycleclub.org and your image could appear as the Commute Challenge ‘Inspiration of the Day’!

Posted in Bike Month, Commute Challenge | 5 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »