June 2014
Say yes to the dress...or slacks, or sweats or overalls.... By Kailey Duffy, AmeriCorps Volunteer
THE COURIER CREW Anne-Marije Rook, Editor Diane English and Chris Partridge, Editorial Assistants Contributors: Kailey Duffy, Dave Eggleston, Elizabeth Kiker, Miranda Kubasti, Matt Metcalf, Josh Miller, Tim O’Connor, Chris Partridge, Robin Randels, Kelli Refer, Anne-Marije Rook, Rebecca Roush, Carol Ryan. Layout by: Tom Eibling
We welcome your contributions! Got an inspiring story or a great photo? We welcome submissions. The editorial calendar is planned one month in advance. If you wish to contribute an article to a future issue, contact the editor as early as possible. Articles and photographic submissions are due by the 10th of the month prior to publication. Articles submitted after that will be considered on a space-available basis. All submissions are subject to editing for content and space. Queries can be emailed to: amrook@cascadebicycleclub.org.
Advertising: We welcome ads and inserts. To check availability and inquire about prices, please contact Anne-Marije Rook at amrook@cascadebicycleclub.org. Let’s be social! Follow Cascade on Facebook and Twitter. @cascadebicycle facebook.com/cascadebicycleclub
CASCADE CONTACTS Home Page: www.cascade.org Office phone: 206-522-3222 or 206-522-BIKE Fax: 206-522-2407 Email: info@cascadebicycleclub.org For many commuters, the question of what to wear while biking can pose a real challenge. In a land where it seems like gear is king, it can be intimidating to hit the road without a full arsenal of made-justfor-biking clothing. That being said, I’ll let you in on a little secret: there’s no “right” outfit for riding your bike. If you wear what you want, what feels good to you while you’re riding and what makes you feel comfortable, you’ll look good and feel great on your bicycle. Maybe this equation leads you to lycra shorts. Perhaps you feel fabulous pedaling in your favorite summer dress. Or maybe you wear a head to toe wool outfit scraped together out of thrift store finds. Whatever it is, the answer is the same: wear what makes you feel good. Many people prefer to wear clothing that doesn’t chafe, that gives your legs plenty of mobility while pedaling and covers up any body parts you don’t want the general public to see (in the front and in the rear while bending over). Other than that, if you’re visible and you have the number one fashion accessory of all time (the helmet!) then you’re doing it right. But here are a few more tips that may make your commute and workday a bit more comfortable. Change at the office If you don’t feel comfortable wearing your commuting clothing during the work day, try packingwrinkle resistant materials (knits, wool, jeans, etc) and roll your clothing instead of folding. If you 4
prefer not to pack your clothing in and out everyday, stash extras at your workplace. Keep shoes by your desk, a suit in your office or drop off a few extra outfits on a day you do drive or bus. Ask your employer about end of route facilities For those of you who prefer to freshen up or shower at the end of a commute, reach out to your employer and find if your job has any onsite lockers or shower facilities. Cascade also offers a best practices guide and self-assessment to help businesses attract and accommodate bike commuting employees. Camping towels are a great packable item that can help get you ready for the work week. While some businesses have learned that a staff that bikes is happy, healthy and productive, some places may not have as many facilities as others to accommodate cyclists. Check out nearby health clubs whose locker rooms are usually equipped hairdryers, lockers and basic toiletries. Be comfortable, be yourself At the end of the day however, the message is the same—wear what makes you feel awesome, inspired and happy to get on your bike, for as fashion icon Gianni Versace one said, “Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live.” So with that in mind, ride your bike, be comfortable and in the end, the most important thing you’ll be wearing is a smile.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Note: All email addresses are @cascadebicycleclub.org President Charles Ruthford • charles.ruthford@ Vice President Daniel Weise • daniel.weise@ Treasurer Don Volta • don.volta@ Secretary George Durham • george.durham@ Executive Committee Member-at-large Catherine Hennings • catherine. hennings@ Directors Maggie Sue Anderson • maggiesue. anderson@ Dr. Rayburn Lewis • rayburn.lewis@ Mo McBroom • mo.mcbroom@ Joe Platzner • joe.platzner@
Cascade Bicycle Club 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Suite 101S Seattle, WA 98115
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Elizabeth Kiker • (206) 523-9495 or Elizabeth.kiker@ SENIOR STAFF Ed Ewing, Director of Diversity & Inclusion (206) 778-4671 • ed.ewing@ Thomas Goldstein, Advocacy Director (206) 799-7775 • thomasg@ David Lee, Events & Rides Director (415) 203-4578 • david.lee@ Shannon Koller, Director of Education (206) 696-4425 • shannonk@ Serena Lehman, Director of Membership & Outreach (206) 291-4032 • serenal@ Kathy Mania, Finance Director (206) 498-2607 • kathy.mania@
Merlin Rainwater • merlin.rainwater@
Anne-Marije Rook, Communications Director
Ron Sher • ron.sher@
(208) 870-9406 • amrook@
Jessica Szelag • Jessica.szelag@
Tarrell Wright, Development Director
Ed Yoshida • ed.yoshida@
(206) 240-2235 • tarrell.wright@
Cycling? There’s an app for that By Tim O’Connor, Tech Manager
Looking to use your Smartphone to track your bike rides online? Join the club…no, literally - go to strava.com/clubs/cascade and join our Strava Club for Cascade Bicycle Club riders. Cascade is ramping up its presence on bike tracking apps and we’d love to have you join the online community with us! Strava is a free tool to track and automatically log your bike rides by seamlessly uploading them from your Android, iPhone or Garmin. You can follow your friends and coworkers, compete, compare, challenge yourself, share routes, explore
routes, give kudos and comment on your fellow Cascade Bicycle Club riders bike rides! Strava is not as feature rich as many bike apps out there. For the Cascade riders who’re a little more serious about bike fitness tracking, route creating and planning, and a few dozen other features for the more advanced user I recommend joining Cascade’s Group on MapMyRide and RideWithGPS. Keep up to date on the Fitness Tracking Apps by visiting cascade.org/BikePhoneApps
www.cascade.org