THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE FOR CASCADE MEMBERS
10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
JULY 2017
PEDAL PIC WELCOME TO
AN OLYMPIC VIEW Cascade Bicycle Club volunteer Scott Henry captured this epic moment from the 2017 Emerald Bike Ride presented by Kaiser Permanente. 7,000 people turned out to bike on the SR 520 Bridge, I-5 Express Lanes and I-90 Express Lanes.
Submit a photo for consideration in a future issue by sending a high-resolution image and short caption to brentt@cascade.org.
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STATEMENT OF VOICE
W ELCO ME TO
PEDAL WASHINGTON I’ll admit it: I cried the first time I was ever part of a youth bicycle education class. The weekend after starting at nonprofit Bike New York in 2011 as the Marketing & Communications Director, I visited one of the bicycle education classes put on by the organization. I can falsely blame the stress of uprooting my Denver life after seven years and moving to an unknown NYC… but it was honestly seeing the pure happiness and sense of accomplishment the kids had when they were learning how to bike that brought me to tears. Seeing their confidence grow and smiles on their faces was contagious. During my time at Bike New York, I had the privilege to see the impact bicycling had on youth. Bike New York has a tremendous education program that reaches 20,000 youth annually, and it continues to grow. In 2012, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Youth Bike Summit in NYC, truly understanding the impact of the bicycle and how it can be a catalyst for positive social change. (You may remember the Youth Bike Summit when it was held in Seattle in 2015.) I saw the Youth Bike Summit empower youth to lead and embrace a diverse, multi-cultural and equitable movement. I learned about groups and organizations across the U.S. that fostered youth leadership, community building and positive social change through biking. It was then when I first started to learn about Cascade Bicycle Club. My career led me to Cascade, in part because of the wonderful work we do with youth. This year is the 10th anniversary of our Major Taylor Project (MTP). Using the bicycle as a tool for transformation to empower and enrich the lives of youth, MTP started from humble beginnings… as a sketch on a napkin. As you’ll read in one of our feature articles in this issue, MTP truly embodies Cascade’s vision of Bicycling For All. I was taking photos at last year’s STP when the huge group of MTP students and volunteers came biking in. I was there to witness these students conquering the 200+ mile challenge… and every single one of them had a smile on their face. I had the privilege to photograph the faces and reactions that showed the overwhelming sense of accomplishment, camaraderie and empowerment. And I admit it. I cried. Each year, the MTP community grows. As we continue to deepen relationships in communities across our region and statewide, we have the opportunity to positively impact even more young lives. I’m excited to see where MTP is — and how many young lives we’ve impacted — when it hits its 20th anniversary. Pedal on,
Brent Tongco, Senior Director of Communications & Marketing
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Statement of Voice Gears: Cascade Member Spotlight
Said on Social
How-to: Tips for Helmet Fitting July Feature: A Girl and Her Bike July Feature: Major Taylor Project Turns 10 Bicycling For All: Let’s Go & Get Adaptive Biking Commonalities: Why We Ride Upcoming Cascade Programs, Events & Rides Around the State Ride Around Washington: Top 5 Destinations
4 6 7 8 10 16 22 24 26 28 30
THE PEDAL WASHINGTON TEAM Editor-in-Chief Brent Tongco Editors Diana Bryant, Briana Orr Layout Tom Eibling Photographers Timothy Aguero Photography, Scott Henry, Barbara McClinton, Briana Orr, Eugene Pak, Brent Tongco Staff Contributors Rich Brown, Tom Eibling, Meghna Jaradi, Stacey Nakagawa, Briana Orr, Rachel Osias, Eugene Pak, Kristen Reed, Brent Tongco, Ryan Young Front cover Melissa Zimmerman from Global Connections High School at the start line of the 2010 STP Back cover Riders enjoy car-free I-90 Express Lanes during the 2017 Emerald Bike Ride presented by Kaiser Permanente
CONTACT US C A S C A D E B I C YC L E C LU B 7787 62nd Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98115 206-522-3222 • info@cascade.org
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR Karl a Margeson Karla is a Pacific Northwest native who — in her mid-30s and riding for the first time since childhood — is on a quest to become a badass lady cyclist. She loves hills and dreams of having strength to tour. When she's not at work at Microsoft or out on her bike, find her at home on Capitol Hill cooking healthy eats and dancing in the kitchen with her two cattle dogs.
ADVERTISING To inquire about advertising availability in Pedal Washington, email Brent at brentt@cascade.org.
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GEARS: CASCADE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
30 AT 70
By Kristen Reed, Membership & Development Coordinator In 1988 Ned completed his first Seattle to Portland (STP) on his Schwinn Mirada mountain bike, crossing the finish line with his wife and a group of bicyclists. Now, Ned is preparing for his 30th STP as he turns 70 years old this year, an inspiring accomplishment. Not knowing what to expect from STP and only starting to bicycle that same year, Ned spent as much time as he could learning and riding with his mentor. Reminiscing, Ned explained how training for the STP was not an initial goal of his when he started biking — to him biking was about getting healthy again, regaining mobility and recognizing that if he wanted to feel his best at 40 then he needed to get active. Once he noticed the invaluable benefits of bicycling and his love for the road, he decided to sign up for STP and give himself a goal. After finishing his first STP, Ned knew that this was not a one-time ride for him. It was not a bucket list event. He wanted to experience it as many times as he could. He looks forward to the small changes in the ride and riding with people from different places in life. He encourages everyone to build STP into their year. Nedʟs dedication to riding STP is nothing short of amazing. Even after being diagnosed with throat cancer and undergoing surgery and radiation in 2008, he still rode the 2009 STP and plans to ride every year for the foreseeable future.
Top: Ned and his daughter conquering STP in 1989.
Bottom/right: Ned with a few of his STP memorabilia throughout the years.
THANK YOU FOR BEING A MEMBER Membership makes all our work possible at Cascade. Your tax-deductible membership dues help us provide bicycle education programs for everyone who wants to ride a bike. Thanks to over 17,000 active members, Cascade can advocate for safer, more connected bicycle infrastructure throughout the state and region. If you are not a member, be part of improving lives through bicycling and join today at cascade.org/membership.
SAID ON SOCIAL
nwtrifectaspartan
@cropperfoto
cropperfoto Participated in my first cycling event yesterday; the Emerald Bike Ride. The route was over the I-5 express lanes, 520 and I-90 bridge! My first 35 mile bike ride. #emeraldbikeride #downtown #seattle #smithtower #fitness #girlswhoride #womenwhoride
svalleyphoto My Sunday Ride. 34 miles down and back the Orting Trail. Training for the #stp #bikeeverywhere #bikeeverywheremonth #cyclinglife #cyclingshot #stp #seattletoportland #afternoonride
@barispe
@svalleyphotos
Barispe If you build it. they will bike. #BasicBikeNetwork #wecantwait #bikeeverywhere svalleyphoto My Students enjoyed a little ride in the rain today! Thanks @redlinebicycles and @cascadebicycle #iteachfourth
cascade.org facebook.com/cascadebicycleclub @cascadebicycle @cascadebicycle
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By Ryan Young, Youth Programs Coordinator
Tips for
Helmet Fitting This magazine overflows with biking excitement, but honestly, helmet fit is not thrilling. It is, however, easy and important. A helmet that fits properly is twice as effective in preventing head injuries as a helmet with a poor fit. So before you go out for your next ride, take 30 seconds to make sure everyone’s helmet passes the following tests.
Helmet should be level and cover your upper forehead. You should be able to fit no more than one or two fingers between your eyebrows and the brim of the helmet. Once the helmet is level, turn the dial at the back of the helmet to snug up the inner band to prevent the helmet from wiggling side-to-side. If there’s no dial, use thicker pads where there is space at the front, back and/or sides of the helmet to get a snug fit.
Helmet side straps should meet just below your earlobes to form a “Y.” If this is not the case, adjust the sliding buckle up or down.
Chin strap should be buckled and snug below your chin, so that no more than one or two fingers fit under the strap. A properly fitting helmet will stay put when you move your head. Wear your helmet level, straps snug around ears and under chin.
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Yes!
Every three to five years (the materials in helmets break down, making them less effective over time) If you find a crack or damage
No!
If your helmet is impacted in a crash (helmets are designed to protect your head for only one crash) If your helmet does not comply with U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Standards
No!
If you have long or voluminous hair, try out different styles (unstyled, bun, braids, etc.) and find what works for you. Riders with large hair or various types of head coverings may need to size up their helmet so that it fits snugly and comfortably. Several ma jor athletic brands make athletic headcovers and hijabs that are designed for active uses such as biking.
A GIRL & HER BIKE: A STORY OF RECLAMATION For as long as I can remember, I’ve longed to be a badass lady cyclist. As a kid, I’d see the streams of riders traveling single file along the rolling hills at the base of the Cascade Mountains where I lived. Clad in their bright-colored spandex, I knew they were settled in for long, beautiful rides. I wondered what they’d see, how far they’d go. I longed to be a part of their pack... But learning something new is scary. Especially something you desperately want to be good at. Tolerating failure didn’t come very naturally to me. I hated looking unskilled. I was afraid to ask questions. I never wanted anyone to see me do poorly. My pursuits were safe. They were calculated. They were mostly things I could learn in private. I had started to get over these fears when I began CrossFit in 2011. After all, no one could possibly expect me — an unathletic, ultra-tall string bean — to be good at weightlifting. It was so far outside my experience, I felt OK admitting I had no idea what I was doing. One day, when I reached far beyond my ability for an overhead squat PR (personal record), I fell under the weight. Mortified, my face flushed. The voice in my head told me I’d done wrong and should be ashamed for even trying. But just a halfsecond later, a louder voice quickly overpowered it. My coach bellowed from across the room: “Hell yeah, Karla! Way to go for it!” And right there, as I lay splayed out on the floor, the barbell bouncing behind me, it clicked: Failure is how you get better at things. For the next four years I was too obsessed with CrossFit to think about any other athletic pursuit. I sort of forgot about cycling. And then…. I got sick. When I suddenly lost my hearing and developed a vestibular disorder in 2014, basic movement became hard. Staircases were terrifying. Bending over to clip leashes on my dogs took all my bravery. And in the months of recovery, aided by a 10 | PEDAL
Struggling with even basic movement, I lost hearing and developed a vestibular disorder in Oct. 2014.
By Karla Margeson, Cascade Member & Guest Contributor
I was plagued with overwhelming fatigue and pain, taking ages to walk even short distances, often needing a hiking pole.
EVERY DAY I SIMPLY STROVE TO SURVIVE, TO KEEP AIR IN MY LUNGS LONG ENOUGH TO SEE ANOTHER DAY. TO HOPE I’D FIND ANSWERS, TO HOPE I’D FIND TREATMENT, TO HOPE I’D FIND PROGRESS. TO HOPE I’D EVEN FIND HOPE. hiking pole, walks to the end of my driveway, my block, and eventually my street became a day’s challenging work. My vestibular system and hearing recovered slowly, but other symptoms crept in: Overwhelming fatigue, a failing thyroid, plantar fascia inflammation, joint pain, muscle spasms, aching knots, tremors and more kept me from much activity. I felt desperate, broken, scared and alone. Athletic pursuit was the furthest thing from my mind. Every day I simply strove to survive, to keep air in my lungs long enough to see another day. To hope I’d find answers, to hope I’d find treatment, to hope I’d find progress. To hope I’d even find hope. Eventually, answers came. After nine months of shifting forms of serious disability, I tested positive for late-stage Lyme disease and was clinically diagnosed with Bartonella. These infections, it seems, had been festering in me for over 23 years, misdiagnosed all along as migraines, arthritis, asthma, carpal tunnel, multiple sclerosis, labyrinthitis, Hashimoto’s, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue
syndrome, anxiety disorder, depression and more. In truth, a bug bite I got at home in Bellevue, Wash. at the age of 9 (1992) was the start of what will now be a lifelong battle for my health. Armed with answers, I tracked down an International Lyme And Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) doctor and I began antibiotic treatment. I changed my diet. I embraced a squeaky clean lifestyle. I did my emotional housekeeping. And I just… plugged… away. Four or so months in, I started to see progress. The nosebleeds stopped first. Then some of the pain. My eyesight got more consistent. I started to have more energy. I began to sleep through the night. Month after month, my symptom list got shorter. In the spring of 2016, I was well enough to try dating. And the boy I fell for… was a cyclist. All of a sudden, all the things I’d longed to love were up close. We went for a handful of rides together… my first since I was a kid. I’d ache for days afterward, but my heart was flying. PEDAL | 11
Shortly into the season, he was biking distances I couldn’t, and I became his cheerleader. In July 2016 on the morning of STP, I kissed him goodbye at my doorstep at 5 a.m. I met him at the finish line about 16 hours later. I cried and cried when he crossed. I felt alive, electric and full of love for everything surrounding me that day. Sometimes I wonder if maybe that day meant even more to me than it did him. Dreams were growing inside me. I wondered more than once, standing at that finish line, whether I might someday be able to accomplish such a feat. Just a few weeks later, he and I parted ways. His dream of biological children — a goal that’s complicated by my illness — was just too important to risk, and he arrived at my doorstep to tell me I “wasn’t worth the sacrifice.” That was the last time I was in love. In my aching heart, I realized that much of what I missed (besides partnership and love in general) was bicycles! But the season was turning cold and dark. And I was distracted with house shopping. I resolved that as soon as life — and my body — would let me, I’d learn to be a badass lady cyclist.
Above: My first STP experience, rooting on my then-boyfriend at the finish festival. Below: After testing positive for late stage Lyme disease and diagnosed with Bartonella, I began antibiotic treatment, changed my diet and embraced a squeaky clean lifestyle.
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My house shopping was ill-fated. I purchased a newer townhome in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle, and after two and a half weeks, I was forced to flee, due to the discovery and exposure of toxic mold in the attic. Because mycotoxins released by mold bind to surfaces of all kinds, I left all my belongings behind. Every. Single. Thing. And the only one that made me cry that day… was the loss of my bike, which I left in what felt like a pile of shattered dreams.
I STILL DON’T KNOW WHETHER I’LL FINISH CTS, IF I’LL MAKE IT TO STP OR IF I’LL CROSS THE FINISH LINE. BUT I KNOW I’M AT THE START OF SOMETHING REALLY GREAT.
After a few months wasted over pursuit of restoration, I resettled in a vintage apartment in Capitol Hill. I moved in with a single set of uncontaminated clothes, a sleeping bag, and a Christmas tree. Eight days later, I bought a bike. I started out with a couple of easy rides. One alone on the Burke-Gilman Trail. Another, a Tinder date with a very patient Russian cyclist. And in February — rainy, cold February — I started riding with Cascade Bicycle Club in the Getting Ready to Ride series (GR2R). High on the excitement of having finished my first GR2R ride, I ambitiously and excitedly signed up for the Cascade Training Series (CTS) — a 13-week training program that would begin immediately following GR2R. With maybe 40 aggregated miles under my belt as an adult, I was reaching for the program that would take me to my first century.
Above: My sidekick. Below: A group shot of one of Cascade's Getting Ready to Ride trips.
The GR2R series was all over the map. Every single week was my longest, hardest, scariest ride. I went my first 15 miles, then 20 and finally 25. I climbed my first hills. I tackled my first switchbacks. I stretched for the faster-pace group. I got left behind. I learned to change a flat tire. I cried. I laughed. I made new friends. I wondered whether I’d be fit enough and fast enough and have enough endurance to actually participate in CTS. My ride leaders kept telling me I was ready, in spite of my slow pace and shaky self-confidence. April 8, 2017, I arrived at Cascade for our first CTS ride. I tied my yellow ribbon to my helmet and nervously made my way through the crowd to my selected pace group, Yellow 7. I reminded myself over and over that it was OK to get dropped
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to Yellow 8. It was OK to get left behind completely. It was OK to quit this series altogether if I needed to. My faith in my body, it seemed, was in no way restored. I rode 25 miles with my new group that day. I rode at the front of the group. I even climbed the switchbacks among the fastest of them. And at the end of that long afternoon, I loaded my bicycle onto the back of my car smiling ear to ear. I was doing it! At home that night, I registered for the Kaiser Permanente STP presented by Alaska Airlines. “This isn’t a commitment to actually do it,” I reassured myself, “but I have a spot if I can.” Top: Taking a rest during one of my rides on the Burke-Gilman Trail. Bottom: All smiles during the Cascade Training Series.
A few weeks later, I booked my hotel at the finish line and my train ticket home. Little by little, my confidence was building. At the time that I’m writing this, I’m four weeks into CTS. I am in the saddle three, sometimes four days a week. Last week I rode an aggregate 97 miles. This week, I’ll do my first half century. Every ride is still my longest, hardest, scariest ride. I’m nervous every single time I get geared up. I spend hours on the Burke-Gilman Trail practicing skills others long ago mastered: taking my hands off the handlebars, signaling, stopping, dismounting, starting again. Every day I wake up, and one way or another, I support my goal. I still don’t know whether I’ll finish CTS, if I’ll make it to STP or if I’ll cross the finish line. But I know I’m at the start of something really great. And if I do cross that finish line on Sunday, July 16, 2017 — on my two-year anniversary of treating late-stage Lyme disease — I’ll consider this body of mine reclaimed. And I just might finally call myself… a badass lady cyclist.
Editor’s note: At the time of publication, Karla is well into her CTS training and doing well. All signs point to a strong finish at the STP.
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By Rich Brown, Major Taylor Project Manager & Eugene Pak, Major Taylor Project Coordinator
“FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR, TO SEE SOMEONE LIKE MAJOR TAYLOR DO SOMETHING NONTRADITIONAL AND UNIMAGINABLE IS IMPORTANT.” – DR. RAYBURN LEWIS, PROGRAM CO-FOUNDER & CASCADE BOARD MEMBER
M A J O R TAY L O R
PR O J E C T TURNS 10 Ten years ago, Cascade Bicycle Club set out to address the lack of diversity in bicycling. With a conversation sparked by then-King County Executive Ron Sims, the insight and direction of Ed Ewing, thenMarketing Director and Coach at Cycle University, and direction of thenCascade Executive Director Chuck Ayers, Cascade launched a new initiative called the Major Taylor Project (MTP). Named after Marshall “Major” Taylor, the first African-American cyclist to win an international sports title, even from its inception, the Major Taylor Project was more than just a bike club; it was an initiative changing the inequities in our society. “The history of Major Taylor himself is an important piece,” said Dr. Rayburn Lewis, one of the founders of the program who is involved to this day. “For people of color, to see someone do something nontraditional and unimaginable is important.”
The first MTP crew who rode STP in 2009. From left to right:
Major Taylor Project uses the bicycle as a tool to bring social change, transformation and empowerment, and to enrich participants’ lives.
Back row Bethany Tate (Teacher, Evergreen High School), Raj Sidhu (Global Connections HS), Bhawan Khangura (Global Connections HS), AJ Campanelli (Teacher, Global Connections HS), Anu Ani (Global Connections HS), Ray McCullah (Global Connections HS), Daniel Harm (MTP Ride Leader/ Pro Bike Racer/Creative Professional) Middle row Nubia Moreno (Global Connections HS), Lisa Doan (Evergreen HS), Fabian Silva Martinez (Evergreen HS), Danielle Rose (MTP AmeriCorps Volunteer) Front row Moises Torres (Global Connections HS), Linda Ba (Evergreen HS) Courtesy of Timothy Aguero Photography
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THE BEGINNING While working at Cycle U, Ed Ewing received a call from Chuck Ayers inviting him to breakfast. That breakfast meeting — with Chuck, Dr. Rayburn Lewis and Dr. John Vassall, plus Ron’s staffers Karen Wolf and Rod Brandon — was the catalyst for the Major Taylor Project, with the program concept all sketched out on a napkin. “It started out as a real honest conversation,” said Ed, remembering Ron saying he was “shocked” by the low numbers of diverse riders.
“IT STARTED OUT AS A REAL HONEST CONVERSATION.” –ED EWING, FORMER MAJOR TAYLOR PROJECT DIRECTOR
“Chuck came with an open mind,” recollected Ed. “He realized that Cascade wasn’t serving communities and people of color.” With support from King County Metro and Group Health Cooperative, Cascade began a pilot program that launched at Global Connections High School in Seatac and at the YES! Foundation in White Center, with Ed as the Director. “It was easy to identify where we should start, because Seattle is so segregated,” he said. The program did well “in places where the community leaders stepped up,” reflected Chuck Ayers. Leaders like Rick Harwood, principal at Global Connections and Pat Thompson, Executive Director of the YES! Foundation of White Center, were integral in making the program successful. “I want this at my school,” Rick said when Ed first told him about the program. And six months later, students were meeting for afterschool riding clubs. Similarly, Pat said: “When do we start? I want this. I want to start a bike movement in White Center.” Initially, it was Ed covering all the roles for the project, but very soon he would establish a team to support the initiative. Daniel Harm, who now works as a Professional Creative in Seattle, joined the team as the first MTP Ride Leader. Daniel recalled that one of his jobs was to find safe routes for the rides, which was a challenge. “Global [Connections] was difficult being surrounded by freeways and arterials,” he remembered.
Major Taylor Project founders from left to right: King County Executive Ron Sims; Cascade Bicycle Club Executive Director Chuck Ayers; Major Taylor Project Director Ed Ewing; Dr. John Vassall, Swedish Hospital; Cascade board member Dr. Rayburn Lewis, Swedish Hospital.
Another valuable addition to the team was Danielle Rose, the first MTP AmeriCorps Volunteer, who took on curriculum development, volunteer coordination and logistics. Daniel and Danielle were just the beginning of building the community, the culture, the family of the MTP legacy. PEDAL | 17
Moises Torres from Global Connections High School in SeaTac at the 2010 STP. Moises arrived in Portland ahead of everyone else that year (by more than three hours!), and had an idea to wait for his fellow riders at the University of Portland, so everyone could finish together. MTP continues this tradition of re-grouping at the University, crossing the finish line together every year.
Jaden Smith, a sophomore at Foss High School tests out an adaptive bike. Jaden later got on a two wheeled bike, and now he rides his own bike; all in one MTP season! One of the program’s goals in the next five years is to serve more students with adaptive cycling needs.
Courtesy of Eugene Pak Justin La, a senior at Franklin High School, competes in the 2016 Woodland Park GP cyclocross race. Justin also plans to ride the 2017 STP in one day.
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SETTING THE BAR HIGH Each year a group of MTP students take part in the Kaiser Permanente STP presented by Alaska Airlines. And this year, 10 students will be riding it in one day. Justin La, a senior at Franklin High School, said he wants to do STP in one day because it only happens once a year. “If I were hoping to challenge myself for STP, [I] might as well challenge myself all the way,” he said. STP is a metaphor. It helps show the students what could be, what can be, and what else is out there. This is where you can go. You don’t have to do this, but you can do this. And during the journey, a lot of questions come up. Ed described STP as a shift in thinking. Instead of: “Do you want to ride a bike?”; it’s: “What kind of bike do you want to ride?”
We are breaking that cycle. MTP Ride Leader Ricky Rodriguez describes MTP as a good kind of Trojan Horse: “It rolls into the community, and there’s so much goodness that comes out of it.” The 2016 STP was the most memorable MTP moment for Ed, he said. “It wasn’t just the 70 students, or community support or the 50 volunteers… it was the culmination of all of that. I was most proud of the Major Taylor staff, past Major Taylor staff, and current CBC staff members who just wanted to be a part of it, part of the MTP family. For me, personally, seeing all that happen was a reflection of how I live my life, an affirmation of how my parents raised me.”
“I REALIZED THAT IF YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO IT, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.” –NAJMA ALI, RAINIER BEACH HIGH
And each student takes away their own memorable moments from their experience.
For Najma Ali, a junior at Rainier Beach High School, she was inspired to ride a bike “by life in general, I realized that if you put your mind to it, anything is possible.” As a Muslim woman, she said she feels the limits society tries to impose, but believes “there are no limits, no matter if you're black or white.”
SCHOOL JUNIOR
And from bikes, this thinking spreads to other parts of life. Instead of: “Do you want to go to college?”; it’s “What college do you want to go to?” Many students don’t have everyday support and high expectations in their life. Over 90% of MTP participants are youth of color and a number of them are immigrants, navigating a society that isn't set up for them to inherently succeed.
“In life you just got to pedal uphill, on the bicycle it's the same,” she said. “Life has its ups and downs, but there will always be a downhill, then a sense of relief and peace."
W H AT ’ S N E X T F O R T H E M A J O R TAY L O R P R O J E C T ? The program will continue to deepen relationships in our region with the goal of bicycling for all. This fall, we’re excited to be launching MTP at Chief Leschi, a Native American tribal school in the Puyallup Valley. And over the next five years, the goal is to go statewide and work with new audiences such as students with adaptive cycling needs, youth who are at-risk, in juvenile courts and alternative schools. We will also continue to seek partnerships in the communities that we serve to support the program's growth.
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B E PA R T O F T H E M A J O R TAY L O R P R O J E C T VOLUNTEER
DONATE YOUR BIKE
Without volunteers we wouldn’t be able to keep the dream and project alive. We have year-round volunteers that commit to support after school bicycle clubs rain or shine (usually rain). Some volunteers help with the maintenance of our 200+ bicycle fleet; others ride all the way from Seattle to Portland with students, and help with the logistics of running the project. The Major Taylor Project isn’t a typical volunteer role; it becomes a way of life. Volunteers have the opportunity to pass along their cycling torch for youth to enjoy. The high seasons for volunteers are usually in the fall/spring for bike club and the summer for STP.
Do you have any bicycles or gear that is in good working condition to donate to MTP? Drop by the Cascade Bicycling Center (7787 62nd Ave NE, Seattle) during business hours, and bring your bicycle back to life in the hands of an MTP student!
Consider joining the Major Taylor Project family! Once you're in, you won’t want to leave! Volunteer opportunities can be found online at cascade.org/volunteer or by emailing Rich Brown at richb@cascade.org.
GIVE TO MTP Your donations make our work possible. You can donate online at cascade.org/givemtp.
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS Thanks to King County Metro, who provided the seed funding for the Major Taylor Project. Kaiser Permanente Washington (previously Group Health) has been a sponsor of the Major Taylor Project since its inception. Redline Bicycles donated the first Major Taylor Project fleet a decade ago, which we have just decommissioned and are fixing up to give to students. This year, Amazon and Diamondback donated bicycles for our newest fleet as we expand into other schools around the Seattle region. Clif Bar has donated thousands of bars, consumed by countless MTP students over the years. Nuun has kept the MTP students hydrated and cramp-free. And this year, Kaiser Permanente is supporting the MTP STP one-day riders with additional support from Wahoo Fitness, who donated gear to support the riders.
M T P S E A S O N
2015/2016 MTP SEASON
500 students at 14 schools 147,300* Miles ridden 25,520** Clif Bars eaten 9,470,000 Calories burned 2016/2017 MTP SEASON •
16 schools in Seattle & Tacoma
•
60 students plan to ride 2017 STP
•
10 students plan to ride 2017 STP in one day
*Almost 6 times the circumference of the earth **3200 lbs.
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Courtesy of Eugene Pak Clockwise from top right: Generations of MTP leadership. Ed Ewing (left), former Major Taylor Project Director, with Rich Brown (right), current Major Taylor Project Manager; Najma Ali, a junior at Rainier Beach High School, rides at the 2017 Ride for Major Taylor Project. Najma was inspired to ride a bike “by life in general,” she said. “I realized that if you put your mind to it, anything is possible.”; Mud splatter at the 2016 MFG Cyclocross Race. Rafael Ramos, from Global Connections High School, at the 2010 STP. Rafael continues to support the program by riding with MTP on STP.
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BICYCLING FOR ALL
Let's Go & Get Adaptive! By Rachel Osias, Youth Programs Manager
It’s late March. The sky is overcast, the air is crisp and conducive of goosebumps. As I maneuver my way towards the main office of Green Lake Elementary, I notice that traffic is light, and the street is uncrowded. As I near the building entrance, I can hear students’ voices and laughter within, while silent productivity falls on the city outside. About two months prior I joined the Cascade Bicycle Club staff as their new Youth Programs Manager, overseeing programs both within and beyond the scope of Washington state education standards. On this particular day in March, my new position aligned me with the opportunity to observe something radically new within Cascade’s Youth Programming — the ‘Let’s Go’ elementary adaptive programming pilot. In pursuing Cascade’s mission of improving lives through bicycling, Cascade has partnered with numerous physical education teachers, community organizers, city administrators and active transportation advocates to re-create a bicycle and pedestrian safety curriculum titled ‘Let’s Go’. This unique third to fifth grade curriculum explores the intersections of physical health and wellness with active transportation and safety techniques using the bicycle as the tool. Cascade’s education department strategically partnered with four different school districts in and around Seattle to implement this curriculum and to foster life long active transportation enthusiasts for generations to come. The 2016-2017 academic year not only marked the re-launch of this unique curriculum (as it was adapted from Cascade’s Basics of Bicycling physical education curriculum), but also the first ever launch of an adaptive programming pilot within Seattle Public Schools. Cascade’s education team has been working in partnership with Seattle Public Schools special education staff and the staff of Outdoors For All (OFA), to recreate the ‘Let’s Go’ curriculum. With built-in modifications, adaptations and specialized bicycling materials, it now supports access and equity for students with special cognitive and/or physical needs. In order to meet the needs of students with severeto-moderate disabilities, each member of the tri-organization teaching team is part of differentiating the curriculum, 22 | PEDAL
including the classroom teacher, physical therapists, occupational therapists, adapted physical education specialists, Cascade and OFA staff, and the parents/ guardians. The adaptive pilot program saw a successful and educational year in three uniquely different Seattle Public elementary schools with the inclusion of unique and modified cycling equipment from OFA. As we look forward to the upcoming 2017-2018 academic year in Seattle Public Schools, I am excited by our dedication, hard work, and commitment to supporting all students in healthy, active and joyful lives. Using the detailed feedback from the staff and families of all three partnering Seattle pilot schools, we are eager to continue pursuing deep and meaningful education for youngsters using the bike as a tool for transformation. This adaptive program is unlike any of its kind, and can easily be overlooked in large, pressurized academic systems. Typical physical education curriculums are narrow in scope, and only accessible for a specific student demographic. Cascade’s adaptive program aims to break out of the confines of these standards into the realm of specialized equipment, lessons and teaching strategies. Seattle Public Schools, Outdoors For All and the members of Cascade Bicycle Club should feel proud to be engaged with such justice-oriented, imaginative and heart-centric work. To learn more about the progress of this project, or any of the other unique educational programs ignited and led by Cascade’s team, please visit cascade.org/learn.
Seattle Public School students in the adaptive programming practice safe street crossing techniques. Photo courtesy of Toni Bader, Adapted Physical Education Specialist.
BIKING COMMONALITIES
WHY WE RIDE By Brent Tongco, Senior Director of Communications & Marketing With Vicky Clarke, East King County Policy Manager & Nicki Everett, Volunteer Coordinator
Everyone has a unique story and introduction to Cascade Bicycle Club. It could be from participating in a Free Group Ride or registering for Kaiser Permanente STP presented by Alaska Airlines. Maybe you first were introduced to Cascade through our work advocating around the Missing Link or Bellevue’s Bike Network. Maybe you brought your child to one of our summer camp classes or you learned maintenance or volunteered for the Major Taylor Project. Whatever your introduction to Cascade, each person falls in love with biking in their own way.
Why do you love to ride a bike? Nicki I love the freedom that it brings, freedom from a car, traffic and just an extended world of possibilities for fun. It also creates so many new possibilities. It extends my recreation world beyond simply walking and hiking, and I can travel and explore more than just a few miles beyond my home. I also have exercise-induced asthma, and it’s a great form of exercise that lets me push myself without inducing an asthma attack. Vicki There’s something magic about the moment I land on my seat, lean my weight forward, hook my handlebars with my thumbs, and start rolling. I just start smiling on the inside — and usually the outside. It’s me time — for me to be a kid on an adventure again, to breathe in and take in the world, and stop thinking about my to-do list for once!
We sat down with two of our (newer) hires Nicki Everett and Vicky Clarke, and asked them a few questions on how they got into riding and their first Cascade-organized ride.
What type of biking do you normally do? Nicki As a fairly new rider, I’m trying a little bit of everything! I mainly started because I wanted to be able to bike around town, but I’m finding I enjoy recreational weekend riding the most. So mostly I wait for those rainfree days and then try and do sight seeing from my bike.
Vicky rewarding herself at the end of Valley River Ride.
Vicky I’m a regular bike commuter and have been for years. I recently moved to a home close to the Burke-Gilman Trail in Seattle, and I have a pretty regular “ride the Burke-Gilman to brunch in Fremont” routine going right now, too. 24 | PEDAL
What made you fall in love with biking? Is that still the reason why you ride today?
Nicki I started biking as a way to get in some exercise while reducing the amount of time I spend in a car, but I didn’t really fall in love until I did my first ride up in the Skagit Valley. I realized it was OK to take my time and simply enjoy the views (and the fact that it’s completely flat helped as well). Being able to see the farms,
the views and the community at bike pace was just a totally different experience than driving through. I also fell in love with the ability to pull over and stop anywhere I wanted to check out, which led me to stop in at places I never would have explored if I’d been driving through. Vicky Practicality is where it all started. A decade ago, I commuted to work every day across London, and I discovered that my bike commute was 10 minutes faster than my 50-minute transit commute. So biking won out, and I got in the habit. It took me a while to realize the impact biking had on my personal happiness, which is what’s really bonded me to biking long-term. It took someone else pointing that out though. Still in London, my commuter bike was stolen. My boss at the time quickly swooped in with a loaner and pointed out that he knew it made me happier to ride (was I a less cranky person when I biked? Probably!). That was the first time I really connected those dots.
What was your first Cascade ride?
What was your favorite experience about the ride? Nicki The after party! It was SO much fun. The last few miles of Bike-n-Brews there was a viciously unforgiving headwind, but when I finally made it to the end it was such a celebration that I knew I’d be back, and it was all worth it. Food, drinks and live music? And everyone I met that day was SO friendly, encouraging and non-judgemental. Vicky Completing my first ride that wasn’t a function of getting from A to B left me with a sense of accomplishment that can’t be reached on a short ride to brunch or the library. By mile 25 I got it: Oh, this is an endurance event! I’m doing a sport!
Do you see a connection between your everyday riding and event rides? Nicki Since I spend most of my time on a bike doing recreational weekend rides, I definitely see the connection. My goal now is to get my weekend rides to look more like the event rides, in terms of having real destinations and exploration time. I loved that the Wine Ride allowed me to find new wineries and other places I hadn’t previously explored.
Nicki My first ride was the Bike-nBrews, which was sort of accidental. I had intended to do the Woodinville Nicki on her daily commute. Wine Ride as my first ride, because it was further out in the schedule, and I wanted more time to be ready for my first (long-for-me) ride. But then I was available for Bike-n- Vicky I think the event made me a better everyday rider, Brews, and it was all flat, so I convinced a friend to ride with and helped expand my playlist of places to go and people to ride with. My husband did the ride with me, and we've me and jumped right in (also, beer). started to ride together on the weekend for exercise and Vicky I rode the Valley River Ride this April. I chose it to counterbalance our desk jobs. Riding together and because it was billed as a flat ride (it was!), and it went on communicating about traffic or obstacles on the ride, a few regional trails. My job at Cascade is to advocate for which we first had to do together on the Cascade ride, is an policies and funding that create safe places for people to interesting new way to connect with one another! bike, including trails. From my work I know that each trail has a unique character, and I was eager to explore and get to know these trails, which I did!
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UPCOMING CASCADE PROGRAMS, EVENTS & RIDES Visit us online at cascade.org for details about our offerings!
7/ 1 5 - 7/ 1 6
8/18 - 8/19
Tour Lite Walla Walla 7/ 7
7/ 2 9 - 8 / 5
several offerings for youth ages 6- 15 7/ 1 - 8 / 3 1
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8/28
9/ 2 4
10/7 - 10/9
Cascade puts on Free Group Rides every day of the year, and more than 2,600 rides annually, with over 25,000 participants on these rides! All fun. All year long. All types of rides. All styles of riders. From leisurely 10-mile jaunts to 100-mile endurance rides, our rides begin all over the Puget Sound region.
AROUND THE STATE
There’s no shortage of bicycling events all across the state of Washington. For a comprehensive list, take a look at our online calendar at cascade.org/calendar. Here’s a handpicked selection of a few cool events across the state over the next three months. J U LY
7/8
Wheels to Meals - St. Leo Food Connection - Puyallup
7/27
RAMROD - Redmond Cycling Club - Mt. Rainier
7/29
Snohomish Ride to Defeat ALS - Snohomish
7/29
Woodinville CF Cycle for Life - Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - Woodinville
7/30
Route Canal Ride (aka Tour De Kitsap) - West Sound Cycling Club - Kitsap County
7/30
Alleyfest Cycle Celebration - Valleyfest - Spokane Valley
AUGUST
8/5
Tour de Lavender - Sequim Lavender Farmers Association - Sequim
8/5
8 Lakes Leg Aches - Lutheran Social Services - Spokane
8/5
Blazing Saddles Bike Ride - Rotary Club of Colville - Colville
8/6
Ride the Hurricane - Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce - Port Angeles
8/12
8/11 - 8/13
Tri-Cities CF Cycle for Life - Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - Tri-Cities Obliteride - Seattle
8/13
Bike for Pie - Squeaky Wheels - Bainbridge Island
8/18 - 8/20
Gigantic Bicycle Festival - The Levee Breaking - Snoqualmie
8/19
Tour de Lentil - WSU Cycling Club - Pullman
8/19
Reform: Ride for Refugees - Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center and Refugee Resettlement Services - Silverdale
Chuckanut Classic - Mount Baker Bike Club - Bellingham
8/27
SEPTEMBER Passport to Pain - Vashon Island Rowing Club - Vashon Island
9/9
9/9 - 9/10
9/10
Spokefest - SpokeFest Association - Spokane
9/17
Cycle the Wave - WAVE Foundation - Bellevue
9/23
Coeur d’Fondo - North Idaho Centennial Trail Foundation - Coeur d’Alene, ID
9/30
Reach the Beach Washington - American Lung Association - Multiple cities to West Port
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MS 150 Deception Pass Classic - Bike MS - Skagit County
RIDE AROUND
By Meghna Jaradi, Cascade Event Producer
WASHINGTON TOP 5 DESTINATIONS
Something about travel has always enchanted me. Most of my childhood summers were a loose jumble of long-haul trans-Pacific flights and chaotic road trips with the entire family crammed into the back of a minivan, but the sense of wonder that came with being in a new place always, always outweighed any treachery it took to get to our destination. So, to say that I’m biased when I proclaim that Ride Around Washington (RAW) is my favorite event of the season would be a bit of an understatement. Since the inception of the ride in 1999, RAW has offered a unique experience that gives participants the opportunity to immerse themselves in rotating routes full of slow-rolling adventure. Throughout the week, our team of rockstar event staff, super-volunteers and experienced catering crew support a group of 250 people on bikes, over 300-500 miles of scenic Washington country roads, and several overnight camping stops. It’s a vacation that is just as much about the journey as it is about the destination. I’ve been won over by the communities that we’ve visited, and even though they’re all right here in Washington, the RAW experience makes it so easy to feel like you’re a world away from home. Read on to check out our Top 5 destinations (in no particular order)... 30 | PEDAL
MARYHILL, WA YEARS VISITED 2000 Oysters to Onions, 2006 Splitting the Middle, 2007 Oysters to Onions, 2013 Pines to Vines, 2015 Roll On Columbia COUNTY Klickitat N O TA B L E A R E A H I G H L I G H T S Stonehenge Memorial replica, Maryhill Museum BICYCLING HIGHLIGHTS Epic views pedaling along the Columbia Gorge and a rewarding car-free climb up Maryhill Loops Road Maryhill is in the middle of the historic Columbia River highway — the best route to tour the expansive Columbia Gorge — known for a helpful tailwind. Our stop-in’s in Maryhill have a special treat. Most cyclists have heard of the Old Spiral Highway in Lewiston, Idaho, a frequent host of bike races famous for its 64 curves and 2000 feet of elevation change over eight miles. Well, we’ll do you one better. Maryhill, Wash. is home to Maryhill Loops Road, the first macadam asphalt-paved road in the Pacific Northwest. Formerly a test track paved in the early 1900s and now owned and refurbished by Maryhill Museum of Art, it rises 850 feet in a series of 25 curves (eight hairpin turns) at a grade of five percent. The best part? It’s completely closed to motorized traffic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. most days, admission is free, and it’s just up the road from our usual campsite, Maryhill State Park.
Courtesy of Barbara McClinton
When riders aren’t coasting down this cyclist’s dream, they can dip their toes into the water and catch breathtaking view of the Columbia River, dotted by windsurfers and framed by the Sam Hill Memorial Bridge. Personal favorites were our visits to Maryhill Winery (also gracious hosts of our group) and picking up juicy, local stone fruit from the adjacent farm stand. PEDAL | 31
WALLA WALLA, WA YEARS VISITED 2000 Oysters to Onions, 2004 The Palouse, 2007 Oysters to Onions, 2015 Roll On Columbia, 2016 Pedaling the Inland Empire COUNTY Walla Walla N O TA B L E A R E A H I G H L I G H T S An abundance of wineries & tasting rooms, Whitman College and the historic Whitman Mission BICYCLING HIGHLIGHTS Quiet roads through rolling fields and vineyards galore With a population of almost 32,000, Walla Walla is one of the bigger “small towns” we’ve visited. On our way into town via scenic State Route 12, riders meandered through rolling hills of lush farmland and vineyards, peppered with famous Walla Walla sweet onions for sale and signs directing travelers into a smattering of wine tasting rooms. In years past, we’ve been lucky enough to have Cougar Crest Winery open their doors to riders, where they could take a quick break and indulge in refreshing tasting flights to fuel the last 10 miles in the final leg of RAW 2015. Regardless of when we’re arriving or where we end up camping, the day must be started out at Ice-Burg Drive-In for a hand mixed shake and finished in the quaint downtown core for a mellow evening of cheese plates (check out Brasserie Four!), live music and of course — more wine! In the spirit of connecting with the community, we also invited local bike club the Wheatland Wheelers to ride out with us on the first day of RAW 2017 — if you’re ever in the area, keep an eye out for their ice cream rides or the Ann Weatherill Cycling Classic.
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METALINE FALLS, WA YEARS VISITED 2002 The Forgotten Corner, 2016 Pedaling the Inland Empire, 2017 Taking the High Road COUNTY Pend Oreille N O TA B L E A R E A H I G H L I G H T S The historic Cutter Theater, nearby Boundary Dam (operated by Seattle City Light), Box Canyon, and the noticeable lack of “falls” BICYCLING HIGHLIGHTS The International Selkirk Loop Trail The Metaline Falls area is the perfect jumping off point for bicycling the International Selkirk Loop, encompassing two states, two countries and 280 miles of low-traveled roads and scenic views. It encompasses much of what typifies many of our overnights in small town Washington — a population diminishing as families choose to move to bigger towns, but rich with a sense of history and place, extremely friendly and accommodating locals, and the distinct feeling that you’ve taken a step back in time. The Cutter Theater — originally the Metaline School — was built in 1912, and is where our riders got to pitch their tents for the final night of RAW 2016 before heading home. Wandering through the two-story, brick structure designed by Kirtland Cutter (who also designed Spokane’s Davenport Hotel and Seattle’s Rainier Club), you can’t help but admire the polished original floors, and lose yourself in the 100-year-old portraits of graduating classes of years past. During RAW last year, Metaline Falls Mayor Tara Leininger got into character in old-timey garb and narrated the boom and bust history of the town.
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PORT ANGELES, WA YEARS VISITED 2005 Closing the Loop — Olympic Peninsula, 2014 Olympic Peninsula & Coast
COUNTY Jefferson
N O TA B L E A R E A H I G H L I G H T S Gateway to the Olympic National Park, Lavender and the Blackball Line Ferry to Victoria, B.C. BICYCLING HIGHLIGHTS The Olympic Discovery Trail, Hurricane Ridge We might not come out to Port Angeles often, but it has consistently been a rider favorite — although I’d like to think it has more to do with the town itself than with the fact that it’s typically a rest day. Coming in and out of town, participants cruise along a portion of the almost 130 miles of scenic Olympic Discovery Trail. We leave a (literally) breathtaking optional climb up to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park for the rest day, where riders are rewarded with a view from the top. If that’s not your cup of tea, there are other equally scenic loop rides available out to Port Angeles’ beaches and the Salt Creek Tidepools. The town of Port Angeles itself is the largest on the Olympic Peninsula, with a rich history of fishing and logging. The quaint downtown offers an Underground Tour of Historic Port Angeles and homemade pasta a la Twilight, or enjoy a smooth porter or a hoppy IPA at local Barhop Brewing. When we visited in 2014, the Mayor of Port Angeles even met us for a pint!
TWISP, WA YEARS VISITED 1999 Inaugural RAW, 2003 Follow the Sun, 2009 Highway 20 Revisited, 2017 Taking the High Road
COUNTY Okanogan
N O TA B L E A R E A H I G H L I G H T S Year-round outdoor recreation destination for hiking, skiing, snowboarding, and bicycling, nearby Loup Loup Pass BICYCLING HIGHLIGHTS Sweeping views and challenging terrain of the North Cascades Highway Founded in the last decade of the 1800s, the town of Twisp previously grew in the wake of a mining and logging boom but has continued to thrive since the opening of the historic North Cascades Highway 20 in 1972. In 2014, the North Cascades Highway was also designated as US Bicycle Route 10 (USBR 10), Washington’s first interstate bike route in the nationwide US Bicycle Route System. The town is located at the confluence of the Twisp and Methow rivers, and is a year-around paradise that offers abundant sunshine, generous snowfall and plenty of wildlife viewing. Nowadays Twisp is no stranger to people on bikes passing through — it’s a popular stopping off point for those traveling along this section of the Adventure Cycling Association’s Northern Tier cross-country route, speckled with microbrews, baked goods (Cinnamon “Twisps”), and a burgeoning artist community. Local nonprofit Twisp Works is just up the road from our shady, riverside campsite near Wagner Memorial Pool. Their work focuses on increasing the economic vitality of the Methow Valley through agriculture, education, technology, arts and culture, letting our riders in on a little local flavor while they’re strolling through the gardens, listening to live music or purchasing art from local vendors. 34 | PEDAL
WE ARE B ICYCLI NG FOR ALL