September 2014 / Vol. 44 No. 9 cascade.org

improving lives throughbicycling

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Justice for Caleb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg . 3

RSVP recap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg . 5

Pronto test ride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg . 6

Q&A with Scott Kubly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg . 8

Board canidates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg . 10

IN THIS ISSUE:

Second Avenue through down-town Seattle has seen more than 60 bike crashes in the last four years, according to the Seattle Depart-ment of Transportation (SDOT). One of the leading cycling research-ers in the country, John Pucher, found the bike lane “extremely dan-gerous.” But things are slated to change. Pronto Cycle Share will

launch in October, and thanks to the leadership of Mayor Ed Murray and SDOT’s hardworking staff, one of Seattle’s worst streets to ride on is now being transformed into down-town Seattle’s first protected bike lane. Protected bike lanes physically separate bikes from fast moving traffic. They make it much more comfortable for the 60 percent of people that want to ride their bikes more, but don’t feel safe on many bike routes.

Second Avenue, which is a one-way street southbound, will feature a 10-foot wide, two-way protected bike lane with a 3-foot buffer from vehicles. On blocks without left turns, the parking lane will provide seven feet of separation from mov-ing traffic. To make these improve-ments, the roadway will be recon-figured to have a dedicated bus lane, two through traffic lanes and a left turn lane. By reducing conflicts and clarifying everyone’s position on the roadway, all users will benefit. Cyclists and pedestrians will have a dedicated traffic signal to eliminate the left turn conflicts with cars that currently exist along the corridor.

The Second Avenue Protected Bike Lane will create a comfort-able, family-friendly route through downtown.

By moving quickly with a demon-stration project, SDOT can apply lessons learned and design improve-ments into the future protected bike lanes in the center city as identified in the new Bicycle Master Plan. Second Avenue is a great start but we will need to continue working to make sure convenient, comfort-able routes exist into and through downtown.

To get involved with Cascade’s work in Downtown Seattle, join the “Connect Downtown” team of car-ing neighbors and bicyclists work-ing to build a network of protected bike lanes in Seattle’s center city. Learn more at www.cascade.org/connectseattle

From worst to first: Seattle’s Second Avenue Protected Bike Lane Demonstration Project is a game changerBy Jeff Aken, Advocacy Director

More than 250 riders participated in the 16th annual Ride Around Washington bike tour in August, kicking off the four-year RAW cycle with great success. The riders were joined by a surprise guest on the second leg, when Governor Jay In-slee jumped in for the 65-mile ride between Port Townsend and Port Angeles. Even Cascade staff hadn’t expected the governor.

“I just received a voicemail the night before that he wanted to join and see what RAW is all about,” said event producer Peter Verbrugge. “It was a nice surprise.”

Inslee, an avid cyclist, spontane-ously jumped in when he heard that State Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson had registered for the ride but was unable to attend.

Inslee was among the first 50 rid-ers to complete that day’s route and thoroughly enjoyed it, calling it “the perfect ride”.

Gov . Inslee joins RAW, awards“The Washingtonian of the day award” to event producerBy Anne-Marije Rook, Communications Director

A test ride on the Pronto

Cycle Share Bike pg . 6

“With RAW, we are providing people with a great opportunity to see all Washington has to offer. In-slee was very excited about it,” said Verbrugge.

So excited that Inslee surprised Verbrugge with a “Washingtonian of the Day” award at the end of the afternoon.

Recognizing Verbrugge and RAW for making Washington a better place to live and visit, the award is symbolized with an apple pin.

“It was totally unexpected!” said Verbrugge. “And I can only accept it on behalf of all the wonderful staff and volunteers that work so hard on these events. But yes, it was a very nice, unexpected surprise.” Learn more about RAW and the RAW Cycle at www.cascade.org/RAW

Governor Inslee awarding Event Producer Peter Verbrugge with a “Washingtonian of the Day” pin

The protected bike lane and parking lane on Second Avenue will look similar to Dearborn Street in Chicago

www.cascade.org Improving Lives Through Bicycling

September 2014 Vol. 44, No. 9

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ValuesBy Elizabeth Kiker, Executive Director

In the mail, any day now, you will receive your very own copy of Cascade’s new strategic plan. This plan is the product of months (years!) of painstaking work with volunteers, members, board and staff of setting out what we want to do and how we will do it. It’s our first strategic plan since 2003, and we’re pleased with the results.

Visionary, bold, strong and thorough, this plan gives us an outline for how to work together to create the best region and club for bicycling in the world. The five goals and 10 objectives we’ve outlined, coupled with our values of Respect, Diversity & Inclusion, Tenacity, Collaboration and Transparency, are already transforming how we do work.

When we published a more in-depth and detailed annual report than we’ve ever done before in last month’s Courier; that is transparency. When we reach out to Washington Bikes and the clubs in the region to plan how to support each other better; Collaboration in the works. When we expand our Major Taylor program into more schools, partnering with a wider span of volunteers; Diversity and Inclusion. When we’re encouraging the finalization of the East Lake Sammamish Trail and urging Seattle to complete the Second Avenue Bike Lane this month; we’re being respectfully tenacious.

These values will be threaded through all the work we do in the coming months and years, and I encourage you to hold us accountable to them. The only way we’re going to continue to thrive as a volunteer-driven, member-led club is together.

Downtown to DefianceBy Diane Wiatr, Active Transportation Coordinator at the City of Tacoma Justice for Caleb

Case closedBy Tammy Shoop, Caleb Shoop’s mother

Not one death is acceptable, and not one death should go without a just outcomeBy Brock Howell, Policy & Government Affairs Manager

Keep us pedaling! Renew now at cascade .org/renew

Elizabeth showing SDOT’s new head, Scott Kubly, around the city

Best,

Elizabeth

It is hard to describe my son Ca-leb in just a few words. In high school he was an active member of the marching band, track and field and water polo team, and in his spare time also enjoyed volunteer-ing. He was a magnificent human being, with a heart of gold, who loved life and thrived on helping others. A few words cannot convey how proud we were of him, how much he enriched the lives of oth-ers around him, or how lost we are without him. Oh how we miss you, son.

My son Caleb was only 19 years old when he was struck by a truck on a crosswalk in Kenmore on March 18, 2014. According to the detective, he “did everything right”, stopped at the crosswalk, waited for cars in multiple lanes to come to a stop, but was hit by a car in the last lane who failed to stop. He sus-tained several fatal injuries, but lived another three days before he passed away. I spent those days in the hos-pital listening to his heartbeat as he lay in a coma, knowing this was the only sound I would ever hear from him again. Every fiber of my being prayed and hoped those beautiful eyes would just open and look at me, but we had been told there was no more hope. His girlfriend Bryn, my husband and I held his hand those final moments, as he took his last breaths, willing for his chest to rise again even as we watched the color leach from his face.

In the days and weeks to come, we drowned in our grief as we came to realize that we would never hold him again, hear his laughter, attend his wedding, hold his children. I still catch myself at night wait-ing for him to come home. Our grief is debilitating physically and emotionally and accompanied by a gnawing fear of how to survive his death. There is no refuge from this loss, no taking a break, no place we can go where we are not over-whelmed with the rubble that is left of our lives.

I would love to have been able to say that in the aftermath of this tragedy, grief was our only chore.

Instead, we found ourselves galva-nized into action with the rest of our community to improve safety in our city; wondered how we would pay the medical bills not covered by the driver’s minimal insurance policy; struggled to go back to work and care for our traumatized chil-dren; and waited to find out the outcome of his legal case. Months passed, and finally the verdict was out: the driver was fined only $175 dollars for failure to stop at a cross-walk. Case closed.

We were heartbroken. We have never meant the driver any harm, but feel our son’s death warrants a just outcome. We reached out to the community for answers as to why the Vulnerable User Law had not been used in his case. His case was reviewed by lawyers who stated it met the statute. We met with the City of Kenmore who decided that since the driver did not see Caleb on the crosswalk (because his view was blocked by the other cars stopped at the crosswalk) it did not constitute negligence. There will never be jus-tice for Caleb.

The City of Tacoma and Metro Parks Tacoma are excited to bring you the second Annual Downtown to Defiance, a bike, walk and roll event happening on Sunday, Sept. 28. The ride begins at Pt. Defiance Park and travels along almost seven miles of beautiful shoreline and Tacoma waterfront. Along the ride you can see gorgeous views of Mount Rainier, as well as the Olympic and Cascade Mountain Ranges. You can see also across the Sound to Vashon Island, with plenty of sailboats and the occasional orca whale in between.

The waterfront views are a Tacoma asset that is often underutilized on those passing by in motor vehicles. The city of Tacoma is trying to change this by closing the roadway to vehicle traffic for the Sunday Parkway and opening it to people to enjoy.

Open Streets events are happening throughout the country, from small towns like Missoula, Mont., to some of the largest cities in the U.S. like Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Portland, Ore.

Each event has its own style and Tacoma is emblematic of this. This

event first took place in 2013 to celebrate the creation of an interim trail connecting Pt. Defiance Park to Tacoma’s Water Walk. The theme turned out to be rain—and lots of it! Despite the weather, hundreds of people came down to take to the street and see what this event was all about.

“There were moments when it was raining so hard, I almost couldn’t see where I was going—but I had a smile on my face the whole way!” said Hannah Miner, event participant.

Miner was in good company with many of Tacoma’s bicycling groups making an appearance. The event had a Club Rider wave, hosted by the Tacoma Wheelman’s Bicycle Club; and a women’s only wave with the VeloFemmes. The Skid Kings, a vintage bike club riding pre WWII bicycles, did a modified route along Ruston Way to avoid elevation. And Tacoma’s Kidical Mass had an impressive showing with more than 100 kids and their parents riding a one-mile stretch to meet up with pirates at Pt. Ruston.

This year’s Downtown to Defiance will take place on Sunday, Sept. 28 from 8 a.m. to noon. Food trucks, entertainment, safety information and hundreds of fellow cyclists will await you at the start in Pt. Defiance Park. This event is free and open to the public, so bring your family and head down to Tacoma!Interested in riding the Sunday Park-ways? More info at www.metroparksta-coma.org/downtowntodefiance/

Downtown to Defiance: Sunday Parkways in TacomaSunday, Sept. 28

8 a.m. – Noon

Editor’s note: On March 18, 2014, 19-year-old Caleb Shoop was struck by a pickup truck while biking across a Kenmore crosswalk. Caleb died in the hospital a few days later. Caleb’s collision was one of three crosswalk incidents that occurred in Kenmore within just six days, and when Caleb’s parents went to seek justice, they did not get it. The driver was fined a mere $175 for failure to stop at a crosswalk. Now, Caleb’s parents are stepping up trying to improve road safety in their commu-nity, and seeking justice for their son.

Caleb Shoop’s death warrants a just outcome, but his family, friends and community are not going to get it.

The second tragedy is Cascade Bicycle Club, Washington Bikes, Feet First and other advocates suc-cessfully passed the Vulnerable User Law in 2011 to address this exact problem.

The Vulnerable User Law pro-vides prosecutors with a legal tool to hold drivers accountable for negligently causing a great or sub-stantial bodily harm or death of a pedestrian, bicyclist, motorcyclist or other vulnerable road user. Driv-ers who are successfully prosecuted can be penalized with a fine up to $5,000, license suspension, driver education and community service.

On his fateful night, Caleb was crossing a four-lane road while rid-ing his bike in a marked crosswalk. Cars in the first three lanes came to a complete stop for him. But in the final lane, despite the other stopped cars, the driver failed to stop and struck Caleb.

Under state law, drivers must stop for pedestrians, including bicyclists, crossing any marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. In ad-dition, when other cars are stopped at an intersection, other drivers can-not overtake and pass the stopped vehicles.

Negligence, the legal standard for the Vulnerable User Law to apply, essentially means doing something different than what a reasonably careful person would do under similar circumstances. The factual circumstances of failing to look and stop for a pedestrian at an intersec-tion should satisfy this legal stan-dard.

But the driver that struck Caleb also violated two relevant state laws. Failure to comply with actual state law should be more than enough by itself to constitute negligence.

John Duggan, a personal injury attorney for bicyclists and pedes-trians, agrees. After laying out the legal application of the Vulnerable

User Law in a memo to the the city of Kenmore’s prosecutor, he fin-ished:

“Yesterday you commented that the easy thing for you to do would be to charge [the driver] Mr. Tucker with violating the VUL, but that you cannot. This situation cries out for the use of VUL. It is not only the easy thing to do, it is the right thing to do. This horrible tragedy is ex-actly the situation envisioned when our legislature passed the VUL. The city of Kenmore has a duty to its citizens and to Caleb and his family to charge Mr. Tucker with a viola-tion of the VUL."

Unfortunately, we will not be able to change the decision of Ken-more’s prosecutor not to prosecute the driver.

That’s why Cascade is working with Washington Bikes, John Dug-gan, State Senator Adam Kline and others to educate city and county prosecuting attorneys and police officers about the Vulnerable User Law and when and how to apply it.

We are writing a letter to pros-ecutors across the state, working to make sure prosecutors can take a training on the Vulnerable User Law as part of their education re-quirements for their bar member-ship, and working to incorporate the Vulnerable User Law into train-ings for sheriffs and police officers.

Proper administration of the Vul-nerable User Law also requires coor-dination between police and prose-cutors. To make this a high priority for both, we will also need local elected officials to make the law a priority for their communities. So we will be working to educate city and county councilmembers across the region about this issue.

Both Seattle and Kenmore have adopted a goal of achieving zero pedestrian and bicyclist deaths or serious injuries as the result of a ve-hicle collision. Not one death is ac-ceptable, and not one death should go without a just outcome. With proper enforcement of the Vulner-able User Law, we can get a little closer to those goals.

Elizabeth Kiker and family at last year’s event

Kirkland Greenways and Lakecity Greenways are hosting a Memorial ride for Caleb Shoop on

Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 5 p.m. Meet at the Church of Redeemer -Episcopal • 6211 NE 182nd St., Kenmore, Wash.

19-year-old Caleb Shoop

Improving Lives Through Bicycling

Vol. 44, No. 9

5www.cascade.org4

September 2014

Editor: Anne-Marije Rook

Editorial Assistant: Diane English and Briana Orr

Layout: Tom Eibling

Photography by: Anne-Marije Rook, Briana Orr, Alan Van Vlack,

Contributors: Jeff Aken, Diana Bryant, Dave Douglas, McKayla Dunfey, Elizabeth Kiker, Serena Lehman Brock Howell, Briana Orr,

Anne-Marije Rook, Tammy Shoop, Daniel Weise

THE COURIER CREW

We welcome your contributions!

Got an inspiring story or a great photo? We welcome submissions. The edito-rial 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 publi-cation. 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 Cascadeon Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

CASCADE CONTACTS

Home Page:www.cascade.org

Office phone: 206-522-3222 or 206-522-BIKEFax: 206-522-2407

Email: info@cascadebicycleclub.org

Cascade Bicycle Club7400 Sand Point Way NE,

Suite 101SSeattle, WA 98115

BOARD OF DIRECTORSNote: All email addresses are @cascadebicycleclub.org

PresidentCharles Ruthford • charles.ruthford@

Vice PresidentDaniel Weise • daniel.weise@

TreasurerDon Volta • don.volta@

SecretaryGeorge Durham • george.durham@

Executive Committee Member-at-largeCatherine Hennings • catherine.hennings@

DirectorsMaggie Sue Anderson • maggiesue.anderson@

Dr. Rayburn Lewis • rayburn.lewis@

Mo McBroom • mo.mcbroom@

Joe Platzner • joe.platzner@

Merlin Rainwater • merlin.rainwater@

Ron Sher • ron.sher@

Jim Stanton • jim.stanton@

Jessica Szelag • Jessica.szelag@

Ed Yoshida • ed.yoshida@

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORElizabeth Kiker • (206) 523-9495 or Elizabeth.kiker@

SENIOR STAFFJeff Aken, Advocacy Director(206) 300-5932 • Jeff.Aken@

Ed Ewing, Director of Diversity & Inclusion(206) 778-4671 • ed.ewing@

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@

Robbie Phillips, Director of Strategic Development(206) 229-5187 • robbiep@

Anne-Marije Rook, Communications Director(208) 870-9406 • amrook@

Tarrell Wright, Development Director(206) 240-2235 • tarrell.wright@

One of the many father-daughter teams en route

For some of these folks, RSVP was their first organized ride ever.The two gals on the left came all the way from North Carolina and were joined by two seattleites!

The 17th annual Chucka-nut Lemonade stand raised money for her college fund.

Black Butte Porter troop Before RSVP, Erin (right) had never been outside the coun-try before.

Riding in memory of his wifeMade it to Vancouver!

Chuckanut DriveTrain Crossing makes for a great break

3,000 riders, 188 miles across two countries

RSVP is a one-of-a-kind ride that spans two countries and follows such beau-tiful countryside. We rode along and heard from many folks who were on their first big ride. All ages, too. We were just as impressed with the 14-year-olds as we were with the 74-year-olds. Congratulations to all on this accomplishment!Thanks to all of our hardworking volunteers and staff who worked long hours to make this a smooth ride!

A bike commuting data analysis of the 2014 Adobe Commute Challenge presented by F5 revealed interesting patterns about what kinds of people commute by bike and where they bike during May. You can find our full analysis and maps on the Cascade blog at www.cascade.org/blog, but here are a few highlights.

Where women ride the most:According to our data, women made up the highest proportion of par-ticipants in Downtown, North, and West Seattle; Downtown Bellevue, and Burien. Fun fact: women represented 36% of the 16,000+ Commute Challenge participants. This is significantly higher than Washington state's estimated 20% gender split. Bike commuting:Not just for 20-somethings. The average Commute Challenge bike com-muter is 38 years old, but folks of all ages rolled with us last May. The average male commuter is 39 years old and the average female commuter is 35 years old. People traveled by bike most often in Downtown Seattle and Everett during Bike Month. The average commute rate for all 16,000 participants was 40%, and riders traveled an impressive average of 6.5 miles one-way. Way to go!Where to recruit new riders: Based on the high density of new riders in Downtown Seattle, Fremont, Greenlake, SODO, the University District and Downtown Bellevue, these areas are probably where people are most likely to start bike commuting. During May, almost 2,400 people tried bike commuting for the first time.

Cascade would like to thank everyone who participated in 2014 Bike Month! Your efforts are inspiring, and we hope you continue to enjoy the myriad benefits of two-wheeled transportation all year round.

What Bike Month tells us about Puget Sound bike commuting patternsBy Mary Collins, Commute Programs Coordinator

Bikes Count!Sign up for the 2014 Bike/Ped Counts

Get ready to count! Fall is just around the corner and that means it’s once again time for the Wash-ington State Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project. On September 30 - October 2, volunteers (like you) will be standing at key intersections in cities around the state to count bicyclists and pedestrians as they ride and walk on by. Last year we counted over 66,000 bikes and pedestrians. This important project helps the state collect valuable bicycle and pedestrian data that informs state policy.

You can help us make a difference!Community participation is vital to the success of this project. Sign up to be a volunteer and encourage your friends to do the same. Please use and pass along this link: http://goo.gl/vUDBP9 The link lists all of the locations and times available for counting, making it easy to find a location convenient for you.

2014 Count dates/time:Tuesday, September 30Wednesday, October 1Thursday, October 2

AM count times: 7-9 a.m.PM count times: 4-6 p.m.

Count cities include:Bainbridge Island, Bellevue, Bellingham, Bothell, Bremerton, Burien, Ellens-burg, Everett, Ferndale, Gig Harbor, Issaquah, Kelso, Kent, Kirkland, Lake Forest Park, Lakewood, Longview, Lynden, Mercer Island, Milton, Mount-lake Terrace, Oak Harbor, Olympia, Orting, Parkland, Puyallup, Redmond, Renton, Richland, Seattle, Shoreline, Spokane, Tacoma, Tukwila, University Place, Vancouver, Vashon Island, Walla Walla, Wenatchee and Yakima.

Email McKaylaD@CascadeBicycleClub.org with any questions or if you’re interested in being a volunteer count coordinator for your city.

@cascadebicycle

@cascadebicycle

cascade.org

facebook.com/cascadebicycleclub

www.cascade.org Improving Lives Through Bicycling

September 2014 Vol. 44, No. 9

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Bike share to launch in Seattle next month!By Anne-Marije Rook, Communications Director

The Pronto Cycle Share Bike

#GoPronto #SEAbikes

Women Ride: Sports brasBy Anne-Marije Rook, Communications Director

Growing bicycling and improving lives together By Barb Chamberlain and Elizabeth Kiker

Pronto Cycle Share is launch-ing on October 13, and member-ship sales have already started! We were so excited about the launch of bike share in Seattle that we simply couldn’t wait any longer. We had to give these bikes a try! Holly Houser, executive director of Puget Sound Bike Share, was kind enough to invite us down to her South Lake Union office last month to take a prototype bike for a spin.

A product of Alta Bicycle Share, the bike is similar to the bike share bikes you’ll find in New York, Min-neapolis and D.C., meaning they’re sturdy, upright and utilitarian. But the Seattle version has one im-portant addition—well four to be exact—and that is a seven-speed internal hub instead of the more common three-gear. This should help most anyone tackle the hills of Seattle.

We didn’t take the bike up Queen Anne or anything, but we did take it up an 8 percent grade and it spun uphill surprisingly easily (while seated), given that it weighs about 40 pounds.

“It’s kind of like a cruiser,” com-mented Tim O’Connor, tech man-ager at Cascade, “but without the drag.”

And the gearing isn’t the only fea-ture that will please Seattle users. The bike has full fenders to keep you dry; a chain guard to keep your pant leg or skirt from getting greasy or worse, torn; and bright front and rear lights that are powered by a dy-namo hub. The lights turn on the moment the bike is moving and stay on even after the bike is stopped.

The front basket seems like an odd design at first glance, but with the provided bungee cords, works splendidly. Other features include flat-resitant tires, a bell and adjust-able seat height.

The overall verdict: we love it! And we think you will, too.

The first 500 bikes and 50 dock-ing stations of Pronto! Emerald City Cycle Share will launch next month

and link the University District, South Lake Union, Downtown and Capitol Hill neighborhoods. Stay tuned for specific dates and locations to be listed on Pronto! Cycle Share’s Facebook page.

Basketwith Bungee

Full fenders

Adjustableseat height

Bell

Dynamo front and rear

lights

7 internal gears & roller brakes

Flat-resistanttires

Chainguard

Help us transform the Puget Sound . Renew now at cascade .org/renew

As women, there are a lot of topics relating to cycling comfort which are either not frequently talk-ed about or just too embarrassing to ask a male salesperson at the local bike shop. Topics like: “I’m hurting down there” or “Do you have any tips about riding while menstruat-ing?” or “Why can’t I find cycling clothes that fit?”

You get the idea: personal, wom-en-specific and potentially awkward to explain. We’ll do our best in ad-dressing these topics here.

Today’s topic: sport bras We received a few questions about

choosing the right sport bra for cy-cling and how to prevent chafing. While comfort and support level are personal, here are a few tips to help you find the right sports bra.Try them on

Shopping for a bra isn’t always easy. Sizing varies among brands and your own cup size changes over time as well. What fit a year ago, may not be the right fit anymore. I suggest going to a store to try some on instead of guessing your fit on-line. When trying them on, jump up and down, move your arms and take a deep breath. Sure, you want to keep jiggling to a minimum, but you still want to be able to move freely.Support

Road riding is generally consid-ered a low to medium impact sport, meaning that the amount of jostling and full body movement is limited. This means that you won’t need as much support or compression as you would if you were mountain biking or doing cyclocross. Many manufacturers will identify the im-pact level on the tag, and a medi-um impact sports bra will fit more loosely and be less restricted than a high-impact bra. They are usually made of slightly thinner materials as well.

Cup sizeThere are two types of sports bras:

compression bras and encapsulated bras. Compression bras compress the breasts against the chest, and are best suited for A and B cups. En-capsulated bras on the other hand will support each breast individu-ally, and are best for larger cup sizes.Band

If you have chafing issues below the breasts, where the band rubs against your skin, the band may be too loose. The band should not be moving, even when you’re sweating. Also, a wider band provides more support than a narrow band.Seams, wire and snaps

Every wire, hook, snap, seam or crease is a potential chafing point, go for the bra with the fewest seams. I’d also suggest a bra without a snap or closure for minimal pres-sure points. Material

Similar to a base layer, a good sports bra needs to wick moisture away from the body to keep you cool and sweat free to reduce chaf-ing. Stay away from cotton as it tends to stay wet for a long time.Range of motion

Shoulder straps should neither slip off nor dig into your skin. Like the band, wide straps are of-ten more comfortable than narrow spaghetti straps. You should be able to comfortably put your arms above your head. Also, make sure the bra isn’t too tight around the armpits. When trying on bras, place your arms ahead of you in the riding po-sition to check tightness. Thanks for the positive feedback to this column. We’re happy to help! Please continue to email me your questions at amrook@cascadebicycle-club.org and I’ll answer them anony-mously.

Women represented 36%of the 16,000+ Commute Challenge participants.This is significantly higher

than Washington state's

estimated 20% gender split.

Fun fact:

The two of us agree: It’s no accident that the #1 Bicycle-Friendly State is home to the nation’s largest bike club. The people of Washington savor the beautiful outdoors, a history of citizen activism and more miles of trails than any other state in the West.

Put those together and you have all the necessary ingredients for improv-ing lives through bicycling—Cascade’s new motto—and growing bicycling statewide—Washington Bikes’ motto. That winning formula is why Cascade Bicycle Club has recently become a Gold Wheel organizational member of Washington Bikes, aligning themselves with the statewide mission of WA Bikes.

“Success depends on working well with others and we know how important it is to have strong local and regional bike organizations working closely together and speaking in a unified voice when they go to the legislature. As we transform the region for bicycling, we are grateful to have a strong partnership with WA Bikes to ensure a coherent voice in Olympia is speaking up for cycling,” —Elizabeth

Cascade and WA Bikes have complementary programs in areas such as bi-cycle safety education and we’re constantly exploring new opportunities to join forces. A few examples:

• We’re working together to plan a statewide bike conference to be held in 2015.

• Washington Bikes volunteers now staff a booth each year at the packet pick-up for Cascade’s sell-out Seattle-to-Portland (STP) ride.

• As WA Bikes works to promote bike tourism, Cascade’s great organized rides such as the Ride Around Washington and the new Cascade Bicycling Center all boost Washington’s profile as an incredible destination for bike travelers.

• For a while in 2012-2013, we even had a board member in common—Joe Platzner served on both boards, then stepped down to serve as the interim executive director at Cascade.

• The two of us meet almost weekly to compare notes so that more gets done for bicycling and we don’t miss an opportunity to work together.

“The partnership with Elizabeth and Cascade just keeps growing. We col-laborate on grant proposals, we visit elected officials together, we talk about the strengths each organization brings to the partnership and how we can leverage those. The work that Washing-ton Bikes does to grow bicycling state-wide builds on the strong foundation of Cascade’s years of bike advocacy in the greater Seattle region,” —Barb

Just as a bike ride can be more fun when you ride with friends, Cascade and Washington Bikes are rolling together into the future of bicycling.

Improving Lives Through Bicycling 9

Vol. 44, No. 8

www.cascade.org

September 2014

8

FREE GROUP RIDES

Weather conditions may cancel the ride. Helmets are required on all rides. Earbuds/headphones are not allowed on any Cascade ride. All riders are required to sign a waiver

form. Children 16 and under must be accompanied by parent or guardian. Riders are expected to be ready to ride at the time listed. Participants do not have to RSVP, simply show up to join the fun!

This is a sampling of this month’s rides.For a complete listing, see cascade .org/calendar .

For full details of the listed rides, see cascade.org/grouprides. This is also where you’ll find ride guidelines to help you

select a ride that suits your style, skills and energy level.

RIDE LEADER CERTIFICATION CLASS EASTSIDE FAMILY BIKE HAPPY HOUR

EASY PACE (UNDER 10 mph)

Saturday, September 20Public Art Bike Tour Along the Interurban Trail 12:30 p.m. 5 miles from Greenwood Park, Seattle • Ride Leader: Cathy Tuttle

Saturday, September 27SLOW Ride to Chief Sealth Trail11 a.m. 11 miles from Northwest African American Museum, Seattle • Ride Leader: Merlin Rainwater

LEISURELY PACE (10-12 mph)

Saturday, September 6WOMEN RIDE: Cycle the WAVE Training Ride - Marymoor/Woodinville Loop

11:30 a.m. 14.50 miles from East Lake Sammamish Trail (behind Whole Foods), Redmond • Ride Leader: Louise Johnson

Moonlight Meander 9 p.m. 15 miles from Burke Museum, University of Washington, Seattle • Ride Leader: Scott Kralik

Sunday, September 7Sunday Crepes Ride9:30 a.m. 36 miles from Gasworks Park, Seattle • Ride Leader: David Bordewick

Saturday, September 13WOMEN RIDE: Cycle the WAVE Training Ride - Preview Little Sister Route11:30 a.m. 13.20 miles from Tibbett’s Valley Park, Issaquah • Ride Leader: Louise Johnson

Saturday, September 27Fall City-Carnation Romp10 a.m. 18 miles from Olive Quigley Park, Fall City • Ride Leader(s): Michelle Burton, Jim Hunt

On Twitter? Tag your tweets and twitpics with

#grouprides .

6:30 p .m . Tuesday, Sept . 9, Cascade Bicycle Club Office, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, 98115

Ride leaders are the heart and soul of our rides pro-gram. Our 290+ ride leaders keep the Free Group Rides  calendar filled throughout the year, and you are invited to join the ranks. If you have an idea for a new ride, are interested in helping others ride or don’t see your favorite ride listed, consider joining our leaders’ team. Please see the requirements on the website at www.cascade.org/become-ride-leader

STEADY PACE (12-14 mph)

Tuesday, September 2TREATS: Ride to the Nouveau Bakery, West Seattle

10 a.m. 45 miles from Magnuson Park, Seattle • Ride Leader: David Bordewick

Tuesday, September 9TREATS Skagit County Outing10 a.m. 40 miles from Edgewater Park, Mount Vernon • Ride Leader: Teresa Lehr-Franks

Tuesday, September 16TREATS - Lake Sammamish Coffee Run10 a.m. 34 miles from Redhook Brewery, Woodinville • Ride Leader: Scott Boggs

Tuesday, September 23TREATS: Puget Ridge Revisited10 a.m. 27 miles from Jack Block Park, Seattle • Ride Leader: Michael Moreland

Tuesday, September 30TREATS: Snohomish to Lake Cassidy10 a.m. 28 miles from Snohomish city restrooms, Snohomish • Ride Leader: Jan Johnson

MODERATE PACE (14-16 mph)

Friday, September 5FRUMPS - West Seattle to Kent10 a.m. 52 miles from Statue of Liberty on Alki, Seattle • Ride Leader: Monica Zaborac

Wednesday, September 10WOMEN RIDE: Seattle Cycle Sirens - Ride around Mercer Island6:30 p.m. 14 miles from Luther Burbank Park, Mercer Island • Ride Leader: Anne-Gigi Chan

Wednesday, September 17WOMEN RIDE: Seattle Cycle Sirens - Ride around Mercer Island6:30 p.m. 14 miles from Luther Burbank Park, Mercer Island • Ride Leader: Anne-Gigi Chan

SeptemberDate/Time: Saturday Sept 20, Noon – 3 p.m.Start Point: 132nd Square Park (132nd Ave NE & NE 132nd St, Kirkland)End Point: Fiesta Mexicana, 14338 124th Ave, Kirkland

OctoberDate/Time: Saturday Oct 18, Noon – 3 p.m.Start Point: South Kirkland Park & Ride (10610 NE 38th Pl, Kirkland)End Point: Zeeks Pizza (124 Park Ln, Kirkland)

BRISK PACE (16-18 mph)

Sunday, September 7Meet the High Performance Cycling Team 9 a.m. 35 miles from Pert's Deli, Seattle • Ride Leader: David Longdon

Monday, September 8MUMPS: Head Up North10 a.m. 60 miles from Tracy Owen Station/Log Boom Park, Kenmore • Ride Leader: Craig Mohn

Monday, September 15MUMPS: Head Up North10 a.m. 60 miles from Tracy Owen Station/Log Boom Park, Kenmore • Ride Leader: Craig Mohn

Monday, September 22MUMPS: Head Up North10 a.m. 60 miles from Tracy Owen Station/Log Boom Park, Kenmore • Ride Leader: Craig Mohn

Monday, September 29MUMPS: Head Up North10 a.m. 60 miles from Tracy Owen Station/Log Boom Park, Kenmore • Ride Leader: Craig Mohn

VIGOROUS PACE (18-20 mph)

Please see the Cascade website for ride listings at this pace

STRENUOUS PACE (20-21 mph)

Please see the Cascade website for ride listings at this pace

SUPER-STRENUOUS PACE (+22 mph)

Tuesday, September 2Cycle Tuesday5:45 p.m. 35 miles from Gene Coulon Park, Renton • Ride Leader: Stephen Else

Thursday, September 4More Cycle Tuesdays5:45 p.m. 35 miles from Gene Coulon Park, Renton • Ride Leader(s): Tom Baker, Stephen Else

Tuesday, September 9 Cycle Tuesday5:45 p.m. 35 miles from Gene Coulon Park, Renton • Ride Leader: Stephen Else

Thursday, September 11More Cycle Tuesdays5:45 p.m. 35 miles from Gene Coulon Park, Renton • Ride Leader(s): Tom Baker, Stephen Else

Tuesday, September 16 Cycle Tuesday5:45pm 35.00 miles from Gene Coulon Park, Renton • Ride Leader: Stephen Else

Thursday, September 18More Cycle Tuesdays5:45 p.m. 35 miles from Gene Coulon Park, Renton • Ride Leader(s): Tom Baker, Stephen Else

Tuesday, September 23 Cycle Tuesday5:45 p.m. 35 miles from Gene Coulon Park, Renton • Ride Leader: Stephen Else

Thursday, September 25More Cycle Tuesdays5:45 p.m. 35 miles from Gene Coulon Park, Renton • Ride Leader(s): Tom Baker, Stephen Else

Tuesday, September 30 Cycle Tuesday5:45 p.m. 35 miles from Gene Coulon Park, Renton • Ride Leader: Stephen Else

Name Scott KublyJob title Director of Seattle Department of Transportation Wheels Van Moof and Trek Madone

A quick Q&A with Seattle Department of Transportation’s new head, Scott KublyBy Anne-Marije Rook, Communications Director

Volunteer of the month: Dorran McBrideby Kelli Refer, Volunteer Coordinator

Dorran McBride has been a volun-teer for Cascade Bicycle Club since 2012. He learned that he could vol-unteer and receive complimentary registrations for our annual rides. His favorite memory from volun-teering is riding STP this year with Alan Ohlson (last year's Volun-teer of the Year) who had bib #1. You can spot Dorran sporting one of the lowest bib numbers on our rides. STP is currently his favor-ite bike ride, but you can see him riding weekly around Magnolia, Golden Gardens and Woodinville. For him, cycling is a great do-able fitness activity even when you have bad knees!

Elizabeth and Cascade crew on a weekend ride with Scott Kubly. Kubly is the the new Director of Seattle Department of Transportation.

Volunteer of the Month, Dorran McBride

CBC What cities are you looking to for inspiration in terms of bike-friendliness and safety?

SK • Copenhagen for quality of

infrastructure and long-term commitment.

• New York for making big changes in an environment with lots of competing needs and under a media glare.

• Chicago for speed of implementation.

CBC Seattle has adopted the Vision Zero goal of achieving zero bicycle or pedestrian deaths and serious injuries by 2030. How will this goal influence SDOT’s decisions under your tenure?

SK• Safety particularly for pedestrian

and bicyclists should be the first. • Focus on education, enforcement

engineering.

CBCProtected bike lanes are increasingly viewed as an economic development tool that attracts young talent to cities. Cities like San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Minneapolis and Vancouver are building bike infrastructure and are outpacing Seattle in building their networks. With so many of Seattle’s flattest, most direct connections being on arterials, how will Seattle increase the funding and construction of protected bike lanes across the city?

SK Seattle has one of the most challenging geographies.• The hills and water that make

it so beautiful also make it challenging.

• Need to build the case that bike infrastructure is not a war on all modes and benefit all.

September 7 High Pass Challenge

September 14 & 21Helmet Sales @ Bicycle Sunday

September 21Kitsap Color Classic

September 30, October 1 & 2 WA State Bike Counthappening in your neighborhood.

Dorran is one of our volunteers that likes to dabble. You can find him everywhere from at the office fixing bikes and stuffing packets, marking the routes before the ride or load-ing bags at the start line of RSVP. Volunteering gives Dorran a little variety in his days now that he is re-tired. On behalf of the whole club, I'd like to thank Dorran for being one of our great volunteers!

Upcoming volunteer opportunities:

If you would like to volunteer, check out our website for upcoming opportunities: www.cascade.org/volunteerportal

Who would you like to hear from next? Email us at amrook@cascadebicycleclub.org

follow us on

Instagram!@cascadebicycle

www.cascade.org Improving Lives Through Bicycling

September 2014 Vol. 44, No. 9

10 11

Members: meet your board candidatesBy Daniel Weise, Chair of the Board Governance Committee

The board is pleased to present you five candidates for board service with terms that run from January 1st, 2015 through December 31st, 2017. We advertised the elections and board openings in the April and May Cascade Couriers and many people came forward to offer their service. We thank everyone that came forward and offered their time and expertise in service of the club! The board next year will have 13 directors, eight still serving their three-year terms and five directors from this election.

Board service is a serious commitment, requiring many hours each month, and even more hours for those in board leadership positions. The board is responsible for oversight of the organization and for working with the executive director to create the best club possible for our members and everyone who uses our services or helps us enact public policy that moves the cause forward. Board members are volunteers, we are not compensated for our efforts on behalf of the club.

Please vote!

Voting starts in October. At that time, members will be asked to vote on the board candidates as well as the proposed bylaws changes as mentioned in last month’s Courier (and online). A physical ballot is dropped with the October Courier and online voting starts when the October Courier is mailed out.

Nate GlissmeyerMy name is Nate Glissmeyer and I would

like your support to serve as a member of the Cascade Board of Directors.

I view Cascade as a uniquely multi-facet-ed asset for our community. Many people love the weekly rides calendar. Others love the emphasis on making commuting easier. Some love the environmental benefits and there are many other reasons to love Cas-cade.

Charles RuthfordMy first experience with the Club, rid-

ing the 2004 Chilly Hilly with my son, was eye-opening. I had a fabulous experience and found the ride’s organization and the volunteers’ enthusiasm impressive. I was hooked. The hook sunk even deeper when we participated in the 2005 Ride Around Washington. The club seamlessly and flaw-lessly managed the six-day logistics of get-ting 200 riders, 20 support personnel, all their camping gear and clothing, food and that wonderful shower truck from Belling-ham to Ilwaco. I have been a volunteer and member of the Ride Around Washington organizing committee since 2006. The ride is now a family affair for us with the completion of our tenth RAW.

Alexa VolwilerI am excited to be running for the Board

of Directors of the Cascade Bicycle Club! As one of the largest bicycle clubs in the country, Cascade is in a unique position to promote positive change in our region.

I became involved with Cascade several years ago when I registered for the Seattle to Portland ride and needed to find an avenue for training. I found the Cascade Training Series which brought not only a great training opportunity, but also opened my eyes to the joy of group riding. In my

Ed YoshidaI’ve been cycling for the past 40 years

and have been cycle commuting in Se-attle regularly for the past 10. Cascade has played a big role in my cycling activi-ties. First with its organized rides, then promotion of Bike-to-Work Month, and later with its advocacy for a safer bicycle

The move begins! Our new head-quarters, the Cascade Bicycling Center, begins construction next week and will open its doors this fall. As Cascade Bicycle Club mem-bers, you have the chance to check out the space and mingle with other members prior to our public open-ing.

All events will take place at the new space in Building 11 in Mag-nuson Park. We hope to see you there!

Saturday, Sept. 13, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.Build Stuff Party. Are you feel-

ing crafty? Come by and help build parts of our new building with bike parts. Lunch Provided.

Come check out the new space!By Serena Lehman, Outreach and Membership Director

Feeling strong this season? If so, this one’s for you: the High Pass Challenge!Geared toward experienced cyclists, the High Pass Challenge route climbs more than 7,500 feet in elevation over 114 miles.You'll be rewarded with dramatic views of the Cascade mountain range and Mount St. Helens National Monument and a compli-mentary barbecue at the finish line.Medals are awarded based on how quickly riders make it to the top of Windy Ridge. Are you up for the challenge?

I personally enjoy just riding my bike, and I’m grateful to Cascade for rides like STP that proved to me I can go further than I thought, and for looking out for infrastructure and public policy decisions that I couldn’t change on my own.

I believe I am able to help the board be-cause of my many years in general manage-ment at Amazon.com across operations, retail, and now in the Kindle group, where I lead a team of software engineers and product managers creating new software and services for Amazon’s devices. I have also served two terms as a Cascade board member previously, including roles on the Executive Committee. If you elect me, I will make a strong personal investment in helping the club realize its goals and serve its members.

The most important thing to know about me, though, is what my wife says. “You can always tell when Nate has been on a bike ride. It’s that unmistakable smile on his face.”

Prior to my retirement, I was a regular commuter with a 44-mile round-trip com-mute from Maple Valley to Boeing field. As the proud owner of two metal knees, cy-cling is very important to me as it remains the one exercise that gets me outdoors and keeps me fit and healthy. I believe it’s my key to a longer and healthy life. I try to re-pay the multiple benefits I’ve gotten from the club by being involved and volunteer-ing to help continue and increase the club’s successes.

I’m running for a board seat to continue the process of helping and strengthening the club and advocating for safe places to ride. I believe that bicycling can play an important role in everyone’s lives. I’m looking forward to a community where bi-cycling is the norm Imagine when cycling needs are naturally included in planning activities. I want the club’s advocacy to cre-ate a world where bicycling is supported by residents, cyclist, drivers, transportation planners and public officials as a valuable element of a healthy community.

Most importantly, as someone who has benefited from Cascade’s rides, I will bring the riders’ perspective and the operational aspects of the club to board discussions and planning.

I’m asking for your vote. I have the knowledge, skills, expertise and most of all the long-term commitment to serve the club in the interest of all the members.

Candidates

desire to give back, meet new people, and teach others how to be good cyclists, I be-come a ride leader leading free group rides on a regular basis, including several popular series rides. I later was nominated and ac-cepted as a member of the Rides Commit-tee – the oversight committee of the Rides Program. The Rides Program, through its many volunteer ride leaders, offers more than 2,000 free group rides every year!

I believe that the board of directors is the guiding hand for the organization, whose purpose is to support the mission and goals of the organization through oversight and professional resources. The board members each bring a unique perspective to the or-ganization but all have a common purpose of wanting to better the organization. My professional career is in accounting and my passion is in recreational riding. I have a strong skillset to offer as a board candidate.

This is an exciting time for the Club – a time to introduce a new strategic plan that incorporates all facets of the Club. From Daily Rides to Advocacy to Education, it is a time to work together for the common goal of getting more people on bicycles able to ride safely in our communities. I am asking for your vote because I firmly believe that together we can improve lives through cycling.

Jim StantonMy interest in serious cycling and Cas-

cade was sparked by riding the 1996 STP with my 12-year-old son on mountain bikes. That wonderful experience led to joining a regular cycling group, which in turn opened up a whole new world of cy-cling adventures in the Pacific Northwest, Europe, and Alaska, including regular par-ticipation in Cascade’s organized rides.

I have a special interest in safety for the most vulnerable on our roads: cyclists and pedestrians.

This interest arose from raising three bi-cycling sons coupled with witnessing sev-eral bicycling accidents. Over the years, I have put this interest into action by helping to arrange volunteers for road counts, put-ting on bicycle rodeos, and participating in safe bicycling educational events at lo-cal schools. Six years ago a group of fellow concerned cyclists and I formed “Neigh-bors in Motion,” a community that advo-cates for improved facilities and courteous, safe behavior on Mercer Island roads. To this end NIM has organized community meetings on road safety and worked with the city on a range of cycling issues, espe-cially funding for road improvements for cyclists and pedestrians.

Prior to joining the Cascade board, I worked for more than 30 years developing early stage companies in the United States and in countries around the Pacific Rim. Additionally I have served for several years as a member of Cascade’s Finance Com-mittee, and have also served on a wide range of for-profit and nonprofit boards. Most recently I served as treasurer and board member of Water1st International.

infrastructure, which I have appreciated as a bike commuter.

I have attempted to contribute to help fulfill the Cascade mission by serving on the board during this past term. Over the last several years, Cascade has continued to evolve and grow into a stronger orga-nization. Your club has expanded its reach through new members, new partnerships, and a view to doing business in a more col-laborative and inclusive manner. We con-tinue to educate new riders, provide many opportunities for members and nonmem-bers to ride bikes, and advocate for a safer and more extensive bicycle infrastructure for the region.

It has been a privilege to be on the Cas-cade board and work with the other board members and dedicated staff of the club to work on our mission. I look forward to helping the club to stay on this path over the next several years by serving on the board for another term.

Tuesday, Oct. 14, 6 p.m.- 8 p.m.Member meeting and Open

House. Join us for the annual mem-ber meeting to hear about the state of the Club, the new space and meet other members like you.

Saturday, Nov. 15, (tentative)Grand Opening Celebration.

Construction on the new space will be complete and we want you, our members, to be the first to to check it out. Stay tuned for more details.Please RSVP to the above events to Serena Lehman, serenal@cascadebi-cycleclub.org.

Fall ridesBy Dave Douglas, Event Producer

Join our season finale at the Kitsap Color Classic

Sunday, Sept. 21Leaves at 8 a.m. from Kitsap Peninsula

Go for gold at the High Pass Challenge

Sunday, Sept. 7Leaves at 7 a.m. from Packwood, WA

Autumn is almost here. The morning air is crisp and the leaves are turning shades of gold and scarlet. Don’t hang your bike up just yet, there is riding to be had!Pedal along the gorgeous Kitsap Peninsula and through some of the best riding country in the state! Friendly communities and terrific fall scenery make this a fun, must-do event.You are welcome to register in advance (to save some money) or on the morning of the ride at the start line.

Let’s end the riding season the same way you started it: on the bike, of course! We’ve got two great rides coming up that you don’t want to miss!

Show your Puget Sound pride with our new stickers!*Available at our office

Where does your bike take you?

A rendering of the future lobby of the Cascade Cycling Center

A rendering of what the future kitchen may look like

www.cascade.org

September 2014

12

UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL, TNT. Chances are you see a number of these delivery trucks around town and in your street on any given day. You may even be expecting a pack-age today. But if Dan Kohler has his way, you’ll soon see fewer deliv-ery trucks and more delivery cargo bikes. Starting with Seattle’s Down-town Center, South Lake Union and Capitol Hill, Kohler is deliver-ing coffee, food and even the week-ly newspaper —The Stranger—by bicycle.

“With local and organically sourced foods, recycling and ener-gy-efficient practices, Seattle com-panies are already doing amazing things to do sustainable business. We’re showing them that the last

Bikes for business: swapping the delivery van with a cargo bikeBy Anne-Marije Rook, Communications Director

Business Freewheel carbon free cargoOwners Dan Kohler, Zach Silk and Thomas BatesIndustry DeliveryFind them Around Capitol Hill, South Lake Union and Downtown Seattle delivering The Stranger, Victrola Coffee, Skydottir Cookies and more.

step – the delivery – can be sustain-able as well,” said Kohler.

Kohler founded Freewheel with Zach Silk and Thomas Bates to of-fer a sustainable, last-mile delivery option free of carbon emissions.

“Environmental work is my pas-sion, specifically climate change,” said Kohler. “I knew I wanted to make a difference in regards to the climate issue. The transportation sector is the biggest source of our emissions and I’m so excited about the bikes for business model.”

Looking to Europe and even Portland for inspiration, Kohler and his partners invested in a cargo bike that can carry 400 pounds of goods and is supported by an elec-tric assist.

“It’s actually really practical for moving small goods over small dis-tances,” said Kohler. “With a bike you experience no traffic and park-ing is not an issue. You actually save time, which means saving money.”

Offering delivery rates com-petitive to delivery companies that utilize trucks and vans, Freewheel has been gaining new clients every month, and even acquired a second bike.

“It’s a new, innovative and just a cooler way to do deliveries,” said Dan. “It turns heads and it’s an easy way to do good with the last step of delivery.”

And while their primary service is deliveries, Freewheel uses the sides of their cargo bikes as ad space, sell-ing green advertising to companies looking for a non-traditional way to market their business.

“Our bikes are definitely distinc-tive and get lots of eye balls. It’s great green ad space,” said Kohler.

Kohler, the primary driver of the bikes, said he’s riding between 15 and 20 miles a day. And while he’s getting fit, he’s also on his way to save an estimated six ton of carbon pollution over the first year and tak-ing another car off the road.

“I’m really excited about our busi-ness model,” said Kohler. “We get

to help reduce climate pollution and traffic, while talking about us-ing bikes for different purposes and hopefully, help make the city safer to bike and walk.”

“The experience of riding around and talking to people is just great,” Kohler continued. “We constantly get waves, shout-outs and thumbs up from people.”

As Freewheel grows rapidly, check their website at www.freewheelcar-go.com for more information, job announcements and business op-portunities.Know a bikey business that should be featured? Email us at amrook@cascadebicycleclub.org

Founder Dan Kohler delivering the Stranger in Capitol Hill