Club Week Day 2: Meet the Challenge

May 21, 2013

Wow. We have had an amazing response so far this month to our Build It. Bike It. Be a Part of It. campaign to raise funds for the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS). Over the past few days, USBRS supporters have met matches from TeamEstrogen.com, Primal Wear, and BOB Gear by Britax Child Safety, Inc. 

Your gift can still do double-duty. We are only a few dollars away from meeting the Cascade Bicycle Club $1,000 match challenge, which we have to meet by midnight tonight. 

And, if you donate today, you'll be entered to win a SERFAS bike case from BikeFlights.*

In 1970, two brothers, Mike and Rick Quam, established an organization that combines the joy of social riding with the power of advocacy, Cascade Bicycle Club. This vision set the tone for Cascade's unique, interwoven identity. Over the years, the club's mix of programs, activities, and rides has developed and strengthened thanks to this solid foundation and forward-looking vision.

People are invited to engage with Cascade on their terms through a variety of activities: big events, recreational rides, advocacy and community activism, summer camps, maintenance classes, riding classes, and so on. Having deep community relationships and a 43-year history gives the club strength through recognition and trust. This spring, Cascade hit 15,000 members!

Club President M.J. Kelly is excited about the growth of cycling in America. She's thrilled to see new people choosing bikes. "The bicycle movement is growing across our region, and more importantly, across our country. It's full of new people of every shape, size, age, race, gender, background, and motivation. We are excited to ride this groundswell and offer anyone who is interested a welcoming, open invitation to ride."

M.J. points out the growth in family biking: "Nothing beats seeing moms and dads riding with kids and crowded bike racks at schools to make us feel like our mission is being achieved. Today's toddlers in bike seats are tomorrow's commuters and bike adventurers." 

M.J. also cites other factors contributing to the growth of cycling such as committed partnerships between groups like Cascade Bicycle Club and Adventure Cycling, the bicycle-friendly business movement, bike share (such as Puget Sound Bike Share), and the increase in efforts to build connected bicycle networks. 

"As it is proven over and over again that bicycling is good for business, more businesses are committing to be pro-bike. This spring, we certified 19 major businesses and organizations through our BizCycle bike-friendly business program, a quantitative 50-point scoring system developed through rigorous research on how to best increase bicycle commuting. It’s been rewarding to help companies look critically at what they are currently doing and what they can do better to achieve higher rates of employee cycling. Now that the first round of certified-businesses is sharing their stories, more employers are coming to us and asking how they, too, can be more effective in supporting bicycling.

"Puget Sound Bike Share is going to be a game-changer. Cities around the world have repeatedly shown that bike share gets more people riding. Coupled with infrastructure investments, the Seattle region is poised to see a significant shift in how people get around.

"Knowing that cities across the country, big and small, are investing in building connected bicycle networks really energizes us. You can see it play out in the media when Chicago Mayor Emmanuel declares he's building bike lanes to steal Seattle's tech workers, and Seattle's Mayor McGinn responds, 'Oh no, you don't!' The upward spiral of competition that will result in cities building better bicycle infrastructure at a faster pace is incredibly exciting. And really, this just points to the pent-up demand that has been here all along and is finally being recognized." 

What's her vision for cycling in America?

"Bicycling is widely embraced as a normal, accessible, and convenient thing to do. Let's see our roads made safer for everyone to feel confident about choosing a bike, from going down the block, to riding up the mountain passes to riding across country. Let's give our kids the opportunity to ride their bikes safely -- to get outside, have fund, and be independent. And by 2020, let's see 10% of all trips made by bicycle."

Thank you M.J. and Cascade Bicycle Club for all that you do for bicycling in the Northwest and through the U.S. by supporting the U.S. Bicycle Route System. 

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The 2013 BUILD IT. BIKE IT. BE A PART OF IT. campaign runs through May 31, 2013. All donations are tax deductible and support Adventure Cycling's organizing efforts and technical assistance for the U.S. Bicycle Route System.The campaign is supported by Adventure Cycling members, bicycle industry partners, bicycle clubs, and cyclists across North America.

Campaign business sponsors include Bikeflights.com, BOB Gear by Britax Child Safety, Inc., Ortlieb, Planet Bike, Primal Wear, and TeamEstrogen.com. Bicycle club sponsors include Cascade Bicycle Club. In-kind sponsors include Bikeflights.com, Cygolite, Hans Bagworks, J&B Importers, Nutcase, Ortlieb, and Osprey Packs.

The U.S. Bicycle Route System is supported in part by grants from the the Lazar Foundation, New Belgium Brewing, Climate Ride, and the Tawani Foundation.

*No purchase necessary. See the sidebar of the campaign page for full sweepstakes details.