Advocacy News

New Director at Bike Alliance

The Bicycle Alliance of Washington is pleased to announce the selection of Gordon Black as our new Executive Director.

Gordon has a long association with the Bicycle Alliance. He has been a strong advocate for improving bike access on the Washington State Ferries and was a co-founder of Squeaky Wheels, the successful bike advocacy group on Bainbridge Island. Gordon has taught history at Bainbridge Island High School for the past two years. Prior to that, he worked extensively as a journalist, including time with KUOW radio.

Gordon is very excited about being selected as the new ED and considers it his dream job. Outgoing ED Barbara Culp will work closely with him to ensure that there is a smooth transition for the organization. 

BAW Tours Washington

From Kent Peterson

Bicycle Alliance of Washington

From July 14th through July 28th, I'll be cycling around Washington state. Since I have two ears and only one mouth, I'm planning on doing at least twice as much listening as talking. I will be giving some seminars on commuting and safe riding techniques but much of the trip will be a look and learn trip for me.

I'll be connecting up with Bicycle Alliance members in various locations, so I may have some civilized places to stay, but I'm also planning on doing some bicycle camping as well. I'll be blogging from the road and compiling lists of cycling related contacts, shops, and resources for the various places I'll be visiting.

Kent starts his tour on the Olympic Penninsula, then circles around the state with a stop over in Portland to see how they do things there. Follow his travels at www.bicyclealliance.org.

Attend Bike Alliance Auction – FREE

BIKES Club of Snohomish County will be giving away $75 tickets to the annual Bicycle Alliance of Washington Auction at our September and October meetings. That will give BIKES Club auction attendees a little extra money to spend on the many bike rides, dinners out, bike art, family outings, food baskets, weekend getaways and other fun stuff for sale at the Oct. 27 auction in Seattle. Put it – and our club meetings on Sept. 13 and Oct. 11 on your calendars.

If you’ve got an item or experience (like a guided kayak trip or home-cooked meal ) you’d like to donate to the auction, visit www.bicyclealliance.org

Time to RAPSodize

Ride Around Puget Sound

volunteers, riders wanted

The early registration deadline for the Ride Around Puget Sound is July 21. So, either sign up to ride the 165-mile event as a participant this month, or plan to come help at the beautiful BIKES Club reststop on Saturday, Aug. 25. Either way, you’re supporting the Bicycle Alliance, which advocates fro cyclists and a bicycle-friendly Washington.

BIKES volunteers can ride the RAPSody route for free the weekend before the event, with a little route marking thrown in along the way (not too much) The volunteer ride starts in Tacoma at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, and we’ll have luggage transport to the Shelton Super 8 that night and back to Tacoma the next day. Rooms cost about $40 per person, but Saturday dinner is on RAPSody.

In return, volunters help cut fruit and calzones, smile and dance the chicken dance the following Saturday.

Contact Kristin at 360-658-2462 for more information on volunteering or to reserve a spot on the volunteer ride.

To sign up for RAPSody, visit www.rapsodybikeride.com

Georgia Tourist Seeks Company

By Merle Knotts

I will soon be 68 years old and I have had multiple sclerosis since 1980. Over the years my MS has evolved to be primarily sensory in nature and does not much involve my motor functions. Beginning May 19, I will be pedaling a recumbent tricycle from my home in Marietta, Georgia to Oak Harbor, Washington to attend my 50-year high school class reunion and to raise money for the MS Society. You may visit my website, www.MerlesMilesForMS.com, to find out more about my story and to watch my progress. (Editors Note: He has great photos, too)

I am interested in recommendations for places to see and things to do and places to stay overnight, and, especially, to get a shower.  I invite any interested riders to accompany me for any  period of time (even just to say hello) to relieve the boredom.

Merle’s reunion is Aug. 3. He should be passing over the North Cascades Hwy. 20 and through Burlington in Skagit County in late July. As of the newsletter deadline in June, he was in Colorado.