Tom Peterson ? Life As A Pro

40 Years of cYcLinG coveraGe bicYcLePaPer.coM March 2011 

Bike on Over to the Sunnier Side 

Escape the February and March rain by making the trek to Sequim, Port Angeles, Port Townsend and Friday Harbor to 

ride the lush trails and dry roads the region has to offer. Photo by Darren Dencklau 

By Rhesa BuBBel 

Spring weather in Seattle can be a little lackluster. 

It’s still gray and drizzling and all you want to do 

is stretch your legs after a dark and cold winter. There 

are moments of optimism: a break in the clouds, blue 

skies and a warm glow that seems vaguely familiar, 

even the smell of the air is different. Taking up the opportunity, 

your mind races with excitement as you run 

through all the excursions you’ve wanted to do lately. 

You grab your bike and start pedaling. The air is clean 

and refreshing, you can smell the change in the season 

and you feel like there won’t be an end to all this energy. 

Then, your excitement and optimism are crushed when, 

twenty minutes into your ride, it starts to monsoon and 

you realize that you’ve been fooled again and should 

have worn the diving gear. Yes, Seattle’s weather has 

the incredibly frustrating ability to turn even the most 

upbeat into an Eeyore, but there’s a little sunshine at 

the end of this tunnel. Besides being a convergent zone, 

the Northwest is also home to another meteorological 

process called a rain shadow, which just might be the 

ticket to logging some sunny spring rides. 

David Britton, a resident of the rain shadow and 

someone who wanted to study just how much of an 

impact this effect has, put a weather station atop his 

house and joined forces with Cliff Mass, a weather guru 

at the University of Washington. Britton has been cataloging 

and comparing the weather in Seattle, Sequim, 

heaLth 

make your spin bike feel 

like your regular steed and 

increase your training benefits. 

PG 5 

Port Angeles and Port Townsend on a daily basis. He 

has come up with some elaborate and surprising data, 

but to grasp it all we first need to understand how a 

rain shadow works. 

As moisture-laden air or a storm moves off the Pacific 

Ocean toward the Puget Sound, it runs right into 

the Olympic Mountain Range. That wet air is forced to 

rise above the mountain cluster and as it does, it cools. 

When this air cools, its ability to hold moisture lessens 

and clouds form, resulting in precipitation in the form 

of rain and snow. What started out as moist air gets 

wrung like a wet towel, releasing up to 200 inches of 

precipitation per year, as it ascends the Olympics. True 

to the hypothesis that what goes up must come down, 

that air then descends on the north and east sides of the 

mountains, warming and thus regaining its ability to 

hold moisture. However, clouds don’t form because that 

recently drained air is now moisture light, leaving blue 

skies and sunshine in its wake, at least more so than not. 

“While other rain shadows exist in the Western US, 

and around the world, the Olympic rain shadow is unique 

in some ways,” says Britton. “For starters, it happens to 

lie over a maritime area with miles of scenic coastline. 

The rain shadow...” — or orographic effect if you want 

to be all fancy — “...is centered over Sequim, but Port 

Angeles, Port Townsend and San Juan Island (Friday 

Harbor area) get a bit of the benefit too.” 

see “Rain shadow” on page 15 

By DaRRen DenCklau 

The Pacific Northwest has spawned 

quite a few professional cyclists 

over the years. In 2010, five were on 

Pro Tour teams and have seen action 

on the world’s largest stages. Tom 

Peterson of North Bend, Wash., has 

risen through the ranks and now 

rides alongside the biggest names in 

the sport. Owner of Peterson Bicycle, 

located in Renton, Wash., he is both 

a businessman and competitor. Recently 

he answered a few questions 

about life on the Pro Tour while training 

in Europe. 

BP: What is it like to be a domestique 

on one of the best teams in 

pro cycling? 

TP: I think that at some point 

“domestique” was taken out of context 

or times have changed as the 

number of races have increased. On 

average, I spend 75 days of the year 

in a race, we call them “race days,” 

and of those days I spend less than 10 

Barriers for the 

Low Income Cyclist 

By ClaRissa eRsoz 

LeGisLation 

a look at the washington 

and oregon initiatives and how 

they are shaping up. 

PG 6 

What image comes to mind upon 

hearing the word “cyclist”? An 

urban fixed gear hipster? A spandexclad 

commuter? A racer? Increasingly, 

individuals and groups scrutinize 

the characteristics that portray most 

bicyclists as being white and middle 

or upper class citizens. In community 

centers, cycling clubs and urban planning 

facilities, some are wondering 

why people of color and low-income 

households are not choosing to ride 

bikes more. So seemingly inexpensive 

and accessible, it should be ideal for 

minority groups. However, with a 

little examination, the bicycle may 

not create as much equality as one 

would think. 

It would make sense for cycling to 

have a high percentage of mode share 

among low-income households since 

ProfiLe 

econoMics 

free! 

voL 40 issue 1 

Tom Peterson — Life as a Pro 

in the service of another teammate. 

Yes, for 65 of those, we are racing as a 

team, so we share the task of fetching 

bidons [water bottles] or maintaining 

position in the front of the race, or 

covering moves — but as a servant, 

I spend relatively little time. I like to 

think that I am more valuable than 

that, and certainly I consider myself 

capable of winning races, so I give 

that opportunity to myself and so do 

my teammates. 

Domestique is French and roughly 

translated to “servant” in English. I 

know that the media spends a ton of 

time making domestiques out to be 

this or that, or super domestiques ... 

It’s rubbish, that doesn’t exist. Sure, 

the guys on the tour team are generally 

chosen specifically for a roll to fill in 

the tour, but rarely is there someone 

who is precisely the definition of domestique. 

Or servant. Personally I find 

the term distasteful and detracting. 

automobiles are more expensive to 

purchase and maintain — and congestion 

pricing, roadway tolls and gasoline 

taxes often put a larger burden on 

the underprivileged. And according to 

the 2001 study, Socioeconomics of Urban 

Travel by John Pucher and John Renne 

of Rutgers University, low-income 

travelers usually take shorter trips, 

partly because they often live near 

centralized urban centers, rather than 

the suburbs. Furthermore, the bicycle 

should also benefit disadvantaged 

individuals since it increases access 

to areas not easily traveled to by bus 

— including jobs, schools and shopping 

facilities. 

Surprisingly, when taking into 

account these benefits, only 13.5% 

of cyclists come from households 

earning less than $20,000, the lowest 

PG 10 

see “peteRson” on page 7 

see “low income” on page 4 

Mechanic’s corner 

a step-by-step approach on 

how to give your bike a new 

look for little money.

Second Ascent Becomes 

Shimano Service Center 

Second Ascent, a specialty retail shop located 

in Seattle’s hip and happening Ballard 

community, has recently partnered up with 

Shimano North America to become the area’s 

premier Shimano Service Center (SSC). 

Photo courtesy of Second Ascent 

The shop, founded in 1996, specializes 

in climbing gear, backpacking supplies, high 

quality outdoor clothing, alpine gear, bicycles, 

cycling specific gear and offers expert bike fit 

advice. 

This partnership means Second Ascent has 

become an exclusive hub for professional service, 

innovative technologies and carries new- 

2 - Bicycle Paper March 2011 

to-market products from Shimano. As an official 

SSC, the shop’s staff receives regular training 

from Shimano representatives on current and 

upcoming technologies. In addition, they also 

provide onsite warranty service, translating 

to their customers spending less 

time waiting and more time riding. 

Another advantage of Second 

Ascent teaming up with Shimano 

is that the shop will have a large 

number of parts on hand. Staying 

true to their customer base, the 

primary focus will lean toward the 

SLX and XT line for mountain bike 

parts and 105 and Ultegra parts 

for the road. 

Second Ascent’s bike shop 

manager Dave Wiktorski states, 

“You’ll still be able to find parts 

for your old reliable commuter as 

well as hot new gear from the new 

XT/XTR Trail lineup. At Second 

Ascent our goal is to provide top-level customer 

service in both sales and service. We are 

very excited with our new partnership and are 

committed to building an even stronger, more 

effective relationship with our customers and 

our community.” 

For more information about Second Ascent 

visit www.secondascent.com 

Winter 2010 Issue Trivia — Erratum 

Bicycle Paper reader, Qamuuqin Maxwell, 

pointed out that the answer to question #3 in 

our last trivia section was wrong, and he is right. 

The question asked, “Who was the last Grand 

Tour winner to also win the Worlds?” We went 

Revel Consulting to Support Cycling Team 

Revel Consulting, a Kirkland, Wash., business 

management consulting firm announced its sponsorship 

of Rad Racing Northwest, a premier junior cycling 

team. Beginning in 2011 the team will officially be 

known as Revel Consulting/Rad Racing NW. 

The sponsorship will help support the team’s 

training and racing programs for youth from across 

the Puget Sound area. In addition to financial support, 

Revel will donate consulting services to help the 

organization run more efficiently and reach a wider 

audience. Revel’s Managing Partner, Brett Alston, 

will also join the Rad Racing board of directors to 

provide executive level resources and insight. 

with Abraham Olano, who won the Worlds 

in 1995 and the TdF in 1998. As Qaqmuuqin 

pointed out, Lance Armstrong was actually the 

correct answer, having won the Worlds in 1993 

but the TdF from 1999-2005. 

Revel Consulting/Rad Racing NW’s mission is to 

teach young people life lessons through the sport of 

cycling, and to develop top-level regional, national 

and international junior cyclists. Revel/Rad team 

members train for and compete in cyclocross, road, 

track, and mountain bike races. 

Launched in 2009, Revel’s Sustainable Giving 

program aims to support area non-profit organizations 

by going beyond traditional monetary donations 

and providing consulting services that help 

ensure non-profits sustain their cause over the 

long run. 

news and trivia 

Portland’s Bike Maps Available in 

Multiple Languages 

As a part of its SmartTrips program, the 

Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) distributed 

walk/bike maps in five new languages 

during a pre-employment training class at the 

Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization 

(IRCO). The additional languages for the 

popular maps are Burmese, Nepali, Somali, 

Russian and Arabic. IRCO informed PBOT that 

these languages would cover most new Portlanders 

and help to get them to job interviews 

if they don’t own a car. 

“For new Portlanders, getting to that first 

job interview or first day on the job can be a 

monumental task, especially if English isn’t 

a first language,” said Marni Glick of PBOT. 

“Handing out walk/bike maps in other lan- 

Bicycle Trivia 

By Dave CampBell 

Early Season Stage Races 

There is now a wide variety of early season stage races in warm locales, where the world’s 

top professionals can test their fitness. Gone are the days of mostly one-day training races in 

the South of France during February. In addition to exotic Langkawi, hot Australia, windy 

Qatar, and now sunny Oman, there are also traditional and improved February and March 

events in Spain, Italy, and France. This month’s column tests your knowledge of these important 

and exciting season openers, both new and old. 

Q1. Two Americans have won the Tour de Langkawi in its 16-year history. Both are known 

for their climbing prowess and both, interestingly, have ties to the Pacific Northwest. Can 

you name them? 

Q2. Aussie Cameron Meyer (Garmin-Cervelo) brought home the Tour Down Under’s 

Ochre jersey after German sprinter Andre Greipel’s 2010 victory (he also triumphed in 2008). 

Primarily won by Australian riders since its inception in 1999, only four foreign racers besides 

Griepel have claimed the title. Can you name them? 

Hint: There has been a Frenchman, two Spaniards, and a Swiss. 

Q3. One remnant of the French Riviera training races, although modernized and hypercompetitive, 

is the Tour de Mediterranean. First held in 1974, unlike many early season stage 

races where lesser known riders, domestiques, and riders peaking for the Classics tend to 

succeed, four Grand Tour winners have triumphed here. Can you name them? 

Q4. The Ruta del Sol, also known as the Vuelta a Andalucia, has traditionally been dominated 

by Spanish riders. It has only been won by two English speaking riders in its 56-year 

history (at press time the results of the 57th edition were unknown). Can you name them? 

Hint: They are both Aussies. 

Q5. The French stage race Étoile de Bessèges, once a mainstay of the elite international 

peloton, but now primarily a French affair, has been won by three different members of the 

same family since 1971. Can you name the family and its winning members? 

Answers on page 15 

Dave Campbell has been writing race trivia 

since 1992. He began racing in 1982 in Wyoming, 

moving to Oregon in 1987. He was the 1992 Oregon 

BARR champion and 1993’s Bicycle Paper 

guages shows those new to our area that lowcost 

and free transportation choices are right 

around the corner.” 

The new language maps were cost-effectively 

made — stickers were affixed on top of 

the key and titles of already existing material. 

Currently available in both English and Spanish, 

these maps show the locations of schools, 

community centers, transit lines, parks and 

grocery stores. 

SmartTrips is the name for Transportation 

Options’ programs that encourage alternative 

transportation choices. Bike and walk maps 

and ordering information can be found at 

www.gettingaroundportland.org. 

“Top 10 in the Northwest,” elite cyclist. He now 

focuses on triathlons. Dave is a high school science 

& health teacher and cross-country coach 

in Newport, Ore.

March, 2011 

Volume 40 • Number 1 

Publishers Jay Stilwell 

Ryan Price 

Associate Publisher Claire Bonin 

Editorial 

Editor Claire Bonin 

Assistant Editor Darren Dencklau 

Editorial Intern Rhesa Bubbel 

Writers Rhesa Bubbel 

Dave Campbell 

Darren Dencklau 

Clarissa Ersoz 

Isaac Gmazel 

Kaston Griffin 

Maynard Hershon 

Dave Janis 

Joe Kurmaskie 

Erik Moen 

Rick Price 

Photographers David Britton 

Cascade Design 

Cycle Oregon / Greg Lee 

Darren Dencklau 

Erik Moen 

Garmin / Cervélo 

Joe Bikes 

Becky Morton / 

Bikeasaurus 

Pelican 

Joe Sales 

Leo Schmidt / Lampcycle 

Second Ascent 

Studio Chaton 

Wheels in Focus 

Art and Production 

Design and Production Amy Beardemphl 

Graphic Intern Steve Kilpatrick 

Printing Oregon Lithoprint 

Advertising 

Contact Darren Dencklau 

Claire Bonin 

Phone 206.903.1333 

Toll Free: 1-888-836-5720 

Email Darren@bicyclepaper.com 

Claire@bicyclepaper.com 

sales@bicyclepaper.com 

Distribution 

Distribution & Mailing Amber Zapffel 

Seattle Publishing 

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68 South Washington St., Seattle, WA 98104 

Phone: 206-903-1333 and Fax: 206-903-8565 

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All materials appearing in Bicycle Paper are the 

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editorial guidelines and deadlines. Bicycle Paper is listed 

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President Jay Stilwell 

jay@seattlepub.com 

Vice President Ryan Price 

ryan@seattlepub.com 

Project Coordinator Claire Bonin 

claire@seattlepub.com 

Production Coordinator Rick Peterson 

rick@seattlepub.com 

A Bicycle Paper Birthday Wish 

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Bicycle 

Paper. Over that period, only five publishers have 

owned it — Barclay Kruse, Dave Shaw, Paul Clark, 

and now Jay Stilwell and Ryan Price. Although 

the ownership has changed, the “ligne directrice” 

has remained constant — covering cycling in 

the Northwest. 

Following that tread, Bicycle Paper launched 

the Northwest Racing Guide nine years ago, to better 

showcase the athletes and races in this region. 

The next spring, the Northwest Tour Guide was 

introduced and soon became the “go to” reference 

for recreational cyclists. Rocky Mountain specific 

versions were created simultaneously in 2008. Over 

the years, the website has also flourished, moving 

from “companion to the print publication” status to 

holding its own, and will soon offer new features that 

will allow for more reader interaction. 

During the last 40 years, the sport of cycling 

has seen tremendous technical changes while 

How To Make Your Town 

a Better Bike Town 

By RiCk pRiCe, ph.D. 

Mia Birk’s book, 

Joyride: Pedaling Toward 

a Healthier Planet, 

is a “how-to manual” 

for creating a first 

class bicycle community. 

Anyone in government 

or interested 

in bicycle advocacy 

would benefit from 

reading it as a way 

to put their community 

on the right track 

to becoming bicycle 

friendly. 

Birk recounts 

a perfect storm of 

events when she became 

the bicycle coordinator in Portland, Ore., 

in 1993. The US Congress had just funded its 

first six-year federal transportation package that 

included a small allocation for “Transportation 

Enhancements.” These enhancements were 

meant to fund transit, bicycling and walking 

facilities as Congress attempted to counter the 

“roads only” policies of state departments of 

transportation. This enabled cities like Fort Col- 

froM the editor 

fundamentally remaining the same. The number 

of events and people that participate in them has 

grown exponentially. Commuters have taken to 

the streets and forced policy makers and city 

planners to consider their needs as an integral 

part of regular road users. 

This influx of cyclists has brought to 

light the need for mutual understanding 

and respect between the two groups. 

However, there is a small number of bad 

cyclists, the visible minority which gets 

noticed the most, in contrast to the good 

cyclists whom go mostly unnoticed because 

they follow the rules and ride with respect for 

others. They disappear in the big picture, as most 

people notice only what is out of place, not what 

is in sync with the environment. Everyone notices 

the drunk driver swerving all over the place on the 

highway, but hardly notices the hundreds/thousands 

of others that follow the traffic flow. 

book review 

lins and Boulder, Colo.; and Corvallis, Eugene, 

and Portland, Ore., to write bike plans and hire 

bicycle coordinators. 

In 1990, the Bicycle Transportation 

Alliance (BTA) was founded in Portland, 

and became one of the most active advocacy 

groups in the nation. Earl Blumenauer, 

now Congressman from Oregon’s 

3rd Congressional District and founder of 

the Congressional Bike Caucus, was Portland’s 

Commissioner of Public Utilities 

at the time. With Blumenauer’s support 

and with the backing of the BTA, Birk set 

out to make Portland, a city of 500,000 

people, a friendlier place to ride a bicycle. 

As she explains in Joyride, Birk had a 

series of revelations during the first years 

of her job that opened her eyes to the 

challenges she faced. Despite enjoying 

great support in the bicycle community, 

she noted that, “If I spend my time preachin’ 

to the gospel choir, the bicycle revolution isn’t 

going to spread very far.” Additionally, when 

Portland’s traffic engineers suggested that 

rather than stripe bicycle lanes they get the 

police to enforce the law to encourage more 

cyclists, she noted, “The police won’t even talk 

to me [as bicycle coordinator] let alone enforce 

the rules of the road to protect cyclists.” 

I see bad cyclists every day. I see bad drivers 

every day as well. I see respectful drivers and good 

law abiding cyclists also. I thank drivers that give 

me room with a quick nod or a wave of the hand. I 

try to have a chat with those who cut me off. I’ve 

chased down many cyclists that run red lights. 

I tell them traffic lights apply to them as well, 

and that they are playing with my reputation 

as a cyclist and that I don’t appreciate it. 

Some get pissed, others don’t, but it gives 

them something to ponder for a while. 

If I succeed in changing one person’s 

behavior, that’s a plus for all of us. 

So for Bicycle Paper’s 40th anniversary 

wish, I suggest that we all take responsibility 

for ourselves and our peers this year. If we see 

someone do something unlawful or disrespectful, tell 

them ... nicely. It is our reputation and collectively 

that will move us all closer to being in sync with 

our environment. 

Happy Riding, 

Claire Bonin, Editor 

Another revelation came after her third annual 

Bike to Work Day, when Birk asked herself, 

“Is this helping to get more people out riding? 

Is my time best spent running events like this, 

or working on bikeway projects?” The answer, 

she found, was that she needed to mobilize the 

non-bicyclists, build bike paths and lanes, and 

to become more of a catalyst in bringing people 

together to change the culture in order to get 

reluctant cyclists on their bikes. “It’s not enough 

to adopt a bicycle plan” she wrote, “We’ve got 

to retrain all the humans involved, both inside 

and outside government.” 

So Birk began by holding neighborhood 

meetings at Denny’s [restaurants]. Then she 

met with the Lions Club. Once fully underway, 

she was meeting with “business groups, ethnic 

groups, neighborhood associations, school 

groups, churches,” and as she explains it, “Pretty 

much anyone who would listen,” in a series of 

sixty meetings across Portland. 

The results of her work are impressive to the 

degree that Joyride should be required reading 

for anyone who wants to see bicycle ridership 

increase in their community. 

Rick Price, Ph.D., is the co-founder of ExperiencePlus! 

Bicycle Tours. In retirement, he is a 

League of American Bicyclist cycling instructor and 

safe cycling coordinator for the Fort Collins Bike 

Co-op. Contact him at education@fcbikecoop.org. 

Bicycle Paper March 2011 - 3

“Low Income“ from Page 1 

percentage for all income groups. According to 

the same Rutgers University report, over half 

of cyclists (56.9%) earn between $20,000 and 

$75,000, and even those who earn more than 75k 

ride more often than the poorest households. 

So if it’s cheaper than a car and often faster and 

more reliable than a bus, why is bicycling not 

being utilized by more low-income travelers? 

A number of barriers exist, and individuals, 

organizations and local governments are trying 

to address these issues. 

The first problem is the cost — even a reasonably 

priced bike is a significant up-front 

expense for disadvantaged households. Though 

it’s clearly cheaper than purchasing and maintaining 

an automobile, mass transit (especially 

buses) could be less expensive, depending upon 

rates, the existence of ride-free areas, and the 

option of reduced-price passes — an alternative 

which exists in many metropolitan areas. 

Although bicycles require an initial expenditure 

and some extended maintenance costs, 

there are community organizations and individuals 

who sell reduced-price bikes or offer 

tune-ups and maintenance for a fraction of the 

regular price (or free). For example, Bike Works, 

a nonprofit community bike shop in Seattle that 

sells refurbished and affordable bikes, offers 

reasonably priced maintenance and donates 

recycled bikes to organizations that serve disadvantaged 

populations. Also in Seattle, Cascade 

Bicycle Club offers an Earn-a-Bike maintenance 

program that lets participants, after five weeks 


Pelican Products makes lighting systems, 

cases and shipping containers. Founded in 1974 

by Dave Parker, an avid diver, the company introduced 

the first O-ring sealed 

injection molded case and 

created a line of diving 

lights. 

We were solicited by 

Pelican to try out the 2620 

HeadsUp Lite, a “handsfree 

flashlight.” Thinking that it may 

work well for night riding and camping, two 

of my favorite things, I agreed to give one a go. 

First off, I call it a headlamp, even though 

their “hands-free flashlight” description may be 

more correct. It comes with two different types 

of stretchy straps: cloth and rubber. I switched 


of training, keep the bike they worked on. Director 

Ed Ewing hopes other cities will implement 

similar systems that have “a long term 

commitment to change behaviors” and instill in 

kids that cycling is a great option for exercise, 

recreation and transportation. Similar groups 

exist all over the Northwest, including the Boise 

Bicycle Project in Idaho and Cool Water Bikes 

in Spokane, Wash. 

Another organization 

that tries to broaden access 

is the Community Cycling 

Center in Portland, Ore., who 

in 2010 released the interim 

report, “Understanding the 

Barriers to Bicycling,” as part 

of a two-year community 

needs assessment. The report 

found that 60.42% of all participants 

surveyed expressed 

concern about the cost of a 

bicycle, indicating such an expense would be 

outside their means. 

In addition to access, culture can sometimes 

pose an obstacle. According to Socioeconomics 

of Urban Travel, in 2001, three fourths of the 

poorest households (those earning less than 

$20,000 annually) in America owned a car. The 

automobile has not only become the transportation 

of choice, it also signifies independence 

and fiscal stability, while the bicycle, to many, 

symbolizes poverty. As Alison Graves, executive 

director of the Community Cycling Center 

out the cloth setup in favor of the rubber — 

designed for adhering to hard hats — to get a 

better grip on my bike helmet, which it does 

surprisingly well. 

The angle of the lamp is adjustable and has 

two mode settings — Xenon and LED. The 

Xenon light shines brighter, while the 

LED gives off a dull yellowish 

tint. I like the brighter and 

whiter Xenon best; it also 

uses less power. There is 

no flash mode — it wasn’t 

conceived to be a bicyclespecific 

light — but a handlebar-mounted 

flasher solves that. 

The 2620 requires three AAA batteries and 

will run up to 80 hours on the lowest setting. 

MSRP is around $28. Visit www.pelican.com 

for more information. 

froM PaGe 1 

Product reviews 

points out, “the symbolism of bicycles is multifaceted” 

and “not all people of a particular 

background share a common perception.” 

Another hurdle is safety. The Community 

Cycling Center report identifies three areas of 

safety where participants expressed concern: 

traffic, personal and bicycle. Many articulated 

that they did not know or understand the rules 

of the road and so hesitate to choose a bike 

for transportation. Additionally, women feel 

an increased reluctance 

to ride due to safety 

concerns among other 

factors. According to a 

study done by the University 

of Los Angeles 

entitled, Is it Safe to Walk 

Here? Design and Policy 

Responses to Women’s 

Fear of Victimization in 

Public Spaces, women 

were more likely to 

drive or take a taxi 

rather than choose transportation that involved 

public space. This proved especially true for 

minority women in low-income neighborhoods. 

Cascade Bicycle Club hosts the “Major 

Taylor Project,” an after school cycling program 

for the city’s youth that teaches cycling 

safety, maintenance, and awareness. Named 

after Marshall “Major” Taylor, the first African 

American sprint champion, the program 

focuses on diverse and underserved communities 

and strives to create access and promote 

self-sufficiency to kids in four disadvantaged 

Access, culture and perceptions can keep 

you off the bike. Photo by Studio Chaton 

HeadsUp Lite 2620 Flashlight MSR PackTowl® Personal 


MSR makes a line of lightweight camp towels 

that are designed for active lifestyles. They 

are intended to absorb moisture, dry quickly and 

pack tightly. They are three different categories 

of these towels including: Expedition, Fast & 

Light, and Basecamp. I tested the PackTowl® 

Personal, part of the Basecamp line. So, what 

was the outcome? 

My first experience with this little gem was 

during a self-supported bike tour of Vancouver 

Island and the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, 

so everything I needed for the excursion 

had to fit in my panniers. The PackTowl® 

stowed away into its included mesh bag and 

took up minimal space. 

It is made of a polyester and nylon combination 

and has properties similar to a leather 

neighborhoods. Ewing remarks, “The bike can 

foster confidence, empowerment, freedom and 

accomplishment.” 

Finally, one of the greatest barriers may be 

the inequality of access, not just to a bike itself, 

but also to bicycle paths, facilities and information. 

The Community Cycling Center’s equity 

map found in the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030 

indicates that several minority neighborhoods 

in Portland are underserved. For instance, the 

Portsmouth area, which has a median household 

income almost $20,000 dollars below the city’s 

average, has a lower concentration of bike lanes 

and streets that have sharrows. Graves points 

out a language barrier on bicycle maps and 

guides that were until very recently printed in 

English only. Conversely, she also comments 

that there have been considerable improvements 

in the past couple of years. Graves 

applauds the Portland Bicycle Master Plan for 

2030 for including an equity gap analysis and 

embracing this component in the plan, but she 

wants to ensure that future decision-making will 

consider bicycle access disparities and work to 

lessen these imbalances. 

Cost, accessibility and safety are just some 

of the obstacles facing low-income and minority 

cyclists. Several organizations strive to allow 

access to reasonably priced bicycles and local 

governments are starting to implement plans 

to create more equal access to disadvantaged 

neighborhoods. Only time will tell, but improved 

access and more education will certainly 

go a long way to help create a balance between 

social and economic classes. 

chamois — you know, the type many use to 

dry and polish their automobiles. And like 

chamois, it dries incredibly fast; after a quick 

hand wringing and then hanging it by the attached 

snap loop, it was almost completely dry 

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times before washing. 

I have been utilizing the PackTowl® for 

more than a year and anytime I travel it usually 

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commute shower towel at the office. 

Machine wash then hang to dry. Comes in 

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colors. MSRP for the large (36”x20”) is $19.95. 

Visit cascadedesigns.com for more information.

Fit to Spin 

By eRik moen, pT 

Indoor spinning workouts are a great way to 

stay fit and enjoy exercising in a group setting, but 

it can sometimes be difficult to make the spin bike 

feel like your own bicycle. Just like your regular ride, 

many positional adjustments can be made to a spin 

bike in order to avoid unnecessary pain or overuse 

injuries. These simple alterations will ensure your 

spin class’s focus is on the workout and not the onset 

or management of discomfort. 

A reasonable goal is to make your spin bike fit 

like your regular bicycle. By doing so you will avoid 

injury, improve comfort, and work towards normal 

muscle development in a manner that is consistent 

with your original equipment. 

A good spin bicycle should be fairly adjustable. 

The saddle height should be easy to alter up and 

down and the seat should be able to move forward 

and back on the seat post. The saddle’s tilt and fore/ 

aft is determined by the seat-clamp and often preset 

by the industry — it is often times an unreliable 

element and difficult to adjust. When selecting your 

class’s spin bike, look for one that has a saddle that 

is minimally broken in and somewhat level. Handlebar 

height should allow for reasonable reach to 

the bars and you should be able to move them to 

the proper reach. 

Saddle Height 

The most important measure is the saddle height. 

A simple soft measuring tape is all that is required to 

make the appropriate adjustments. Assumed saddle 

height is dependent on the crank arm length. First 

Figure 1: Assessing saddle height. 

Photo by Erik Moen 

identify your own bicycle’s saddle height — the 

distance from the center of the bottom bracket following 

up the seat tube/seat post to the top of the 

seat (Figure 1). Then figure out the crank length; 

it represents the distance between the center of the 

pedal spindle to the middle of the bottom bracket. 

It is usually stamped on the back of the crank arm. 

Adjust the spin bike’s saddle height to mirror that 

of your regular bike following the same measurement 

procedures (Figure 2). 

Figure 2: Assessment of a spin bike’s 

saddle height. Photo by Erik Moen 

You may have to adjust the saddle height to 

compensate for crank length discrepancies between 

bikes. Spin bikes are typically equipped with 170mm 

cranks, so if you normally use 175mm cranks, you 

will need to lower the saddle 5mm to account for the 

difference. Those riding 165mm cranks will need to 

elevate the seat by 5mm. 

Saddle Position 

I don’t typically measure saddle fore/aft because 

the saddle tilt, shape and size of the spin bike will 

most likely be different than your regular bicycle. 

However, the spin bike fore/aft should be adjusted 

to make sure knees are properly aligned. 

Saddle fore/aft for a road bike is usually assessed 

as a function of where the knee is in relation to the 

pedal when the crank is placed at a 3 o’clock position. 

The soft measuring tape can be used to figure 

out where you knees are positioned — drop the 

tape from your knee and check alignment (Figure 

3). Make sure your foot/ankle is in the position you 

would use during normal pedaling. The knee over 

the pedal is a good starting position. 

heaLth 

Once the knee alignment is completed, recheck 

the saddle height to make optimal fit replication. 

Handlebar Reach 

Spin bike handlebars are somewhat of an irregular 

shape compared to a road bicycle’s bars. 

Adjust them to make your trunk and shoulder angle 

comfortable. This may have to be different than 

your own due to the set fit issues of the given bars. 

In the event that you do not have a current, wellsized 

road or mountain bike, there is a fairly simple 

way of adjusting your spin bike to get the most out of 

your workout. Place your foot in a normal position 

on the pedal. Adjust the saddle height to roughly 

place your knee over the pedal at a 3 o’clock position. 

Then place your heel on the pedal and slowly rotate 

backwards. Your saddle height should be set so that 

you can just get through the pedal stroke without 

fully extending your legs or rocking your hips. 

Make adjustments and keep rechecking your fore/ 

aft and height adjustments to make them optimal. 

This is a good “ball-park” estimate of saddle position, 

although not fully objective. It is often times 

“better than nothing.” 

Indoor spinning can be helpful for maintaining 

fitness over the winter or during a stretch of horrible 

weather. Making your spin bike mimic your road 

bike measurements will help you to get the most 

out of your workout while remaining injury-free. 

Erik Moen PT is the owner of Corpore Sano 

PT in Kenmore, WA. He is a recognized expert 

Figure 3: Assessment of knee over pedal. 

Photo by Erik Moen 

in the field of bicycle biomechanics and bicyclerelated 

injury intervention and treatment. Corpore 

Sano PT (CorporeSanoPT.com) is an orthopedic 

and sports physical therapy practice specializing 

in post surgical rehabilitation, spine rehabilitation, 

treatment of overuse injuries and sports 

performance. Contact him at 425-482-2453 or 

FixMe@BikePT.com 

to advertise with bicYcLe PaPer contact 

darren 

denckLau 

darren@bicyclepaper.com 


Bicycle Alliance’s 2011 

Legislative Agenda 

By Dave Janis, BaW poliCy DiReCToR 

The Bicycle Alliance has a long history of 

legislative successes in Olympia due in large 

part to our statewide network of bike clubs and 

advocates. Our Legislative and Statewide Issues 

Committee, which is made up of these clubs 

and advocates, works year-round to identify, 

research and prioritize key issues for cycling 

that need to be addressed at the state level. In 

addition, we have a lobbyist in Olympia who 

plays a crucial role in helping us help you. 

So what are the Bicycle Alliance’s 2011 legislative 

priorities? Read below, and be sure to 

check bicyclealliance.org for regular updates. 

Traffic School Safety Education (HB 1129) 

requires the Washington State Department of 

Licensing’s previously approved curriculum 

for safe driving around bicyclists and pedestrians 

be taught in traffic school, which is what 

drivers attend in connection with a condition 

of a deferral, sentence, or penalty for a traffic 

infraction or related criminal offense. This bill 

passed the House floor 92-0 in February and 

is now in the hands of the Senate Transportation 

Committee. Here are some of the benefits: 

• All the curriculum-related materials will 

be paid for by the Bicycle Alliance of 

Washington, so there is no cost to the traffic 

schools or the state. We already do this for 

the driver education schools. 

• The curriculum has been taught at driver 

education schools for less than three years, 

Oregon Legislation Controversy 

By Rhesa BuBBel 

The increasing importance of bicycle 

regulation and safety has become a common 

topic for Oregon’s legislature and several bills 

pertaining to cyclists have been presented for 

the 2011 session. 

The announcement of one bill in particular 

has caused a serious backlash from the biking 

community, with hundreds of comments pouring 

into media outlets and legislative offices. 

House Bill 2228 would outlaw anyone from 

carrying children under the age of six on their 

bike or in a trailer, and would carry fines of 

$90 for each violation. If passed, this initiative 

would put a serious kink in many families’ 

Now AvAilAble! 

metalcowboy.com 


therefore, many traffic school attendees 

have not been exposed to it. 

• The curriculum takes thirty minutes or less 

to teach and easily fits into existing traffic 

school curriculums. 

Local Authority Speed Limit (HB 1217) 

also passed 92-0 in the House and awaits Senate 

action from the Transportation Committee. It 

proposes to allow cities and towns to set 20 mph 

speed limits on non-arterials in residential and 

business districts without having to conduct 

costly traffic and engineering studies. Here are 

reasons to support the bill: 

• A vehicle traveling at 40 mph will strike a 

pedestrian with four times more force than 

a vehicle traveling at 20 mph. 

• Studies have proven the effectiveness at 

saving lives. In London, 20 mph zones 

saved 200 lives every year. Additionally, 

research shows that 20 mph zones reduce 

cyclist injuries by 17 percent. 

• It would save local jurisdictions hundreds 

to thousands of dollars by eliminating unnecessary 

engineering and traffic studies. 

• As more people bicycle and walk, and our 

population ages, we need to provide more 

protection. 

After receiving a mixed reaction to the 

Mutual Responsibilities Bill (HB 1018/ 

SB 5193), we asked our sponsors to table it. 

This bill was an ambitious undertaking to better 

define what is expected and required of both 

bicyclists and motorists to safely share the road. 

lifestyles. Former professor of public health 

at OHSU, Representative Mitch Greenlick, 

proposed the bill in response to a study published 

in the Journal of Trauma1 , which stated 

that thirty percent of commuter cyclists (those 

traveling by bike three or more days a week) 

had an accident resulting in a traumatic injury. 

Rep. Greenlick released a statement explaining 

that this bill is meant to initiate a discussion 

on child safety. While his concern is commendable 

and acknowledged as an important aspect 

of transportation by the biking community, 

most feel that this bill would be a step 

backwards in the pursuit of creating bike 

friendly communities. 

At the heart of the issue is the definition 

of “traumatic injury.” In the 

OHSU study, traumatic injury 

includes scrapes and bruises. 

When classifying those in this 

regard, opponents armed with 

facts and statistics on injuries 

and deaths due to vehicular 

accidents argue that in such 

light the discussion should 

also include outlawing children 

under the age of six from 

riding in automobiles. 

Another bill that caused 

a bit of concern was the short 

lived HB 2602, which made 

a motion to create an unsafe 

operation offense if a person 

is riding a bike on a road 

while wearing a listening 

device “capable of receiving 

feature 

feature 

We anticipate reaching out again to the bicycling 

community to find legislation that meets our 

needs and makes the roads safer for everyone. 

We are also supporting Complete Streets 

(SHB 1071), an effort led by the Transportation 

Choices Coalition. This would create a grant 

program that will distribute funds to local projects 

in cities that have adopted street ordinances 

designed to provide 

roads for 

all transportation 

modes. In 

addition, the 

Washington 

State Department 

of Transportation 

will 

consult with local jurisdictions during construction, 

retrofit, and major repair projects to apply 

contact sensitive design. Cascade’s Vulnerable 

Users (SB 5326, HB 1339) establishes an 

enhanced infraction for those drivers whose 

negligent behavior injures or kills bicyclists, 

pedestrians, or other vulnerable road users. 

We also like HB 1700, which would modify 

the requirements related to designing various 

transportation projects. The bill’s intent is that 

the Washington State Department of Transportation 

provide for the needs of all road 

users in planning, programming, designing, 

constructing, retrofitting, general operations, 

and performing maintenance. The bill gives 

local jurisdictions the authority to use a variety 

of approved design guidelines. 

As our eyes and ears are in Olympia, we 

sometimes find something in a bill where we 

don’t expect it. For example, HB 1025/ SSB 5191 

telephonic communication, radio broadcasts or 

recorded sounds.” Known as the “iPod Bill,” it 

was removed from the schedule the day before 

the hearing. Eugene Bicyclist, a blog on cycling 

culture, got in touch with Rep. Schaufler. His 

office responded that they “... didn’t feel that 

there was any momentum for this bill to move 

forward.” The chance for this initiative to be 

rescheduled is very unlikely. 

The 2011 session hasn’t been all waves; 

several bills presented have kept the legislative 

waters fairly smooth. Supported by Peter 

Koonce, the PBOT’s Division Manager of Signals 

and Street Lighting Department, SB 130, 

proposes to add green, yellow, and red signals 

for bicycles in addition to the regular list of 

traffic control signals. The goal of this bill is 

to differentiate between vehicle and cyclist’s 

right-of-way, which would increase the safety of 

riders while decreasing road conflicts between 

the two groups. 

HB 2824 intends to create a crime of trafficking 

bicycles with destroyed or altered serial 

numbers, while HB 2331 suggests the Department 

of Transportation conduct a study on the 

feasibility of issuing bike licenses to all users. 

Something else of interest that was brought 

to the floor is what appears to be the resurrection 

of the Idaho Stop law. Similar to a bill the 

Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) tried to 

pass in 2009, SB 604, sponsored by Senator 

Ginny Burdick, would allow “cyclists to enter 

an intersection with specified control devices 

without fully stopping, provided that the operator 

slows to a safe speed and yields right of 

way to traffic or pedestrians.” 

The original version’s demise in 2009 was 

attributed to the departure of Karl Rohde, a 

are written as providing flexibility to school 

districts. They have identical provisions to 

repeal the requirement that schools teach driving 

safely among bicyclists and pedestrians in 

their drivers education programs. The Bicycle 

Alliance worked hard to get this curriculum 

included in drivers ed and we will fight hard 

to keep that requirement intact. 

Other bills 

of note are SB 

5778, introduced 

by Sen. 

Chase of Shoreline. 

Among 

other provisions, 

the bill 

would require 

that all drink containers sold in Washington 

have a 5-cent recycling deposit. The benefit 

to this for bicyclists is that it could reduce the 

amount of broken glass on our roads and paths. 

We are also closely following HB 1796, a bill 

that would require the purchase of a $30 annual 

vehicle pass or a $10 single-day pass in order 

to access state recreation sites. Our concern is 

that it uses the definition of “vehicle” found in 

RCW 46.04.670, which includes bicycles. We will 

consider how much this could impact bicycling 

in state parks and on recreation lands, including 

your local trails — particularly for families. 

If you have any questions or comments 

on this legislation or for the committee, 

contact me, at davej@bicyclealliance.org or 

206.224.9252 Ext. 302. Follow the legislative 

progress at bicyclealliance.org or on our blog at 

bicyclealliance.blogspot.com. 

HB 2228 would outlaw anyone from carrying 

children six and under on a bike or in an 

attached trailer. Photo courtesy of Joe Bikes 

BTA lobbyist and the bill’s designer, and opposition 

from Eugene Bicycle and Pedestrian 

Coordinator Lee Shoemaker. 

Confusion over this bill’s return has many 

people asking, “Why?” Senator Burdick clarifies 

that the current form of SB 604 is just a 

placeholder for another idea in the works. 

She is trying to a create legislation that allows 

cyclists to move through sensor triggered red 

lights that do not recognize bicycles, but doesn’t 

want to bring any publicity to the bill until her 

team has had time to tack down the specifics. 

Track the progress on all of these bills and 

the 2011 session at leg.state.or.us or visit Bicycle 

Transoportaion Alliance at www.bta4bikes.org. 

Reference 

1. Bicycle Commuter Injury Prevention. 

Journal of Trauma, Vol. 69 #5, 11/05/2010. 

1112-1119

“Peterson“ from Page 1 

BP: What kind of mileage, on average, do 

you guys put in while training? How about 

rest days? 

TP: I do [ride] in the range of 25 hours a 

week. And so at an average of 35-38km/hr, that 

comes out at more or less 565 miles in a week. 

That sounds like a lot to 

me, but, divide by seven 

and its only 80 miles 

a day. That’s probably 

pretty standard for me, 

but I normally do my 

training on hours and 

power not in mileage. 

Normally [there are] no 

rest days, perhaps an 

easy ride of two hours 

at 180-220 watts, but 

normally no off days. 

I find it’s too hard to 

open back up after too 

much rest — my legs 

have to keep going, 

which is ridiculous 

but true. 

BP: How do you 

adapt/acclimate when 

you are traveling so 

much and then expected 

to perform your 

best? 

TP: I don’t have a 

ton of big travel days, 

there’s the occasional one where you have to 

fly here and take the train there, but in general 

it’s pretty easy: 1.5-hour flight from Barcelona 

to Paris or Milan or a 1.5-hour flight before bed 

from the hotel ... Race the next week and fly 

home. I rent an apartment in Girona, Spain, so 

transcontinental flights and jetlag isn’t an issue. 

Not much to deal with. I usually do a big 

block the days coming into a race to stay open 

of: 3 hours, 4 hours, 3.5 hours, travel day with 

1.5 hours if possible, then race. That’s pretty 

standard for most of the guys who race. 

BP: Is it difficult to travel and be away from 

your family for so long? How about making 

new friends? 

TP: You know what, it’s impossible to 

maintain true friends and family to the extent 

that you stay in touch. I mean, you do your best 

to send e-mails and make phone calls, but any 

semblance of a “normal life” are gone the moment 

that you decide you’re going to pursue a 

career as a professional cyclist. With that said, 

Peterson racing the Vuelta a España. 2010 

Photo courtesy of Garmin/Cervélo 

there are guys on the team who have a wife 

and kids; Christian [Vande Velde] for example, 

his family lives in Girona when he’s racing in 

Europe. His kids go to a private school where 

the kids speak English. So there are options 

as far as raising a family goes, but they don’t 

follow him to the races, 

he’s gone for weeks 

or even months at a 

time with the Tour 

and the Giro. I guess 

the bottom line is that 

you do what you can 

to maintain a normal 

state of life and living. 

BP: What’s the craziest 

thing you’ve seen 

on the Pro Tour? 

TP: I can’t even 

start to document what 

I’ve seen. Getting a flat 

and holding onto the 

car with one hand at 

60 miles per hour, one 

hand on the handlebar, 

around corners in 

the wet; crashing and 

fracturing my scapula 

on day 3 of Paris-Nice 

and still finishing after 

the doctor tells me I’m 

fine, only to find [out] a 

day after the race, during 

an x-ray, that the muscle had pulled away 

from the bone and taken a piece of the scapula 

with it. The doctor called it a pop fracture or 

something, I can’t remember exactly what it was 

called, but training and racing on it “shouldn’t 

cause complications.” But there are so many 

crazy things: mass crashes in the rain, mass 

crashes in the dry, three-hour 150-kilometer 

stages ... Racing Lombardia in shorts and a 

jersey when it’s pouring rain and 39 degrees 

for seven hours ... Couldn’t the whole thing be 

considered ridiculous? 

BP: Explain your worst crash? How do get 

over it both physically and mentally. 

TP: The last stage of the Tour of California 

— I think in 2007 or 2006 — it was my first 

year [as a] professional. I was in the young 

rider jersey. It was a fairly easy circuit that 

was going to be a field sprint. On the descent 

of this little hill on the backside of the circuit 

there was this hole. I hit it and crashed and slid 

on a perfectly dry, warm day — forever. I was 

froM PaGe 1 

sliding and sliding, and I was covered in road 

rash by the time I had finished sliding. Eight or 

so guys came down on top of me, and some of 

them didn’t get back up. I got up and [said to] 

a spectator, “someone help me.” They looked 

at me like they had seen a ghost. I finished the 

stage and kept the jersey and limped around 

for a couple weeks. Miraculously. 

BP: What’s the pack dynamic like? Is there 

a lot of trash talking going on? 

TP: There isn’t much trash talking, I suppose 

most of what you hear is reserved for the media. 

Most of these riders have been on different teams 

throughout their careers and so have spent time 

and at least become acquaintances of most of 

the other riders, neo-pros perhaps not included. 

But neo-pros aren’t going to have much to say 

as they haven’t seen much and wouldn’t have 

much cause in the trash talking scene. To be 

honest, the peloton is a fairly friendly scene, 

mainly joking and laughing, and catching up 

with friends that you wouldn’t otherwise see 

much of — this is just in the [first] few moments 

or [while] rolling along 

that exists during any of 

the races. For the most 

part, you’re just staring 

at the guy ahead of you, 

or watching your Garmin, 

calculating how far 

it is to the next climb or 

the moment where we 

start the lead out, or 

whatever. 

BP: Is there a “rookie 

syndrome” on the Pro 

Tour? Do the new guys 

receive fair treatment 

from the veteran racers? 

TP: Younger riders 

always receive different 

treatment. I guess 

that’s just a human 

instinct. They have 

to ride the front first, 

they get ridiculed for 

doing something when 

anyone else wouldn’t be made fun of. You 

know, it’s fairly standard throughout society. 

When someone’s new and/or ... well, hamhanded, 

they get special treatment. There’s a 

new guy on the team this year whose name 

is now “Silver Bells.” Honestly, I don’t know 

for sure what that is supposed to mean or 

how it came to be, but I’m guessing it has 

something to do with the Christmas song and 

his general nature. 

Vuelta a España, Stage 16. Working in the break. 

Photo courtesy of Garmin/Cervélo 

BP: Is it always fun? 

TP: No. It’s a job, and that’s all there is to 

it. I recently was a on a ride with a teammate 

and it was a brilliant sunny day and he looked 

over at me and said, “Tom, isn’t it a great day 

to be a professional cyclist?” I looked over at 

him and said, “Yeah, but if it was raining we’d 

still have to do it...” 

I think that captures the reality of it all ... 

we have great days, and we have crap days, 

much like any occupation, but I’ve heard of 

only a few guys who have ever turned a job as 

a professional cyclist down, so I suppose we’re 

probably quite lucky. 

BP: Do you have any advice for aspiring 

racers or last thoughts? 

TP: Stay hungry. And stay humble. I see 

too many youngsters out there with carbon 

wheels and $4,000 bikes. Kids need to work 

for what they have; when they get it for free 

then there’s nothing more to accomplish. Work, 

work, work. That’s the only way to ever get 

anywhere worth going. 

I was impressed and grateful for Peterson’s 

candid responses and Bicycle Paper is extremely 

appreciative, especially during a busy time in 

his season and career. He has also agreed to 

regularly update us on the goings-on of life on 

the pro racing circuit and we will be featuring 

these updates in upcoming issues and on our 

website. Stay tuned. 

Peterson Bicycle is located at 1755 NE 48th 

St. in Renton, Wash. Visit petersonbicycle.com. 


Giving Old Parts a Second Life 

By kasTon GRiffin 

Some artists are picky about their mediums 

of expression; others, their subjects. Bicycle 

Paper is delighted to feature artists who create 

artisan pieces in which 

the bicycle is their exclusive 

subject and recycled bike 

parts are their sole or primary 

mediums. Leo Schmidt, Andy 

Gregg, Becky Morton, and 

Liz Dickey are the owners of 

Lampcycle, Bike Furniture 

Design, Bikeasaurus and 1byliz, 

respectively. All of their 

materials come from manufacturer 

surpluses, donations, 

project leftovers and other 

fringe sources. Through their 

inventive creations, they inspire 

appreciation for cycling 

and its artistic significance. 

Sometimes, businesses 

begin with a uniquely serendipitous 

event. Prior to his 


Belt buckles. 

Photo courtesy of bikeasaurus. 

experience with bike art, Leo Schmidt of Seattle, 

Wash., earned a living by designing mirror and 

lighting installations. He came home one day to 

see a worn, valueless bicycle abandoned in his 

yard. “The idea of just throwing it away seemed 

wasteful,” he says, “and I became determined 

to turn it into something special.” After many 

design sketches, he managed to transform some 

of its components into a piece of functional 

art - a desk lamp — that a friend then eagerly 

purchased. “I was left with a newfound appre- 

ciation of just how many older and damaged 

bicycle parts were disposed of each year, and 

a vision of creating beautiful and functional 

artisan products out of them.” The opportunity 

to fully pursue recycled bike art arose in an 

unexpected way: in April 

2009, he was laid off. To 

Schmidt, this signaled a 

new beginning rather than 

an end. Immediately he 

began working on his art 

full-time, leading to the 

birth of his online Etsy 

store, Lampcycle. (Etsy is 

a handmade goods website 

which connects buyers and 

sellers from more than 150 

countries). “More desk 

lamps followed,” he says, 

“which led to wall clocks, 

mantle clocks, and other 

designs.” Since then, he 

has been selling his art to 

galleries in Olympia and 

Seattle and, in addition, 

has enrolled in entrepreneurial classes to help 

establish his thriving venture. His works are 

growing in both popularity and demand. 

Established Michigan artist, Andy Gregg, 

worked as a bicycle mechanic for 13 years and 

had greatly enjoyed sculpture classes. In 1990, 

he made his first chair from recycled parts and 

subsequently decided to establish a design and 

manufacturing studio, Bike Furniture Design. 

“Since the original Bike Chair,” his website 

reads, “Bike Furniture Designs have grown to in- 

feature 

enSelle… 

the shop for 

Connoisseurs of 

Fine Road Bikes 

2010 World Champion Cadel Evans, left, trains with 2010 US National Champion George Hincapie on team BMC. 

Featuring: Land Shark (Made in Oregon) Full custom frames 

and paint, made in both steel, carbon and anything in between. 

BMC (Swiss cycling technology) Optimizing overall ride quality through 

carefully selected combinations of frame designs and materials. 

LaPierre Full carbon frame, ridden by team Francais Des Jeux 

in the European Peloton. 

– Campagnolo Pro Shop 

– Shimano di2 Certified Mechanic 

– Mavic Certified Mechanic 

South of the Water Tower in John’s Landing 

6200 SW Virginia St. Portland, Oregon 97239 

clude a wide-ranging collection of high-quality 

tables, bar stools, loveseats, and more chairs.” 

To complete some works, he uses recycled materials 

from other transportation 

industries, such as train and automobile 

windows and surplus 

automotive seat belt webbing. 

His consistent enthusiasm for 

bicycles and their components 

naturally led him to pursue the 

successful business he runs to 

this day. “I just love solving 

design challenges,” he says, “for 

example, figuring out how to 

make something both comfort- 

able and strong.” His intelligent 

and methodical tinkering has 

resulted in 20 current exhibits 

featuring his work across the U.S. as well as 

regular media coverage. 

Portland, Ore., resident Becky Morton 

opened Bikeasaurus in early September 2010. 

The shop is located below the Hawthorne 

Bridge, which is used by nearly 5,000 cyclists 

every day. She sells bike accessories like helmets, 

lights, tools, and baskets as well as a large 

variety of locally made, bike-friendly gifts such 

as clocks, wallets, stickers, hats, bags, prints, 

and jewelry. Many items are designed from bike 

parts like pant suspenders made from recycled 

tubes. Bikeasaurus is something of a hub for 

local crafters to sell their products. The only 

things Morton currently makes herself that are 

sold in the shop are Bikeasaurus shirts, tote bags 

and buttons. The shop is a combination of her 

two passions: bike-riding and craft making. “It 

has been fun meeting so many local crafters 

who make clever, fun and practical products 

503.244.6754 (Tuesday-Saturday) 

Business card holder designed 

by Les Schmidt. 

Photo courtesy of Lampcyle 

using re-used bike parts,” she says. Whether 

customers are looking for pumps, water bottles, 

wallets, posters, arm warmers or cycle-related 

stained glass, they are sure to 

leave happy. 

University professor Liz 

Dickey of Oakland, Calif., 

started creating her artwork at 

the end of 2006, and opened her 

Etsy store in September 2007. 

Called 1byliz, the majority of 

her pieces are clocks made from 

recycled gears and reclaimed 

fabric. She also sells bicyclerelated 

buttons, ornaments and 

magnets. “I love the process of 

combining metal with texture 

and color found in reclaimed 

textiles,” she says. “The possibilities are endless. 

With every product I hope to inspire others to 

discover the potential for creative reuse and shift 

the way we all look at ordinary objects.” Since 

1byliz’s humble beginnings, Dickey has been 

pleasantly shocked with its continuing growth. 

She has always been interested in art and has 

four siblings who are all working adult artists 

from whom she draws support. Her strongest 

source of inspiration comes from kids. “Children 

see possibility in all materials,” she tells 

Etsy in a 2009 interview, “and the more time we 

spend with them, the more we too begin to see 

the extraordinary that exists in the ordinary. The 

French artist Jean Dubuffet sums it up when he 

says, ‘True art is always there where you least 

expect it, where no one thinks about it or utters 

its name.’” These influences motivate her to take 

see “Bike aRt” on page 8

froM PaGe 8 

“BIke art“ from Page 8 

full advantage of available materials to make 

one-of-a-kind, handmade pieces. 

Both Dickey and Morton are pleased with 

the size of their companies. Presently, half of 

Dickey’s customers come from local events 

and the other half from online sales. Still, she 

expects to expand the variety of her products 

after she finishes her current welding class. 

Morton, similarly pleased with the size of her 

venture, says, “As far as expanding, this space 

and location is great. I am excited about always 

making the shop better and adding more cool, 

local products.” For now, she appears to be 

comfortable with the company’s rapid success 

and its volume of customers. 

Schmidt and Gregg on the other hand, 

would like to see their enterprises grow. 

Schmidt’s ambition is to produce four times 

as much volume in the next year and expand 

his online sales. After this growth, he says he 

would be happy satisfying up to twelve times 

the current demand. Gregg wants to hire other 

manufacturers. Growth, for him, is finding a 

way to make his products easier and cheaper 

to build, then ship and sell for less. 

All four artists inspire others to find the potential 

for expressive art in unexpected places. 

With creative ideas and adroit execution, they 

have established presences on the Internet and 

in their communities. 

To view and purchase their works, visit: 

etsy.com/people/Lampcycle (Leo Schmidt), 

bikefurniture.com (Andy Gregg), bikeasauruspdx.com 

(Becky Morton) and etsy.com/ 

people/1byliz (Liz Dickey). 

The Return of The Native 

By Joe kuRmaskie 

A Florida boy, twenty years gone, leaves 

the Northwest to ride his state again to see 

what’s changed on two wheels. 

To verify my cycling credentials I could offer 

a wall of bib numbers, flash team sponsored 

jerseys, talk about the continents I’ve toured by 

bike or show a video of an elephant chasing my 

rear wheel in Zimbabwe. 

What I usually say is that I grew up riding 

a bicycle in Florida in the 1970s. The room 

always goes quiet. 

I’m lucky to be alive, but I’m also lucky in the 

way that people who attended Woodstock are, or 

those who rushed for California gold, marched 

on Selma or laid the country’s first railroad 

tracks. I was fortunate to be inside something 

as it was becoming, something organic and ad 

hoc, both dangerous and beautiful ... Roads 

were being paved just beyond my front wheel, 

often the blacktop still drying as I’d blur by 

stunned work crews. Bike lanes were no more 

than a pipe dream sparkle in some advocate’s 

eye. Boats on trailers and RV’s were passing 

me without as much as a tap of the brakes and 

horns were blaring in my direction the way 

cops fire warning shots. I was never more than 

a slick wet patch or a slotted drainage grate 

from hitting the ground. Wind, lightning and 

cul de sacs where you could lose hours of your 

existence puzzled, trying to figure a way out 

were frequent. 

To put it in perspective, imagine riding inside 

a pinball machine. It made me fast, loose, 

MetaL cowboY 

hard and confident, but only because I knew 

no other way. I had to ride. I needed it, even if 

I had to steal it from a deep place. 

The flip side was bikini tops 

catcalling me on any given ride, 

postcard sunsets, swimming 

before, during and after a ride, 

year-round pedaling weather, 

turning my face up to greet a 

warm summer rain, roads that 

had no traffic yet, riding in the 

moonlight on a back road with 

salt spray on the breeze and 

the sound of wind chimes ... no 

limits or rules. 

Like I said, I’m lucky to be 

alive. It’s been twenty years 

since I tempted fate, but I’m 

going back to the blacktop of 

my youth to assess the damage and progress 

for those still reaping miles of grace and speed 

in the sunshine. 

I’ll be riding A1A to see if the young and 

numb of spring break want to put down their 

drinks and go for a ride on the wild side. I’m 

rounding up my old racing buds to retrace our 

training rides along “Alligator Alley.” I once 

pedaled in a paceline that included five young 

and improving athletes fighting headwinds, 

dodging gators sunbathing on new blacktop and 

ten-minute rainstorms that would force us to the 

ground — sometimes in a ditch where we’d lie 

completely still, making ourselves small enough 

so the killer lightning would choose to ignore 

us. Let’s hope men of a certain age can still out 

pedal those gators and Florida’s weather. I hear 

the state is overrun with pythons now so that 

should make it sporting. 

I’ve planned a return to the bike and canoe 

touring company I ran in northern Florida in 

the mid-80s. I want to see if 

the old routes are still covered 

in Spanish Moss or paved over 

with strip malls. I’ll meet with 

bike advocates and clubs, and 

with people who don’t think bicycles 

belong anywhere but in a 

garage or under a ten-year-old’s 

bottom, far from pavement. 

I’m going to dip my wheels in 

the ocean and the gulf and in 

as many rivers as I can find in 

between. 

I’m going back to feel my 

southern-fried roots and fry 

my skin. I’m going back to see 

what’s been left, lost and gained on two wheels. 

If I go missing, send a search party, follow 

the sound of Jimmy Buffet music in the Keys 

and check the all-you-can-eat buffets. It’s easy 

to lose track of time in the outback of America, 

the Vegas of the South. 

Joe Kurmaskie rides a bike for the joy of it. His 

latest book, “You Might Be a Cyclist” is now available. 

For more information go to www.metalcowboy. 

com or follow Joe’s adventure at www.arkel.ca. 


Give Your Bike a New Look — That’s a Wrap 

By isaaC Gmazel, seConD asCenT 

The often-neglected step in maintaining a 

bicycle is the re-wrapping of the handlebars 

Tape overhanging the bar. 

Photos courtesy of Second Ascent 

with fresh tape. Of the three intimate points of 

contact you share with your ride, bar tape is 

the cheapest to replenish, and with the dizzying 

array of colors and styles to choose from, 

it is an excellent way to add a custom touch 

that turns “any-old-bicycle” into your own. 

With a few pointers and a little patience this 

job can be about as simple as re-lacing your old 

sneakers. Sure, there are fancy ways to do it ... 

but only if you want to. Keeping it simple is a 

great place to start. 

In addition to new tape there are a few 

things that are essential to have on hand: a roll 

of electrical tape, some scissors or a very sharp 

knife, bar-end plugs (normally included with 

new tape), and a bottle of beer to celebrate a 

job well done while you admire your work. I 

also suggest starting with clean hands — you 

will have plenty of opportunities to funk up 

the new tape on rides to come. 

The first step in re-wrapping your bars is 

getting rid of that sweat soaked and tattered old 

tape. Flip back the rubber covers on the brake 

hoods to better expose it and begin unwrapping 

from nearest the stem all the way down 

to the plugs — remove them and discard or 

save for re-use. 

Once the handlebars are naked, it is a 

good time to check the positioning of the brake 

levers in relation to the bend in the drops. If 

they are where you like them, sweet, otherwise 

reposition the clamps. A good rule of thumb is to 

have the bottom of the brake lever blades even 


with the bottom of the bars and perpendicular 

to the ground. Now resecure or reposition any 

cable routing that might run under the bartape 

using strips of electrical tape. 

With the brakes and cable routing in order 

you can now confidently begin applying the new 

tape. Most types currently available come with 

two short sections for covering the clamps that 

attach the brake levers to the bar. Before you 

begin wrapping, apply the strips, leaving the 

rubber hoods flipped away from the clamp. If 

the new tape does not include these strips, don’t 

sweat it; simply cut a short piece adequate for 

coverage from each of the longer rolls [or use 

a piece from the old tape]. 

New tape often has a covered adhesive 

backing. If this is the case, let the roll unfurl and 

peel away the paper to expose the sticky strip. 

It is important to begin the actual wrapping 

at the bottom, open end, leaving a little under 

half the width of the tape overhanging the bar 

end. This extra material will be secured by the 

new bar plug in the final step. 

While you pull the tape around the bar, overlap 

it at an angle by about a third of its width. 

This pattern of coverage is variable as to how 

thick or thin you want the tape, but remember: 

Pull diagonally around the inside of the bar. 


the tension of the tape overlaying the previous 

wrap is what holds it in place and adds to both 

the looks and longevity of the wrapping job. As 

you pull with one hand, hold the prior wrap 

with the thumb of your other hand, working 

HARVEY GRAD 

Attorney at Law 

Cycling accident? Injury claim? 

No Charge for Initial Consultation 

Member of Cascade Bicycle Club 

Former Member of STP Executive Committee 

707 E. Harrison Street 

Seattle, WA 98102 

206.331.3927 

e-mail: harv@lawyerseattle.com 

Mechanic’s corner 

Make a cut perpendicular to the bars. 


your way towards the stem. Make sure that 

about two-thirds of the width is laid down on 

each rotation and any adhesive strip is directly 

on the exposed bar. 

As you round the tight bend of the drops 

beneath the brake levers, it is important to 

check coverage, as it can be a little tricky here. 

Inspect for any exposed handlebar peeking 

out from beneath the tape, and remember, you 

can always back up a few wraps and reapply if 

you are not satisfied. At the brake levers, dress 

the wraps tightly beneath the bottom of the 

hoods, slightly overlapping the space where 

the brake meets the bar, and pull the roll of 

tape diagonally around the inside of the bar 

to resume wrapping above the hoods. After a 

few successful turns above the brake levers, 

hold tension on the tape with one hand while 

flipping the rubber hood covers back to their 

correct position with the other. This allows you 

to inspect for coverage before proceeding. Once 

again, if you missed a spot or are unsatisfied 

with how thick the tape is laying at this point, 

just back up and try it again. 

Continue wrapping the bar until you find 

yourself on the flats near where the stem clamps 

the bar. Exactly where you terminate the tape 

depends on personal preference and how much 

of the roll remains. Keep in mind that if you have 

handlebar-mounted accessories such as lights 

or cycle computers, it is good to leave ample 

room for them. Securing the upper end of the 

new tape requires a little skill and creativity. 

One simple method is to continue wrapping 

past the desired end line, then vertically wrap 

a few turns of electrical tape neatly along that 

line. Take a sharp knife or razor and carefully 

cut away the exposed end of the bar tape. If you 

are nervous about scoring your pricey carbon 

bars or slicing the cable housing underneath, 

try the following technique. Pull the end of the 

tape away from the bar in the same direction 

as if you were going to continue wrapping 

past the ending spot. With the scissors aligned 

with the desired termination point, make a cut 

perpendicular to the bar, leaving the end of the 

tape angled. Lay down this final section and 

secure with several turns of electrical tape for 

a nice square finish. 

Once satisfied, tuck the loose starting ends 

into the openings of the bar and then secure it 

with the plugs. They may prove a little stubborn 

to seat fully, but don’t surrender. If they don’t 

slide in easily they won’t pop out as easily either. 

With the job complete, sit back, crack that beer, 

and admire your handiwork. 

Use electrical tape to finish the job. 


Isaac Gmazel is a Northwest native who began 

studying bicycle repair as a young mountain 

biker during an awful Washington winter when 

everything broke. He then traded in the mud and 

mountains to work the mean streets of New York 

and San Francisco as a courier. The last decade 

has found him splitting time between bike shops, 

libraries, and local singletrack trails. Beyond books 

and bikes, he lives a rich life surrounded by family 

and friends. Isaac currently works at Second Ascent 

in Ballard alongside an awesome crew.

caLendar 

Welcome to the Pacific Northwest’s Most 

Comprehensive Bicycle Calendar 

All events are listed chronologically within their respective sections: Events (clinics, expositions, lectures, etc.), 

Camps, Multisport (events that include cycling as part of the competition), Series (competitions where cumulative 

point standings are awarded), Cyclocross, Mountain Bike Racing (competition featuring singletrack and other 

off-road riding), Mountain Bike Touring (rides featuring singletrack and off-road riding), Road Racing (bicycle 

competition), Road Touring (road rides of various distances and for any type of bicycle), Track (velodrome-type 

events). To conserve space, we’ve chosen to run websites only, on events where both website and email are available. 

If you are an organizer and your event is not listed, or if the information listed changes, contact us and we 

will gladly update the calendar. Please send your event information in the same style and format seen here. 

All aspects of this event calendar are copyright 2010 Bicycle Paper. This calendar may not be transmitted or 

reproduced by any means, electronically or printed, without written consent of the publisher. 

events 

March 

Mar 5–6: 24 Hour Spin with Axel Merckx 

Vancouver, BC. Presented at the Fix FX Studio. 

Fundraiser for Team Merckx & Team Wedgewood 

teams in support of the BC Cancer Foundations 

Ride To Conquer Cancer. Silent auction include a 

limited edition autographed Eddy Merckx book - 

can't get that anywhere else. 

24HourSpin@teamwedgewood.com 

Mar 8–10: National Bike Summit 

Washington, DC. Join the NW advocacy delegations 

and visit the policy makers in Washington. 

Visit BAW and BTA website for information on 

their activities. League of American Bicyclists, 

bikeleague.org 

Mar 12–13: Seattle Bike Expo 

Seattle, WA. Gear, active travel, rides and more. 

Event presented at Magnolia Cruise Terminal. Cascade 

Bicycle Club, 206-522-3222, cascade.org 

Mar 19: Alki Street Scramble 

Seattle, WA. How many of the 30 checkpoints 

marked on a map can you find in 90 or 180 

minutes? On foot or bike, solo or team, compete to 

win or just have fun exploring the city. Great family 

activity. Award ribbons for various categories. 

Refreshments at finish. Eric Bone, Meridian Geographics, 

206-291-8250, streetscramble.com 

Mar 26: MVA Fundraiser Auction 

Seattle, WA. Starts at 5:30pm at the Community 

Center at Mercer View. Tela Crane, Marymoor 

Velodrome Association, 206-957-4555, 

velodrome.org/mva 

Mar 27: Bike Works Dinner & Auction 

Seattle, WA. This is our largest fundraising event 

of the year and a fun night. Takes place at Herban 

Feast in Sodo. Cost $75. Auctioning off an assortment 

of exciting items through a silent and live auction 

and dinner. Liz, Bike Works, 206-725-9408, 

bikeworks.org 

april 

Apr 9–10: The Bike Show / Pedal Nation 

Portland, OR. A two-wheel focused expo with 

the goal of promoting and celebrating all things 

related to bicycling. The largest display of bicycle 

technology & innovation, bicycle frames, gear, 

apparel, travel, fitness, ride events, & nutrition 

in Oregon. Presented at the Oregon Convention 

Center. Aaron McBride, Pedal Nation Events, 

503-887-9084, pedalnationevents.com 

Apr 15–17: Filmed by Bike Festival 

Portland, OR. Filmed by Bike is an independent 

bike-themed film festival presented at the Clinton 

Street Theater (2522 SE Clinton St,). Brittany Reading, 

916-300-7490, FilmedbyBike.org 

Apr 17: U-District Street Scramble 



minutes? On foot or bike, solo or team, compete 

to win or just have fun exploring the city. Great 

family activity. Eric Bone, Meridian Geographics, 


Apr 24: Vulcan Bike To Work Breakfast 

Seattle, Wa. Gathering of the cycling community 

to prepare for Bike to Work. Peter Verbrugge, 

Cascade Bicycle Club, 206-517-4826, cascade.org 

caMPs 

March 

Mar 2–6: Tucson Training 

Tucson, AZ. The terrain is ideal with mountains 

surrounding the city on all 4 sides which give a 

picturesque backdrop while riding. Several climbing 

routes exist as well as curvy canyon options 

and mixed terrain. Temperatures are pleasant, 

averaging around 60 degrees. 720-295-0758, 

finishlinecycling.com 

Mar 19: Road 101 Classes 

Seattle, WA. Work on your group riding skills during 

this 2hr class. Craig Undem, CycleU.com 

Mar 26: Road 201 

Seattle, WA. Improve your braking and cornering 

skills. Craig Undem, CycleU.com 

april 

Apr 2: Road 301 

Seattle, WA. Focus on climbing and descending 


Apr 5–28: Hill Climb Bootcamps 

Seattle, WA. Get better on the hills! 4 weeks of 

intensive instruction by top coaches, twice a week 

from 5:30-7:30pm. Workout and technique coaching 

all in one package for any level rider. This class 

will give you all you need to take your climbing to 

the next level. Craig Undem, CycleU.com 

Apr 7–10: Race Across Oregon 

Training Camp 

Hood River, OR. Ride the 527-mile RAO course in 

4 consecutive 100-mile days. Fine tune your RAO 

preparation. Terri Gooch, Race Across Oregon, 

541-354-1520, raceacrossoregon.com 

Apr 16–17: BetterRide MTB Camp 

Bend, OR. Learn the non intuitive side of mountain 

biking from the most experienced Mtn Bike Skills 

Training School in the US. This camp will be the 

best investment you can make towards improving 

your skills. Also available 5/21, 6/25, 7/22. Gene 

Hamilton, 970-335-8226, betterride.net 

Apr 19–24: Training Camp 

& Brevet Week 

Wenatchee, WA. Training camp & rides starts 

Tuesday for 600km ACP Brevet, also 400, 300 and 

200km brevets available. Mark U. Thomas, Seattle 

Int'l Randonneurs, 206-612-4700, seattlerando.org 

Apr 23: Road 101 Classes 

Seattle, WA. Work on your group riding skills during 

this 2hr class. Craig Undem, CycleU.com 

Apr 24: Women's Track Clinic 

Portland, OR. Meg Mautner, 503-805-1361, 

mautner3@comcast.net 

Apr 27–May 1: Boulder Training 

Boulder, CO. Experience the perks of training 

at altitude while gaining an advantage over the 

competition. Riding options include hills, mountain 

passes, canyons, long, steep descents, and flat 

country roads. 720-295-0758, finishlinecycling.com 

Apr 27–Aug 31: Track 

Development Class 

Portland, OR. Weekly events where riders can 

learn the basics of track racing. No class on 6/22. 

Meg Mautner, 503-805-1361, 

mautner3@comcast.net 

Apr 30: Road 201 

Seattle, WA. Improve your braking and cornering 


MuLtisPort 

March 

Mar 12: Dirty Duo 

North Vancouver, BC. XC event for riders and runners. 

Start/finish at Jaycee House on Lillooet Rd. 

Fun, technical 30km of classic on lower reaches 

of Mount Seymour. 15, 25 or 50km run as solo or 

relay. 30km bike. Do the Duo and race them both. 

Heather MacDonald, Mountain Madness: Dirty 

Duo, 604-990-9815, dirtyduo.com 

Mar 13: Shamrock Run 

Portland, OR. Waterfront Park. 5, 8 and 15km run; 

1 and 5km walk. Limit 30,000. Hamilton Events, 

Inc., shamrockrunportland.com 

Mar 20: Seattle RainMan Triathlon 

Seattle, WA. Sprint distances. 15-minute pool swim, 

30-minute indoor bike and 2.97-mile run around 

Green Lake. Max 300 people. All athletes get a Tech 

T-Shirt, post race food and finishers certificate. Melissa 

Newbury, TriFreak, 425-270-1407, trifreak.com 

april 

Apr 9: Diez Vista 50km 

Port Moody, BC. 15th annual. Start & finish at 

White Pine Beach at Sasamat Lake Regional Park. 

West Coast rainforest, gravel roads and nice trails. 

Max 150. George Forshaw, diezvista50.ca 

Apr 9: Rage in the Sage Du 

Benton City, WA. Kiona Winery and Vineyards. 

Start 9:30am. Solo, co-ed, women’s only teams. 

2.5-mile run x 2, 10-mile MTB. Age groups from 

13+. Eric Greager, 509-942-7137, 3rrr.org 

Apr 10: Ski To Sea Race 

Kelowna, BC. From the slopes of Big White to the 

shores of City Park in Kelowna. 95km race. 6 legs 

- DH ski/snowboard, cross-country ski, MTB, road 

biking, running, canoeing/kayaking. Teams of 2-7. 

ski2sea.ca 

Apr 16: Wenatchee Marathon 

Wenatchee, WA. Marathon, marathon relay, 

half-marathon and 10k. Start at Centennial Park. 

wenatcheemarathon.com 

Apr 17: Peaks to Prairie Adventure 

Race 

Billings, MT. From Beartooth Mountains to Yellowstone 

River. 8.8-mile run, 43-mile bicycle, and 

23-mile paddling. Competitors choose between 

triathlon or duathlon that covers the first two legs 

only. Yellowstone Valley CC, peakstoprairie.org 

Mountain bike 

SERiES 

All Gravity Series - AGS 

Mar 25–Oct 21 

8-event series in WA, ID, MT. Overall calculated 

on points. USA Cycling sanctioned. Events on: 

3/25, 6/18, 7/22, 8/6, 8/19, 9/16, 10/1, 10/21. 

Josh Tofsrud, 509-262-4122, AllGravitySeries.com 

All Mountain Toonie Race Series 

Mar 6–Oct 2 

6 events. Overall calculated on points. Super D 

and XC events. Mass start races. Start 10am. 

BBQ. Events on: 3/6, 4/3, 5/15, 6/5, 9/11, 10/2. 

FVMBA, fvmba.com 

BC Cup DH Series 

Apr 1–Aug 28 [Tentative dates] 

Events on: 7/8, 8/26. Kevin McCuish, BC Masters 

Cycling Association, 604-737-3034, 

cyclingbcmtb.ca 

Hell of a Series 

May 14–Aug 20 

7-event series regroup the best marathon races in 

BC. Best 5 of 7 count towards overall. Events on: 

5/14, 5/28, 6/3, 6/18, 7/23, 8/20. BC Masters 

Cycling Association, testofmetal.com 

indie MTB Series 

May 1–Jul 24 

Various, WA. Series of 4 events raced/organized 

by different promoters but regrouped for points 

and awards. Overall standing based on points. No 

minimum number to qualify for overall, but use 4 

best results. Final not mandatory. Age categories 

defined as rider’s age as of 12/31/11, Clydesdale 

200+ lbs. Events on: 5/1, 5/22, 6/4, 6/25, 7/24. 

indieseries.com 

island Cup Series DH 

Apr 17–Jun 12 

Vancouver Island, BC. 4-event series on some of the 

best courses from Victoria to Port Alberni. Open to all. 

Point system determines the winner in each category. 

Bring non perishable food bank donation. Events on: 

4/17, 5/15, 5/22, 6/11. islandcupseries.com 

island Cup Series XC 

Mar 13–Jun 25 

Vancouver Island, BC. 9-event series on some of the 

best courses from Victoria to Port Alberni. Open 

to all. Point system determines winner in each 

category. Bring non-perishable food bank donation. 

Events on: 3/13, 3/20, 3/27, 4/3, 4/10, 5/8, 

5/29, 6/11, 6/25. islandcupseries.com 

Mt Hood Downhill Series 

May 7–Sep 25 

Mt. Hood, OR. Series of 4 events all around Mt 

Hood. OBRA sanctioned. Events on: 5/7, 6/24, 7/8, 

9/23. Petr Kakes, Hurricane Racing, 503-272-0146, 

skibowl.com 

Mt Hood XC Series 

Apr 30–Jul 3 

Mt. Hood, OR. 2 events all around Mt Hood. OBRA 

sanctioned. Events on: 4/30, 7/3. Petr Kakes, Hurricane 

Racing, 503-272-0146, skibowl.com 

NW Epic Series 


2-event series (one more to be announced at a 

later date). Events on: 5/14, 8/27. Roger Michel, 

4th Dimension Racing LLC, 425-301-7009, 

NWEpicSeries.com 

Oregon Super D Series 

May 28–29; Jul 2–3; Aug 6–7; Sep 3–4 

Series of 4 events, 3 to count for overall. Pts 

awarded 12 deep. Highest points total wins. Start 

10am, 1-minute intervals. Courses average 80% 

downhill and 20% uphill and vary each race. Race 

time 20+ minutes. Brandon Ontiveros, 

503-222-2851, oregonsuperd.com 

Rivercity Oregon XC MTB Series 

Mar 12–Jun 26 

Various, OR. Series of 10 XC, ST and MXC events, 

with points awarded to overall series winner. Best 7 

out of 10 counts, ties decided on placement at final 

race. Teams count best 5 riders’ results per race. 

See individual events for location and start times. 

25 categories, individual and team standings. 

Events on: 3/12, 4/10, 4/23, 4/30, 5/8, 5/14, 

5/29, 6/5, 6/18, 6/26. Mike Ripley, Oregon MTB 

Series Directors, 

mudslingerevents.com/2010-oregon-xc-mtb-series 

Washington High School Cycling League 

Mar 3; May 1 

Lisa Miller, 206-291-7773, washingtonmtb.org 

West Side MTB Series 

Feb 20; Mar 6, 20, 27; Apr 10, 17 

Various. WA. 6-event series. Points awarded to each 

finisher. Best 4 out of 6 results count for overall. 

U-19, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50+ divisions, selfseeding 

categories: Beginner, Sport, Expert/Open, 

Singlespeed. Start time - Beg: 9:30am, Open/Expert/SS: 

10am, Sport/Clydesdale: 11:30am. Rory 

Muller, BuDu Racing, 260-920-3983, 

buduracing.com 

WEEkLy SERiES 

WEDNESDAy 

Wednesday Night World Championships 

April 6–August 31 

Seattle, WA. Racing at Seatac starts at 6pm for the 

beginners and 7pm for others. Men and women 

classes. No points, no overall, just plain fun on a 

course that changes every week. Excellent for training. 

Big end of year party. $10/race. Wick, 

206-919-5741, stiffwick@comcast.net 

RACiNG 

March 

Mar 3: Wash. HS Cycling 

League - Race #2 

TBC, WA. First class XC MTB race designed for 

high school aged student-athletes. To start a team, 

visit the website. See race series for details. Lisa 

Miller, Washington High School Cycling League, 

206-291-7773, washingtonmtb.org 

Mar 5: Mussels in the kettles 

Coupeville, WA. Race and poker ride at Ft. Ebey 

using Kettles trail system. 3 routes: easy, nontechnical, 

doublewide 7.84 miles; moderate, some 

technical 9.62 miles; Expert 10.2 miles steep and 

technical. Matt Plush, Whidbey Island Bicycle Club, 

360-914-0692, whidbeybicycleclub.org 

Mar 6: Devil’s Slide MTB Race 

Lewiston, ID. XC race for everyone at Lewiston’s 

Hell’s Gate State Park overlooking the Snake River, 

including the Devil’s Slide descent. Start at Jack 

O’Connor Center. Corrie Rosetti, 509-758-9303, 

twinriverscyclists.org 

Mar 6: Mission XC 

Mission, BC. Heritage Park. 95% rippin singletrack. 

Open men, women and junior categories. 

Grassroot level race. Part of All Mountain Toonie 

Race Series. FVMBA, fvmba.com 

Mar 6: West Side MTB #2 

Black Diamond, WA. See race series for details. 

Rory Muller, BuDu Racing, 260-920-3983, 

BuDuRacing.com 

Mar 12: Dirty Duo 

North Vancouver, BC. XC event. Start/finish at 

Jaycee House on Lillooet Rd. Fun, technical 30km 

of “classic” trails on lower reaches of Mount Seymour. 

Heather MacDonald, Mountain Madness: 

Dirty Duo, 604-990-9815, dirtyduo.com 

Mar 12: Echo Red to Red XC 

Echo, OR. All classes, Junior (12mi) through Pro 

(30mi). Course starts/ends in historic downtown 

Echo, OR, on Oregon Trail. 70% singletrack, 

3,000’ of climbing. Pancake feed, lunch, beer 

garden, free camping. Part of Rivercity Oregon XC 

MTB Series. Echo Hills Trailbuilders, 509-374-8424, 

echoredtored.com 

Mar 13: Victoria XC 

Victoria, BC. New Hartland course designed with 

classic XC style emphasizing technical singletrack 

and shorter laps for better spectating. Registration 

9am-12pm. Bring food bank donation. Part of 

Island Cup Series XC. Scott Mitchell, Pro City Racing, 

250-380-7877, islandcupseries.com 

Mar 20: Powell River XC 

Powell River, BC. New event. Part of Island Cup 

Series XC. Powell River Cycling Club, 

islandcupseries.com 

Mar 20: Spring Brake Super D #1 

Sandy, OR. At Sandy Ridge. Park Chamber, 

obra.org 


Sammamish, WA. King County Soaring Eagle Park. 

See race series for details. Rory Muller, BuDu 

Racing, 260-920-3983, BuDuRacing.com 

Mar 25–27: Double Down 

Hoe Down - AGS #1 

Spokane, WA. Enduro DH and DH races at Beacon 

Hill. Full face helmet mandatory. USAC sanctioned. 

Start 12pm. Part of All Gravity Series - AGS. All 

Gravity Series, 509-392-7729, allgravityseries.com 

Mar 26: True GRiT 

St. George, UT. An epic 50-mile race over the 

toughest most technical terrain the southwest desert 

can dish out. Gro-Promotions, 970-759-3048, 

gropromotions.com 

Mar 27: Duncan XC 

Duncan, BC. Tentative. Part of Island Cup Series 

XC. islandcupseries.com 

Mar 27: Spring Brake Super D #2 


obra.org 


Coupeville, WA. Cookin’ in the Kettles MTB race. 

See race series for details. Rory Muller, BuDu Racing, 

260-920-3983, skagitcycclecenter.com 

april 

Apr 3: Campbell River XC 

Campbell River, BC. Tentative. Island Cup Series XC. 

Everti Cycling Club, islandcupseries.com 

Apr 3: Sage Brush Scramble - kTS #1 

Boise, ID. STXC. Action-packed short track racing 

23 miles SE of Boise. Racing and BBQ starts at 

noon. Race, hang out and have fun. Knobby Tire 

Series, knobbytireseries.com 

Apr 3: Spring Brake Super D #3 


obra.orgf 

Apr 3: Sumas AM 

Abbotsford, BC. All Mountain Toonie Race Series. 

fvmba.com 

Apr 7–10: NW Cup #1 - Pro GRT 

Port Angeles, WA. At Dry Hill. 3-day event with 

practice starting on Thursday. Pro qualifier on 

Saturday, racing on Sunday. Scott Tucker, N-Dub, 

nwcup.com 

Apr 9: Barking Spider Bash 

Nampa, ID. Opening event of ID XC MTB Series. 

10-mile loop on rolling terrain with twisty descents. 

New challenging climb added. Tasty lunch and 

beverages. Cash prize $2000. Darren Lightfield, 

Wild Rockies, 208-608-6444, 

wildrockiesracing.com 

Multiple marathon and epic races have been added to this year’s calendar. 

Photo courtesy of Joe Sales. 

Apr 9–10: Beezley Burn 

Ephrata, WA. Saturday: short track on 3/4 mile 

course at South end of Oasis Park. Sunday: Beezley 

Burn XC on challenging, desert-like 7-mile loop 

with lots of short climbs and fast descents. Pro pay 

out and lots of prizes. Jake Maedke, Vicious Cycle 

Events, 509-754-6361, beezleyburn.com 

Apr 9–10: Bike Fest Super D 

Jacksonville, OR. A different course each day. Day 

1 is 3 miles longer than last year. Day 2 is brand 

new. Results based on combined time. Joe Davis, 

541-957-2831, echelonevents.webs.com 

Apr 9–10: Jackson Bike Fest 

Jacksonville, OR. Perfect warm-up to Sea Otter. 

Offers the perfect mix of riding. Two different 

courses. Joseph Davis, 541-951-2831, 

echelonevents.webs.com 

Apr 10: Cumberland XC 

Cumberland, BC. Part of Island Cup Series XC. 

UROC, islandcupseries.com 

Apr 10: Horning’s Hustle MTB 

North Plains, OR. Horning’s Hideout. 5-mile 

cloverleaf course, on fire roads, singletrack, and a 

fun water crossing. Post-race festivities w/ live band, 

bonfire, free beer (over 21), hot food and raffle. Start 

11am. All ages & abilities, free kiddie races. Rivercity 

Oregon XC MTB Series. Tom Hoffman, Portland 

Racing, 503-475-3417, portlandracing.com/mtb 

Apr 10: John Henry West Coast Super D 

Balcarra, BC. 2.25km long, estimated finish time 

12-15 minutes. Lots of singletrack. See race series 

for details. Gordon Longden, westcoastracing.ca 

Apr 10: West Side MTB #5 

Lakewood, WA. Fort Steilacoom. See race series 

for details. Rory Muller, BuDu Racing, 

skagitcycclecenter.com 

Apr 16: Velopark Grand Prix #1 

Eagle, ID. veloparkgrandprix.com 

Apr 17: Cumberland DH 

Cumberland, BC. Part of Island Cup Series DH. 



Apr 17: West Side MTB #6 

Kent, WA. King County Maple Ridge Open Space. 

See race series for details. Rory Muller, BuDu 

Racing, BuDuRacing.com 

Apr 20: Central Oregon STXC 

Bend, OR. Matt Plummer, Central Oregon Racing, 

541-385-7413, mplummer@bendcycling.org 

Apr 23: Peak Sports Mudslinger 

Philomath, OR. Oregon State Championships. New 

course with new twists and some of the slickest 

singletrack ever. Great first-timer course, epic battles 

for Pro class. Great Harvest bread and soup after. 

First start 10am. Beginner 12 miles, others 24. At 

35177 Tum Tum Rd. Rivercity Oregon XC MTB Series. 

Mike Ripley, Mudslinger Events, 541-847-3030, 

mudslingerevents.com 

Apr 23–24: Race the Ranch 

Kamloops, BC. BC Cup Downhill at Kamloops Bike 

Ranch. Intermediate level course with U15 friendly 

sections. Citizen and US riders welcome. Short 

shuttle on paved road. Season opener. Henry 

Pejril, Kamloops Performance Cycling Center, 

250-828-2783, www3.telus.net/2011rtr 

Apr 24: Black Rock Flow Cup DH 

Fall City, OR. Endurance DH 1.7 miles top to 

bottom. Technical section with a few ladders and 

jumps. Chris Eggen, Flow Cup Racing, 

503-606-2122, flowcupracing.webs.com 

Apr 27: Central Oregon STXC 



Apr 30–May 1: Bear Springs MTB 

McCubbins Gulch, OR. Saturday short track, 

Sunday XC. 10, 20 & 30 miles, depending on 

class. 95% singletrack. 500’-2,000’ of elevation. 

Single lap format. Part of Rivercity Oregon XC MTB 

Series, Mt Hood XC Series. Petr Kakes, Hurricane 

Racing, 503-272-0146, skibowl.com 

Apr 30–May 1: Sunshine Coaster 

Roberts Creek, BC. Back by popular demand; a 

50km marathon XC race and DH race on trails to be 

featured on day 5 of BC Bike Race. Sue Duxbury, 

Sunshine Coast Cycling, 604-886-3841, 

sunshinecoaster.net 

May 

May 1: Dry Hill XC - indie #1 

Port Angeles, WA. New event. Part of Indie MTB 

Series. Scott Tucker, N-Dub, nwcup.com 

May 1: Wash. HS Cycling 

League - Race #2 

TBC, WA. First class XC MTB race for high school 

aged student-athletes. To start a team, visit the website. 

See race series for details. Lisa Miller, 

206-291-7773, washingtonmtb.org 

May 4: Central Oregon STXC 



May 7: NW Adventure Sports Festival 

Port Gamble, WA. Kayaking, trail run, MTB, 

paddleboard, triathlon. Spring Courtright, 

360-297-4659, oocshop@kayakproshop.com 

May 7–8: Spring Fling 

Mt Hood, OR. Either using Dog River or Bridle 

Trail. Part of Mt Hood Downhill Series. Petr Kakes, 

Hurricane Racing, 503-272-0146, skibowl.com 

May 7: The Beast MTB Race 

Port Gamble, WA. New course. Fast singletrack 

and all types of trails. U18+ classes. 10, 14, 24 

miles. Start 2pm. Part of NW Adventure Sports Festival. 

Spring Courtright, Olympic Outdoor Center, 

360-297-4659, oocshop@kayakproshop.com 

May 7: The Chainsmoker 

Wenatchee, WA. Classic XC race with lots of climbing, 

lots of prizes, and lots of “fun.” Jake Maedke, 

Vicious Cycle Events, 509-754-6361, 

beezleyburn.com 

May 7: Velopark Grand Prix #2 

Eagle, ID. veloparkgrandprix.com 

May 8: Port Alberni XC 

Port Alberni, BC. Port Alberni Lake Trails. Part 

of Island Cup Series XC. Alberni Valley Riders, 


May 8: Unicorn 5000 

Kamloops, BC. DH with an amazing course on 

Harper Mountain. Race designed for riders of all 

ability levels. Cheryl Beatie, Bicycle Cafe Kamloops, 

250-828-2453, bicyclecafe.com/kamloops 

May 8: WebCyclery Cascade 

Chainbreaker 

Bend, OR. Oregon’s biggest MTB race of the 

year. Over 300 other riders on a great mix of fun 

singletrack, double-track and fire roads. Many 

trails usually not open to public. Tandem category. 

Part of Rivercity Oregon XC MTB Series. Chadra 

vanEijnbergen, 541-617-7092, webcyclery.com 

May 13–15: NW Cup #2 

Port Angeles, WA. At Dry Hill. 3-day event with 

practice starting on Friday. Pro seeding run and 

racing on Sunday. Scott Tucker, N-Dub, nwcup.com 

May 14: Coyote Classic - kTS #2 

Boise, ID. High speed rolling double-track, tight, 

technical sagebrush singletrack, water crossings, 

quick steep drops, nasty little granny gear climbs. 

Singlespeeders’ dream. Knobby Tire Series, 

knobbytireseries.com 

May 14: New Venue - kTS #3 

TBA, ID. This race is so new we have yet to get a 

name. Knobby Tire Series, knobbytireseries.com 

May 14: OreCrusher MMX 

Squamish, BC. LeMans-style start, 40km lap race 

on singletrack. Raises funds for Don Ross Secondary 

School’s Outdoor Leadership Program. Part 

of Hell of a Series. Jim Douglas, Test of Metal, 

604-898-5195, testofmetal.com 

May 14–15: Spring Thaw MTB Festival 

Ashland, OR. XC on Saturday at Lithia Park - 


Beginners start 9am for 9 miles, others 9:30am 

for 23.5 miles. Kids at 1pm. Kenda Cup qualifier. 

Sunday: 1.7-mile DH, w/ technical sections, tight 

switchbacks and slight uphill finish. Every age and 

ability. First riders 11am from Four Corners. Part of 

Rivercity Oregon XC MTB Series. SOMBRA, 

541-601-9663, echelonrace.com/springthaw 

May 14: Stottlemeyer 30/60 

Port Gamble, WA. 30/60 mile MTB race mostly on 

singletrack, fully stocked aid stations, great day out 

on the trails. NW Epic Series. Roger Michel, 4th 

Dimension Racing LLC, 425-301-7009, 

NWEpicSeries.com 

May 15: Port Alberni DH 

Port Alberni, BC. Port Alberni Lake Trails. Part of 

Island Cup Series DH. islandcupseries.com 

May 15: Salty Dog 6 Hour Enduro 

Salmon Arm, BC. Sold out. Tom Peasgood, 

Skookum Cycle & Ski, 250-832-7368, 

skookumcycle.com 

May 15: Vedder Super D 

Chillawack, BC. Part of All Mountain Toonie Race 

Series. fvmba.com 

TOURiNG 

May 

May 15: Swale Canyon 

Wildflower Bike Ride 

Goldendale, WA. Ride from the high prairie of the 

Goldendale plateau down to Wahkiacus. Frequent 

stops to admire native wildflowers. Meant to be 

a slow-paced ride to take in the scenery of Swale 

Canyon. Shuttle back. Start 9am at Lyle Trailhead. 

Nancy Allen, 541-442-5111, klickitat-trail.org 

May 27–30: Black Hills Fat Tire Festival 

Rapid City, SD. Singletrack tours, races, socials, 

and entertainment that appeals to all types of 

riders. Vendors, food, music & more. All races are 

located at our urban MTB park and miles of singletrack 

for every skill level can be found within a 

few miles of city limits. Kristy Lintz, 605-394-5225, 

bhfattirefestival.com 

road 

SERiES 

Banana Belt Series 

Feb 27; Mar 6, 13 

Forest Grove, OR. 3-event series. Race around 

Henry-Hagg Lake. 11-mile course. 750’ elevation 

gain per lap. Hills are long and steady, but not 

steep. Open to all categories from Juniors to 

Masters 60+. Races 1 & 3 go counter clockwise, 

#2 clockwise. Points system (15 deep) determines 

overall winners. Cash prizes. Jeff Mitchem, 

503-233-3636, obra.org 

BC Masters Series 

Apr 17; May 1, 21–22; Jun 4, 5, 12, 19, 26; Jul 2–3, 

16–17, 22–24, 31–Aug 1; Aug 7, 14, 21, 28; Sep 4 

Various, BC. Series of 24 races. Best 15 results 

count toward overall. Open to men and women 

30+. Staged in Lower Mainland, Vancouver 

Island or Interior. Age group cat: 30-34 and all 

subsequent in 5-year increments. Relaxed and fun 

atmosphere. BCMCA membership, CBC Citizen or 

UCI license needed. Bill Yearwood, 604-267-7338, 

bcmasterscycling.net 

Carnation Time Trial Series 

Apr 3; May 8; Jun 19 

Carnation, WA. WA’s only TT series is back for 4th 

year. 3 separate races — 4/3 (short), 5/8 (hilly) 

and 6/19 (long) courses. Start 8am at Tolt Middle 

School (SR 203). $1,200 cash prize for each overall 

men and women top 3 series finishers. Points 

awarded to top 10 in each race. Age group U20, 

21-39, 40-49, 50+. USA Cycling sanctioned. Neal 

Goldberg, FootWorks Cycles, LLC, 206-632-4578, 

footworkscycles.comtimetrial 

Dirt Bag Dash Series 

Mar 26; May 7 

2-event series. Surfaces vary from dirt, gravel, 

mud, sand; you might even find some pavement. 

Points awarded to top 10. Cash price for overall 

winners. Open to all, including Junior 10-14. James 

Lang, 208-571-1853, joyride-cycles.com 

caLendar 

Discover and enjoy the beauty of new areas from atop your saddle. 

Photo courtesy of Cycle Oregon/Greg Lee 

Estacada TT Series 

Apr 17; May 1 

Estacada, OR. 2-event series, each 20-mile TT for 

adult categories, 10-mile for Junior 10-14. Starts at 

Promontory Park, East of Estacada at mile marker 

31 on Highway 224. Out-and-back on highway 

224 along the Clackamas River. Overall standings 

and awards. Pre-reg & day of 8:30-9:30am, first 

rider off at 10am at Promontory Park. Geri Bossen, 

Team Bossen, 503-297-2434, obra.org 

EV Spring Series 

Mar 6, 12–13, 19–20, 26–27; Apr 2–3 

Langley, BC. Series comprised of 10 events on 5 

consecutive weekends. 5 racing groups: A, B C, 

Novice and U17. Distance varies from 50-140km, 

30-35 for novices. Overall calculated on points. 

Start 10:30am. UCI licence required or Cycling BC 

Citizen Licence. Jeff Ain, escapevelocity.bc.ca 

George’s Cycles Spring Series 

Mar 13–May 1 

Boise, ID. 3-event series (1 TT, 2 RRs) open to Select 

Master (30+ Cat 1/2), Master A, B, C. $1,000 

raffle prize. Pre-registration only. Events on: 3/13, 

4/23, 5/1. Mike Cooley, Boise CC / George’s 

Cycles, 208-343-3782, georgescycles.com 

Happy Ravens TT Series 

Apr 23–May 7 

Series of 3 events. 6 miles out and back for a 

12-mile race on an up and down course. Open to 

men, women, Juniors, Masters. Day of registration 

only. Kevin Nichols, 971-237-1206, obra.org 

Marker Cat 4 Women’s Series 

Mar 5–Aug 13 

Various, WA. Series of 11 events. Points to top 15 

finishers in Cat 4 events, plus points for finishing 

other events. Prizes for top 15 overall. Minimum 2 

races to qualify for overall. Events on: 3/5, 3/6, 

3/26, 4/10, 4/23, 5/7, 5/20, 7/17, 7/30, 8/13. 

WSBA, wsbaracing.com 

Mason Lake RR Series 

Mar 6, 13 

Mason Lake, WA. Near Shelton. 2-race series. 

12-mile loop around Mason Lake. Rolling hills, no 

major climbs. Start at Mason Lake County Park. 

Day of registration only. Points standing only, top 

10 score. First race at 9:30am. Open to all. $25 

per race, UCSF license required. 1-day license $10 

for Cat 5 men and Cat 4 women. David Douglas, 

northwestvelo.com 

Norm Babcock Cat 4 Women’s Series 


Various, OR. 6 events with specific Cat 4 women 

fields to help women develop/learn strategy and 

tactics. Top 99 get points toward overall. For stage 

races, points given on GC classification. Events 

on: 5/28, 6/12, 6/26, 7/2, 7/9, 8/7, 8/27. Kenji 

Sugahara, obra.org 

Oregon Cup - Road 

Mar 13–Jul 31 

Various, OR. Series of 7 events for Senior 1/2 men 

and Senior 1/3 women, overall based on points. 

Top 20 in each event scores points. Cash prizes for 

top 5 in both categories overall. For Omnium race 

- only RR counts toward OC standings. Events on: 

3/13, 3/26, 4/9, 4/30, 5/21, 7/9, 7/31. OBRA, 

obra.org/oregon_cup 

Southern Oregon TT Series 

Mar 5, 12, 19 

Medford, OR. First rider off at 9am then 1-min 

intervals. Ribbons to top 3 in each class after each 

event. Raffle after final race. Money to top 3 men 

and women. 3 start locations and distances. All 

categories including tandem and handcycle. OBRA 

license required. Ed Garfiled, obra.org 

Volkl Cup Cat 3 Women’s Series 

Feb 26–Aug 13 

Various, WA. 11 events where women race on their 

own or with Cat 1/2 but scored separately. Points 

to top 10 finishers. Overall standings not the single 

events of the Mason Lake and Lake Washington 

overall series and Tour of Walla Walla GC count 

towards points. Events on: 2/26, 3/13, 3/26, 4/9, 

4/15, 4/23, 5/7, 7/17, 7/30, 8/13. WSBA, 

wsbaracing.com 

WSBA BARR 

Apr 30–Jul 4 

Various, WA. Best all around road rider competition. 

5 State Championship events count towards 

overall BARR results. Points allocated to top 10 in 

each category. Only WSBA members get points. 

Team points (Cat 1-2) calculated on sum of top 

5 riders. All Senior & Masters men and women 

categories. No juniors. Events on: 4/30, 5/1, 6/5, 

7/3, 7/4. wsbaracing.com 

WEEkLy SERiES 

MONDAy 

Monday PiR 


Portland, OR. Masters 30+ men (novice and 

experienced) and all women (any age/ability, 

including Juniors) at Portland International Raceway. 

5 categories. Course is a flat, wide 1.9-mile 

loop, closed to traffic with excellent pavement. No 

tight corners. Great place to learn bicycle racing. 

Designed to provide fast, fun and exciting racing 

for any ability, skill and experience level. New 

racers are welcome. Women first time rider clinics 

2nd Monday of each month. Registration at start/ 

finish line at 5pm, first race 6:15pm. GC at the end 

of each month. Adam Edgerton, 424-242-2326, 

racemondaynight.com 

TUESDAy 

Baddlands Twilight Series 


Spokane, WA. All races start 6pm sharp, registration 

open 4:45pm. Type of event and location 

vary each week, check website for details. Yellow 

centerline rule in effect in all TT and RR. Awards 

party after last race. Locations include Spokane, 

Cheney and Coeur d’Alene. Points individual and 

team classification. Baddlands Cycling and Seattle 

Super Squadra Cycling Clubs, 509-456-0432, 

baddlands.org 

Hutch’s TT Series 

May 3–24 

Eugene, OR. Series of 5 events. Flat, windy 15km 

loop outside of Coburg has become the standard 

to test one’s TT fitness. Bring your new equipment. 

All categories. Sal Collura, 541-747-3336, 

obra.org 

kelowna HC/TT Series 

May 3–June 23 

CORBA’s series start at 6:45pm. Registration from 

6-6:30pm. Events include TT, hill climb races. 

250-762-2453, kelownacycle.ca 

Pacific Raceways Series 

March 22–August 30 

Kent, WA. 2.25-mile closed course. Reg. from 

5:30pm to 6:50pm. Start 7pm, except March - 

6:45pm. Course varies weekly. Women Cat 3/4 

every second race starting 4/12. Rory Muller, 

260-920-3983, buduracing.com 

SWiCA Criterium Series 

May 3–July 12 

Boise, ID. 11 Tuesday night races at Expo-Idaho, 

south of Hawks Stadium. All events count towards 

SWICA points in each category. 5 different racing 

groups. First start: E flight 5:45pm, A flight 8pm. 

Registration starts 5:15pm. Kurt Holzer, 

208-890-3118, idahobikeracing.org 

Tuesday PiR 


Portland, OR. RR circuit at Portland International 

Raceway. Genders combined for Cat 1/2/3, Cat 

3/4, Cat 4/5. Flat 1.9-mile loop, wide road with 

excellent pavement, closed to traffic. Distances 

and hot spots vary depending on daylight. Cash 

and merchandise prizes. Bring canned food and 

receive discount on entry fee (up to 3 cans, $1/ 

can). Benefits Oregon Food Bank. Start times: Cat 

4/5 6:05pm; Cat 3/4 6:30pm; Cat 1/2/3 6:45pm. 

Team and individual season passes available. Jeff 

Mitchem, 503-233-3636, obra.org 

World Tuesday Night Championship 

May 3–August 30 

Vancouver, BC. Road racing every dry Tuesday 

(rain = no race) from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Registration 

6pm. Women and men 4/5 race at 6:30pm, 

Cat 3/4 men at 7pm and Cat 1/2 men at 7:30pm. 

Course on the campus of UBC Thunderbird 

Stadium. Escape Velocity CC, 604-734-4241, 

escapevelocity.bc.ca 

WEDNESDAy 

Central Oregon Crit Series 


Bend, OR. 8-event series. Registration opens 

5:10pm. Race C: 5:40pm - 30”. Race B: 6:10pm - 

40”. Race A: 7pm - 50”. OBRA license required. 

Matt Plummer, Central Oregon Racing, 

541-385-7413, deschuteshoney.com 

Central Oregon TT Series 


Bend, OR. 7 event series. First start 6pm. OBRA license 

required. Only on-site registration available. 

Matt Plummer, Central Oregon Racing, 

541-385-7413, deschuteshoney.com 

Wednesday Night Races 

March 16–September 28 

Mission, BC. Mission Raceway 2.1km-long closed 

circuit course. All ages and abilities. 1hr training 

to learn group tactics, cornering, sprinting before 

race. Friendly competitive atmosphere. Top 5 each 

night receive points toward overall standings. 3 

groups, intensity and distances vary according to 

ability. Registration 6pm. Separate kids race. Bruce 

Wenting, Phoenix Velo Training Group, 

604-826-1411, wentings.com 

THURSDAy 

Champion Thursday 

May 26–September 1 

Ashland, OR. Thursday night racing. Distance 

varies as daylight permits. A: 18+ laps. B: 5 races 

each distance – 10, 12, 14 laps. Each lap is 1.2 

miles with an elevation gain of 50’. A – Cat 1/2/3 

B – Cat 4/5. Good event to work on team strategy. 

Ed Garfield, 541-840-0713, obra.org 

kelowna Cycle Criterium 

May 5–June 23 

CORBA’s training series start at 6:45pm. 

Registration from 6-6:30pm. 250-762-2453, 

kelownacycle.ca 

Port of Hood River Criterium Series 

April 7–28 

Hood River, OR. Fun, low-key early season Crit 

series. Wide-open flat course, easy turns, lots of 

room. Good for all, including beginners. Thursday 

night events - first race 5:30pm. Jeff Lorenzen, 

541-490-6837, discoverbicycles.com 

Seward Park Criterium Series 

April 7–September 1 

Seattle, WA. Criterium. Short 0.8-mile raindropshaped 

loop in the park. Very good pavement, 

200m hill each lap, 140 degree turn. Race directions 

vary. $10 per night. Juniors and women only $5. 

Registration on race day only. Opens at 4:30pm, first 

start 5pm, last at 7pm. Nightly cash and primes. Pts 6 

deep. David Douglas, northwestvelo.com 

Thursday Challenge Series 


Richmond, BC. 1.4km criterium flat course at Riverside 

Industrial Park. Sign in 5:30pm at Horsehoe 

Way & Horseshoe Place. Open to all, split in 3 

racing groups: A, B and C. Points allocated after 

each race. Men & women. First race $20, others 

$10. Todd Hansen, Team Coastal, 604-838-4462, 

teamcoastalcycling.com 

TRC Time Trials 

April 7–June 9 

10- and 5-mile out-and-back TT on Downriver Rd 

on the Snake River near Clarkston. Riders go off 

at 30-second intervals starting at 6pm. No fee, 

helmets are required. Corrie Rosetti, Twin Rivers 

Cyclist, 509-758-9303, twinriverscyclists.org 

RACiNG 

March 

Mar 5: ice Breaker TT 

Auburn, WA. 10-mile flat out and back course on 

Green Valley Rd. near Flaming Geyser State Park. 

First riders off at 9am. All categories welcome. 

Marker Cat 4 Women’s Series. Earl Zimmermann, 

Cucina Fresca Cycling Team, 425-802-4222, 

supersquadra.com 

Mar 5: So. Oregon TT #1 

Medford, OR. 13.4 miles on Antelope Rd. See 

race series for details. Ed Garfield, obra.org 

Mar 6: Banana Belt #1 - OC#2 

Gaston, OR. See race series for details. Jeff 

Mitchem, 503-233-3636, obra.org 

Mar 6: EV Spring Series #1 

Langley, BC. River Road - flat, square circuit beside 

the Fraser River. A, B, C, Novice, Youth categories. 

See race series for details. Jeff Ain, 


Mar 6: Mason Lake RR #1 

Mason Lake, WA. See race series for details. Part 

of Marker Cat 4 Women’s Series. David Douglas, 

Northwest Velo, northwestvelo.com 

Mar 6: Wawawai TT & HC 

Pullman, WA. Flat 20km TT out-and-back. First rider 

off at 11am. Second race: 11km mass start hill 

climb with 1950’+ of climbing starts at 2pm. Ted 

Chauvin, Garage & Kryki Sports, 

tedchauvin.tumblr.com 

Mar 12–13: EV Spring #2/3 

Langley, BC. Saturday: Murchie (Zero Ave at 

232nd) - rolling circuit with small hills beside the US 

border. Open to: A, B, C, Novice. Sunday: climbers 

delight — the infamous Armstrong hill, for A, B, C. 

See race series for details. Jeff Ain, 


Mar 12–13: OSU Road Race 

Corvallis, OR. Collegiate. Elizabeth Sederbaum, 

psucycling.com 


Medford, OR. 8 miles at Griffin Creek. See race 

series for details. Ed Garfield, obra.org 

Mar 12: Tour de Dung #1 

Sequim, WA. Sequim RR in the rain shadow of the 

beautiful Olympic Mountain Range. Same 12-mile 

fast flat and sometimes windy course as previous 

years. Jason Bethel, Garage Racing and Audi 

Cycling Team, 206-282-5575, 

garagebilliards.com 

Mar 13: Banana Belt #3 - OC #1 

Gaston, OR. See race series for details. Part of 

Oregon Cup - Road. Jeff Mitchem, 503-233-3636, 

obra.org 

Family Friendly Ride or Event 

Supports Bicycle Alliance of WA 

Supports Bicycle Transportation Alliance of OR 

Commercial Tour

Mar 13: Jason Broome TT 

Boise, ID. 10-mile ITT. Check-in 8:30-9:30am. First 

rider 10am, intervals are 30 seconds. Start at 

truck stop (exit 71) on I-84, 16 miles east of Boise. 

George’s Cycles Spring Series. Mike Cooley, 

Boise CC / George’s Cycles, 208-343-3782, 

georgescycles.com 

Mar 13: Mason Lake RR #2 

Mason Lake, WA. See race series for details. Part 

of Volkl Cup Cat 3 Women’s Series. David Douglas, 

Northwest Velo, northwestvelo.com 


Bradner, BC. Saturday: Huntigton/Bradner course. 

Sunday: North Bradner - challenging course, used 

for annual Masters RR in Bradner. A, B, C. See 

race series for details. Jeff Ain, 



Medford, OR. Colver Park course, 10.4 miles. See 

race series for details. Ed Garfield, obra.org 

Mar 19: Tour de Dung #2 

Sequim, WA. Sequim RR in the rain shadow of the 

Olympic Mountain Range. Same 12-mile fast flat 

and sometimes windy course as previous years. 

Jason Bethel, Mike Hone, 206-282-5575, 

garagebilliards.com 

Apr 2–3: BSU Collegiate 

Boise, ID. RR, TTT, CR - stage race format. Brian 

Parker, BSU, brianparker@u.boisestate.edu 

Apr 2–3: EV Spring Series 

#8/10 - Stage Race 

Langley, BC. Saturday: Crit - Old Yale Criterium for 

A, B, C, Novice. Afternoon: River Road TT - 12km 

out and back TT near the Fraser River. A, B, C, 

Novice. Sunday: Murchie (Zero Ave at 232nd) 

- rolling circuit with small hills. A, B, C, Novice. 

Omnium format. See race series for details. Jeff Ain, 


Apr 2–3: Frozen Flatlands Omnium 

Spokane, WA. 22nd annual Cooper Jones Memorial. 

Saturday: TT in the morning, 2.5-mile circuit on 

flat course at Spokane Raceway Park in afternoon. 

Sunday: RR. All categories. Dave Simmons, Baddlands 

Cycling and Seattle Super Squadra CC, 

509-456-0432, baddlands.org 

Apr 3: Carnation TT #1 

Carnation, WA. Series opener. Short course - 12 

flat miles. See race series for details. Neal Goldberg, 

FootWorks Cycles, LLC, 206-632-4578, 


Apr 5: Hutch’s Hillclimb #1 

Eugene, OR. Sal Collura, 541-747-3336, obra.org 

The weather won’t be this nice when racing starts at the end of February. 

Photo by WheelsinFocus 

Mar 19: Willamette U. 

Capitol Cup Criterium 

Salem, OR. Flat 0.7-mile loop around the Oregon 

State Capitol. Collegiate races in morning, open in 

afternoon. First start 8am. Kevin Bernstein, 

801-574-7730, kbernste@willamette.edu 

Mar 20: PSU Road Race 

Gaston, OR. Collegiate. Hagg Lake Park. Elizabeth 

Sederbaum, PSU Cycling, psucycling.com 

Mar 20: Skagit Valley TT 

Bellingham, WA. 9-mile TT, at Bay View State Park, 

start 9am. All categories from Junior 10-14 to Masters 

50+. Pre-reg. mandatory. Stewart Bowmer, 

Shuksan Velo Club, 360-319-7809, 

web.me.comstewbee41/Shuksan_Velo_Club/ 

Welcome.html 

Mar 20: Slammer RR 

Boise, ID. Start at intersection of South Cole and 

Ten Mile Creek. 30-60 miles. First start 10am, last 

12:10pm. No day of registration. All Men, women 

and Masters. Mike Cooley, Boise CC / George’s 


Mar 26: Dirt Bag Dash #1 

Glenns Ferry, ID. Start 10:30am from Veterans 

Memorial Hall. See race series for details. James 

Lang, 208-571-1853, 

joyride-cycles.comdirt_bag_dash 


Abbotsford, BC. Saturday: Atomic RR course. 

A, B, C categories. Sunday: Aldergrove Lake - a 

Zero Ave circuit, east of border crossing. A, B, 

C, Novice. See race series for details. Jeff Ain, 


Mar 26: independence Valley RR 

Rochester, WA. 19.5-mile loop features rolling hills, 

roads through the Valley’s farmland. Couple of 

short climbs. First start 9am. No separate Junior 

category. Start at Swede Hall. Marker Cat 4 

Women’s Series, Volkl Cup Cat 3 Women’s Series. 

Erik Anderson, ssvr.weebly.comindependencevalley-road-race.html 

Mar 26–27: Missionary Omnium 

Walla Walla, WA. Collegiate event. TTT and circuit 

race. Simon Pendleton, 603-892-6482, 

whitman.edu/cycling 

Mar 26: Piece of Cake RR - OC #2 

Woodland, WA. 17-mile loop west of Woodland, 

about 30 minutes from Portland. Flat, likely windy 

and wide roads. Part of Oregon Cup - Road. Danny 

Knudsen, PrestoVelo Cycling Team, 503-285-9897, 

prestovelo.com 

april 

Apr 1–3: Cherry Blossom Classic 

The Dalles, OR. 3-day, 4-stage event. Enjoy the dry 

side of the Cascades with a rolling RR on the Columbia 

Hills RR, a new 11-mile TT, a super fast 4-corner 

downtown crit, and the Orchard circuit road. Cash 

prizes. Open to all men and women, no separate 

Junior class. Chad Sperry, Breakaway Promotions, 

541-296-8908, cherryblossomclassic.com 

Apr 7: TRC Time Trials 

Clarkston, WA. Part of TRC Time Trials. Corrie 

Rosetti, Twin Rivers Cyclists, 509-758-9303, 


Apr 9: kings Valley RR - OC #3 

Pedee, OR. La Doyenne of Oregon road races. 

Rolling course. 19.5-mile loop on good to excellent 

roads. Registration opens 9am, start 10am. For Cat 

1/5 men, Cat 1/4 women, Masters 40/50+. Part of 

Oregon Cup - Road. Scott Goldstein, Classic Events, 

541-343-4833, obra.org 

Apr 9: Ronde Van Palouse 

Spangle, WA. 23-mile circuit in farm country. Good 

pavement - 4 miles of graded gravel road. Finish 

on Kentuck Trails Road 2 miles northeast of Liberty 

HS. Puncture resistant tires recommended. Spokane 

Rocket Velo Cycling Team, spokanerocketvelo.com 

Apr 9: Volunteer Park Criterium 

Seattle, WA. 0.8-mile loop inside Volunteer Park, 

with small 150-yard hill. Part of Volkl Cup Cat 3 

Women’s Series. Cucina Fresca Cycling Team, 

supersquadra.comvp.aspx 

Apr 10: Barry’s Roubaix 

Pitt Meadows, BC. Local Ride “Barry’s” Roubaix is 

a tooth rattling, gritty good time! 10k mostly flat circuit 

is 40% gravel. First start: 8:30am. Barry Lyster, 

Local Ride Bike Shop, 604-466-2016, localride.ca 

Apr 10: Rocky Mountain Roubaix 

Frenchtown, MT. A 1-day spring classic! 40-60-mile 

road race. Elliot Bassett, 406-214-5474, 

oprfcc@hotmail.com 

Apr 10: Vance Creek RR 

Elma, WA. Starts at nuke plant on top of Fuller 

Hill in Satsop. 13.5-mile loop includes a narrow 

European-style farm road and 1km climb to finish. 

Course encourages opportunistic racing strategy. 

First race 9:30am. No separate Junior category. 

Part of Marker Cat 4 Women’s Series. Erik Anderson, 

ssvr.weebly.comvance-creek-road-race.html 




Clarkston, WA. Part of TRC Time Trials. Corrie 

Rosetti, Twin Rivers Cyclists, 509-758-9303, 


Apr 15–17: Tour of Walla Walla 

Stage Race 

Walla Walla, WA. 3- or 4-stage race event. Friday 

hilly RR for Pro 1/2 men, Cat 3 men and Masters 

40+. All categories, Saturday 9.3-mile TT and 

8-corner downtown crit. Sunday hilly RR with 

uphill finish. No day-of reg. Part of Volkl Cup Cat 

3 Women’s Series. Steve Rapp, 509-527-8724, 

tofww.org 

Apr 16–17: Deschutes River 

Valley TT Festival 

Maupin, OR. 3 individual stages. Staging at Imperial 

River Company. Open to all 19+ riders; tandem 

and recumbent categories. Registration 6:30- 

8:30am. 1st race - 25 miles 9am; 2nd - hill climb 8 

caLendar 

miles 3pm; 3rd- 49 miles 8am Sunday. Terri Gooch, 

541-354-1520, raceacrossoregon.com 

Apr 16: icebreaker Criterium 

Eugene, OR. Greenhill Technology Park. Traditional 

flat 1km course. 4-corner course is safe with 

wide-open straight finish. Categories/distances: Pro 

1/2 - 30 miles, Cat 3 - 25 miles, Cat 4/5 - 15 miles, 

women & Masters - 20 miles. Cash prizes. Tandem 

category. Sal Collura, 541-747-3336, obra.org 

Apr 16: Langley Speedway Omnium 

Langley, BC. Quarter-mile paved track at the 

Campbell Valley Regional Park in South Langley. 

4 events: Scratch, Points, Elimination and Unknown 

distance races. 5 categories. Distances vary 

according to category. Bruce Wenting, 

604-826-1411, langleyspeedway.wordpress.com 

Apr 16: Tax Day Circuit Race 

Pocatello, ID. Circuit race, start/finish in Inkom. 1.2mile 

neutral roll out of town, followed by 4.5-mile 

rolling to circuit (7.3 mi). Specified number of laps, 

followed by half lap to finish at top of hill. Climb 

per lap is 750’. David Hackey, Idaho Cycling 

Enthusiasts, 208-241-0034, idahocycling.com 

Apr 17: BC Masters #1 

Langley, BC. 70km rolling road race. Start at 

Thunderbird Show Park at noon. Double points. 

See race series for details. Gordon Reddy, 

604-857-1801, bcmasterscycling.net 

Apr 17: Beautiful Estacada TT #1 

Estacada, OR. See race series for details. Geri 

Bossen, Team Bossen, 503-297-2434, obra.org 

Apr 17: Rhonde Van Boise 

Boise, ID. Group hill(s) climb. georgescycles.com 




Clarkston, WA. Corrie Rosetti, Twin Rivers Cyclists, 

509-758-9303, twinriverscyclists.org 

Apr 23: Chicken Dinner RR 

Nampa, ID. New route, 30-65 miles. Start at 

Deer Flat and Perch Rd south of Nampa. Part 

of George’s Cycles Spring Series. Mike Cooley, 

Boise CC / George’s Cycles, 208-373-3782, 

georgescycles.com 

Apr 23–24: Conference Championships 

Pullman, WA. Collegiate event. 

nwcollegiatecycling.org 

Apr 23: Green Valley TT 

Auburn, WA. 12-mile course on Green Valley 

Rd. Start/finish is at Green Valley Rd and 218th. 

Registration 7:15-8:45am. Start 9am. All categories. 

Marker Cat 4 Women’s Series, Volkl Cup Cat 3 

Women’s Series. wsbaracing.com 

Apr 23: Happy Ravens TT #1 

Blodgett, OR. See race series for details. Kevin 

Nichols, 971-237-1206, happyravens@yahoo.com 



Apr 27–May 1: SRAM Tour of the Gila 

Silver City, NM. 5-day stage race. 7 categories: 

ITT, crit, 3 RRs. 4-day stage race for men 4/5 and 

women 3/4. Citizen races too. Jack Brennan, Tour 

of the Gila Inc., 505-388-3222, tourofthegila.com 




Apr 30: Eugene Roubaix - OC #4 

Eugene, OR. 13-mile loop with one dirt/gravel section, 

the rest is smooth and mostly flat. Registration 

off Nielson near parking lot. Registration opens 

8:30am. Cat 1/5 men, Cat 1/4 women, Masters 

men, women 40+. Part of Oregon Cup - Road. 

Jennifer Hughes, obra.org 

Apr 30: Happy Ravens TT #2 



Apr 30: Longbranch RR/ State 

Championships 

Longbranch, WA. Master/Junior RR State 

Championships. New mildly rolling loop. Start at 

Longbranch Improvement Center. 1 steep 1/2-mile 

climb and 2 gradual 1/4-mile climbs. Registration 

7:30am. First start 9:30am. Part of WSBA BARR. 

Matt Swanson, 253-301-8806, wsba.org 

May 

May 1: BC Masters #2 

Maple Bay, BC. 65km RR. Rolling terrain. Start 

12pm at Moose Hall. See race series for details. 

David Mercer, 778-430-0646, 

bcmasterscycling.net 

May 1: Beautiful Estacada TT #2 

Estacada, OR. See race series for details. Geri 

Bossen, Team Bossen, 503-297-2434, obra.org 

May 1: Emmett-Roubaix RR 

Boise, ID. Start at Emmett City Park 10:30am, 

distances between 45-65 miles. George’s Cycles 

Spring Series. Mike Cooley, Boise CC / George’s 


May 1: Olympic View RR / State 

Championships 

Brady, WA. Mostly flat with a few rolling hills, 18mile 

loop, number of laps vary based on category. 

No separate Junior class. First start 9am. Start 

Olympic View Grange Hall. Part of WSBA BARR. 

Erik Anderson, 

ssvr.weebly.comolympic-view-road-race.html 

May 1: TTT Rehearsal 

TBA, OR. Tentative. Ernie Conway, 503-329-7978, 

obra.org 

May 5: TRC Time Trials 



May 6–8: Collegiate Road Nationals 

Madison, WI. usacycling.org 

May 7: Dirt Bag Dash #2 

Mountain Home, ID. Start 10:30am from Veterans 

Memorial Hall. See race series for details. James 

Lang, 208-571-1853, 

joyride-cycles.comdirt_bag_dash 

May 7: Happy Ravens TT #3 



May 7: Liberty RR #1 

Spokane, WA. Excellent pavement in rolling farm 

country of the Palouse. Two 29-mile loops. Fast 

course with good rollers. Team tactics and wind 

could be a factor. Spokane Rocket Velo Cycling 

Team, spokanerocketvelo.com 

May 7–8: Race the Ridge 

Maple Ridge, BC. Challenging 3-stage race. TT, 

Crit and RR. Exciting, high-speed, and spectatorfriendly 

events on tried and true courses. Includes 

Youth Stage Race for youth under 17 and free kid’s 

race. Barry Lyster, Local Ride Bike Shop, 

604-466-2016, localride.ca 

May 7: Ravensdale RR 

Ravensdale, WA. 9-mile loop on county roads. 

A few small hills. Registration opens 7:15am, first 

group 8:30am. Men 1-5, women 1-4, Masters A-D. 

Marker Cat 4 Women’s Series, Volkl Cup Cat 3 

Women’s Series. Deanna Muller, DuBu Racing, 

206-920-3983, buduracing.com 

May 8: Carnation TT #2 

Carnation, WA. Hilly course - 14 miles. Beautiful 

and challenging loop that starts with a 10% grade 

uphill. See race series for details. Neal Goldberg, 

FootWorks Cycles, LLC, 206-632-4578, 


May 8: Co-Motion TT / 

Tahdem TT Champs 


May 8: Warp Speed TT/TTT 

Abbotsford, BC. Tentative date. 20km ITT followed 

by 20km/40km TTT and the popular “Merckx 

Class” for people who want to do a TT without all 

the fancy equipment. All categories. Stuart Lynne, 

604-461-7532, escapevelocity.bc.ca 

May 12–14: Boise TT Festival 

Boise, ID. 3-day, 4-stage TT stage race. 2 races 

and festival on Saturday. Must enter all stages to 

be eligible for cash and medals. All categories. 

John Rogers, Team Bobs Bicycles, 208-284-9671, 

teamrace.obccwd.com 

May 12: TRC Time Trials 



May 14: Mt. Constitution Hill Climb 

Orcas Island, WA. TT. 7.6 miles, 2,475’ vertical 

climbing beginning at Rosario Resort and Spa and 

ending at the top of Mt. Constitution. Start 11am. 

All categories including recreational. Paul Hopkins, 

360-472-0908, islandathleticevents.com 

May 14–15: OBRA Silverton RR Champs 

Silverton, OR. 17.5-mile loop with few flat sections, 

couple of extended climbs, fast finish. Pre-reg. 

recommended. Tandem category available. Registration 

open 8am. First start 9am. All OBRA Road 

categories available. Kurt Haas, 503-362-0370, 

obra.org 

May 14–15: Wenatchee Velo Omnium 

Wenatchee, WA. Masters/ Juniors championships. 

TT course: rolling, 9-mile out-and-back. Criterium: 

1km, 4 corners, small hill. Road course - 2 loops: 

short loop at 12 miles with 1,400’ of climbing, or 

big loop at 27 miles with 2,000’ of climbing. Pre-reg 

by May 13. Enter them all or individually. Must start 

all 3 to be eligible for overall prize. Steve Johnston, 

Wenatchee Valley Velo, The Wenatchee Sports 

Council, bikewenatchee.org 

May 15: Mission Sports Park Open 

Mission, BC. New course with lots of climbing and 

fast technical descents. Hill climb followed by a 

road race around Mission City Hall. Bruce Wenting, 

Phoenix Velo Training Group, 604-826-1411, 

omniumn.wordpress.com 

TOURiNG 

March 

Mar 5: 100km Randonneur Populaire 

Seattle, WA. Open to all. Registration opens 

8am, ride 9am from UW parking lot. 100km route 

with some of the best views the city has to offer. 

RUSA brevet. Mark U. Thomas, 206-612-4700, 

seattlerando.org 

Mar 5: Ride Hard, Grow Forth 

Seattle, WA. A 60-mile ride around Lake Washington. 

Start at 9am in Central District. Min $60 

fundraising. Benefits Alleycat Acres. Alleycat Acres, 

206-395-8487, alleycatacres.com 

Mar 5: TriCities 200 

Richland, WA. 200km ACP. Start 7am. Paul Whitney, 

orrandonneurs.org 

Mar 12: Birkie Brevet 

Forest Grove, OR. 200km brevet starts in Forest 

Grove and quickly heads into the Coast Range, 

down to Vernonia and back. Susan France, orrandonneurs.org 

Mar 12: Solvang Century & Half Century 

Solvang, CA. 50-, 65- or 100-mile ride start/end at 

Hotel Corque. Finish line festival. Benefits the SCOR 

Cardiac Cyclists Club and the 3 summer camps they 

support for children with heart related illnesses. 

SCOR, 562-690-9693, bikescor.com 

Mar 13: Gran Fondo Ephrata 

Ephrata, WA. 78 miles of some of the toughest 

remote country roads central Washington has to offer. 

T-shirt, police escort, post-ride meal. Mass start 

event 9am. Jake Maedke, Vicious Cycle Events, 

509-754-6361, beezleyburn.com 

Mar 19: 200km Brevet 

Vancouver, BC. Start 7am. randonneurs.bc.ca 

Mar 19: 200km Randonneur Brevet 

Snohomish, WA. Randonneur event, 200km ACP. 

Mark U. Thomas, 206-612-4700, seattlerando.org 

Mar 19: Alki Street Scramble 



minutes? Solo or team. Fun way to explore the 

city. Various categories. Refreshments at finish. Eric 

Bone, 206-291-8250, streetscramble.com 

Mar 19: McClinchy Mile 

Arlington, WA. Scenic Snohomish County loops of 

easy 20-, flat 34-, or challenging 47-mile rolling hill 

rides. Short & long loops include Centennial Trails. 

Combine loops for a spring century. Start at Haller 

Middle School. Registration 8-11am. Debby Grant, 

425-778-5530, bikesclub.org 

Mar 19: OHPV Rites of Spring 

Portland, OR. 35-mile, gentle ride through the 

countryside around Gresham to shake winter out 

of your legs. Start 10am at Gateway Transit Center 

(south parking lot). Jeff Wills, 12212 SE 13th St, 

ohpv.org 

Mar 20: Wet-N-Windy 50 

Bend, OR. 50-mile ride from Bend to Powell Butte 

and back. Be prepared for any weather. $5 entry 

fee includes maps, course markings and one food 

stop. Leaves from Hutch’s on 3rd St. at 9am. 

541-382-6248, hutchsbicycles.com 

Mar 26: Three Capes Brevet 

Forest Grove, OR. 300km, ACP sanctioned. Starts 

at McMenamins Grand Lodge. Susan France, 

503-679-5126, orrandonneurs.org 

Mar 27: Victoria Populaire 

Victoria, BC. Ride around Greater Victoria. Start 

10am at University of Victoria for 50 or 100km 

ride. Intro to randonneur brevet. Open to all. 

VicPop pins for finishers. randonneurs.bc.ca 

april 

Apr 2: Night 200 

Hillsboro, OR. Start at night, 200km ACP. Marcello 

Napolitano, orrandonneurs.org 

Apr 2: TriCities 300 

Richland, WA. 300km ACP. Start 5am. Paul Whitney, 


Apr 2: Victoria 200km 

Victoria, BC. Start 7am. Steve Mahovlic, 

randonneurs.bc.ca 

Apr 3: Pacific Populaire 

Vancouver, BC. An early season road ride of 3 

different lengths (100km, 50km, 25km) through 

Vancouver and Richmond, BC. Are you ready to 

ride? Try us out. 9am start at Riley Park Community 

Center. Danelle Laidlaw, 604-421-1717, 


Apr 9: 100km Populaire 

Fort St. John, BC. Open to all. Wim Kok, 

250-785-4589, randonneurs.bc.ca 

Apr 9: 300km Randonneur Brevet 

Seattle, WA. Mark U. Thomas, 206-612-4700, 

seattlerando.org 

Apr 9–14: Eau de Hell Week 

Chemainus, BC. A one week, super randonneur 

series consisting of 200, 300, 400 and 600km 

events — the first three are one day rides, the 600 

is two days. Scenic routes on Vancouver Is. Start in 

Chemainus. Lee Ringham, 250-729-4943, 


Apr 9: international Discovery Walk 

Festival Rides 

Vancouver, WA. 15, 25 or 50km trail around western 

Vancouver. Start at Hudson’s Bay High School. 

Some rental bikes available. Course open between 

9am-4pm. Walking and swimming activities. Romana 

Paynter, 360-818-4280, discoverywalk.org 

Apr 9: Tour of the Cowichan Valley 

Chemainus, BC. Start in Chemainus at Dancing 

Bean Cafe. 200km brevet. Jenny Watson, 


Apr 10–14: Bryce-Zion Family 

St George, UT. Phenomenally gorgeous Bryce 

and Zion National Parks are the perfect place for 

a family tour on car-free roads. 800-443-6060, 

bicycleadventures.com 

Apr 10: Cherry of a Bike Ride 

The Dalles, OR. Fully supported ride offering 

5 scenic loop options (30, 48, 60, 80 or 100 

miles) through cherry blossoms in and around the 

Columbia River Gorge. Fundraiser for St. Mary’s 

Academy. Courses open 6am-5pm. Limit 500. 

Wendy Palmer, 541-296-6004, cherryofaride.com 

Apr 10: Daffodil Classic 

Orting, WA. 40-, 60- and 100-mile loops wind 

through beautiful Orting Valley plus 1-to-30-mile 

paved trail option. Includes map, SAG, fully 

stocked rest stops & strawberry shortcake at finish. 

253-222-4052, twbc.org 

Apr 11–14: Tulips and Bays 

La Conner, WA. 4-day scenic tour with daily 20-30 

miles of flat terrain. Explore colorful tulip fields 

and quiet coastal roads - mostly flat with some 

rolling hills. Fee includes transportation, lodging, 

meals and guides. Ryan Griffith, 509-625-6246, 

spokaneparks.org 

Apr 16: 150km Populaire 

Fort St. John, BC. Open to all. Wim Kok, 

250-785-4589,randonneurs.bc.ca 

Apr 16: 200km Brevet 

Vancouver, BC. Manfred Kuchenmuller, 


Apr 16: Eden’s Gate 400 

Wilsonville, OR. 400km ACP brevet with 7 covered 

bridges, lots of farms. Susan France, 

503-679-5126, orrandonneurs.org 


One of the best rides in the Northwest, 

Cycle Oregon 2011 is already sold out. 

Photo courtesy of Cycle Oregon/Greg Lee 

Apr 16–17: Hot Springs Ride 

Ravalli, MT. Ride through beautiful countryside past 

Oreo cows, Fjord horses and herds of llamas to the 

historic Symes Hotel in Hot Springs. Hot springs, 

great food and entertainment. 62 & 41 miles over 2 

days. Pre-reg. only by 4/5. Diane Norem, 

406-728-4126, missoulabike.orgride-details-old 

Apr 16: Tulip Pedal 2011 

La Conner, WA. Features 20-, 40- and 60-mile 

routes near Skagit Valley tulip fields. Start/finish 

at La Conner Middle School. 7am-4pm. $25 fee 

includes long sleeve T-shirt. Children under 14 free. 

Bill Craig, Skagit County Medical One, 

360-428-3236, skagitems.com 

Apr 17: Pre-Season Century 

Bend, OR. 100-mile supported ride from Bend to 

Pineville and back. One long climb, many small 

ones, low traffic roads, 2 food stops. Be prepared 

for any type of weather. Leaves from Hutch’s 

Bicycles in Bend on 3rd St. 9am. Fee: $10. 


Apr 17: U-District Street Scramble 



minutes? Solo or team. Fun way to explore the 

city. Great family activity. Various categories. 

Refreshments at finish. Eric Bone, 206-291-8250, 

streetscramble.com 

Apr 19–24: Northwest Crank 

Wenatchee, WA. 4 days of riding (50 to 125 

miles) in Wenatchee, Chelan, Plain areas. Great 

for building spring mileage. Ride options each day, 

some support. Includes presentation, contests and 

other events. Begins in East Wenatchee. Mark U. 

Thomas, 206-612-4700, northwestcrank.com 

Apr 22: Signs of Spring 

Fort St. John, BC. 200km brevet. Wim Kok, 



Southern Interior, BC. Start 7am. 


Apr 23: Hills Are Alive 

Victoria, BC. Classic 300km brevet starting in 

downtown Victoria. Tours the Saanich Peninsula 

before heading north through Cowichan Valley. 

This hilly ride then goes east to Sooke before heading 

back to Victoria. Mark Ford, 250-595-6790, 


Apr 23: Ride the Heart of the Valley 

Corvallis, OR. 12- and 30-mile rides. Start 9am 

from Magruder Hall. Min. fundraising $30. Benefits 

Benton County Health Center, and the Olive K. 

Britt Endowment for Emergency Animal Care. After 

ride party with food and live music. Leslie Dunham, 

OSU College of Veterinary Medicine, 

oregonstate.edu/vetmed/students/current/scavma 

Apr 24–May 6: TourTk 

Selcuk, Turkey. An exciting adventure featuring the 

west coast of Turkey. Cycle quiet roads, visit ancient 

ruins, experience a different culture. Also available 

5/8-5/20. Danelle Laidlaw, 877-606-2453, 

tourbc.net 

Apr 29–May 1: SiR Fleche Northwest 

Olympia, WA. 24-hr team event of at least 360km. 

3-5 riders per team. Plan your own route (traditionally 

point-to-point) to finish in Olympia. Mark U. 

Thomas, 206-612-4700, seattlerando.org 


Vancouver, BC. 300km brevet. Deirdre Arscott, 


Apr 30: Le Petit Tour de Peace 

Fort St. John, BC. 300km brevet. Ride from Fort St. 

John to Hope, Chetwynd and back to Fort St. John. 

Wim Kok, 250-785-4589, randonneurs.bc.ca 

Apr 30: Tour de Lopez 

Lopez Island, WA. Leisurely tour of beautiful San 

Juan Islands with 10-, 20- & 31-mile routes. Includes 

great gourmet lunch after the ride. Check-in from 

9-11am at Odlin County Park, ends at Village Park. 

Lunch from 1-3pm. Becky Smith, 360-468-4664, 

lopezisland.com 

May 

May 1: May Day Metric 

Federal Way, WA. 3 challenging routes (50, 72 

or 104 miles) on back roads of South Sound. Start 

6:30-10am at Phil’s South Side Cyclery. Portion of 

each entry fee and all residual donated to BAW & 

Orting Food Bank. Supported rest stops every 25 

miles. Phil Meyer, 253-661-3903, 

maydaymetric.net 

May 1: Monster Cookie Metric Century 

Salem, OR. 35th annual. 62-mile route goes over 

back roads from State Capitol Mall, through 

Keizer, and on to Champoeg State Park and back. 

Snacks, fruit, and refreshments served at rest stops. 

Larry Miles, 503-580-5927, salembicycleclub.org 


May 1: Rhody Bike Tour 

Port Townsend, WA. 32-, 45-, 55- and 62-mile 

routes & 12-mile family trail ride. Longest routes 

on East Jefferson County’s rural roads. Few hills 

on the Half Metric Century, family ride is flat and 

on the Larry Scott Trail. Start/finish at Haines 

Place Park and Ride. Mary Toews, 360-301-4384, 

ptbikes.org 

May 6–8: Fleche Pacifique 

Harrison Hot Springs, BC. Teams of 3-5 compete to 

cover the most distance in 24 hours. Routes are designed 

by teams and must be at least 360km. Entry 

deadline 4/21. Patrick Wright, randonneurs.bc.ca 

May 7: Bike for Shelter 

Missoula, MT. Ride along the Bitteroot River. 

2- and 12-mile rides. Bike Rodeo. Benefit Watson 

Children’s Shelter. Watson Children’s Shelter, 

watsonchildrensshelter.org 

May 7: Goldilocks Women’s Ride 

Herriman, UT. Fully-supported women’s only ride. 

20-, 40-, 60-, 80- and first ever 100-mile routes. 

Mixture of urban and rural roads through the 

southwest part of Salt Lake Valley. Starts at Butterfield 

Park 8:30am. Registration includes T-shirt, 

swag, lunch. Limit 1,000. Dani Lassiter, 

801-635-9422, goldilocksride.com 

May 7: Lewis County 

Historical Bicycle Ride 

Chehalis, WA. 29th annual. Start in Stan Hedwall 

Park. 4 country routes to choose from: 20, 48, 70 

and 100 miles, small rolling hills. SAG, mechanical 

support, rest stops. Mazie Schlickeiser, 

360-262-9647, LCHR.CycleLewisCounty.org 

May 7–8: Oregon Coast 600 

Forest Grove, OR. No support along this route. Riders 

must exercise the randonneuring ethos of self sufficiency. 

Rolling terrain and fantastic roads. 600km. 

Susan France, 503-679-5126, orrandonneurs.org 

May 7: RACC - Ride Around Clark 

County 

Vancouver, WA. 4 beautiful and challenging ride 

options (18-, 34-, 65- & 100-miles) through scenic 

Clark County. 4 rest stops. Ride starts at your 

convenience between 6:30-9am at Clark College. 

Dennis Funk, vbc-usa.com 

May 7: Skagit Spring Classic 

Burlington, WA. 25-, 40-, 65- and 100-mile routes 

through scenic northern Skagit and southern 

Whatcom Counties. Food stops, post ride meal, 

pint glass if pre-registered. Start 7am from Bayview 

Elementary School. Jamie Wells, 360-421-2126, 

skagitspringclassic.org 

May 8–20: TourTk 

Selcuk, Turkey. An exciting adventure featuring the 

west coast of Turkey. Cycle quiet roads, visit ancient 

ruins, experience a different culture. Also available 

5/8-5/20. Danelle Laidlaw, 877-606-2453, 

tourbc.net 

May 11: Bike-A-Roo Breakfast Ride 

Bend, OR. Meet at Sunnyside shop for coffee and 

Great Harvest treats, followed by a 25-mile season 

kick-off road ride. $5 for breakfast and the ride. 

Susan Bonacker, 541-382-8018, 

sunnysidesports.com 

May 11: Wheel to Heal 

Coquitlam, BC. 10, 40 or 80km fundraising ride 

benefitting Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation. Start 

in Town Centre Park. Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation, 

604-469-3128, wheeltoheal.ca 

May 13–15: Robb’s Ride 

Grand Forks, BC. 3 days of fun and social riding. 

Day 1: Grand Forks to Northern WA and Osoyoos. 

Day 2:Osoyoos to Grand Forks. Day 3: local 

roads. Luggage transport and minimal support. 

250-442-0421, grandforkscyclingclub.com 

May 14: Camano Climb 

Camano Island, WA. 28 or 44 scenic miles around 

Camano Island with views of the Cascades and 

Olympic Mountains. Start at Camano Center, 

7:30-10am. Fee includes support, water bottle and 

spaghetti dinner. 360-629-6415, 

stanwoodvelosport.com 

May 14: 300km Brevet 

Southern Interior, BC. Start 7am. 


May 14–15: 400km Randonneur Brevet 

Seattle, WA. Start 5am. Self-supported ACP brevet. 

Mark U. Thomas, 206-612-4700, seattlerando.org 

May 14: Highway to Hell 

Victoria, BC. 400km brevet starts in Victoria and 

heads north on Vancouver Island through many 

island communities following the eastern shore of 

the Salish Sea. At Union Bay (200 km) the route 

returns to Victoria. Jim Fidler, 250-479-8858, 


May 14: Le Grand Tour de Peace 

Fort St John, BC. 400km brevet. Wim Kok, 


May 14: Prineville 400 

Prineville, OR. 400km ACP brevet. John Henry 

Maurice, orrandonneurs.org 

May 14–15: STOkR 

Libby, MT. 2-day loop tour in scenic western 

Montana. Homemade food, no traffic & fantastic 

community support. Benefits Kootenai Valley 

Partners Habitat for Humanity. Limit 400. Susie Rice, 

406-293-2441, stokr.org 

May 15: Lilac Century & Family Ride 

Spokane, WA. 15-, 25-, 50-, 66- or 100-mile rides. 

15 & 25 for less experienced riders mostly on the 

Centennial Trail. Start at Spokane Falls Community 

College. Fully supported, potato feed & live music 

at finish. Optional 5km run and duathlon. Jim 

Schindler, 509-499-7770, northdivision.com 

May 15: Santa Fe Century 

Santa Fe, NM. 26th annual. 25-, 50-, 75- and 

100-mile routes. Flat, rolling, moderately hilly 

caLendar 

terrain. Entry fee includes century water bottle, 

ride numbers, maps, route marking, 6 food and 

beverage stops, SAG support. See 100 miles of 

history pass under your wheels. Willard Chilcott, 

santafecentury.com 

May 18: Bike to Work Day 

Various. National Bike to Work Day is a good day 

to start commuting. Check with local bike clubs for 

event in your region. bikeleague.org 

May 18: Ride of Silence 

Various. Cyclists worldwide take to the roads in a 

silent procession to honor cyclists killed or injured 

while riding on public roadways. Many locations 

in each state. See event website for location near 

you. Start 7pm. rideofsilence.orgmain.php 

May 19–23: Eastern Washington Tour #1 

Chelan, WA. 4-day, 295-mile loop. Beautiful quiet 

roads, lush valleys, challenging climbs up several 

mountain passes. Ralph & Carol Nussbaum, 

206-612-4700, cascade.org 

May 20–23: Okanagan BC Wine Tour 

Okanagan Falls, BC. 4 days, 3 nights to explore, 

taste & experience new, exciting wineries in 

N. America. This area is a vacation and riding 

paradise. Fully supported. Must be 21. Registration 

deadline May 1. Ryan Griffith, 509-625-6246, 

spokaneparks.org 

May 21–24: 1000km Brevet 

TBC, BC. Eric Fergusson, 604-733-6657, 


May 21: High Tide Ride 

Anacortes, WA. Fully supported, beautiful ride 

on Fidalgo Island with breathtaking views of the 

Skagit flats and San Juan Islands. 25, 50 or 75 

miles begin/end at the Anacortes Waterfront Festival 

at 8am. 5-mile family ride. Liz Jenkins, North 

Islands Young Life, 360-941-1091, sites.younglife. 

orgsites/northislands/default.aspx 

May 21: Seattle Tour de Cure 

Redmond, WA. Ride to raise money to cure 

diabetes. 25, 45, 70 and 100 miles on scenic and 

challenging routes. 15-mile family ride on trail 

system. Start/end at Marymoor Park. Food, music, 

beer garden & more. Kimberly Patterson, 

206-282-4616, diabetes.orgtour 

May 21–22: Tour of the Swan River 

Valley (TOSRV) 

Missoula, MT. A two-day, challenging and fun 

bicycle tour (85 and 110 miles each day) through 

western Montana, with food stops and baggage 

shuttle. The 110 starts at University of Montana 

campus; the 85 in Potomac. Tim Marchant, 

406-250-7228, missoulabike.org 


TBC, BC. randonneurs.bc.ca 

May 21: Cycle for independence 

Boise, ID. 3 routes: 10-, 25-mile & metric century. 

Start/finish at Riverglen Junior High School. Metric 

century goes through very pretty rural Idaho. 

Lunch & socks provided. Benefits Treasure Valley 

Chapter of the Nat’l Federation of the Blind of 

Idaho. Ramona Walhof, 208-343-1377, 

tvcblindidaho.org 

May 21–23: Golden Triangle 

Banff, AB. 3 days, 320km ride in the most spectacular 

settings that take you twice over the Great 

Divide, in and out of BC. Supported. Need club 

membership. Bud Sedman, Elbow Valley Cycle 

Club, elbowvalleycc.org 

May 21: Group Health inland 

Empire Century 

Richland, WA. Century with 25-, 50-, and 75-mile 

route options. Century goes west to Benton City, 

MIkE’S BIkE ShOP 

248 N Spruce St. 

Cannon Beach, OR 97110 

800-492-1266 

www.mikesbike.com 

serving northwest cyclists for 

36+ years 

• SPECIALIZED Mountain & Road 

• Electra cruisers 

• Accessories and clothing 

• Rentals and repairs 

up Webber Canyon Road to Prosser, and back to 

Richland. Host hotel: Red Lion. Mitch Cunningham, 

Kiwanis Clubs of The Columbia and Tri-Cities Industry, 

509-586-6836, inlandempirecentury.org 

May 21: Reach the Beach 

Portland, OR. 28, 55, 80 or 104 miles through 

Oregon wine country, forests & little-known towns 

to a breathtaking finish point at Pacific City. Start 

locations: Portland, Salem, Amity or Grand Ronde. 

Fundraising $100 min. 503-459-4508, 

reachthebeach.org 

May 21: TriCities 400 

Tri-Cities, WA. 400km ACP. Paul Whitney, 


May 22: Munchen Haus Bike Ride 

Leavenworth, WA. 50, 75 and 100 miles with aid station 

every 25 miles. Check in at the Munchen Haus 

between 8-9am. First 100 riders receive a cycling 

cap. Free post-ride beverage. Proceeds benefit 

Cancer Research Lab. Ian Crossland, 509-662-2066, 

munchenhausbikeride.com 

May 22: your Canyon For A Day 

Yakima, WA. A 35-mile round trip ride through the 

scenic Yakima River Canyon. Follow the Yakima 

River up a gentle grade with few hills. The highway 

will be closed to thru traffic. A perfect ride for the 

whole family. 509-248-9980, 

crimestoppersyakco.org 

May 27–30: Century Ride of the 

Centuries (CROC) 

Pendleton, OR. Ride 3 centuries in 3 days. Enjoy 

low-traffic roads by day and explore historic Pendleton 

by night. Multiple route & distance options each 

day, rest stops, SAG, meals included. Limit 250 

riders. cyclependleton.com 

May 27–30: Columbia Gorge Explorer 

Vancouver, WA. Self-supported 4-day bike camping 

tour of Columbia River Gorge. 55-65 miles/ 

day. Some hills. No SAG. 2 night camp spaces 

$10/person. Limit 38. Low-cost intro to bike camping. 

Jim O’Horo, 360-449-0804, johoro@pcez.com 


Southern Interior, BC. Start 6pm. 



Victoria, BC. Start 10pm. randonneurs.bc.ca 

May 28–29: Foothills Randonnee 

Fort St. John, BC. 600km brevet. Wim Kok, 


May 28: Gig Harbor Street Scramble 

Gig Harbor, WA. How many of the 30 checkpoints 


minutes? Solo or team, fun way to explore the city. 

Great family activity. Various categories. Eric Bone, 


May 28: Ryder Hesjedal’s 

Tour de Victoria 

Victoria, BC. For cyclists of all ages and abilities, 

3 distances: 35km, 90km, and 140km. Course 

showcases the best of Victoria’s roads - scenic 

waterfront, quiet rural roads, and challenging 

climbs through majestic rainforest. Come train with 

Ryder as he prepares for the 2011 Tour de France. 

Limit 1,500. Seamus McGrath, 250-590-6325, 

tourdevictoria.com 

May 28: Umpqua Ultimate Bike Ride 

Sutherlin, OR. Choose from lightly traveled, scenic 

routes of 20, 46, or 65 miles. Umpqua Valley’s 

best biking country. Cross an historic bridge, see 

century farms, pass vineyards, and ride along the 

famed Umpqua River. Fully supported with lasagna 

and beer. Scott Cameron, Purple Foot Gang, 

541-440-3012, purplefootgang.com 

MarketPLace 

May 29: Davis Phinney Parkinson’s 

Benefit Ride 

Redmond, WA. Known as the Glenn Erikson Parkinson 

Ride, this unique benefit ride offers 3 distances 

that will appeal to racers and recreational riders. 

Benefits Davis Phinney Foundation. Glen Erickson, 

glennebike@comcast.net 

May 29–Jun 4: Land of Enchantment 

Albuquerque, NM. Ride the Turquoise Trail 

through the historic mining towns beneath the 

Sandia Mountains, the High Road to Taos, and the 

legendary Enchanted Circle. Bicycle Adventures, 

800-443-6060, bicycleadventures.com 

May 29: Okanagan Shuswap 

Century Ride 

Armstrong, BC. Choice of 14, 56 & 100km. 

Spectacular scenery, quiet roads, fun & friendly atmosphere. 

Start & finish at Memorial Park. Online 

registration only. Limit 400 riders. Darrel Graves, 

250-768-3809, oscr.ca 

May 29: Southside Ride 

Bend, OR. Ride 60 miles from Sunriver to Twin 

Lakes & back. No long climbs but lots of rollers on 

low-traffic secondary roads. Start 9am at Three 

Rivers Elementary School in Sunriver Business Park. 


May 30: 7 Hills of kirkland 

Kirkland, WA. Renowned for its scenic and challenging 

routes (40, 60, or 100 miles), great food, 

support, and hills! Staged at Kirkland Marina Park. 

Proceeds support KITH’s work to assist Eastside families 

facing homelessness. Ruth Mar, 425-576-9531 

x 106, 7hillskirkland.org 

august 

Aug 5–7: Get your Guts in Gear - 

GyGiG 

Edmonds, WA. 3-day, 210-mile journey loops 

through Snohomish, Whidbey Island & Skagit 

Counties. Fully supported, meals. Suitable for all 

with proper training and challenging for seasoned 

cyclists. $1,800 fundraising. Must be 18+. Raise 

awareness about Crohn’s disease. Andrea Nelson, 

Get Your Guts in Gears, 425-879-4756, IBDride.org 

Aug 6–8: Courage Classic 

Snoqulamie, WA. 20th annual. 3-day, 172-mile, 

fully supported tour. Snoqualmie, Blewett & Stevens 

passes, averaging 60 miles/day. Exceptional 

food stops. Benefits Child Abuse Intervention Dept. 

at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. Mark Grantor, 

Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, 253-403-4374, 

courageclassic.org 

septeMber 

Sep 11–16: People’s Coast Classic 

Astoria, OR. 6-day event benefiting the Arthritis 

Foundation. Start in Astoria to Brookings Harbor. 

Daily 50-70 miles, with rest stops and activities 

along the way. Dinner and camping included. 2- & 

4-day options available. Min. fundraising: $2500 

for 7-day ride. Tai Lee, Arthritis Foundation, 

206-547-2707 x 106, thepeoplescoastclassic.org 

track 

WEDNESDAy 

Track Development Class 


Portland, OR. Weekly events where riders of all 

ages can learn the basics of track riding and 

racing. Bike rental available. Safe environment. 

No class on 6/22. Meg Mautner, 503-805-1361, 

obra.org 

GET YOUR 

GUTS IN GEAR 

The Ride for 

Crohn’s & Colitis 

got guts? gear Up! 

three fully supported 

scenic rides; 3 days, 

210 miles each. Ride 

with us for a great cause! 

• New York: Hudson River Valley, June 10-12. 

• Pacific Northwest: Loop of Island County and 

the skagit Valley, august 5-7. 

• Midwest Wisconsin, September 2011. 

information and registration available online at 

www.iBdride.org, or contact us at 866.9igotgUts 

(866.944.6848). 

Cycles LaMoure 

custom handcrafted bicycles. Frame repair, 

painting, s&s coupling retrofits. Visit our website 

or call mitch. 

phone: 360.477.0257 

website: www.lamourebikes.com

George’s Story 

By maynaRD heRshon 

George and I met in Tucson six or seven 

years ago when Tamar and I still lived there 

— and while George was still racing. He and I 

lost touch for a few years. Tamar and I moved 

to Denver; George moved to Denver. I ran into 

him here a few months ago and since then we’ve 

become better buddies than we’d ever been. 

He is one of my favorite people, a genuinely 

valuable friend. 

Coincidentally, he and I have independently 

become a little disenchanted with cycling, 

looking elsewhere for fun and fitness. Because 

cycling played such a vital part in both our 

lives, we couldn’t believe we’d lost our taste 

for it, even for short periods. Unthinkable! We 

love cycling ... but not right now. 

He and his sweetie, Michelle, just moved 

from urban Denver to Boulder, smack up against 

the mountains and on scenic roads less traveled, 

where it appears from the following note 

that his love affair with the bicycle has been 

rekindled, perhaps. In any case, is this a fine 

note or what? I wish all my emails were like this 

one. Oh, would you like to know what George 

typed into the subject line: “Magic, Freedom 

and Adventure!” 

Maynard, 

Back when I was a kid of eight or nine in the 

small town of Jackson, MI, I ran away from home. 

“raIn shadow“ from Page 1 

His website, olympicrainshadow.com, 

is fairly extensive. Not only does it include 

information about the various climates and 

locations he tracks, but also features monthly 

sunshine analysis, a blog on the latest weather 

happenings, a live weather station for Sequim, 

and photos. 

So what has he discovered from this? “In 

reality, if you get in your car and drive two 

hours, it’s amazing how different the North 

Olympic Peninsula is. The weather is generally 

better over there compared to Seattle,” he says. 

According to his website, the monthly 

weather analysis of October says Sequim 

averaged 2.34 hours of sunshine per day and 

recorded 17 mostly sunny days compared to 

Seattle’s 12, and only 3 in Redmond/West Lake 

Sammamish. 

“Check out the weather in November and 

compare it to the spring months. Twenty-two 

days of mostly sunny or partly sunny. Fourteen 

days had no rain at all,” he states. When asked 

about spring weather and biking, Britton said, 

“Something magical happens about late February 

and early March. Grass grows, the number 

of sunny days increases rapidly, and storms that 

do show up clear quickly.” In other words, it 

may be the perfect place to venture for drier 

spring riding. 

We talked to Mike Wanner from Mike’s Bikes 

in Sequim, who is a life-long resident of the area 

and the shop’s owner for ten years. He gave us 

the skinny on where to pedal. “Mountain bikers 

should definitely do the Lower Peninsula 

and Adventure Trail.” Both trails you can ride 

year round but, “The Lower Peninsula is a great 

spring ride because of the lower elevation and 

it’s a beautiful state park.” 

It was too damn stuffy in that place and I needed to 

strike out and get a little private time. I guess I’ve 

always been this way. 

So I jumped on my bicycle, a blue one 

with goose-necked handlebars, a banana seat 

and double top tubes that swept down to 

become seat stays. Rode right off, down the 

sidewalk. Soon I was passing familiar places: 

our church, houses and streets I recognized, 

a few storefronts ... places I’d only seen from 

the back seat of my parents’ car. Places I’d 

never been — of my own accord or under 

my own power. The sense of freedom I felt 

cannot be conveyed by mere words. 

I’ve always thought that experience had 

a lot to do with the role cycling would take in 

my life. Years later, in my racing life, when 

I was out training I always felt that same sense of 

freedom and adventure. No gas to run out of, no 

canyon too steep and no ride too far. The pain and 

grit it took to ride through the distance and difficulty 

was a small price to pay for those sensations. I once 

rode 352 days in a single year. 

That runaway day, incidentally, I eventually got 

a flat tire. I gave up and was walking the bike home 

when my parents found me. They were rather upset. 

Later, when I was 21 and living in Ann Arbor, 

I decided to start exercising. Running was okay 

but didn’t quite do it for me. As it happened, one of 

my good friends had a history of racing. Luckily I 

told him I was interested in riding. The next day he 

Sequim’s visitor’s site suggests there are 

hundreds of trails in the Olympic National 

Forest for mountain bikers too. If you want to 

head out of the rain shadow a bit, Mike says 

to “...go west to Port Angeles and ride Adventure 

Trail, there’s singletrack that’s smooth 

and fabulous, a few climbs and no Outdoor 

Recreational Vehicles (ORV) allowed, so it’s 

all mountain bikes, hikers, and a few horses.” 

You’ll have to ask Wanner to get the skinny on 

its exact location. 

For those more interested in road cycling, 

Wanner recommends riding in the Dungeness 

area and, “The Olympic Discovery Trail for a 

nice day ride from Sequim to Port Angeles and 

back,” which Britton says, “...is a paved and 

dedicated bike trail along the North Olympic 

Peninsula, but there’s very little bike traffic on 

it.” It would make for a great family ride. Mike 

also mentioned that a local group gets together 

every Sunday morning at nine and tours around 

the local roads. Swing into his shop at 150 West 

Sequim Bay Road to chat and pick up maps, 

or log onto mikes-bikes.net for downloadable 

maps and trail information. Another great 

resource is the official Sequim visitor’s site 

at visitsun.com. They’ve got the lowdown on 

biking, hiking, and a myriad of other activities 

to help alleviate your rainy day blues. 

Whether you’re a serious athlete looking 

for warmer and drier training routes or simply 

searching for a new adventure, a quick ferry 

or car ride will bring a change of scenery and 

possibly the sunshine you’ve been pining for. 

Thanks to David Britton’s interest and research 

and Cliff Mass’s collaboration, Sequim can be 

added to the list of must do’s for spring riding. 

oPinion header 

froM PaGe 1 

brought me an old pair of riding shorts, a helmet and 

Eddie B’s [legendary coach Eddie Borysewicz - MH] 

awesome book about training for racing. I read the 

whole book that night, cover to cover. 

Later that year I entered a race as a lark (mostly 

I wanted to start touring 

on my bike) and somehow 

I won it. At that wonderful 

moment I was signed, 

sealed and delivered. I was 

a bike racer. 

Eighteen years later I 

was still racing but things 

had changed — lotsa bad 

experiences with the white 

trucks and vans of the world 

(you know, the contractors 

who somehow seem to get 

even more upset than your 

average driver) had taken their toll. Worse yet, I think 

the racing scene had eaten away at me. So many of its 

participants become overwhelmingly self-involved. 

I’d think to myself, “We’re not curing cancer out 

there — scientists in laboratories are — maybe if we 

spent all that time and energy ... baaaah! 

After racing for eighteen years I guess I kinda 

was bicycle touring after all. I was certainly carrying 

around a lot of baggage! 

A few years ago, a training ride collision with 

a deer [at 50+ mph - MH] put me out of commission 

for a few months. That crash also put my bike 

permanently out of commission at a time when I 

didn’t have a team to get me a new one. That was 

it, I walked away. I figured maybe, at age 38, it 

was time to grow up a bit and finally get a career 

or something. A year later I was in grad school. 

A few days ago, exploring the numerous canyons 

near our new home in Boulder, I was in incredible 

pain and self-doubt. The grade I was climbing was 

impossibly steep and long. I almost turned around 

three times. But I pressed on and was treated to a 

view of the plains from 8,200 feet above sea level 

and the sight of a pristine mountain lake just a few 

hundred yards later. 

I had a little flashback and decided to write you 

this email, considering our ongoing discussion. 

Cheers! 

George 

Well, what do you think? Is George back 

in his black shorts, back under cycling’s spell? 

And how ‘bout me? I’ll be walking for exercise 

in the Denver winter but come springtime, will 

George and I be meeting in Boulder for rides on 

those long, steep grades, enjoying eagles’ views 

of the flatlands and pedaling past brilliant blue 

high-mountain lakes? 

Like most everything else you need to know, 

you’ll find the answers in the Bicycle Paper. 

Maynard has been writing about cycling for the 

Bicycle Paper (and the Rivendell Reader) almost 

forever. He says he’ll keep doing it as long as he 

can get away with it. “I do it for the money,” the 

Denver-dweller says, but we think there must be 

something about cycling that interests him. 

Visit the Olympic rain shadow to get some dry early season rides in. Photo courtesy of David Britton 

trivia answers froM PaGe 2 

A1. Chris Horner, who has lived in Bend, Ore., for many years, won in 2000 while part of 

the Mercury team. Tom Danielson, a past winner of Bend’s Cascade Classic, won in 2003 

with the Saturn squad. 

A2. Gilles Maignan of AG2R won the second edition. Spaniard Mikel Astarloza of the same 

team triumphed in 2003. Fellow Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez claimed it in 2005, and 

Martin Elmiger, also with AG2R, took the 2007 title. 

A3. 1977’s winner was none other than Belgian Eddy Merckx, who signed five Tours, five 

Giros, and two Vueltas victories. Toni Rominger claimed the 1989 edition before signing 

three Tours of Spain and a Giro victory in the ‘90s. 1995’s victor was Giro champion 

Gianni Bugno, while Frenchman Laurent Jalabert, Tour of Spain winner, prevailed in 

2000. 

A4. Neil Stephens in 1996, Michael Rogers in 2010. 

A5. The Planckaerts. Willy won this early season stage race in 1977, his brother 

Eddy did the same in 1984, and Willy’s son Jo triumphed in 1998 and again 

in 2000. 


2 0 T H A N N UA L 

B I C Y C L E T O U R 2 0 1 1 

Pedal 

with us 

August 6-8, 2011 

☛ 173 Miles of Cycling at 

Your Own Pace 

☛ 3 Days, 55-60 Miles/Day 

☛ Famous Rotary Rider 

Service Centers 

☛ Summit Lunches and 

Delicious Hearty Dinners 

☛ Camping Provided— 

Hotels Available 

☛ Redhook Beer Garden 

Visit us at the 

Seattle Bike Expo 

March 12-13 

in booth 414-416! 

as we ride three mountain passes to 

stop child abuse in our communities. 

☛ Hot Showers 

☛ Top-Notch Mechanics 

☛ First Aid Support 

Register today at: 

courageclassic.org or email courage.classic@multicare.org 

All Proceeds Benefit The Child Abuse Intervention Department At Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and the statewide Children’s Trust Foundation.

Tom Peterson ? Life As A Pro

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