Shopping Locally (by bike!)

It seems that a lot of shopping happens this time of year. One of our goals is to support a sustainable local economy, which ties in with many other sustainable choices, like biking to get around. Small, locally owned businesses have a tough time competing with national chains and online stores. Yet they are right here in our towns, owned by our neighbors, providing jobs in our community, and supporting local initiatives like the BCC. This season, why not shop locally- especially at the local businesses that sponsor the BCC? See the "Sponsors" tab above for a graphic image of sponsor logos, or scroll down on the right for a list of links to BCC sponsor websites.

Local Bike Shops are an indispensable asset to a thriving, bike-friendly community. Fall and winter are the lean times for bike shops- they would be especially happy to see you at this time of year! Let's support the Local Bike Shops that do so much for the BCC and for cycling in our community.

Bike Tech
Deschutes River Cyclery
Joy Ride Bikes
Old Town Bicycle
Stevenson Custom Bicycles

Winners in "Survey Sweepstakes"

We have two winners in the "Survey Sweepstakes"! Thanks for responding to our Wrap-up Survey, and congrats to Shane and Jeriann, who both won ultra-hip bags from Alchemy Goods in Seattle!

Special meeting about chehalis western closure

Do you use the Chehalis-Western Trail? If you've been affected by the trail section closure near Rainier Rd., the Capital Bicycling Club would like to hear from you.

The Capital Bicycling Club will hold a special general meeting July 1 at the Coach House to hear feedback from cyclists about the temporary closure of the Chehalis Western Trail and the alternatives they're using. The board will determine a course of action after hearing your feedback.

When: Wednesday, July 1 @ 7:30
Where: the Capital Museum Coach House, 213 21st Ave SW, Olympia
Topic: Temporary closure of the Chehalis Western Trail

This meeting will be open to the public, and representatives from Thurston County will be invited. If you can't make the meeting but would like to share, please send an email to contact@capitalbicycleclub.org before July 7.

Prize Hoopla Report

The 2015 BCC Prize Hoopla was a lot of fun this year! Around 100 BCC participants showed up, and we had some great moments with our bike winners and random prize drawings. Three people went home with new bikes, fifteen with prizes drawn from the hat, and many more with prizes won in the BCC. Awarding the bike to the Youth Category winner was a show-stopper! I believe there were some tears in the audience and there was surely much applause and cheering! More photos on our Flickr page at:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/129770135@N02/

2015 BCC PRIZE HOOPLA

Saturday, June 27, 9:30am sharp
Olympia Farmers Market Main Stage
The BCC Prize Hoopla is a fast-moving, fun and very unceremonious event! We'll announce the prize winners, and if they're present we'll pretty much toss their prizes to them and carry on with much cheering and hoopla! We'll also have a hat to enter for more prize drawings on the spot, throughout the event. We have exactly an hour on the Main Stage at the Olympia Farmers Market, so there are no speeches or long,drawn-out acknowledgments- just prizes and fun- we hope to see you there!

2015 BCC Overall Results

1736 registrations- a 17% increase over last year ~ ALL TIME RECORD

620 First Time BCC participants

1063 riders returned mileage logs

Total miles ridden: 106,998

Average miles ridden over the month per rider: 100+

Total round-trip commutes 13,661

Average number of days commuting by bike: 13

Over 50 tons CO2 prevented from entering the atmosphere.

110 teams ALL TIME RECORD: 74% of riders were on a team

15 schools and colleges, 35 State & Local Agencies, plus Thurston County and the Cities of Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater all fielded teams in the BCC this year.

51 Sponsors and Supporters contributed coupons and free passes, and over 200 prize items.

Thurston County and the cities of Olympia, Lacey Tumwater, Yelm and Tenino all issued proclamations that May is Bike Commute Month in their jurisdictions.

Record participation in the Earth Day Market Ride and National Bike To Work Day- over 200 participants in each event.

About 140 people also participated in a casual "Winter Mini-BCC" running for part of January and February, including "Winter Bike To Work Day" on February 13.

BCC COUPON CORRECTION:

We've become aware of an error on the Joy Ride Bikes coupon on Sheet 2 of the coupons we've been sending out. The correct expiration date is 11-30-2015. So sorry for the error and any confusion this may have caused. Joy Ride Bikes will honor the coupons until November 30, 2015. All the other coupon expiration dates are correct.

OK, no we haven't crawled under a rock- we're just under a mountain of mileage logs! Data entry, data entry, number crunching, spreadsheet merging, coupon mailing, oh my!
There's still time to return your Mileage Log or report online, here: http://conta.cc/1HMLBwm

New Belgium Brewing donates Cruiser to BCC

Many thanks to New Belgium Brewing and Ralph's Thriftway, for again donating an awesome New Belgium Cruiser bike for us to award in a random drawing among BCC participants who return their Mileage Logs! For a chance to win this bike, or many other prizes, return your BCC Mileage Log to the Olympia Transit Center or mail it to:
BCC c/o Intercity Transit
PO Box 659
Olympia, WA 98507-0659

OR, report your total miles and days online here: : http://conta.cc/1HMLBwm

BCC Breaks Registration Record

We're so HAPPY we've broken all previous records for the number of people signed up in the BCC! Will you help us translate that into a record for miles and days ridden, too? There are just a couple more (beautiful sunny) days left in May- you can help by biking to get where you're going this weekend, and by returning your BCC Mileage Log next week!


If you'd rather skip the trip to the Transit Center or the mailbox to return your Mileage Log, you may use our online reporting page to enter your total days and miles ridden in the BCC. Wait until you are sure you won't ride anymore in May, as you won't be able to add to, or edit your miles once you submit. Just navigate to: http://conta.cc/1HMLBwm  and follow the instructions to report your total days and miles.

T-SHIRT UPDATE:

We now have a SMALL NUMBER of all sizes of our extremely popular t-shirts in stock at Olympia Transit Center, EXCEPT Large and Extra Large in the Aqua "Fitted" style. Those two sizes are sold out. Grab 'em while they last, and have a safe weekend.

2015 Commuter Profile Number 6: Benjamin

· What is your age, roughly speaking? I will be 26 this summer.

· What is your occupation or area of study? I worked at Olympia Supply Company for the past three years and now I’m working on the vegetation crew for the city of Olympia for the summer. I am currently trying to get on track to study either horticulture technologies or fisheries biology in the fall.

· What is your most frequent destination on your bike? Well I work five days a week so work is a pretty common one. Aside from that I try to ride to the grocery stores in east or west Olympia to get more riding in since I live fairly close to downtown. I really dig the Woodland Trail so I try and go places that it and the Chehalis-Western trail run close to.

· How did you hear about the Bicycle Commuter Contest? I think it was four years ago. Just from riding public transit on a regular basis. 

· How many times have you participated in the Bicycle Commuter Contest? Pretty sure this is number three for me. There was a year in there when I didn't have a decent working bike to ride. I ”tacoed” the front wheel on my trusty Schwinn road bike and couldn't afford to fix it. I was unaware of the community bike shops and the assistance they offer, back then.

Record Participation in the BCC in 2015

1705 participants have now registered in the Thurston County Bicycle Commuter Contest, an all-time record!

1698 and counting...

We've surpassed the previous record for registrations in the BCC, and we are SO CLOSE to topping 1700 participants. I know we can do it - we can make it to the top of that hill! If you know someone who is on the fence about participating, or maybe just hasn't gotten around to signing up, remind them it's easy, quick and FREE to sign up at: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07eaq4mcap18492ff9&llr=eijlmidab

Bike To Work Day 2015 Report

Mechanic from Bike Tech adjusts participant bike at Ralph's Thriftway Station

Thurston County's Bike to Work Day activities engaged hundreds of people and encouraged them to try (or continue) using their bicycles for transportation. An estimated 300-400 people stopped in at one or more of the 6 "Bike Stations" scattered around Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater. The Bike Stations were staffed by volunteers from Intercity Transit, the City Of Olympia, Thurston Regional Planning Council, the Southwest Olympia Neighborhood Association, local bike shops and the community at large. Supporting businesses included Bike Tech, Deschutes River Cyclery, Joy Ride Bikes, Old Town Bicycles, Stevenson Custom Bicycles, Batdorf and Bronson Coffee Roasters, Olympia Coffee Roasters, San Francisco St Bakery, The Bread Peddler, Bagel Brothers, Ralph's Thriftway, and South Sound Running. The 9th Annual InterAgency Bike Ride  attracted over 50 participants from several state and local agencies for a lunch time bike ride to Tumwater Historical Park.

9th Annual InterAgency Bike Ride participants

See more photos from the day, and other BCC-related photos, on our Flickr Page

National Bike To Work Day - Friday, May 15

National Bike to Work Day: Friday, May 15: Visit our Bike Stations!
Join fellow bicyclists in a fun day of riding on National Bike to Work Day, Friday, May 15. The event promotes bicycling as a healthy transportation option. If you participate, visit one of the bike stations along your way and pick up some “fuel” for you, and even get minor repairs done by a bicycle mechanic at some stations. Bike stations supported by Intercity Transit and the local businesses listed below. All stations will have copies of the BRAND NEW edition of the Thurston County Bike Map!

Visit a bike station at one of the following locations from 7 to 9:00 a.m., Friday, May 15:

Heritage Park on 5th Ave. (next to Capitol Lake), sponsored by Old Town Bikes, Batdorf and Bronson Coffee Roasters and The Bread Peddler.

Olympia Woodland Trail Entrance on Eastside St. at Wheeler Ave., sponsored by Stevenson Custom Bicycles, San Francisco St. Bakery and Batdorf and Bronson

Ralph’s Thriftway (1908 4th Ave. E.), sponsored by Ralph’s, Bike Tech, and Batdorf and Bronson

Chehalis Western Trail (CWT) and Woodland Trail Intersection (south end of new CWT bridge over Pacific Ave, sponsored by Joy Ride Bikes and Batdorf and Bronson. Group Health will also have a booth at this station.

Capitol Boulevard and Custer Way, in front of South Sound Running, sponsored by Deschutes River Cyclery, Thurston Here-To-There program, Olympia Coffee Roasters and The Bread Peddler. 

South End of Decatur St. SW:  SWONA (Southwest Olympia Neighborhood Assn.) will host a new Bike Station in West Olympia this year at the "Poetry Post" by the Decatur St. connector path to the Auto Mall.

Sponsored by SWONA, Bagel Brothers and Olympia Coffee Roasters.

This station only, will be open 7-9 am, and 4-6 pm, for morning and evening commuters!!

If you work at a State or Local Agency, participate in the Interagency Bike Ride on this day. See your Employee Transportation Coordinator for details.

Tumwater Farmers Market - Bike To Market Day this Wednesday!

Washington State is Still Number 1!

Check out WAbikes blog for the details about how our state is doing in Bike Friendliness!
http://wabikes.org/2015/05/11/washington-state-1-bicycle-friendly-state-nation-eighth-year-running/

May is Bike Month!

It's not too late for Thurston County residents and employees to participate in the Bicycle Commuter Contest. Everyone is welcome and everyone wins! It's free to sign up, and you could win super prizes including a new bike! Register now, or anytime in May- just click the box at right to sign up!

2015 Commuter Profile Number 5: Heather

I interviewed Heather at her workplace about her bike commuting history and habits:

Heather is in her late 30’s and is a Staff Member at the Olympia Food Coop. She is also the Captain of the Coop’s BCC team, and organizes efforts to encourage more people to ride their bikes to the Coop. (In May, if you are signed up for the BCC and you arrive at the coop by bike, you can get a treat! See a Coop Customer Service person for details).
Heather got started using her bike for transportation about 5 years ago while living in Shelton and working in Olympia, and sharing one car with her partner. She could hop the bus in Shelton and ride into Olympia with her bike, and then get where she needed to go within Olympia by bike. She now lives in Olympia and has about a 5-mile commute each way to work. Heather is still a “Multi-modal” commuter though.

New Bike To Work Day "Bike Station"

A new Bike To Work Day
"Bike Commuter Station" is coming to Southwest Olympia! Courtesy of South West Olympia Neighborhood Assn. with local business sponsors (TBA).

Earth Day Market Ride 2015- what a fun day!

Thanks Everybody! :-)

Earth Day Market Ride Today!

See details in the Earth Day Market Ride post below, or on our Facebook Event Page

BCC T-shirt weather for Earth Day Ride

Yowza, look at that weather report for tomorrow's Earth Day Market Ride!! Looks like BCC t-shirt weather to me! Get yours today at the Olympia Transit Center downtown on State Ave, so you can wear it tomorrow!
OTC is open until 7pm. 100% Organic Fair Trade t's only $10. Limited supplies!

2015 Commuter Profile Number 4: Paul

A Narrative Style Commuter Profile, thanks to Paul!


Perhaps I was born on bicycle. I doubt it. My childhood bicycle experience started ironically. I was scared to death of taking off my training wheels, and kept them on even though all my friends were pounding the sidewalks on their own two wheels. Finally my big sister had enough and took the training wheels off. I cried. I wailed. Then I got on my bike and wobbled down the street. By the time I rode around the block I was jammin’. “Not so bad! I should have done this a long time ago!” A lesson in life.

Your Local Bike Shop- an Invaluable Resource!

It's always sad to see a bike shop close its doors, as two have, for different reasons, in Olympia this year. However, we are still really lucky to have a good variety of local bike shops in our area. Local bike shops are the heartbeat of the bicycling community in any town. That is where you will find not just the bike widgets you want, but the years or decades of experience, and expertise in all aspects of bicycling. From fitting you correctly for a new bike to helping you choose a safe route or an awesome mountain biking trail, from solving difficult repair problems to showing you the right way to wear your helmet, or sharing bike commuting tips, there is no better place to go than the real live people at your local bike shop. Some shops rent bikes, most will pack a bike for you for shipping, and all our local shops are staffed by friendly, helpful people who know their stuff. Why not stop by and get to know the folks at YOUR local bike shop?

Here's some Local Bike Shop News for April, 2015:

Bike Tech: Spring Sale, April 9 through April 20, including "Trek Fest" bike deals, mark-downs on other bike brands, discounts on clothing and accessories, and closeouts on 2014 and older model bikes. Also carrying Electra, Salsa, Surly, Diamondback and other bike brands.

Deschutes River Cyclery: Featuring new bikes from Giant, Cogburn and others, plus refurbished used bikes. New Store Opening in downtown Olympia, April 24. 325 4th Ave East. Stop by during ArtsWalk for the Grand Opening!

Joy Ride Bikes: New model-year bikes in stock from Norco, Scott, Kona, Volagi, Surly and others, with new bikes from Yeti arriving soon.

Old Town Bicycles: Carrying the latest models from Cannondale, Specialized, Salsa, Santa Cruz,  and Redline, plus closeouts on older model bikes, and a rotating list of Sale Items on their website.

Stevenson Custom Bicycles: Though currently not in a retail storefront location, Stevenson Custom Bicycles is not "just" a top notch custom frame building shop. The Stevensons offer custom bike fitting, full bike repair services, and free pickup and delivery of your bike.

These bike shops support all kinds of cycling in our area, in part by sponsoring the Bicycle Commuter Contest, supporting Friends of Capitol Forest and offering discounts to members of the Capital Bicycling Club.

2015 Earth Day Market Ride - Saturday, April 18

Welcome Spring with the BCC's Earth Day Market Ride!

Whether you're getting on your bicycle for the first time this year, or have been biking all winter, the Earth Day Ride is a great way to welcome Spring. Biking through town on a usual day, I'll see a few other people on bikes, going their way, and maybe we'll wave. At the Earth Day Ride, I get to see a whole crowd of people who use their bikes for transportation, all in one place having coffee and treats and chatting- and then biking through downtown together  - it's so sweet! We take a group photo at the Heritage Park Fountain, and then head over to the Farmers Market to shop, have lunch or listen to the music. We'll also have a table at the market where you can sign up for the BCC if you haven't already. Details below...

(Coffee generously provided by Batdorf and Bronson, Chocolate Corks by Bread Peddler!)

2015 Commuter Profile Number 3: Linda

• What is your age, roughly speaking? 
•  I’m a fifty-two year old woman

• What is your occupation or area of study? I work for the Family Support Center as a Family Resource Coordinator. I have spent my adult life parenting and supporting other parents in a variety of ways. I volunteer for two non-profits that support’s families as well as working for a non-profit.

• What is your most frequent destination on your bike? I do occasional recreational biking with my partner on the weekend. However mostly I commute to work three to four days a week as I’m part time and only work four days a week.

• How did you hear about the Bicycle Commuter Contest? My partner and I have five children between us and three of our children participated in the BCC when they were teens and each of them won in their categories.

BCC Registration Opens- and other big news...

Registration opens April 1 for Bicycle Commuter Contest 2015!
This is an experimental and evolutionary year for the BCC. Like any organism, the BCC must adapt and try new things to live and thrive. Some changes can be uncomfortable, and we can never predict every possible outcome-  and, we hope the things we're trying this year will make the BCC even better and more welcoming and encouraging, so even more people will try riding their bikes for transportation!

This year, the BCC is free for everyone.

There is now no fee to join the BCC. You may register whichever way works best for you, whether it is online, in person at the Olympia Transit Center, with your workplace Employee Transportation Coordinator, or by mail- without the hassle and expense of having to pay a fee. You can register starting April 1!  Receive valuable coupons for discounts at most local bicycle shops when you register for the BCC! Plus a coupon for a free safety check (see below).

A Wrenchers' Ball experiment

Make sure your bike is safe to ride in the BCC! We're trying out a new and different way to offer free safety checks this year. Instead the traditional Wrencher's Ball arrangement of requiring everyone come to one location on one day to have their bikes checked, all participants will receive coupons for a free safety check at our BCC Sponsor Bike Shops. Each bike shop's coupon is valid for slightly different dates, but all are valid for at least a week, in late April/early May. Safety check includes complete inspection and evaluation of your bike's functions and overall safety. This is not a free "tune-up" - parts and other services are available but not included in the free Safety Check.

A more inclusive prize system

We're making a change to the way we award prizes to individual participants in the BCC.  The BCC will celebrate the achievements of the riders with the most miles and days, but prizes will be awarded in random drawings within Mileage and Days categories, so more people have a chance to win a prize. Teams will compete for prizes as always, in the usual categories (Total Miles and Days, Days per Member, percent of First Time riders' days, Mileage Log Return Rate).

100% Organic, Fair Trade cotton t-shirts this year

It has been a goal of ours for several years now to move to organic and more sustainable materials for our t-shirts. We've finally found shirts we like at a price we can afford, in colors we like- we hope you like them too! Same low price: $10 at the Olympia Transit Center- (available soon).

 Spring is here, and we look forward to seeing you out and about- on your bike! :-) 

Register for Two County ride by April 1 for Earlybird deal

If you’ve ridden the Two County Double Metric before, you’re bound to be enjoy some improvements in 2015. This is Capital Bicycling Club’s 33rd year hosting the Two County, and the ride has exciting updates to the routes and new finish-line entertainment and food to make the ride even better. Find out more...