IMPORTANT Regarding mailed-in registrations

The 2011 BCC is off to a great start! We have well over 1000 registrations in our files already, with several large teams still to submit their lists. Now it's time to ride and record your miles!

IF YOU MAILED IN YOUR REGISTRATION and have not received your Mileage Log, coupons and sticker in the mail, please e-mail dgreen"at"intercitytransit.com and let us know you need your materials.

You can download a PDF version of the Mileage Log, but I would like to know if you did not receive yours, and I will need to send you your coupons and sticker.

Thanks so much for participating in the Bicycle Commuter Contest!

First Mini Contest! Guess this place!

We Have a winner! The location is Sherman St NW and Garfield Ave. Congrats Paul! Next mini-contest coming soon...
The first currently registered BCC 2011 participant to email me at dgreen"at"intercitytransit.com with the correct location of this photo (street/cross-street) will win their choice of a front or rear LED bike light!
Good luck!

BCC Sponsor Offerings- and, It's not too late to register for the BCC!

It's not too late! Register for the Bicycle Commuter Contest by May 6 to be sure you are included in random drawings for great prizes! You can register after that, but your chances of winning a drawing will be lower.

Check out these offers from two of our sponsors!
ROSSER CHIROPRACTIC Cyclis's Stretch Class
REGISTER FOR THE BCC and get free admission: 6pm to 7pm, Wednesday, May 4, 2011- Stretching Techniques for Cyclists: A class designed to target muscles and joints used in cycling. All levels of fitness are invited! No charge, but class is limited to first 20 to RSVP.  Call or email Dr. Andy Rosser  at 754.6499 or andy"at"rosserchiro.com


THE BEAUTY TEMPLE Discount for BCC participants who arrive by bike!
Arrive for your rejuvenating and beautifying appointment at this soothing sanctuary on your bicycle, and receive a per-mile discount for the miles your traveled to get there. The Beauty Temple offers holistic, eco-friendly salon and spa services with a unique and healing twist. Call 357-0275

2011 BCC Rider Profile #3: Jenya Campbell

*    What is your age? 35

*    What is your occupation? Production Supervisor for Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters
*    How many years have you been commuting by bike? I started Biking in May of 09, specifically for the 2009 Bicycle Commuter Contest

*    How did you hear about the BCC?  I found out through my job at Batdorf & Bronson

*    What got you started bike commuting? A co-worker & dear friend (and avid bicycle commuter) suggested I attempt the BCC in 2009, it was this experience that made me realize it was possible to continue biking, even after the Contest.

Wrenchers' Ball a Success- now check out the Tacoma Bike Swap!

Our incredible team of over 20 volunteers performed safety checks and minor repairs on 109 bikes belonging to Bicycle Commuter Contest participants and signed up 60 new particiapnts at today's Wrenchers Ball event! Thanks so much everyone!

Check out the Tacoma Bike Swap- Saturday, April 30, 10-2

Wrenchers' Ball and Random Prize Drawings- Coming Up! Plus, get your Undrivers License!

Register for the Bicycle Commuter Contest and receive a free safety check of your bike by mechanics from local bike shops at the WRENCHERS BALL (Friday, 4/29). Bring your bike to the Olympia Transit Center between 7:30 am and 3pm this Friday, April 29, and pick it up by 5pm. If your bike needs extensive repairs or parts, you will be referred to a nearby bike shop. This is an event for participants in the Bicycle Commuter Contest. You must register for the BCC to qualify for the free safety check. There is a limit to how many bikes we can check out, so FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED, bring your bike early to ensure we have a chance to look at it. A NEW FEATURE at the Wrenchers Ball this year: Come to the Olympia Transit Center between noon and 4pm and get your "Undrivers License"! Undriving creatively engages people to reduce their car use - leading to reduced carbon emissions, increased health, and greater community connectedness. Get licensed to Undrive! We issue Undriver Licenses to people of all ages who make a pledge to experiment with getting around without a car. What will you discover? In other news: Hurry and register for the BCC because our new random prize drawings will start soon! Starting on May 1, we'll have periodic random drawings among all BCC registrants for sweet prizes like bike lights, reflective leg bands or even shopping-bag panniers!

What a Day for a Ride!

2011 Earth Day Market Riders

Over 100 riders from eight different neighborhoods around Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater participated in this year's Earth Day Market Ride- thanks so much everyone for coming out! Special thanks to Intercity Transit Authority member Karen Messmer for a spontaneous welcome speech, and Intercity Transit General Manager Mike Harbour for leading us all to the Market! Once we got there, nearly 70 people registered for the Bicycle Commuter Contest.

Happy Earth Day!

Celebrate today at the Olympia Farmers Market, 10- 3

or at SPSCC's Earth Day Forum, 12-2

CHECK OUT THIS WEATHER REPORT
and come on out tomorrow for the Earth Day Market Ride!

See post below for details.

Join the EARTH DAY MARKET RIDE THIS SATURDAY- here's how:

 

2010 Earth Day Riders

Volunteer leaders will lead groups of cyclists from their neighborhood to Heritage Park Fountain, arriving at 11am, THIS Saturday, April 23. Meet your neighborhood Ride Leader at one of the meeting points below- rides will depart the meeting points approximately 15 minutes after the posted meeting time. You'll bike with your group down to the fountain (across from the Oyster house), following all rules of the road. After some brief announcements including greetings from Intercity Transit general Manager Mike Harbour, we all proceed as a large group to the Olympia Farmers Market where the Bicycle Commuter Contest will have a booth set up to register participants. Ride into town, register for the BCC, meet old friends and new. Stick around for the festivities at the Market, and stay or come back in the afternoon for ArtsWalk activities and the Procession of the Species!

MEETING POINTS AND TIMES:

* South Sound Center flagpoles at Sleater-Kinney and the bike path- 10 am - Leaders Dane Clay and Yogi Fox (Yogi will be meeting a group at Cutters Coffee at the Lacey Blvd/Pacific Ave. roundabout at 9 am for coffee before the ride, leaving there at 9:30 to join Dane at South Sound Center)

* Chambers Lake Chehalis-Western trailhead parking lot(14th Av SE) 10 am – Leader Troy Warnick


* Peter G. Schmidt Elementary School, Tumwater, 10 am – Leader Joy Rogers

* Olympia High School, at bike racks on Carlyon Ave side,  Olympia, 10 am - Leader Paul Brewster

* Roosevelt Elementary School, San Francisco Ave NE, 10:15 am – Leader Kris Fransen

*The Evergreen State College, Red Square bus stop area, 10 am - Leader Chloe Stamper

* Garfield Elementary School, Garfield Ave. and Plymouth St NW. 10:15 am - Leaders Camille Hodges and Susan Lasiter


 For more information or if you would like to lead a ride from your neighborhood, contact Duncan Green at dgreen"at" intercitytransit.com
The Earth Day Market Ride is sponsored by Intercity Transit- wearing a helmet and signing a liability waiver are required.

$4.00 a Gallon? Save Money and Go Green this Spring

Intercity Transit press release on gas prices and commute alternatives...

Bicycle Commuter Contest in the News...

Follow this link to a story in today's Daily Olympian.

...and this link to a story in the Weekly Volcano!


The evening commute

2011 BCC Rider Profile #2: Thay Nguyen

First Person to Register for 2011 BCC

3-time BCC Particiapnt Thay Nguyen

Rider Profile:

(Though he did not mention it in this e-interview, Thay Nguyen won prizes the last two years running for both the number of days and miles he rode in his age category)

What is your age? 62 yrs old

What is your occupation? Agency: Financial office – GA.

How many years have you been commuting by bike? 3 years.

How many times have you participated in the Bicycle Commuter Contest? 3 times.

How did you hear about the BCC? On the internet.

Describe your current average or usual commute (distance, terrain, urban/rural, etc.) Normal is 3 miles, one way.  In the summer, when going home, I often bike 8 – 10 miles.

Bike Of The Week: 4-7-2011

Trusty steed waits in the rain...

Form a Team to Participate in the BCC

Participating in the Bicycle Commuter Contest as a team with family, friends or co-workers provides extra fun and motivation to ride in May and return your Mileage Log. It's so SIMPLE! Just decide on a team name and contact person, and fill in the blanks on your Registration Form. Mail in or take your Registration Form to the Olympia Transit Center and get your Mileage Log, and sticker, and you're set to go! Come along for the Earth Day Market Ride on April 23, and count your miles toward your total. More info at intercitytransit.com or by contacting Coordinator Duncan Green at: dgreen"at"intercitytransit.com or 705-5874

10% Discount on Urban Cycling Classes!

Want to learn how to confidently ride in traffic?

Take the Capitol Bicycling Club’s Urban Cycling class on Saturday, April 16^th from 9AM – 3PM and learn:

• How to outfit yourself and your bike
• How to navigate intersections and ride comfortably with traffic
• Minor bike up-keeping and flat tire repair

 Classes end with an on-bike lesson and group ride through urban downtown practicing all that is learned. Instructors are League of American Bicyclist Certified Instructors. Bike in good working order and helmet required. $35, includes materials. To register or for more information visit www.decidetoride.org 

Get a discount of 10% off our Urban Cycling Classes  in April or May by entering
the Bicycle Commuter Contest!

When you register for the Bicycle Commuter Contest...

You will receive a Mileage Log to keep track of your miles ridden in May.

On the back of your Mileage Log, find the coupon code to enter when you register

for the Urban Cycling Class at www.decidetoride.org 

Register early for the BCC and the Urban Cycling Class- the April class is on April 16 and could fill up!

Registration is open for Bicycle Commute Contest 2011!

Register in April, Ride in May! For Instructions, read more...

Tick Tock, Tomorrow's the first day to register for the BCC! (April 1)

Who will be the first to register for the BCC? Will they win a prize? Would it be big or small? Round or square? Dorky or super-cool? What if there was a prize for the first ten people to register? Who knows? Olympia Transit Center opens at 6:30am Friday, April 1- be there to find out!

Welcome New Sponsor and Supporter!

Please welcome our newest Valued Sponsor: Olympia Power & Light bi-weekly local newspaper. Find them at many area businesses, or subscribe at: http://www.olympiapowerandlight.com/
OP&L will be helping us spread the word about the BCC!

Also please welcome our newest Supporter: Warehouse Rock Gym http://www.warehouserockgym.com/
They are giving us Monthly Passes to award as prizes!

BCC Registration Opens in One Week!

Mark your calendar, Registration for Bicycle Commuter Contest 2011 begins on Friday, April 1!

Starting April 1, you can register in person at the Olympia Transit Center (OTC), 222 N. State Ave, or:

• download a printable PDF of the registration form, fill it out and mail it in with your payment or drop it off at OTC.
• find a registration form in the back of the BCC Guide, available at bike shops, coops, Thriftway stores and many local businesses. Fill it out and mail it in with your payment or drop it off at OTC.

Registration is $5.00 for adults, free for ages up to 18. The Bicycle Commuter contest is open to all who live or work in Thurston County, and is for anyone who rides their bicycle for transportation- to work, school, on errands or just to get around. Sorry recreational and training miles don't count. We have exciting new sponsors this year, and more and better prizes, including several bicycles that will be awarded in random drawings among participants. There will also be random drawings for prizes throughout May, so everyone has a chance to win!

Bike of The Week- March 11

It's been a challenging couple of weeks for the brave bicycle commuters and practical cyclists of Thurston County, with snow, ice, torrential rain and wind ushering in March like a roaring lion!

 I've seen quite a few bikers on the road through all of it though, and there have been a few breaks in the weather as a reward. Spring is coming soon- the equinox is less than two weeks away, and registration for the Bicycle Commuter Contest begins in less than a month! Ride on!