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Cascade Bicycle Club History: a legacy over 30 years
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Cascade Bicycle Club History

Thanks to Kathy Duden Davies, Ruth Rapp and others who helped assembled the following milestones from over 30 years of Club history.

1970 1980 1990 2000 Notable Members Past Presidents


1970
Cascade Cycling Club formed by Mike and Rick Quam; membership fee was $2; meetings held at Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island; attendance is 10 of 30 household members
first official newsletter, FREEWHEELER, printed on 1910 AB Dick mimeograph machine
time trials held Sunday mornings

Political Action Committee formed by Ken & Stephanie Laufer - chairpersons

1971

BIKE SUNDAYS started along Lake Washington Blvd from Mt. Baker to Seward Park

1972

Club begins lobbying for Burke Gilman Trail
1973
Ruth Rapp becomes newsletter editor; addes complimentary subscriptions for mayor, city and county council members, and local and state legislators to increase mailing from 180 to 200 to qualify for bulk rate
Seattle Parks Department begins sponsoring BIKE SUNDAYS
Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board formed
Puget Sound Bike Week founded [now Bike To Work Week?]
CHILLY HILLY founded by Bainbridge Island Bicycle Club; century and half-century sanctioned by League of American Wheelman; $3 registration fee includes SAG wagon support, hot lunch, beverages, and snacks served all day at Seabold Community Hall
1974
Club hosts Northwest Bicycle Coordination Council Conference
1975
Cascade Bicycle Club produces third annual CHILLY HILLY with leadership of Bob Russell and Loretta Slater; 263 bicyclists registered; 143 finished
1977
Political Action Committee name changed to Bicycle Action Committee
over 500 newsletters printed monthly
1978
Cascade produces its own Concourse D'Elegance, based on France's popular event
1979
Cascade founds one of the nation's most popular events, STP - SEATTLE TO PORTLAND BICYCLE CLASSIC

Club Hotline established; 330 messages logged by Win Carlson and Ruth Rapp


1980
Hotline Committee formed by John and Phyllis Markworth. (The answering machine was initially housed in a closet at their home in the University District)

RSVP (RIDE SEATTLE TO VANCOUVER, BC & PARTY) created by Jon Jacobson since STP cancelled due to Mt. St. Helen's eruption; 185 mile ride limited to 900 riders

1981
Tracey Heffefinger, Charlie Tiebout, Mike Scully and Robin Harrison answer Hotline messages
Club meetings moved from Bush School to Good Shepherd Center
Tim Celeski develops first Club logo
Distinguished Cyclist Awards created to recognize contributions to community bicycling in the Pacific Northwest
1982
Mike Abraham develops first ride leader ride form
Club formalizes shop discount program initiated by Aurora Cycles as the Bike Shop Public Service Fund; 10% discounts support Hotline, BAC, BIKE WEEK and Community Education; Velo Stores join discount program

Community Education Committee created by Dave Shaw to produce slide shows, a first aid class, Effective Cycling class, distribution of Sprocketman comic book, riding workshops for schools and youth groups

1983
Cascade Bicycle Club collaborates with American Lung Assocation to produce inaguaral Tri-Island International Bike Trek
Bicycle Bill passed by state legislature to establish bicycle's role as vehicle and cyclists' rights to the road
1984
Steve Davis develops 4th grade bicycle safety program in Seattle public Schools
1985
R & E Cycles donates basement space at 1314 NE 56th St. for activity center
FRUMP (Friday Ride Unemployed Maiden Pedalers) founded by Kathy Duden, Joanie Taylor and Nancy Stephenson
1986
Bicycle Action Committee (formerly Political Action Committee) name changed to Government Affairs Committee
1987
Education Programs hires full-time director, Jane Abraham, to perform public speaking engagements, bike rodeos, bicycle training sessions, consultations, and distribute information to community
1989
GREATER SEATTLE BICYCLE EXPO held at The Mountaineers building; 1,500 attendees visit retailers, clubs, organizations, and special events related to bicycling
first quarterly ride leader pizza party held - 20 ride leaders attend

sub-committee of Government Affairs called BATS (Bicycles Are Transportation Systems) created


1990
helmet law passed in King County
Club celebrates its 20th anniversary
first office space acquired at 444 NE Ravenna Blvd in Seattle
Club hires first paid staff, Carol Vanetta - Program Manager
1991
Terry Rose replaces Carol Vanetta as Office Manager
Bike To Work event of Education Programs promotes alternative transportation
Cynthia Putnam hired as Executive Director February 1991 Board formulates mission statement at retreat: Creating a better community through bicycling; retreat facilitated by Don Morgan
June 1991
STP achieves record-breaking 10,000 riders - selling out by spring
1993
Cascade starts producing FLYING WHEELS SUMMER CENTURY (started in 1987 by NOWBIKE) through Snohomish and Snoqualmie valleys.
Michelle Connor, newsletter editor, renames monthly publication "Cascade Courier".
1994
KITSAP COLOR CLASSIC founded.
1995
Cascade celebrates its 25th birthday at Woodlawn Park.
February 1995
Bike Expo achieves highest-ever attendance at 12,871.
1996
Check out archived versions of the Cascade Web site since 1996 at Internet Archive.
Kathleen O'Callaghan hired as new office manager to do accounting; Leslie Blaine takes over member services (from Terry Rose).
1997
Chuck Ayers hired as new Managing Director.
January 1999
Office and activity center moved to Sandpoint Magnuson Park, 7400 Sandpoint Way NE, Building 30.
1999
RAW (RIDE AROUND WASHINGTON) 6-day tour conceived by Marshall Brown October
Government Affairs Committee (originally Political Action Committee) name changed to [Bicycle] Advocacy Committee.

Donna Schmidt, event director, formalizes event sponsorship program.


2000
Tim Celeski redesigns Club logo.
Cascade website redesigned.
Rides Committee formed.
April 2000
Cascade Bicycle Club celebrates its 30th anniversary at general meeting at REI...Shift Into The Future.
July 2000
Julie Salathe hired as full-time Education Director.
March 2001
Club hires first full-time Advocacy Director, Mark Keller.
Scott Marlow (former president of BBTC) assumes marketing director role (from Donna Schmidt) to solicit and manage event sponsors.
2002
Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation 501(3)c status officially recognized by I.R.S.
June 2002
FLYING WHEELS achieves record-breaking 1,850 riders.
August 2002
RIDE AROUND WASHINGTON reaches 200-rider maximum limit for first time.
October 2002
Cascade Web site completely re-designed by Tim Godfrey and Joel Meyers of Gemini Creative.
According to Puget Sound Business Journal, Cascade Bicycle Club enters the area's top 50 largest non-profit organizations at #47 (gross revenues exceed $1.3 million).
2003
American Diabetes Association becomes first-ever title sponsor of FLYING WHEELS SUMMER CENTURY.
after 23 years, first-ever title sponsorship of SEATTLE TO PORTLAND BICYCLE CLASSIC by Group Health Cooperative.
June 2003

David Hiller, former Executive Director for Connecticut Bicycle Coalition, assumes Advocacy Director role.

August 2003
Club hires first Development Director, Benita Veskimets, formerly from the Nature Conservancy.
August 2003
RSVP achieves a record 1,010 riders.
October 2003
Kitsap Color Classic achieves a record-breaking 1,186 riders.
November 2003
Club hires first Operations Manager, Cathy Curley, to provide key volunteers and staff with operations oversight and assistance that makes the work we do easier and more enjoyable.
May 2004
Club hires first Communications Specialist, M.J. Kelly, to streamline the Club's communications efforts for print and web. With M.J.'s hiring, the Cascade Courier is now developed in-house.
June 2004
Flying Wheels achieves a record 2,110 riders, up 228 riders over the previous record in 2002.
July 2004
Jack Tomkinson comes aboard as Development Director.
January 2005
Kat Sweet is hired as the first Youth Programs Coordinator for the Education Foundation allowing the CBCEF to expand youth offerings.
February 2005
Group Health Seattle Bicycle Expo moves from downtown venue to Hangar 27 at Warren G. Magnuson Park; record 151 exhibitors attend
February 2005
CHILLY HILLY breaks 1995 record (4,028) attendance: 4,756 riders!
March 2005
Scott Marlow departs as marketing director; Carry Porter, formerly of Cascade Designs, takes over marketing and sponsorship responsibilities
October 2005
The Club hires two Americorps interns, April Bartelme and Rebecca Szper, to work with the Education Foundation. April works on Youth Programs and Rebecca works on the Bicycle Ambassador program.
November 2005
Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation kicks off a stand-alone website: www.cbcef.org.

Notable past and present Cascade Bicycle Club members

Jerry Baker

co-owner of Baleno Sportswear

Spot Stevenson

co-owner of Baleno Sportswear

Josh Lehman

Bicycle Program Coordinator for Seattle Engineering Dept; later Program Director for US Cycling Federation at Olympic Training Center; most recently Bicycle-Pedestrian Coordinator for Massachusetts Highway Department

Slade Gorton

Washington State Representative, then Senator

Phil Miller

race official of US Cycling events

Stan Gregg

owner of Gregg's Cycle & Sport

Bill & Erin Woods

editors of Mountaineer bicycling books, including Bicycling the Backroads

Angel Rodriguez

co-owner of R & E Cycles

Glen Erickson

co-owner of R & E Cycles

Arlene Carter & Craig Tamura

owners of former Seattle Cycles

Bob Freeman

owner of Elliott Bay Cycles

George Gibbs

owner of Il Vecchio

Dave Shaw

previous co-owner of The Bicycle Paper; owner of Northwest Classics (now H4 Consulting)

Paul Clark

co-owner of The Bicycle Paper

Carolyn Price

co-owner of Northwest Cyclist (now Sports Etc.)

Russ Steele

owner of former Wedgwood Cycle

Carla Black

employee of City of Seattle Transportation Dept, and editor of Seattle Bicycle Atlas

Rebecca Twigg

Olympic bicycle racer

Cheryl Marek & Estelle Gray first women to complete Race Across America, winning the Women's National Record tandem crossing in 1984

Cascade Bicycle Club Presidents

1970s
1980s
1990s

1970 Mike Quam
1971 Mike Quam

1972 Dave Rusho

1973 Ira Sleasman

1974 Jon Jacobson

1975 Dave Zipp

1976 Dave Rapp

1977 Amy Carlson

1978 Goodhue Livingston

1979 Paul Boyer

1980 Bob Freeman

1981 Fred Scheetz

1982 Mike Draper

1983 Dave Shaw

1984 Don Milgate

1985 Chris Madden

1986 Jim Beardsley

1987 Tim Andrews

1988 Dave Poultridge

1989 Barb Culp

1990 Barb Culp

1991 Dave Robinson
1992 Dave Robinson

1993 Lynn Montgomery
1994 Lynn Montgomery

1995 Kim Upper
1996 Kim Upper

1997 Jack Brautigam

1998 Arlene Carter

1999 Eric Salathe

2000s

2000 Eric Salathe

2001 Tamara Stephas

2002 Jim Paige
2003 Jim Paige


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