About Us

About Cascade

Cascade Bicycle Club, the nation’s largest statewide bicycling nonprofit, serves bike riders of all ages, races, genders, income levels, and abilities throughout the state of Washington. We teach the joys of bicycling, advocate for safe places to ride, and produce world-class rides and events. Our signature programs include the Seattle to Portland, Free Group Rides, the Pedaling Relief Project, Your Streets Your Say advocacy training, the Bike Walk Roll Summit, Let's Go, and the Major Taylor Project.

 Cascade currently serves almost 10,000 members, has 30 professional staff, and 700 volunteers. 

Image

Cascade Bicycle Club History

In July 1970, two young brothers, Mike and Rick Quam, called a public meeting to discuss bicycling in the Puget Sound region. Sons of a trail advocate, the Quam brothers saw the need for a bicycle club that wouldn’t just organize recreational group rides, it would also promote the development of bicycle trails in Washington. Thirty people, united by a love of bicycling, attended the first public meeting, and together, they grew the club, engaging a membership of 300 people within just two years.

Two early successes were Chilly Hilly and the Burke-Gilman Trail. In the 1970s and 80s, the volunteer-led club went on to create STP and RSVP, two iconic bike events. Fueled by excellent leadership and professional staff, in the 1990s and 2000s Cascade experienced rapid growth and expanded into bike education. In the 2010s and 2020s, the organization’s size and stature have continued to grow.

Today, decades since that first meeting, the Cascade Bicycle Club is a powerhouse in event-producing, bike education, and advocacy with almost 10,000 members, 700 volunteers, and 34 staff.

A Timeline of Our Organization's Journey

Image

• In 1970, Cascade Bicycle Club was formed by brothers Mike and Rick Quam. The membership fee was $2; meetings were at Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island. The first newsletter, The Freewheeler, was produced that year.
• In 1972, Cascade began lobbying for Burke-Gilman Trail.
• In 1975, Cascade hosted the third annual Chilly Hilly ride on Bainbridge Island. 
• In 1979, the Club established the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic (now known as Seattle to Portland and STP). The next year, when the eruption of Mount St. Helens canceled STP, it created a ride to Vancouver, B.C. — later renamed from STV to Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party (RSVP). 
• In 1981, the Club produced its first logo. The Bicycle Bill was passed by state legislature in 1983 to establish the bicycle's role as vehicle and cyclists' rights to the road. The first Seattle Bicycle Expo took place in 1987. While previously an all-volunteer club, one staff member was hired to direct the education committee.
• By 1990, the Club moved into its first office, on Ravenna Boulevard, and took on a paid director.
• In 1991, the Seattle to Portland ride had a record 10,000 participants. The club started producing the Flying Wheels Summer Century in 1993 and took over the Kitsap Color Classic in October 1994. By February 1995, the Bike Expo had its highest attendance at 12,871.
• In January 1999, Cascade moved to Warren G. Magnuson Park. That year, the Ride Around Washington began its inaugural tour. By 2000, the Club turned toward becoming a professional organization, representing people who bike to elected officials, community leaders and business owners. Cascade partnerships extend across greater Seattle.
• In 2008, Cascade launched the Major Taylor Project in two schools with 30 students.
• In November 2014, Cascade moved their headquarters into the Cascade Bicycling Center, overlooking Lake Washington in Warren G. Magnuson Park. 
• In 2015, Cascade produced three new events: Ride for Major Taylor, Woodinville Wine Ride and Seattle Night Ride.
• In January 2016, Cascade Bicycle Club and Washington Bikes merged to form the largest statewide bicycle nonprofit in the country. 
• In April 2016, Cascade Bicycle Club produced the Emerald City Bike Ride, the largest one-day ride in Washington state to date with 7,000 participants. 
• In September 2018, Cascade took part in the largest group ebike ride with 406 participants, setting a new Guinness World Record.
• In February 2019, Cascade Bicycle Club hosted the largest cycling event in the nation with 12,095 riders participating in the one time Tunnel Ride.  
• In April 2020, the Cascade Board of Directors approved the organization's first Racial Equity Plan, which reaffirms the organization's commitment to eliminating racial inequities in its culture, policies, and practices.
• In July 2020, Cascade hosted its first Virtual STP during the COVID-19 pandemic, where people could sign up to ride the classic 200-miles in one, two, or 20 days.
• In April of 2021, the Pedaling Relief Project became an official Cascade program. Pedaling Relief volunteers distributed more than 420,000 pounds of food from food banks and grocery stores via pedal-powered bicycle deliveries to neighbors in need during the first year and a half of the pandemic.
• In September of 2021, Cascade welcomed Lee Lambert as its new executive director.
• In 2022, Cascade formed affinity partnerships with other local bicycling groups to increase the inclusivity and diversity of those who ride STP. The groups we have partnered with include the Ampersand Bike Club (formerly Asian Bike Club), All Bodies on Bikes, Gruppetto Bicycling Club, and others.
• In 2023, Cascade's advocacy team celebrated a win for safer bicycling on the Seattle waterfront, as the ctiy of Seattle announced it would build a two-way continuous bike lane along Alaskan Way.
• In 2023, the Pedaling Relief Project reached a milestone of delivering one million pounds of food and goods by bike.

Website Credits

This website was developed by ThinkShout under the direction of the Cascade Bicycle Club. ThinkShout is a certified B-Corporation based in Portland, Oregon that is a full-service digital agency specializing in digital strategy, product design, and technology.

ThinkShout provided Cascade Bicycle Club with the site development, design management, and strategy support.

The UX design and information architecture were provided by students in the Communications Lead department at the University of Washington.