Dawgs Ride in the Rain

Attention UW students, employees and friends:

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Don't let the rain keep you from biking to campus this November! Put on some rain gear and fenders and join hundreds of your fellow Univ. of Washington students, staff, and faculty in competing in the 9^th annual Ride in the Rain competition.

For the past three years, Cascade Bicycle Club has partnered with our friends at UW during the month of November to elevate bicycling  among the campus community, keep fair-weather riders motivated to continue bicycling throughout the year, attract new bicycle commuters, and make bike riding a fun experience.

Similar to the Group Health Commute Challenge, participants compete by logging their bicycle trips to and from campus, with prizes awarded for most bicycle trips, most prolific recruiter, and most commute miles.

“Students, staff, and faculty have several incentives to participate. For starters, Ride in the Rain reinforces that you’re not alone in riding through the cold and rainy months,” said David Amiton

Active Transportation Analyst at UW Transportation Services. “Each year, roughly 1,000 people compete in Ride in the Rain, and many of those participants are on teams.”

Amilton said that the challenge not only appeals to the competitive streak in people, it also builds a sense of community.

“Sure, some people are competing for the #1 spot but many people are simply competing against their own best selves by setting goals for themselves –even if that’s riding just one day per week or several days in the course of the month.”

Each year, almost 10 percent of participants indicate they’re new to bicycling. To get those new bicyclists up to speed and help more experienced bike commuters shake off the rust, Cascade Bicycle Club supports the program with free bike classes every Tuesday. Topics include everything from riding tips to winter bike maintenance. Cascade also contributes to the prize pot with some very cool swag.

The challenge ends with the  UW bike gala -  a gathered luncheon and award ceremony to recognize the winners as well as everyone who participated and completed more than 20 one-way trips.

Learn more and register for Ride in the Rain at www.uwcommute.com/riderain.