Early members spotlight: Josh Lehman

In 1970 a small group of active bicyclists gathered in a basement on Mercer Island. Little did these individuals know that they were going to change the future of bicycling in the Puget Sound region. Forty-five years later, the Cascade Bicycle Club is the largest bicycling organization of its kind in the U.S. with more than 16,000 members, 1,000 volunteers and 38 staff.

Here, we highlight a few of Cascade’s earliest members, hear how their involvement changed the course of their life and find out what they are up to today.

“I was pleased we got the thing off the ground,” Josh Lehman said of the Cascade Bicycle Club.

Lehman holds an honorary lifetime membership to Cascade as one of our earliest members. He first became involved in the Bicycle Action Committee, which in 1972 was the advocacy arm of Cascade. He says he wouldn’t call himself a founder by any means, though, as there were already about 100 people involved in Cascade at that time.

Lehman recalls the very moment that sparked his involvement: a ride with Mayor Wesley Uhlman, where he also met Peggy and Chuck Steward, who were then heavily involved in the BAC. From that moment forward, Lehman says he became “very immersed” in the BAC and in advocating for bicycle infrastructure like the Burke-Gilman Trail.

He rode the first Chilly Hilly in 1973. “It was 100 miles and it was MISERABLE!” he exclaimed.

He also helped organize and rode the first Seattle to Portland (STP) in 1979, which was initially established as both a time trial and a tour. Lehman loved bicycle touring.

Cascade was able to “bring together the racing and touring world,” Lehman said, and it continues to succeed in doing so.

Lehman’s resume is impressive. He worked for SDOT from 1977- 84; worked for the U.S. Cycling Center Administration gearing up for the LA Olympics between 1984-86; and then moved to U.S. Department of Transportation just in time to help implement landmark transportation legislation, the 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA, pronounced “ice tea”). ISTEA required every state to create a Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator position and provided funds for non-motorized transportation.

Lehman said being a part of ISTEA’s roll-out was “wonderful—it was very exciting.”

Since then, Lehman has spent 22 years as Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator and Complete Streets Coordinator.

He says Cascade prepared him for a life of politics, and even influenced his personal motto: “changing the prevailing paradigm.”

Although Lehman’s bicycle has been idle since 1991, he says he had a lot of good riding years and looks back on his time with Cascade and the Bicycle Action Committee fondly.

“The experience was very instructive in terms of working with others in terms of realizing goals and dreams,” he says graciously. “I’m glad the organization is as strong as ever... all in all, I am extremely proud.”