Riding STP and RSVP to Boost Inclusivity in Bicycling
- Cascade is partnering with mission-aligned bike clubs and nonprofits to boost diversity and inclusion on our two biggest rides–STP and RSVP.
- Partners include Ampersand Bikes Club, Asha for Education, Foundation for Philippine Progress, Iron Riders, Outspoken, Warpaint, and Gruppetto Cycling.
Paul Tolmé
Cascade is partnering with bike clubs and nonprofits representing people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, youth, and historically marginalized groups to increase diversity in bicycling–and welcome new riders to the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic and our Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party.
2025 marks the fourth straight year that Cascade is collaborating with bicycling allies as part of our Affinity Bike Clubs Partnership.
The goal is to build mutually beneficial relationships and ensure that everyone regardless of race, gender identity, physical ability, age, or body type feels welcomed on Cascade’s two largest rides and in the broader bicycling community.
This year, we are joining hands with Warpaint Outdoors, the Foundation for Philippine Progress, The Fallen Outdoors/Iron Riders, Ampersand Bikes Club, Asha for Education, Outspoken Cycling, and Gruppetto Cycling.
Read about the groups training for these historic Pacific Northwest biking adventures, and register for the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic presented by Alaska Airlines & Zenni Optical and the Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party presented by Western WA Honda Dealers.
Foundation for Philippine Progress: Supporting Farmers and Fisherfolk
The purple bandanas that celebrate Filipino pride have become a regular sight on STP and RSVP thanks to the Foundation for Philippine Progress.
Again in 2025, the foundation is rallying individuals of Filipino heritage to join the Ride for the Philippines team that raises money for farmers and fisherfolk back home who are being devastated by the climate crisis.
As temperatures rise, the dry seasons have become hotter–hitting life-threatening temperatures of 115 degrees Fahrenheit and triggering droughts that devastate crops. In the wet season, hotter temperatures are fueling more powerful typhoons that wipe out coastal fishing communities.
“Many of these fragile settlements are left with mostly everything in their source of living destroyed–fishing boats, homes, farm animals, and crops,” says Roger Rigor, Board chairperson of the foundation.
Contact Rigor to field a Ride for the Philippines team. philippineprogress.org.
Asha for Education: Riding to Alleviate Poverty in India
“The Asha for Education Biking Team is thrilled to launch another biking season, and as always, STP is at the heart of our training program,” says Mugdha Kshirsagar, the team’s co-director.
The team formally began its STP training program in March, with weekly training rides geared for both one-day and two-day riders.
“Our team is growing stronger every year, and we’re excited to share that we have nearly 60 riders training for STP–including nine youth.”
We first became familiar with Asha during STP 2022 when eight-year-old Jaanya Teli trained for and finished her first STP with her father as part of the Asha Biking Team.
The team participates in STP to raise money for the nonprofit Asha for Education, which works to alleviate childhood illiteracy, poverty, and exploitation in India.
“There’s no greater sense of fulfillment than knowing our physical efforts are turning into vital resources for those in need,” says Kshirsagar. seattle.ashanet.org
Ampersand Bikes Club (ABC)
“This is the fourth year ABC is participating in STP as a group,” says Jim Labayen, a co-founder and training ride organizer. “Every year we see people building camaraderie while building up towards this ride.”
ABC creates a welcoming space to foster safety and belonging for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (including multi-racial identities) through food and bikes. They amplify BIPOC voices and center newer riders, dismantling cultures of intimidation, toxicity, and gatekeeping.
“The longstanding relationships within ABC are proof that Ampersand has fostered a space for BIPOC riders to achieve their goals. Community events like STP have also allowed us to form strong bonds with other like-minded groups including Bike Works, Outdoor Asian, NorthStar Cycling Club, Friends on Bikes, and of course Cascade Bicycle Club.”
See ABC on Instagram.
Outspoken Cycle Club
Outspoken Cycle Club is a nonprofit that gathers queer and allied (LGBTQIA+) individuals for social rides and cycling adventures.
“Our mission is to bring together riders of all abilities and backgrounds to promote the joy of cycling, while providing a safe and accepting environment for everyone” says Fabio Saccà, the group’s president.
“We offer weekly rides on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through the summer, and longer rides around Washington on the weekend.”
In 2025, Outspoken is raising funds in support of nonprofits that research and provide services to individuals at risk for HIV/AIDS transmission. Outspoken is gathering a team for RSVP in late August. outspoken.cc.
Iron Riders: Combatting Veteran Suicide
The Iron Riders bike team is a program within The Fallen Outdoors that supports the overall mission of reducing veteran suicide by offering opportunities for cycling trips and biking events.
“Our goal is to provide an event for veterans who use biking as an outlet to fight their demons, and as an opportunity for networking and camaraderie,” says Edward Clark, a volunteer for the Iron Riders team. “Our team also raises awareness of our mission in combatting ‘The 22,’ the number of veterans we lose to suicide every day.”
The Iron Riders team has nearly 200 members and welcomes veterans of all biking abilities, from beginner to advanced to those with adaptive bikes. thefallenoutdoors.org
Warpaint: People of Color Connecting Outdoors
Warpaint Outdoors works to get more youth and adults of color outside riding bikes and doing outdoor adventures.
Started as a digital magazine to show that people of color belong in the great outdoors, Warpaint has grown to become a nonprofit that organizes both mountain and road bike events and MTB skills camps in the Portland and Vancouver, Wash., region where founder Ruandy Albisurez lives.
“Our Board is all BIPOC and mostly veterans,” Albisurez says.
A skilled mountain biker, Albisurez is training for STP to become a better road rider, while sharing the organization’s message and mission.
“Eight to 10 of us are training for STP,” he says. “I’m just trying to get in the saddle-time and get in one long ride on the weekends.”
The name Warpaint refers to the goal of “trying to paint the internet with images of people of color outdoors having fun and doing adventures.” warpaintoutdoors.org.
Gruppetto Cycling Club
Founded by former Cascade Board member Gabe Castillo, Gruppetto Cycling Club is an annual presence on STP.
Due to Castillo’s Filipino heritage, Gruppetto has become a hub for bike riders of Filipino and Asian descent. Many of its members also ride to support the Foundation for Philippine Progress.
“We are all trying to celebrate our culture and get our people to be more involved in bicycling,” Castillo says.
Watch the CNBC story about Gruppetto celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Month.
Join us on STP and RSVP!
Cascade is grateful to all of our Affinity Bike Clubs for pedaling with us as they seek to solve socio-economic, racial, and environmental challenges while joining together on two of the nation’s most popular big group bike rides.
Sign up for STP and RSVP, and see our 2025 calendar of rides and events.
If you work for or with a nonprofit that would like to join our Affinity Bike Clubs Partnership, email us from our Contact page.
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