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We've crested the hill in the Group Health Commute Challenge and have only two weeks before our winners are recognized. Now is the time to get in your five (plus!) trips, to run up the team tally against the competition and to get out and enjoy the changing season. In this week's edition of Crosstown Traffic, you'll learn a great route into one of only two public hearings in the country hosted by the EPA, which will focus on regulating global warming pollutants in our crowded atmosphere. You'll also hear from Miss Panniers about disrupted bike tube atmospheres--and how to fix them. Finally, does the Group Health Commute Challenge competition look too good to be true? Keep tabs on fellow riders and check out all the new features when you log your miles this week. Kudos to last week's volunteers and participants in Starbucks Bike to Work Day for making the day a great success. From our rally at City Hall to our after-party in Ballard -- and nearly everywhere in between at any of the commute stations -- we showed once again that citizens of Puget Sound are choosing to ride to work in big numbers. It's only been a few days, but do you already miss the comfort (and free food) of a commute station? The construction on I-90 is done for May, but we'll still be there on Friday, May 22 from 6 - 9 a.m. to thank those of you who ride across the lake as part of our Bridging with Bikes program. Stop by and grab some coffee! Thanks again for riding! --John Mauro, Commute Director, Cascade Bicycle Club Contest Stats to Date
Uh-oh. We've had a call from the Official Auditor of the International Federation of Bicycle Commuting Contests reminding us that riders are not supposed to enter miles ahead of actually biking them. On the bottom of the Contest Statistics page (on the left side bar, click the link "This Contest" under Contest Statistics), there is a table showing the miles biked by all riders for each day. Days that are yet to come should all have zeros! Days in the future with actual miles logged are in red. Click on a red number to see who is boosting their team ranking! (Here's Friday's list.) Reminder: Please keep any messages you send polite and tasteful. New Ranking Criteria & Team Profiles On the new profile pages, under the section Facts & Figures, there is a neat new nugget of information for you: Percent Commute Trips Biked. This shows the world how committed you are to biking to work and accruing all the benefits biking brings to your body, the community, and the environment. In the future expect to see this figure displayed in the Rankings pages. You can also add a photo to your team Profiles page! Last Chance to order Bike Month T-Shirts! Many of you have raved about the 2009 t-shirt designs for Starbucks Bike to Work Day and the Group Health Commute Challenge. It's not surprising with two great designs, three different shirt colors, low-ink screening, soft cotton shirts and woman's cuts. But in order to get your hands on one of these beauties please get your online order in by May 25. After that, we cannot guarantee sizing availability. Shirts are a "contemporary" fit, please-please-please check the sizing chart when placing your order. Prize Patrol Rolls On Congratulations to all the winners this week! Next week's Prize Patrol will again be riding the streets and trails looking to tag riders showing their blue commuter tags. PRIZE PATROL, WEEK OF MAY 25 - 29 Tuesday: 4 - 6 p.m. Wednesday: 4 - 6 p.m. Thursday: Friday: 4 - 6 pm Want to get the latest on the Prize Patrol and other local cycling updates? Follow us on twitter! We invite you to tag your contest tweets with #ghcc and your Bike Month tweets with #bikemonth. As you begin your morning commute this Thursday, you suddenly remember your new destination: the Environmental Protection Agency Rally and Public Hearing. On May 21, Seattle will host one of only two nationwide EPA public hearings on its recent decision to regulate global warming pollutants -- and they need your support! RSVP here. What better way to show your support for the EPA's plan to declare greenhouse gas emissions a danger to public health, then to arrive by bike, a non-polluting mode of transportation. If you're headed from Ballard or Magnolia to the EPA Rally at Bell Harbor, try this scenic route. As you cross under the Magnolia Bridge, connecting to the Myrtle Edwards Trail, consider how the Port of Seattle might improve conditions for cycling in this area. For instance, is the trail wide enough? Is there adequate signage? If you have input regarding these facilities, email Tessa. As you near Bell Harbor, you might find yourself distracted by thoughts regarding the future of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, wondering if cyclists will be supported in the proposed design. Rest assured, as Cascade is involved in the design discussions, advocating for improved facilities and connections for cyclists, and ensuring that major capital projects such as the Alaskan Way Viaduct, support the EPA's progressive decision. Note: CASCADE BICYCLE CLUB DISCLAIMS ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY HARM TO A USER THAT RESULTS FROM DOWNLOADING OR ACCESSING ANY INFORMATION OR MATERIAL THROUGH CASCADE BICYCLE CLUB COMMUNICATIONS, EVENTS OR SERVICES. What do I do if I get a flat tire? --Poppa Wheelie, Tukwheelie Gentle Reader, Miss Panniers prescribes both traditional and alternative medicine for flat tires, depending on the circumstances. Sometimes Miss Panniers simply cannot fix the flat herself, and uses one of her alternative remedies. One alternative remedy is called the bus; all area buses have bike racks, so Miss Panniers always bicycles with either some cash or her bus pass. A similar approach in dire circumstances is to call in your personal sag wagon; roommates, spouses, partners, friends, and co-workers may be able to rescue you. For this reason, Miss Panniers carries either her cell phone or some spare change to make the call of last resort. However, most times Miss Panniers finds that traditional medicine usually suffices, so she simply takes a few moments to fix the flat. This seemed very intimidating at first, but one Cascade Bicycle Club Fix-A-Flat class (and several successful flats later), Miss Panniers finds the process doable (if not altogether enjoyable). The essentials tools for this task include: a patch kit and/or spare tube, tire levers, and a hand pump. Miss Panniers has done her best to distill the steps down as bullet points. Remove wheel
Remove Tube
Patch or replace tube
Install the tube
Install the wheel
Miss Panniers highly recommends learning by doing, but not while struggling gracelessly (and greasily) by the side of the road. Thankfully, Cascade Bicycle Club is willing to share Ancient Secrets of Bike Maintenance, starting where I did: Fix-A-Flat.
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THANK YOU TO OUR BIKE MONTH SPONSORS!
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| Have you got a fun team yarn, a success story or commute tale of woe to share? We'd love to hear it. Please send your commuting missives our way.
Note: As a condition of participating in the Group Health Commute Challenge, you will receive this e-newsletter weekly until the contest results are final. At the end of the Challenge, you may opt-out of receiving additional communication. If you want to change the email to which this message is sent, please update your Commute Challenge profile. About Cascade Bicycle Club | Membership |
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