Summer Bike League FAQs

What IS Summer Bike League?

The purpose of Summer Bike League to encourage more people to make more trips to more destinations by bicycle. Summer Bike League aims to do this by encouraging cycling at the neighborhood scale, with events and activities and incentives centered around our region’s communities.

When is Summer Bike League?

Summer Bike League runs from Wednesday, June 23 through Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. You can register to participate in Summer Bike League at any time throughout the summer (although the earlier you register, the more miles you can rack up.) Summer Bike League will wrap up with the Cascade Spawning Cycle on Sunday, September 20.

Is Summer Bike League in a team format like the Group Health Commute Challenge?

Summer Bike League is a team event in the sense that it’s a community of cyclists working together toward a common goal. In this case, your “team” is the community where you live, and our common goal is to make more trips to more destinations by bicycle. To quantify these efforts, and add a little friendly competition, the community with the most participation at the end of the summer will be rewarded with a block party.

How do I sign up and join my community “team”?

Registration will open the week of June 14. When you register, you will be prompted to select a community from a drop-down box of cities and neighborhoods. You are now an integral part of the bicycle community in your neighborhood.

Do I have to be on a team?

When you register, you will automatically be listed among other members of your community. However, you are still an individual rider, and can view your individual trips and miles in the Rankings and Results.

Can kids participate in Summer Bike League?

Absolutely! Bicycling as a family teaches kids that bicycling is a great form of transportation and helps them develop safe cycling skills. Every mile you ride with your kids counts, figuratively and literally. Kids that ride their own bike can register as individual riders. For younger kids on tag-along bikes or in trailers , parents may opt to simply add their miles to yours.

Are there events associated with Summer Bike League?

Of course there are! Following the Bike To Baseball kick-off event, Summer Bike League will capture existing summer cycling events sponsored by Cascade Bicycle Club and our partners. Check out the events cal endar for all of the great biking events throughout the summer. In addition, Summer Bike League also encourages YOU to put on summer bicycle events right in your neighborhood.

How can I stage a summer bicycle event in my neighborhood?

Cascade Bicycle Club has created a Do-It-Yourself guide to give you ideas, tips, and resources for staging your own bicycle event. It can be as simple as free lemonade along a popular bicycle route or a complex as a neighborhood bicycle expo. The key is to encourage biking, create community, and have FUN.

What kinds of trips are eligible for tracking miles in Summer Bike League?

Summer Bike League counts every trip you make by bike: commuting, shopping, recreating, exercise, training, shuttling kids, cruising, exploring, etc. The categories include Bike to Work/School, Errands, Fun/Fitness.

What are "Errands"?

Errands include shopping trips, date night, coffee, sporting events, etc.

Why count errands?

40% of trips are 2 miles or less, and 90% of those are made by car. A cyclist can ride 2 miles in around 10 minutes. Choosing to run errands by bike is choosing cleaner air. It’s choosing less traffic. It’s choosing free accessible parking. It’s choosing a better way to get out and do the things that need done.

Can I count the miles I ride in the STP?

YES! Your training miles count as well. The Group Health Seattle To Portland ride, or any recreational ride, fits into the Fitness/Fun category. Those miles are building your fitness, and your participating builds the bicycle community. That’s good Summer Bike League stuff.

I only want to track my commuting miles. Is this O.K.?

Of course. Chronicle any or all of your summer bike miles. Of course, the more miles you track, the more credit your community earns towards that end of summer block party….

Is there a weekly deadline to enter my mileage?

There are no deadlines to log your trips or miles, but we encourage you to log at least weekly to stay on top of it. All entries must be made by the close of tracking on Sept. 20.

What does it cost to join the Cascade Bicycle Club Summer Bike League?

Besides sweat equity, it's totally free to all participants. That said, the program is not free to operate, and Cascade Bicycle Club would be honored if you elected to support our work by becoming a member.

Do I get a free t-shirt/reflector/water bottle/etc. for participating?

Nope. To keep the program low-key and low-cost, Summer Bike League does not involve free swag. And - let’s be honest here - can you really cram one more event t-shirt into that drawer?

Is nothing sacred? What about prizes???

Yes, there will be prizes for individuals. Every month, we will hold a individual drawings from among registered participants for some great prizes that will support your Summer Bike League goals of riding more. Prizes will include:

Also, if you are looking for a little individual inspiration, here are 25 good reasons to ride a few more miles and few more trips this summer: We will give away 25 free entries to Cascade Bicycle Club’s popular Kitsap Color Classic ride. To be eligible for this drawing, an individual rider must log each of the following

  • at least 60 trips or 60 days (either)
  • at least 250 miles
  • at least 6 trips in each category (commute, errands, fun/fitness)

I can’t commute because I work from home/I am retired/I live 100 miles from work. How can I participate?

Get creative about thinking about your “commute” trips.

  • If you live way on out there, bike to the Park & Ride where you can access transit or a vanpool. Or use transit one way and bicycle the other way. Transit is an extension of your bike and your bike is an extension of transit.
  • If you work from home, bike to that mid-day meeting across town. A work trip could count as a commute in that case.
  • If you are retired, bike to your volunteer work. If you do not volunteer, contact Cascade Bicycle Club about opportunities.
  • If you are a stay-at-home parent, you make lots of trips as part of your full-time job as a parent (pre-school, play group, little league.) Consider those trips part of your parental commute and make them by bicycle!