No drinking the koolaid

 I was invited to join a Cascade Bicycle Club Policy Ride today.  Well, not me personally, but an open invitation to the membership to make a showing as they rode from Fremont to South Lake Union, a contentious piece of real estate that is the subject of a proposed protected bike lane. I am far from a believer in protected bike lanes, I fall more into the vehicular cycling format.  I just wanted to be a voice in the wilderness so the koolaid drinkers could not say that "we only hear 100% support for this".

There were about 75 people on bikes at the start.  Several without helmets, all looking very different that I.

We all had to sign a ride liability release, standard practice for a club ride, but several riders did not have helmets, yet were allowed to start off with us. That is not standard.

After commenting to some of the ride marshals I was told that those people hadn't signed in and weren't part of the official ride.  Okay, so if you don't sign a ride release you can just ride along?

There were hipsters, families, extacycles, single speeds, flat pedal bikes.   I did see one RAMROD reflective band on a bike, but the rest were firmly in the other end of the bike rider spectrum.

The group took off on a designated bike path consisting of wide sidewalks and striped parking lots. With a group this large, of widely varying riding skills, I chose to ride the adjacent road.  Julie and I took the right lane, and just like those vehicular riding videos that Cycling Savvy publishes, the motor vehicles all moved to the left lane and passed us without incident or complaint.

I'd pull into the parking lot to listen at each one of the stops the group did.  They had local politicians and others versed in promoting the infrastructure. I'd listen intently, so as to not rely on hearsay later. I stayed to the edges, mostly to be listening, but not in the crowd.  I noticed that at one point a group of three rode by in the parking lot on their way south as we were stopped on the path.  Their comment among themselves? "Now there's trouble".   I wonder if the koolaid drinkers factor in those bike riders who see them as less than beneficial to the cause?

There were three stops along the way.  Prior to the ride we all had been issued aerial photos of the area and asked to "crowd source" any issues we found, marking the locations with "X"s.  I marked my map, tracing my route on the street, with the comment, "no issues found, a great ride".  At the third stop we were asked to turn those aerial photos in.  As I did, Brock Howell, the Government Affairs and Policy Manager, asked if I had indicated that I'd prefer the sidewalk or parking lot.  I answered "the road".  He looked puzzled, but took my marked map.

We pedaled a few blocks to an establishment to" have a brew and talk policy".  I found it strange that an event that openly courted families, would hold a portion of today's policy ride, in an establishment that had prominently displayed a sign that read "No Minors" on it's front door.

I talked a bit with a few of the families, and others choosing to not partake.

Before long I turned back up hill and went up Queen Ann.

It was a nice sunny day.  It would have been nice to go for a longer ride, but given how my legs felt after yesterday's fixie ride with all it's stops and starts, it was probably good to give them a rest today.

Policy & Government Affairs Manager

Policy & Government Affairs Manager

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