CT Employees take on November's "Ride in the Rain" Challenge
Every November marks the “Ride in the Rain” challenge, and 2021 did not disappoint!
During the wettest fall on record, eight Community Transit employees saddled up and kept biking throughout the increased darkness and rain, totaling 615 miles. Three of our eight participants each logged more than 100 miles!
Hosted by Cascade Bicycle Club and Washington Bikes, Ride in the Rain is a seasonal challenge that brings teams together to face the drizzle, develop familiarity with winter riding, and stay active during the colder, shorter Pacific Northwest days.
Christina, an Administrative Assistant in Transportation, said, “pledging to ride this month not only helped keep me motivated to commute to work by bike, but also to find ways to run other errands on my bike like going to the doctor’s office. And I was able to discover great ways businesses have helped to support cyclists!”
Christina shared this photo (below) of converted vehicle spaces to bike parking, including a bike repair station; great infrastructure to encourage bike trips!
For Luke, who works in Communications, the month included a few notable new experiences.
"I got my first flat on a new bike, which included some good learning lessons, carried sandwich board signs for our Transit in 2024 survey, had a few rides where I got to my destination totally soaked to the skin, but also had a lot of fun! Carrying a TV home from Costco on my cargo bike got quite a few looks in the parking lot, and I love showing people what is possible with an e-cargo bike to reduce vehicle driving.”
One of our Marketing Department employees, Isabelle, also got to participate in a local group ride during the month.
“I typically don’t bike after it gets cold and wet here in the Pacific Northwest. Being part of this Ride in the Rain challenge encouraged me to get out there, even for short miles, during a time that I wouldn’t usually ride. One of the rides I participated in was a group ride put on by Bike Works in South Seattle, honoring the late Marshall ‘Major’ Taylor, who was the first African American to win a world championship in cycling. I was so glad I made it out there, as it was a great ride, and the positive energy that afternoon was awesome. I wouldn’t have done this ride without the encouragement I got from my team captain to join the Ride in the Rain challenge!”
Beyond the extra motivation, Carl in Scheduling also had a great tip for adjusting to wet and chilly weather.
“You don't need fancy gear to ride in the rain. Inexpensive waterproof gloves can be found at any fishermen or marine supply store. During the month I found myself coming up with excuses to bike places so I could log more miles and did a lot of bike-bus trips to explore places I typically wouldn't go by bike alone. For anyone who didn't participate because they don't want to bike in the rain, I'm pretty sure 75% of my rides were in NOT the rain!”
Congratulations Phillip, Isabelle, Tony, Carl, Christina, Luke, Mike, and Jerrad for pedaling throughout the month! See you back here in May for Bike Everywhere Month.