Get a Member in December!

Sketch by Andy Goulding

At the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, we believe that our members ARE our power.  The more members that we have, the more successful we will be at creating better biking conditions in our communities.  If you are already a member, THANK YOU! 

As a current member, we also have an assignment for you:  get just one new member to join the Bicycle Alliance of Washington during the month of December!  We’re sure you know folks who appreciate bikeable and walkable communities—we need them to join us in action.

If you’re not a member, there’s no time like the present to invest in bicycle friendly communities by joining now!  Your commitment to healthy and active transportation will benefit all Washingtonians for generations to come.

Special Offer!

As part of our Member in December Special, sketch artist Andy Goulding has agreed to create custom bike portraits in a digital format for every new and renewing member at the $100 level.  We’ll send details to you on how to redeem the offer for your custom sketch with your member packet.  Contact Donna Govro if you have questions about this special, limited time offer.

Last Chance for a Deal!

Everyone loves a deal, right?  The Bicycle Alliance has a couple of special deals that end this week on September 30.

$5 Membership Deal

A membership in the Bicycle Alliance is an investment in yourself!  While you’re out riding your bike, we’re bringing bike safety skills training into schools across the state, educating new and seasoned drivers on how to share the road safely with bicyclists and pedestrians, advocating for public policy that benefits bicycling, and more!  Join by September 30 and your initial investment is just $5.  Use our online membership form and coupon code 5BMA1.

Early Bird Special on Auction Tickets

Our annual auction is a month away on October 22 and we’re offering an early bird price of $70 per person/$700 for a table of ten until September 30.  After that, prices are $85/$850.  Check our auction page for the details.

The auction is all about fun and fundraising.  Catch up with old friends and make some new ones as we raise money to support bicycle advocacy and education in Washington State!

Membership: It lasts longer than a cup of joe.

In case you haven't heard, the Bicycle Alliance of Washington is having an unheard of summer deal. You can join the BAW for just $5. What's that you say, 5 bucks? My morning latte' is nearly that price, what an amazing deal!

But wait, there's more. As a board member of the BAW I'd like to see our membership double. It may seem far reaching, but I think it can happen, and by September at that. How, you ask?  Well, we need YOUR help!

If you help spread the word we can make this go viral. Blog about it, email it to all your friends who bike in Washington. Post it on Twitter and Facebook. If you're not a member yet, join! Purchase a membership for your friend who has everything. Do you own a bike shop? Add on a BAW membership for the month of August and September for every new bike purchased. The sky's the limit and the end result is Washington being a safer place to bicycle.

It's super easy too, just go to the BAW website, choose the $35 membership rate and enter in coupon code 5BMA1. That's it. You just saved $30 and made Washington a better place to bike.  Way to go! Now send this to five people and your work is done.

Membership Matters: Fix A Flat, Grow The Alliance

Today's guest blog post was submitted by Bicycle Alliance board member Joe Platzner of Bellevue. Read more about Joe here.

As with any advocacy organization, there is power in numbers.  A diverse growing membership helps as we advocate for bicyclists and a bike-friendly Washington.  Most likely, if you are reading this, you are already a member.  If so, thanks again; your membership gives us leverage.  If you are not yet a member, consider signing up.  For the price of a tire or a handful of trips to your favorite coffee shop, you can add your voice to the Alliance.

As a new member of the team, I’m hoping to help out with a growth plan.  I suspect you will see a bit of activity and focus here as we create and implement this plan. 

To get the ball rolling, here is one idea, and we need your help to make it work.

Has this ever happened to you? 

• You are riding along and see a cyclist stopped on the side of the road.  Perhaps the bike is upside down.  (Why is it that roadside repairs for the uninitiated often involve upside down bikes?)  Perhaps the rider has a sheepish “what now?” look.  Perhaps there is even a gaggle of riders engaged in what appears to be a corporate team building experience centered on a surprisingly quiet bike. You offer help and get an enthusiastic acceptance.  You fix a flat, boot a tire with a bar wrapper, or pull out a multi-tool, and soon they are on their way.   They are thankful. 

• People at your kid’s bus stop know you as “The Mom Who Rides All The Time,” and they ask you to teach their kid to ride.  You work your magic in a few trips to the park, and their kid wobbles off for the first time filled with pride and excitement.  Ice cream and pictures may even be involved.  They are thankful.

• A casual riding buddy adopts your garage as his favorite bike shop.   It is convenient and affordable!  You teach him the mysteries of handlebar tape wrapping.  They are thankful.

• A neighbor stops by with a kid’s bike they picked up at a garage sale.  You chip in some parts and teach the kid basic maintenance as you fix it up.  They are thankful.

• You pass your daughter’s outgrown bike to the next kid in line. But first, you take off the pink streamers and find a Spongebob bell.  Oh, and here’s a helmet you might want too.  They are thankful. 

• You talk a friend through his first century.  They are amazed to learn they should probably eat and drink on all-day rides.  “Chamois cream” may even be dropped into the conversation.  They are thankful.

I’m sure you see the pattern here.  We like to help people with their bikes, and we would do it without reward or payback.  Sure tasty beverages are often involved in these transactions, but clearly the door is open with people happy to return the favor.  When that door is open, ask them to consider joining the Bicycle Alliance. 

Don’t hesitate to ask.  I’m new to this too, and I don’t like to be pushy, but if I fix a flat from now on, someone is going to learn about the Bicycle Alliance of Washington.

Want some help getting started? E-mail this page to a few of the people you helped recently.

It’s that time of year; bike shops are busy, and people need new bar tape.  Help them out and help us out.