Cyclist of the Month: Randall Nordfors
Age: 47
Occupation: Biostatistical Programmer, Amgen
Hometown: Seattle
Alma Mater: University of Washington, BS Mathematics
Residence: Kirkland
Wheels: Glenn Erickson, Karl Strong and Felt
Lots of cyclists are in great shape. Many have fitness goals. Some train competitively. And a few decide to race. But only one cyclist rode from Lacey to the top of Paradise and then climbed Mt. Rainier, and returned…in 20 hours.
In many ways, Randall Nordfors grew up as your typical bicyclist. He biked to soccer, baseball practices and Boy Scouts. He fondly remembers neighborhood Stingray skidding and jumping contests as a kid.
It was at UW where he learned to push himself. “I broke my ankle playing soccer for the UW Junior Varsity team. But I still rode my orange Nishiki 10-speed to class, using only one leg to peddle — and the crutches strapped to my back.”
The Race Across America inspired Randall to complete his first cross country tour — traveling from Seattle to New York City in 1985. He’s also toured Whidbey Island and the Oregon Coast. In 1987, he caught racing fever and joined Puget Sound Cycling Club, sponsored by Gregg’s Greenlake Cycle. He finished competing with Saturn of Bellevue — racing Cat 2 under Dave Douglas’ leadership.. “Exercise is very therapeutic and cathartic; it makes you feel better about life.”
Randall has completed both RAMROD and the Seattle To Portland ahead of the pack. Recognizing his own competitiveness, he decided to leave group rides for more recreational riders.
When he turned 40, Randall stopped bike racing to focus on his career.
Up to three days each week, Randall commutes 20 miles to and from Amgen’s ‘Helix’ campus, located just north of Myrtle Edwards Park and the grain elevators. He likes that he can ride from Kirkland north or south to commute around Lake Washington. The other two days per week, he telecommutes and often enjoys a lunch ride. He also bikes downtown to watch the Sounders play.
Amgen provides a monthly cash-back bonus to its roughly 50 bike commuters. Each commuter also has access to a covered and secure bike garage, plus showers and lockers.
Although many commuters choose steel frames, Randall prefers his aluminum frame, which he had custom made with braze-ons by Carl Strong for sturdy fender attachment. In the summer, he commutes one of his four Felt race bikes. Although he enjoys the lighter weight road bikes, the Burke-Gilman Trail can be more like a mountain bike trail; “tree roots are destroying the Burke-Gilman, particularly around Mathews Beach and Lake Forest Park where the roots come up through the path.
His other pet peeve is riders busting through red lights. “I sometimes chase them down to tell them it gives cyclist a bad name, and it’s because of them I have to answer to people who complain to me about their observations of bicycle rider behavior.”
Despite his gravity towards lightweight bikes, he commutes with the standard commute gear: waterproof Timbuk2 courier bag, fenders, even a bell. “It sounds corny that my favorite accessory is a bell, but it gets attention better than shouting on your left.” He also likes his helmet-mounted Night Rider because he can direct the light wherever he needs, including at distracted drivers.
In 1997, Randall was hit by a car turning left in front of him. The driver was on a cell phone. She may not remember her conversation, but Randall keeps the memory alive in his crooked hitchhiker’s thumb. Needless to say, he’s a big proponent of Washington’s Vulnerable User Law.
“We should all be treated equally. Non-cyclists take advantage of the power of cars. When you self-power a machine, you realize, and respect, the energy required to do something. I wish everyone could learn more about their footprint by experiencing how much energy transportation requires.”
Ten years after his accident, Randall starting training for the adventure of a lifetime: to bike 162 miles and summit Mt Rainier in a day. His summit started at Tolmie State Park in Lacey, where he began his 81 mile bike approach to Paradise.
Assisted by International Mountain Guides, Randall reached the summit at 2 AM – after 11 hours and 40 minutes of cycling and climbing. Then, he returned to sea level where the trip began.
Learn more about Strong Frames at www.strongframes.com
Scott Marlow was marketing director for Cascade Bicycle Club from 2001-2005. The Club record-holder for the shortest commute (under six seconds), Marlow works from his home office in West Seattle. Nominate a cyclist of the month.
Pawstruck
Pawstruck (paw-struck) adjective: an immediate intense affection for a cat or dog.
noun: 1. a pet publication; 2. an animal welfare fundraising event; 3. an animal-related advertising campaign.
Jen and I found this affectionate cat climbing around our house. We were immediately pawstruck. We fed her for a few nights, considering pet adoption.
Our neighbor Kirsten suggested posting a Found Pet notice on the West Seattle Blog. Within a day, the cat and her owner were joyfully reunited.
So, I purchased the domain, www.PawStruck.com in memory of our favorite temporary guest. I’m not certain where I’ll find a home for this one yet, but I’m sure it’ll be love at first bite.
Building Community – One Less Car at a Time
In 2002, I managed the redesign of Cascade Bicycle Club’s website. Roll forward 8 years: the Club is building community by blogging.
If the blog is half as popular as the bike club’s 5-topic message board (which serves 9,600+ cyclists), then my volunteer Cyclist of the Month column will be a bigger hit. The blog features advocacy, event, and I Saw You posts – as well as action alerts and RSS subscriptions.
The Cascade Blog is powered by WordPress, an award-winning open source content management system. The theme was designed to match Cascade.org. To help visitors navigate, I added a ‘utility bar’ to the top of both sites. For aesthetic reasons, we also centered site content.
Cyclist of the Month: Julian Davies
Age: 37
Occupation: Pediatrician, University of Washington Medical Center
Hometown: North Carolina
Residence: Ballard
Wheels: MADSEN cargo bike, Dutch Azor Transport, Specialized Globe Live 02
Ditch your trailer. That is Julian’s advice to parents who want to ride with young children. You may wonder what type of Kool-Aid Julian is drinking, but you have to listen to a guy who can transport four kids on a bicycle.
Julian loves biking with his three-year old daughter, Drew, upfront — instead of in a tow-behind trailer. “We have some of our best conversations up there, and she gets to see more than my backside. It is much more enjoyable than listening to her cry or complain in a trailer.”
Solutions besides trailers do work. Like the Bike-Tutor from the U.K. that mounts on the top tube. Or the Bobike Mini, which mounts on the stem, for children aged 9 months to 3 years. Julian recommends both products as superior child carriers, but is also partial to cargo bikes like xtracycles, Dutch bakfietsen (“box bikes”), and MADSEN “precious cargo bikes.”
Julian has also installed bench and bucket car seats, complete with five-point buckle system, onto his MADSEN cargo bike. “Heavy? Are you calling my bike fat? I prefer strong-boned. She’s as heavy as she needs to be.”
NOTE: Julian points out that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants not ride on adult bikes until one year of age, when they can safely wear a helmet and have adequate neck and trunk control.
That said, how long did he wait? 7 weeks, with an infant car seat in a trailer, and then his custom MADSEN infant seat with head/neck support.
Julian started commuting on a RANS Rocket recumbent during med school at the University of California, San Francisco; during his residency at Seattle Children’s Hospital, fatigue turned Julian into a fair weather commuter. Today, he commutes year-round on a Dutch bike or Globe city bike daily between Ballard and the U. District. The UW Medical Center provides an indoor bike cage and showers – although Julian prefers the endless supply of baby wipes at his pediatric clinic.
The family appreciates the convenience of step-through frames, available on many cargo and commuter bikes. This feature means Julian, 5’9”, can share the MADSEN and Globe with his wife Kim, 5’2.”
Julian is also a fan of “ridiculous bike lights.” His favorites are Rock The Bike’s Down Low Glow and MonkeyLectric’s spinning Monkey lights – a 32 full color LED-ensemble for your spokes. Stylish and safe, given how many car-bike collisions are broadsides.
Diagnosed with Obsessive-Cycling Disorder, Julian started a blog called www.TotCycle.com where families with similar conditions can share information. You can find a wealth of information on TotCycle.com, including the next monthly Kidical Mass – a fun, safe, easy-going family bike ride for kids of all ages.
Julian joined Cascade Bicycle Club to support its education work in schools, and its advocacy work. Julian worked with Sustainable Ballard and Friends of the Burke-Gilman on a rally for the Missing Link. He has also attended a Ride Leader Certification session and hopes to lead tot rides for the Club in the future.
What’s the largest haul Julian has accomplished on any of his cargo bikes? He humbly claims that carrying a 6’ Christmas tree from St. Alphonsus Parish was just an obligatory bike blog photo op. “The MADSEN is an epic grocery getter. My largest run to-date is $211 worth of Trader Joe’s.” I don’t ask if that weighs more or less than four kids in the bucket seat of a MADSEN.
If you are interested in family cargo biking, Julian recommends Aaron’s Bicycle Repair in West Seattle and Dutch Bike Seattle in Ballard, as well as Clever Cycles in Portland.
Julian looks forward to coordinating a Fiets of Family Cycling (fiets is Dutch for bike) next year, based on the French constructeur races. “We’ll hold silly cycling contests — like the dropped toy, the diaper change, synchronized signals, fancy dismounts, and ‘I’ll pull this bike right over’ sibling fights.”
The next Cascade Ride Leader Training is scheduled for March.
Scott Marlow was marketing director for Cascade Bicycle Club from 2001-2005. The Club record-holder for the shortest commute (under six seconds), Marlow works from his home office in West Seattle. Nominate a cyclist of the month.
Cyclist of the Month: Allyson Welsh
Occupation: Software Consultant
Hometown: New York City
Residence: Kirkland
Wheels: Davidson Titanium
Let me tell ya, in 1990s Manhattan, it was too dangerous to ride a bike and too expensive to drive a car.
So moving to bike-friendly Seattle ten years ago was a blessing for Allyson Welsh.
When she was eight years old, Allyson broke her ankle in a bike crash. That is her most memorable bicycling moment. For decades after the accident, Allyson did not ride.
Today, Allyson is a ride leader and vice-chair of the rides committee for the largest bicycle club in the country. In January, she’ll replace Albert Meerscheidt as the rides committee chair, coordinating efforts for 160 Club ride leaders.
In 1996, while working as a trainer and software lead at Sealand, Allyson relocated from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina – where the friendly flats inspired her to start biking to control weight. At only 5’2″, she found her fit in a Trek WSB (the company’s first Women Specific Bikes line) with 650C tires.
Two years later she got married and moved to Seattle after her new husband Dave accepted a position with Amazon.com.
“I’d never ridden a hill. My only challenge had been riding against the wind to Myrtle Beach. I was scared riding downhill from the Burke-Gilman Trail to Magnuson Park.” The 124th to Willows grade was even scarier. Allyson also had to overcome the coastal climate change, buying all new gear so that she could ride year-round. And, she soon realized the comfort difference between titanium and aluminum.
Gregg’s Cycles suggested that she join the Cascade Bicycle Club. She loves the camaraderie of the Club, as well as the appreciation that she receives from the riders for her volunteering. She also appreciates Jim Eanes of the Seattle Bike Club for his patience and advice when she first started cycling in the Pacific Northwest.
Allyson volunteers for almost every Cascade event. She enjoys meeting new people at packet stuffing parties. Some weeks, you can find her at the Club almost every day.
Allyson thinks of herself as a spokesperson for leisure cyclists – her rides bridge the gap between the leisure and more popular steady pace group. She sits on the Cascade Training Series (CTS) subcommittee, where she leads the Red Group rides at a 10-12 mph leisurely pace, preparing riders for their first century, often the Seattle To Portland or RSVP.
Allyson also leads the popular Redhook Lake Sammamish Loop and the Brewpub Ride Series. “There’s nothing like a good beer after a ride to quench your thirst.” Her monthly leisure rides attract 15-35 Club members who are interested in socializing, as well as exercising. The Brewpub Series tours different microbreweries.
“As a ride leader, one of your most difficult tasks is keeping the pace of a ride to the posted limit.” Allyson explains two reasons for this problem. First, ride leaders get so much stronger over the course of a season that by the end of summer, they don’t realize their own strength. The second reason: riders showing up for rides that are too easy for them. “This group wants to be at the front of the pack, instead of pushing themselves to ride at a pace that would be challenging for them.”
Allyson looks forward to recruiting more ride leaders interested in leisure rides. She also hopes to help lead a multi-day tour someday.
The next Cascade Ride Leader Training is scheduled for March. The Cascade Training Series also begins in March.
Scott Marlow was marketing director for Cascade Bicycle Club from 2001-2005. The Club record-holder for the shortest commute (under six seconds), Marlow works from his home office in West Seattle.
Nominate a cyclist of the month!
It All Happens Here
CSS/XHTML Web Development: Scott Marlow
Copywriting: Rita Cipalla, Scott Marlow
Graphic Design: Joan Van den Berg
My latest project for the City of Federal Way: a new site for its premier recreation facility, hosted at a new URL: ItAllHappensHere.org, the Community Center’s tagline.
The Rent section features a virtual-360 degree slideshow of the banquet facilities. Since the site launch, Susan Leddon, rental coordinator, reported that rental inquiries from the website increased from zero to 4-5 per week. Staff can update the site through an open source Content Management System.
The new site complements all new marketing collateral – including coupons, direct mail postcards, rack cards, and facility schedules – created by our team since March.
“You have consistently gone above and beyond on every aspect of this project. I know I speak for everyone when I say we appreciate you more than we can express. The website is fantastic/wonderful/cool/gorgeous/eye-popping/practical/logical, and, did I mention fantastic? I’m excited for the launch.“
Linda Elliott Farmer, Communications & Government Affairs Manager
City of Federal Way
“It’s been a fantastic experience working with such a great team. Personally, I enjoyed our “team” meetings the most. I think it’s important for you to know how easy it is to work with you on this project. I always felt like we could share our true feelings about every element along the way. Thank you all for your patience, persistence, and professionalism.”
Doug Nelson, Supervisor
Federal Way Community Center