PORT ANGELES — Expect to see hundreds of tandem bicycles in the Sequim area on May 27-28.
Sequim will be the host this year for the Northwest Tandem Rally, which moves to different Pacific Northwest venues each year and returns to the Olympic Peninsula after 23 years. Since 1986, Northwest Tandem Rally has been bringing together tandem bicycle enthusiasts once a year to promote bicycle tourism, camaraderie and to raise funds for bicycle infrastructure and awareness.
The event is a fundraiser for the Olympic Discovery Trail and is being organized by Peninsula Trails Coalition, a local non-profit that works on the construction, maintenance and advocacy for the Olympic Discovery Trail. The group is putting on the event in partnership with Peninsula Adventure Sports and the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce.
The main sponsor for the event is Rodriguez Cycles in Seattle, which has been making hand-built tandem bicycles for 50 years and is sponsoring in honor of its 50th anniversary.
Local sponsors include the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, The Lodge at Sherwood Village, Hurricane Coffee, Rainshadow Coffee, Sunny Farms, Broken Spoke, That Takes the Cake, Fifth Avenue and Sherwood Assisted Living.
The Sequim rally will include two days of supported cycling routes in short, medium and long distances. Rest stops along the routes will have water and snacks. There are more than 500 participants signed up, meaning more than 250 tandem bicycles — certain to be very visible around Sequim.
The rally was also hosted by a local bicycle club in Port Angeles in 2000.
A vendor expo, beer garden, music and slideshow will be open to the public each day in the band shell area at Carrie Blake Park. Admission to the vendor expo will be free and proceeds from the beer garden go to the Olympic Discovery Trail.
Music will be provided by Ranger and the Rearrangers from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on May 27, while the slideshow talk from Paula and Lorenz Eber from Bike 4 Breath will talk about their around the world adventure with two kids on tandem bicycles at 4 p.m. May 28 at the Guy Cole Center. On both days, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., people can try out a tandem bicycles.
The Peninsula Trails Coalition is also seeking general volunteers for the event. If you are interested in helping out, visit the volunteer sign up page at www.tinyurl.com/NWTRvolunteers.
Also needed are one to two groups or non-profits that would like to host a rest stop. A donation will be given to the group or non-profit for their efforts. People can email Event Coordinator Lorrie Mittmann at lorrie @peninsulaadventuresports.com with any questions.
More information can also be heard at www.nwtr.org and www.nwtr2023.com.
