Biking Uphill in the Rain: The Story of Seattle from behind the Handlebars

by Tom Fucoloro

The rise of an improbable bike culture in the Emerald City

Seattle was recently named the best bike city in the United States by Bicycling magazine. How did this notoriously hilly and rainy city become so inviting to bicyclists? And what challenges lie ahead for Puget Sound bike advocates? Tom Fucoloro, a leading voice on bike issues in the region, blends his longtime reporting with new interviews and archival research to tell the story of how a flourishing bike culture emerged despite the obstacles of climate, topography, and—most importantly—an entrenched, car-centric urban landscape and culture. From the arrival of the first bicycles in the late nineteenth century to the bike-share entrepreneurs of the present day, the result is a unique perspective on Seattle's history and its future. Advocates, policy makers, city planners, and bike enthusiasts around the world can learn plenty from the successes and failures of this city's past 130 years.

More than just a mode of transportation, the bicycle has been used by generations of Seattleites as a tool for social change. Biking Uphill in the Rain documents the people and projects that made a difference and reveals just how deeply intertwined transportation is with politics, public health, climate change, and racial justice.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Cycling, Urbanism

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 5, 2023

Reviews

[Brendan Monroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having recently relocated to Seattle, and being quite fond of cycling, a local history of Seattle "behind the handlebars" felt like exactly the ticket!

I picked it up at a local bookshop of course, which felt only appropriate being that, 1. we try to shop ethically (suck it, Amazon!) and 2. Seattle has loads of fantastic independent bookstores where I've whiled away many hours (and bid adieu to many dollars).

Kudos to author Tom Fucoloro on crafting such a wonderful, readable book! You might think that a book containing subject matter like this would be dull, or at least only recommendable to those with the remotest interest in cycling, but I'm here to tell you it isn't so.

If you have any interest at all in Seattle, or in redlining, or in the way that the automobile and its backers have (literally) divided America's cities, this is a fascinating dive into the seedy underbelly of America's highways, byways and, particularly, bike lanes.

More than anything, it's an inspiring look at what happens when people band together to fight for what matters most.

[Woody · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting look at the development of roads, bike trails and bicycle infrastructure in Seattle from the late 1800s to the present. Having lived through and contributed to Seattle's bike infrastructure in several of my jobs, I was particularly interested in Fucoloro's take. Mostly, he did a very thorough job chronicling the history of bicycling in Seattle. Chapters 4-8 about rise of bike infrastructure, and the sudden and chaotic introduction of e-bike services spanning mayoral administrations from Nickels to MicGinn, to Murray, to Durkan - were particularly strong and informative.

I disagreed, however, with the author's generally favorable view of Critical Mass Rides, which in my estimation set bicycling back and further polarized the public opinion of bicyclists. The main result of Critical Mass was to encourage cyclists to run red lights and stop signs, which ever since has become epidemic, dangerous and detrimental to public support for bicycling.

There also should have been more said about Greg Nickels massive contribution to the bicycling era in Seattle. Working with Seattle Parks Foundation, He approved $1.6 million of funding to create the Cheshiahud Loop Trail around Lake Union in 2008. Nickels was quoted about the establishment of this new trail in Seattle Parks Foundation's 2008 Annual Report: "Once completed, the six mile Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop will link our past to our present will link our past to our present, prioviding a unique setting to explore the beauty and history of Lake Union."

The late Doug Walker also should have been written about. As CEO of computer software firm Walker, Richer and Quinn, he commuted to work and bicycled to all of his meetings, day or night, rain or shine. He also encouraged his employees to bicycle and even to commute by kayak to his Lake Union company by installing showers and bike racks at WRQ. This high-profile pioneer for bicycle and other alternatives to automobile commuting was also a major environmental philanthropist. Doug Walker, Mayor Nickels, and Christopher Williams of Seattle Parks dedicated the new (at the time) segment of the Cheshiahud Loop Trail SE of the Fremont Bridge in the winter of 2009. I was there.

Other ommissions include the failure to mention Tom Byers' visionary Bands of Green plan for Seattle, which Seattle Parks foundation updated in 2007. The plan called for the accelerated development of trails, boulevards, and linear parks in Seattle. It contained more than 50 site-specific project proposals touching every Seattle neighborhood. Pete Lagerwey said that Bands of Green influenced project ideas in the Seattle's first Bicycle Master Plan. The successful 2008 Parks Levy had several Bands of Green projects in it, including: $500,000 for a bike trail linking Magnuson Park to the Burke-Gilman Trail, $2 million to complete the West Duwamish Trail, and $3.75 million to help complete the Burke-Gilman Trail through Ballard.

Finally, Peter Lagerwey, who was covered pretty well, did another revolutionary thing while he was working on bike infrastructure for the City of Seattle. He had hundreds (maybe thousands) of sturdy bike racks installed all over Seattle, which made it easier for people to conduct their business and recreation city-wide by bike. Many, if not most, of these bike racks are still in use.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! There's still so much local history to which I've been oblivious despite living in Seattle most of my life and being dependent on a bicycle for transportation during some periods of my life. It amazed me how much effort over so many decades were required to make Seattle's streets as safe as they for walkers and bikers. When I was a kid I used to collect what I called giant nails from the defunct railroad bed that would become the Burke Gilman trail. I had no idea that the Burke started the rails to trails movement across the country. I also remember riding at a desperate speed across the old 520 floating bridge before I knew that wasn't allowed for good reason. Being honked at the whole way until I flew across the expansion joints with my rear wheel impacting the far side so hard that it broke my axle and several spokes. That's when I discovered a foot wide and foot high metal curb where I could walk the rest of the way across. Riding the luxury trail overlooking the arboretum that we have now, it's hard to imagine the wild west feeling from the 80s. My wife and I read this book out loud to each other and loved it.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great history of Seattle transportation infrastructure from the lens of biking. It was inspiring to read about the stories of activists throughout the decades. I also got surprisingly emotional when he told the stories of traffic victims. Highly recommend to anyone interested in urban mobility.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and thoughtful book. A thorough history of Seattle, and more interesting with bikes and transportation at the center. I love knowing more about my city through this book! Thank you Tom for writing go it

[Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there is one thing people know about me, it is that I love trains. If there are two things people know about me, it is that I am obsessed with urbanism, and specifically bicycle infrastructure, while not currently being a cyclist in any capacity. The only bike I own has been in dire need of servicing for years.

I visited Seattle back in March for Spring Break and picked this book up at The Elliott Bay Book Company. Over the course of the following week, I absolutely fell in love with the city. Each neighborhood has its own vibe and character, there are too many parks to count, and being from a place with horrible urban trails and bike paths, walking down the Burke-Gilman Trail was truly an incredible experience for me.

I was able to read most of this book during my trip, but when I got back, I got so busy with University that my reading was completely halted. It also doesn't help that Every time I began reading this book, I had to have a map of Seattle in front of me so I could visualize all of the places that were being discussed in relation to the rest of the city.

Well I have finally finished it, thanks to the 75 Hard challenge I started recently and I have to say, this book is going to be my new go-to referral for anyone looking to learn more about urban cycling and its political challenges.

Its ideas, themes, and messages extend so far beyond the city of Seattle, it merely uses the author's lived experience in the city as a way to tell stories that support everything. It certainly helps that Seattle has such a long and storied history with bicycles that demonstrates their rise and fall and slow climb back into favor with the public.

It is very clear that this was not written as a way to bash the city for succumbing to car culture, just like every other city in America, rather it highlights mistakes and then harps on the lessons that were learned and the change that was made afterward. The author acknowledges that the past cannot be altered, but pushes for improvements he knows are possible, all while providing proof of the same kind of activism working in the past.

I loved walking around Seattle for a week, experiencing as much as I could. Because of this book, I cannot wait for the day I am able to go back, rent a bike, and go everywhere I possibly can.

[Sumit Gouthaman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read for anyone interested in history of biking in the PNW and in biking/transit advocacy.

It would have been nicer if the book had more maps and photos showing the described locations/trails in the past vs present day.

But overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about the future of Seattle.

[Brent Woo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't want this to stop. It's reading the story of progress, and you don't want progress to stop. I can't wait for the second edition of this in twenty years, detailing how many more bike lanes have been put in and how many lives have been saved.

Contained in this bike history are important lessons about how destructive freeways can be, redlining and racial covenants and their legacy to this day, and basic myths about parking spots and foot traffic and bike lanes. Fucoloro makes the point near the end of the book that bike history and bike advocacy rarely is actually about the bikes: it's about making a city safer to move through for everyone, including drivers in cars and pedestrians. It benefits everyone to find safe ways to move bikes through cities.

It was affirming for me being able to witness most of the changes described in the last 50 pages. I voted for the bike-forward mayor. I was here for the dockless "Private Bike Share Mayhem" of 2017-2018. When friends visited I told them about these great bikes you could rent for a dollar and park anywhere, and how, predictably, people were getting upset at the "visual litter" of bikes everywhere (as if cars are so much more subtle). I was around for the 2014 installation of the Second Ave bikeway. I rode across the new 520 bridge when it opened to pedestrians and bikes only for the first day. It was exciting and encouraging to read that I could help make a small difference by participating in all these moments in Seattle bike history, and reading this helped relight that advocate fire. I've been a part of bike advisory committees for two cities; maybe now that I've been here for around 10 years, maybe it's time to add a third city.

I loved this line describing a video of the first ride along the Second Ave bikeway:

> [A video of a ride downtown] There was no conflict and very little danger. It was a boring five minutes and thirty-seven seconds of video, and that boredom was glorious. (188)

It's also a moving portrait of a lifelong advocate. There are interviews where he grieves with a traffic engineer over the failure to prevent the death of a grandmother crossing the road. There are stories of him starting the influential Bike Blog, and stories of his own family and transformation using bikes to get around town. It's a model of a life spent improving the city for so many people, and his legacy will be felt for years to come.

[Alyson Indrunas · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a long line of folks waiting to read this book in Bellingham, and that charms me. I am rating it five stars to support the message. Today is a deeply troubled day in the US, and as Orange Mussolini takes his crown, I don't see things improving nationally for cycling for quite some time. I followed this writer's blog back in the days of pre-Musk Twitter, and I lived in Portland during the peak of bike deaths cited in this book. I never felt safe on a bike, and I'm always more concerned about cars than non-cycling friends when we're pedestrians. Almost getting hit by a car on a bike changes your trust of drivers forever.

This is a solid history of the many movements that feed into the current cultural moment. May feel like insider baseball to folks that don't know this city, but I think/hope the intended audience are voters of Seattle. May all the gods bless people involved in this work.

This quote sums up my experience and perspective as a cyclist who has experience in bike-friendly and very car-centric cultures:

"Even though [Washington State] deservedly gets number-one rated, that just shows how bad the other states are (101-102).

As we often lamented while living in Seattle, if only Paul Allen loved cycling (he spent a fortune on football in that city).

[Conor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten years in the making, by the author of Seattle’s premier bike advocacy blog, Tom Focoloro shows his expertise in “Biking Uphill in the Rain”. While niche books frequently attract equally niche audiences, if Seattle’s cycling history is of mild interest this book will exceed expectations.

Presenting research from the dawn of Seattle’s history he pulls out of the archives long lost clubs, races, and infrastructure. While also telling personal stories which never made the papers.

Sixty years ago bicycle advocacy began to slowly gain momentum, shifting in and shifting out of coalitions, changing course to keep its speed up, before finally crossing the line into the mainstream.

Working from a simple term like “bike advocacy” limits the scope of what gets included in that discussion. Advocates for change will always eventually learn that their issue interferes power in the most unexpected ways.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sort of approached this book as a chore. I used to ride a lot in Seattle, around the time Fucoloro started his blog, and he is my people, so I will read his book.

Turns out that’s it’s a lively and pleasing history of Seattle from two wheels that expanded my appreciation for the city and its cyclists. The chapter on early cycling made me long for the chance to ride the Lake Washington Bike Path through the cedar forest that is now the Montlake neighborhood. The last few chapters brought back some of the pain and fear that, in part, got me off the bike, but also the hope that I felt the first time I watched my daughter wobbling down a Seattle bike lane. We can make this city a better, safer place. LFG

[Ralph B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Tom Fucoloro clearly understands the biking community in Seattle. This book offers a comprehensive look at the history of biking in the area from the late 19th century to the present. His dedication writing the Seattle Bike Blog has given him access to many of the biking and civic leaders who have made a difference in improving the infrastructure and overall orientation of the city to biking.

He provides background on local movements that extended beyond Seattle - Critical Mass, naked bike rides, and bike share programs - for that reason alone, it is a book worth owning even if one doesn't live in Seattle.

Most moving sections were his stories of the bike crash victims who survived with their injruies. The story of Brandon Blake is a writing gem.

[Charles Bookman · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Biking Uphill in the Rain” tells the story of Seattle’s first bicycle boom at the turn of the last century, and the second, present-day boom. The first boom was driven by real estate speculators and quickly lost ground to the automobile. The present second boom is an integral element of the move towards a denser, more urban Seattle. Neighborhoods are getting safer, more walkable streets and they are being connected by protected bike lanes where even novice riders can feel safe. In between the two booms, chapter after chapter, the author recounts the struggles for safer, more equitable city planning, of which bicycle facilities are a part. This is excellent local history, well and sensitively told.
Read more at bookmanreader.blogspot.com

[Bridget Corso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very dense and informative about Seattles cycling history and how that intersects with activism. A little rushed on current history since 80% of book was on the 1900s Gave a great picture on how it has evolved to our current climate, with a strong creative push from advocacy groups.

Learned a lot of cool facts about Seattle.

Favorite quote from The Stranger:
“Money follows money… The only kind of planning that can break w/ the automatic effect of the market has to be public. It has to be deaf to the tireless calls of money. If Pronto was fully funded by the public, it might have avoided reproducing the racial/ economic map of our city.”

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biking uphill is a gem. It is a solid compliment to books like "Emerald City: An Environmental History of Seattle" and "The River That Made Seattle: A Human and Natural History of the Duwamish." It covers the surprisingly rich history of biking in Seattle in a concise and readable text. Chapter 7 "Too Many" moved me to tears. I'm left energized about building more bicycle infrastructure as a solution to so many modern problems.

[Rez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book's title is misleading; this is not so much a history of biking in Seattle as it is a history of Seattle with emphasis on cycling & transportation. But that's what I was looking for! Fucoloro made me learn a lot I didn't know about where I live while also giving me an appreciation for the work many folks have put into making Seattle one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the US (though with a lot of room for improvement).

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Educational and entertaining! I still think about tidbits regarding the Burke-Gilman Trail and the I-90 bridge bike path as I navigate the city. I feel the pacing/structure could be improved slightly? Sometimes I was confused how we ended up back at something that was discussed. Overall though, fascinating read and I am grateful for the work of previous generations of Seattle cycling infrastructure advocates!

[Kee Onn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The history of cycling in Seattle mirrors the growth of Seattle itself - from unjust, colonial roots to a reimagined future of shared access and equitably enriched lives. Seattle's bike 'experiment' also beckons us to reconsider the role of cars in our daily landscape, and dare to imagine a safer, carless future.

[Jake Odom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great history of the bicycle and its place in Seattle. It’s easy to think we’ve always had bike lanes but they’re oh so recent! A great reminder of how important local advocacy is, that progress is slower than we’d like, and that there’s many passionate people hard at work to make sure we get closer to our ideal of a bikeable city.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was far more fun to read than I expected. The backstory of not only cycling in Seattle, but the arrival of the automobile and the expansion of its footprint. Absolutely worth reading for anyone interested in another viewpoint of Seattle history.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow - this was an unexpected fun read. I picked it up at the library and loved all the Seattle history, examples of the impacts of advocacy, and future opportunities for our city and transportation in general. Excellent!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good local history. A bit idiosyncratic at times, but kept me interested throughout.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised that the rise of ebikes wasn't discussed in this almost at all. That's a different but related story.

[Cody Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

fuck car culture all my homies hate car culture (but the idea of biking around cars is still scary 3)

[Odin Amador · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book about bicycling in Seattle I've ever read (I've only read one haha). Seriously though, I will recommend it to every cyclist I know

[Mish Pre · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive telling of Seattle’s biking history from the 1800s to today. Fascinating to learn just how difficult it is to overcome “car culture”.

[Cordelicacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. It covers the topics of Seattle, biking, and transportation in a way that is both analytical but also full of heart. The author writes the Seattle Bike Blog, and so has a lot of insight into Seattle-area bicycle advocacy groups and bicycle/pedestrian safety issues.

It was eye-opening to learn that pedestrian deaths significantly outweigh cyclist deaths in Seattle, and learn that these fatalities are concentrated on a handful of roads such as Aurora Ave, Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, and Lake City Way. The fact that my kids and I frequently use these roads as pedestrians and drivers, and occasionally as cyclists, gave me pause. As a frequent user of the Burke-Gilman Trail, I enjoyed learning more about its history.

The sections about the era of massive highway expansion felt out of place at first, as it didn't fit with the topic of the book as described on the cover, but in hindsight, this section was useful for providing an understanding of why cycling is far from being a dominant mode of transportation in Seattle. In building I-5, one of the most popular bicycle paths of the pre-WWII era was destroyed, and in general, building highways disadvantaged bicycling as a mode of transportation in many ways.

If I ever have a chance to meet the author, I would want to ask the following questions:

1. In the early days of cycling (1890-1905), how was bicycle parking managed? Did people lock their bikes to anything?
2. What was the interaction of trolley cars and bicycles? Did bicyclists complain of their tires getting caught in the rails? Were bicycles allowed onboard trolley cars?
3. In the discussion of Vision Zero, how much are driving age and drunk driving enforcement discussed? It makes sense that roadway design is a focus, but I still wonder if there are policy improvements that are being given full consideration.

Thank you to the Seattle Public Library for having this book available as a Peak Pick!

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important and galvanizing lens for interpreting Seattle history. Fucoloro's dense, but very accessible, writing is rooted in love and hope for a better and more just world. One of my biggest takeaways from Biking Uphill in the Rain is that we CAN get to zero deaths in this city. And it really is possible to unshackle ourselves from car culture. Cars are coffins, ya'll! This book made me want to get out and ride!

[Graham Byron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite the history lesson of transit in Seattle, also will get you fired the heck up to make it better 😤