This year we are thrilled to have riders from all over – including; 105 cities, 7 states, and three countries! We love hearing from our riders, volunteers, and sponsors! Thank you to all who provided us with your comments. If you’d like to share your experience, please share on our facebook page or email us!
View and purchase Ride Day photos from Cycle the WAVE!
Enjoy reading what our participants have to say:
“What a magical day! Everyone was
having so much fun and were so happy!” -
Wilma, Volunteer, rest stop #1 “Flower Lady”
“Wow did we have a good time! Very best food I have ever had on a ride please thank them! I so enjoyed your hospitality and will come to ride again next year your
organization made it very relaxing and fun!” - Jerri, Wenatchee Rider
“The most impactful part of the day for me occurred at Rest Stop 3. A lady was out walking and stopped by the rest stop. She was asking questions about the ride. And then she said that Eastside Domestic Violence had saved her. She started to cry and thanked us for our efforts. She doesn’t bike but wants to volunteer at one of the rest stops next year.” - Randy, Lakemont Cycling Club volunteer
“When I was in high school, I embroidered “jinx” on my P.E. shirt because I felt
like a jinx to any team unfortunate enough to be stuck with me… And now, I
just rode 42 miles on an organized ride, and I was strong! Gee, a team might
even choose me now, after 40 years! …Thank you! The WAVE ride helped to change a lifetime negative self-view!” -Maureen, Burien Rider
“Today I witnessed something truly AWESOME….the “Cycle the WAVE” Bike Ride.
1100 smart, sassy, wild women took over the streets of Issaquah and had some
fun while raising money for domestic violence programs.” - Kelly Kyle, Volunteer
“We had a terrific day. I was totally surprised and loved the male support along the way…. (also the women too) – but I saw fathers, sons, hubbies and sweeties and everyone was so helpful, your support was awesome…. you wanted everyone to achieve and were willing to provide bikes, flat support, guidance and encouragement. I loved the cheerleaders too.” - Karin, Seattle Rider
“I had a blast when me, my sister, and my daughter rode the 25mile ride. At one point my daughter said she wanted to do it every year. It was a great time, and I will forever cherish it. Thank you for including me on this wonderful experience!” - Chatty, Snoqualmie Rider
“I have never volunteered for an event where I was thanked so much for being
there! What a great day!” - Karen & Terry, Sponsors & Volunteers
“I had a wonderful time. Having the right kind of bicycle even made my experience
better. It feels good knowing that I help to make a difference. I would definitely do it again!” - Holly, Seattle Rider
“Thank you for a great event that was so positive, welcoming, organized, fun, and so
well-stocked w/ treats!” - Gretchen, Olympia Rider
“Well I can say that riding with Cycle the WAVE was an AWESOME experience! It was my second time on the bike in 10 years! 
I was so encouraged to see so many women on
their bicycles riding for one cause; to end domestic violence. I am a victim of domestic violence myself and I know women that don’t have the courage to speak up or escape it. It’s something we tend to hide because we are afraid and don’t want anyone to know. But I learned that we can’t keep hurtful things inside of us all of our life. Because of Cycle the WAVE, I am now more motivated to speak up and help my friends too. I am definitely going to join Cycle the WAVE next year and will bring more friends along!” - Luda, Bellevue
“I am so happy I went to the packet pick up. This is the best packet of goodies I have ever gotten and I have been to a lot of events. I really appreciate the hard work and effort it took to fill the almost one thousand bags (hopefully more women will sign up)!!!! Or is it more? They are fantastic!! I have just a few suggestions: NONE!!!!!!! It is simply too good! I just love the bag. The zippered front is excellent. The tape from the physical therapy associates was cool, but the information was even better. “Thank you” to them!!
The lip gloss tastes great for once. NOT too cool, but not too minty either. The coffee from Starbucks a big hit! The pen writes well. The Luna is going to be scrumtuous. And, Oh My, I cannot wait to have the Starbucks Via when I get done. The magazines had good information too. The brush will be handy after the ride (Ha-ha!). Bicycle hair; use brush; then photo op… I am just so happy. Thank you! I have not ridden a bicycle for for several years and already I am up to nine and a half miles. Yes, 9.5 miles, ladies.
So if you are overweight, like me, bicycling has been easy on my joints, very fun with friends and lots of sweating to the rolling oldies….! And somewhere there are some pounds melting away….
Thank you to the sponsors. I hope to write each of your businesses and thank you personally but if I don’t then I want you each to know I truly appreciate your generosity, especially during these trying economic times. They each did a real good job thinking about us. Please don’t forget about us next year as that will be year five and I REALLY want to do that ride.
Lastly, about the “Little Sisters” route. Please be careful out there. I went on the route just to see how it would be. I drove it, I confess. However, I am glad I did this, as I can say with confidence now, that there is traffic, bumps, and narrow areas. I am going to be careful out there. Also, I am looking forward to the ride even more now.
And a few words about battered women, since I am a formerly battered woman who is in a successful, happy, peaceful relationship. I am fortunate that I got out of that battering relationship before I got killed or maimed for life. I wish the strength and courage I have, for each woman struggling to flee a violent situation.
Please know that we are out there for you. There are services now. There are women and men who really will be good to you New beginnings www.newbegin.org Eastside Domestic Violence Programs www.edvp.org DAWN Domestic Abuse Women’s Network www.dawnonline.org and also King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence www.kccadv.org and other places.
YES! There really are good and kind and generous and loving people who will not hurt you in the world. Please allow someone the chance to assist you the way someone helped me. I didn’t realize I have the courage. I do. And so do you!
I hope we get to see each other.” Juli #332
“It was such a well organized ride. I enjoyed the route and the rest stops had fantastic food and cheerful volunteers. It was fun to have so many surprises along the route as it helped keep the event exciting. I had the misfortune of having a flat tire, but before my friend and I even had a chance to get our hands too dirty, we had 4 helpful men there to take over. I definitely recommend this ride to riders of any condition -it was fabulous!”
“It was wonderful, the organizers of this event really did a great job. The volunteers were terrific. Where else would you see cheerleaders at 6:30 on a rainy Sunday morning, flowers in the porta pottie, great food and and so many smiles. I am already looking forward to next year.”
“It was a great ride:) The course was good and the volunteers were wonderful:) full of encouragement. The food was good at the rest stops and at the finish line, and all of the vendors were wonderful as well. I will be back next year:)”
“It was a great ride, the course was so well marked I didn’t have use my map. I enjoyed the Burly Girl (62 mile). Rest stops were well supported which is a good. Weather was mixed but it was warm out. I think it’s wonderful for women of all ages, abilities to have this ride and benefits a great cause. All the volunteers were awesome! I’ll be back next week. Maybe the Trek TRI will change their date so we can get more women at this ride. =)”
“This was my first biking event and I loved the whole thing. If they are all like this I am hooked. This particular event was really oriented toward women, from the music playing at the start and finish to the flowers at the rest stop. The volunteers were incredible and I really appreciated their help and encouragement. I will be back next year.”
“This event was really fun and well organized. I would recommend it to all the women I know. It would be fun to have a 100 mile option for the burly burly girls! The carnations, posters, lovely food and friendly volunteers were awesome.”
“Great job, everyone who was part of putting on a terrific ride for a good cause. I appreciated that this was a women’s only ride and not crowded, at least not in the Girly Girl section. Thanks for having really good watermelon at the rest stop! What a treat to have reflexologists at the finish line. I loved being under the canopy, reclined, covered with a blanket with my feet propped up on a pillow while the rain poured down around us. I will be back next year!”
“I did this ride with my 13 year old daughter and was very pleased with the support we got. Part way through the ride, we discovered that her front tire was bulging and likely to burst. We made it to the first rest stop and asked if they had a spare tire. They didn’t, but told me to call the emergency number on the map sheet. I did, and they sent one of the SAG wagons with a tire. While I got the tire replaced, my daughter went to first aid and got her ankle wrapped. Everyone was very helpful, and soon we were on our way and finished the event, despite the rain (and the pain). I highly recommend doing it. Oh yeah, my daughter particularly appreciated the Hershey’s Kisses and Tootsie Rolls at the rest stop!”
“I had a wonderful time. I got up at 3:30 am that morning to be there…it was worth it!…The group support, the friendliness of everyone and all the pampering was amazing! I’m looking forward to next year ride and maybe having a century ride to add to the challenge. Congratulations to the organizers for a job well done!”
“I really enjoyed this event! Loved the fun touches like the decorations in the porta potties, the cheerleaders, the great food and lots of technical support. This was my 14 year old’s second organized ride and I think she had a really good time. We loved the massages and foot reflexology at the end!”
“So fun – well organized and supported! Thank you to all of the volunteers. We can’t wait for next year’s ride!”
“This is my 3rd year riding. Every year it gets better. Thank you for putting together a great ride, well organized and well supported. The volunteers were the sunshine that we needed, since you can never depend on sunshine in the Northwest. I’ll be back next year.”
“Had a fantastic time! Loved the atmosphere, like the pouring rain too! Definitely will do this again and try and get in with a team next year! Thanks for all the volunteering and great food!”
“Loved it…agree with everyone about all the great support along the journey..first ride..will definitely do it again!! Thanks for the great tasting food too!!!”
“This is the 10th race / ride I have done this year and by far the most organized and supported. The volunteers were amazing, especially the “handsome helpers” who fixed my flat and helped my buddy who took a nasty tumble. The snacks and food were also excellent! I will definitely be participating next year and taking it to the next level!”
“I had a great time, and will most likely do it again. The after celebration was the best, there was some great food.”
“GREAT—Every woman who rides should take part in this event at least once! There is a route for all abilities and help at every turn if any problems should arise. All go home with a smile on their face and feeling good about themselves for participating in such a fun and worthy event. Congrats to the organizers and many volunteers for doing a terrific job!
“I over ambitiously signed up for the middle sister but I had not ridden in a cycling event in over 10 years. So I wisely ended up only riding the girly girl. I had fun and now know I can still ride, even without any training. Hopefully, I will now ride more and train for longer events. The event is very well supported and I look forward to doing the metric century next year. Anyone out there on Mercer Island looking to train with a grandmother?”
“The organization was great. The volunteers were friendly and helpful. I loved the cheerleaders, they were placed at perfect spots and they helped give moral support, especially after a couple of the hills which are always a personal challenge for me and having complete strangers cheer you on is really enjoyable. Fantastic ride and I loved the rain. It made the ride more challenging and more “out in nature” for me and I loved every minute of it. The food was plentiful and wonderful. The goodie bags were really nice. I appreciate all of the event coordinators and volunteers for helping the riders support the cause. I am a survivor of severe domestic violence and I will be back next year for the next level of personal challenge and to support the cause to provide services for those who continue to experience domestic violence.”
“Great ride – I found the food very good, and loved the flowers in the honey buckets to be wonderful. The volunteers were enthusiastic and great fun. Love love love Killer Dave. Thank you for being there Dave and bringing some super bread and your very handsome presence to our ride. Loved seeing all the men supporting the ride and being so helpful and appreciative. I also loved at the finish line where you had the display of quotes hanging up on the clothes hangar – absolutely stunning and very impactful. LOVE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER at the end of the ride – tall guy with pony tail, he was delightful!!”
“This was a great ride do to with friends. I had so much fun and really felt great knowing that we were helping victims of domestic violence. I will absolutely do it again next year!”
“This is my 3rd time riding the Burly Girl route and even though there was our typical NW weather, the cause made it every bit worth it! I cannot say enough about the fantastic volunteers at the rest stops and the finish line. I WILL be back again next year and invite more of my cyclist friends. BTW, the markings on the route were perfect!”
“Such a great experience… Such a great cause…. and Such a wonderful group of people that organized, volunteered and donated. Definately doing it again next year!”
“What a fun and well-organized event! The support was terrific and the obvious effort people put into the strategic placement of flowers, encouragement along the route and the fantastic food at the end was very much appreciated. I pretty much got up off the couch and rode the Girly girl distance, and felt great at the end. Looking forward to doing the ride next year. If rain is forecast, perhaps we could have a few more tents available for shelter? Then we could enjoy the great food and energy of the event a little longer and not get drenched. Thanks to everyone for your commitment.”
“This was my first bike ride ever, so I really appreciated all the support I received on the route. I also love that it was for such a good cause. I definitely plan to ride next year, but am hoping for better weather.”
“GREAT ride despite the weather! Well organized, fun, good routes. The food and volunteers were fantastic. More firemen and hot tamales! Will do it again next year.”
“Awesome event. Ride was great in spite of the precipitation! Food and treats always the best. 2nd time and plan to be there next year for my 3rd. Fantastic Cause – Great to be with such awesome women.”
“This was fabulous. The best organized ride I’ve been on to date. My group had a flat and a fall, everything was taken care of perfectly by some very bike savvy, courteous, good looking men. The food, treats and gifts were outstanding. Thank you volunteers, you out did yourselves in all the rain. Your passion for a great cause showed. I’ll be back!!!”
“Such an amazing event!!! Incredibly well organized and the treats and surprises along the route were fabulous! Dave’s Killer Bread is worth the ride alone! I savored my Amore Chocolate truffle later in the day as well! All of the food was GREAT! Even though it rained on an off during the ride, it was still incredibly fun! Such a great cause to support and so proud to be riding beside so many survivors of domestic violence!”
“This is a fabulous ride for a wonderful cause. Everything about it is great–well-organized, great ride support, well-marked route, delicious food, kind, helpful people at every step, and FUN!”
“Cycle the WAVE – the best ride I’ve ever done! Wonderful support, great food, nice challenging ride, but not over the top hard. The little things put into this ride, make it even more enjoyable – like the stuff in the toilets, the fireman handing out hot tamales and the cheerleading squads. GREAT! The weather of course is unpredictable in the NW, so it didn’t matter that it was pouring down at times. I will definitely be doing this ride next year and making sure my girly friends know about it too!”
“This is a great ride, enjoyed it very much. Would like to see more male volunteers (like the wonderful firemen!) actually, next year my husband will be volunteering.”
“Great ride. Really great food. Wonderful people. Weather sucked, but it didn’t damper the great experience. Thank you so much for such a great event. I will be back next year!!!”
“Extremely well organized…very fun ride – great support system…All over a great experience once again!!! Great cause!”
“Best ride around and the most fun organizers! Flower in port potties, chocolate at the end, a good workout of a Middle Sister ride, nice countryside, good food and goody bag.”
“I had so much fun riding this last year with all the ladies and am already totally jazzed to do it again!”
“I love that this ride supports such a great organization – Eastside Domestic Violence Program.”
“This is a great ride for a variety of riding abilities but especially for the beginning rider who would like to do their first organized ride. The support and organization is excellent! Best of all the ride is FUN!”
Thank you to all who have provided your feedback and comments!
Our new 2011 PSA cycle the wave 2011 30 – take a listen!
