More than a century of riding in Pierce County
Long before cars ruled the roads, Tacoma riders were organizing, advocating, and building. Here are some of the moments that shaped who we are.
The road that brought us here.
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1888
The Tacoma Wheelmen organize
During the great bicycle boom, local riders form the club that TWBC traces its roots to.
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1890s
Riders fund their own paths
The Wheelmen persuade the Tacoma City Council to place a $1 annual tax on bicycles and use the money to build a dedicated cycle path.
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1896
A bridge built for bikes
Work begins on the Galliher Gulch Bridge, roughly 450 feet long and 110 feet high, with a sign proclaiming it the longest, highest, and only exclusive bicycle bridge in the world.
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1898
From Tacoma to Mount Rainier
A trail system led by the City of Tacoma and the Wheelmen reaches Longmire in Mount Rainier National Park. Hardy riders cover the 50-plus miles in a single day.
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Early 1900s
The automobile arrives
Within a few years, the trail system fades away, and cycling across the region goes quiet.
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1974
The club is revived
Local enthusiasts bring the club back during the 1970s bike boom.
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2016
A new name
The club becomes the Tacoma Washington Bicycle Club to better reflect our desire to be welcoming to everyone.
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Today
Biking for a Stronger Pierce County
TWBC is expanding its role as a community partner, using the simple act of riding together to support health, connection, and safer streets across the county.
Explore the Club Archives
Our story since 1974 is written in our newsletters, and they’re open to everyone. The TWBC archive brings together club newsletters from 1974 to the present in one searchable collection. Unfortunately issues from 2005 to 2017 aren’t present.
Browse by decade, or search the full text to find rides, people, events, and advocacy efforts from more than fifty years of club history. Whether you’re a longtime member looking for a familiar name or someone curious about local cycling history, it’s a great place to explore.
Browse the archives →Cycling in Washington
For the bigger picture, we recommend Cycling in Washington, an essay by Rita Cipalla on HistoryLink.org, the free online encyclopedia of Washington State history.
It traces cycling from the first bicycle to arrive in Washington Territory in 1879, through the 1890s boom and Tacoma’s pioneering trails and bridge, to the comeback of the 1970s and beyond. It’s a great read for understanding where TWBC fits in the state’s cycling story.
Read on HistoryLink →Have a piece of TWBC history?
Have old photos, ride maps, jerseys, or stories from your time with the club? We’d love to hear from you. Every piece helps us preserve TWBC’s history for the next generation of riders.
info@twbc.org