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

Finalist for the 2024 Washington State Book Award in General Nonfiction

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.

Tom Fucoloro is founder of Seattle Bike Blog (seattlebikeblog.com) and has served as its editor since 2010. He was named one of ＂15 People Who Should Really Run Seattle＂ by Seattle Met magazine.