Family & friends ride in memory of Jerry Baker

Top Left: G.S. Flash, aka Team Baker will ride in blue and orange jerseys like this one Jerry wore in 2009. Courtesy of Shane Willams. 
Top Right: From left to right: Deborah “Spot” Stephenson, the late Jerry Baker and their daughter Julia Baker, celebrate at the 2015 STP finish line. Julia will be riding STP this year with 20+ family and friends in memory of Jerry. 

Family and friends of the late Jerry Baker will ride in memory of him in the 37th annual Group Health Seattle to Portland (STP) presented by Alaska Airlines.

A founding member of Cascade and Washington Bikes and founder of the Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome (which was renamed posthumously), Jerry was truly the godfather of cycling in the Northwest.

Andy Baker, Jerry’s son, said the idea of riding the STP in memory of his father bubbled up amongst many of Jerry’s friends and family. After all, “what more appropriate way to celebrate Jerry Baker could there be?” asked Andy.

Along with a handful of friends, Jerry founded and won the first (and only) time-trial race from Seattle to Portland in 1979. Now a common household acronym in the Northwest, 10,000 people complete the epic journey every year. Jerry finished his 36th STP in 2015. He’s the only person to have ridden every year, and in his honor, Cascade retired the number 36 bib.

G.S. Flash, aka Team Baker, will pedal from Seattle to Portland, a 200+ mile journey — most completing it in one day. Jerry started G.S. Flash as a serious racing team back in 1991, but Andy said no one has been serious for a long time. They will wear bib numbers 3701, 3702, etc. in Jerry’s honor. And several will be riding the STP for the first time.

The Group Health STP presented by Alaska Airlines is made possible with support from the local communities through which the route passes. The STP is a joint fundraiser between Cascade Bicycle Club and Washington Bikes. In addition to supporting Cascade and Washington Bikes programs, rider registration fees help give back to the communities we pass through and the organizations that thrive along the route.

Whether you are riding in memory of a loved one or to challenge yourself, STP sells out every year, so be sure to register early!

Public registration is now available at cascade.org/stp.