BikinginLA

Bike Talk airs every Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK.

Bike Long Beach hosts Bike Saturdays every weekend; ride your bike to participating local shops and business throughout the city to get special offers and discounts.

If you’re reading this Sunday morning, you still have time to get out to Golden Road Brewery for Rider Appreciation Day on Sunday, August 26th, to watch the final stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge from 11 am to 1 pm, at 5410 W. San Fernando Road. Complementary bike valet will be available, along with spar parts donation and raffle to benefit the Bicycle Kitchen.

Meetings continue around the city of Los Angeles for the LACBC’s new Neighborhood Bike Ambassador program to empower cyclists to represent the Coalition in their own neighborhood. The next meeting takes place at 7 pm on Monday, August 27th at the UCLA School of Public Affairs, 651 Charles E. Young Drive. Another meeting will be held at 7 pm Wednesday, August 29th at the USC Gerontology (GER) Building Room 230, 3715 McClintock Ave.

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s Civic Engagement Committee meets at 6:45 pm on the last Tuesday of each month. The next meeting will be Tuesday, August 28th, at Johnnie’s Pizza at Museum Square, 5757 Wilshire Blvd. This month’s agenda includes finalizing a questionnaire for the candidates for L.A. County District Attorney, and developing questions for candidates in local races. Email bikinginla at hotmail dot com to be added to the email list.

Also on Tuesday the 28th, the final draft of the Glendale Bicycle Transportation Plan goes before the city council for final approval at 6 pm at Glendale City Hall, 613 East Broadway.

Where to Bike Los Angeles authors Jon Riddle and Sarah Amelar will participate in a bike ride and book signing on Thursday, August 30th at {pages} Bookstore, 904 Manhattan Avenue in Manhattan Beach. The bike ride rolls from {pages} at 5 pm, co-sponsored by the LACBC, followed by a presentation, book signing and wine & cheese reception at 7 pm.

Get your bike washed at L.A. Eco-Village on Saturday, September 1st to raise funds for Westside Invite L.A., a bike messenger-organized race open to all cyclists. The event takes place from 10 am to 5 pm at 117 Bimini Place in Los Angeles; bike washes are available on a sliding scale, and food and drink will be available for purchase.

The Eastside Bike Club invites you to join them on the Dodgertown Bike Ride on Saturday, September 1st. The ride begins with a rally starting at 3 pm at El Arca, 3839 Selig Place before riding to see the Dodgers play the Arizona Diamondbacks, with game time starting at 6:10 pm. Buy your tickets in advance on the Dodgers website.

The next edition of the LACBC’s Sunday Funday rides rolls on Sunday, September 2nd with the Sunday FunGay Ride, hosted by board member Herbie Huff. The relaxed 12 – 15 mile ride starts at Downtown’s Pershing Square and ends with brunch at Hamburger Mary’s in West Hollywood, exploring local gay history along the way.

Sunday, September 2nd marks your chance for fixed gear glory with the Lord of Griffith IV, a climbing, three lap track bike/fixed gear race in and around Griffith Park.

Bike Metro hosts a free bike ride through East L.A. on Saturday, September 8th, starting from 4801 E. 3rd Street in Los Angeles. Check in starts at 8:30 am, with the ride rolling at 10 am, with a 1.8 mile family ride and a 4.3 mile East LA Bicycle Ride.

The Arthritis Foundation’s California Coast Classic invites you to ride down Highway 1 to raise funds for a cure. The ride rolls 525 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles from Sunday, September 9th to Sunday the 16th; a two-day option is also available on Saturday, the 15th and Sunday the 16th.

Early registration has opened for the national Pro Walk/Pro Bike® conference to be held September 10th through 13th in Long Beach. The 17th annual conference is sponsored by the National Center for Bicycling and Walking, and Project for Public Spaces.

Long Beach will host the country’s first National Women’s Bicycling Summit, as well as a Cycle Chic: Past, Present and Future fashion show on Thursday, September 13th in conjunction with the Pro Walk/Pro Bike conference; tickets for both are $35.

Friday, September 14th marks the opening night reception of the Bike Love Art Show at Society — A Vayden Roi Gallery at 635 North Pine Ave in Long Beach. The exhibit features artwork by members of the Southern California cycling community; the reception opens at 6 pm.

Also on Friday the 14th, the incomparable bike scribe Elly Blue returns to the L.A. area for a evening of Dinner & Bikes (& Cupcakes), hosted by LACBC affiliate chapter Santa Spoke; Joel Biel will screen his new short film One Less Truck, with dinner prepared by celebrity vegan chef Josh Ploeg. Doors open at 6 pm, with dinner served at 7; 502 Colorado Blvd.

This year’s Tour de Fat will take place on Saturday, September 15th at Los Angeles State Historic Park — and this time, it’s not scheduled on the Jewish high holidays, so everyone can attend.

Celebrate the return of Carmagedon on Saturday, September 29th as Wolfpack Hustle — yes, the cyclists who beat a Jet Blue jet from Burbank to Long Beach — invite you to ride your bikes from every point in the city to meet on the L.A. River bike path for the biggest ride ever with the All City LA River Ride; details to follow.

There’s a new date for the next CicLAvia, which has been moved up one week from October 14th to 10 am to 3 pm on Sunday, October 7th. The route has also been changed, with new spurs extending from Expo Park  in South L.A. to East L.A. and Boyle Heights.

The Bicycle Film Festival returns to Los Angeles this October, with a kick-off party at historic El Cid in Silver Lake on the 11th, followed by the debut of The Contender, the first BFF-produced film at Cinefamily on the 12th. Other screenings will take place at the Downtown Independent theater from 11 am to 10 pm on Saturday the 13th, with an all-ages DTLA block party the next day from 10 am to 6 pm. Convergence rides are planned for the various events. Email volunteerla@bicyclefilmfestival.com for more information or to volunteer.

Now here’s a great idea for a ride. The Arthritis Foundation is teaming with one of the L.A. area’s favorite Cuban bakeries and cafés to offer the first ever Tour de Porto’s starting at 8:30 am on Sunday, October 28th. The ride starts at Porto’s in Glendale, travels a short distance to the Burbank Porto’s, then down the L.A. River Bike Path to the restaurant’s Downey location. If the entry fee includes a Cubano or Medianoche, count me in.