Tag Archive for upcoming events

Morning Links: Upcoming bike events, why people stop going to public meetings, and a look at a friendly little OC bike shop

August 8, 2019 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Upcoming bike events, why people stop going to public meetings, and a look at a friendly little OC bike shop

Let’s start with a few upcoming bike events.

The GiddyUp! Cycling Film Tour will unreel tonight at the Ahrya Fine Arts by Laemmle theater in Beverly Hills, offering a global showcase of films capturing why we love to ride.

Celebrate NoHo’s new Metro Bike Bikeshare with an informal bikeshare celebration ride tomorrow. And yes, there will be donuts involved.

Metro will be offering another of their BEST bicycle education classes this Sunday in West Hollywood, with emphasis on developing group riding skills to see you safely through next weekend’s Meet the Hollywoods CicLAvia.

The Orange County Wheelmen will be hosting a new century ride from Irvine to Carlsbad on September 7th.

………

If you’ve ever wondered why people stop coming out for important public meetings, these tweets should give you a pretty good idea.

https://twitter.com/hippierunner/status/1159201025951031297

https://twitter.com/topomodesto/status/1159119037932007424

https://twitter.com/topomodesto/status/1158943765706366977

By all reports, last night’s public workshop in Eagle Rock to discuss plans for a North Hollywood to Pasadena bus rapid transit line was much better managed, without the anti-transit threats, harassment and intimidation of previous meetings.

You can sign here to show your support for the plan, which preserves existing bike lanes.

………

This is why you need to support your local bike shop.

The Orange County Register’s David Whiting talks with a former domestique who runs a tiny bike shop in Rancho Santa Margarita, where customer service and ensuring everyone leaves with a smile matter more than pumping out high priced merchandise.

You’ll never find that kind of service online.

Or at most bike shops, for that matter.

………

This is who we share the roads with.

https://twitter.com/DashCamTwats/status/1156659172836040707

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes goes on.

Someone continues to sabotage Australian bike trails, this time in Adelaide by stringing fishing line at neck height; fortunately, a woman discovered it before anyone got hurt.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

A Michigan cop suffered minor injuries trying to stop a bike-riding leaf blower bandit when he attempted to knock the man off his bike, but missed. And missed with his taser, too.

Tragic news from New York, where police are looking for a hit-and-run bike rider who killed a 60-year old pedestrian. And as often happens, it sounds like bicyclist wouldn’t be in trouble if he’d just stuck around after the crash.

………

Local

Sixteen Metro Bike stations are now up and running in North Hollywood, Valley Village and Studio City in the San Fernando Valley.

We already know that Katy Perry is one of us, taking her bicycle with her torrid to her shows; she’s also taken her $19 million Beverly Hills mansion off the electric grid to reduce her carbon footprint.

Burbank is cutting speed limits around schools to 15 mph in a much-needed effort to improve safety.

A pair of bike-riding transients were busted for a failed attempt to steal a pair of bronze statues from a Covina business after the shopping cart they were towing them in toppled over. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the link.

 

State

Irvine bicyclists can now expect to share the streets with Amazon Prime delivery robots and their human minders, at least for now.

San Diego mountain bikers are on edge after a man was shot in the hand by a robber who stole his bicycle on Tuesday.

The Voice of San Diego says the city is undermining its own climate action goals by continuing to prioritize cars over people on Morena Blvd.

A salmon cyclist suffered minor injuries when he was hit by an SUV driver while riding the wrong way in a Ramona bike lane.

A San Luis Obispo paper looks at why the city has lost two bikes shops in a single week. Like the owner of one having to work a second job just to keep the shop afloat.

A Los Altos writer says yes, it is legal to ride a bicycle in many places in California, but there’s no good reason to scare or inconvenience others.

 

National

If you lost your fully loaded AR-15 rifle while riding on an an Anchorage AK bike path, a man found it while walking his dog. And the police would like to talk to you.

A Utah woman reflects on the life-changing moment when you learn to ride a bicycle.

Denver announces plans to lower speed limits on several streets in response to recent bicycling deaths.

A Lutheran bishop rides RAGBRAI, and considers the spiritual aspects of the popular ride across Iowa.

A Chicago woman turns herself in for a hit-and-run so bad her bike-riding victim remains in critical condition over three weeks after the crash; she’s been charged with felony hit-and-run and DUI counts. She should also face charges for attempting to coverup the crime by replacing her car’s mirror and windshield the day of the crash. Although it will be interesting to see how they can make the DUI charge stick without a blood, breath or field sobriety test.

A group of young men are apparently mugging bike riders in the Windy City. A bikeshare rider was the victim of the third attack in less than a week.

After taking up bicycling in honor of her late bike-riding husband, a Chicago woman was crushed when someone stole her bike in South Carolina. Until she got it back when the thief tried to sell it to a legitimate dealer.

Jeff Goldblum is one of us, going to Detroit to visit a bikemaker and take part in a slow roll ride, and leaving the city with a new bicycle.

Indianapolis bike riders are getting new bikeways, courtesy of a dollar per day fee on scooters.

This is how Vision Zero is supposed to work. New York responds to recent bicycling deaths by rushing to install 45 blocks of new protected bike lanes in Brooklyn.

Take a 13-mile sightseeing bike tour of Manhattan on the Hudson River Greenway.

A writer for c|net credits his new WaveCel helmet with saving his life when he was hit by driver in an unprotected New York bike lane.

 

International

Road.cc offers an updated bicycle to English dictionary, while Rouleur provides all the bicycling quotations your two-wheeled little heart could desire.

No bias here. An Ottawa letter writer generously allows that not all bike riders break the law, just 95% of them, while calling for mandatory licenses and insurance. Just wait until someone tells him how effective that’s been for motorists.

The CEO of British foldie maker Brompton says ebikes will lead to a mega transformation of the bike industry in the near future.

Evidently, it helps to be British royalty-adjacent to get your dogs’ stolen cargo bike back.

No bias here, either. A UK motorists group says it doesn’t matter if traffic deaths are down, London’s Vision Zero is a “counter-productive road safety fantasy.” And suggests that if you really want to reduce bicycling crashes, stop encouraging people to ride bikes.

Or here, either. A trucking website says forget requiring new truck standards so drivers can actually see the road around them, because bikes just don’t belong on London’s narrow streets, and all bike riders should be required to pass a proficiency test instead.

Paris plans to expand a network of bike paths to the outlying suburbs to make it easier for commuters to bike to work.

Vienna, Austria is fighting motor vehicle usage with a subsidized cargo bikeshare program.

Right-wing Austrian politicians are calling for a ban on bike trailers after two small children were killed when a driver slammed into the trailer their mother was pulling behind her ebike, while calmer voices say the real problem is cars and the people driving them.

Turns out Luxembourg isn’t all that bike friendly after all.

Heartbreaking story from Hiroshima on the 70th anniversary of the first atomic bomb attack, where a three-year old boy was buried with his tricycle until his bones were exhumed 34 years ago and moved to the family cemetery.

 

Competitive Cycling

American cyclist Chloe Dygert Owen honored former teammate Kelly Catlin after winning her second gold medal at the Pan American Games with a runaway victory in the individual time trial. She previously won silver with Catlin, who took her own life earlier this year, in the team time trial at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

 

Finally…

The next time a seagull attacks you on your bike, try giving it the stare down. Apparently, if you want to keep bicyclists safe on both sides of the road, you have to ask pretty please.

And you may not be going anywhere, but at least you’re art.

Or maybe riding art.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Backlash to Palisades road diet, shooting of unarmed Castaic man protested, and bike events

August 5, 2016 / / 3 comments

No surprise.

The proposal to install a road diet on Temescal Canyon Road, with a parking protected bike lane on the uphill side and a buffered lane downhill, ran into opposition at the Pacific Palisades Community Council last week. (“Proposal to Take Away Downhill Temescal Lane;” right column, bottom of first page)

People tend to be very defensive of their traffic lanes — almost as much as they are parking. And anything that promises to improve safety usually takes a back seat to fears of traffic congestion, warranted or not.

Hopefully, local residents will come around once the benefits of the project are actually explained.

………

A group of mostly African-American civil rights leaders is stepping up to protest the shooting of an unarmed bike rider by sheriff’s deputies in Castaic Tuesday night.

………

The Ovarian Psychos’ 5th annual Clitoral Mass ride rolls tomorrow for riders who identify as female.

The LACBC is teaming with Just Ride LA for this month’s Sunday Funday Ride in DTLA on Sunday, regardless of how you identify.

Also on Sunday, Finish the Ride and Velo Studio are hosting the free community ride Tour de Griffith Park: An Introduction to Safe and Fun Riding.

West Hollywood will have a soft-launch of their new smart-bike bikeshare system on Tuesday.

Long Beach will celebrate the opening of a new parking protected bike lane on Artesia Blvd this Thursday.

And don’t forget the return of CicLAvia to iconic Wilshire Blvd next Sunday, albeit in a shorter version due to construction of the Purple Line.

………

Megan Guarnier has gone from doing risk assessment in nuclear plants to America’s best hope for cycling gold in Rio; she describes the road race as the hardest single-day course she’s seen, stray dogs and slick surfaces included.

Cycling Weekly looks at the favorites in the Olympic men’s road race, none of whom are American.

Australia’s Rohan Dennis was nearly out of the games before they started after crashing on a bad surface on the road course.

The good news is, there’s less doping in the women’s peloton than in the men’s; the bad news is, there’s doping in the women’s peloton.

………

Local

The LA Times looks at the popularity of fixies, saying they’ve gone from hipster status symbols to being found everywhere. Although I question whether the too-frequent stories of cyclists injured after recklessly blowing through stop signs in front of oncoming traffic results from the inability of beginning fixed-gear riders to safely stop their bikes.

Atwater Village residents demand the removal of flood control barriers along their stretch of the LA River bike path, after the barriers have been removed everywhere else.

CiclaValley concludes his list of the ten most essential climbs in the LA area.

 

State

A Santa Ana man told police he was shot in the chest when he struggled with an armed gang member trying to steal his bike. Once again, if there’s a weapon involved, just let your bike go. Your life is worth more.

A new UC Riverside study concludes that low income bicyclists who ride out of necessity are largely ignored by SoCal communities, where bike paths and policies favor recreational and upper-income riders.

Salinas ranks among the worst in the state for pedestrian and bike safety.

San Francisco’s mayor announces increased efforts to improve safety on the city’s streets in the wake of recent deaths and criticism by bike advocates.

 

National

A new premium Strava feature will tell your friends exactly where you are so they can meet up, or find you if you don’t get home on time.

An off-duty Oklahoma officer is credited with saving a bike rider from being shot by an admitted killer.

The family of a bike messenger who was killed by a Chicago tour bus have filed suit, alleging the driver blew through the red light.

A Staten Island mom uses Facebook to get her son’s stolen bike back.

The New York Times talks to the hero bicyclist who saved a young man from jumping off the George Washington Bridge.

A New Jersey mountain bike trail is the latest to be sabotaged by anti-bike terrorists who planted barbed wire, broken bottles and boards embedded with screws and nails along the path. The scumbags who did this deserve to have the book thrown at them. But probably won’t, since they’re only targeting people on bicycles.

A full 40% of people in Baton Rouge LA say they would consider riding to work if the city had dedicated bike paths.

 

International

A transportation consulting firm says the cyclists cities should target are the ones who don’t ride yet.

Vancouver’s new bikeshare system has proven more popular than expected just two weeks after its launch.

Bighearted Victoria, Canada police pitch in to ship a boy’s stolen bike back to Alberta after it was stolen while his family was visiting the city.

The mayor of Edmonton, Canada says the racist rants telling a black bike rider to get off the street demonstrates the need for better infrastructure. It also demonstrates the need for fewer racist drivers.

There’s a special place in hell for the Ontario, Canada jackass who dragged a dog behind an ebike; fortunately, the dog is okay, while the driver faces charges including DUI.

Toronto drivers didn’t even wait for a new bike lane to be finished to before they started parking in it.

An Ottawa, Canada woman filed an assault complaint with the police after a male rider slapped her ass for riding too slow. Seriously, let other people ride their own way. And keep your damn hands to yourself.

Speaking of a special place in hell, that goes double for whoever stole the bike used by a British father to take his seriously ill five-year old daughter out for rides, and raise money to fight the disease that will eventually take her life.

The Guardian recounts the tale of bikeshare inventor Luud Schimmelpennink, and the failure of his hometown of Amsterdam to embrace the idea.

Romania wants to install new cycling routes to encourage bike tourism, including bike paths, public roads where cars are banned, and streets where traffic is limited to 18 mph.

Hyerabad, India will install a 300 station, 10,000 bike bikeshare system along the city’s railways.

The Israeli border guards caught on video confiscating a Palestinian girl’s bicycle and tossing it into the bushes say they did it to protect her. Sure, let’s go with that.

 

Finally…

Forget cornering or descending; the most important cycling skill you need is riding the right speed to catch Pokémon. Your next bikeshare helmet could be made of paper.

And a clunky looking bike bell promises to turn any bike into a smart bike; a smart rider is another matter.

 

Category: Bike Events, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , ,

Busy weekend, with LACBC Surf City Ride, WeHo Bike/Ped Workshop & Repsodos Ride on North Fig

June 15, 2013 / / Comments Off on Busy weekend, with LACBC Surf City Ride, WeHo Bike/Ped Workshop & Repsodos Ride on North Fig

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.

The Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee meets at 7 pm on the first Tuesday of each even-numbered month; the next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 6th at the Hollywood Neighborhood City Hall Community Room, 6501 Fountain Ave.

Join the LACBC and Where to Bike Los Angeles Saturday morning for a 45-mile Surf City ride along the OC coast. Meet at 8:30 am in Bixby Park, 130 Cherry Avenue in Long Beach; rolling at 9 am.

West Hollywood is hosting a Bike/Pedestrian Plan Workshop today, June 15th from 9 am to 11:30 am at the WeHo library, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd; the West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition encourages anyone who rides or walks in the city to attend to help make the city’s new Pedestrian & Bicycle Mobility Plan as powerful as possible.

Flying Pigeon Bike Shop and the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition team up for a Raspados Ride on North Figueroa on Saturday the 15th to promote bicycling in the local area, and support proposed bike lanes on North Figueroa. Riders meet at 3 pm at Flying Pigeon, 3404 N. Figueroa.

Sunday the 16th, Flying Pigeon rides to Downtown’s Good Girl Dinette for their monthly Get Sum Dim Sum Ride. Meet at Flying Pigeon, 3404 N. Figueroa at 10 am, rolling at 10:30.

Tuesday the 18th, the City Council is scheduled to vote on restoring the successful Spring Street green bike lanes in the face of intense opposition from the film industry. This vote has been delayed twice already, which suggests behind the scenes machinations that may not bode well for L.A. cyclists. The Council session begins at 10 am at 200 North Spring Street in Downtown L.A.

CD4 Council Member Tom LaBonge hosts his annual Tour LaBonge each Wednesday through August 17th. The next ride meets at 6 pm at Fire Station 88 at 5101 Sepulveda Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. If you go, ask him why he opposes the proposed bike lanes on Lankershim Blvd and the green bike lanes on Spring Street, and has been a major impediment to the long-delayed Bike Friendly Street on 4th Street. If he’s our friend, we don’t need any enemies.

Metro is co-sponsoring a series of bike traffic skills classes throughout the summer, with the first one taking place on Saturday, June 22nd in Claremont, followed by Los Angeles on Friday and Saturday, the 28th and 29th.

It’s time to retake our streets once again as the next edition when CicLAvia rolls down L.A.’s iconic Wilshire Blvd on Sunday, June 23rd, with a focus on exploring the city’s art and architecture. The ride rolls, walks, scoots and skates from Downtown to Fairfax — on both sides this time —  with extended hours from 9 am to 4 pm, and pedestrian-only zones on both ends. CicLAvia returns to an expanded Downtown route on Sunday, October 6th.

Once you’ve taken in CicLAvia, head over to City Hall for the first ever Wolfpack Hustle Civic Center Criterium, qualifying starts at noon, with races rolling at 4 pm. Note: Prize money is being split evenly between the four races; more racers are needed for the women’s category.

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s Civic Engagement Committee meets at 6:45 pm on the last Tuesday of each month. This month’s meeting will take place at the Pitfire Pizza at 2nd and Main in Downtown L.A. Now that the election cycle is over, the meeting will focus on where the committee will go from here. The meeting is open to everyone, and you don’t have to be an LACBC member to participate; email bikinginla at hotmail dot com to be added to the discussion list.

On Saturday the 29th, Metro, C.I.C.L.E. and Walk ‘n’ Rollers combine to kick off the summer with a 14-mile trek along the Ballona Creek Bike Path from Culver City to the Sea. Meet at the La Cienega / Jefferson Expo Line Station at 10:30 am, rolling at 11. Alternative start points meet on the bike path at 11:20 am at Overland Ave, and 11:45 am at Centinela.

On Saturday, July 6th, the Red5 Yellow7 Gallery hosts the closing of Passable Atlas, an exhibit by artists Sean Deyoe and Nathan Snider recreating four years of The Passage of a Few People Through a Rather Brief Moment in Time, a weekly Wednesday night bike ride exploring far-flung areas of the city. The exhibit will be followed by a Special Passage ride beginning at 8:30 pm at 4357 Melrose Ave in the HelMel Bicycle District.

Anyone willing to make the trip to the Bay Area may want to head to Oakland’s Jack London Square on Saturday, July 20th for the third annual Pedalfest, a free celebration of bikes, cycling, food family and fun; the event takes place from 11 am to 7 pm. Thanks to prinzrob for the heads-up.

Here’s your chance to bike the famed Las Vegas strip and the surrounding Las Vegas Valley, with the 6th Annual RTC Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo Pinarello on Saturday, September 21st. The event will offer routes for riders of all levels, from a 17-mile ride to 60-mile Metric Century and a 103-mile Gran Fondo; the longer rides will visit the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Lake Mead.

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , ,

A long list of events, including the Spoke(n)Art Ride, Bikes – Ballads – Beers, and Marathon Crash 2012

March 10, 2012 / / 7 comments

Mark your calendar for a long list of mostly L.A. area biking events and meetings, as I take a moment to celebrate my 1000th post since starting this blog in June, 2008.

That’s a lot of words.

……..

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.

Flying Pigeon hosts the monthly Spoke(n) Art Ride gallery tour on Saturday, March 10th; riders meet at the Flying Pigeon LA bike shop, 3714 North Figueroa Street, at 6 pm with a 6:30 departure, returning for a reception around 10 or 10:30 pm. Single speed beach cruisers are available to rent for $20.

The 7th annual Tour de Murrieta takes place the weekend of Friday, March 9th through Sunday the 11th in Murrieta, CA; the team competition honors fallen pro cyclist Jorge Alvarado.

The LACBC Planning Committee is scheduled to meet at 7 pm on Tuesday, March 13th at the Johnny’s Pizza at Museum Square, 5757 Wilshire Blvd; new board member Herbie Huff takes over as Chair of the committee.

LADOT will host a meeting to discuss wayfinding signage at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, March 14th at the Oakwood Recreation Center, 767 California Street in Venice.

Thursday, March 15th, support cycling on the Westside with Bikes – Ballads – Beers: A Benefit for the West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition from 7 pm to midnight at the Little Bar, 757 S. La Brea.

Cyclists aren’t welcome to ride the L.A. Marathon anymore, but that doesn’t mean you can’t crash the closed course before the race takes place with Wolfpack Hustle’s Marathon Crash Race 2012. Registration takes place from 5 to 11 pm Saturday, March 17th at Portfolio 360, 7665 Melrose Ave; competitors gather at Tang’s Donuts, 4341 Sunset Blvd in Silver Lake at 3 am on Sunday, March 18th, with a 4 am rolling start.

Flying Pigeon will host their popular Get Sum Dim Sum ride on Sunday, March 18th; riders meet at the Flying Pigeon LA bike shop, 3714 North Figueroa Street, at 10 am with a 10:30 departure. Single speed beach cruisers are available to rent for $20; bring $15 per person to pay for food.

The Culver City Bicycle Coalition invites you for an easy ride with the city’s mayor on Monday, March 19th, starting at Syd Kronenthal Park, 3459 McManus Ave, at the east end of the Ballona Creek bike path.

The 28th Annual Redlands Bicycle Classic will take place on March 22nd through 25th in Redlands, offering one of the state’s most intense cycling competitions, as well as a joyful celebration of bicycling for cyclists of all ages.

The 7th Annual Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer one-day bike stage race rolls on Sunday, March 25th; participants will tackle the 10 toughest hills in Los Angeles in a single day. Meet at the new pedestrian plaza at the intersection of Sunset and Griffith Park Blvds at 7:45 am, and rolling out at 8:30 sharp.

The newly formed Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s Civic Committee will hold its first meeting at 7 pm Monday, March 26th at the Downtown Pitfire Pizza, at 2nd and Main across from the new police headquarters. The committee will serve to give the LACBC a voice in the local political process to help ensure the election of bike-friendly candidates; Efren Moreno Jr and yours truly, Ted Rogers will serve as Co-Chairs.

Streetsblog LA hosts another fundraiser at the Library Ale House on Tuesday, March 27th, 2911 Main Street in Santa Monica. Streetsblog events are always fun and the money goes to keeping us all informed about local transportation issues; great food and beer just makes it that much better.

If you’re looking for a serious challenge, consider the CORPScamp Death Valley, five days of biking in Death Valley National Park featuring 300 miles or more of riding, including the Hell’s Gate Hundred, March 27th through 31st.

The 10th Annual Laurel Foundation’s Ride for AIDS will take place with a two-day century ride from San Diego to Santa Monica on April 14th and 15th, and a one day ride from Santa Monica to Redondo Beach and back on April 15th.

If you enjoyed the last CicLAvia, you’ll love the next one on Tax Day, April 15th from 10 am to 3 pm; the route will follow the same expanded course as last October’s. You can support this year’s CicLAvia by contributing on Kickstarter.

While you’re enjoying CicLAvia, stop by Orange 20 Bikes at the west end of the route, at the intersection of Heliotrope and Melrose, for a book signing with Eben Weiss, aka BikeSnobNYC, starting at 10:30 am.

Shifting Gears Cycling sponsors the 17th (or possibly 16th) Annual Santa Barbara Double Century on Saturday, April 28th and Sunday, April 29th. The two-day supported ride will travel 100 miles from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara, returning the next day.

It might be worth the long drive to Davis CA for the first ever Legends Gran Fondo sponsored by the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame on May 6th, featuring America’s first Tour de France winner Greg LeMond — the man whose name is on my bike —  as well as former World Champion Ruthie Mathes, Olympic silver medalist Nelson Vails, and other members of the Hall of Fame.

May is Bike Month. The first National Bike to School Day is scheduled for May 9th, with National Bike to Work Week taking place on May 14th through 18th, and National Bike to Work Day on Friday the 18th.

L.A.’s favorite fundraising bike ride rolls out on Sunday, June 10th with the 12th Annual L.A. River Ride; this one just keeps getting bigger and better every year. Six different rides, from an easy family ride to a fast, flat century. Funds go to support the LACBC in building a better, more bikeable L.A. County; save $10 if you register by May 15th.

Bikes are normally banned from the famed San Diego – Coronado Bay Bridge, but you can ride it on Sunday, August 26th, during the 5th Annual Bike the Bay, to benefit the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. Get an early registration discount through April 30th.

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , , ,

New Bike Center wayfinding signs in SaMo, tears at Adam Garrett hearing, and your weekend events

November 5, 2011 / / One comment

No mistaking where to turn with the new signs

I knew it was coming.

But I was surprised to see signs pointing to the new Santa Monica Bike Center on my last pass down Ocean Ave in our own little city by the bay.

I was less than 10 miles into my ride, though, so I saved a closer inspection for my return trip.

And while the northbound stretch of Ocean didn’t yet have the signs indicating the turn at Broadway that the marked the southbound route, once made my turn, I was easily able to follow the well-marked path to the Bike Center site at 2nd and Colorado.

You can just make out the Bike Center sign on the corner of the parking lot

Thanks to a recent typically insightful and well-deserved critique by Gary Kavanagh, I wasn’t surprised to see newly painted sharrows — and even new bike lanes — throughout the area. Though I found it much easier to ride past the typically backed-up Broadway traffic on the right than follow behind as the sharrows indicated.

Although I didn’t see — or at least didn’t notice — the dueling bike lane and sharrows that somehow ended up on 2nd Street right next to me.

Evidently that’s just a reflection of how hard SaMo is trying, though as Gary points out, not always succeeding, to become bike friendly.

The effort is appreciated, if not always the results.

A peak behind the curtain shows there's still a long way to go

I was disappointed, though not surprised, to discover the Bike Center — actually, Centers, with another satellite location slated to open at 4th and Broadway — are still far from opening.

In fact, a little research revealed an opening date scheduled for the 18th of this month. And yes, you’re invited.

Which means Santa Monica residents and visitors will soon be treated to:

Hopefully, these privately operated Bike Centers will prove successful, and offer a model for other cities throughout the area.

And yes, I’m talking to you, L.A.

……..

One of my favorite anonymous sources offers this update in the case of Adam Garrett, the schmuck teenage driver accused in the late night hit-and-run death of cyclist Hung Do. And then calling police the next day pretending to be a witness in an apparent attempt to find out what they knew — a call that resulted in Garrett becoming the lead suspect.

No one said he was a rocket scientist.

On Wednesday morning, Adam Carl Garrett was in court again.  I didn’t expect anything more than a quick, perfunctory appearance before the judge.

But the victim’s family & friends were there.  And they spoke before the judge.  It was horrible.

Hung Do’s mom is a widow, and she told the judge how it feels, every day, to have lost her only son. She doesn’t speak English, but a mama’s grief doesn’t need a court-appointed translator.  Other family members spoke, too, as well as a guy named Scott who identified himself as one of Hung’s best friends.  He wants justice.

Poor li’l Garrett was also teary-eyed.  He’s probably upset over the inequity of a system that allows a maximum six-year prison term for a criminal whose victim received a death sentence.

Garrett’s back in court on Monday, December 5th.  I’ll be bringing Kleenex, because on Wednesday there wasn’t enough to go around.

……..

Before we move on to this weeks events, a special thanks to Governor Jerry Brown.

Because it was our honored governor who not only vetoed a law that would have required drivers to give cyclists a minimum three-foot passing distance, but also vetoed a bill that would have increased the penalty for drivers who text or call on a hand-held cell phone, since the current law is almost universally ignored.

Because without his foresight, I might not have gotten Jerry Browned — that’s the new term for buzzing a cyclist, which as I recall originated with the aforementioned Gary Kavanagh — by a texting driver who forced me out of the lane I was occupying.

And nearly into the rear of a parked car.

It was easily the most memorable moment of my riding week, and not in a good way.

So thanks, Governor, for clearly demonstrating just how out of touch you really are. And putting my life, and that of every other cyclist, pedestrian and driver on our streets, at continued risk because you couldn’t be bothered to understand just how these vetoes effect us.

Although you’d think that simultaneously suffering the consequences of two misguided Jerry Brown vetoes should get me some sort of prize or something.

……..

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.

Velo Cult and the Golden Saddle Cyclery team up for a bike swap on Saturday, November 5th at 11 am, 1618 Lucille Ave.

Streetsblog hosts an upscale fundraiser at the home of Joel Epstein and Karen Sarachick on Saturday the 5th. The casual dinner reception begins at 6:30 pm with a suggested donation of $100, email damien at streetsblog dot org to RSVP and get directions.

Also on the 5th, Free the Streets unfolds its eco-visionary experiential art/music fest celebrating the burgeoning bicycle cultural scene of South Los Angeles. (And yes, I lifted that directly from the Facebook page.) It takes place from 2 pm to 10 pm at Mercado La Paloma, 3655 S. Grand Ave. Admission is restricted to 21 and over, with a $10 entry free and on-site bike valet; all proceeds go to support the expansion of CicLAvia into South L.A.

This month’s edition of Flying Pigeon LA’s Brewery Ride takes place on Saturday the 5th, with a slow paced ride to the new Angel City Brewery in Downtown L.A. The ride meets at 3 pm, and rolls at 3:30 pm, with bikes available to rent for $20. That will be followed by the Spoke(n)Art Ride on the 12th, and the popular Get Sum Dim Sum Ride on November 20th. All rides depart from the Flying Pigeon LA bike shop at 3714 N. Figueroa ST in Highland Park.

Saturday, November 5th through Monday, November 7th, the California Bicycle Coalition will host the 2011 California Bike Summit to help set the statewide bicycle advocacy agenda for 2012 and beyond. The sessions with take place at Downtown’s Kyoto Grand Hotel, with the Monday session held at the California Endowment for Health; Flying Pigeon is offering a $30 weekend bike rental.

The next ride in the LACBC’s popular series of Sunday Funday rides takes place on Sunday, November 6th with the East Valley Hansen Dam Ride, lead by board member Carrie Ungerman. The ride meets at the North Hollywood Metro Station at Lankershim and Chandler at 9 am and rolls at 9:30. The easy 23 mile ride is free for LACBC members and one guest; memberships will be available at a reduced price.

November 7th and 10th, LADOT will hold a series of Westside Mobility meetings to discuss the future of Westside Commuting; topics include Project Overview, Bicycle and Pedestrian, Transit – Light Rail, Bus and BRT, Roadways, Smart Choices for Commuting, Parking, and Project Ideas via Electronic Surveying. See website for times, locations and registration.

The South Bay Bike Plan continues it’s long march to approval with hearings before the four remaining city councils: Lawndale on November 7th, Gardena on November 8th, Manhattan Beach on the 15th and Torrance on November 22nd.

The LACBC Planning Committee meets the second Tuesday of each month; the next meeting is scheduled for 7 pm on November 8th, note the new location at Johnny’s New York Pizzeria in Museum Square, 5757 Wilshire Blvd. This month’s meeting will focus on developing a list of policies for the LACBC.

Update: The LA Tamale Throwdown scheduled for November 11th through 13th has been cancelled for this year.

On Saturday, November 12th, C.I.C.L.E. hosts a ride through the streets canvas of our city, with a leisurely paced 7.5 mile tour of L.A. street murals in Lincoln Heights, Boyle Heights and the Downtown Arts District, with a party to follow. Riders meet at Lincoln Park by the Valley Blvd parking lot, Valley Blvd and San Pablo Street, with the ride starting at 1:30 pm.

Also on Saturday the 12th, Palm Desert hosts the first Palm Desert Century Bike Ride, with rides of 20, 32, 50, 60, 70 and 100 miles; online registration ends November 11th.

Update: The LACBC’s Tour de Taste originally scheduled for Sunday, November 13th, has been postponed, with the date to be determined.

The County of Los Angeles unveils the final draft of their proposed new bike plan, offering a more than 500% increase in bikeways. Your last chance to comment of the plan could come before the County of Los Angeles Regional Planning Commission, Wednesday, November 16th at 9 am in the Hall of Records, Room 150, 320 West Temple Street in Downtown L.A.

December 7th through 11th, Antenna Magazine’s Re:mix Lab will hit L.A. after a semi-national tour, featuring two urban Bad Boy bikes designed by Cannondale in cooperation with Junk Food Clothing. The art, music, fashion and cultural festival will unfold at a site to be selected.

Friday, December 9th, the Midnight Ridazz host what may be the most important ride of the year, when they ensure that thousands of L.A. children will have a happy holiday with the 6th Annual All-City Toy Ride. Routes will begin from points throughout the city, converging on Downtown L.A. to collect the toys and celebrate the season.

Tuesday, December 27th, the LACBC returns to Santa Monica’s Library Alehouse for the 3rd Annual Mid-Winter Merriment, 2911 Main Street. Good beer, good friends, bike valet and a portion of all sales goes to support cycling in the great L.A. area. What’s not to like?

Category: Bike Events, Legal Cases, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , ,

Your coming bike events, including L.A.’s first Gran Fondo and a Presidential Sunday Funday

June 24, 2011 / / Comments Off on Your coming bike events, including L.A.’s first Gran Fondo and a Presidential Sunday Funday

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

Celebrate the fast-growing L.A. fixie scene at the official release party for the exciting new movie To Live and Ride in L.A. on Saturday, June 25th, at Royal/T, 8910 Washington Blvd. The party runs from 6:30 pm to midnight, and is open to the public.

The Culver City Bicycle Coalition invites you to join them on Saturday, June 25th for a family ride to celebrate the official Grand Opening of the newly reopened Ballona Creek Bike Path. The ride meets at the historic Culver Hotel in Downtown Culver City at 9 am, and departs at 9:30 for the Overland Gate Dedication at 10.

Italian-style biking comes to L.A. with the 2011 Gran Fondo Calnago Los Angeles, offering rides of 39 and 72 miles, with up to 7,100 feet of climbing; registration includes jersey, aid stations and post-ride Italian lunch. Proceeds will go to benefit Team Type 1, a pro team made up to call attention to the fight against Type 1 Diabetes. The rides start at 7 am on Sunday, June 26h at the 400 block of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

Sunday, June 26th, CicLAvia hosts a free bike fitting workshop and easy group ride to explore the proposed South L.A. Route and help distribute flyers. It starts with the workshop at 10 am at Mercado La Paloma, 3655 S. Grand Ave, followed by the group ride at 11 am.

The Eastside Bike Club invites you to join them as they participate in the annual El Sereno 4th of July Parade on Saturday, July 2nd; decorate your bike and yourself in red, white and blue, and stick around for the fireworks at dusk. The ride assembles at 1 pm  at the El Sereno Library, 5226 Huntington Drive, with the parade starting at 2 pm. The ESBC will also be riding to view fireworks in Boyle Heights on the 3rd, and Alhambra on the 4th.

Flying Pigeon hosts their monthly Brewery Ride on Saturday, July 2nd from 3 to 5:30 pm, followed by the Spoke(n) Art Ride on Saturday, July 9th at 6 pm and the Get Sum Dim Sum Ride on Sunday, July 17th at 10 am. All rides meet at Flying Pigeon Bike Shop, 3714 North Figueroa Street in Highland Park.

A car wash will be held on Sunday, July 3rd from 9 am to 2 pm on Sunday, July 3rd to raise funds for Ride2Recovery, a nationwide program that helps wounded vets reclaim their lives through cycling. It takes place at 316 W. Florence Ave in Inglewood, with a taco truck onsite for those who want a great lunch or want to contribute without a car.

The next edition of the LACBC’s popular Sunday Funday rides rolls on Sunday, July 3rd, with the Salute to Our Founding Fathers Ride hosted by board member Greg Laemmle. The ride will start at the Helms Bakery Building and travel Washington, Adams and Jefferson Blvds and the historic West Adams district, as well as exploring the old tombstones at Angelus Rosedale Cemetery, stopping for a bite at La Taquiza, then returning along the route of the new Expo Line. The ride assembles at 9:30 am at the fountain in front of Father’s Office, 3229 Helms Ave, and departs at 10.

On July 15th, life as we know it will come to an end when Carmaggedon occurs with the closure of the 405 Freeway through West L.A. True believers in freeway widening and car culture will immediately be raptured out of the construction zone, leaving those left behind to fight for survival on the streets of the city; for those lucky few who make it through the weekend, life will return to some semblance of normal when the freeway reopens on Monday the 18th. Or you could just, you know, ride your bike instead.

Tuesday, August 30th, Santa Monica’s Library Alehouse will host a benefit night for Streetsblog LA; 5% of all food and drink purchases will benefit Streetsblog; 2911 Main Street.

Finally, mark your calendar for L.A.’s Ultimate Bike Weekend, as the 2011 L.A. edition of the Tour de Fat comes to town on Saturday, October 8th, followed by the next CicLAvia on Sunday, October 9th, offering an expanded route taking participants another 2.5 miles into Boyle Heights.

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , ,

Another full weekend of bikey goodness, and more links than you can shake a trackpad at

May 21, 2011 / / 2 comments

Once again, we have a very busy calendar crammed full of biking events, followed by a long list of links for your weekend reading pleasure.

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Bike Talk airs every Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK; this week’s scheduled guests include yours truly.

Sustainable Streets presents a free bike skills workshop for all ages from 10 am – 12:30 pm on Saturday, May 21st in the North Parking Lot at Santa Monica High School, 601 Pico Blvd.

Also on Saturday the 21st, learn how to leave your car behind when C.I.C.L.E. hosts Shopping By Bike and A Taste of Fair Trade Ride, with snacks, raffle prizes, and display bikes and gear from Incycle; the event takes place from 10 am to 1 pm at the Shops on South Lake Courtyard, 345 South Lake Avenue in Pasadena.

Beverly Hills advocacy group Better Bike Beverly Hills will meet at 2 pm on Saturday, May 21st at Peets Coffee, 258 S. Beverly Drive. Topics include Santa Monica Boulevard reconstruction timeline, update on Westside-area coordinated bike planning (just now taking shape), Bike routes for a BH-area bike network and opportunities to get involved.

C.I.C.L.E. wraps up Bike Week with an Arroyo Seco Ride and Pedal Party; experience a spectacular sunset ride bike tour followed by a party with DJ, food from Whole Foods and New Belgium beers, as well as a raffle prize from REI. Meet for the ride at One Colorado Courtyard, at the intersection of De Lacey Ave and Colorado Blvd at 6:30 pm on Saturday the 21st; party begins at 9 pm.

The San Diego Century ride takes place on Saturday, May 21st with rides of 37, 66 or 103 miles, starting in Encinitas, along with free admission to an expo featuring sports, local cuisine and live music.

The Amgen Tour of California continues with Stage 7 from Claremont to Mt. Baldy on Saturday the 21st; the Source suggests taking Metrolink to Claremont to view the race. Assuming the Apocalypse passes us by, the final stage from Santa Clarita to Thousand Oaks takes place on Sunday the 22nd. Daily TV coverage on Versus; check your local listings for time and station.

Tuesday, May 25th, Sustainable Streets and Grand Masters Cycling host a fundraising event and raffle featuring bikes, beer, food, fabulous raffle prizes and complimentary bike valet, from 11:30 am to midnight at the Library Alehouse, 2911 Main Street in Santa Monica.

Saturday, June 4th, the Palms Neighborhood Council and the LAPD’s Pacific Division is sponsoring the 2011 Bike Rodeo from 10 am to 2 pm at Palms Elementary School, 3520 Motor Ave; events include a bike safety course, safety inspection, radar speed test and a bike giveaway, as well as live entertainment and free food.

Folk Art Everywhere explores the historic West Adams District on their next bike tour on Saturday, June 4th; expect an easy, fun and fascinating ride perfect for beginning to moderate cyclists. Meet at Mercado La Paloma, 3655 S. Grand Avenue in Los Angeles, at 11 am, with the ride starting at 11:15.

Flying Pigeon hosts their monthly Brewery Ride on Saturday, June 4th from 3 to 5:30 pm, followed by the Spoke(n) Art Ride on Saturday, June 11 and the Get Sum Dim Sum Ride on Sunday, June 19th. All rides meet at Flying Pigeon Bike Shop, 3714 North Figueroa Street in Highland Park.

Join me, and thousands of other cyclists at L.A.’s favorite fundraiser ride on Sunday, June 5th with the 11th Annual River Ride; advance registration is open now. Volunteers are still needed — and trust me, as a volunteer last year, it’s about as much fun as you can have without actually riding; email RRvolunteer@la-bike.org for more info and to sign up.

If you can make it up to Sacramento on Sunday, June 12th, Ride4Matt is sponsoring a charity ride to benefit Matthew Wietrick, who was seriously injured while riding last February. Choose from routes of 10, 35 and 70 miles, with a $7 BBQ lunch after the ride; donations gratefully accepted.

Flying Pigeon Bike Shop will host a fundraising bike ride and party to benefit Streetsblog LA on Friday, June 17th, beginning and ending at Flying Pigeon, 3714 North Figueroa Street in Highland Park; ride meets at 6 pm, with party to follow at 8 pm.

Unofficial word is that the July 10th CicLAvia has been cancelled, but the October 9th event is a definite go, with an expanded route taking participants another 2.5 miles into Boyle Heights.

Tuesday, August 30th, Santa Monica’s Library Alehouse will host a benefit night for Streetsblog LA; 5% of all food and drink purchases will benefit Streetsblog; 2911 Main Street.

And mark your calendar for the 2011 L.A. edition of the Tour de Fat on October 9th; you’d think someone in the scheduling department would have noticed that the 9th is Yom Kippur this year. And L.A. has more than a few Jewish cyclists.

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Former Lance Armstrong friend and teammate George Hincapie is reportedly the latest to testify against Lance, but denies talking with 60 Minutes; why is it that the people who admit cheating are always the ones who insist their sport needs to be saved from people like them?

And if you have at least eight grand, you could own a slightly used Team RadioShack AToC bike.

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Report your favorite road divot for Round 2 of L.A.’s Operation Pothole; problem is, most of the streets in my neighborhood don’t have potholes.

They are potholes.

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Former national Crit champ Rahsaan Bahati asks your help to raise just $1,500 to help the Major Motion Junior Development Team go to the Nationals. It would be hard to think of anything else where so little could do so much for such a good cause.

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Neon Tommy looks at the proposed anti-harassment ordinance and the city’s complicated relationship with cyclists. Streetsblog’s excellent series of reports from the far corners of L.A.’s cycling world continues with Brigham Yen’s review of Pasadena’s lack of bike parking, and Wesley Reutimann reports on the San Gabriel Valley’s vibrant cycling scene. The Bikerowave gives Sony Studios a tune-up. Damien Newton experiences an uneven Bike to Work Day commute with his mom. KABC-7’s Jovana Lara bikes to work. C.I.C.L.E. looks at the first four days of Pasadena’s Bike Week. The Source offers photos of Bike to Work Day, while Steve Hymon asks what kind of bike he should buy for commuting. Rick Risemberg visits the new Caltrans bike exhibit; Flying Pigeon contributes Dutch bikes to Caltrans Bike to Work Fair. The Westwood Expo station could get a greenway and bike path. KCET looks at the Westside’s Taco Tuesday rides. Criminal Minds star Shemar Moore files suit against the driver who broke his leg in a cycling collision. Nicole Honda, fiancé of fallen cyclist Jim Swarzman, addresses the Thousand Oaks Ride of Silence. Riding the wrong way on a one-way street, even when you know better.

San Diego celebrates Bike to Work Day with two serious cycling collisions in just half an hour. Seventy-five percent of Petaluma residents don’t ride regularly — which means of course that 25% do. Sacramento seniors are at risk from rampant sidewalk riders. Bike advocates want representation on Caltrans’ California Traffic Control Devices Committee. The Give Me 3 campaign advances through the state Senate, with the bizarre 15 mph exemption still attached; Nevada passes a three foot law, without a 15 mph exemption.

Kiplinger offers a simple online calculator to figure out how much you can save by biking to work; thanks to Horst Simon for the heads-up. A new on-bike box could make wind tunnel testing obsolete. NPR asks who’s at fault when bikes and cars collide; thanks to Steve Herbert for forwarding the link. The Wall Street Journal looks at chic styles for bike riders. Five great ways to get people to bike to work. The Seattle Times asks what’s with all the bike bitterness?; thanks to Eric Bruins for the tip. Denver bike commuters leave their cars at home. Tulsa officials deny plans to ban bikes from the city’s streets. Maybe the way to calm bike lane haters is to build more bike lanes, stat. Zeke successfully celebrates his town’s first Bike to Work Day.

Unhealthy neighborhoods lead to unhealthy people. The Independent asks what your bike says about you. A UK zoo offers a discount to anyone who arrives by bike. A first person look at the long road back from a near fatal cycling collision. Electric cars may not solve congestion, but more bikes might help. The British Automobile Association urges its members to share the road safely. Copenhagen looks to clean up their bike parking mess.

Finally, Flying Pigeon makes the cutest argument ever for more bike racks.

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , , ,

It’s raining bikes, halleluiah! Our busiest weekend and Bike Week schedule yet.

May 14, 2011 / / One comment

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

Saturday, May 14th, Streetsblog LA will host a pre-Bike Week Westside Ride to the Venice Pier starting at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 11555 National Blvd, at 10:30 am.

CicLAvia is hosting a meeting to discuss expanding into Boyle Heights at 11 am Saturday in Room A208 of historic Roosevelt High School, 436 S. Matthews Street. Meanwhile, the previously scheduled South L.A. Ride is on after all; meet at the All People’s Christian Center at 822 E. 20th Street in Los Angeles at 11 am.

The annual Long Beach Bicycle Festival continues on Saturday, May 14th in Downtown Long Beach. The festivities include the Tour of Long Beach on Saturday, May 14th with rides of 4, 31 and 61 miles to benefit Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach.

Hermosa Beach offers the 3rd Annual Cycle Saturday Bike Education FUNshop from 10 am to 2 pm at Valley Park Amphitheater, at the intersection of Gould Ave and Valley Drive, offering safety and protocol education for all ages; maybe we need more events like this throughout the region.

Also on Saturday, May 14th Glendale Safe and Healthy Streets is sponsoring a free 12-mile Ice Cream Ride as part of the city’s Bike Month, beginning and ending at the Colina Drive entrance to Verdugo Park. Riders meet at 1 pm and set off at 1:30; minors must be accompanied by adults, and participants should bring money to purchase ice cream.

Further inland, the 2011 Tour of Riverside offers a family-friendly bike fest on Saturday the 14th from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm at Fairmount Park in Riverside. Events include 30 and 15 mile rides through downtown Riverside, children’s bike safety course, family run rides and a bike-a-thon, as well as exhibits, repair clinics, games, entertainment and free helmets for children.

Flying Pigeon will be busy this weekend, with the Spoke(n) Art Ride on Saturday, followed by the Get Sum Dim Sum Ride on Sunday. The Spoke(n)Art Ride meets at 6 pm at Flying Pigeon Bike Shop, 3714 North Figueroa Street in Highland Park, and rolls at 6:45, followed by a party at the Bike Oven next door to the shop. The popular Get Sum Dim Sum ride meets in front of the shop at 10 am Sunday, rolling at 10:30; click the link at the right of the page for more information.

Saturday and Sunday, May 14th and 15th, Bakersfield hosts the Safe Routes to School Bike Festival at Bakersfield Central Park at Mill Creek, 21st and R Street; Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, including Bike Polo Tournament, BMX Competition and Bike Rodeo; Sunday from 7 am to 4 pm, with Bike Swap Meet and Crit.

The California State High School Mountain Bike Championship takes place this weekend in Los Olivos; thanks to Interbike Blog for heads-up.

The Amgen Tour of California kicks off on Sunday the 15th, with what may be a snowy ride around Lake Tahoe; Southern California stages include Solvang on Friday the 20th — including the Women’s International Time Trial Challenge — Claremont to Mt. Baldy on Saturday the 21st, and the final stage from Santa Clarita to Thousand Oaks on Sunday the 22nd. Daily TV coverage on Versus; check your local listings for time and station. This year’s ToC will honor Leopard-Trek rider Wouter Waylandt, who died this week in Stage 3 of the Giro d’Italia.

The Santa Monica Spoke is hosting Sunday in the Park on Sunday, May 15th from 3:30 to 5pm at Broadway Park, 2500 Broadway in Santa Monica; topics include what the Spoke is working on, bike talk and the Santa Monica Bike Action Plan.

For riders unafraid to venture behind the Orange Curtain, Bike Newport Beach is sponsoring a Family Fun Ride on Sunday, May 15th beginning at 8 am at the Oasis Senior Center, 801 Narcissus Avenue in Corona del Mar.

Also on Sunday, May 15th, the Pasadena Marathon takes to the streets of the City of Roses, including a 5:45 am bike tour before the runners hit the pavement. Riders and runners start and finish at Pasadena City College, 1570 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91106; thanks to Louie for the heads-up.

L.A.’s 17th annual Bike Week takes place May 16th through the 20th, with an emphasis on bike safety education, and events throughout the city.

  • Bike Week opens with an 8:30 am Monday, May 16th Kick-Off Event at the North Hollywood Metro Station
  • This year’s Blessing of the Bicycles will take place from 8 to 9:30 am on Tuesday, May 17th at Downtown’s Good Samaritan Hospital, 616 S. Witmer Street.
  • Ride with other cyclists through the streets of Downtown on Wednesday, May 18th; riders meet at 8 am at Union Station on Alameda Street
  • Bike to Work Day takes place on Thursday, May 19th, with morning pit stops throughout the greater Los Angeles Area, as well as a handful of Bike from Work happy hours; Metro is also looking for Bike Buddies to guide inexperienced cyclists to work.
  • Friday, May 19th is Bike to School Day

CICLE will celebrate Pasadena’s Bike Week with two special events:

  • Monday, May 16th is Bike Film Night with Streetsblog LA joining CICLE to present a series of Streetfilms and discuss how those lessons can be applied to Southland streets; 6:30 P.M. at Boston Court Performing Arts Center, 70 North Mentor Avenue, Pasadena.
  • The Mayor’s Ride & Family Night will take place on Tuesday, May 17th from 5:30 to 8 pm at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield; join with Pasadena mayor Bill Bogaard and other local officials at a family-friendly event to promote bicycle as a safe and sustainable transportation alternative.

Long Beach celebrates Bike to Work Day on Thursday the 19th, and Bike to School Day on Friday the 20th.

See Streetsblog’s amazing Bike Month Mega Page for more bike month listings throughout the greater Los Angeles are.

The Westside Council of Governments will meet on Thursday, May 19th, with lunch at 11:45 am and the business meeting beginning at noon; a program to coordinate bikeways through the Westside cities of L.A., Beverly Hills, Culver City, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood will be on the agenda. The meeting will take place in the Garden Terrace Room of the Annenberg Beach House, 415 Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica.

The San Diego Century ride takes place on Saturday, May 21st with rides of 37, 66 or 103 miles, starting in Encinitas, along with free admission to an expo featuring sports, local cuisine and live music.

Saturday, June 4th, the Palms Neighborhood Council and the LAPD’s Pacific Division is sponsoring the 2011 Bike Rodeo from 10 am to 2 pm at Palms Elementary School, 3520 Motor Ave; events include a bike safety course, safety inspection, radar speed test and a bike giveaway, as well as live entertainment and free food.

Join me, and thousands of other cyclists at L.A.’s favorite fundraiser ride on Sunday, June 5th with the 11th Annual River Ride; advance registration is open now. Volunteers are still needed — and trust me, as a volunteer last year, it’s about as much fun as you can have off your bike; email RRvolunteer@la-bike.org for more info and to sign up.

If you can make it up to Sacramento on Sunday, June 12th, Ride4Matt issponsoring a charity ride to benefit Matthew Wietrick, who was seriously injured while riding last February. Choose from routes of 10, 35 and 70 miles, with a $7 BBQ lunch after the ride; donations gratefully accepted.

Flying Pigeon Bike Shop will host a fundraising bike ride to benefit Streetsblog LA on Friday, June 17th, beginning and ending at Flying Pigeon, 3714 North Figueroa Street in Highland Park; ride meets at 6 pm, with party to follow at 8 pm.

The next two CicLAvias will take place on July 10th and October 9th; if you were at either of the first two, you’ve probably already marked your calendar.

Tuesday, August 30th, Santa Monica’s Library Alehouse will host a benefit night for Streetsblog LA; 5% of all food and drink purchases will benefit Streetsblog; 2911 Main Street.

And mark your calendar for the 2011 L.A. edition of the Tour de Fat on October 9th, unless you happen to be an observant Jew, since it falls on Yom Kippur this year.

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It’s been a busy week with a lot of breaking news, so I haven’t been able to keep up with the news links this past week; I’ll try to catch up over the weekend.

And come back on Monday for great news on River Ride — and our first-ever contest.

Category: General / Tags: , ,

Volunteers needed for Culver City bike count, and jam-packed bike weekend

April 30, 2011 / / 3 comments

Volunteers are needed for a bike count in Culver City next month.

As part of the Culver City Bicycle and Pedestrian Initiative, Culver City, the Culver City Bicycle Coalition, and the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition will be conducting bicycle and pedestrian counts this May.  The last time counts were done was in 2009, so we need to get out there and document the changes.  Come join us and help Culver City become more bicycle and pedestrian friendly!

The counts will be held Wednesday, May 11th at 7 to 9am and 4 to 6pm and Saturday, May 14th from to 12 to 2pm and two volunteer training workshops will be conducted the Sunday afternoon (May 8th at 4pm) and Monday evening (May 9th at 6:30pm) at the Culver City Senior Center. It is really important that everyone attend one of the trainings as it’s where we’ll be passing count forms, providing you with location details, and making sure we’re all on the same page about how and what to count. Workshops will take about 1 hour to complete.

Volunteer Training Workshops:
When: Sunday, May 8th 4pm and Monday, May 9th 6:30pm
Where: Culver City Senior Center
Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts:
When: Wednesday, May 11th from 7 to 9am and 4 to 6pm and Saturday, May 14th from 12 until 2pm. 
Where: Sign up to volunteer and find out!!!
Please email either the Culver City Bicycle Coalition – jim@asylumdesign.com
or Alexis Lantz at LACBC – alexis@la-bike.org

.………

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

A bike ride will be held on Saturday, April 30th, to honor 17-year old German Alex Romero, who was killed by a speeding hit-and-run driver in Canoga Park last week. The ride will begin at 6 pm at the Reseda Orange Line bike path, ending at the crash site at De Soto and Valerio; participants are urged to wear white. Donations are being accepted to benefit Romero’s family at JB Bike Shop, 21527 Sherman Way.

Attention Boss fans — take in select screenings of the new Bruce Springsteen documentary The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town at a Laemmle Theatre near you, and half of all ticket sales will go to benefit the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition; screenings take place on Saturday, April 30th, Sunday May 1st and Monday the 2nd.

Sustainable Streets and Transition Culver City will be hosting a Confident City Cycling course for adult riders. The two-day course is intended to help bike riders gain the confidence and skill to ride a bike safely and legally in city traffic. The $75 course is limited to 12 people, and takes place Saturday, April 30th and Saturday, May 7th at 10 am to 2 pm at Linwood E. Howe Elementary School, 4100 Irving Place in Culver City; preregister at info@sustainablestreetsla.org.

Join Bikeside for Le Tour de Green Gardens, a tour of sustainable eco-friendly gardens on Saturday, April 30th, as they participate in the Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase; meet at 11 am at 3141 Greenfield Avenue.

Also on Saturday, April 30th, the Conejo Valley Cyclists presents Cruisin’ the Conejo, offering rides from 21 mile to a 101 mile route that follows last year’s final leg of the Tour of California. The ride begins at the Skyworks parking lot located at 2504 W. Hillcrest Drive in Thousand Oaks (aka Newbury Park);register online through April 28th.

The Dana Point Grand Prix will be held on Sunday, May 1st, featuring a .8 mile criterium; the start/finish will be located at the intersection of PCH and Del Prado in Dana Point.

If you can’t make it to Dana Point, don’t miss the May edition of the LACBC’s Sunday Funday Rides, with a tour of historic Northwest and Northeast L.A.; riders assemble at the Echo Park Boathouse at 9:30 am on May 1st.

Also on Sunday, May 1st, the Tour de Cure Ship to Shore rolls across the Vincent Thomas and Gerald Desmond bridges, starting from the Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway in Long Beach. Routes range from 8 to 100 miles, as well as an 11-mile route ending with a harbor cruise back to the starting point; in addition to the entry fee, riders are required to raise a minimum $150 in donations to benefit the American Diabetes Association. Thanks to GVDub for the reminder

Monday, May 2nd, Glendale Safe and Healthy Streets is sponsoring a free Bicycle Commuter Tips Workshop from 7 to 8:30 pm in the Sycamore Room of the Pacific Park Community Center, 501 S. Pacific Ave in Glendale. Topics include planning your route, what to do with work clothes, how to carry things and basic gear.

The BPIT (Bicycle Plan Implementation Team) will conduct its next monthly meeting at 2 pm on Tuesday, May 3rd in room 721 of the Downtown City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street.

Wednesday, May 4th, Glendale Transportation Management Associates and the LACBC team to host a free lunchtime Pre Bike to Work Expo at the courtyard between 400 and 450 North Brand Boulevard, from 11:30 am to 1 pm.

The Antelope Valley Conservancy sponsors the 16th Annual Antelope Valley Ride on Saturday, May 7th with rides of 20, 30 and 60 miles; check-in begins at 7 am at George Lane Park, 5520 West Avenue L-8 in Quartz Hill.

Also on Saturday, May 7th, celebrate the intersection of art, the environment and bicycling at the 20th Anniversary Santa Monica Fest, offering free admission, parking and bike valet. A special bike zone includes bike repair and maintenance advice from the Bikerowave, a Bike Learning Area sponsored by the City of Santa Monica Planning and Community Development, a Bike Exhibition with Santa Monica Spoke and a Ticket to Ride from the Santa Monica Museum of Art. It takes place from 11 am to 6 pm at Cloverfield Park, 2600 Ocean Park Blvd in Santa Monica; free bike valet at 25th and Ocean Park.

Meet the members of Team HTC-Highroad before they compete in the Amgen Tour of California when Cynergy Cycles sponsors An Evening in Fast Company on Monday, May 9th from 6 to 10 pm to benefit the Right to Play organization. Your $100 donation includes dinner, drinks, raffle and gift card; 2300 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica.

Also on Monday, May 9nd, Glendale Safe and Healthy Streets sponsors a free Basic Bike Repair Workshop from 7 to 8:30 pm in the Auditorium of the Glendale Central Library, 501 S. Pacific Ave in Glendale. Topics include planning your route, what to do with work clothes, how to carry things and basic gear.

On Thursday, May 12th, there will be a party  to benefit the California Bicycle Coalition and preview the new state-of-the-art Bike Stations at Bikestation Long Beach, 211 E. 1st Street at the Promenade in Long Beach, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

The annual Long Beach Bicycle Festival takes place on Friday, May 13th and Saturday, May 14th in Downtown Long Beach. The festivities include the Tour of Long Beach on Saturday, May 14th with rides of 4, 31 and 61 miles to benefit Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach.

Saturday, May 14th, Streetsblog LA will host a pre-Bike Week Westside Ride to the Venice Pier starting at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 11555 National Blvd, at 10:30 am.

Also on Saturday, May 14th Glendale Safe and Healthy Streets is sponsoring a free 12-mile Ice Cream Ride as part of the city’s Bike Month, beginning and ending at the Colina Drive entrance to Verdugo Park. Riders meet at 1 pm and set off at 1:30; minors must be accompanied by adults, and participants should bring money to purchase ice cream.

For riders unafraid to venture behind the Orange Curtain, Bike Newport Beach is sponsoring a Family Fun Ride on Sunday, May 15th beginning at 8 am at the Oasis Senior Center, 801 Narcissus Avenue in Corona del Mar.

Also on Sunday, May 15th, the Pasadena Marathon takes to the streets of the City of Roses, including a 5:45 am bike tour before the runners hit the pavement. Riders and runners start and finish at Pasadena City College, 1570 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91106; thanks to Louie for the heads-up.

L.A.’s 17th annual Bike Week takes place May 16th through the 20th, with an emphasis on bike safety education, and events throughout the city.

  • Bike Week opens with an 8:30 am Monday, May 16th Kick-Off Event at the North Hollywood Metro Station
  • This year’s Blessing of the Bicycles will take place from 8 to 9:30 am on Tuesday, May 17th at Downtown’s Good Samaritan Hospital, 616 S. Witmer Street.
  • Ride with other cyclists through the streets of Downtown on Wednesday, May 18th; riders meet at 8 am at Union Station on Alameda Street
  • Bike to Work Day takes place on Thursday, May 19th, with morning pit stops throughout the greater Los Angeles Area, as well as a handful of Bike from Work happy hours; Metro is also looking for Bike Buddies to guide inexperienced cyclists to work.
  • Friday, May 19th is Bike to School Day

CICLE will celebrate Pasadena’s Bike Week with two special events:

  • Monday, May 16th is Bike Film Night with Streetsblog LA joining CICLE to present a series of Streetfilms and discuss how those lessons can be applied to Southland streets; 6:30 P.M. at Boston Court Performing Arts Center, 70 North Mentor Avenue, Pasadena.
  • The Mayor’s Ride & Family Night will take place on Tuesday, May 17th from 5:30 to 8 pm at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield; join with Pasadena mayor Bill Bogaard and other local officials at a family-friendly event to promote bicycle as a safe and sustainable transportation alternative.

The San Diego Century ride takes place on Saturday, May 21st with rides of 37, 66 or 103 miles, starting in Encinitas, along with free admission to an expo featuring sports, local cuisine and live music.

L.A.’s favorite fundraiser ride rolls on Sunday, June 5th with the 11th Annual River Ride; advance registration is open now. Volunteers are needed now and on the day of the ride, email RRvolunteer@la-bike.org for more info and to sign up.

If you can make it up to Sacramento on Sunday, June 12th, Ride4Matt is sponsoring a charity ride to benefit Matthew Wietrick, who was seriously injured while riding last February. Choose from routes of 10, 35 and 70 miles, with a $7 BBQ lunch after the ride; donations gratefully accepted.

Flying Pigeon Bike Shop will host a fundraising bike ride to benefit Streetsblog LA on Friday, June 17th, beginning and ending at Flying Pigeon, 3714 North Figueroa Street in Highland Park; ride meets at 6 pm, with party to follow at 8 pm.

The next two CicLAvias will take place on July 10th and October 9th; anyone who was at the one last Sunday probably doesn’t need a reminder to mark their calendars.

Tuesday, August 30th, Santa Monica’s Library Alehouse will host a benefit night for Streetsblog LA; 5% of all food and drink purchases will benefit Streetsblog; 2911 Main Street.

And mark your calendar for the 2011 L.A. edition of the Tour de Fat on October 9th, unless you happen to be an observant Jew, since it falls on Yom Kippur this year.

Category: General / Tags: , , , ,

An ever growing list of bike happenings, including a busy Easter weekend

April 23, 2011 / / 4 comments

The list of upcoming events gets longer every week, with five events this weekend and seven next week.

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

Join Bike SGV on the Earth Day Community Bike Ride in Monterey Park on Saturday, April 23rd from 7:30 am to 9 am, beginning and ending at Barnes Park.

There will be a car wash on Saturday, April 23rd to benefit the family of Manuel Santizo, who was killed in an apparent gang shooting while riding his bike in Silver Lake. It will take place from 8 am to 6 pm at 1185 Myra Avenue near Effie Street.

Long Beach hosts the official grand opening of their new separated bikeways on the Promenade between Broadway and Third on Saturday, April 23rd from 11 am to 2 pm, with the opening ceremony at noon.  Events include a scavenger hunt, bike rodeo, guided bike tours, bike decoration and a screening of Riding Bikes with the Dutch.

Also on Saturday, there will be a pancake breakfast at LAFD Fire Station 69 at 15045 Sunset Blvd in Pacific Palisades to raise funds for four local firefighters planning to participate in the 3,300 mile cross-country Ride for 9-11 to honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

The San Fernando Bicycle Club will be hosting a memorial ride this Sunday, April 24th in honor of Jim Swarzman. The ride will follow Jim’s favorite route with the club, offering a challenging 40 mile ride with over 2,000 feet of climbing; it starts at 8 am at the NW corner of Nordhoff and Etiwanda in Northridge.

Thursday, April 28th, help craft the Glendale Bikeway Master Plan at the first community meeting for the updated plan. The meeting will be held at the Glendale Central Library, 222 East Harvard Street from 6 pm to 9 pm.

Also on the 28th, L.A.’s draft Bike Parking Ordinance will be presented to the L.A. Planning Commission at 10 am Downtown City Hall; comments are still being taken through April 19th attom.rothmann@lacity.org or 213-978-1891.

Attention Boss fans — take in select screenings of the new Bruce Springsteen documentary The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town at a Laemmle Theatre near you, and half of all ticket sales will go to benefit the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, April 28th, 30th, May 1st and 2nd.

Sustainable Streets and Transition Culver City will be hosting a Confident City Cycling course for adult riders. The two-day course is intended to help bike riders gain the confidence and skill to ride a bike safely and legally in city traffic. The $75 course is limited to 12 people, and takes place Saturday, April 30th and Saturday, May 7th at 10 am to 2 pm at Linwood E. Howe Elementary School, 4100 Irving Place in Culver City; preregister at info@sustainablestreetsla.org.

On Saturday, April 30th, the Conejo Valley Cyclists presents Cruisin’ the Conejo, offering rides from 21 mile to a 101 mile route that follows last year’s final leg of the Tour of California. The ride begins at the Skyworks parking lot located at 2504 W. Hillcrest Drive in Thousand Oaks (aka Newbury Park); register online through April 28th.

The Dana Point Grand Prix will be held on Sunday, May 1st, featuring a .8 mile criterium; the start/finish will be located at the intersection of PCH and Del Prado in Dana Point.

If you can’t make it to Dana Point, don’t miss the May edition of the LACBC’s Sunday Funday Rides, with a tour of historic Northwest and Northeast L.A.; riders assemble at the Echo Park Boathouse at 9:30 am on May 1st.

Also on Sunday, May 1st, the Tour de Cure Ship to Shore rolls across the Vincent Thomas and Gerald Desmond bridges, starting from the Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway in Long Beach. Routes range from 8 to 100 miles, as well as an 11-mile route ending with a harbor cruise back to the starting point; in addition to the entry fee, riders are required to raise a minimum $150 in donations to benefit the American Diabetes Association. Thanks to GVDub for the reminder.

Monday, May 2nd, Glendale Safe and Healthy Streets is sponsoring a free Bicycle Commuter Tips Workshop from 7 to 8:30 pm in the Sycamore Room of the Pacific Park Community Center, 501 S. Pacific Ave in Glendale. Topics include planning your route, what to do with work clothes, how to carry things and basic gear.

The Antelope Valley Conservancy sponsors the 16th Annual Antelope Valley Ride on Saturday, May 7th with rides of 20, 30 and 60 miles; check-in begins at 7 am at George Lane Park, 5520 West Avenue L-8 in Quartz Hill.

Also on Saturday, May 7th, celebrate the intersection of art, the environment and bicycling at the 20th Anniversary Santa Monica Fest, offering free admission, parking and bike valet. A special bike zone includes bike repair and maintenance advice from the Bikerowave, a Bike Learning Area sponsored by the City of Santa Monica Planning and Community Development, a Bike Exhibition with Santa Monica Spoke and a Ticket to Ride from the Santa Monica Museum of Art. It takes place from 11 am to 6 pm at Cloverfield Park, 2600 Ocean Park Blvd in Santa Monica; free bike valet at 25th and Ocean Park.

Meet the members of Team HTC-Highroad before they compete in the Amgen Tour of California when Cynergy Cycles sponsors An Evening in Fast Company on Monday, May 9th from 6 to 10 pm to benefit the Right to Play organization. Your $100 donation includes dinner, drinks, raffle and gift card; 2300 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica.

Also on Monday, May 9nd, Glendale Safe and Healthy Streets sponsors a free Basic Bike Repair Workshop from 7 to 8:30 pm in the Auditorium of the Glendale Central Library, 501 S. Pacific Ave in Glendale. Topics include planning your route, what to do with work clothes, how to carry things and basic gear.

On Thursday, May 12th, there will be a party  to benefit the California Bicycle Coalition and preview the new state-of-the-art Bike Stations at Bikestation Long Beach, 211 E. 1st Street at the Promenade in Long Beach, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

The annual Long Beach Bicycle Festival takes place on Friday, May 13th and Saturday, May 14th in Downtown Long Beach. The festivities include the Tour of Long Beach on Saturday, May 14th with rides of 4, 31 and 61 miles to benefit Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach.

L.A.’s 17th annual Bike Week takes place May 16th through the 20th, with an emphasis on bike safety education, and events throughout the city. This year’s Blessing of the Bicycles will take place as part of Bike Week from 8 to 9:30 am on May 17th at Downtown’s Good Samaritan Hospital, 616 S. Witmer Street. And Metro is looking for Bike Buddies to guide inexperienced cyclists on Bike to Work Day.

The San Diego Century ride takes place on Saturday, May 21st with rides of 37, 66 or 103 miles, starting in Encinitas, along with free admission to an expo featuring sports, local cuisine and live music.

L.A.’s favorite fundraiser ride rolls on June with the 11th Annual River Ride; advance registration is open now. Volunteers are needed now and on the day of the ride, email RRvolunteer@la-bike.org for more info and to sign up.

The next two CicLAvias will take place on July 10th and October 9th; anyone who was at the one last Sunday probably doesn’t need a reminder to mark their calendars.

And mark your calendar for the 2011 L.A. edition of the Tour de Fat on October 9th, unless you happen to be an observant Jew, since it falls on Yom Kippur this year.

Category: General / Tags: , ,
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