Fool’s Ride—March 31st, midnight into April 1st

Fool’s Ride… honest!  March 31st, shortly before midnight… one quarter before 12:00… many of us will gather at Belmont Pier. We’ll set off precisely at midnight, April 1st, for a full moon ride up the San Gabriel River trail, then up Coyote Creek to Rosecrans. We will then travel west on Rosecrans, heading towards the Los Angeles River. Those who want a shorter night ride can take the short cut—head back to Long Beach via the San Gabriel River trail. Those up to an extra ten miles will continue to the LA River trail, then head south to downtown Long Beach. Thirty or forty miles, depending on the route you chose.

Cycling at night under a full moon is its own special magic. And, imagine, coffee at Denny’s long before sunrise. A ride for fools! Join us! Scroll down four articles to see the map.

Comments Off

LBCyclists, March 31st 2010 | Tags: , ,
Posted in event, ride

A Weekend of Touring Through San Luis Obispo

Yummy food, wine tasting, picnics, new friends, sun tan, a heck of a head wind, ‘Carlos’, t-shirts and shorts, ‘Milk Shakes’, fishing…

This was a huge success for Long Beach Cyclists; our first group bike tour!  Thank you to everyone who put in their time and energy to get the trip planned and successfully executed.  Now, when is the next one?

More Images?… come to our bike meeting on Wednesday night April 7th!

Michael, Laura, Oscar (aka Carlos) and Shawn at Lopez Lake

6 Comments

bmckeever, March 29th 2010 | Tags: , ,
Posted in event

BMX cycling in North Long Beach—almost flying!

What kinds of cycling do YOU enjoy? Plenty of us commute to work or school. For many of us, a bicycle or trike is our only transportation. Plenty of us do our shopping on bicycles. And those with BMX bicycles can practically fly!

BMX jamming takes place Saturday, March 27th, at Houghton Park (near Jordan High School, close to Atlantic and Artesia Blvd. Click on the poster for more info.

Plenty of us like to work up a sweat, and plenty of us like to take our cycling easy. Some love heart-racing bike polo… and others enjoy a gentle cruise to the farmer’s market and back. Gold sprints racing to a clock… or a casual ride along the beach trail. Cycling is so many things!  It’s green, and it helps keep us healthy. Visit friends. Share the green ‘sharrow’ lane along Belmont Shore. Race in a team up and down the river trails or down the coast. Explore Los Angeles—part Metro, part bicycle.

Fixies… which means no gears, on a bicycle that feels nimble; very responsive! Vintage bikes and cruisers… with balloon tires and an easy pace. Cycle-campers, with racks, panniers, and stories of sleeping beneath a canopy of stars.

The bicycle is an amazing, efficient, delightful tool! Long Beach, which has few hills and great weather, is a great city for cycling.

Whatever kinds of cycling you do, we hope that when on city streets you’re always courteous to motorized traffic and pedestrians. Respect right of way. Stop at EVERY red light, always. By cycling predictably, others can anticipate where you intend to go, and they will wish you well.

Comments Off

LBCyclists, March 24th 2010 | Tags: , ,
Posted in Education, event

North Long Beach Access to the Metro — March 25

City representatives seek your input regarding Metro Blue Line station access. On March 25th, Audit findings will be discussed near Del Amo Blvd. and Atlantic Avenue.

A few months back, many of us participated in the assessment of Metro Blue Line stations in Long Beach. We visited various stations and surrounding neighborhoods, observed conditions and made recommendations to improve access for pedestrians and cyclists.

You are invited to meet at the NPAC (adjacent to Scherer Park, at 4891 Atlantic Avenue near Del Amo Blvd.) on March 25th, 6:30-7:30 pm, to review the Audit Summary and to provide your input. To see a map, click EVENTS at the top of the longbeachcyclists.com page and scroll for Metro Audit Assessment at Atlantic/Del Amo.

No Comments

LBCyclists, March 24th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Current News, advocacy

Fools Ride — Midnight, March 31st-April 1st

Only a fool would be interested in something like this. 40 miles, in the middle of the night, during the week. You should just stop reading now, you’re smarter than this.

At the end of the month, March 31st, a Wednesday night, we’ll be meeting up at eleven-forty-five at the Belmont Pier. We’ll jaunt along until we find the San Gabriel River, take that for a bit until it becomes Coyote Creek. We’ll keep trucking along until we get alllllmost to the end at Rosecrans. We’ll get off the Creek there and take Rosecrans all the way to the LA River. We’ll cross over the San Gabriel River, so if you’ve wised up by then, you can shave 10 miles off just take that home.

For those that are just too foolish, we’ll head towards the LA River, which will make the trip a bit longer. At the LA River trail we’ll head south towards Long Beach.

We might stop at Denny’s in downtown Long Beach… if we make it.

March 31, 2010
Meet at 11:45pm
Belmont Pier
Ride leaves at midnight
40 miles

Show up at 12:01 to see our tail lights in the distance.

1 Comment

ddougherty, March 19th 2010 | Tags:
Posted in event, ride

LBC Reading Group meets March 21

French women cycle racers evidently earned more money than male cycle racers in the late nineteenth century, according to an 1896 journal called The Hub.

We learn about this in one of the three readings that will be discussed at the next session of the Long Beach Cyclists Reading Group. You are welcome to join us in a lively discussion. We meet at Portfolio Coffeehouse (Fourth Street at Junipero) on Sunday, March 21st, 6:00-7:00 pm.

One of the three readings to be discussed this month is a study about cycling popularity as impacted by perceived safety, as well as topography and attractiveness and comfort—Barriers to Cycling.

Another reading looks at anxieties felt by people who are “automobilised.” Some people who are not happy that their car-centric way of life is threatened in turn may claim that cycling in urban areas is too dangerous. The author wonders if separate lanes marginalize cyclists. How might we as a society help more people overcome the emotional barrier that is ‘fear of cycling’?

And of course we will discuss women’s professional cycling in the late 1800s, perhaps contrasting that with our sense of women cyclists today.

By the way, just as there was a journal for cyclists in the late 1800s called The Hub, the Long Beach Cyclists newsletter is ALSO called The Hub. Folks in the 1890s beat us with a great name for a cyclists’ newsletter. (Who knew?!!! Perhaps both of us were first.)  What’s more, the fantastic Long Beach bike-repair cooperative that will hold its grand opening April 3rd, (run by Pedal Movement and friends, Long Beach Blvd. just south of PCH), is called… The H.U.B.   With periods. Graham, correctly, really IS first.

For Reading Group contact information and to see a map, click EVENTS at the top of the longbeachcyclists.com web page, then scroll to the LBC Reading Group entry.

1 Comment

LBCyclists, March 18th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Education, advocacy

Cyclist and pedestrian access to the Metro — March 17

A few months back, many of us participated in the assessment of Metro Blue Line stations in Long Beach. We visited various stations and surrounding neighborhoods, observing conditions and making recommendations to improve access for pedestrians and cyclists.

You are invited to meet at Sipology Café (Broadway and Linden) on March 17th, 7:00-8:00 pm, to review the Audit Summary and to provide your input. The City wishes to identify access issues that you feel need attention.

Comments Off

LBCyclists, March 16th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in advocacy

Laura and Russ of Long Beach… now in Austin, Texas

Have you been following the cycling adventures of Laura and Russ?

Laura and Russ lived here in Long Beach, but since August have been off on a cycling-life adventure they call Path Less Pedaled. On March 13, 2010, they report that they have cycled into Austin, Texas!

You can see many dozens of photos and read plenty about people Laura and Russ meet and what they are learning. Read their blog at www.pathlesspedaled.com.

Laura and Russ started their adventure last summer in Oregon, then Washington. Later they headed south to steer around the colder reaches of winter.

Tucson, Arizona is home of the Bicas cooperative. (It’s great that here in Long Beach our own bike-repair cooperative, the H.U.B., will celebrate its grand opening soon!)

Back in November, Laura and Russ passed through Yosemite, and before that San Francisco and redwood country.

One of the ways they can afford to travel so long is by working… on the road. Laura makes handmade jewelry. Russ is a photographer familiar to many people here in Long Beach.

Early in the trip, Russ and Laura traveled as far as the Canadian border, and they visited Laura’s mom in Oregon.

Jenny and Katie saw them off at the start of their journey. That was a sad-happy moment in front of Denny’s on Long Beach Blvd… August, 2009.

Could YOU set out on a long-distance cycling adventure?  Before leaving, Laura and Russ boxed and sold off many of their worldly possessions, with all the emotions that doing that entails. The apartment on Appleton was cleaned out; no more rent.

Many friends in Long Beach spent time with Laura and Russ before they departed. Perhaps our hugs and best wishes help them along their way.

What kinds of adventures are YOU making out of YOUR life?

1 Comment

LBCyclists, March 14th 2010 | Tags: , , ,
Posted in Featured

Fixie Fun at Bixby Park—Saturday March 13, all day

Come on down to Bixby Park in Long Beach, starting at 11:00 A.M. It’ll be a full day of fixed-gear events, including the fixie Alley Cat Race starting and ending at Bixby Park.

There will be trick competitions, jam sessions and Goldsprints. Also, there will be music, a movie premier, lots of food, and many lifestyle-related sponsors.

Organized by Arthur Wong. Go to www.TR4K.wordpress.com for more information, including details about some of the prizes.

For a map, click EVENTS at the top of the longbeachcyclists.com web page and scroll to Fixie Showdown all day at Bixby Park.

Comments Off

LBCyclists, March 13th 2010 | Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in event

Today’s dose of Advocacy

Pasadena is stepping up.

I was reminded of our feat in LB.

“It’s not a bicycle master plan – it’s a roadmap toward a people-prioritizing city. You should support it even if you swear you’ll never ride a bike.”

1 Comment

bmckeever, March 10th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in advocacy
« Older Posts