Russ Roca @ bikeportland.org

Friends Russ and Laura have just pedaled across the country and taken Amtrak from MA to OR, and are now wintering in Portland. (The only explanation I can figure is that they really, really love getting good use out of their fenders and shopping for rain pants.)

You’d think that there would be some sort of relaxation and rest involved after more than a year of pretty much nonstop pedaling and traveling and the like. But no.  After a week or two in Portland, Russ is already adding value to the already bustling Portland bike scene by producing Pedal People, a series that profiles Portland bike folks. Check out this one about Geoff Franklin of Walnut Designs, who creates the coolest leather accessories for bikes, including my favorite, the Portage Strap, which caused BikeSnobNYC to coin a brilliant new word, ‘dandycross.’

Congrats to Russ for hitting the ground running in Portland. Try to stay dry.

No Comments

Lee, November 17th 2010 | Tags: , , ,
Posted in Bicycle equipment/gear, Current News

A Proud Day for LBC

Today we were honored at the Port of Long Beach for our hard work supporting Green Port Festival (GPF)

In case you have been living under a rock, we (Long Beach Cyclists) organized and hosted all of the successful bicycle activities for Green Port Festival that took place on October 2! Today, I was at the port photographing the reception, that not only honored us but all the other “green” organizations in LB that were part of that day.   I was able to step away from shooting to pose (as all the other recipients of the awards were doing) with POLB Board of Harbor Commissioners.  In the board meeting that followed the wonderful reception (with amazing food by the way) Port staff thanked us several times and were ALL SMILES for what we had accomplished!  I felt very inclined to share this with all of you in the community as well as all the fantastic volunteers that made that day possible – THANK YOU!  We were awarded a beautiful bamboo frame with a photograph of us as a token of their thanks.

-Bernadette McKeever

1 Comment

bmckeever, November 1st 2010 | Tags: , ,
Posted in Current News, advocacy, event

lots goin’ on this weekend

you may have read Lee’s post about the BEERide already. if you haven’t, check this ish out: Oktoberfest Beeride. the fantasticalness happens Saturday, October 9th from 9a through 1a Sunday.

perhaps beer’s not your thing for a saturday. perhaps you’re more into the art scene? well, this Saturday, the 9th, is also the East Village’s 2nd Saturday Art Walk. and for this month Phantom Galleries will be opening 3 new spaces while having 9 openings starting at 6p.

maybe you’re thinking, “y’know.. downtown long beach is a li’l too close. i really wanna get out of town and go for a long ride. but i still wanna check out some fantastic bike related art.” well we have just the event for you! there’s a new location for UCR’s Sweeny Art Gallery and they’re celebrating with an exhibition which explores the effects of bicycles on art and culture. the fun starts Thursday, Oct 7th. “woah.. wait. Riverside? how do i get out there?” glad you asked, here’s the plan: the metrolink 404 leaves from LA’s Union Station at 4.14p and costs $11.75. there are other trains if you can’t make that specific train. once there, the group will be taking in the art and a bit of riverside before heading back to downtown LA via bicycle at 12a. the distance is about 50 miles and should bring you to LA by 5a. you interested? give Allen a call for more information: 562 673 0643.

have old vintage bikes you need parts for? come out to Cyclone Coaster‘s 5th annual Vintage Bicycle Swap Meet this Sunday, October 10th. it goes from 7-10.30a. space, admission & parking are free!

and finally, let us not forget about LA’s grand opening of their first-ever CicLAvia! the plan for this one is to meet up at the downtown LB transit mall blue line station at 8.20a—in time to catch the 8.35a train—exit in LA, bike to Hollenbeck Park and meet up with a bunch of LACBC folk for a tour of the CicLAvia route starting at 10a.

but wait, a final final: Long Beach Cyclists’ general meeting this wednesday (Oct 6th), 7.17p at Polly’s Gourmet Coffee Shop in Belmont Shore. go to our Events page for more information.



ps. sorry, Lee, for pushing your post down so soon…

No Comments

travis, October 5th 2010 | Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Current News, advocacy, art, event, ride

Portland State Finds Bike Boxes Work

You may remember that Long Beach installed some Bike Boxes last December, on Second Street at Marina and at Bayshore. And as with all questions of bike infrastructure, reception among cyclists and advocates was mixed. The boxes were lauded by some as important improvements sure to increase cyclist safety. Others saw the boxes as a welcome sign that the city was taking steps to support cyclists, even if they weren’t sure the boxes would actually improve things. Still others decried the boxes, thinking them counterproductive, sure to make things more confusing and more dangerous for cyclists.

All of these opinions are currently moot, because with the recent resurfacing work on 2nd, the Boxes (and all other road markings) have disappeared.

While we wait to see whether the boxes make a return, researchers at Portland State have studied the effects of Portland’s many recent bike box installations, and they have concluded the bike boxes improve safety. Read this detailed post at bikeportland.org to learn all about the study and its findings, and let us know what you think about Bike Boxes.

1 Comment

Lee, September 22nd 2010 | Tags:
Posted in Current News, Uncategorized, advocacy

Yom Kippur — Day of Atonement. And Bikes!

For Jews around the world, it is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the most solemn day of the Jewish year. And in Israel, this manifests itself in a very special way. The country comes to a literal halt at sundown, and like that Arcade Fire song, No Cars Go.

The streets and highways are quiet. Empty. Across the whole country. The religious folks spend the holiday fasting and praying. But the secular folks seize the opportunity to bike, rollerblade, and otherwise play in the empty streets.

Over the past few decades, Yom Kippur has become THE day for bikes in Israel. Bike retailers see a huge increase in sales in the days leading up to Yom Kippur, as parents buy their kids their first bike, or upgrade them to a nicer one, so they are all set to ride all day long.

Read all about it in this Jerusalem Post article. And watch this Youtube video from last year, Riding on Yom Kippur 2009.

And an Easy Fast to all who are observing Yom Kippur!

No Comments

Lee, September 18th 2010 | Tags:
Posted in Current News

Long Beach Marathon

Run, walk or RIDE!

The 2010 Long Beach International City Bank Marathon is a month away, on October 17, 2010. Those of us who have walked and run the course know that it’s a really great marathon, with great volunteers and crowd support.

But did you know that you can also RIDE the marathon? Cyclists get to complete the same 26.2 mile course, but before everyone else. The Bike Tour starts at 6am, when it’s still dark. Imagine the thrill of crusing the closed-down streets of Long Beach and watching the sun rise over the city, one of a huge group of cyclists,  of all ages and all kinds of bikes. There are lots of families riding together, and roadies racing to new personal bests, and everything in between.

And if that isn’t enough, it’s a lot cheaper than footing the Marathon — you can register for the tour right now for $45. And you get a really cool medal, and there’s even a Finish Line Festival specifically for the Bike Tour.

Just remember – helmets are mandatory, and make sure you have lights on your bike– the sun doesn’t rise until an hour into the ride.

If this sounds good to you, get all the Bike Tour info here!

No Comments

Lee, September 17th 2010 | Tags: , ,
Posted in Current News, event, ride

Gearing up for Green Port Festival

LBC is collaborating with Port of Long Beach

On October 2, 2010 we will be hosting several bike related activities at Green Port Festival.  The festival is an open house for Long Beach residents to see what goes on within the Port.  Exhibits, displays, train, bike and boat tours, plus food and entertainment will be in store for attendants! and it’s all FREE!  To be as ‘green’ as possible, POLB is asking everyone to walk, bike or bus into the event.  That’s we we come in!  We will be offering bike tours into the port from the Promenade near ocean and Pine , we will also be guides for the inner port tour and offering free bike valet once you are ready to park it for a while!  Join us!

4 Comments

bmckeever, September 13th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Current News, event, ride

Bike Corral in Long Beach, East Village—Wed Aug 4

A ribbon-cutting ceremony to inaugurate the first bike corral in Long Beach takes place Wednesday evening… timed perfectly to dovetail with the monthly Long Beach Cyclists general meeting. Don’t miss either one!

This month LBC meets in the East Village—at Utopia Restaurant (First Street and Linden Avenue). We meet at 7:17 p.m. In addition to addressing various items on the LBC agenda (advocacy, education and community), we will be present to celebrate the inauguration of our city’s first bike corral. You’ll have an opportunity to say ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ to Charlie Gandy, Sumire Gant, Courtney Aguirre and other behind-the-scenes City representatives who have helped turn this idea into reality.

What IS a bike corral, you say? A bike corral means that a stall formerly used to park ONE car is converted into an area that now can accommodate MANY parked bicycles. From the point of view of local business owners, it is an adjustment to existing parking infrastructure which allows MORE potential customers to find a nearby space.

Utopia Restaurant, the Village Grind Café, City Grounds LBFG (the fixed-gear bike shop), and other businesses near the intersection of First Street and Linden Avenue stand to benefit from the construction of this bike corral. If Long Beach’s first bike corral proves popular with cyclists and with local businesses, it is possible that City planners may duplicate or adapt the model in other business districts.

So… be sure to join us for our regular monthly meeting—held this month at Utopia’s—and you will automatically be at the right time and right place to join in the festivities of the bike corral inauguration.

1 Comment

MichaelB, August 1st 2010 | Tags: , , ,
Posted in Current News, event, meeting

Recycle your old bicycle

Imagine the joy of donating an old bike, knowing that it will be recycled and then given to a local youngster.

That’s what ‘ReCYCLE Your BiCYCLE’ is all about. Friends at the H.U.B. bike cooperative (on Long Beach Blvd. one short block south of PCH) love to fix up old bicycles. Now the H.U.B. and Waste Management of the City of Long Beach are working together to recycle old bikes… so that after donated bikes are repaired they can be given away to Long Beach children.

Saturday, May 22nd between noon and 4:00 pm, Waste Management vehicles will accept bicycles in any condition. There will be donation locations at many Long Beach public parks—addresses listed on the poster on the left.

Bikes in salvageable condition will be taken to the H.U.B. to be recycled. H.U.B. volunteer mechanics will piece together old bike parts to create recycled bikes. Later, the recycled bikes will be given away to local children. Old bike parts that cannot be reused will end up as recycled scrap metal. 

Donate your old bicycle Saturday, May 22nd (or Saturday, May 29th, or Saturday June 12th) at one of several local parks listed in the poster.

No Comments

MichaelB, May 20th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Bicycle equipment/gear, Current News

Busy weeks for cycling fun in Long Beach

Scan the various postings below for an overview of the many activities taking place in Long Beach this week. Also, click EVENTS at the top of the page to check out calendar entries. What a great time of the year to enjoy the outdoors. Happy cycling!

No Comments

LBCyclists, May 6th 2010 | Tags: , ,
Posted in Current News
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »