Next month will mark 40 years since the creation of the sport of BMX right here in Long Beach, and there’s a lot of things happening to celebrate this milestone.  The Mayor is designating November 14th “BMX Day” so you know it’s a big deal.
First, as part of First Fridays in Bixby Knolls on November 5th, there’s “40 Years of BMX History” at the Bixby Knolls Expo Center (4321 Atlantic Avenue, between Carson and San Antonio), with all sorts of important BMX artifacts, like bikes and banners and jerseys and lots more. There’s even a showing of the BMX cult classic “Rad: The Movie.” Admission to the whole thing is Free!
Then, November 13th, same place, the History of BMX Expo, featuring many of BMX’s legends in person, a Giant Bicycles-4130 Subway Series Get A Clue Ride, and an Afterparty.
And November 14th there’s a super-sized helping of BMX goodness and competition:Â Freestyle, Dirt Jumping, Flatland Freestyle, Races… also, a Bike Collector Show, all at Hollywood Sports Park in Bellflower (9030 Somerset, at at Lakewood Blvd).
All the details are at http://40yearsofbmx.com.
Lee, October 27th 2010 |
Tags: annual event, BMX
Posted in art, event, ride
The annual Long Beach International City Bank Marathon will take place this weekend. A free, one-mile Kids Fun Run will be held 9:00 am Saturday, October 16, at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Then, early Sunday the 17th, a route that starts from and finishes at Shoreline Drive, will be closed off for the Marathon (full, half, and 5 kilometer), and for the 26.2-mile Bike Tour. Registration and fee required to participate in a Sunday event. Even if you won’t run or cycle in the Marathon, you may still enjoy watching as runners and cyclists speed by.
Don’t plan on sleeping in this Sunday! The Bike Tour starts at 6:00 am. The Walkers Marathon starts at 6:15 am. The Wheelchair Division starts at 6:55 am. The Full and Half Marathons will set out in waves every five minutes starting at 7:00 am. And the Run Forrest Run 5-kilometer Marathon will start at 8:30 am.
MichaelB, October 15th 2010 |
Tags: annual event, marathon, ride
Posted in event, ride
The 10th of October… 10-10-10, is a GREAT day for a bike ride! CicLAvia means the City of Los Angeles closes more than seven miles of roads to motorized traffic. It lasts from 10 am to 3 pm.—five hours of easy, urban cycling! This isn’t a race. There’s no fee to participate. Just show up on your bike and enjoy!
Head up to Los Angeles—perhaps take the Blue Line Metro to get to the downtown area—then join the fun. (A number of Long Beach Cyclists will depart from Long Beach Transit Mall aboard the Blue Line at 8:30 am, aiming to meet up with friends in L.A. from the Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition so that a larger group of us can ride together. Accompany us or meet us there!) You can cycle CicLAvia in either direction. The route runs through downtown L.A. To the west, the route reaches to the Bicycle Kitchen in East Hollywood. To the east, the route reaches to Hollenbeck Park in Boyle Heights. Just think: No cars to deal with except at a relatively small number of intersections. See CicLAvia.wordpress.com for more information. Click on the map on the right to have a look at route specifics.
The ciclovÃa (see-clo-VEE-uh) concept is popular in numerous Latin American countries and in Europe. For example, Ecuadorian cyclists enjoy a fantastic circuit across Quito, the capital city… ONCE A WEEK throughout the year! Let’s be glad this ciclovÃa is L.A.’s first one, and hope it’s not L.A.’s last one!
MichaelB, October 9th 2010 |
Tags: bike lane, cicLAvia, ciclovÃa, cycling, fun, ride, routes
Posted in event, ride
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…
travis, October 5th 2010 |
Tags: bicycle, cicLAvia, ciclovÃa, meeting, ride, vintage
Posted in Current News, advocacy, art, event, ride
It’s October, and you know what that means. In a few weeks, you’ll be at a wild party, dressed up as a Naughty something, a Zombie other, or a Naughty Zombie something-or-other. Your kids will be out trick-or-treating, dressed up like their most cherished heroes — Eddy Merckx, Pam Reed, Aung San Suu Kyi, Greg Boyle… the food and drink will flow, and the party will go on. All. Night. Long. I am so excited, I keep forgetting to breathe.
However, it’s just October 2, and there’s a whole MONTH between us and Halloween. Sure, we can break out the cotton cobwebs and other decorations and get our costumes and buy candy, but that still leaves us with 28  days of agony while we wait for the Big Night. Luckily, our German friends came up with Oktoberfest. Which is awfully nice of them, because this gives us something to do while waiting for Halloween. Something that involves Beer. What can be better?
Our friends at The Factory in Bixby Knolls are doing Oktoberfest next Saturday, October 9, from 9am till 1am.
All the coolest people are getting there at 9 and staying till they get kicked out at 1am, but if you can’t hang the whole time, it’s ok. The party really starts at 9:45am, when the Factory teams up with the New Belgium Beer Ranger for a bike ride around Bixby Knolls and Virginia Country Club. Despite the beer, this will be a casual-paced, family-friendly ride. And the first 15 riders to arrive get free t-shirts, and all adult participants get $3 of Factory Dollars.
Go to Facebook and find The Factory’s Page to learn more and RSVP.
Lee, October 2nd 2010 |
Tags: Oktoberfest, ride
Posted in event, ride
Our Travis is super friendly, a cyclist, a great bike mechanic, and a handsome guy with a lonnnnnnng beard. Saturday morning, 8 am, October 2nd, you can cycle with Travis to the Port Fest. The staging area for all interested people to cycle to the port is the downtown Promenade (Ocean Blvd. near Pine Avenue). Folks on bikes can enjoy a special cycling tour of interesting areas of the Port of Long Beach not usually seen by outsiders—that ride takes place at 8:00 am. People on bicycle who arrive at the Promenade later can nonetheless participate in escorted cycle rides to the Port Fest itself. Long Beach Cyclists will run a table at the Promenade Saturday morning, and will provide free bike valet at Port Fest (south of Queensway Bridge) all day long.
MichaelB, October 1st 2010 |
Tags: annual event, bike tours, bike valet, fun, Green Port Festival, Port of Long Beach, ride, routes
Posted in ride
A Little of Your TIme can make a Big Difference.
The City of Long Beach and CSULB are coordinating the 3rd Annual Bike Count. The goal is to conduct counts at 35 intersections in Long Beach, and for that, they need 300 volunteers.Â
Bike Counts are a huge deal — think of them as like the US Census. When we know how many cyclists are out there, and where they are riding, we know where to focus attention, efforts, and dollars. And we can see how ridership changes over time in response to advocacy work, infrastructure changes, and all that good stuff.
Click on the flyer for all the details!
Lee, September 27th 2010 |
Tags: advocacy, bike count
Posted in advocacy, event
So we Southern Californians are finally catching up to South America!
At 9:00a on Wed, Sep 22 on the South Steps of City Hall Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, along with some other city folk and cyclists, will announce the route for LAs first-ever CicLAvia.
The new CicLAvia is a temporary public space along 7.5 miles in LA, stretching from Heliotrope & Melrose in East Hollywood to 1st & St Louis in Boyle Heights, to promote cycling and walking in the fair city. A collaboration between the City of Los Angeles, CicLAvia, and the cycling community, this new facility hopes to encourage healthy, active transportation and connect communities.
CiclovÃas started over 30 yrs ago in Bogotá, Colombia, to answer the congestion and pollution of the city. And we’re just now getting our own..
The real fun stuff will take place on Sunday, October 10, 2010 from 10:00a to 3:00p when the CicLAvia opens to the public for actual use.
Hurray to a more bikeable Southern California!
photograph courtesy of La Vida Es Loca
travis, September 22nd 2010 |
Tags: annual event, cicLAvia, ciclovÃa, ride, routes
Posted in advocacy, event, ride
You will want to cycle to the Port of Long Beach for this one! Participate in a guided cycling tour of portions of our port. Enjoy the many educational and fun activities that take place during Green Port Fest.
Long Beach Cyclists will help lead a cycling tour around parts of the port not normally open to the public. Also, we will offer free bike valet. Contact us (lbcyclists@gmail.com) about helping LBC for a small block of time so that each one of us can participate in some of the many cool activities that will take place.
Click the postage stamp on the right for details. Learn more about Green Port Fest by going to the Port of Long Beach Green Port web page.
MichaelB, September 21st 2010 |
Tags: bike valet, fun, Green Port Festival, ride
Posted in event, ride
