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CicLAvía—City streets closed to motorized traffic

The second Los Angeles CicLAvía took place on April 10th. Click on photos to enlarge them.

During five hours, a 7-mile route running through downtown Los Angeles was closed off to motorized traffic. As reported in the Los Angeles Times, more than 100-thousand cyclists, skaters and joggers enjoyed the free event. Don’t miss the next CicLAvía!

The route ran east or west through downtown L.A. Cyclists could go either direction and back and forth. The route led through Little Tokyo… across the 4th Street Bridge… as far east as Hollenbeck Park in Boyle Heights. The route also led through an amazing stretch of downtown skyscrapers and intensity… past MacArthur Park… as far west as the Bicycle Kitchen close to Melrose and the 101.

The absence of motorized traffic makes for a delightful city experience; happy chatting and laughter rather than roaring engines and fumes. We saw cyclists of all ages and skill levels. There were numerous cafés along the route, so it was easy to find a perfect place to sit outside for lunch and to soak in the delightful spectacle. Wow!

Along the route, we saw numerous friends from Long Beach, and no doubt missed many more of you who were there as well.

In photos to the right, Bernard of Cyclone Coasters in Long Beach says hello to L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

To the left, hello Scott and Jessica. Hello Stacie. Many friends and new friends.

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MichaelB, April 12th 2011 | Tags: annual event, cicLAvia, ciclovía, cycling, family, fun, ride, routes
Posted in event, ride

Cycle two places at once—Sun, July 4th

A morning of red white and blue flags, costumes and decorated bikes. If you want to accompany your young children out on their bikes or in the stroller or wagon and if you love the sight of hundreds of fluttering U.S. flags, scroll down the page a few posts to read the previously posted blurb about the Kid’s Bike Parade and go to bikeparade.com.

And another option, because it’s fun to be two places at once:

Each first Sunday of the month, friends riding vintage bikes and other bikes with character meet up at Portfolio Coffeehouse (Junipero at Fourth). At 10:30 a.m., the HUGE Cyclone Coaster group will depart from Portfolio for an easy-paced local ride, all wearing Cyclone Coaster t-shirts.

Click www.cyclonecoaster.com for more information, including details about the July 4th Cyclone Coaster BBQ at Bixby Park.

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MichaelB, July 4th 2010 | Tags: annual event, children, Cyclone Coaster, family, fun, ride, vintage
Posted in event, ride

Cycle to the “Roots & Blues”—Saturday, July 3rd

Summer and Music 2010. SAM—the free, outdoor concert series.

July 3rd, 5-9 pm., Americana roots and blues music will be happening on Pine Avenue in downtown Long Beach.

Show up on your bicycle, because Long Beach Cyclists will provide free bike valet service.

For more information, click SAMS.

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MichaelB, July 3rd 2010 | Tags: bike valet, family, fun, music
Posted in event

Bike Parade for Kids—Sunday July 4th

Fun, free, and lots of red white and blue! If you have young children, if you want them out on their bikes or in the stroller or wagon, and if you love the sight of hundreds of fluttering U.S. flags, this may be the ride for you.

On the morning of the 4th, meet in Belmont Shore along Ocean Blvd. at the corner of Granada Avenue (close to the Long Beach Dog Zone and not far from the peninsula). Registration begins at 9:15 am. It’s free. You will be asked to sign a liability waiver form. The bike parade begins at 10:00 am. Two miles (total) of easy riding, as well as a ‘patriotic costume’ contest and free face painting.

Children are required to wear helmets, and must be escorted by a parent or guardian during the bike ride (along the beach bike path and up and down Bay Shore Avenue south of Second Street).

This event is sponsored by Justin Rudd, Community Action Team (CAT) and Gazette Newspapers. Special parade guests will include Long Beach City Manager Pat West, as well as Councilmembers Suja Lowenthal and Gary DeLong. Long Beach Bicycle Ambassador Tony Cruz will be there, too. For more information, including car parking information, go to www.bikeparade.com.

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MichaelB, June 27th 2010 | Tags: annual event, children, family, fun, ride
Posted in event, ride

LBC F.M.R. and P.A.L.B.I.F. to the P.W.F.—Sun, June 27

Translation, please?

Sure! We’re talking about a family day of easy cycling fun.

Sunday, June 27th, Long Beach Cyclists will cycle to FOUR neat places here in Long Beach… and will even do a picnic. We’ll combine our regular Farmers Market Ride (the F.M.R.) with a special ride to the Patchwork Festival (P.W.F.), where we’ll enjoy a picnic. It’s a silly mouthful, but P.A.L.B.I.F. means pack a lunch because it’s fun! Join us!

We will meet in the morning at Portfolio Coffeehouse (Fourth Street at Junipero).

At 9:45 am we will cycle from Portfolio to Belmont Shore, stopping briefly at Jones Bicycles. (Discounts at Jones for ride participants!)

After Jones, we’ll cycle past Naples to the Farmers Market near the Marina. Fresh fruit and veggies so that your picnic lunch can be extra fresh!

Then we’ll cycle to the Patchwork Festival (at Marine Stadium Park, Appian Way at Nieto) for exploring and chatting… and for our cyclists’ picnic.

The Patchwork Festival is free. It’s about crafts, quilts, things of all sorts made by hand. It’s about mingling, strolling, talking, and shopping locally—celebrating who we are and what we make of our lives.

And our picnic will be as yummy as the ingredients we bring along in our bike baskets. Hope to see you!