May… a great month for cycling in Long Beach

May 11th — If you wish to volunteer as a Course Marshal during the Tour of Long Beach (Saturday morning, May 14th), contact Stacey.Toda@longbeach.gov (or phone 562 570-5027). Orientation for Course Marshals will take place Wednesday, May 11th, at 7:00 pm at CSULB. Proceeds from the Tour of Long Beach benefit Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach.

May 11th — Free, second Wednesdays, 11:00 am-1:00 pm, you are encouraged to take advantage of free Bike Safety Checks at CSULB, courtesy of Jax Bicycles.

May 13th — Free, the Family Fun Fest will take place Friday, 5:00-9:00 pm in the lawn area of the Pike at Rainbow Harbor. This includes live music, cycling stunts, a fixed gear competition, and vendors.

May 14th — Preregistration is required for the Tour of Long Beach (that benefits Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach). Three rides: A 9:00 am, 4-mile family fun ride at Marina Green Park (540 E. Shoreline Drive)… also a 31-mile leisurely circuit around the entire city… also a 61-mile Metric Century.

May 14th — Free, the Finish Line Festival, 9:00 am-4:00 pm. in the Rainbow Harbor area. Children’s activity area, bike safety and education booths, live music, food, and vendors.

May 18th — Free, Traffic Skills 101 at CSULB, Wednesday evening class session, 6:00-8:00 pm. Followed by the free 3-hour Saturday morning on-road training session. Preregistration required. Click EDUCATION at the top of the longbeachcyclists.com page for more information, or click here.

May 19th — Free, Thursday morning Bike-to-Work-Day Pit Stops, one at CSULB, the other at Long Beach City Hall Civic Center Plaza. Refreshments, freebies and bike safety checks.

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MichaelB, May 9th 2011 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Education, event, ride

Traffic Skills for Cyclists, Wednesday Dec. 15

Now is a great time to sign up for the next, free, two-session Traffic Skills 101 course. Participants meet at the CSULB Pyramid Annex for one evening classroom session, then meet once again on their bicycles the following weekend for several daylight hours of practice and sharing of observations while cycling legally and safely in traffic. Instructors are LCI certified.

You need to sign up online in advance. Go to EDUCATION at the top of the longbeachcyclists.com web page for details, for schedule, and for the registration link. The next in-class session is Wednesday, December 15th at 6:00 pm.

There are many good reasons to take the Traffic Skills 101 course. It’s smart to know your road rights and responsibilities, and to always cycle safely and legally. Another great reason to take the course is that it is a prerequesite for serving as a board member of Long Beach Cyclists—you are encouraged to consider becoming one of the organization’s leaders in coming months. Our first board was elected in March of 2010; soon perhaps a new group of individuals will want to lead our organization. Step up and make it happen.

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MichaelB, December 6th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Education, advocacy

Bicycling in Long Beach, the most friendly

news has spread throughout the Long Beach cycling community, indeed beyond the city’s borders, of the immediate crack-down of the most recent Long Beach Critical Mass ride.

let it be noted here, now, that Long Beach Cyclists has no stance for, nor against the Critical Mass rides which take place all over the country and around the world in many metropolitan areas. what we do stand for is abiding by all traffic laws just as motorists must. “Same Roads. Same Rights. Same Responsibilities.” you can read all about the CA vehicle code as it concerns bicycles and their drivers here [LINK]. and though it’s not a legal requirement for those of us over the age of 17, we strongly recommend the proper use of helmets while biking. I, Travis Bos, current vice-pres of this organization, do not bike without one.

if you don’t know what happened with October 29th’s Critical Mass you can read the articles already published by others here (LA Times), here (P-T), here (PedalMovement.com), and here (MashLBC.com). don’t forget to read the comments, of which there are many. this is very important dialogue occurring among cyclists.

it’s a dialogue which will be brought to Long Beach’s City Hall this Tuesday, November 9th at 5pm. our friends at PedalMovement are organizing a group to go before city council to express their concerns over this most recent clash of cyclists and non-cyclists. please, let this not be characterized as a march on city hall with picket signs and shouting and anger. these are honest citizens looking to express their concerns with a perceived contradiction in the policies and actions of “the most bicycle friendly city in America.”

PedalMovement’s plan is to meet in Lincoln Park (broadway/pacific) an hour before the council meeting to organize, clarify and galvanize their efforts. everyone will be wearing green as they step up to the podium to talk about issues such as a Cyclist’s Bill of Rights.

Ronnie Sandlin, spokesman for this issue for PedalMovement, has given his phone number for contact (562 243 2448) if you would like to be more involved. if you’d like to show up in support of bicycling in Long Beach, please remember to wear green.

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travis, November 5th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in advocacy, meeting

Rosscottinc dot com—The System #146

Rosscott is a cartoonist who is also a cyclist. What a great combination!  We are very pleased that he has given Long Beach Cyclists permission to reprint this The System cartoon. 

The System is a humorous and insightful series of panels often dealing with cycling issues—especially as they relate to urban cycling and commuting to work—and to traffic-related issues in general, and to the work place, and to other aspects of contemporary life.

To see more of Rosscott’s work, go to www.rosscottinc.com.

To be sure, NO cyclist should ever run a red light. We encourage all cyclists to cycle safely, legally and responsibly. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take the free Traffic Safety 101 course, taught at CSULB Pyramid Annex (with follow-up practice time on Long Beach streets to put vehicular cycling concepts into practice). Click EDUCATION at the top of the page for fall semester dates and sign-up information.

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MichaelB, September 3rd 2010 | Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Education

Traffic Skills 101—Wednesday eve, July 21

Traffic Skills 101—the short-duration course that helps you develop skills to cycle Long Beach streets more safely—is taught by instructors (LCI’s) who are certified by the League of American Bicyclists. The course at CSULB Pyramid Annex is free, but advance registration is required. Click EDUCATION at the top of the longbeachcyclsts.com page for more information and to link to the CSULB web site to register.

This will be will be the last opportunity to take Traffic Skills 101 in Long Beach this summer.

By the way, the photograph was lifted from the cover of the Smart Cycling pamphlet of the League of American Bicyclists. Given that the League is based in Washington, D.C., can you identify which building we see in the background? And… can you identify who is the LCI in the photo? Hint, he is well known in the Long Beach cycling community.

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MichaelB, July 12th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Education

Traffic Skills 101—Wednesday June 16 and 19

Traffic Skills 101—the short-duration course that helps you develop skills to cycle Long Beach streets more safely—is offered only a handful of times each year. The course at CSULB Pyramid Annex is free, but advance registration is required. Click EDUCATION at the top of the longbeachcyclsts.com page for more information and to link to the CSULB web site to register.

The last opportunity to take Traffic Skills 101 this summer will be in July.

1 Comment

MichaelB, June 13th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Education

Cyclists and Motorists Sharing the Road

“Share the Road” is one of many online videos produced by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. “Share the Road” lists several ideas that can help the motorist avoid a collision with a cyclist. The video encourages motorists to anticipate that cyclists will use hand signals to make turns, for example. Also, the video encourages motorists to opt for adequate distance between the car and the bicycle.

Of course, the urban nature of Long Beach means that cyclists and motorists often must share tight spaces. Given that road conditions in our city often make for a rather snug fit, the cyclist is safer by cycling predictably rather than erratically… using hand signals, for example… and obeying the same traffic laws as motorists, including the same notions of right of way at intersections.

In the video, we see a cyclist who ignores a stop sign, passing a car that intends to turn right. The cyclist violates the law by failing to stop. Furthermore, he cycles into a dangerous ‘blind spot’. What if the motorists doesn’t know he’s there? Who is at fault if the cyclists gets struck?

Cyclists who recklessly ignore traffic law put themselves in danger and cause some motorists to feel angry at cyclists in general.

When we use the road as motorists, we need to respect cyclists and pedestrians.

When we cycle, we are wise to cycle legally, predictably and courteously so that motorists and pedestrians are not surprised by our presence… and so that we don’t place ourselves in unnecessary danger.

Click to view the “Share the Road” video.

2 Comments

MichaelB, May 24th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Education, advocacy

Traffic Skills 101 for cyclists in mid-February

The next Traffic Skills 101 course taught by League-certified Cycling Instructors (LCI’s) is scheduled for February 17 and 20. You need to register in advance. The February course will meet at CSULB Pyramid Annex, (Atherton, between Bellflower and Palo Verde).

For details and to register online, click EDUCATION at the top of the longbeachcyclists.com web page.

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LBCyclists, February 9th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Education

Reading Group discusses cycling issues Sunday, January 31

January 31st at 6:00 pm, join us at Portfolio Coffee House on Fourth at Junipero for an additional opportunity to discuss interesting ideas found in Jeff Mapes’ book Pedaling Revolution.

The Long Beach Cyclists Reading Group, organized by Kevin Flaherty, meets monthly to discuss books and news of interest to the local cycling community.

Click EVENTS at the top of the page, and scroll to the January 31st calendar entry to view a map pointing to Portfolio.

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LBCyclists, January 30th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Education, advocacy

Bicycle Advisory Committee in Long Beach?

Click on this must-read letter. It’s from Russ Roca. Russ writes to friends and to all those who look forward to Long Beach becoming an even better city than it already is.

 

www.pathlesspedaled.com

Charles Gandy is the City of Long Beach Mobility Coordinator. Gandy is a nationally known cycling advocate who for the next year or two has made Long Beach home while contracted to assist the City of Long Beach in its efforts to make Long Beach a better, more livable city for all.

A League Certified Instructor (LCI) leads traffic skills courses for cyclists and other road users. Several members of Long Beach Cyclists are LCIs. Long Beach offers Traffic Skills 101 at CSULB Pyramid Annex. Click EDUCATION at the top of the longbeachcyclists.com web page for more details and to find out how to sign up for an upcoming course.

Russ Roca and Laura Crawford have been on a cross-country cycling adventure called Path Less Pedaled since August of 2009. They send us updates, this time from Arizona. For several years, Russ made a living here in Long Beach as the Eco-Friendly Bicycling Photographer. Daily, Russ was seen cycling here and there around Long Beach and beyond on his cargo bike—a long bike with an enormous rack to carry lots of specialized photo equipment. Many of Russ’ photographs have been featured in the District weekly and other publications. Both Russ and Laura were active participants in Long Beach Cyclists and cycling advocacy when they lived in Long Beach.

Russ and Laura, we send you a ‘hello’ from Long Beach, California!  We miss you. We wish you continued safe travels and more wonderful adventures!

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LBCyclists, January 19th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Education, advocacy
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