Join the Velo Caravan — a fun, monthly ride around Long Beach that brings together friends and lots of classic bicycles.
Road bikes, mixtees, touring bikes, middleweights… and more.
If Audrey Hepburn herself shows up, I suppose we won’t be too surprised.
The ride starts at 1824 E. Broadway —The Bicycle Stand shop — about one block west of Bixby Park. Show up shortly before 10:00am last Saturdays of the month. Velo Caravan rides are organized by The Bicycle Stand, phone (562) 279-4936.
Congratulations and best wishes go out to Jessica Alexander of Long Beach who is opting to live CAR FREE. Jessica traded her old car for a new bike!
At the October 8th Tour de Fat event in Los Angeles, Jessica was honored for having responded to Tour de Fat’s call for someone to step up and donate a car in exchange for a new bike. Jessica said yes she would make the trade… and she DID.
Check out the YouTube clip to enjoy Tour de Fat’s delightful celebration on Jessica’s behalf. Also, read about Jessica at TradeMyCarForABike and at the Factory blog “Life According to Chelsea.”
In coming months, Jessica will have lots to tell us about CAR-FREE LIFE in LONG BEACH, California. For that, check out Jessica’s blog—Of Bikes and Beers.
An expanded route of Los Angeles streets will be closed to motorized traffic Sunday, October 9th, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
The Los Angeles CicLAvia means free, family-friendly cycling, jogging, and strolling through downtown L.A. (This will be L.A.’s third one!) People from far and wide will be there, including many friends from Long Beach.
CicLAvia is not a race. It’s a fun opportunity to enjoy L.A. on your bicycle or on foot… without the noise and fumes of nearby vehicle traffic!
Click on the map to enlarge it on your screen.
The route T’s at L.A. City Hall. From there you can head west to the Bicycle Kitchen (northwest of MacArthur Park)… and/or east to Hollenbeck Park in Boyle Heights… and/or north to Chinatown… and/or south to the African American Firefighter Museum near the 10 freeway. You can start anywhere along the route. You can head in any direction.
You can stop anywhere you like. There are rest hubs at the four end points and also at MacArthur Park and close to City Hall. You’re sure to come across friends or discover a new, favorite café.
To get to L.A. from Long Beach, it’s easy and inexpensive to board any northbound Blue Line train. The one-way fare (including bicycle) is just $1.50.
For more information, go to www.cicLAvia.org, or contact info@cicLAvia.org.
Meet at the Bikestation in downtown Long Beach (on Broadway just east of the Promenade) for easy, local rides. Women on Bikes, organized by Cali Bike Tours, is a women’s-only offering of safety clinics and fun rides… for free!
Choose Saturday morning, June 18th (9:00am-11:00am). Or choose Saturday noon, June 18th (noon-2:00pm). Or choose Tuesday evening, June 21st (6:00pm-8:00pm). Register at calibiketours@gmail.com or phone 562 334-2453.
Long Beach resident Elizabeth Williams is the founder of Cali Bike Tours, a local company that’s all about women and cycling. That’s Elizabeth in the photos above. Women on Bikes offers opportunities for women to connect with other women on beginning-level 5-10-mile bike rides. Participants during the free clinics this week will discuss basic riding skills, safety, bicyclist rights and responsibilities, and learn basics about bike maintenance and flat-tire repair. After the orientation, you’ll go on a gentle, local bike ride.
Click EVENTS at the top of the longbeachcyclists.com page and scroll the calender to read details about this week’s Women on Bikes activities.
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.
Participate in an important interactive group dialogue about bicycle-friendly “Living Streets” in Long Beach.
The event is free, but you’ll need to RSVP by Wednesday evening, April 6th.
For details, click on the postage stamp to the right. To RSVP, contact Allan Crawford at allancrawford@bikeablecommunities.org.
See you at Bixby Park for an easy, family-oriented neighborhood bike ride on Saturday, March 19th, departing at 10:00 am.
Then, from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, also at Bixby Park, join the community workshop to update the Long Beach Bicycle Master Plan. Your suggestions and observations will be noted by staff of the Department of Public Works.
Bixby Park is located between Cherry and Junipero, and between Ocean Blvd. and Broadway.
If the opportunity to participate in a fun bike ride and to provide City planners with your input about cycling infrastructure isn’t incentive enough… here’s one more goodie to sweeten the pot: There will be free Mc’Coffee.
It occurs to us that this Saturday you could enjoy a particularly Buzzy Day in a coffee-tasting way. We suggest that you buy various cups of coffee at several of our favorite local cafés (including coffee from Hot Java and from the Park Pantry—both across the street from Bixby Park—and from Portfolio Coffeehouse on Fourth at Junipero)… and then enjoy some free McCoffee as part of the community workshop. After the workshop, you could then cycle over to Sipology #2 on Broadway at Temple… and then cycle around the rest of the day to a dozen other great, locally-owned cafés. No… wait… you should NOT sip that much coffee in one day. Better to do your coffee tasting little by little. So… scratch the Buzzy Day idea. This Saturday, would you care for some McCoffee?
The final Bicycle Master Plan Update community meeting will take place at the Mark Twain Library (1401 E. Anaheim), Wednesday, March 23rd, 6:00-8:00 pm.
Photo courtesy of Kristin Rule
We love to see everyone—every one of you!—out on bicycles. Healthy living is happy living.
We are very pleased that the entire city council is supportive of bicycle-friendly initiatives. The following three photos feature Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal. We wish everyone would opt to cycle often—especially for local activities.
In the first image, (taken by Diandra Jay of the Press-Telegram, dated June 5, 2009), we see Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal and other cyclists during a ‘First Fridays’ event. Suja rides her orange-colored beach cruiser—a fun bicycle for slow, easy, local riding. A cruiser can be a happy choice for stopping at local cafés… riding along the beach path… going to the library.
In the second image, (taken by GarySe7en, dated April 5, 2009), we again see Suja Lowenthal, this time riding a tricycle. It’s night time and Suja’s trike doesn’t have a headlight. Yikes! Yet if your knees can take it, we see that a child’s trike can be a delightful way to go. Perhaps not the most comfortable or efficient vehicle if you’re heading to the top of Signal Hill.
In the third image, (taken at Jax Bicycles, dated July 6, 2010), we see Suja (and Jax employee Holley Limpach, and LBC president Bernadette McKeever). Suja has selected a new hybrid bicycle—part racer, part urban friendly. Suja’s Trek is relatively lightweight, it has comfortable handlebars, it has upright geometry, and it has plenty of gears. A bicycle of this type feels sprite and nimble. Suja may soon be seen cycling to all corners of Long Beach with her new bike… and, who knows, she may even cycle to the park at the top of Signal Hill.
Might there be yet other types of bicycles in Suja’s future? We’re not going to encourage her to fill ALLÂ the rooms in her house with bicycles… although perhaps this is just the beginning. There are many, many types and models of bicycles out there nowadays, each with its own riding characteristics and personality.
Which types of bicycles do you suppose YOUÂ will be riding in YOURÂ future?
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.
