Posted on August 30, 2010

This advertisement from Kaiser Permanante is from a few years ago, but the message being depicted is one that is still valid and true.

The imagery being shown is precisely why so many of us are drawn to bicycles. The ad depicts happy people, riding, having fun while experiencing the very tangible benefits of living in healthy communities, enjoying life to the fullest – the way human beings ought to.

Much thanks to Stephan to alerting me to the advertisement

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Posted on August 30, 2010

• Homeless Kids Start Bike Delivery Business – Thanks to BikeSD reader, Drew, for sending in this story, an inspirational one as any. The company is called Speedy Sanchez and the courier service is based in downtown San Diego.
• In a little over a month New Belgium’s Tour de Fat will be making its way to San Diego for the second time spreading the good word about the wonders of the bicycle. As a fundraiser for local cycling organizations, New Belgium is one company that knows how to throw a fun party.
• Our friends over at Manivela Delivery, the bicycle operated food delivery business, made a fantastic trailer for the monthly races and rides they will be hosting. The video is worth checking out as are their incredibly fun events. Check out their blog for upcoming events, contests and yes, even to have them deliver food. The service is fantastic.
• The Bicycle Film Festival will be in town from September 9-11, 2010.
• Bike San Diego would like to do interviews and profiles of your favorite bike people in San Diego. Who would you like to see featured here? Leave us a comment on the business or individual you’d like us to cover and we’ll get to it. The contact or business doesn’t have to be in the urban core either, we love riding and will happily ride to visit your favorite bike shop, frame builder, or the local grouch who sells you inner tubes for almost no money.

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Posted on August 30, 2010

Students returning to SDSU this week will find their campus a bit more bike-friendly than it has been in the past. Two years ago, San Diego State University made news with its unilateral ban on bike riding on campus. This year, as part of a broader sustainability initiative, SDSU has installed bike lanes on their major pedestrian thoroughfares on campus. Bike riding, skateboarding and scooters are apparently still officially prohibited on many campus walkways, but it is good to see a nod toward transportation cycling on such a large campus. We hope that encouraging more students to live and ride in the local community, rather than commute by car, will help make the College Area as a whole a safer place to ride.

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Posted on August 29, 2010

This post was written by Robert Leone of the Knickerbikers, San Diego’s Bicycle Touring Club and board member at the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. This post is a report on the Tour de Five  Cities benefit that was organized by Jeff Motch, one of the owners of Blind Lady Ale House.
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The Plan and the Man

A wonderful recreational opportunity for a scouting of San Diego Bay by bicycle came about thanks to Jeff, one of the owners of the Blind Lady Alehouse. The idea was a recreational, no-ego bike ride from the Adams Avenue area down to Barrio Logan. From there we’d round about San Diego Bay in a clockwise direction, ending up at the Coronado Ferry Landing. We’d then take the ferry (toll: $3.75!) across to downtown San Diego, return to Barrio Logan and climb back to Adams Avenue for a finish at the Blind Lady Alehouse. On your left is a picture of Jeff, who barely made it onto the 12:30 PM ferry from Coronado because he took the time to take some pictures.

The Start at Adams Avenue Bicycle Shop

The Adams Avenue Bicycle Shop has several advantages for weekend recreational ride starts. If you ask nicely, they’ll open the shop to support the event. If you ask even more nicely, they’ll have their espresso machine

running. On top of that, it’s a known, easy to find location. Further, it’s in a part of town that features a great many cyclists. It’s got a wide sidewalk, which is great for marshalling a lot of cyclists. And we did have a lot — more than eighty according to some counters.

Note for coffee fans: If you do like your espresso, and you’re going to a morning start event beginning at Adams Avenue Bicycles, bring your own cup! Adams Avenue Bicycles does have some nice ceramic cups, but due to “shrinkage” I think they’re down to two. And let’s save on the paper and foam cups too. Incidentally, if you do like your coffee and coffee drinks, remember this route — it goes past Café Calabria, Latte mi Corazon, and Ryan Bros.

Down the Road — One Flat Tire at a Time!

One irritating element of riding is flat tires. Pneumatics are the wonder that made speed and comfort on the “safety” bicycle possible, but the price is the potential for a flat. The previous week a rider mounted on Schalbe Marathon Pluses and factory “Slime” inner tubes had to replace one of his tubes when he hit a nail. I’ve double-flatted on puncture vines (also known as “goat heads” and “Russian Thistle”). Large events not only include a greater likelihood of someone in the ride flatting, but also a bit of exuberant riding at the start. As a result, my usual practice on larger events is to try to start behind the main mass, and ride behind them, at least in the beginning. I sometimes pick up speed or position in the group after the initial starting chaos has subsided. I also tend to carry too much junk on my bike, much of which is over-preparation for flats.

I didn’t have any on this ride, but both I and Jeff, who was tail-ending his own ride, saw several, and pitched in with some of the fixes. If I had to give a flat tire an award for sheer theatrical quality, it’d be this one — we were riding past a small group taking a breather along the side of Glorietta Bay before heading to the Ferry Landing when we heard the sudden pop and release of air indicative of a tube just giving up.

It turns out it was the second flat of the day for that wheel. Perhaps the tube had been installed with a bit of it installed between the tire bead and the wheel rim (done that). The rider and one of his pals decided that while the Ferry was more than forty-five minutes from its next departure, they might as well patch.

On the Boat!

There were a sizeable number of Five Cities Ride riders waiting for the 12:30 PM ferry from Coronado to downtown San Diego. In part, it was because the ferry ticket machine at the foot of the pier had been intermittently out of order. It also didn’t help any that the Cabrillo, the ferry boat with the bike racks on the inside, was out of order. It had been running yesterday. Thus, we were boarding the smaller Silvergate, which features space for bikes along the outside rail of the lower deck.

On to the finish.

From the downtown terminal near Broadway we on the 12:30 PM ferry meandered down Harbor Drive (it’s a quandry for some whether to ride the bike path or the road — both have their merits and detractions).

Then we crossed the overpass above the rail yards near the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal, made a left onto Cesar E. Chavez Parkway, and headed back up to Adams Avenue.

It was great to see our friends from the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition had added several of their portable bike parking racks to the two racks the Blind Lady Alehouse provides for their human-powered patrons. It was also nice for the Blind Lady Alehouse staff to allow the SDCBC temporary racks some storage space after the post-ride festivities subsided.

I’ll note here that many groups traditionally ride the Bay Shore Bikeway from downtown San Diego, Old Town San Diego or Mission Bay. It’s one of the flattest relatively long rides available for those not enthused by hills. However, the rises up 25th Street and 30th Street that were part of this ride were nice approximations to the ride over the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge that will be part of Bike the Bay on 29 August 2010.

Text and photos by Robert Leone

Much thanks to Robert for a throughly entertaining writeup of the Tour de Five Cities benefit ride.

Category: News, Reader Contributions | 1 Comment »

Posted on August 26, 2010

The question about critical mass comes up more and more often in San Diego: is it effective, and does it accomplish anything? I would say that it has, in some way, accomplished something. It has brought cycling to the forefront. Where things were an anomaly, that is, us crazy bike riders all out in traffic, we are now recognized, of course in concert with other’s efforts. The police, who were often anti-cyclist, or in some cases, rationally ignorant of our status, now pay attention. And, critical mass has actually bridged gaps and built new niches.

The problem now however is its extreme size. With this size comes the potential to fizzle and attract the negative aspects of mob mentality. Privately I lean toward wanting critical mass to fizzle away because any crowd this large is going to attract extremists of many types. Both publicly and privately, critical mass appears to be drawing the ire of many here in San Diego. It seems that the local news, participants of social media such as yelp.com, facebook.com  and myspace.com all have groups opposed to the idea of critical mass. It seems that even private groups are beginning to take shape and demand what critical mass is loathe to produce: organization and direction. It could be said, that it’s time to take critical mass to near Absolute Zero and give it a some direction.

Why? The break over of harm versus good has been breached.

I for one do not concern myself with the “delay” of people in cars. For one, it’s a short delay, two it’s Friday night and most are not in a death struggle to get to work, three..the choice to drive in traffic is a choice. Many things cause delays such as a parade, a dui accident, or a group bicycle ride. A delay is a delay is a delay. The delay of a car is probably the same, in context, to the delay I have while riding when someone decides to park in the bike lane, or attempts to squeeze to make a right turn and inevitably gets stuck. I also don’t buy into the idea that those among us who ride critical mass are holding up people and thus make all cyclists look bad. When a group of people is downgraded in rights and treatment due to the actions of others, the problem is NOT the people, but rather it is those who cast judgment and perception.

So what actually is the harm being caused by critical mass in San Diego? I suspect it is a lack of ability to stay cohesive and the violent antics of individuals who use the group as a mask to behave in a way that is…wrong. Coupled with the lack of will power to control/confront those that do this. I’m not talking about a yelling match, nor delays. It’s the spitting, kicking and physical confrontations that have to stop. When someone is at the fountain talking “U lock justice bitches”, they need to be singled out and sent packing. With the advent of nearly everyone having some form of digital documentation at hand; this is no longer “a story”, but it becomes one when irrational individuals take out their anger on cyclists on the streets.

I can tell the difference between someone who didn’t see me, and someone who cut me off on purpose. So can most others. But, put in context of a crowd, you then run into a whole new dynamic. This creates a martyr syndrome. This puts a single person as the spokesperson to the crowd, even if the crowd wasn’t involved in that selection. If you have to ride critical mass with a mask, if you have to ride it with a u-lock for empowerment, if you have to ride in a pack so you can descend like wolves; you need to get the fuck out of critical mass.

People have, over time, attempted to slow the mass, coral it into a peaceful ride and sway it into a productive direction. It was and is highly successful in San Francisco. The problem in San Diego is too many people holding onto an anarchist point of view. We don’t want anarchy on the streets but it’s what we have now. And if you hold fast to the ideal that it’s all about the individual, you’ll stand alone in court, right? If you grip to the idea it’s “not meant to be organized”, you’ll lay under the car and not ask for help, right? Organizing critical mass is not the death of it, it’s part of what you’re looking for. It’s the evolving, the growing, the changing of something. The quest for organized and respected rules and rights for the cyclist. The ability to co-exist on streets with cars. The ability to ask for and get help from law enforcement if we request it. Others are simply fatalistic. “We can’t organize” or “it’s to hard”. If you’re not willing to put in work, then perhaps you don’t belong?

So, let it fizzle or keep it alive? It’s time now to get past the anger of years of being second hand citizens and now to focus the desires of a demonstrated core of 500 cyclist into productive grounds. That, or find a new party to play out. Bike riding is fun. It should remain so. But, it takes work. It takes work to make it more available to others, to defend what it has a right to, and it takes work to make it better. The core five hundred of critical mass seem to have a certain amount of energy and dedication. That core could put the energy into the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, or to sit on the floor at city council meetings, or attend the next trial for a hit and run driver. If one ride bikes to those events and see how effective it is. Either make CM better, or redirect it to better ends.

I’ve experienced critical mass for eight years now in this city. I know what it is. I was there it when the “mass” was twenty people. I was there when the mass grew to two hundred people. I was there when the mass was redirected to the sewers to listen to concerts. I was there when the police decided to lay down people like it was a political convention. What is frustrating for me is to see so much wasted potential. It doesn’t have to even exist anymore, except that it seems the only common place we all meet to congregate as cyclists. But I think it’s time to move on from the mass.

Category: View from the Handlebars | 6 Comments »

Posted on August 23, 2010

• Everybody’s favorite watering hole, Blind Lady Ale House, will be screening the movie, Riding Bikes with the Dutch. The director, Michael Wolfgang Bauch, will be present. There is a Townie ride prior to the screening. More details are available here.
• On a related note, Jeff Motch, owner of Blind Lady Ale House, noted that $1,000 was raised for the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition at the Tour De Five Cities benefit.
• More photos are coming in from the big wedding that was held at Velo Cult Bike Shop. Dennis Stein, co-owner of Sea Rocket, took a time lapse video of the event. Velo Cult’s extremely talented Anthony Bareno documented the event as well.
• Everybody’s favorite bicycle delivery service, Manivela, recently celebrated their first year in business. It was a year that was both successful and a rewarding experience. In honor of that accomplishment, they will be hosting an alley-cat race through the parks. It will start at the fountain in Balboa Park at 6 PM on August 28th. Will the Manivela delivery crew be able to sustain their high energy throughout the course of the race? Time will tell. In the meantime, here is their flyer for the event.
  

  Alleycat through the parks

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Posted on August 22, 2010

Local residents and cyclists, Katie Mayfield and Jay Porter, got married this morning at Velo Cult Bike Shop.

The event was quite possibly San Diego’s first successful traffic calming event as all drivers driving by, stopped to stare. It was well attended by family, friends and the local community.

In talking to Mayfield, I learned that the couple had a desire to begin their life together by affirming their vows in a community space. They both thought that Velo Cult was the perfect space as the shop does much to promote community and bike culture in the San Diego.

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Posted on August 14, 2010

Blind Lady Ale House is hosting a fundraiser for the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition.

The ride starts 9 AM from Adams Avenue Bikes to the Silver Strand loop and ends at Blind Lady Ale House – The distance is about 30+ miles.

This is a free event. 15% of the days food and drink sales at Blind Lady Ale House will go to the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition.

This is NOT a hard ride, it’s pretty easy. We’ll ride 20 miles around the strand, take the 12:30 ferry downtown and ride to blind lady ale house for lunch.

Benefit will last the whole day

Hope you make it.

More details are available at Blind Lady’s blog and at this meetup site.

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Posted on August 8, 2010

The San Diego Bike Discount Program has now been in effect for a few months and slowly spreading via word of mouth through the local community. Over 30 locally owned businesses have signed up. These businesses range from restaurants to coffee and tea shops, to shoe stores and a local Chiropractic Center.

The discounts are offered to any patron who arrives at the business by bicycle. The discount is pre-determined by the business. Typically the discount has been 10% across the board.

To find a list of business currently signed on to be part of the program, visit this listing. If you are a business interested in signing on to the program, more details are  available here.

Sky Boyer, local bike shop owner came up with the idea over a year ago. He is promoting the program in order to increase the number of casual riders on San Diego’s streets. He currently does not directly benefit from the program, but promotes it as a labor of love. The goal of the program, is to encourage new and otherwise timid cyclists to ride short distances to do daily errands. A half a mile ride to the coffee shop or to the local printer on a bike is well worth the time and effort, if the payoff is a huge sense of accomplishment and a nice discount.

Category: Advocacy, News | 2 Comments »

Posted on August 8, 2010

This year, Ben Sollee is kicking off his second Ditch the Van Tour in San Diego. The cellist and band members will begin the tour by playing at the Sushi Performance and Visual Art Center on August 18th, starting at 8PM. More details are available at this facebook page.

The Ditch the Van Tour is about much more than going car-free though. Sure, it’s a reaction to the massive carbon footprint that many tours leave behind (particularly the fleet of 53′ trucks required to haul an elaborate U2 stage) and an awareness-raising project for the nation’s elaborate series of Adventure Cycling-advocated bike highways and communities where bike infrastructure is lacking. However, Ben also sees the bike tour as an opportunity to acquaint himself with a myriad of towns and communities across our nation – a “beautiful limitation” he calls it – that can only present itself when you slow down the pace of life by traveling by bike rather than bus or plane.

To further his cause, Ben invites local art and music organizations, as well as bicycle communities, to get involved with every show he plays. It is this reason that his home state’s Kentucky Coffeetree Cafe got involved. Located in the quaint and picturesque capital of Frankfort, Kentucky Coffeetree is the type of art and community-conscious, worldly aware business that shares Sollee’s vision. They, along with Adventure Cycling and the League of American Bicyclists, are proud sponsors in this innovative nationwide tour.

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