3 Ways to Help CicloSDias

Please join us in supporting CicloSDias -- San Diego’s first-ever open streets community-wide event. 

On August 11^th, CicloSDias will open 5.2 miles of car-free streets in the heart of San Diego to pedestrians, cyclists, families, and anyone who can imagine a new way to use them.

This is an exciting opportunity for neighbors and community members to come together and enjoy open, car-free streets and support a clean, healthy and vibrant San Diego. What’s more, ‘open street’ initiatives in other cities have proven to be a powerful catalyst, driving those cities to become more walk-able, bike-able, and transit friendly.

Watch the video

We are asking you to join us and invest in San Diego by helping the CicloSDias crowd-funding campaign.  The CicloSDias Steering Committee is seeking to raise $15,000 in 15 days to cover event-related expenses, including traffic re-routing and control, police, and emergency medical services, and community outreach efforts.

We are off to a great start (20% funded) but we still have a ways to go. Please help launch CicloSDias in one of 3 easy ways: 

1.     Become a Supporter: This is FREE. All you have to do is visit the crowd funding page and choose "become a supporter." The more supporters the campaign has, the more people will hear about the campaign and show their own support! 

2.       Make a donation: Donations of any size make a difference, so please make a contribution. You will become part of history! (And, there's some fun rewards involved too).

3. Become a Fundraiser: Support the campaign by reaching into your own network of friends and family and encourage them to donate to your personal fundraising campaign. We have additional rewards for top fundraisers!

Thank you for your support!

Roberts Mini Bike Book Review: San Diego County Place Names A to Z by Leland Fetzer

Review by Robert Leone

From Admiral Baker Navy Recreation Center to Zuniga Shoal San Diego County Place Names A to Z profiles the entire county, with 178 pages devoted to toponyms and references. Wading into this book in a concerted campaign to read it all is like wading into a shallow lake – until the deep holes appear and what would seem a collection of localized trivia turns into something richer. The role of revolutions in China on tourmaline production near Julian, the presence of a coal mine in Point Loma, and the occasional move to rename Carlsbad are some of the points where the wider world impacted the county. If you're looking for a concentrated swig of history, the forward, treating the origins of San Diego place names in general, is for you. However, you'd miss the charm of the individual entries, and this is where the book has its greatest value. Ever wonder what Leucadia meant while you were riding along the coast? What is it about Carlsbad and water? Did you know Kitchen Creek was NOT named by settlers happy to have a source of water flowing past the cookhouse? Who's the Murphy of Murphy Canyon Road? Ever ride up Engineer Grade and wonder if they passed? If you're planning a ride, or looking for a place to ride in San Diego County, this is a good starting reference if you're looking for more than directions. Note: This review refers to the 2003 edition by Leland Fetzer. Previous and similar titles go as far back as 1975.

Cars Take a Backseat to Bikes on Fourth Bike Local Sunday

San Diego County Bicycle Coalition and Golden Hill Embrace Cycling on July 21

Golden Hill is the place to be on Sunday, July 21. The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition (SDCBC), an organization advocating for and protecting the rights of all people who ride bicycles, announces its fourth Bike Local Sunday in Golden Hill. In conjunction with CicloSDias Mini in Golden Hill Park, Bike Local Sunday drives local businesses with a day of bicycling fun in San Diego neighborhoods. A casual organized ride highlights the day. 

SDCBC established this monthly event to encourage any and everyone to hop on their bicycles with friends and family and support local economies in the spirit of healthy fun and liveable communities.

“We wanted to turn the focus from cars to being on two feet and two wheels in our communities. And we’ve seen outstanding response,” says Andy Hanshaw, executive director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. “Everyone from everyday bicycle commuters to families with young ones on tricycles come to these Bike Local Sundays.”

Golden Hill welcomes cyclists all day, and a group ride will kick the morning off (ride location TBA). The neighborhood tour will wind through the most prized areas of Golden Hill, tour CicloSDias Mini in Golden Hill Park and stop at several local businesses along the way.

In partnership with the San Diego Business Improvement District Council and the Golden Hill Business District, local companies are expected to offer specials and wheel-deals on Sunday for those who bike.

The Bike Local Sunday schedule is:

·    July 21 –Golden Hill in conjunction with Golden Hill Mini-CicloSDias

·    August 18, 2013 – San Diego CicloSDias

·    August 25, 2013 - Bike the Bay

·    Sept 22 – Pacific Beach

·    October 20 – Ocean Beach

Business partners and special offers for Bike Local Sunday events will be released as dates get closer.

For more information on Bike Local Sundays, visit www.bikelocal.com. Also visit www.sdcbc.org for more information on other local cycling events in San Diego County.

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SAN DIEGO COUNTY BICYCLE COALITION: (SDCBC) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for and protects the rights of all people who ride bicycles. They promote bicycling as a mainstream, safe and enjoyable form of transportation and recreation.  For more information, go to www.sdcbc.org.  

SAN DIEGO BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT COUNCIL: A 501 (c 6) organization. The Council is an association of San Diego’s Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) whose mission is to assist in the development and dissemination of information, resources, and expertise to its member BIDs, and to improve the physical, social, and economic environments of San Diego’s small businesses. www.bidcouncil.org

Gordy Shields, San Diego Cycling Legend, Passes

By Kathy Keehan, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition Board Member

Gordy Shields, San Diego cycling legend, passed away yesterday from complications from open heart surgery. 

Opening of the H Street to Palomar Street Segment
 of the Bayshore Bikeway (2012)

Cycling record holder (national time trial record holder for the 80, 85, 90 and 95 age groups) and passionate cycling advocate, Gordy was a personal hero to me. We attended many meetings together, most of which were about the Bayshore Bikeway, the regional treasure he championed from the 1970s onward. What struck me most about Gordy was his ability to be a strong advocate for cycling, while still being a warm compassionate person. He was kind to me when I was a new advocate still struggling to find my footing in a confusing bike world. He didn’t care how far I rode or how fast, so long as I spoke up for cyclists. He understood that advocacy took a long time, and  he always said that he hoped the Bayshore Bikeway would be finished before he passed. He never gave up, even during the dark days when it seemed the bikeway would never get started, let alone finished. The legacy of his perseverance lives on in the Bayshore Bikeway, along with other bicycling improvements all throughout the county. In his later years, Gordy was also an inspiring advocate for aging with grace and style, and was recently honored as one of San Diego County’s “San Diego Legends.” 

What made Gordy special to so many was his warmth and kindness. He had a delight in everything he did, and that transferred onto every person whose life he touched. Gordy, we will miss your strength, your spirit, and your joy. Godspeed. 

Groundbreaking for the H to Palomar section (2011)

Opening of the Gordy Shields Bridge on the Bayshore Bikeway (2004)