Taco Tuesday Social Ride Carlsbad -June

(Held on July 7th, because of weather).
Great crowd of people that like to bike and like tacos, thanks to Norte Restaurant for accommodating our group! We hope to see more at our next one, July 28th, when we will visit Senor Grubbys.(377 Carlsbad Village Dr.) Senor Grubbys is offering a special deal for Taco Tuesday Bike Riders that day!
We meet at Frazee Beach at 6PM to do a 3-4 mile social ride then get get tacos!

 

 

Walk + Bike is a partnership led by the City of Carlsbad, Circulate San Diego and the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition to promote walking and biking around Carlsbad, with a special focus on the downtown Village and surrounding areas. The 12-month campaign is funded by a grant from the San Diego Association of Governments and includes events, outreach to schools, business promotions and other activities to get more people walking and biking instead of driving on short trips around town. For more information, visit www.carlsbadca.gov/walkbike.

Carlsbad Village Business Spotlight- North County Family Bicycles

“Bicycles are the physical embodiment of freedom.”

Carlsbad resident Michael Kimmitt opened North County Family Bicycles, 300 Carlsbad Village Dr. Suite 300SB, just in time for San Diego Bike Month. The timing is apt: Kimmitt sells and repairs bikes designed for everyday riding, the main goal of Bike Month, from commuting to family outings, grocery shopping to beach cruising. Kimmitt stocks quality kid bikes, folding bicycles and cargo bikes. NC Family Bicycles also specializes in bike “make-overs” to transform average bikes to perfect ones that fit customers’ personalized needs and styles of riding. For growing riders, Kimmitt offers the Kids’ Bike Exchange Program, which puts the full retail value of a current bike toward a larger bike for kids, even if the original was purchased elsewhere.  NC Family Bicycles also offers Lifetime Flat Tire Repair.

NC Family Bicycles is dedicated to the idea that bicycles “create freedom, and the right kind of bicycle creates the freedom you’re looking for.” Kimmitt proudly shares that his entire staff bikes to work,  and he chose to open in Carlsbad because, as a resident, he knows the Village is a great place to travel by bicycle. He credits the improved bicycle infrastructure and ideal weather. Located just off Rt. 101 on Carlsbad Village Drive, NC Family Bicycles is the third in a triad of bike shops including Pedego Carlsbad and Ride Cyclery, which each specialize in different types of cycling.

“Bicycles are one of the last consumer machines that an ordinary person can purchase, and can come to thoroughly understand,” Michael remarks. NC Family Bicycles looks forward to assisting Carlsbad residents in their everyday riding, upgrading their current bikes and introducing recent advancements in bikes designed to transport kids and cargo.

Kimmitt also hopes to host local social rides that encourage new riders to build confidence. This weekend, NC Family Bicycles has partnered with the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition as part of Walk + Bike Carlsbad to host Tips for Biking with Kids on Saturday, May 30^th, from 1:00PM-2:30PM. Join us or stop in anytime. NC Family Bicycles is open 7 days a week.

Walk + Bike is a partnership led by the City of Carlsbad, Circulate San Diego and the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition to promote walking and biking around Carlsbad, with a special focus on the downtown Village and surrounding areas. The 12-month campaign is funded by a grant from the San Diego Association of Governments and includes events, outreach to schools, business promotions and other activities to get more people walking and biking instead of driving on short trips around town. For more information, visit www.carlsbadca.gov/walkbike.

Carlsbad Village Business Owner Spotlight - Aranelle

Aranelle's owner Michelle Blasena with Julie and Craig Castillo of Carlsbad, and their Bulldog Jac.

If family-owned boutique Aranelle, 2940 State St., isn’t on your radar, make it your  destination this weekend! Owner of Aranelle, Michelle Blasena has developed her business not only as a retail space but also as a “go-to” community space that welcomes dogs and their owners.

This weekend, Saturday April 25^th at 9am, Aranelle in partnership with Circulate San Diego will host Wag and Walk, a dog walk through Carlsbad Village. Aranelle will generously provide complimentary drinks and treats for both humans and their dogs upon departure from the storefront. This type of meet up benefits both Carlsbad and Aranelle by creating a community that stays active together.

Aranelle also offers a welcome reprieve indoors, boasting a comfy couch for guests who need to rest their feet. Michelle loves dogs and sees a direct correlation between dogs, physical activity, and a healthy business. “Many dog-walking locals know to stop in for free treats, and local dogs also know to ‘walk’ their owners into the store!” Through Wag and Walk, Michelle continues to build her socially conscious business. Last year, Aranelle organized a fundraiser for Canine Companions for Independence, a non-profit organization that pairs highly trained dogs with people with disabilities. 

Aranelle also sells Alex + Ani jewelry, with portions of the proceeds going to various charities. Look for the bike charm bangle; 20% of the proceeds will be donated to an annual bike-a-thon to raise money for life-saving cancer research and treatment. Aranelle specializes in smaller items that easily fit into a bike jersey or can be worn right out of the store. They also support local designers.

More about Wag and Walk on the MeetUp page.        

                                       

If you know of a business in Carlsbad Village that we should spotlight because it exemplifies a local business that promotes walking and biking, please email joel@sdbikecoalition.org.

Walk + Bike is a partnership led by the City of Carlsbad, Circulate San Diego and the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition to promote walking and biking around Carlsbad, with a special focus on the downtown Village and surrounding areas. Join us and bring your friends and families along for the fun. The 12-month campaign is funded by a grant from the San Diego Association of Governments and includes events, outreach to schools, business promotions and other activities to get more people walking and biking instead of driving on short trips around town. Check back regularly for updates and information about how you can get involved. Walk + Bike Carlsbad is intended to be a model for the region, so let's show them how it's done! 

Carlsbad Village Business Owner Spotlight - Pedego Carlsbad

Pedego Carlsbad is the local bicycle shop in Carlsbad Village and looking forward to celebrating their two-year anniversary serving the community this spring. Located conveniently on Carlsbad Village Drive near the Coastal Highway, 355 Carlsbad Village Drive, they sell and service both traditional bicycles and electric assistance bicycles. Denise Buckingham chose the Village because “it is a quaint place, with a small town vibe. I don’t run into any grumpy people. All the business owners are nice, and of course, we live in Carlsbad.” Denise has seen a large increase to Pedego Carlsbad’s business with the infrastructure improvements in the Village, especially with the increased bike lanes and bike racks.

As a Carlsbad resident, she has seen more and more people choosing to ride bicycles. Three-quarters of her employees ride their bicycles to work, a higher percentage than the year before, as employees see the feasibility and economic benefits to riding in Carlsbad, instead of driving and parking a car.

When asked what could be done to increase walking and biking in the Village, Denise responded, “One of the things we could do to increase it is better maps. People always ask me for maps. It would be great to have a handout with a map and information about biking- where to bike and how to get there. Educate people, to be more aware of biking safely, and biking routes with fewer cars. A lot of residents are unaware of bicycle laws and where is best to ride. With all these bike racks, biking is easy (in the Village).”

 

They found their customers come from a diverse crowd with an increased demographic coming from a thirties plus crowd, looking for to be active but don’t want to go to the gym. Electric assistance bicycles help riders get over the various hills in Carlsbad. “We promote biking, we do bike tours and I feel we are helping a lot of people.” Recently a couple rented a pair of bicycles and returned engaged!

Pedego Carlsbad has partnered with Linda’s Yogurt, who provides sandwiches for the Couple's Romantic Ride package that Pedego Carlsbad offers. Additionally, they participate with Carlsbad Causes for Community, non-profit of local businesses and Carlsbad residents who collaborate to raise money for various community causes by organizing and implementing events and projects that serve the community. Denise likes that her business is able to serve her community and help promote a healthy lifestyle. She is also looking to increase business partnerships to help grow the connections with other businesses.

Finally, when asked about getting more people riding in the Village, Denise said if she were new to biking she would look for safe places to ride. The San Luis Rey River Trail in Oceanside offers a safe, open space to build biking skills where cars are not a factor. “Some people are nervous about cars, and they are little wobbly, so the trail gives them a place to ride and become comfortable on a bike.” Pedego Carlsbad offers a drop-off service to the trail, so people can rent a bike and build confidence in a less stressful environment. Customers have returned from that experience and later bought bicycles. More people biking in the Village means healthier residents, increased parking for tourists, and a better way to enjoy the Southern California weather.

 With Walk+BikeCarlsbad, the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, in a partnership with the City of Carlsbad and CirculateSD, aim to educate businesses and residents best practices in biking and walking in the Village, and show the economic benefits of bike and walking.

More information about the year long campaign is HERE- on the City of Carlsbad website.

Carlsbad Village Business Owner Spotlight - Choice Superfood

“McDonald’s isn’t the only one that can have a playground.” This keen outlook inspired San Diego native Nastasha McKeon, Founder and CEO of Choice Superfood Bar& Juicery located on the corner of Carlsbad Village Drive and State Street, to transform her business into a village oasis. In less than a year, Nastasha’s passion about creative alternatives is making a difference and transforming Carlsbad into a better place. Not only does her business provide healthy food choices, it serves as an active community space, hosting meetups, yoga classes, music festival groups, and movie screenings. “Events are what drive community, and businesses, and people,” Nastasha shared. We couldn’t agree more.

The City of Carlsbad, Circulate San Diego and the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition announced recently the launch of Walk + Bike Carlsbad, a campaign to promote walking and biking in Carlsbad. This 12-month effort, funded with a grant by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), will encourage more walking and biking throughout the city, with a special emphasis on the Village, Barrio, and beach strand areas. Like Nastasha, Walk + Bike Carlsbad values healthy lifestyles, connectivity, sustainability and economic vitality.

Choice’s green space features relaxed communal tables where people sit surrounded by neighbors, trees, and family. Nastasha is a mom herself, raising two little ones who attend local elementary schools. They walk there together. Making the Village her home, Nastasha believes walkability and bicycling are essential to our community and its future. In other areas of San Diego County, she noted, cars dominate the streets. Since moving to the Village, Nastasha has discovered that Carlsbad is a natural fit for active lifestyles, a place to run, surf, and ride bikes with family. “There is something so amazing about life when you don’t have to get into a car to go somewhere.” 

This is our ideal of “village life,” too. In addition to her welcoming enclave, Nastasha partners with Carlsbad Inn, which offers a weekly walking tour stopping at Choice for free samples of juices and smoothies. Nastasha has noticed a direct and positive impact on business from this partnership. Nastasha looks forward to participating in the Walk+Bike campaign as a fresh start to a New Year, an opportunity to improve work culture at Choice, and a life-long goal to bring positive change to her community. Let’s make this our resolution. 

For more information about Walk + Bike Carlsbad, visit

www.carlsbadca.gov/walkbike