County Residents Prove It’s Better By Bike Getting Around San Diego

Local panel divulges top tips and tricks to encourage family biking at San Diego’s first Bike Fiesta this Saturday (at new San Diego Central Library)

WHAT: At San Diego’s first Bike Fiesta, six residents from around the County will host an interactive panel to shatter the stereotype of “Minivan Moms” and the “Spandex Cyclist.” The panelists, composed of parents, small business owners and bike-lovers, will explain there is no excuse to prevent you and your family from getting around San Diego County via bicycle, especially during National Bike Month.

Additionally, the Bike Coalition plans to give away free children’s helmets to the first 50 kids at Bike Fiesta, courtesy of the Tony Hawk Foundation. 

WHO:

·     San Diego County Bicycle Coalition

·     Six local San Diegans who want to share how they’ve incorporating bicycling functionality, fashion and fun into their family lives:

o    Nicole Burgess- Bicycle Advocate and Mom from Ocean Beach.

o    Mariah VanZerr- City of Coronado Active Transportation Planner

o    Chris Taylor- Father, local attorney and passionate bicycle supporter in South Park.

o    Judi Tentor: Mission Hills resident living 100 percent car-free and with some of the best bike fashion in San Diego.

o    Laurel Graziano– Owner of Alterna Bikes in Solana Beach – a shop specializing in cargo bicycles.

o    Sandra Pimentel- Advocate and women’s riding expert 

·     Hundreds of community members and people who love bikes

·     Local bicycling companies including Tern, Performance Bicycles and Bikes del Pueblo

WHEN: Saturday, May 10, 2014, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

A schedule of Bike Fiesta activities include:

·     10:30 a.m. – Bike Commuting 101: Tips and tricks to bike to work smartly

·     Noon – Film Screening of bicycle film, “MASH”

·     1 p.m. – Family Riding Panel Discussion – Six people from San Diego County share tips and tricks for bicycling with kids, pets groceries – and looking good while doing it.

WHERE: San Diego Central Library – 330 Park Blvd, San Diego, 92101

WHY: May is National Bike Month, and in an effort to get folks of all ages and levels pedaling in San Diego, the Bike Coalition and other sponsors put together a few hours to inspire community members of all ages, lifestyles and experience to ride while celebrating all things bicycles. 

Bike Commuting Doesn't Stink!

   Contributed by SDCBC member Isabella Furth      

 One of the most common reasons people give for not cycling to work is that there's no place to shower and they don’t want to spend their day sticky and smelly with sweat. Of Course Not, Who would?!

Not  having access to a shower doesn't have to be a deal breaker. At my last office job I bicycled to work 3 or 4 days a week, 13 miles each way, and even though I did not shower at work, I managed to keep looking (and smelling!) professional by following these 4 easy steps:

1) Start clean. It may seem counter-intuitive to shower immediately before getting on the bike, but it actually makes sense. Most people don't realize sweat itself doesn't stink; what smells is bacteria breaking down that sweat and kicking out stinky waste products. Showering before you set out gets rid of all the old gunk marinating on your skin, so when you arrive all you have to deal with is nice clean sweat that the bacteria haven’t had a chance to get started on.

     2)  Cool off. Most people are at their sweatiest not on the bike (riding makes a nice breeze, after all), but in the 10 minutes after stopping. Taking a few minutes to cool off after you arrive will help keep you from sweating all over your nice clean clothes. 
 

   3) Wipe down. Once you’re cool,
hit the restroom and wipe away the sweat. Some people use paper towels, others swear by baby wipes. I usually used a damp washcloth with a few drops of lavender essential oil on it. 

   

   4) Change to the skin. After your cat bath, dress in clean clothes from the skin out. You can carry them with you or stash them at the office if you have a place to do that. I always had a few outfits hanging on the back of my door and swapped them out for fresh clothes on days when I drove. Dress shoes lived in the bottom drawer of a filing cabinet.

In nearly 10 years of bike commuting these steps helped me look neat and presentable and avoid offending my co-workers (at least with my smell!).

In honor of Bike Month, you should give it a try. Riding to work without a shower is totally doable. Plan ahead, take your time, and enjoy the ride! 

Snooze AM supports Bike to Work

During Bike to Work Day, local businesses play a key role in spreading the word about the benefits of cycle commuting. Business owners who encourage their employees to ride to work promote a healthier workplace, and cut down on problems associated with traffic congestion.

Last year, our friends at Snooze AM Eatery in Hillcrest supported Bike to Work  by offering incentives to their employees who to pedaled to work, as well as hosting a pit stop, where they provided cyclists with some of their delicious goodies. Their staff even won a friendly competition with their flagship location in Denver to see who could log the most bike miles. This is a huge accomplishment for our friends at Snooze, considering Denver is one of the most cycle friendly cities in the US. Way to put San Diego on the map!

Snooze is back for more fun this year, and has some nice treats in store for commuters who stop by their pit stop on May 16th between 6 and 9 am. They are located at 3940 5th Ave in Hillcrest. Make sure to check them out on Bike to Work Day, and tell them the SDCBC sent you!

Bike Fiesta! this Saturday

Join us on Saturday, May 10th at the San Diego Central Library for our Bike Fiesta. Attend a bike commuting class, listen in on the women's cycling panel, or get your ride tuned up just in time for Bike to work Day. We've got activities planned from 10am to 2pm, so come on out and join the fun.
Ride your bike, there will be Bike Valet there!

Where: San Diego Central Library – 330 Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101
When: Saturday, 10 May 2014
Time: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Cost: Free

Bicycle Personalities - Priti Baiks

It is common personalize and accessorize your bicycle but in Panama, they turn their mode of transportation into rolling works of art. Priti baiks are beautiful examples of mass produced objects transformed into representations of the owner’s identities. The term priti means both “pretty” and also ingenious, or striking grace.

The photographer José Castrellón has a series of photographs documenting many of these highly personalized bicycles. Look at his website for more photographs

Bicycle Commuting Assistance

We understand that not everyone will be devout bicycle commuters, but we hope these excuses listed below are not holding you. . . your friends. . .or your loved ones back.

Bike Month Kick Off!

 

Pictured from left to right - Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman, District 2 Councilman Ed Harris, Council President Todd Gloria, Mayor Kevin Faulconer, and Andy Hanshaw, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition Executive Director.

 

Our Bike Month Kick Off was a great success! It started with a meet up in Hillcrest and gradually picked up more riders along our route to the SANDAG Building, in downtown San Diego. By the time Mayor Kevin Faulconer spoke, there was a considerable crowd of bicyclist of all types- commuters, racers, cruisers, spandex, business suits, and flip-flops. It was a demographic of San Diego County bicyclists.

Look on our website for lots of bicycle activities for National Bike Month.

We are still updating it with new and exciting events like the Bike Fiesta! and Member Mixer Picnic to just name a few.

Below are pictures from this morning's bicycle ride-