LACBC
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Newsletter

May 31, 2012 

In this issue
East Valley Hansen Dam Sunday Funday Ride this Weekend
12th Annual Los Angeles River Ride on June 10th: Pre-Registration Ends Wednesday, June 6th, & REI Packet Pick-up this Weekend
We're Looking for Volunteers
Local LACBC Chapter Leaders Profiled
The Bicycle Kitchen Has a New Home
Bike Infrastructure & Policy Updates From Around the County
LACBC Member Appreciation Raffle All Month Long
LACBC Is Hiring a Policy & Campaigns Manager
Bike Month Riding Tips: Making Your Community Bike Friendly
What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: Kidical Mass Takes Over Long Beach
East Valley Hansen Dam Sunday Funday Ride this Weekend
SundayFunday

When: Sunday, June 3; Meet at 8:30 AM, Ride at 9 AM
Where: Meet in front of the entrance to the North Hollywood Metro Station on Lankershim and Chandler in North Hollywood

 

Join LACBC board member Carrie Ungerman for the East Valley Hansen Dam Ride beginning in North Hollywood and traversing several cities in the East Valley. We'll see several sights along the way including: "The California Dream" Metro Station public artwork and the Chandler Bikeway and its murals, known as the Chandler Outdoor Gallery. The ride continues toward the Verdugo Hills through downtown Burbank, up Glenoaks Boulevard through neighborhoods, commercial and industrial areas to Hansen Dam. There is a stop for lunch at Rigo's Tacos #1 for a mouth-watering array of choices before looping back to Laurel Canyon to ride down to Chandler along side the Orange line. The ride will take about four hours, is a tad or two above mellow and mostly flat.

 

Ride Length: about 23 miles

Ride Duration: about 4 hours with a stop for lunch at Rigo's Tacos #1

Difficulty: Riders should be confident but do not necessarily need to be super experienced.  No major hills. Some uphill on Glenoaks and a little climb up to the dam but otherwise flat.

What to Bring: water, bike locks, sunscreen, sunglasses, money

RSVP: To RSVP or volunteer as ride support, please contact Carol Feucht, Membership & Communications Manager, at [email protected].

About Sunday Fundays: Sunday Funday Rides are free and open to LACBC members plus one guest. Interested in becoming a member? Sign up for membership online or become a member at the ride at a discounted price.

12th Annual Los Angeles River Ride on June 10th: Pre-Registration Ends Wednesday, June 6th, & REI Packet Pick-Up this Weekend

  

The Los Angeles River Ride is:

  • 7 great rides now! Choose from a 100-mile, 70-mile, 70-mile reverse, 50-mile, 36-mile, and 15-mile rides, as well as a kids' safety rodeo. Kids 12 and under ride for free!
  • A new way to explore the LA River! Spot a heron. Discover a new park. Learn where the LA River Bike Path will take you.
  • A way to to support LACBC and help build a better, more bike-able LA County! Your River Ride registration fees, LACBC membership dues, and donations help support LACBC and make your ride safer and more enjoyable.
RiverRide12th Annual Los Angeles River Ride
When: Sunday, June 10th, 2012
Where: start at Autry National Center, Griffith Park (map) or Shorline Aquatic Park for 70-mile Reverse Ride (map)
Facebook Event: link
LACBC members save an additional $10.

  

How to sign up (the last day to pre-register is Wednesday, June 6):

  

1.  Register online at Active.com

 

2.  Download the River Ride Registration Form (PDF).

  • Fax it to 213-629-2259 if paying by credit card.
  • Or, mail it to:

LACBC

Attn: River Ride

634 S. Spring Street, Suite 821

Los Angeles, CA 90014

  

3. REI Packet Pick-Up

 REI

Pre-register and pre-ride packet pickup will be held at participating REI stores.

 

Picking up your packet at REI has special benefits!  Not only will you avoid long lines on Ride Day, you will get free swag courtesy of REI and be entered into a special raffle to win a bike commuter package. Bring a photo ID with you if you're pre-registered, or register onsite!

 

Find the nearest REI this weekend :

 

Saturday, June 2nd 10 AM - 2 PM 

Manhattan Beach and Northridge REI

 

Sunday, June 3rd, 10 AM - 2 PM 

Huntington Beach, Santa Monica and Arcadia REI

Become the Top Fundraiser & Win a Trip to Italy

 

Courtesy of VBT Walking and Biking Vacations, this year's highest fundraiser will enjoy a 10-day biking tour of Tuscany's spectacular coast, complete with 8 nights of accommodation in 3-to 4-star hotels and a country resort! This prize package includes airfare from New York, most meals, VBT bicycles and helmets, daily route maps and directions, and the assistance of two bilingual trip guides.

 

Set up your fundraising page when you register on Active.com. If you have already registered, but would like to be a fundraiser, click the link to register again and simply scroll down to the Become a Fundraiser category. Active will send you an email letting you know when your page is set up and giving you further instructions on fundraising.

 

Other high fundraisers will win prizes including a new set of DT Swiss wheels and our beautiful River Ride jerseys!

 

 

If you have general questions, contact our River Ride Director JJ Hoffman at [email protected].

We're Looking for Volunteers
 
LA River Ride Volunteers:
 
River Ride is just around the corner (June 10th!) and we still have a number of volunteer positions to fill. By volunteering you can earn a free ride for yourself or a friend, plus you will receive a limited edition volunteer t-shirt, lunch, beer, and an invite to our exclusive volunteer party! 

We especially need volunteers for the following:
  • Ride Marshals/Cabooses for 15-, 36-, and 70- mile rides
  • Support Drivers to pick up exhausted riders
  • Mid-Day Volunteers at the Autry
  • Hollenbeck Park (Boyle Heights) and Dill's Park (Paramount) Pit Stops
Check out the other volunteer position at la-bike.org/riverridevolunteer.

 

Bici Libre Volunteers
 
Bici Libre is looking for volunteers! Bici Libre, a project of LACBC, is a volunteer-operated bicycle repair shop. We provide resources for cyclists such as tools, supplies, parts, and general bike education. Learn how to fix flats, basic to advanced mechanics, tune-ups, true wheels, and more.  Come visit us at 1205 W. 6th St, Los Angeles, 90017. You can also check us out on Facebook or give us a call at (213) 261-5626. Come be a part of Bici Libre!
Local LACBC Chapter Leaders Profiled

Two volunteer leaders from our local chapters have been profiled.


Sunset Magazine recently covered the progress of making Glendale more bike friendly, highlighting the work of Walk Bike Glendale's Kara Sergile, a local parent who has been working with Safe Routes to School to give children and their parents more options for getting to school. Read the article here or pick up your latest copy of Sunset Magazine at the newsstand.

Women on Bikes SoCal profiled the West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition's Tess Lotta, one of its bike safety scholarship candidates who will become a League-Certified Instructor and teach women-only classes through the program. Read the profile here.
The Bicycle Kitchen Has a New Home
 Title Banner 
Congratulations to the the Bicycle Kitchen, which  has moved from its original location at Heliotrope and Melrose over to 4429 Fountain Ave. (in between Sunset Blvd. and Virgil Ave.)

The Bicycle Kitchen will be having its Grand Opening this Friday, June 1st, beginning at 8 PM.

Bike Infrastructure & Policy Updates From Around the County

 

Santa Monica: New buffered bike lanes are going in on Montana Ave. in Santa Monica. (Santa Monica Spoke)

 

Chatsworth: Bike lanes will be striped on Winnetka Avenue (Nordhoff to Devonshire Streets) the week of June 4.

 

Coyote Creek Trail: The Coyote Creek bike trail, which runs from Foster Rd. in Santa Fe Springs to the San Gabriel River trail, is closed between Rosecrans and Artesia as Interstate 5 is widened between the Orange - LA County line and the I-605 freeway. The closure may last until this project is completed in 2015. A detour has been set up and signed for bicyclists to get around the closure. (Thanks to newsletter reader Colin C. for the tip).

 

Glendale: The final draft of the Glendale Bike Transportation Plan has been released for your viewing pleasure. The BTP is expected to head to City Council for adoption in mid-June.

 

Ballona Creek: Through the end of July, a portion of the Ballona Creek bike path between Overland Avenue and the pedestrian bridge (north of Ocean Drive and Westwood) will be closed to pedestrian and bicycle access during construction. (LADOT Bike Blog

LACBC Member Appreciation Raffle All Month Long
  
We want to say thanks to all our members out there during Bike Month. If you're an LACBC member, not only are you helping to make LA County a more bike-able place and gaining discounts at local bike shops, but in the month of May, you were automatically be entered to win great prizes including beautiful, limited-edition screenprints of the "Tu Familia/Precaucion" PSA from Aaron Kuehn, copies of Where to Bike Los Angeles, and jerseys!
 
Thanks for celebrating Bike Month with us, and remember to live every month like it's Bike Month!

Our final winners for Thursday, May 31st, are:
  • Steve F.: winner of a limited-edition Tu Familia screenprint
  • Bruce W..: winner of a copy of Where to Bike Los Angeles
  • William H.: winner of a 2011 LA River Ride jersey
LACBC Is Hiring a Policy & Campaigns Manager 

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is looking for an energetic and hard working Policy & Campaigns Manager. This person will primarily work on campaigns and community organizing in the City of Los Angeles. We are looking for someone passionate about working with the diverse communities that make up the City of Los Angeles, as well as city and county partners to continue LACBC's efforts to transform Los Angeles into a more bikeable and livable place. In addition, 15% of this position's efforts will be spent organizing outreach and community events in the City of Carson in support of the city's bicycle master plan. 

A detailed description of the position and responsibilities is available here. Please forward this job announcement far and wide!

To Apply:

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and three writing samples in one PDF file to: Alexis Lantz, Planning & Policy Director, at [email protected] and Jennifer Klausner, Executive Director, at [email protected]. The PDF file shall be named as follows: [LastName]_[FirstName]_PolicyCampaigns12.pdf.

 

Receipt of applications will be acknowledged with an email reply. Telephone inquiries are not accepted. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Applications must be submitted in the format indicated in order to be considered. The positions will be open until filled, and interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. Visit www.la-bike.org for more information about the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is an equal opportunity employer, people of color, LGBT, and women applicants are highly encouraged.
Bike Month Riding Tips: Making Your Community Bike Friendly
 
You've planned your route, packed what you need for your ride, and found the best way to park your bike. Now what? Help make your community more bike friendly! With tips ranging from reporting potholes to attending your local neighborhood council meetings, check out our final LACBC blog post on Bike Month Riding Tips. 

Join us in working to build a better, more bike-able LA County!

You've heard of Critical Mass, but have you heard of Kidical Mass? Cute kids on bikes recently took over Bixby Knolls in Long Beach for Kidical Mass! Kidical Mass is a legal, safe, and fun bike ride for kids, kids at heart, and their families. The first ride was held in April 2008 in Eugene, Oregon, and has now spread to over a dozen communities throughout North America and beyond.

Check out the video of this inaugural event to get kids out on bikes and learn more about safe biking.

Speaking of Long Beach, the city's quest to become the most bike-friendly city has covered recently in OC Weekly (even though Long Beach is technically in LA County) article "Is Long Beach Biketown, USA?" Great job, Long Beach!
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities

  

LA River Ride Packet Pick-Up at REI - Manhattan Beach & Northridge

When: Saturday, June 2; 10 AM to 2 PM

More info in newsletter.

 

East Valley Hansen Dam Sunday Funday Ride

When: Sunday, June 3; Meet at 8:30 AM, ride at 9:00 AM

More info in newsletter.

  

LA River Ride Packet Pick-Up at REI - Santa Monica, Arcadia, & Huntington Beach

When: Sunday, June 3; 10 AM to 2 PM

More info in newsletter.

 

Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition Meeting

When: Tuesday, June 5; 6 to 7 PM

Where: 997 Bradford St., Pomona, 91767

PVBC will be having its next meeting this coming Tuesday. There are a lot of fun exciting things going on in the Pomona Valley area, so please come to this meeting, get to know your local LACBC chapter, and help make good things happen!

 

Take Back the Boulevard Public Meeting

When: Tuesday, June 5; 7 to 9 PM

Where: Eagle Rock Center for the Arts - 225 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock

Take Back the Boulevard is holding a public meeting to share recommendations for Colorado blvd, including removing travel lanes and adding bike lanes. More info.

 

Bike Night at the Hammer

When: Thursday, June 7; 7:30 PM

Where: Hammer Museum - 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, 90024

Grab some friends and pedal on over for an evening celebrating all things bicyclistic! Pose for a free portrait with your bike; race in the Gold Balloon Sprints, make reflector crafts, strut your stuff down the bicycle runway, check out Bespoke Spokes, and watch bike messenger thriller Quicksilver. Free admission to the Hammer's Made in L.A. 2012 biennial exhibition! Guest hosted by artist Lisa Anne Auerbach. More info. 

 

12th Annual Los Angeles River Ride
When: Sunday, June 10
More info in newsletter.
Other Events Around Town

Join LACBC or Renew

 

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is a member-supported organization that works for you to build a better, more bike-able L.A. County. 

Members are the backbone of LACBC! Help keep LACBC strong by becoming an 
LACBC member (or renewing your membership) and be part of the change!
Contact Information

Carol Feucht
Membership & Communications Manager
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition

[email protected]

Connect with LACBC: www.la-bike.org Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Visit our blog View our photos on flickr View our videos on YouTube