Bike Tour in Santa Monica + Art + Music = Tour da Arts, Vol. 3

Santa Monica Museum of Art’s Cause for Creativity and C.I.C.L.E.’s Urban Expeditions have joined forces again!  Grab your French beret, and bike on over to this family friendly, funky-fun art jam and cultural bike event!

Join us for all or part of the day (Pre-registration recommended). REGISTER NOW

When: Sunday, August 21st, 2011

Where: SMMoA: 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90404

Noon — 2:00pm - Pre-Ride Activities

The event will kick off with a spoke-card workshop, bike tour check-in, bicycle bell ensemble prep, a cycling culture mini-fest of resources, bike demos, and products.

Spoke Card Art Workshop:  FREE for SMMoA members: RSVP to education@smmoa.org. $5 for non-members: click here to purchase tickets.

2:30 — 7:00 pm – Bike Tour

Cultural 8-mile bike tour, led by C.I.C.L.E.’s Urban Expeditions team, featuring music and dance at The Broad Stage, spoken word and live jazz with Jazz on the Lawn at Santa Monica City Hall, and the Bicycle Bell Ensemble collaborative performance upon return to SMMoA/Bergamot Station (bells provided).

Ride Price: FREE

What to bring: Your bicycle, in good running order. All participants should be able to ride a bike safely with the ability to brake, change gears, and balance while stopping and starting. All participants under 18 must wear a helmet and be escorted by a parent or guardian. Children under age 8 should be on a tag-a-long, bike trailer, tandem, or other safe child-carrying device to participate in the ride.

Tour da Arts is made possible through a partnership with the Santa Monica Museum of Art.  Urban Expeditions is made possible with support from REI.

C.I.C.L.E. Brings Rides to Azusa & South L.A.

In July, C.I.C.L.E. kicked off its neighborhood-focused rides in Azusa and South L.A. as part of its program to train community Ride Leaders.

In Azusa, a group of 10 participants and 4 Ride Leaders took a bicycle tour of several of the town’s parks.

In South L.A., a group of 4 C.I.C.L.E. Ride Leaders led 26 participants preparing for the South L.A. CicLAvia expansion.  The ride stopped at an urban food garden (pictured at left) run by Community Services Unlimited (CSU).  At the garden we learned how community members could access fresh produce in the neighborhood.  CSU also is working on a program to deliver fresh produce to South L.A. residents by bicycle.

Be a Tour de Fat Volunteer!

Tour de Fat is a celebration for those who love bikes! On Oct. 8th, the festival stops in L.A. to treat the city to a bicycle parade, music, entertainment, and a New Belgium Beer garden.

C.I.C.L.E. is looking for volunteers to help set-up, sell drink tokens, pour beer, give out H20, check IDs, and help tear down the event.

Volunteering for Tour de Fat is fun, a great way to meet new people, and supports C.I.C.L.E.’s bicycle programs. It is our biggest volunteer event of the year.

Sign me up!

You can sign up for a shift before, after, or for part of the event and still enjoy the festivities.  One of our volunteers last year said, “Tour de Fat was a blast! Good times and good people.”

Did we mention that all volunteers get a commemorative t-shirt and drink tokens? Hope to see you there!

Sign up now. It’s easy!

Donated Bikes Give Refugees a Lift

On July 6th, bicycles, helmets, and a safety workshop were given to international refugees at the International Refugee Committee L.A. (IRC) in Glendale.  The bicycles were donated by the LACBC’s Bicycle Wrangler program.  C.I.C.L.E. provided helmets and a safety class.

The recipients’ faces filled with delight while moving on two wheels as they practiced drills in the parking lot.  Many refugees at the IRC cannot afford car transportation and had not been on bicycles since childhood.

Read More about C.I.C.L.E.’s visit to the International Rescue Committee on their website.