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Bike commuting for boomers

Published August 6, 2008 by SunHerald.com
By WINA STURGEON

I have a boomer-age friend who saw his dusty bike every time he got in his car, but never thought about actually using it. His two-wheeler was for "bike rides." He never considered riding the bike to commute to the store or to his job, five miles away. He was bothered by traffic and busy streets, and especially by going in and out of buildings.

I've been an on-and-off bike commuter for two decades, so I volunteered to help him become skilled at it. Here are some of the essential things he had to learn:

First, practice riding before trying commuting. You may never have noticed that small grade on the way home in a car, but on a bike, it can be a killer for the first few attempts. Plus, the ride to work may take much longer on a bike than by motorized transportation; learn your time frame before you try it for real.

Learn how to lift your front wheel so you can ride easily over curbs. You can practice working up to curb height by using stacked wooden two-by-fours. When you can lift your wheel over three of them without dislodging the top one, you're ready for curbs. When going off curbs, stand on the pedals, just above the seat, with your butt to the back of the seat. Keep your legs flexible, so they act as shock absorbers.

Also practice lifting the bike up stairs so that going up a few steps, or even a flight of stairs with your bike, becomes easy to do. And it will become easy.

When going into a building, put your bike on the side furthest away from the door and open the door with the hand closest to the door. You can then prop the door open with a foot or shoulder while you wheel the bike in like a pro

If you don't commute because you think it will make you look sweaty and messy, here's how to fix that: carry a wet bandana in a sealed plastic bag. As you get close to your destination, pull the bandana out and put it on the back of your neck. You will quickly stop sweating. Then use the bandana to wipe your face; if your face gets red from riding, that will also help decrease it. You can bring other clothing to change into if you are commuting to work. To bring clothing by bike without wrinkles, fold it along the creases or seams, lay it on a plastic laundry bag, roll it up like a jelly roll, and place in your back pack. Presto, no wrinkles!

Going shopping by bike takes some thought; you won't be wanting to pedal home a 50-pound bag of potatoes. But a regular day pack can hold a goodly amount of groceries. Put your wallet and glasses in one of the small compartments, keep the pack on your back in the store, hanging one of the small baskets from your handlebars for groceries. After checkout, go to an empty checkout stand to repack the groceries into your backpack. Whether going shopping or on any errand, if it's less than three miles away, go by bike.

You may hate it at first. The commuting ride will be really hard work. But keep riding; you will get in shape and it'll get easy. Give bike commuting at least one month before deciding how you really feel about it. As the ride gradually becomes effortless, and you get admiration from all for being so green, as you realize that you're saving many dollars a month as well as losing a lot of body fat, you will wonder why the heck it took you so long to become a bike commuter.

Continued…

Posted in default.


Bicycle Safety Legislation AB 1941

Bicycle Safety Legislation AB 1941


“AB 1941 will create a Measure of Safety for California bicyclists.
Just like Arizona, Utah, Wisconsin and Minnesota, this bill would
require a 3 feet Measure of Safety between vehicles and bicyclists.”

To support or suggest improvements to this Measure of Safety Legislation, please submit your support by filling out the form here.

Read Related Article:
Assemblyman Pedro Nava Announces New Bill on Bicycle Safety


UPDATE: (May 1, 2006) Passage Failed

UPDATE: (March 31, 2006) Assembly Commitee Analysis

UPDATE: (March 22, 2006)

This is AB 1941 complete with its ammended text.

BILL NUMBER: AB 1941	AMENDED	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 21, 2006

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Nava

                        FEBRUARY 1, 2006

   An act to amend  Section 2900 of   Sections21460.5, 21750, and 42001 of, and to add Sections 21750.1 and 42002.1to,  the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.

	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

   AB 1941, as amended, Nava   California Traffic SafetyProgram.   Vehicles: bicycles.     (1)     Under existing law a driver of avehicle overtaking another vehicle or a bicycle proceeding in thesame direction is required to pass to the left at a safe distancewithout interfering with the safe operation of the overtaken vehicleor bicycle, subject to certain limitations and exceptions. Aviolation of this provision is an infraction punishable by a fine notexceeding $100 for a first conviction, and up to a $250 fine for a3rd and subsequent conviction occurring within one year of 2 or moreprior infractions  .    This bill would recast this provision as to overtaking abicycle by requiring the driver of a motor vehicle overtaking abicycle that is proceeding in the same direction to pass to the leftat a   safe distance, at a minimum clearance of 3 feet,without interfering with the safe operation of the overtaken bicycle.The bill would make a violation of this provision an infractionpunishable by a $250 fine. The bill would make it a misdemeanor orfelony if a person operates a motor vehicle in violation of the aboverequirement and that conduct proximately causes great bodily injury,as defined, or death to the bicycle operator.     Because this bill would create a new crime and would expandthe scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose astate-mandated local program.     (2)     Under existing law, a person maynot operate a vehicl   e by driving in a designated 2-wayleft-turn lane, as   described, except when preparing for ormaking a left turn from or into a highway or when preparing for ormaking a U-turn when otherwise permitted by law.     This bill would additionally allow a person to drive avehicle in a designated 2-way left-turn lane when overtaking andpassing a bicycle in order to comply with the driving requirementsdescribed in (1).     (3) This bill would also make certain technical, conformingchanges.    (4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburselocal agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by thestate. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making thatreimbursement.     This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by thisact for a specified reason.     Existing law provides for the California Traffic Safety Program instate government, which provides for, among other things, thesurveillance of traffic for detection and correction of high orpotentially high accident locations.      This bill, instead, would provide for the surveillance of trafficfor identification and correction of high or potentially highaccident locations.    Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no  yes  . State-mandated local program:  no  yes  .

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Section 21460.5 of the  Vehicle Code   is amended to read:    21460.5.  (a)    (1)  The Department ofTransportation and local authorities in their respectivejurisdictions may designate a two-way left-turn lane on a highway. A     (2)     A  two-way left-turn lane is alane near the center of the highway set aside for use by vehiclesmaking left turns in both directions from or into the highway.   (b) Two-way left-turn lanes shall be designated by distinctiveroadway markings consisting of parallel double yellow lines, interiorline dashed and exterior line solid, on each side of the lane. TheDepartment of Transportation may determine and prescribe standardsand specifications governing length, width, and positioning of thedistinctive pavement markings. All pavement markings designating atwo-way left-turn lane shall conform to the Department ofTransportation's standards and specifications.   (c)   (1)    A vehicle shall not bedriven in a designated two-way left-turn lane except  when  as follows:     (A)     When  preparing for or makinga left turn from or into a highway  or when   .    (B)     When  preparing for or makinga U-turn when otherwise permitted by law  , and shall  .     (C) When overtaking and passing a bicycle in order to comply withSection 21750.1.     (2)     A vehicle shall  not be drivenin  that   the  lane  described inparagraph (1)  for more than 200 feet while preparing for andmaking the turn  or   , while overtaking andpassing a bicycle, or  while preparing to merge into theadjacent lanes of travel.    (3)    A left turn or U-turn shall not be madefrom any other lane where a two-way left-turn lane has beendesignated.   (d) This section does not prohibit driving across a two-wayleft-turn lane.   (e) Raised pavement markers may be used to simulate the paintedlines described in this section when those markers are placed inaccordance with standards established by the Department ofTransportation.   SEC. 2   Section 21750 of the   Vehicle Code  is amended to read:    21750.  The driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle or a bicycle  proceeding in the same directionshall pass to the left at a safe distance without interfering withthe safe operation of the overtaken vehicle  or bicycle , subject to the limitations and exceptions hereinafterstated.   SEC. 3    Section 21750.1 is added to the  Vehicle Code   , to read:     21750.1.  (a) (1) The driver of a motor vehicle overtaking abicycle proceeding in the same direction shall pass to the left at asafe distance, at a minimum clearance of three feet, withoutinterfering with the safe operation of the overtaken bicycle.   (2) A violation of paragraph (1) is an infraction punishable by afine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250).   (b) Whenever a person operates a motor vehicle in violation ofsubdivision (a) and that conduct proximately causes great bodilyinjury, as defined in Section 12022.7 of the Penal Code, or death tothe bicycle operator, the person driving the motor vehicle, uponconviction, is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail or instate prison.     SEC. 4    Section 42001 of the   VehicleCode   is amended to read: 
42001. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (e) ofSection 21464, or Section 42000.5, 42001.1, 42001.2, 42001.3,42001.5, 42001.7, 42001.8, 42001.9, 42001.11, 42001.12, 42001.13,42001.14, 42001.15, 42001.16, or subdivision (a) of Section 42001.17,Section 42001.18, or Section 42001.20, or subdivision (b), (c), or(d) of this section, or Article 2 (commencing with Section 42030),every this code, a person convicted of aninfraction for a violation of this code or of any a local ordinance adopted pursuant to this code shall bepunished as follows: (1) By a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100). (2) For a second infraction occurring within one year of a priorinfraction which that resulted in aconviction, a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars ($200). (3) For a third or any subsequent infractionoccurring within one year of two or more prior infractions which that resulted in convictions, a fine notexceeding two hundred fifty dollars ($250). (b) Every person convicted of a misdemeanor violation of Section2800, 2801, or 2803, insofar as they affect failure to stop andsubmit to inspection of equipment or for an unsafe conditionendangering any person, shall be punished as follows: (1) By a fine not exceeding fifty dollars ($50) or imprisonment inthe county jail not exceeding five days. (2) For a second conviction within a period of one year, a finenot exceeding one hundred dollars ($100) or imprisonment in thecounty jail not exceeding 10 days, or both that fine andimprisonment. (3) For a third or any subsequent conviction within a period ofone year, a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) orimprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or boththat fine and imprisonment. (c) (b) A pedestrian convicted of an infractionfor a violation of this code or any local ordinance adopted pursuantto this code shall be punished by a fine not exceeding fifty dollars($50). (d) (c) A person convicted of a violation ofsubdivision (a) or (b) of Section 27150.3 shall be punished by a fineof two hundred fifty dollars ($250), and a person convicted of aviolation of subdivision (c) of Section 27150.3 shall be punished bya fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000). (e) (d) Notwithstanding any other provision oflaw, any a local public entity thatemploys peace officers, as designated under Chapter 4.5 (commencingwith Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, theCalifornia State University, and the University of California may, byordinance or resolution, establish a schedule of fines applicable toinfractions committed by bicyclists within its jurisdiction. Any A fine, including all penaltyassessments and court costs, established pursuant to this subdivisionshall not exceed the maximum fine, including penalty assessment andcourt costs, otherwise authorized by this code for that violation. Ifa bicycle fine schedule is adopted, it shall be used by the courtshaving jurisdiction over the area within which the ordinance orresolution is applicable instead of the fines, including penaltyassessments and court costs, otherwise applicable under this code. SEC. 5. Section 42002.1 is added to the Vehicle Code , to read: 42002.1. A person convicted of a misdemeanor violation of Section2800, 2801, or 2803, insofar as it affects a failure to stop andsubmit to inspection of equipment or for an unsafe conditionendangering a person, shall be punished as follows: (a) By a fine not exceeding fifty dollars ($50) or imprisonment inthe county jail not exceeding five days. (b) For a second conviction within a period of one year, a finenot exceeding one hundred dollars ($100) or imprisonment in thecounty jail not exceeding 10 days, or both that fine andimprisonment. (c) For a third or a subsequent conviction within a period of oneyear, a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) orimprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or boththat fine and imprisonment. SEC. 6. No reimbursement is required by this actpursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the CaliforniaConstitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a localagency or school district will be incurred because this act creates anew crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, orchanges the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning ofSection 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of acrime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of theCalifornia Constitution. SECTION 1. Section 2900 of the Vehicle Code isamended to read: 2900. There is in this state, the California Traffic SafetyProgram, that consists of a comprehensive plan in conformity with thelaws of this state to reduce traffic accidents and deaths, injuries,and property damage resulting from accidents. The program shallinclude, but not be limited to, provisions to improve driverperformance, including, but not limited to, driver education, drivertesting to determine proficiency to operate motor vehicles, anddriver examinations and driver licensing, and provisions to improvebicyclist and pedestrian education and performance. In addition, theprogram shall include, but not be limited to, provisions for aneffective record system of accidents, including injuries and deathsresulting from accidents; accident investigations to determine theprobable causes of accidents, injuries, and deaths; vehicleregistration, operation, and inspection; highway design andmaintenance including lighting, markings, and surface treatment;traffic control; vehicle codes and laws; surveillance of traffic foridentification and correction of high or potentially high accidentlocations; and emergency services.

If
you have additional questions or concerns, we do suggest that you
correspond directly with Assemblyman Pedro Nava’s office, utilizing the
link to the form above.

Continued…

Posted in Action Alerts.


Support the Bike Path “Prokop” Defense Fund

Released June 29, 2006

We are in a battle to return a standard of care and responsibility to
the design, construction and maintenance of California’s Bike Paths.
I’m making an appeal to you individually and to your clubs and advocacy
organizations to help us with cash donations.

The California
Association of Bicycling Organizations (CABO), the California Bicycle
Coalition, the League of American Bicyclists, John Forester and others,
are supporting a court action to return legal liability to agencies
responsible for Bike Paths. Presently, through previous court decision
mistakes, a damaging precedent was set whereby people have been unable
to hold an agency responsible when they are injured or killed on
California Bike Paths even when the incident was due to a fault in
design, construction or maintenance by the responsible agency (city,
county, State, etc.). Precedent was set when courts mistakenly defined
Class 1 Bike Paths (bicycling facilities as defined by State Highway
Design standards) as recreational trails, where users are “at their own
risk.” Bike Paths are transportation facilities and were supposed to be
on a similar liability footing as Bike Lanes, sidewalks, and roads.

John Forester, author of “Effective Cycling”, found a Bike Path
bicyclist injury case to appeal and re-set/overturn precedent. We
believe that this is important both to allow an individual to be able
to recover for costs of injuries, but more importantly to help us all
to be assured that Bike Paths get a decent level of attention by
agencies that install Bike Paths and/or encourage or sometimes try to
require our use of Bike Paths.

The effort is costly and is
rapidly exhausting the CABO legal defense fund. We are asking for help
with donations to cover the legal costs. Costs have now exceeded
$60,000 most of which has been consumed. Now it’s your turn… maybe
again.
 
Our initial “Appellant’s Opening Brief” was filed in
May with the Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division 8.
Attorneys for the City of Los Angeles have until August to respond.
This is an important battle protect and improve the future of bicycling
in California.

The Bike Path “Prokop” Defense Fund is being
managed by CABO. You may designate your donation to benefit the CABO
legal defense fund in general or to be specifically and only used for
the present action – the “Prokop” case”. With hoped for success we may
get our costs reimbursed in which case donations may be returned.
 
Contributions should be directed to:

California Association of Bicycling Organizations
c/o Ruth Barnes, Treasurer
2601 E. Victoria St #344
Rancho Dominguez  CA  90220-7259

Thank you!
Jim Baross
CABO President

Any questions can be directed to Jim Baross at: JimBaross (at) cox.net

Posted in Action Alerts.


It’s Happening As Fast As It Can:: Author: Harv

It’s in the news daily now, oil (and gasoline) prices are hitting new highs and the whole world is concerned about it. Here in LaLa Land (Los Angeles) naysayers are lamenting that the City is dragging their feet about installing bike infrastructure and car drivers just won’t change their habits to seek alternate transportation. This may be true regarding the lack of infrastructure, but we are pressing on regardless. It is not true that the general public will not seek alternate transportation. It is happening as fast as it can.

Local Bike Shops that have hitherto catered to the spandex set who want the latest expensive carbon fiber 30 speed wonderbikes are ill prepared for the bicycle commuter revolution. Manufacturers are beginning to see the light, but it takes time for the supply pipeline to fill. New offerings include fully-equipped commuter bikes. Some made of steel, some single speed, but all simpler in design and meant for urban streets.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE


Slick tyres, chopped bars and a luggage rack make this Raleigh a Commuter

Here at the Bike Oven, we can barely keep up. The demand for bikes and repairs is overwhelming. People are digging up those ten-speeds and bringing them in for refurbishing (sometimes a daunting task) or conversion. But more often they want ready to ride bikes (we call them RTRs at the Oven). As fast as we can twirl the wrenches, we take the Sow’s Ear donated bikes and turn them into Silk Purses. The most popular and sought after bikes are the single speed road bike and urban commuter conversions. As a training exercise and during slow moments (rare!) we take suspensionless mountain bikes and convert them using parts that have been stripped from the hopeless cases that have been donated.


Once a mountain bike, this Schwinn Mirada now is a single speed road bike

We sell these bikes to raise cash to pay the rent. Usually just hours after an ad is placed on Craig’s List, our converted bike is sold. Typically, people walk in the door and announce that they want a bike to ride to work. Usually they go for something simple – a single speed or a slick-tyred, chopped bar mountain bike. They come in as couples wanting two bikes. As families with small children, as students, as urban hipsters, most in their twenties or thirties. For this demographic, the move away from car dependency is already happening.


Another mountain to commuter coversion, this one a Diamondback

We can advocate all we want and we will continue to do it. We can lean on our various Departments of Transportation, our Metro Authorities, our City Council, our Planning Committees, and our Traffic Commissions. It would be nice to get some positive response from these groups, but we are getting there anyway with and without their help. When confronted with a compelling problem, people will react with what seems to be the best solution for them. There are miles of paved streets in Los Angeles, many off of the main arteries that serve the crush of car traffic. It doesn’t take long to figure it all out. As word spreads about what kind of bike to ride, where to get it and where to ride it, our urban commuter numbers will increase and we will be accepted by the motoring public. It’s already happening, and this is just the beginning.


A derelict Shogun road bike gets new life as a Single Speed

Posted in C.I.C.L.E. Bike-a-Blog, Harv.


Everything WRONG!

Come see C.I.C.L.E. seduce others into the bizarre world of
utilitarian cycling at Everything WRONG show this Friday and Saturday

Did you do it wrong? Have you messed up? Are you on the peripheries
of  the margin?

Then we invite you to join the Enablers of The
Round Table  Seema �Dpoy� Kapur, Loren �Larry Knight� Hartman, and
Madam H as we build a critical mass of communal wrongness, celebrating
insecurity and  difference in a hyper-friendly, come-as-you
really-are party  environment with games, music, dance, and food.

Stop fitting in and  party at the Wall of Wrong, clam up in
the Shy Room, split a gut on  Under-represented Chow, dance to
alternative rhythms, learn about  transportation  alternatives powered by human legs (C.I.C.L.E.),
Fish for The Truth,  Heal Somebody, hang out and meet new
invisible friends, and much, much  more as you become part of the
Wrong Revolution to be okay with you and almost everybody else.
This is a durational performance installation/party. Come any
time. Leave any time.

Everything Wrong is the first in a series of events designed to help us
overturn the pervasive sense that material success, competitiveness,
cool indifference, homogeny, and productivity create value. Instead,
the artists want to acknowledge a spectrum of difference in the way we
live.  Everyone feels insecure, different, and apart. The more we
can admit our fears, celebrate our differences, and begin to talk to
one another, the more easily we can work together for change.

Audience members are encouraged to dress as they would like to be seen.

Hartman, Kapur and Tanaka are artists and organizers engaged in
creating environments that challenge social norms. In Everything Wrong,
the artists wanted to address the increasing sense of distance and
isolation people appear to feel toward each other by creating a fun,
safe place to understand that everyone feels insecure, different, and
apart, the theory being the more we know about each other, the less
likely we are to try to pretend with each other and the more secure we
feel about communicating and acting together for change. The artists
want to overturn the pervasive sense that material success,
competitiveness, cool indifference, homogeny, and productivity create
value and instead allow for acceptance of the spectrum of difference in
the way we live. Audience members are encouraged to hang out, eat, and
participate, if they choose, but to just enjoy being in a place where
nobody cares what they drive, how they live, what they look like, or
what their last gig was. It�s all about being real.

WHEN
Friday, September 1st and Saturday, September 2nd,
8:30PM-10:30PM Come and
go at any time.
Doors open at 8:30PM and close around 10:30

WHERE
Highways Performance Space and Gallery
@ the 18th Street Arts Center
1651 18th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90404.
1/4 block north of Olympic.

TICKETS: Students/seniors: $7 with valid I.D. General public: $5.
24-Hour Reservations Line
(310) 315-1459. Reservations encouraged but not required.

Brought to you by:

Madam H served as part of the LA130 collaborative, conducted the
M.Y. Manifesto Workshop at the South Central Farms (April 2006), and
presented Le’Rationale: A Workshop in Empathy, (Crazy Space, April
2005) along with Wanda Smans. Madam H (aka Haruko Tanaka) is included
in Tomorrowland-CalArts in Moving Pictures at the Museum of Modern Art,
NY (July 2006) and will also have a solo exhibition at CUE Art
Foundation in NYC in February 2007. Madam H lives and works in Los Angeles. She continues to surf for inner and world peace.

Seema �Dpoy� Kapur
is a lactose intolerant artist who was born and
raised in Wisconsin.  She will soon be opening Sat Naam, a nonprofit
yoga studio for kids and adults in South Central Los Angeles.  She has
been living and making work in Los Angeles since 2000.

Loren �Larry Knight� Hartman is a leftover leaping gnome who used to co-direct Crazy Space, a performance space at the 18th St. Art Center
in Santa Monica. Works include presentations at the Metropolitan Museum
of the Philippines, The Museum of Jurassic Technology, Recontres
International (Paris, Berlin), Highways Performance Space, LACE, Track
16, Side Street LIVE, and New Image Art, among other venues.

With help from:
Cyclists Inciting Change thru Live Exchange (C.I.C.L.E.) ,
Clam and Eloise (Friday), Willia Drew, Stacey Harris,  Robert Jacka,
Matt Lucero, Kevin McCarty, Carol McDowell, Adam Overton  (Sat), Chris
Poulos, Christine Morla (Sat.), Michael Sakamoto (Fri.),  Nurit Siegel,
Eric J. Smail (Sat.), and archetype cards by Kate Brown,  Kristina
Faragher, Bia Gayotto, Curt LeMieux, and Lindsey Walker

Continued…

Posted in linkdump.


C.I.C.L.E. Directors and Steering Committee

Liz Elliott: Co-Director
Liz is a League Certified cycling Instructor, and the primary instructor for C.I.C.L.E.’s “Bikes in the City” Education Program. Liz is currently living a car-free life here in Los Angeles, and she has personally experienced the mental and physical health benefits of cycling for transportation. Moreover, she views cycling as an important way to rebuild and connect with community, and care for the earth and all of its inhabitants.

Shay Sanchez: Co-Director and Founder

Shay is a League Certified cycling Instructor and the primary developer of C.I.C.L.E.’s extensive web-based resources, and of C.I.C.L.E.’s “Bikes in the City: Education Program”. Shay discovered the joys and virtues of transportation cycling after a diagnosis with Lupus forced her to limit her cycling exploits to short in-town trips. She founded C.I.C.L.E. in 2002 to create a greater awareness about utilitarian bicycling, and as a way to address the manifold issues related to auto-dependency in a positive and solution oriented way. Shay believes that urban and environmental renewal can be achieved, in part, by everyday people making healthy transportation choices—with bicycle education programs being a core component required to create the shift.

Steering Committee

Rob Galbraith holds a Masters degree in Ecopsychology (integrates psychology and ecology in the study of human-nature relationships) from Naropa University. He has been involved with C.I.C.L.E. since 2006, and has contributed to its web development and research. He is currently working in landscaping with the goal of increasing the use and awareness of California native plants in gardens throughout the Los Angeles area. The bicycle has been a significant presence through much of his life and his time spent with C.I.C.L.E. has reinforced an interest in encouraging healthy, sustainable communities through engaging outreach and action.

Aimee Gilchrist graduated from Christian Brothers University with a Marketing and Sociology Degree. She has worked with outdoor industry environmental leader, Patagonia, for 3 years, where she actively engages her customers and employees in local environment actions. Aimee also managed the popular mid-south outdoor retailer, Outdoors Inc. Aimee has worked to establish biking as a sport and recreation through events such as Pedal for Paws, Tour de Wolf and Mid South Cyclocross Championship. She joined C.I.C.L.E. in 2007 and now seeks to promote cycling as a means for social and ecological change.


Jeannette Hilgert
has a dual-master's degree in Social Work and Gerontology (the study of aging) from the University of Southern California. She currently works as a therapist with depressed individuals who utilize Los Angeles County Community Health clinics. A native Spanish-speaker- Jeannette has worked for the Venice Family Clinic, Blue Cross of California, and the Alzheimer's Association focusing primarily on public health/community mental health concerns in the Latino community. Jeannette lives a car-lite/bicycle-centric lifestyle. She has worked with C.I.C.L.E. since 2005, and is currently involved in expanding their Spanish language resources, outreach, and safety education training workshops.

Tony Jusay is a transportation planner with the Westside Area Planning Team at Metro. His work involves administering grants awarded to local agencies for pedestrian and bicycling projects and assisting in the implementation of policies and programs detailed in Metro's Bicycle Transportation Strategic Plan. He is also completing a Master's Degree at Cal Poly Pomona in the Regenerative Studies Program. Tony also has a background in the automobile drag racing industry and culture. His insider perspective and understanding of “car culture” continually helps C.I.C.L.E. reach new audiences in a friendly and compassionate manner. He has been involved with C.I.C.L.E. since 2005.

David Pulsipher has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism (with honors) from the University of Colorado and is currently pursuing a Masters in Urban Planning from UCLA. He was an Associate at one of Denver's leading management & strategic consulting agencies (GBSM), specializing in media auditing, strategy, and crisis communications. He worked as a communications specialist for the Federal Emergency Management Agency shortly after Hurricane Katrina. David currently works for Metro as the Bicycle Parking Coordinator overseeing all of LA County. David joined C.I.C.L.E. in 2007 and is currently heading the organization’s effort to install bicycle parking facilities at various businesses and institutions.

Posted in Bike It.


On The Brink Of A Bicycle Renaissance

Long Beach is a great
bicycle city; it just doesn’t quite know it yet. Usually when people
think of cities with great bicycle culture, Portland, San Francisco and
New York top the list. However, Long Beach is poised on a bicycle
renaissance.

Throughout the city there is a wide demographic
of people riding bikes, from commuters and cruisers to racing
enthusiasts and fixed gear riders. There are several bike clubs — like
City Nuisance, the Boneshakers, Velo Alegro, and PABST (Post
Apocalyptic Bike Street Terror) — that are creating communities for
cyclists of all types.




Encouraging the growth of bicycling in Long Beach is the weather (you
can ride year round), access to bike paths and facilities like the
nonprofit Bikestation, which provides secure parking and repair
services for bicyclist. The first of its kind in the entire country,
the Bikestation is strategically located near the Metro Blue Line so
people can park their bike and take the train instead of driving.

“Our goal is to promote cycling and get people out of their cars and on
to bikes,” says Bikestation Executive Director Andrea White. With
rising gas prices, the idea of the bicycle as a means of serious
transportation is becoming more of a possibility. “Everyday, we get
calls from other cities that are interested in opening a Bikestation.”

Beyond the ubiquitous beach cruiser with flowers and streamers, there
is a growing fixed gear culture in Long Beach. Once only the steeds of
hardened New York bike messengers, fixed gear bikes are showing up in
Long Beach. Fixies don’t allow for coasting and are sometimes ridden
without brakes. The rider is constantly pedaling and controlling their
speed with their legs.

“You feel more connected to your bike
and you become hyper sensitive,” says Crystal Talbot, who uses her bike
to commute to work and school.

Another bike oddity that is
slowly emerging in Long Beach is tall bikes. Tall bikes are made by
welding two donor bikes together. Their sole purpose is for the fun of
creating something unique and to turn a few heads.

With all the new cyclists there are safety concerns. Many drivers and
cyclists are poorly educated on what constitutes safe and legal riding.
In California, bicycles are legally allowed to ride on the street.
Drivers often wrongly assume that bicyclists must ride as close as
possible to the curb or line of parked cars. However, that is the most
dangerous position for a cyclist to be, due to the danger of opening
doors the lack of peripheral vision of drivers.

“You have the same rights as a car and you have to remember that for
your own safety,” says Crystal, who was injured a few months ago when a
person in a parked car opened their door without looking. She cracked
her helmet and bruised her ribs but still she rides. “There is nothing
negative about riding a bike. It’s healthy. It’s good for the
environment and it’s good for the community.”

Posted in Action Alerts.