A Bicycle that Floats?

Long Beach Hydrobikes is opening this weekend, June 19 at 11 am in front of Khoury's restaurant in Alamitos Bay. There'll be free hot dogs and drinks and discounted rides. Regular charge for a half hour is $10, and the company also offers night rides and exercise classes. The pictures on the website look like bike frames suspended completely above the water on two bright yellow pontoons, sort of a bike-a-maran.

Dutch Bike Flick Redux

A charming movie called Riding Bikes with the Dutch , which premiered during the Long Beach Bike Festival on May 9 will be shown again at the Art Theatre on this Thursday, June 10, at 7 pm. Tickets are only $5. Speaking of charming, my son Drew conducted an interview with the director for Streetsblog a while back. Check it out

Pedal Movement Online

Pedal Movement has a new home online. It's got a blog and groups and forums and a terrific events calendar.
It's a great way to stay connected with this group that seems to be reborn and reformed every three months or so.

It's a cycle and it's, well, extra

We have a change to buy an xtracycle second hand. It's got an extra long frame for extra towing capacity. It would come in handy for shopping, day trips, or just getting stares for passersby. They go for over $1,000, but we could get one for around $600. Maybe earn a little extra money with bike delivery?

Speaking of get-around town bikes, I just want to set a link to Flying Pigeon LA, a bike shop that sells or rents a good old reliable Chinese bike brand.

The Greening of the River

Am I ready for the 10th annual Los Angeles River Bike Ride On June 6? A definite maybe for the 15 mile family ride, which begins at 11 am (registration at 10) and costs $50. It makes a loop beginning and ending at the Autry Center in Griffith Park and it's completely on a bike path.

And if I wimp out on the bke ride, there's the Friends of the Los Angeles River is sponsoring a Carpool Tour of the river ending at its mouth in Long Beach on June 13 from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. For $25, you get a guided tour of the downtown spot that’s in all the movies, Maywood Riverfront Park, Compton Creek, and the brand-new stunning Dominguez Gap Wetland in Long Beach. There'll also be a stop at a Long Beach taco shop.

And if I just can't cut organized activity, The Glendale Narrows Riverside path for a 10-mile walk or ride or the Yoga course downstream from Los Feliz Boulevard on the east bank. Check out the Los Angeles River Center, an old Spanish-style estate, at 570 West Avenue 26, open mornings 7:30 to noon and some afternoons. (Bike path: right on Avenue 26, right on Figueroa, and right onto Riverside Drive). Ride through a series of 8 riverside parks. (From Frogtown exit through the Great Heron Gates at Rattlesnake Park and cross Fletcher Drive onRipple Street, which become Crystal Street and ends at the path. On the river's east side on Glendale Boulevard there's an arty row of row of shops in Atwater Villate (take the path upstream from the bridge).
Returning to the path on the west side of the river, continue upstream to the Sunnynook Footbridge and cross for the yoga course.

Pedal Dreams

Just came across a note about Duvine Bike Tours in my evergrowing pile of "things to do in my dreams." The prize is steep ($3,00o-$4,000 for 6 day excursion) but the locations are to die for. Not too many easy rides, but the accommodations are deluxe and many meals are included.

Pedal on over to Pedal Movement

Tomorrow night, February 8, Pedal Movement is holding its monthly meeting at the new bike co-op facilities (the H.U.B) at the corner of Long Beach Boulevard and Esther Street. Starting at 5 pm, everyone is welcome to get a glimpse of the center of this rapidly growing biking collective and to learn about ongoing projects and get involved.

Virtual Biking

To prep myself for the CSULB bike safety classes I signed up for in February, I'm reviewing a few bike-centric websites.

Bike Long Beach -- has a Bike 101 page with safety tips for riding at night or reporting a pothole, but it doesn't not explain the mystery of why the new "bike route" street signs have numbers on them

Los Angeles Dept. of Transportation -- has a downloadable 12-page brochure on bike rules and bike maps

Bike Commuters -- has a blog featuring hard-working bikes and bike accessories state-by-state bike laws

League of American Bicyclists -- has educational videos and a state-by-state directory of bike classes

National Center for Bicycling & Walking -- links to the Active Living Resource Center and other publications

California Association of Bicycling Organizations -- has news-oriented blog and articles

California Bicycle Coalition -- news on laws and advocacy

California DMV -- has rules of bike safety and links

Pedestrian and bicycle Information -- has maps and programs and free photos like the one in this post (pedbikeimages.org/photographer Dan Burden)

Panniers A-Plenty #2: Dogs Xing

Exciting news! I have already fulfilled my exercise goal for January -- two walks or bike rides for work (including grocery shopping) and two walks or bike rides for pleasure. I walked to Ralph's last week as well as the bike ride to the Alamitos Bay Marina Farmer's Market described in Pan(n)iers A-Plenty #1. For pleasure, I joined members of the Sierra Club who stride around Signal Hill every Tuesday and Thursday night. What they called a moderate pace was strenuous for me, but the night air and the view from Hill Top Park made it worth the effort. Today, I ventured down to the shoreline bike path with my husband and sons. It's been months since I went down there, but every time I go, I'm always delighted by little glimpses of the good life Long Beach style that come my way.



We cruised down Sixth Avenue, which heading west from Santiago is a cruiser's paradise (the steep climb heading east is well beyond my ability level). The road gently rolls up and down with the greenery "Little Rec" Golf Course and Colorado Lagoon for scenery. We had to detour around the mounds of dirt piled up around Ximeno for the excavations going on around Marine Stadium. Two of my favorite bike rides obstructed--what a bite!



Every time I cruise around Belmont Heights, I always discover a new residence I wish were mine. Given my current financial situation and lacksadaisical housekeeping routine, it's probably better that one of those beauties doesn't fall into my hands. Most of the streets in that neighborhood are narrow but traffic is light and stops are clearly marked. The main challenge is crossing Broadway. Ocean was also a little dicey too because the traffic light gave barely enough time for our group of bikes and a couple of bikes crossing in the other direction to negotiate the central island.



We connected with the shoreline bike path at the Belmont Olympic Pool. A swim meet must have been in progress because the place was buzzing. I noticed that Chuck's Coffee Shop (Home of the "Weasel" Locally World Famous) now has a designated bike parking area, and if all the cars trolling for spaces are any indication, two wheels are definitely the right way to roll at Chuck's.



As we headed out onto the bike path the Airship Ventures blimp floated above us and my husband just had to get a photo, causing a little conjestion for the bicyclists and pedestrians around us. Most everyone was mellow about veering around us. After all it's a sunny Sunday at the beach and the rest of the country is freezing cold, so Californians are ready to cut each other a little slack. I was surprised to see more walkers that bikers and even 4 or 5 roller bladers enjoying the sun. Thankfully, I remembered my shades.

Further along, we passed the volleyball courts. Nearly all of them were occupied, many with very attractive Misty May wannabes in sports bras and bikini bottoms. On the ocean side of the path, orange hazard cones marked off the dog beach. Happy pups careened in and out of the surf as their owners tossed balls or barked commands. "Dogs Xing" was stencilled across the bike path, but I had no canine encounters to slow me down. We crossed Ocean and headed up Bayshore. That street is VERY narrow and made even more challenging by the concrete wall on the beach side of the road. Motorists were very patient about sharing the road with us, but it was a relief to get back to Appian Way and its big fat bike lane. The rest of the ride was pretty mellow, except that I had a minor run-in with a lamppost as I was watching the cricket match in Marina Vista Park. One strand of my new bike basket was broken, but it looks like it'll hold up just fine.

Biking Update

The Beachcomber reports that the bicycle boulevard on Vista Street from Nieto Avenue to Temple Avenue will be installed in January or February. There'll be traffic circles at some intersections and at Redondo, there'll be a signall for bikes only. Bike lanes have been painted in on Atherton and plans are underway to put in a cyclist list at Anaheim and Clark. Sixth Street and 15th Street and the Daisy corridor are slated for bicycle bouelvards too. Bicycle licenses are available from any fire station on Saturdays from 8 am to noon. They cost $3.

Google Maps Goes Where Autoists Fear to Tread

Woohoo! I just heard that the untiring people at Google are now entering bike paths into their megadata to give walkers and bikers new directional options. I can't pull up the Shoreline Bike Path yet, but the bikeway near the Monterey Aquarium is there.

Forget the chickens, count those bikes!

The Transportation Department at California State University Long Beach is holding its annual bike and pedestrian count on Thursday, October 22 (7-9 am or 4-6 pm) and Sunday, October 25 (12 noon-2 pm).
You have to attend a half-hour training session on Wednesday, October ; three sessions are available--at 2 pm, 4 pm, and 6 pm.

By accurately documenting the number of people biking and walking as well as where the most bikers and walkers are, CSULB and the city of Long Beach can create better routes and better qualify for grants and other funding. After submitting a completed count form, volunteers will receive a "thank you" gift card.

More Pedal Power

Here's a nifty website to use when planning a vacation. Rent a Bike Now is a directory of places to rent bikes around the country with a few out of the US too. You enter a state and then cities are listed to choose from. Next a list of rental places comes up with types, sizes and even brands of bicycles with corresponding rates. The actual address of the store doesn't come up until you've paid a deposit, but with a name and the price information, you could soon track them down. I've often wanted to get a bike to tool around a lakefront or park but been to lazy to wade through the Google swamp to find a local bike rental (or just had my connection hijacked, like right now). This looks like a perfect one stop spot to locate some temporary wheels.

Also in Sunset this month, Pedal Bike Tours out of Portland offers 9 different regularly scheduled tours of the area plus other one-time-only tours designed for special events. For instance, the Coffee Crawl goes to 3 different coffee roasts and lasts about 3 hours. They also offer a guided trip up the Columbia Gorge and a cruise through historic neighborhoods. Prices range from $50 to $100. Okay, who will step up and start a Long Beach bike tour?

The Sharrows Are Here!

I was away in San Luis Obispo last weekend so I missed the opening day for the sharrows on Second Street in Belmont Shore. BikeLongBeach has links to some videos which is almost as fun as being there. They've also got a Q & A page that explains the advantages of sharrows. I'll have to pedal down there over the Fourth of July weekend and check it out.

Run, Don't Walk! Front Page News!

Hurry and get the latest issue (March 17-30) of the Long Beach Business Journal. My article and a photo of me looking uncharacteristically perky appear on the front page. Yes! My story about walking and biking around the city was selected for the series the LBBJ is running called “Imagine Long Beach.” The headline is “A Healthy City Where People Leave Their Cars at Home.” Unfortunately, the story isn't available online, but the paper is a giveaway at many Long Beach locations, including the libraries.

I’ve heard from several avid bikers and gotten lots of news about Long Beach’s Bicycle Master Plan and the Bike Festival scheduled for April 4 and 5 (more on that later). How great to put your ideas out there and find out that others were waiting for them to be said. Uh oh, got to go. Time for me to WALK to work. So don’t just sit there. Take steps yourself.