Kidical Mass 2015

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Kidical Mass is back for 2015

Often called the family bike happening, Kidical Mass is a venue for parents to teach their kids how to ride safely. If you have ever wanted to ride your bike in a parade with kids of all ages, 2015-Kidical-Mass-Frontthis is the perfect chance to make it happen. No matter your age, the ride is a blast for everyone! The more the merrier as we introduce the next generation to the joy of bicycles.

How Does It Work?

Children of all ages ride side by side with their families during this monthly event to learn important bicycle safety skills in a fun, festive way. By teaching safe riding skills to children we can create a safer community of riders in the future. As we ride as a group we spread smiles and bicycle love to everyone we pass. Since the program began in 2010, over 900 people have participated in these family-focused events.

Where Do We Ride?

This year we have two different routes: Themed rides to The Mission and Blues Baseball rides to Sinsheimer Park. All rides begin at Mitchell Park in SLO for a brief safety talk before we start the group ride.

Themed rides (May 7, June 4, July 2, August 6) meet at Mitchell Park in SLO for a brief safety talk before we head up the Bike Boulevard (Morro St) then back downtown, ending in Mission Plaza.

What’s with the themes?

Having a theme is a great excuse to dress up and have even more fun! Costumes aren’t required but they are heartily encouraged. We can’t wait to see what you come up with! This year we teamed up with members of the bike community to help choose themes and act as hosts for each ride. Here are this year’s themes:

May 7th: Superheroes (Thanks to hosts Jonathan Roberts, Kim Lisagor Bisheff, Michelle Shoresman and PJ!)

June 4th: Red (Thanks to hosts Tom DiSanto and Heidi Harmon!)

July 2nd: Stars and Stripes (Thanks to host Tim Wilkinson!)

August 6th: Green and Foil (Thanks to host Dan Kallal!)

Blues Baseball rides (May 31, June 21) meet at Mitchell Park in SLO for a brief safety talk before we ride as a group on the Railroad Safety Trail to Sinsheimer Park Baseball Stadium to attend a Blues Baseball game. This ride is perfect for kids who have mastered the traditional Kidical Mass ride and are ready for the additional challenge of riding up and down the Jennifer Street Bridge on a ride almost 2 miles long. Please plan accordingly. On May 31st, thanks to the SLO County Air Pollution Control District and Rideshare, the first 200 adults who arrive by bicycle receive free tickets to the game (Kids get in to Blues Baseball games for free). While these Blues rides don’t have an official theme, we’re looking forward to seeing how everyone gets creative with your costume choices!

Route Maps for Kidical Mass rides to The Mission are available here: http://bit.ly/KidicalMission

Route Maps for Kidical Mass rides to Blues Games are available here: https://bit.ly/KidicalBlues

Sign up to attend the May 7th Kidical Mass Ride on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1404965329819639/

Special hearty thanks to our two fabulous Kidical Mass sponsors, Rahman Law and Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center. Their generous support helps us teach and inspire future generations of SLO County bicycle riders!

Like Bikes?

Become a member of The Bike Coalition – it’s free to sign-up and we’ll keep you informed every month about bike events and issues in SLO County. Click this link to join: I Like Bikes!

Bike Month Preview

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Bike Month is almost here!

We’re excited that Rideshare’s Bike Month is just days away and want to give you a preview of some of the fantastic events happening throughout the month of May.

May 1st:

Art After Dark: To kick off Bike Month, a number of galleries throughout San Luis Obispo are featuring bike-themed artwork during Art After Dark, including Linnaea’s Cafe which will feature the month-long bicycle-themed group show “Joy Ride”, with an opening reception from 6PM – 9PM. A portion of all sales from this show will benefit the Bicycle Coalition. A list of all participating Art After Dark galleries can be found here:  https://www.artsobispo.org/system/files/AAD_Current_Listing_May15.pdf

May 2nd:

Community Workout: Start Bike Month right with a free outdoor workout class in beautiful Meadow Park led by Jonathan Gabriel, followed by a short bike ride, with instruction by Vanessa from the SLO County Bicycle Coalition. Make sure and bring a bicycle AND a helmet! We’ll meet up in Meadow Park by the Basketball Courts at 8:00 AM.

Bike in Movie: The Bike-In Movie is a popular event held each year Big-Hero-6-200during May’s Bike Month and this year marks our 11th Annual! We’ll be showing the wildly popular Big Hero 6 in the Mission Plaza Amphitheater starting at 7:45 PM.  We’ll provide popcorn, hot chocolate and a family friendly movie for everyone to enjoy. As always, our Bike Valet will be on hand to help with bicycle parking. Come earlier in the day and check out the Central Coast Sustainability Festival, a day long event featuring an exposition of student and industry projects related to sustainability accompanied by entertainment and food.

May 7th: 

Kidical Mass: Often called the family bike happening, Kidical Mass is a venue for parents to teach their kids how to ride safely. We’re kicking off the 2015 Kidical Mass season on May 7th in Mitchell Park at 5:30 PM. This month’s theme is Superheroes! Costumes are not required but are heartily encouraged! If you have ever wanted to ride your bike in a parade with kids of all ages, this is the perfect chance to make it happen. No matter your age, the ride is a blast for everyone! The more the merrier as we introduce the next generation to the joy of bicycles. For more information and additional dates, click here: https://slobikelane.org/programs/kidicalmass/#tab-id-1

May 8th:

Meet the Winemaker at Windows on The Water Benefit: In honor of Bike Month, Peloton Cellars and Windows on The Water are teaming up for a special event to benefit the SLO County Bicycle Coalition at Windows on The Water in Morro Bay. Join us for an evening of Peloton Cellars’ award-winning wines accompanied by a special pairing of Windows on The Water appetizers. More information available here: https://slobikelane.org/meet-the-winemaker/

May 9th:

Bikefest: Combine fun music, great food, discount New Belgium Brewery Beers and an awesome celebration of bikes and you get…Bikefest! Held every year in the Village of Arroyo Grande, Bikefest 2015 happens Saturday, May 9th at Branch Street Deli from 1 pm to 4 pm. A bike parade beginning at the Rotary Bandstand will start the festivities at 12:30. This year’s theme is: Biking makes for a safer and healthier community. Come join sponsors Rideshare, Branch Street Deli, New Belgium Brewery, Lezyne, Ira’s Bike Shop and the SLO County Bicycle Coalition for this year’s event. All ages are welcome, so grab your bike and head to Branch Street Deli. It’s going to be a blast.

May 17th: 

Cycle De Mayo: Come enjoy the outdoors, be active, and have fun with the whole family at this year’s Cycle De Mayo: The Missing Link Event, highlighting the missing bicycle-friendly link between the three cities with group rides for adults from Paso Robles and Atascadero to Templeton. Checkout the BMX Stunt show, learn about bike safety, and eat some wonderful BBQ while listening to local music! Bike decorating, a kid’s bike rodeo, and face painting are just a few of the kid friendly events. 10AM – 4PM. More info at https://www.cycledemayo.com/.

May 30th:

Bike Fashion Show/Annual Party: Open to the whole community, our annual party is always a blast! Coalition members and non-members alike come together for a fantastically fun evening of bikes, food, and bike-related fashion. Food by Mee Heng Low, Beer and Wine from local brewers. Music by DJ Malik. Members $5. Nonmembers $10. Entry includes 1 Free Beverage. 6PM – 9PM at iFixit Headquarters in SLO (1330 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401)

May 31st:

BIKE TO BLUES KIDICAL MASS: Rideshare, SLO County Air Pollution Control District and the SLO County Bicycle Coalition encourage you to re-think how you get to and from your favorite activities. Bike to the Blues Baseball game and get free admission (first 200 adults only – kids always free). Kidical Mass Family Bike Ride meets at Mitchell Park at 11:30 a.m then rides as a group to the stadium. Game starts at 1 p.m. More Kidical Mass info available here: https://slobikelane.org/programs/kidicalmass/#tab-id-1

Farmers’ Market Bike Valets:

The Bike Coalition and The SLO County Air Pollution Control District are joining forces to present our free Bike Valet at Farmers’ Markets all over the county during Bike Month. Go to slobikelane.org/special-bike-valets-in-may/ for dates and times.

There are lots more events happening during Bike Month, including Bike Breakfasts, Bike to Work Day and Bike to School Day. We’ll post more as the month rolls on. See Rideshare’s full Bike Month calendar here: https://www.rideshare.org/program/bike-month/

Kidical Mass 2014 is finally here!

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We’re excited to announce that Kidical Mass kicks off the Summer season on June 21st at a new location for 2014, Sinsheimer Stadium. This month’s theme will be Heroes! What kind of heroes? Any kind of heroes! Super heroes? Sure! Sports heroes? Yeah! Brainiac scientists? Yuppers! Hero Sandwiches? Umm…..okay!

Arrive at 4 pm for a quick review of how kids and families can ride smart, followed by a safe, fun ride at 4:30.

After the ride, the Sinsheimer Stadium gates open at 5:00 for the Blues baseball game. All kids get in free and the first 50 Kidical Mass adults do too! Once inside we’ll set up our Family Biking Resources table, with helpful info about biking with kids in SLO County.

Check out our website for maps and information about other Kidical Mass events this summer.

Now Hiring: Programs Director

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The San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition is now hiring a full time Programs Director to oversee our countywide programs! Read the description below and follow the instruction to apply to join our growing and incredible team.

Programs Director Position Description

The SLO County Bicycle Coalition exists to improve the quality of life on the Central Coast through bicycling advocacy, education, and inspiration. It is our goal to work with the community to help more people engage in the safe, fun and healthy habit of choosing active transportation.

The Programs Director will be responsible for all oversight of our Bike Education, Bike Valet, Bike Kitchen, and Kidical Mass programs and shall perform additional duties assigned by the Executive Director. Specifically, the Programs Director will need to demonstrate the ability to excel in the areas of: event management, contract work, invoicing, volunteer recruitment, volunteer management, bicycle education, public speaking to audiences ranging from small groups of adults to full elementary schools, interaction with diverse public clientele, and acting as a respectful smart cycling ambassador to the community. Work hours are flexible and may include afternoons, evenings, and weekends. This is a full time position consisting of approximately 40 hours per week.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • High School Diploma or G.E.D. equivalent.
  • 4 years experience interacting with the public representing an organization, club, company, or community group.
  • 2 years retail sales, outreach, or public speaking experience.
  • Experience with event coordination & community relations.
  • Experience with gmail, drive, google calendar, and google groups.
  • Extensive experience with Microsoft Office and the willingness to learn additional skills in programs such as Adobe Creative Suite, QuickBooks and Web Content Management (using CMS).

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Bachelors Degree.
  • Expertise with public speaking, demonstrated comfort speaking to audiences ranging from small groups of adults to full elementary schools.
  • Expertise with community relations, event planning and coordination, and volunteer recruitment and management.
  • High-Level competency with Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, QuickBooks, and Web Content Management.
  • Knowledge of non-profit management and membership recruitment techniques.
  • Experience with fundraising.
  • A love for riding bikes for everyday transportation and recreation.
  • Self motivated, creative, and extremely well organized.

Compensation:

  • This position pays $13.00/hour – $15.25/hour commensurate with experience. Benefits include 2 weeks personal time off, federal holidays off, and a $2,000 annual stipend for medical insurance.

Anti Discrimination Policy:

The San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition does not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any basis made unlawful by federal, state or local laws, including but not limited to race, color, creed, sex, gender, religion, marital status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition or sexual orientation. All such discrimination is unlawful and prohibited by the SLO County Bicycle Coalition.

How to Apply:

Please follow application instructions strictly.
Applications will be accepted until 5:00 pm (PST) on Monday, January 27, 2014.
Submit cover letter and resume as a single pdf document.
Format document title as follows: LastName_ProgramDirectorApplication.pdf
Email document to info@slobikelane.org with subject line reading: Program Director Application

May 2013.

2013 Kidical Mass Season Wraps Up

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The Last Kidical Mass of 2013 is next week!

September’s theme is UNICORNS! Bright white horns, magical sparkles, and mythical animals are welcome as we ride through downtown, to share in the joy of riding bicycles. We hope to see you Thursday for the fun, this is our last ride of the season.

When: September 5, 2013 … 5:30 pm
Where: Mitchell Park, SLO (for a brief safety talk before we ride)
What: View our easy route here

View even more information, and invite your family friends on our Facebook event page.

PLEASE NOTE:
ALL participants (kids & adults) must be on a bicycle. We cannot allow parents to walk next to their child on a bicycle, as it is illegal to walk in the roadway. The ride is just about 1 mile, please be sure your child has the ability to keep up with the group so we can ensure the safety of all participants.

Kidical Mass September 5, 2013