Bike Month Rolls On!

More great Bike Month events!

Rideshare’s Bike Month 2014 got off to a great start with the Bike Month Kick Off at Lincoln Street Deli on May 1st and shows no sign of stopping until….June! Missed a few events? Not to worry, there are plenty more to come!

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Here’s a selection of events happening over the next few weeks:

May 10th: Bikefest – Join us in Arroyo Grande as we celebrate all things Bike at Bikefest 2014! Ride and park your bike at our free Bike Valet to be eligible for discount beverages and loads of prizes. You can even win a cool New Belgium Cruiser! Meet at the bandstand on Nelson St (map) at 12:20 pm to take part in the 15 minute Bike Parade, then head over to Branch Street Deli (map) where live music begins at 1 pm.

May 11th: Tweed Ride – Meet up at Triangle Park (map) at 1 pm then take a lively jaunt about town in your best turn-of-the-century attire and vintage velocipedes. We’ll end up back at Triangle Park for lawn games, iced tea and a great time.

May 12th: Bike Ed Workshop – All attendees to our Bike Month Workshops receive a free bike bell and free dinner from Chipotle Mexican Grill. Our popular workshops teach you to ride safe and smart, with emphasis on learning bicycle laws, debunking common myths and giving you the tools you need to feel safe on your bike. Workshops take place at Coalition Headquarters (map) from 6-8 pm.

May 16th: Bike to Work Day – Bike to Work Day is a national celebration to encourage people to try bicycle commuting as a healthy and safe alternative to driving. This year’s festivities, as part of Rideshare’s Bike Month, are being sponsored and organized by the SLO County APCD. Participants in Bike to Work Day are encouraged to make stops at Energizer Stations located around SLO County. Energizer Stations will provide bikers with the fuel they need to complete their commutes! The Coalition will be hosting an Energizer Station at our headquarters on the corner of Pacific and Chorro streets (map) from 7 – 9 am. Information about other locations can be found at Rideshare.

May 17th: World Bicycle Relief Poker Run –  SRAM and Rotaract of San Luis Obispo will be hosting a Poker Run to benefit World Bicycle Relief. Participants can walk or bike to local businesses to draw cards to complete their poker hand. The object is to have the best poker hand at the end of the run. The event has a time limit, however the participants are not timed—winning is purely a matter of chance. The Poker Run will start and finish at Central Coast Brewing, 1422 Monterey Street, concluding in an afternoon BBQ, games and music before announcing to see if your poker hand won you a prize for best hand. Cost is $5 per hand. Times and additional information at worldbicyclerelief.org

May 18th: 1st Annual Blessing of The Bicycles – The First Annual SLO Blessing of The Bicycles begins at 1 pm at Salon 544 (map). All faiths (or lack thereof) are welcome. There will be refreshments and face-painting for the kids (and young at heart).

May 19th: Women’s Bike Ed Workshop – Riding as a female on our roads presents unique challenges. Join us and our female instructors for our popular women only workshop. We teach you to ride safe and smart, with emphasis on learning bicycle laws, debunking common myths and giving you the tools you need to feel safe on your bike. All attendees to our Bike Month Workshops receive a free bike bell and free dinner from Chipotle Mexican Grill. Workshops take place at Coalition Headquarters (map) from 6-8 pm.

May 21st: Bike Happy Hour/Film Screening – Join us for the 3rd Annual Bicycle Happy Hour at Park Cinemas in Paso Robles (map). 6 pm social, followed by 7 pm screening of 1976 cycling classic A Sunday in Hell w/ $10 donation. $5 wine by the glass, beer and munchies. Best Bike Zone will be pre selling tickets at the store – 712 Paso Robles St. Paso Robles. All proceeds benefit REC Foundation and SLO Bicycle Coalition. Sponsored by REC Foundation, Best Bike Zone, SLO Bicycle Coalition, City of Paso Robles.

May 24th: Bicycle Swap Meet – Bicycle swap meet at Flanders Bicycle Shop (map). Buy – sell – trade, or just come with dreams of finding your perfect bike.

May 29th: Rideshare at Farmer’s Market – Bike Month isn’t over yet! Visit Rideshare at the Thursday Night SLO Farmer’s Market and vote for your favorite downtown bike-inspired window display, collect your Bike Month t-shirt and let them know how your month has been going.

May 30th: Bike-In Movie – Join the Bicycle Coalition for the 9th annual Bike-In Movie on Mission Plaza (map) in SLO! We’re showing Disney’s recent blockbuster hit, Frozen, at 7 pm. Our Bike Valet, hot drinks and popcorn will be available – everything you need to enjoy a movie under the stars with family and friends!

May 31st: Pedal to Paella VI– Pedal-to-Paella is a bike celebration. Ride starts in the Santa Margarita Park (map) at 5 pm and tours the back streets and alleys. Cruisers and junkers are best. It ends at The Educated Gardener Nursery (map) where paella will be served. Two bands, Death Bear and Black Friday Panty Brawl, will entertain all. BYOB, a paella ingredient, and a side dish to share. BYO plates, cups, etc.

June 3rd: Bike Month Blowout! – The Bike Month wrap-up party you’ve been waiting for! Music, food, beverages and the iRide Bike Challenge Awards. PLUS – turn in your tickets collected at Bike Month events for a chance to win a shiny new bicycle! 6 pm at The Creeky Tiki (map).

Want more? Head over to Rideshare.org for a look at their complete list of Bike Month events!

Concerts in the Park

Bikefest 2014!

Our free Bike Valet will be out in force at the 6th annual Bikefest this Saturday, May 10th from 12 – 4 PM at the Branch Street Deli in Arroyo Grande.

Amgen Tour of CA, 2011

Come join the fun at this biketastic event. A Bike Parade around the village starts at 12:20. Live music at the Deli begins at 1 pm. There will be discount beverages, great food and many free prizes (like a New Belgium Cruiser bike) for attending. This event is sponsored by New Belgium Brewery, Lezyne, SRAM, Rideshare and the SLO County Bike Coalition.

We’re still looking for a few more volunteers to help out at our Bikefest and Mini Maker Faire Bike Valets (both on May 10th). Interested? Sign up at our Volunteerhub page.

Bikefest 2014: Branch Street Deli, 203 E Branch St, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

 

SLO Marathon Weekend!

Sunday, April 27, 2014 marks the Third Annual running of the  SLO Marathon + Half. Other races (The 5K, The Children’s Marathon Challenge and the Children’s Quarter Mile Dash) take place on Saturday, April 26th. We’re excited to see the thousands of participants who will soon be running through the streets of SLO.

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The SLO Marathon + Half begins at San Luis Obispo High School and finishes at the iconic Madonna Inn. For more information visit our generous Bike Valet sponsors slomarathon.com.

Last Chance! Voting for the 2014 Bike-In Movie Ends at 8 pm!

One of our favorite Bike Month events that we host is the annual Bike-In Movie. Help us choose this year’s movie by casting your vote below. Voting ends at 8 pm tonight!

Vote for the 2014 Bike-In Movie

One of our favorite Bike Month events that we host is the annual Bike-In Movie!

The 10th annual movie is set for Friday May 30, 2014 at 7:30 pm in Mission Plaza, we hope to see you there. Help us choose this year’s movie by casting your vote below. (Submit button is on the bottom of this post)

We’ll have everything you need to enjoy a movie under the stars in Mission Plaza! We’ve got the popcorn, hot chocolate and our Bike Valet all set up and ready to go. Bring a blanket and your entire family for an evening of fun!

Support our Climate Riders!

ride images5The Climate Ride is a fully supported bike ride that features a focus on bicycle advocacy, sustainability, and renewable energy. Help the SLO County Bicycle Coalition team riders by donating to them on their upcoming Climate Ride adventure while also supporting the Bicycle Coalition!

How it works:

Riders register and can join a ‘team’ where they collectively fundraise to support a designated organization – the SLO County Bicycle Coalition. Your donation helps the rider raise funds for their chosen organization and raises awareness as well.

How you can help:

Give today and support the riders who are excited to be riding on behalf of the SLO County Bicycle Coalition!

Click here to view the SLO County Bicycle Coalition team page and donate to a rider.

Sharpen Your Bike Smarts This March!

If your New Year’s resolution is to ride your bike more, we have just the thing for you – our free Bike Ed Workshops! Our March workshops are the perfect time for you  to learn the sharpen your bike smarts and rock the road on your bike.

  • Monday March 10, 2014
  • Monday March 17, 2014 (Women’s Only)

We are experts at getting you comfortable on a bike, and want to help you ride more in the future. We teach laws, debunk common myths, and give you the smarts you need to feel confident on the road. Did we mention the workshops are free?!

New in 2014 – receive a bell for joining us!

Sign up now on our Bike Education page.

Classroom workshops are held every 3rd Monday from 6:00 – 8:00 in our downtown SLO headquarters. On the Road workshops are held that same Saturday and require attendance of an In Classroom workshop to participate.

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2014 General Meeting

GeneralMeetingMemberStich This Tuesday we were happy to host our third annual General Meeting at Luis Wine Bar in San Luis Obispo. Alongside tasty beverages and snacks, we presented our numerous accomplishments from 2013, our big plans for 2014, Bike Kitchen expansion and more. In case you missed it, we’ve posted our quick presentation for you to flip through and get excited with us for a major year for bicycles in 2014, starting with brand new Bike Kitchen hours starting next week!

One of our biggest news items of the night was our incredible financial review showing that we surpassed our income goals for the second year in a row – your Bicycle Coalition is stronger than ever and it’s all thanks to you! The dates of our three big annual events were also announced for you to mark in your calendars:

  • Members Only Party – Friday June 7, 2014
  • Advocacy Mini Summit – Sunday September 14, 2014
  • Red Davis Celebration – Tuesday October 14, 2014

View the brief General Meeting presentation: