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Higuera Street Traffic Alert

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Southern California Gas Excavating Higuera Street

Beginning in early November, SoCalGas will be excavating parts of Higuera Street in order to replace one of their natural gas pipelines with new pipe. Excavation and pipe installation on Higuera Street will be done in small sections, from Bridge Street down to south of LOVR. During this process, which is expected to last between 14 – 16 weeks, bicyclists and motorists may experience lane closures and even possible delays in areas where traffic is reduced to one lane controlled by flaggers.

higuera_gas_map_logoThe excavation and pipeline installation work will be conducted in a series of sections, one-at-a-time. Lane reductions will be in effect during working hours, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., marked with traffic cones and signs.

While each section north of Los Osos Valley Road is being worked on, Higuera Street will be reduced to one lane in each direction for the length of the section, plus a safe distance before and beyond the section.

South of Los Osos Valley Road, Higuera Street will be reduced to one lane and traffic will alternate between directions as controlled by flaggers.

Bike Smart

In light of these upcoming traffic disruptions, we’d like to take this chance to remind you of some smart and simple rules of the road to help you safely reach your destination:

  • Follow the law. You have the same rights and obligations as drivers. Obey traffic signals and stop signs. Ride with traffic.
  • Be predictable.  Make your intentions clear to everyone on the road. Ride in a straight line and don’t swerve. Signal turns and check behind you well before making a turn or changing lanes.
  • Be conspicuous. Ride where people can see you. At night use a front white light, rear red light and/or reflectors. Make eye contact with other road users whenever possible.
  • Think ahead. Anticipate what drivers, pedestrians and other people on bikes will do next. Watch for turning vehicles and ride outside the door zone of parked cars. Look out for debris, potholes and other road hazards.
  • Ride ready. Before you ride, make sure your tires have enough air, that your brakes are working, your chain runs smoothly and that your quick release levers are closed.

Breaking Away at The Fremont

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SLO International Film Festival Screening to Benefit SLO County Bicycle Coalition

We’re excited to announce two great things (Bicycles and Movies) in one great event! This coming Saturday evening (October 25th) the SLO International Film Festival presents a special screening of the film Breaking Away at The Fremont Theatre in SLO. Dennis Christopher and Paul Dooley, who starred in the film, will both be in attendance. A portion of the proceeds will benefit The SLO County Bicycle Coalition.

Dennis Christopher and Paul Dooley will do a Q&A after the movie and will also be at a meet-and-greet reception at Mama’s Meatball in San Luis Obispo, happening 5:00-6:30 pm. The reception includes classic Italian appetizers, wine courtesy of Peloton Cellars, and of course, some Cinzano!

For tickets and information about the screening and the Meet and Greet event at Mama’s Meatball go to https://slofilmfest.org/2014/09/23/dont-miss-the-35th-anniversary-of-breaking-away/ or click here.

Special thanks to Best Bike Zone, Flanders Bicycle, Paso Bike Tours, Foothill Cyclery, Mama’s Meatball and Peloton Cellars for sponsoring this event!

E-Bike Retrofit Workshop

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We’re happy to announce that Doug Snyder of California E-Bike will guest host our first ever E-Bike Retrofit Workshop, at The Bike Kitchen in SLO on Wednesday October 29th from 5:30 – 9:00 PM. Doug will be installing a Bafang 750w crank-drive power assist motor, controller and battery on the bicycle we use to haul the Bicycle Coalition’s 400-pound bike valet set-up. This will make moving the Valet bike racks and the rest of the Valet equipment around SLO a lot easier!

According to Doug, “Bosch and Shimano now make crank-drive e-bike motors but Bafang has the advantage of being a retrofit. Crank-drives are a big improvement over hub drives as they integrate the bike’s transmission into the drive train.”

This workshop will cost $5.00 and is open to the first 15 people who sign up.  We’ll open the Bike Kitchen at 5:30 PM for complimentary pizza and soft drinks, then begin the demo which runs from 6 PM – 9 PM.

Sign up right here or by going to: https://bit.ly/sloebikeworkshop

 

Bike of The Week

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Today marks the start of a new feature on the SLO County Bicycle Coalition Blog: The Bike of The Week, highlighting some of the cool bikes we have available for purchase at The Bike Kitchen. 

Our very first bike of the week is the Raleigh Sports, produced in Nottingham, England in May of 1978. This coffee-colored vintage classic includes a Brooks saddle, fenders, 19″ (50cm) Mixte frame for easy on/off, 26″ wheels and a sweet Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub. For $150 this two-wheeled beauty comes tuned up and ready to ride.
BOTW_Raleigh_teal
We’re open Friday, Saturday, Sunday from Noon – 5 PM. Come in to The Bike Kitchen at 860 Pacific St in SLO (Corner of Morro and Pacific) and take it or any of our other bikes for a test ride!

Volunteer at the Lighthouse Century!

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Every year the San Luis Obispo Bike Club puts on not one but TWO Century rides, the Wildflower Century and the Lighthouse Century. The amount of organization and hard work that goes into these efforts is astounding. All of that effort pays off, allowing the SLO Bike Club to contribute $75,000 each year to support cycling and related causes (including The Bicycle Coalition) in San Luis Obispo County.

If you’re interested in lending your support to the Bike Club, now is your chance! Every year, 250 volunteers work to make the Lighthouse Century possible. The Bike Club is still looking for about 25 volunteers to help out on September 27th, 2014. In particular, they need volunteers capable of doing some heavy lifting (50 pounds). All volunteers will receive a Lighthouse Century T-Shirt and an invitation to attend both the volunteer brunch on Sunday, September 28th and the volunteer bike ride (the Pre-Ride) on Saturday, September 20th.

There is a list of Volunteer Job Descriptions, and general information about the Lighthouse Century here.
Ready to volunteer? Awesome! Click this link and fill out their Volunteer form! Let them know The SLO County Bicycle Coalition sent you!

 

 

Expanded Bike Kitchen Hours Coming Soon

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Working on your weekend project is about to get a lot easier!

Since opening our doors in early 2010 we have had over 6,000 people use the Bike Kitchen to wrench on their bicycles, find parts for projects, and learn the art of bicycle maintenance. A lot has evolved in the space since that time with major improvements to our workspace and organization, yet our hours have remained the same, but things are about to change.

NewBikeKitchenHours01

We are excited to announce that beginning on Friday February 28, 2014 we will be expanding from 10 to 15 operating hours per week with full weekend days as well. With the new hours we can provide more people with the chance to join us and get their bicycles in tip-top shape.

The long awaited expansion of the Bike Kitchen is largely in part to increased support from our volunteers and members who keep our wheels spinning, a BIG thanks to all of you!

In addition to more open hours we are also introducing a tiered pricing system, allowing for half-day ($5) and full-day ($10) pricing options. Bicycle Coalition members still receive 4 free visits as part of their membership – an incredible deal!

NewBikeKitchenHours

New Bike Kitchen hours as of Friday February 28, 2014*

  • Fridays 12:00 – 5:00 pm
  • Saturdays 12:00 – 5:00 pm
  • Sundays 12:00 – 5:00 pm

*We will be closed on February 26th & 27th in preparation for our new hours.

SLO City Planning Commission to Address Key Bicycle Projects this Week

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The San Luis Obispo City Planning Commission is set to consider two important bicycle issues at their Wednesday night meeting, and the Bicycle Coalition would love to see your support! There is no speaking required, but you can if you would like. The two issues to be reviewed at the meeting include:
  • The preferred trail alignment of the Bob Jones Trail from Los Osos Valley Road to the Octagon Barn
  • The Draft 2013 Bicycle Transportation Plan

When: Wednesday September 11, 2013 at 6:00 pm
Where: City Council Chambers, 990 Palm St, SLO (map)

SLOCityCouncil_4.10.12

Your Bicycle Coalition has been hard at work with our team of advocates as we continue the positive progress of the Bob Jones Trail for users countywide. In addition to the future of this popular trail, the commission will also be considering the Draft 2013 Bicycle Transportation Plan – the blueprint of future bicycle facilities in the City of SLO. Both issues are key as we work together to make SLO County an incredible place for bicycles!

View the September 11, 2013 Planning Commission agenda.

Bob Jones Trail

There is no need to speak in support of the proposed alignment, just being there to show the bicycle community’s overwhelming support for the alignment along the scenic creek is very helpful.

If you would like to speak:
-Urge commissioners to support the preferred alignment along the creek and creek setback (read more about the preferred alignment).

Draft 2013 Bicycle Transportation Plan

The Bicycle Transportation Plan creates a guiding blueprint for increasing bicycle ridership and future infrastructure improvements to improve connectivity and safety for all road users. Your Bicycle Coalition will be asking commissioners to recommend approval of the draft plan to the SLO City Council.

If you would like to speak: (We encourage you to do so!)
-Urge commissioners to recommend approval of the plan to the SLO City Council.
-You can also view the plan online (planned projects start at page 52, Appendix A, all are sorted by area of SLO City) and take note of the specific projects that are important to you and your family.

If you cannot attend:
-Take a look at the plan online, and send a quick email the Deputy Director of Long Range Planning, Kim Murry (kmurry@slocity.org) the specific projects that are important to you.

 

Fall 2013 Spoken Wheel

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SpokenWheelFall2013

2013 has been an incredible year for bicycles on the Central Coast and the growth of the Bicycle Coalition as an organization. This Spoken Wheel, the last of 2013, includes all sorts of goodies for you to peruse:

  • Bikes & Beauty photos
  • What’s new for bicycles countywide
  • Upcoming events
  • A major thank you to all of our large donors
  • …and more!

View it on our website here, or grab a copy from our downtown HQ to flip through it in person!