Events

Join the fun!
Photo courtesy Amy Smolens

Grab your bikes and invite your friends & family – it’s time for the annual Bike About Town rides!
Join the City of Albany’s Department of Recreation and a bunch of your fellow Rollers as we explore Albany by bike on Spring, Summer and Autumn evenings. Each of the events will trace different routes that pass through parts of Albany you may not have biked before. All levels of cyclists are encouraged to join.

The Albany Peloton rolls down Peralta Avenue for another fun Bike About Town
Photo courtesy Amy Smolens

The ride begins at 6:30 at Bikes on Solano at Solano and Peralta in Albany.
Come a few minutes early to pump up your tires. Ride maps are distributed, and we take off in a big group. There are experienced cyclists to lead and bring up the rear. After wheeling about for a half hour or forty-five minutes we return to Peralta Park, just across the street from our start, for light refreshments, a raffle, and general carousing.
Dates this year are Fridays May 15,  June 19, July 17, August 21 and September 18.

Bring yourself, your friends and your family to Bikes on Solano for the Bike About Town rides!

Come join the fun!
courtesy: Peggy McQuaid

Want to test your cycling, running and swimming skills in a low-key setting, while helping AHS sports teams in the process?

Come on down to Memorial Park for on September 27th for the Albany Community Triathlon!
The Albany Community Triathlon emphasizes fitness and fun with a 400m swim, 10k cycle and 3k run.
Registration is available at www.albanytri.com.
Registrants will get a t-shirt and other swag while supplies last!
All proceeds will go to the Albany High School Athletic Department to benefit all teams.  In addition to the fund raising, this event focuses on fitness and fun.  If you have always wanted to participate in a triathlon, but felt intimidated at the prospect, this is the one for you.
I took part in the RELAY last year – I  did the cycling portion, and found friends for the swim and the run! It was fun rooting for my teammate during the swim, riding my bike, then rooting for my other teammate while she ran!
Again for 2015 – YOUTH AND STUDENT DISCOUNTS!
There is still a FAMILY & FRIENDS HEAT!
Parents, kids, spouses: When you register, you can indicate your desire to be in the same wave as one or more family members or friends. Then you can compete together & keep an eye on each other during the race (but not assist each other, per triathlon rules).
POST-RACE FESTIVITIES – Stick around after the race to recover with some healthy food, finisher awards, raffle prizes, massages, and schmoozing with fellow participants, volunteers, sponsors, and race organizers.

Feel great when you cross that Finish Line!
photo credit Amy Smolens

Thank you to the Albany Community Triathlon for purchasing 2 brand new racks for Albany Strollers & Rollers’ use all year when we provide Bicycle Valet Parking! AS&R is excited to again be sponsoring the Albany Tri – supplying bike racks for the transition area and swag for the goodie bags. Other sponsors include the Albany Community Foundation, Albany Lions Club,  Blue Heron Bikes, REI, Albany Ford- Subaru and TranSports.
So come on down and participate in the fun!
For more information about the Albany Triathlon and to register, please see the web site, www.albanytri.com.  This is a great community event and really fun to watch even if you don’t want to participate!
Come on down, have fun and support Albany High School sports!!

Come on down and learn how to ride a bike more safely – and have more fun!

Want to ride more but don’t feel confident enough?

Here’s a FREE bicycle skills class, courtesy of Bike East Bay (with support from the UC Berkeley Police Department.)

Learn basic rules of the road, how to share the road with cars on busy streets, how to equip your bicycle, lock your bike, fit your helmet, and avoid crashes by riding predictably, visibly, and communicating with other road users by your actions and signals. Every workshop has the same content so you only need to attend once. For adults and teens, no bike needed.

Please note: All of Bike East Bay’s UC Berkeley classes are open to the public, but are also part of the BEST (Bicycle Education & Safety Training) program allowing ticketed cyclists to have their fines reduced.

Class is FREE but please register here.

Come on down and learn how to ride a bike more safely – and have more fun!

Want to ride more but don’t feel confident enough?

Here’s a FREE bicycle skills class, courtesy of Bike East Bay (with support from the UC Berkeley Police Department.)

Learn basic rules of the road, how to share the road with cars on busy streets, how to equip your bicycle, lock your bike, fit your helmet, and avoid crashes by riding predictably, visibly, and communicating with other road users by your actions and signals. Every workshop has the same content so you only need to attend once. For adults and teens, no bike needed.

Please note: All of Bike East Bay’s UC Berkeley classes are open to the public, but are also part of the BEST (Bicycle Education & Safety Training) program allowing ticketed cyclists to have their fines reduced.

Class is FREE but please register here.

Join Bike East Bay’s certified instructors for a day of fun games, safety drills, skills building, and a neighborhood ride. This workshop is for kids who are able to ride a bike and ready to take to the paths and roadways with their parents (suggested grade range 2nd-6th).
The event includes instruction on fitting a helmet, performing a bike safety check, communicating with other road users, riding in a straight line and avoiding obstacles,  as well as navigating safely through intersections, all while playing fun games!
We will also be bringing our bike teeter-totters, making bike-powered fruit smoothies, and ending the class with a group ride around the neighborhood together!  All minors must be accompanied by an adult to participate, both with their own working bikes and helmets. Each child will receive a free reflective vest.
The event is FREE but you must pre-register so for more information and to register please go to http://bikeeastbay.org/FCW
Hope to see you there!!

We’re seeking 1-2 people to help out at the family cycling workshop.
12:30-1:15 to help with set up and checking in of participants, while instructors get a feel for the participants and check bikes out mechanically.
3:00-3:45 for cleaning up and helping to make smoothies.
Contact Britt at bthesen@gmail.com if you can help out!

Come on down and learn how to ride a bike more safely – and have more fun!

Want to ride more but don’t feel confident enough?

Here’s a FREE bicycle skills class, courtesy of Bike East Bay (with support from the UC Berkeley Police Department.)

Learn basic rules of the road, how to share the road with cars on busy streets, how to equip your bicycle, lock your bike, fit your helmet, and avoid crashes by riding predictably, visibly, and communicating with other road users by your actions and signals. Every workshop has the same content so you only need to attend once. For adults and teens, no bike needed.

Please note: All of Bike East Bay’s UC Berkeley classes are open to the public, but are also part of the BEST (Bicycle Education & Safety Training) program allowing ticketed cyclists to have their fines reduced.

Class is FREE but please register here.

The Albany Police Department is currently in the process of developing a strategic plan that will detail the department’s goals and priorities over the next three to five years.

Participation and input from the Albany community is a vital component of our strategic planning process and we want to hear from you.  We have scheduled two community meetings and would like to ask that you check your availability and please plan to attend one of these work sessions.

In the course of 90 minutes we will:

·      Present the structure of the department and how it operates
·      Identify community member issues and priorities for the next 3 -5 years

Albany Police Strategic Planning Community Workshop Dates:
·         Tuesday, Dec 1st 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Ocean View School Library
·         Saturday, Dec 12th 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Albany Senior Center

Please RSVP to policeplan@albanyca.org so that we can ensure there are enough chairs and handouts for everyone. You may also direct any questions about the work sessions to this email.

Thank you for taking the time to participate in this important part of the Albany Police Department’s Strategic Planning Process—we look forward to seeing you in December!

To receive electronic notification of upcoming Albany Police Strategic Planning Community Work Sessions or to receive periodic updates about the police department’s strategic plan process, please go to www.albanyca.org and sign-up for the City of Albany’s E-Notification system and get information and updates going on Around Your Block.

Join our neighbors to the north for the 4th Annual “Slow Roll Richmond Solstice RIDE!”

Come on out,  decorate your bike with lights and good cheer for the 4th Annual Solstice Ride. Hopefully El Niño won’t join us for this ride but will come through on the next day… which would be the best day. Dress warmly… and did we mention to bring some lights?
No BIKE! No problem – with many thanks to our Commuter Cyclist program for the 1st time ever Rich City-Rides has bikes to lend for the magical ride. We’ll announce an RSVP for lender bikes as soon as we can, in the mean time let us know here if you need one here.
End of the road celebration location is coming…

If you want to ride together up to Richmond leave a note and/or idea in “comments” here!

Come on out with your kids!

Get GEARED UP! Helmets, Bikes, Bells!
Meet up at the playground in San Pablo Park. We’ll be riding through some Berkeley neighborhoods and stopping at Strawberry Creek park for a snack/play break. Feel free to bring snacks to share.
Helmets required for kids.
Ashby is the nearest BART station.

Want to ride or “BART & ride” from Albany? Put a note here in “comments” and get something going!