Discounts

Become an AS&R member and get discounts at local bike shops and businesses!

Blue Heron Bikes: 10% off parts and accessories.

Marie Bowser Acupuncture: 30% off your first visit.

Bikes on Solano: 10% off labor, parts and accessories.

Quad Republic Skate Co. 5% off SKATES, 10% off parts & accessories.

Offers are valid to members of Albany Strollers & Rollers and their households. Tell your friends!
Contact us with questions.

Events

Mar
19
Sat
Ohlone Greenway Clean-up Day @ Ohlone Greenway across from Senior Center
Mar 19 @ 9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Do you or your family ride on the Ohlone Greenway? Now's the time to give input to improve it!

Do you or your family ride on the Ohlone Greenway? Spend a few hours to clean it up for everyone…and get a free lunch!

Do you and your family use the Ohlone Greenway for fun and transportation? Sure you do!
Here’s a great opportunity to spend a few hours cleaning it up for everyone you know.

PLUS, you’ll get free pizza for lunch courtesy of Albany Community Foundation and a free Friends of Albany Parks t-shirt!
Kids are welcome – the more, the merrier!

So come on out for a few hours, meet your neighbors, have a free lunch and help our community!

Apr
10
Sun
Bay Trail Beautification & Cleanup (and FREE PIZZA!!) @ Bay Trail & Buchanan St.
Apr 10 @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Would you rather have the Bay Trail look like this....

Would you rather have the Bay Trail look LIKE THIS…

Do you and your family ride or walk on the Bay Trail? Then come on down to help clean it up for yourself and everyone…and get a free lunch for your time!
Join AS&R, Albany Community Foundation, Albany Rotary, and the City of Albany as we work together to clean-up and improve the Bay Trail in Albany. Between Buchanan Avenue and our border with Richmond, the Bay Trail runs along Freeway 680. This stretch receives a lot of trash from the
freeway, and is hard to access for servicing. A recent clean-up job has left this area in a much improved state, but there is work still to be done.

...or like this?

…OR LIKE THIS??

Join us as we paint over graffiti, sweep rocks off of the path, and trim trees to allow easy cycling access. Bring gloves, sunscreen, and a water bottle. Wear clothes you can paint in. Tools will be provided.

Rotary is covering supplies to $100, ACF is providing lunch, and the City will help with trash removal.

Meet at Buchanan and the Bay Trail, just west of the freeway underpass.

Sep
28
Wed
West Berkeley Bike Share Workshop @ Sierra Club, SF Bay Chapter
Sep 28 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Bike Share's coming to Berkeley soon!

Bike Share’s coming to Berkeley soon!

Bike Share in the Bay Area will be bigger and better soon. With 7,000 bikes at full build-out, the system will have stations every few blocks in San Francisco; connect Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville; and extend the San Jose service area from the downtown core. It will link people to MUNI and BART, to jobs and schools, and all that the Bay Area has to offer.
The City of Berkeley has partnered with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Bay Area Motivate to launch bike share in Berkeley in 2017. Berkeley will have 400 bikes and 37 bike share stations. Bike share will create a 24-hour, regional transportation network for short, one-way trips. Bike share provides an easy way of making trips from your home to BART, from your office to lunch, to dinner and a friend’s house. The Bay Area Bike Share system expansion will also include Emeryville (100 bikes), Oakland (850), San Francisco (4,500) and San Jose (1,000.)

No, not in Albany yet, but hopefully the next expansion will include Albany, El Cerrito and Richmond.bikeshare2

The next step is public workshops, where neighbors sit around maps and discuss which station locations work best for their community. You are invited to review possible site locations and give input, which will be considered, along withcrowd-sourced suggestions and technical analysis.
There are two more opportunities to give input so take advantage of them!

West Berkeley: September 28, 2016 West Berkeley Public Workshop, 6 & 6:45pm at the Sierra Club
North Berkeley: September 29, 2016 North Berkeley Public Workshop, 6 & 6:45pm at the North Berkeley Senior Center 

Sep
29
Thu
North Berkeley Bike Share Workshop @ North Berkeley Senior Center
Sep 29 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Bike Share's coming to Berkeley soon!

Bike Share’s coming to Berkeley soon!

Bike Share in the Bay Area will be bigger and better soon. With 7,000 bikes at full build-out, the system will have stations every few blocks in San Francisco; connect Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville; and extend the San Jose service area from the downtown core. It will link people to MUNI and BART, to jobs and schools, and all that the Bay Area has to offer.
The City of Berkeley has partnered with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Bay Area Motivate to launch bike share in Berkeley in 2017. Berkeley will have 400 bikes and 37 bike share stations. Bike share will create a 24-hour, regional transportation network for short, one-way trips. Bike share provides an easy way of making trips from your home to BART, from your office to lunch, to dinner and a friend’s house. The Bay Area Bike Share system expansion will also include Emeryville (100 bikes), Oakland (850), San Francisco (4,500) and San Jose (1,000.)

No, not in Albany yet, but hopefully the next expansion will include Albany, El Cerrito and Richmond.bikeshare2

The next step is public workshops, where neighbors sit around maps and discuss which station locations work best for their community. You are invited to review possible site locations and give input, which will be considered, along withcrowd-sourced suggestions and technical analysis.
There are two more opportunities to give input so take advantage of them!

West Berkeley: September 28, 2016 West Berkeley Public Workshop, 6 & 6:45pm at the Sierra Club
North Berkeley: September 29, 2016 North Berkeley Public Workshop, 6 & 6:45pm at the North Berkeley Senior Center 

Dec
29
Thu
Urban Cycling 101 Classroom Workshop @ Sproul Hall, Room 36
Dec 29 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Come on down and learn how to ride a bike more safely - and have more fun!

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 cyclists ticketed at UC to have their fines reduced. For these Thursday classes, they encourage people to be ticketed cyclists (don’t run a stop sign so you can attend :) ), but Bike East Bay confirms that you still can register.

Class is FREE but please register here.

Jan
26
Thu
Urban Cycling 101 Classroom Workshop @ Sproul Hall, Room 36
Jan 26 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Come on down and learn how to ride a bike more safely - and have more fun!

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 cyclists ticketed at UC to have their fines reduced. For these Thursday classes, they encourage people to be ticketed cyclists (don’t run a stop sign so you can attend :) ), but Bike East Bay confirms that you still can register.

Class is FREE but please register here.

Feb
23
Thu
Urban Cycling 101 Classroom Workshop @ Sproul Hall, Room 36
Feb 23 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Come on down and learn how to ride a bike more safely - and have more fun!

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 cyclists ticketed at UC to have their fines reduced. For these Thursday classes, they encourage people to be ticketed cyclists (don’t run a stop sign so you can attend :) ), but Bike East Bay confirms that you still can register.

Class is FREE but please register here.

Mar
30
Thu
Urban Cycling 101 Classroom Workshop @ Sproul Hall, Room 36
Mar 30 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Come on down and learn how to ride a bike more safely - and have more fun!

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 cyclists ticketed at UC to have their fines reduced. For these Thursday classes, they encourage people to be ticketed cyclists (don’t run a stop sign so you can attend :) ), but Bike East Bay confirms that you still can register.

Class is FREE but please register here.

Apr
8
Sat
Fun Ride on Opening Day For Trails in Richmond @ Rich City Rides
Apr 8 @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Join AS&R’s friends & neighbors at Rich City Rides  for the Opening Day of Trails ride!

AS&R members took BART to join Rich City Rides, Check for Bikes, Bike Concord, Bike East Bay and others at the MLK Unity Ride. Hope to see you on this family-oriented ride!

We can’t wait for spring—and here’s why! On April 8, 2017, people across the country will celebrate the nation’s fifth annual Opening Day for Trails. Rich City RIDES (RCR) and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy have teamed up to present Opening Day for Trails in Richmond. Bring your family and friends for a bike ride event where you’ll extend your pedal-powered reach to fun destinations like the Richmond Greenway and Unity Park’s Groundbreaking event!

Come join us for a fun ride on the trails!

Opening Day for Trails is a free event open to all ages! Come join us for a bike ride with a purpose, learn how you can be healthier, and create a healthier Bay Area by engaging in human-powered transportation. For new bike riders, don’t fret! Our ride marshals will help in coordinating two rides based on your level of comfort. We hope you’ll join us on Opening Day—and we can’t wait to see you out on the trail this spring!
Bike Giveaways! To start the ride, we will give away 10 free bikes to kids participating in the event. At the end of the ride, 3 participants will receive free bikes based on their active participation in other RCR bike rides. For an additional opportunity to win prizes be sure to sign Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s official 2017 Opening Day pledge to get out on the trail! You can be entered to win special prizes from Fuji Bikes and Performance Bicycle for your next trail adventure.

If anyone wants to propose a ride or BART from Albany, please write in “comments” to this event – thanks.

Here is the route – flat and fun, with few cars!

May
16
Tue
Public Meeting on Albany Bay Trail and Beach Restoration @ Albany City Hall Council Chambers
May 16 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Help ensure that Albany’s segment of the Bay Trail will be completed, and safe & fun for all!

After a group of Albany residents, including fellow Strollers & Rollers, pointed out improvements that should be made to our Waterfront, there will be a chance to see the plans and give input on the Albany Bay Trail and beach project, officially known as the Albany Beach Restoration and Public Access Project.

This is perhaps the LAST SIGNIFICANT CHANCE for input before final approvals and construction. Thanks much to Councilmember Rochelle Nason for making this meeting happen and to AS&R member Susan Moffat for mobilizing the group a few weeks ago.
Let’s make sure that OUR Waterfront is optimized for people who want to bike, walk, stroll and roll. There is a lot of car parking, but not nearly as much attention paid to parking for bicycles.
Please feel free to share this information with people who may not be on the AS&R list to encourage broad community input.East Bay Regional Park District Staff (EBRPD) and City staff will present information regarding EBRPD beach/trail projects in Albany. The meeting will provide an opportunity for community members to comment on the EBRPD beach/trail projects.
Note: a quorum of the City Council and/or an advisory body to the City Council may be present at this public meeting.
Here is the site plan
And the existing conditions map
And the complete packet from the most recent public meeting (April 17), which was at the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission Design Review Board. This packet has cross-sections and more detailed plans and a staff report.
Albany resident and landscape architect Hugo Larman drafted this updated plan  based on community input, which expands the beach area, adds bike racks and moves car parking near existing parking.
EIR and other info from EBRPD (scroll down to where is says “Albany Beach Habitat Restoration and Public Access Project.”)

These racks that AS&R bought are perfectly situated for folks who want to enjoy the beach, a hike or just enjoy the beautiful view, but they are lonely! We need more “there” at the Waterfront, and more bike racks near other destinations.

AS&R member Dan Johnson prepared comments and alternative plans . After further discussion, Dan & others believe that the location for parking might not be feasible. However his diagram about the amount of paving is relevant.

While not a part of EBRPD’s plan, the Albany Waterfront Committee’s Cove Enhancement Plan should be completed by the City of Albany and taken into account by EBRPD for a comprehensive plan at the entire waterfront. The only reason it was not completed in 2012 was because EBRPD requested the City hold off because of upcoming construction. That reason is long past.

In response to recent community comments, the designers are making efforts to reduce the large amount of pavement for the vehicle driveway and turnaround to leave more open space for recreation at the south end of the site. However, a number of us believe that it would be more functional and would preserve more open space (as well as reduce bicycle-pedestrian conflicts) to locate the parking near the existing parking, on the north side of Buchanan St., which would eliminate the need for the long driveway. However, this area is City-owned and outside the EBRPD project area.