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

Feb
21
Sun
Creek Clean-Up at Cerrito Creek @ Cerrito Creek near El Cerrito Plaza
Feb 21 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

 

Join Friends of Albany Parks and El Cerrito Green Teams and  in their first trash/litter clean-up of 2016! They will be meeting at a scenic stretch of Cerrito Creek alongside El Cerrito Plaza to clean up the creek and surrounding areas as needed. All ages are welcome.

Sign up to volunteer today!

(510) 215-4350, green@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us or just show up!

Latecomers welcome. Meet near Trader Joe’s south side in El Cerrito Plaza. Tools, gloves and good company provided. Wear closed-toed shoes with traction and clothes that can get dirty.

 

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.

Jul
16
Sat
Urban Cycling 101 Classroom Workshop – Albany Library/Community Center @ Albany Library/Community Center
Jul 16 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 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!

Do you, a friend or family member want to ride your bike more but don’t feel confident enough?

Here’s a FREE bicycle skills class RIGHT IN OUR BACKYARD, courtesy of Bike East Bay!
In addition to the regular first-Mondays classes at UC Berkeley, they have now set up a free Urban Cycling 101 Day 1 classroom workshop for adults and teens at the Albany Library/Community Center on Saturday, July 16th, from 1-3pm. Complete details and registrations are available here.

Every attendee at the July 22nd class in Albany will receive a free reflective vest. Anyone who participates in this or any of the other classroom workshops is also invited to Bike East Bay’s free Day 2 road class to be scheduled soon (schedule will be here.) Attendees at this road class will each receive a free set of bike lights.
Thanks, and please invite your friends and coworkers!
The class is FREE but it’s mandatory to register here.
Sep
11
Sun
Solano Stroll – Volunteers Needed – AS&R is providing Free Bicycle Valet Parking! @ Solano Avenue, Albany and Berkeley
Sep 11 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Come visit AS&R at our information table then enjoy a great stroll up Solano! Or better yet, volunteer a few hours before strolling!

Come visit AS&R at our information table then enjoy a great stroll up Solano!
Or better yet, volunteer a few hours before strolling!

Albany Strollers & Rollers will again be providing Free Bicycle Valet Parking at two locations: 1800 Solano Ave (Wells Fargo) and 1245 Solano (the “Pumpkin Patch” near Masonic.)
We’ll also have an information table by our western lot near Masonic.
WE NEED YOU TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS!
If you’d like to help park bikes at either lot or volunteer at AS&R’s info table, please contact Amy Smolens.

AS&R's volunteers park hundreds of bikes at two lots at the annual Solano Stroll! Please give us a hand this year!

AS&R’s volunteers park hundreds of bikes at two lots at the annual Solano Stroll! Please give us a hand this year!

All volunteers who work at least a 4-hr shift or pick up & return rental racks will get free lunch provided by a Solano Avenue restaurant, probably Tay Tah or Zaytoon. Whichever one is is, it’ll be delicious!!

AS&R Volunteer Lynn Eve Komaromi takes a well-earned Pad Thai break - thanks, Bua Luang! Please join Lynn Eve and your AS&R neighbors in volunteering!

AS&R Volunteer Lynn Eve Komaromi takes a well-earned Pad Thai break – thanks, Bua Luang!
Please join Lynn Eve and your AS&R neighbors in volunteering!

Have Valet Parking experience?  Mac McCurdy, BVP coordinator extraordinaire, is ready to pass on his trade secrets to train another coordinator. Would you like to be trained by pros like Mac and Sylvia Paull, to fill this important role and add to your LinkedIn bio? And YES, I have a special prize/perk in mind for the person who volunteers for this!
Since 1974 Solano Avenue and the cities of Albany and Berkeley have hosted the Solano Avenue Stroll, the East Bay’s largest street festival! The Solano Avenue Association and AS&R invite you to see what makes Solano Avenue a wonderful place. The Stroll features over five hundred vendors including 50 entertainers (there’s always great music!,) 50 food booths, 150 government and non-profit agencies, 150 juried hand-crafters, a 75 entry parade, state of the art mechanical rides and much more!
Come visit the unique and popular professional services, restaurants, and shops already here on Solano Avenue.

Volunteers Sara, Nick, Sylvia, Ken and Anne beneath the Bua Luang banner after a long & productive day of parking 300+ bikes! Please join them this year!

Volunteers Sara, Nick, Sylvia, Ken and Anne beneath the Bua Luang banner after a long & productive day of parking 300+ bikes! Please join them this year!

250,000 participants and event guests visit from all over the west coast.
This family event promotes the unique traits of Solano Avenue, helping independently-owned businesses, artists, and community organizations to thrive by exposure and fundraising.
Please see the press room to stay tuned-into what’s hot at this years event!
Brought to you by the Cities of Albany and Berkeley; and with the help of our generous sponsors, SAA members, and volunteer board of directors.

Sep
10
Sun
Solano Stroll – Volunteers Needed – AS&R is providing Free Bicycle Valet Parking! @ Tree Lot and Wells Fargo parking lot
Sep 10 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Hundreds of people from all over the Bay Area take advantage of our Bicycle Valet Parking service at two lots on Solano Avenue. Please volunteer a few hours before enjoying the event!
Photo courtesy Amy Smolens

Albany Strollers & Rollers will again be providing Free Bicycle Valet Parking at two locations: 1800 Solano Ave (Wells Fargo) and 1245 Solano (the vacant lot near Masonic.)
We’ll also have an information table by our western lot near Masonic.
WE NEED YOU TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS!
If you’d like to help park bikes at either lot or volunteer at AS&R’s info table, please contact Amy Smolens.

AS&R  Super-Volunteer Lynn Eve Komaromi takes a well-earned Pad Thai break – thanks, Bua Luang!
Please join Lynn Eve and your AS&R neighbors in volunteering!

All volunteers who work at least a 4-hr shift or pick up & return rental racks will get free lunch provided by a supporting Solano Avenue restaurant, Mountain Mike’s Pizza ,  Tay Tah or Bua Luang Thai Cuisine!!
Since 1974 Solano Avenue and the cities of Albany and Berkeley have hosted the Solano Avenue Stroll, the East Bay’s largest street festival! The Solano Avenue Association , AS&R and Check for Bikes invite you to see what makes Solano Avenue a wonderful place. The Stroll features over five hundred vendors including 50 entertainers (there’s always great music!,) 50 food booths, 150 government and non-profit agencies, 150 juried hand-crafters, a 75 entry parade, state of the art mechanical rides and much more!

We would like to thank Janka White, the owner of AS&R’s new supporting sponsor, Floor Dimensions. Janka is donating a long Red Carpet to lead passers-by to our information table and straight up the ramp to our western Bicycle Valet Parking lot!
Thanks also to Lucas Euser of Clif Bar who donated boxes of Clif Bars and Z Organic Kids Bars & Fruits so ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS will have plenty to snack on all day!!

Come visit AS&R at our information table then enjoy a great stroll up Solano!
Or better yet, volunteer a few hours with Amy, Michael and your neighbors before strolling!
Photo courtesy Tenisha Neal

This family event promotes the unique traits of Solano Avenue, helping independently-owned businesses, artists, and community organizations to thrive by exposure and fundraising. Join 250,000 participants and event guests visit from all over the west coast at this annual street festival!
Please see the press room to stay tuned into what’s hot at this years event!
Brought to you by the Cities of Albany and Berkeley; and with the help of our generous sponsors, SAA members, and volunteer board of directors.

Lucas Euser of Clif Bar donated boxes of Clif Bars and Z Organic Kids Bars & Fruit for ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS!!
Photo courtesy Francesco Papalia

Bike, trikes, scooters, strollers, trailers, tandems, striders, long-tails, unicycles and more bikes!! Photo courtesy Mark Altenberg

Thank you Janka White of Floor Dimensions for donating a “Red Carpet” to lead festival-goers to our lower lot and table!!

Sep
9
Sun
Solano Stroll – Volunteers Needed – AS&R is providing Free Bicycle Valet Parking! @ Tree Lot and Wells Fargo parking lot
Sep 9 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Hundreds of people from all over the Bay Area take advantage of our Bicycle Valet Parking service at two lots on Solano Avenue. Please volunteer a few hours before enjoying the event! Thanks to Floor Dimensions for donating the Red Carpet to show the way!
Photo courtesy Amy

Albany Strollers & Rollers will again be providing Free Bicycle Valet Parking at two locations: 1800 Solano Ave (Wells Fargo) and 1245 Solano (the vacant lot near Masonic.)
We’ll also have an information table by our western lot near Masonic.
WE NEED YOU TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS!
If you’d like to help park bikes (we parked 300+ last year!!) at either lot or volunteer at AS&R’s info table, please contact Amy Smolens or  Sylvia Paull.
This is a great gig for kids, too, as long as they are strong enough to roll a bike. If students need volunteer-hours, this is perfect!

AS&R Super-Volunteer Lynn Eve Komaromi takes a well-earned Pad Thai break – thanks, Bua Luang!
Please join Lynn Eve and your AS&R neighbors in volunteering!

All volunteers who work at least a 4-hr shift or pick up & return rental racks will get free lunch provided by a supporting Solano Avenue restaurants Tay Tah , Bua Luang Thai Cuisine or Brazilian Breads – yum!!
Kim’s Cafe is providing home made iced tea at our lower lot. Some sponsoring businesses also provide fabulous gifts or coupons for our volunteers, too!
RXBAR has also donated boxes of delicious protein bars (many flavors) for all volunteers and visitors to our AS&R booth!
**NEW VOLUNTEER PERK – Sam at Ale Tales just donated discount coupons for all volunteers (or parents of youth volunteers!!)
Volunteer hours run from 9am-5:30pm so it’s easy to pick a shift that works for you!
Since 1974 Solano Avenue and the cities of Albany and Berkeley have hosted the Solano Avenue Stroll, the East Bay’s largest street festival! The Solano Avenue Association , AS&R and Check for Bikes invite you to see what makes Solano Avenue a wonderful place. The Stroll features over five hundred vendors including 50 entertainers (there’s always great music!,) 50 food booths, 150 government and non-profit agencies, 150 juried hand-crafters, a 75 entry parade, state of the art mechanical rides and much more!

Come visit AS&R at our information table then enjoy a great stroll up Solano!
Or better yet, volunteer a few hours with Sherie, Amy and your neighbors before strolling!
Photo courtesy Patsy Reese

230,000 participants and event guests visit from all over the west coast so that’s where YOU come in – many of them ride their bikes, so we need people to help park them in our lots. Lots of them want to talk about cycling and walking around the area, and they want to talk to YOU!

Volunteers like Griffin and Sylvia keep things running like clockwork at both lots
Photo courtesy Patsy

AS&R’s supporting sponsor, Floor Dimensions has donated a long Red Carpet to lead passers-by to our information table and straight up the ramp to our western Bicycle Valet Parking lot!
Please see the press room to stay tuned into what’s hot at this years event!

Bikes, Bikes, Bikes!! 300 + of them at our two lots so please join us!!
Photo courtesy Nick Pilch

Sep
13
Thu
BMX/MTB Park and Albany Hill trails on Parks & Rec Meeting Agenda @ Albany City Hall
Sep 13 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
This item was written by Parks & Rec Commissioner Bryan Marten:

Want a fun bike park like Dirt World in Richmond? Support this project at an Albany Parks & Rec meeting and/or write a letter!

On September 13th, a course/park designer will pitch several plans for a proposed mountain bike/BMX bike park in Albany. Commissioners will benefit from input and feedback from the public, especially supporters like you, to help decide which plan, if any, to advance to the City Council. Proposed location is adjacent to Pierce St Park – just below it, to the west on Cleveland St. Early discussions described a MTB component around the perimeter space and a BMX component at the interior. The designer said he likes to design with different riding abilities in mind on the same course (very easy, medium, challenging) and to provide different price points for features, their materials, etc. He has designed and built Richmond’s new Dirt World and many other bike parks.
Here is the Design and Estimate Proposal.
Any input – in person or even in writing – you can provide (even just “looks great!” or “our family would use this!” will be helpful).

Separately, input is sought for what may be the final design review for the new and improved trails at Albany Hill Park. Here are the 90% Plans.
*New ADA trail at the top parallel to the ridge line
*Improvements to existing trails at the north
*Improved, re-landscaped access points to the park where Jackson and Madison dead-end
*Stairs plus a bulbout in the SE corner where Taft hits Hillside
The city has received the monarch roosting report it commissioned and is taking its results and recent community input to limit impacts to trees near monarch habitat. Some commissioners including myself (Bryan Marten) want to also use that information to move forward with choosing a select few trees to remove to improve views of the bay, bird habitat at the mud flats, etc. This involves the city approaching the large land owner at the SW corner of the hill which the city has said it will do.

This is the full agenda for the meeting.

BMX/MTB parks are great fun and recreation for kids, teens and adults!

Editor’s note: AS&R member and P&R Commissioner Bryan Marten will not be able to attend this meeting so if any of you can attend or at least write a letter about either of these projects, that will be extremely helpful.
PLEASE WRITE LETTERS OF SUPPORT to Albany Staff Liaison Chelle Putzer at cputzer@albanyca.org and request that she send your letter to all members of Albany’s Parks & Rec Commission. Thanks!
Mar
24
Sun
FREE Family Cycling Workshop – Bring your kids…Volunteers needed! @ Cornell Elementary School
Mar 24 @ 10:00 am – 12:30 pm

Join Bike East Bay’s certified instructors and AS&R friends & neighbors 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 be debuting the new Youth Versions of our Check for Bikes clings and stickers so you can pick some up here!!

We will also bring our bike teeter-totters and end 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.

AS&R will have an information table to talk to parents & kids about riding around the Albany area. You can pick up some great “Check for Bikes” clings and bumper stickers, as well as reflective leg & arm bands for safer biking.

The event is FREE but you must pre-register so for more information and to register please go here.
Hope to see you there!!

WE NEED SOME VOLUNTEERS TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS!
We’re seeking 2-3 people to help out at the family cycling workshop.
9:30-10:15 to help with set up and checking in of participants, while instructors get a feel for the participants and check bikes out mechanically.
9:30-12:45 to speak to kids & parents about bike stuff, and help with packing up.
Contact Britt at bthesen@gmail.com if you can help out!

Sep
8
Sun
Solano Stroll – Volunteers Needed – AS&R is providing Free Bicycle Valet Parking! @ Tree Lot and Wells Fargo parking lot
Sep 8 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Hundreds of people from all over the Bay Area take advantage of our Bicycle Valet Parking service at two lots on Solano Avenue. Please volunteer a few hours before enjoying the event! Thanks to Floor Dimensions for donating the Red Carpet to show the way!
Photo courtesy Amy

Albany Strollers & Rollers will again be providing Free Bicycle Valet Parking at two locations: 1800 Solano Ave (Wells Fargo) and 1245 Solano (the vacant lot near Masonic.)
We’ll also have an information table by our western lot near Masonic.
WE NEED YOU TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS!
If you’d like to help park bikes (we parked almost 300 last year!!) at either lot or volunteer at AS&R’s info table, please contact Amy Smolens or  Sylvia Paull.

AS&R Super-Volunteer Lynn Eve Komaromi takes a well-earned Pad Thai break – thanks, Bua Luang!
Please join Lynn Eve and your AS&R neighbors in volunteering!

This is a great gig for kids, too, as long as they are strong enough to roll a bike. If students need volunteer-hours, this is perfect!

VOLUNTEERS  (first 10 to commit at Masonic Lot) WHO WORK AT LEAST A 4-HR SHIFT WILL GET FREE LUNCH PROVIDED BY A SUPPORTING SOLANO AVENUE RESTAURANTS  Bua Luang Thai Cuisine or Brazilian Breads – yum!! Others will get FREE Bobas donated by Tay Tah !!
Kim’s Cafe is providing home made iced tea at our lower lot. Some sponsoring businesses also provide fabulous gifts or coupons for our volunteers, too!
Volunteer hours run from 9am-5:30pm so it’s easy to pick a shift that works for you!

AS&R’s volunteers park hundreds of bikes at two lots at the annual Solano Stroll! Please give us a hand this year!

Since 1974 Solano Avenue and the cities of Albany and Berkeley have hosted the Solano Avenue Stroll, the East Bay’s largest street festival! The Solano Avenue Association , AS&R and Check for Bikes invite you to see what makes Solano Avenue a wonderful place. The Stroll features over five hundred vendors including 50 entertainers (there’s always great music!,) 50 food booths, 150 government and non-profit agencies, 150 juried hand-crafters, a 75 entry parade, state of the art mechanical rides and much more!

Come visit AS&R at our information table then enjoy a great stroll up Solano! Or better yet, volunteer a few hours with your neighbors before strolling!

230,000 participants and event guests visit from all over the west coast so that’s where YOU come in – many of them ride their bikes, so we need people to help park them in our lots. Lots of them want to talk about cycling and walking around the area, and they want to talk to YOU!
AS&R’s supporting sponsor, Floor Dimensions has donated a long Red Carpet to lead passers-by to our information table and straight up the ramp to our western Bicycle Valet Parking lot!

Volunteers like Griffin and Sylvia keep things running like clockwork at both lots
Photo courtesy Patsy Reese

Please see the press room to stay tuned into what’s hot at this years event!

See you soon!