Events

School kids learn how to cycle safely and have fun doing it, while following the rules of the road.
courtesy Peggy McQuaid

THIS EVENT IS TAKING A PAUSE IN 2019 – LOOK FOR IT TO COME BACK IN 2020!

Bring your kids to Albany Police Activity League’s Annual Bike Rodeo!

Planning is ongoing, but this event usually features free helmets for kids, bike safety inspections, a skills course, and cycling entertainment! (Details will be updated as they become available.)

EVERYONE loves pedal powering – and drinking – a fruit smoothie!
courtesy Amy Smolens

Albany Strollers & Rollers contributes by fitting helmets, offering local cycling information, and hosting bike-blended smoothies for all, so everyone can pedal-power a delicious smoothie!
We’ll also have our  “Check for Bikes” clings and stickers on hand for parents, including our new Youth versions, our Reflective Leg & Arm Bands for all, and will be available to talk to kids and parents about biking and walking in and around Albany!

AS&R members help keep Albany rolling!!
photo courtesy Amy Smolens

PLEASE VOLUNTEER: AS&R relies on volunteers to help run the bike blender station, fit helmets, and engage parents & kids about cycling in Albany. Volunteers get our undying gratitude and a special thank you gift.

Pick up some of our NEW YOUTH VERSIONS of Check for Bikes clings and stickers!

Last year local businesses BLUE HERON, BUA LUANG, TAY TAH CAFE AND FERN’S GARDEN ALL  DONATED SPECIAL GIFT CARDS OR COUPONS FOR OUR BIKE MONTH VOLUNTEERS, IN APPRECIATION FOR YOUR TIME AND SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY – expect something similar this time!!!
Please contact AS&R’s Core Group to help out!!

Kids, don’t try this at home…just yet!

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!

Want to test your cycling, running and swimming skills in
a low-key setting, while helping AHS & AMS sports teams in the process?
Come on down to Memorial Park on September 29th for the 10th Anniversary Albany Community Triathlon!

AS&R has lent fellow community organization Albany Community Triathlon our racks for the transition area – photo courtesy Francesco Papalia

The Albany Community Triathlon emphasizes fitness and fun with a 400m swim, 10k cycle and 2.5k run.
There is also a “Super Youth” division for kids from 7-10 – 75 yd pool swim (3 lengths,) 2.5 mile bike (3 laps around park) and 1k run (1 lap around park.)
Registration is available at www.albanytri.com.
Registrants will get a technical t-shirt and other swag while supplies last!
All proceeds will go to the Albany Athletic Boosters to benefit all High School & Middle School 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’ve taken part in the RELAY – 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!

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

YOUTH DISCOUNTS for anyone under 18!
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.
AS&R and Check for Bikes are excited to again be sponsoring the Albany Tri – supplying bike racks for the transition area and swag for the goodie bags. Other sponsors include Club Mallard,  Albany Community Foundation, Albany Lions Club, Mr. Rooter, RoadRunner Sports, Renewal by Andersen, Mechanics Bank, Albany Rotary Club, Blue Heron Bikes, Sogno, Clif, Spokes, Benchmark Pizzeria, National Holistic Institute and TranSports.
So come on down and get in on the fun!
For more information about the Albany Triathlon, 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 Middle & High School sports!!

Ride on down to Everest Kitchen to enjoy a special Happy Hour menu and chat about biking and walking!

Come and talk about walking and cycling in Albany, while eating Nepali & Indian food! All are invited.
Got a gripe, question or idea that would make cycling or walking better? Hungry or thirsty?
Take care of ALL of those needs in one place!

Sanjiv says “come on down!”

Join us for our Happy Hour at our usual location – Everest Kitchen – they generously offer us 15% off their menu, including drinks, and yes, they have plenty of bike parking! This is our every other month (even-numbered months) informal get-together to talk about all things bike and ped in Albany. It’s a good chance to ask about what the city is up to and what our stance on issues is, and to meet others who are interested in issues related to human-scale transit/active transit.
Everyone is welcome.
Note that this will usually take place right before a Traffic and Safety Commission meeting, and will also be a good chance to talk about anything coming up on their agenda.
Have something you want to talk or ask about? Request a Happy Hour Agenda Item HERE! Hope to see you there!

Come join our annual rolling party, Bike to Work Day!
courtesy Francesco Papalia

Join AS&R and Xtracycle for “Bike to Wherever Day” in the Bay Area, a party on wheels!!
As usual, there will be coffee, food, swag, bike goodies in Bike East Bay’s famous Bike to Work Day musette bags, fun and lots of good conversation & information so come on down on your way to work, school, shopping or around town!
Here’s a short VIDEO that AS&R member Francesco Papalia took so you can see how fun the morning is! We’ll be at a NEW LOCATION, THE GREENWAY NORTH OF SOLANO!

We had plenty of food & drink, thanks to our supporting businesses and great volunteers! WE NEED YOU!!
courtesy Melanie Mintz

We’re getting generous donations from Kim’s Cafe (thanks, Cathy!), Royal Ground Coffee (thanks, Mike!), GU Energy (thanks, Roshelle!), Trader Joe’s El Cerrito, Sprouts at University Village and Safeway all the passing cyclists will have plenty to eat and drink!!
In addition to the great Bike East Bay musette swag bags, we’ll have our own safety items like clings and reflective bands, BikeLink cards, and lots of great conversation about cycling and walking!

Every day is Bike to School Day! photo courtesy Ginny Porter

SO YES, WE NEED YOUR HELP PREPARING & DISTRIBUTING ALL THESE GOODIES TO HUNDREDS OF CYCLISTS! SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER HERE!!

Rob Allen, owner of Blue Heron Bikes will be volunteering his time, checking your bicycles for safety and road-worthiness as he has in previous years!
WE WILL NEED HELP AT OUR ENERGIZER STATION BEGINNING AT 6:15 (prep) a.m. through wrap-up at 9:30.

Volunteers like you are the key to success – please join us! photo courtesy Britt Tanner

We’ll need help STUFFING THE MUSETTE BAGS with goodies, soliciting donations, shopping beforehand, picking up food & coffee early morning on the 20th, and handing out swag, food and counting cyclists all morning at the Energizer Station.
If so, please

Thanks!!

Here’s to another great Bike to Work/Wherever Day! photo courtesy Amy Smolens

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

AS&R has lent fellow community organization Albany Community Triathlon our racks for the transition area – photo courtesy Francesco Papalia

Come on down to Memorial Park on Sunday October 16th for the first post-pandemic, real, in-person Albany Community Triathlon!
The Albany Community Triathlon emphasizes fitness and fun with a 400m (425y) swim, 10k (12 laps around Memorial Park/AHS) cycle and 2.5k (1.6m/3 laps) run.
There is also a “Super Youth” division for kids from 7-10 – 70m (75 yd/3 lengths) pool swim, 2.5 mile bike (1.6m/3 laps) and 1k (0.6m/1 lap) run.

Registration is available at https://albanytri.com/register/.
Registrants will get fun swag while supplies last!
All proceeds will go to the Albany Athletic Boosters to benefit all High School & Middle School 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’ve taken part in the RELAY – 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!

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

YOUTH DISCOUNTS for anyone under 18!
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.
AS&R and Check for Bikes are excited to again be sponsoring the Albany Tri – supplying bike racks for the transition area and swag for the goodie bags. Other sponsors include Albany Community Foundation, Albany Ford-Subaru, Trader Joe’s, Blue Heron Bikes,  TranSports and Bikes on Solano.
So come on down and get in on the fun!
For more information about the Albany Triathlon, 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 Middle & High School sports!!

The AHS Mountain Biking Team is leading the Bicycle Valet Parking at the Solano Stroll – will you lend a hand?

Free Bicycle Valet Parking will again be featured at the Solano Stroll, but with a new twist: the Albany High School Mountain Biking Team will be taking the lead for this important service, using Albany Strollers & Rollers’ specialized racks! The new location will be on Key Route Blvd just north of Solano Avenue –  it’s near the Greenway so we’re expecting lots of drop-ins so it’s sure to be busy!!

As usual, AS&R will also have an information table near the lot where we (YOU!) will talk about and answer questions about active transportation stuff!

WE NEED YOU TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS!

Bikes, Bikes, Bikes!! 300 + of them coming to the Solano Stroll! Please help the AHS MTB Team park them all! Photo courtesy Nick Pilch

The AHS MTB team could use additional volunteers, so if you’d like to help park bikes (we have parked 300 bikes in the past!!)  or volunteer at AS&R’s info table, please contact Amy Smolens .
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 (the first 12 to commit) WHO WORK AT LEAST A 4-HR SHIFT AT EITHER LOCATION WILL GET FREE LUNCH PROVIDED BY SUPPORTING SOLANO AVENUE RESTAURANT !!

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

Some sponsoring businesses may also provide gifts or coupons for our volunteers, too – stay tuned!

Volunteer hours run from 9am-5:30pm so it’s easy to pick a shift that works for you! Please let Amy know if you would prefer to help with the Valet Parking, the Info Table or either one, and if you have time preferences or are flexible.

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 Bicycle Valet Parking lot!

See you soon!

The City’s Recreation Department is organizing its 3rd Annual Community Expo to showcase community based organizations like ours and City departments at the Albany Community Center. AS&R will be sharing a table with Bike East Bay, displaying materials, information and a variety of bicycles (yours?) and chatting about strolling and rolling. Other groups will be doing the same and there will be giveaways, food trucks, a raffle, activities and live entertainment!

We need a few volunteers to spend time at our table and speak to community members who may have questions about strolling or rolling in Albany and beyond. We’d also like to have a few bikes to display – a cargo bike, trailer, e-bike – anything you think might pique a neighbor’s interest!

Non-profit bike shop Street Level Cycles will be there providing free and low-cost tuneups for you, so bring your old, creaky bike!

If you can volunteer or have a bike to display, please email Nick at nicky@mindspring.com

Come volunteer a few hours at AS&R’s information table before or after enjoying the Solano Stroll!

As usual, free Bicycle Valet Parking will be featured at the Solano Stroll on Sunday, September 8! The Albany High School Mountain Biking Team will again be taking the lead for this important service, using Albany Strollers & Rollers’ specialized racks! The location will be on Key Route Blvd just north of Solano Avenue –  it’s near the Greenway so like last year, the lot and tables will be plenty busy!!

This is the biggest event of the year so come be a part of the fun and help out!

As we always do, AS&R will also have an information table near the lot where we (YOU!) will talk about and answer questions about active transportation stuff in and around Albany with people at the festival! WE NEED YOU TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS! Whether you have volunteered before or are interested in helping for the first time, this event is for you!

The AHS MTB team may need additional volunteers, so if you’d like to help park bikes (we have parked 300 bikes in the past!!)  or volunteer at AS&R’s info table, please contact Amy Smolens .

Parking bikes 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 (the first 12 to commit) WHO WORK AT LEAST A 4-HR SHIFT WILL GET FREE LUNCH PROVIDED BY LOCAL FAVORITE KIM’S CAFÉ & SANDWICHES!!

Volunteer hours run from 9:15am-5:30pm (the event is 10-5) so it’s easy to pick a shift that works for you! Please let Amy know if you would prefer to help with the Info Table, the Valet Parking or either one, and if you have time preferences or are flexible.

Since 1974 , Solano Avenue and the cities of Albany and Berkeley have hosted the Solano Stroll, the East Bay’s largest street festival! The Solano Avenue Association , AS&R , AHS MTB 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!
230,000 participants and event guests visit from all over the west coast so that’s where you all come in – lots of them want to talk about cycling and walking around the area, and they want to talk to YOU!

Bikes, Bikes, Bikes!! 300 + of them coming to the Solano Stroll! We hope you’ll be there, too!

The AHS Mountain Biking Team is leading the Bicycle Valet Parking at the Solano Stroll – will you lend a hand?