Ken McCroskey, AS&R’s master helmet adjuster and children’s brain guardian, tirelessly applies his craft.
courtesy Francesco Papalia
Bring your kids to Albany Police Activity League’s annual Bike Rodeo!
Use pedal power to blend a smoothie!
photo courtesy Peggy McQuaid
Free bicycle helmets will be given to youth participants. Rodeo activities will include bike inspections, safety information, and a bicycle safety course. The goal of the bicycle rodeo is to encourage riders to wear helmets on every ride, to give young cyclists basic skills for on-road riding, and to teach them the rules of the road to help keep them safe. This event focuses on young riders in elementary and middle school.
AS&R will again be working with kids, showing them how to ride their bikes safely and responsibly.
We’ll also have our “Check for Bikes” clings on hand for parents…and the famous Bicycle Blender so everyone can pedal-power a delicious smoothie!
We could still use some help running the bike blender station and talking to parents and kids. Any takers, please? If so, please contact Amy Smolens or Ken McCroskey.
School kids learn how to cycle safely and have fun doing it, while following the rules of the road.
courtesy Peggy McQuaid
There are lots of items on the agenda that affect cyclists and pedestrians here in Albany.
Those include the following:
*7-1, City Council Strategic Planning Follow Up
Part of what City Council Members recommended in its recent planning session was an emphasis on parks, including the long-awaited Pierce Street Park, and a more bikeable and walkable Albany.
Please speak in support of these plans and concepts!
*7-2, Update on “Complete Streets” planning for Buchanan Street and San Pablo Avenue to improve safety for walking, biking, and other modes of travel. The Staff recommendation is for Council to provide direction to staff and the Traffic and Safety Commission.
Show up and speak to let Council hear that a more bike and pedestrian friendly San Pablo Avenue should be a priority and a reality!
It may also be a good time to speak about your vision for Bike Boulevards on Kains and Adams, making up for the fact that many people will not feel safe riding on San Pablo in the sections without bike lanes.
*8-1, Albany Wayfinding Plan for Bicyclists and Pedestrians
Whenever I ride around Berkeley I marvel at the signage that directs me to the best and safest roads to cycle. I am also fully convinced that motorists on or crossing roads with signage for bicyclists are more courteous to their two-wheeled friends sharing the road.
Show up and tell Council that we all need wayfinding signage for our convenience and safety!
If you can’t attend, please consider writing a brief letter in support of any of these items to cityhall@albanyca.org requesting specifically that your letter be sent to all the City Council Members.
Thanks! Feel free to email the Discussion List or any of the Core Group with any questions or thoughts.
The Major Taylor Bike Fiesta will occur on June 1st from 10am-3pm at Lincoln Elementary School located at 29 6th Street, Richmond, California. This will be a celebration of the life and accomplishments of Marshall “Major” Taylor, the first African American professional cyclist. Born in 1878, Major Taylor had a professional racing career that spanned 13 years and included the world one-mile track cycling championship in 1899. He remained committed to his passion in the face of adversity and is a source of inspiration.
At the Bike Fiesta event, Fix the Cycle aims to spread awareness of the health benefits associated with safe bike riding. The fun educational activities for youth and adults will take place in a family friendly environment that encourages cycling. Activities include yoga, Zumba, the Cyclecide bike circus, and entertainment by Raw Talent and Earth Amplified powered by Rock the Bike. The Richmond Police Department and Cycles of Change will be running bike rodeo courses for youth throughout the day. The event will also include helmet giveaways and Fix the Cycle will be raffling free bicycles, bicycling gear, and other great prizes gear for youth and adults. There will be free healthy food, health screenings, educational booths, and simple bike maintenance repairs while supplies last. Of course, bicycle parking will be available.
If anyone wants to ride from Albany, please make a suggested meeting time and place in “comments.”
WanThe EBBC is proud to present the 3rd annual Pedalfest in collaboration with Jack London Square, Bay Area Bikes and New Belgium Brewing Co.
This fantastic outdoor festival brings out the best in cycling – with contests, classes, games, and shows throughout the day. Here is a sampling of some of the awesome things you can expect from Pedalfest 2013:
* Handmade and vintage bikes
* BMX competition
* Whiskeydrome: cycling daredevils
* Pedal-powered food and beverage
* Rock the Bike: a pedal-powered music stage
* New Belgium Beer Garden
* Bike trivia dunk tank
* Bicycle vendors, artisans and more!
* Oaklandish bicycle parade
* Kids bike rodeo | Bike tune-ups with the Bikemobile
* Cyclecide pedal-powered carnival rides!
* Bike Folding Race
* Free EBBC bike valet
* Free SF Bay Ferry rides when you bring your bike
Get more details and see last year’s photo gallery at pedalfestjacklondon.com
We can’t wait to see you there! Come out and volunteer to help with our valet bike parking, outreach, pouring beer, and helping out with our activities, or just come enjoy the festival and raise a (beer) glass to a great event celebrating our rich and diverse bike culture here in the East Bay. All proceeds from the New Belgium beer gardens go to benefit the bicycle advocacy work of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition.
Want to ride or BART and ride from Albany? Write something in the ‘comments’ below.
Visit the Police Department, climb inside a cruiser, try on a duty belt, get a free bike helmet! Come meet your local police officers & dispatchers & learn more about what they do and how we can work together to keep Albany as safe as possible.
We need a few AS&R members to help fit helmets properly on kids. Can you please help? One of our experienced members will train you!
If you think riding bikes is satisfying, wait till you learn how to fix them.
WOJ’s recent bike maintenance clinic at our Montclair shop was a great success, so they’re offering another one at the Albany location. Flat tires, wonky shifting, dragging brakes – there’s no reason these problems should keep you off the road or trail, so we’ll teach you how to fix them yourself so you can keep riding. That’s why we’re here, after all.
Learn how to:
Fix a flat tire
Adjust your brakes
Tune your shifting
Replace a chain
True a wheel
Adjust handlebar and seat position
Because there’s nothing more satisfying than the feeling of man (or woman) conquering machine and riding off into the sunset…
RSVP for the event on WOJ’s Facebook page.
The family that rides together thrives together!
Safe road bicycling takes a lot more than balance, a helmet and a good attitude. Join the East Bay Bicycle Coalition’s League Certified safety instructors for a day of fun games, safety drills, skills building, and a neighborhood ride. This workshop is for kids able to ride a bike and who are ready to ride on the roadways with their parents. Parents and kids must attend together and should bring their own bikes. Each child receives a free red blinky light for participating!
It’s free, and it will help you and your family ride the roads of Albany and beyond more safely and confidently.
Register at https://www.ebbc.org/index.php?q=civicrm/event/info&reset=1&id=425
Want to ride more but don’t have the confidence or the knowhow?
Here’s a great opportunity – a FREE bicycle safety class!
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, use transit, and avoid crashes by riding predictably, visibly, and communicating with motorists 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 EBBC’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.)
Preregister for this free class here
AS&R has parked and watched over hundreds of bikes at big Albany events
photo courtesy Tenisha Neal
AS&R will again be providing Bicycle Valet Parking at the Solano Stroll, so there’s no reason not to avoid the car traffic and parking hassles.
Location: Pumpkin Patch, north side of Solano, just west of Masonic
Thanks again to our generous sponsor, local business Bua Luang Thai Cuisine! Bua Luang has been supporting AS&R since 2008, and sponsoring our Bicycle Valet Parking services at city events since 2010.
This is a really busy event and AS&R needs your help to make our table and Bicycle Valet Parking a success. You’ll not only have fun and meet cool people, but you’ll get a free lunch!
To volunteer, please email Nick here.
The Solano Stroll is a mile-long party full of music, food, entertainment and crafts! Enjoy!! And please considering volunteering a few hours of your time – thanks!
For more details go to http://www.solanoavenueassn.org/strol.htm
http://albany.patch.com/groups/events/p/solano-stroll-bike-valet-parking
For the 3nd year, the Cities of Albany and El Cerrito are joining together to host a car-free “Street Play” event! “Alberrito Streets” will be held on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013 on portions of Key Route Blvd in Albany and Ashbury Ave in El Cerrito.
Come on down to pedal-power a delicious smoothie!
*AS&R’s popular “bicycle blender” will be out, so you can pedal-power your way to delicious smoothies!!
*Ride like a Gaucho at a ‘pop-up’ Bike Park, sponsored by the El Cerrito High School Mountain Bike Team. 
Test your bike skills on a fun skills course that includes Log Skinnies (balance beams), pump the bumps, a teeter totter and more.
Other activities may include
- bike parade
- ball games
- bicycle obstacle course
- table tennis
- live music
- street soccer
- tug-o-war game
- hula hoops
- chalk art, and more!
**Blender master Ken McCroskey needs some help with the bike blender and tabling. Can you spare an hour or two? Please email Ken here to join the fun – thanks! Your kids will love it, too!
