Quick Release Fall 2016 by Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition (SBBIKE)

FALL 2016 â&#x20AC;¢ Volume 26 / No. 3

SANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION

Quick Release Transformation

Our Vision The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition (SBBIKE) vision is that Santa Barbara will be a leader in creating a bicycle-friendly community and transportation system. Extensive on-road and separated bikeways, a coordinated transit system, parking, and amenities allow us to enjoy a culture where the majority of daily trips include a bicycle. As a result, our community is healthier and encourages balanced living within our resources. Universal cycling education for all ages supports the development of safe and respectful road behaviors from both motorists and cyclists. Widespread community and political support for bicycling is in place. By 2040, because it is a cycling-centered county, Santa Barbara is both a great place to live and work and a nationally acclaimed cycling destination, boasting a year-round calendar of successful, fun, and inclusive events.

BOARD David Hodges, Chair Courtney Dietz, Vice Chair David Bourgeois, Treasurer Byron Beck Robert Caiza David Campbell John Hygelund Tracey Strobel

STAFF Ed France, Executive Director ed@sbbike.org

Letter from the Editor

Christine Bourgeois, Education Director edu@sbbike.org

Rafaell Rozendo, Shop Supervisor shop@bicicentro.org

he theme for this issue—transformation—came about organically as we started compiling the stories of what’s new with SBBIKE/

Bici Centro and of some of the people who have transformed and been transformed by bicycling and this organization. One other word is deeply woven into the threads of all these stories and the coalition, and that’s community. Yes, SBBIKE’s strength is visible in its advocacy work and triumphs and in its ever-growing array of education and outreach

programs. The heart of that strength, the reason it thrives is community and connection. The more the stories of each of you who make up Santa Barbara County’s cycling community are revealed, the clearer it is that this is a community that holds each other. It’s a community of compassion that combines hard work, vision, and joy. In thinking about transformation, I came across a quote by singer Michael W. Smith, who said, “Transformation in the world happens when people are healed and start investing in other people.” How better could the cycling community be described? For eighteen months, this community united to invest in the future of all who ride here, helping refine the plan for infrastructure that will redefine the rideability of our streets and offer people safer transportation options. Four days a week year round, Bici volunteer and staff mechanics teach people the skills to affordably maintain their own bicycles. SBBIKE’s education arm constantly dreams up and then brings to fruition new ways to offer both children and adults the skills and equipment they need to transform

Howard Booth, Membership Coordinator howard@sbbike.org Joey Juhasz-Lukomski, Operations Manager joey@sbbike.org Eve Sanford, Advocacy Associate eve@sbbike.org

GOVT. LIAISONS & ADVISORS Matt Dobberteen, Advisor County of Santa Barbara matt@cosbpw.net Kent Epperson, Advisor Traffic Solutions kepperson@sbcag.org Teresa Lopes, Advisor City of Goleta tlopes@cityofGoleta.org Amy Steinfeld Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

the way they move through the world. SBBIKE strives for avenues to reach out to more of our community. And it’s the diverse people of this community who generously invest in us all with their expertise and time who make it possible—all of it inevitably transforming individual lives. One more quote caught my attention, this one by another singer, Nia Peeples:

ART DIRECTOR Cynthia Stahl, info@cynstahl.com

MANAGING EDITOR Holly Starley, editor@sbbike.org

“Perfection is constant transformation.” In this issue, we give you a few stories of the ongoing transformations of the SBBIKE community. Feeling inspired,

Holly Starley COVER PHOTO: Riding Santa Ynez. Marin Sigurdson, along with 24 other SBBIKE cyclists completed 90 miles in two days and toured Sedgewick Reserve in the Santa Ynez Valley as part of Tour de Tent 2016. The annual multiday ride/camping trip was conceived to introduce novice cycle tourists to the joy of carrying your gear with you and exploring the countryside on bicycle. By jeffclarkphoto BACK IMAGE: Skills practice at McKinley. A young rider signals on approaching the end of the “lane.” She’s on a skills course set up at McKinley Elementary School as part of a Bici Familia event. Some 45 youth attended the September event. Bici Familia events, put on by SBBIKE and partner COAST, teach young people and their parents safe riding practices and ensure the kids have helmets (those who don’t are fitted for new ones) and their bikes are ready to ride (volunteers provide free tune-ups). By JOEY JUHASZ-LUKOMSKI

Quick Release Fall 2016

www.sbbike.org SBBIKE: 805-845-8955 Bici Centro: 805-617-3225

CONTRIBUTE Your time: www.sbbike.org/volunteer Financially: www.sbbike.org/donate

Thank you, Business Members and Supporters DI A MON D ME MBE R S

Stinner Bicycles

P L AT I N UM ME MBE RS GOLD ME MBE R S

Waynes Pro Bike

T ITA N I UM ME MBE R S

S I LV E R ME MBE R S

Rincon Cycle Cory Motors

ceramics

Jack Ucciferri Realtor

BRONZE MEMBERS Bildsten Architecture and Planning Dean Axelrod, Financial Advisor

The Dirt Club Fastrack Bicycles HelloHarvest Horny Toad Mesa Architects

Mesa Business Association Revolution Coaching LLC REI Tailwinds Bicycle Club of Santa Maria

www.SBBIKE.org

DeLorean not necessary. The powerful pedal strokes of, let’s say, 88 cyclists activated the flux capacitor that transported them to the future of cycling Santa Barbara— an exploration of the 2016 SB Bicycle Master Plan’s proposed cycling infrastructure.

Bikes Count W

hat gets counted counts.” Cliché or no, says SBBIKE’s Eve Sanford, it’s true.

Making sure bikes count is why the coalition is revamping bike counts. The 2016 counts will set a new baseline,

Alex Favacho and Adam Grosshans were among “Future” riders who crossed bridges to explore each of the city’s neighborhoods.

and intersections in Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carp will be recounted annually—providing “the ability to document how our streets change over the next ten years.” Accurate counts provide a better understanding of cycling volumes, route popularity, and how infrastructure influences both. (Sanford looks forward to before-andafter studies of BMP infrastructure projects.) Counts enable applications for grant funding (important as Santa Barbara seeks funds for those projects). And they speak volumes in public planning sessions, where, Sanford notes, all too often cycling numbers aren’t taken into account. “From a political perspective, there’s still room to promote bikes as a legitimate

Stops at key spots helped build the vision of a network sans gaps. For Sanford (addressing group), the best moment was at a stop along Chino Street, where a smiling homeowner came out to listen, attesting to the ride’s community feel. (Photos by MICHAEL MONTENEGRO)

form of transportation,” she says. Consistent data “helps counter emotional arguments” to the contrary.

Mark Sapp counts State Street. To complete the count, 50+ volunteers stood at 18 intersections for a combined 68 hours—numbers that say a lot about the future of cycling in the community. EVE SANFORD

Quick Release Fall 2016

C yc l ei f o r n i a Ca l st Coa

Gatherers cheer the Sept. 9, 2016 launch of Cycle California Coast at Carpinteria State Beach Park.

ver dream of touring destinations in

Pacific Coast Bike Route between Vancouver

remote corners of the earth by bike?

and Tijuana. He visited the pathway having just

What if cyclists across the globe were

returned from a vacation in Italy and realized,

dreaming of paradise in Santa Barbara and

“There’s nothing they have that we don’t have

Ventura Counties?

here.” He says finding a way to highlight and

What becoming a world-class

market the natural beauty and perfect climate

cycling hotspot would mean for local

of our region was “just natural.”

businesses, for the counties’ economies,

The two county supervisors had soon

and for residents, who might take a dream

recruited both cities’ tourism boards, along with

vacation in their own backyard, is the

local coalitions, bicycle clubs, and community

vision that gave birth to a joint-county

groups. Says Alternative Transportation Planner

initiative launched in September 2016.

Matt Dobberteen, “They raised the flag, and

Cycle California Coast features the Grand

we saluted.” SBBIKE became Cycle California’s

Loop, a 150-mile bicycling route along the coast, up to Ojai, and back. Its website will offer maps to routes and promote bike friendly businesses along the loop. Because the initiative pulls together a vast array of resources from government and community alike, it has the ability to

fiscal partner, and France is proud to “follow From top: (1) Ventura County Superintendent Steve Bennett talks to reporters about Cycle Coast California. (2) SBBIKE Executive Director Ed France, Santa Barbara County Superintendent Salud Carbajal, and David Fortson hope the initiative will be an economic driver in the region. (Photos by JOEY JUHASZLUKOMSKI)

bring to fruition the sundry components such an undertaking

in the shoes of one of the leaders of cycling advocacy in the region.” Ralph Fertig was an early advocate of promoting cycling tourism in the region. With Cycle California Coast’s Bike Friendly Business program, hotels, restaurants, and

will require. Together, Cycle California’s more than fifty

other businesses along the Grand Loop can be designated at

volunteers will continue to develop comprehensive maps,

four levels. “The better we can promote them, the stronger an

install signage, identify infrastructure gaps, and seek funding

economic driver this initiative will be,” says France.

to fill them. The group, led by Ventura County Supervisor Steve

Bennett hopes the community will get involved in an initiative that’s “all positive” and “focuses on quality of life.”

Bennett and Santa Barbara County Supervisor Salud Carbajal,

He urges, “Help make these two counties better bicycling

has worked on the initiative for a year. Bennett was inspired

environments not just for tourists but for all of us.” To learn

by the Sept. 2015 completion of the four-mile, Class 1 Ralph

more, get involved, or apply for Bike Friendly Business

Fertig Memorial path, which joins nearly 1,900 miles of the

designation, visit Cycle California Coast online. www.SBBIKE.org

Life on Two Wheels

by Mariangélica Duque

Sergio Jiménez and his daughter, Dejanira Jiménez Ordoñez, both avid cyclists. HOLLY STARLEY

he life of Sergio Jiménez can be explored through his

daughter’s first bike. He built his nephews’ bicycles to send to

bicycles, or the parts of his bicycles. With them as the

Mexico, so they could have the opportunity he never had of

pieces to a puzzle, he has built a path that is his own. At

owning a bicycle at a young age. He learned English thanks to

second glance, we see that it reflects our own—the zigs and

a gift from a Bici friend, “Inglés sin Barreras” (English without

zags, the losses and gains and rediscoveries.

Borders). And at Bici, he fed the dream of someday owning

Take for example the story of the ceramic Mavic Crossmax rims on his current black Klein bicycle. These

(which means “place among rocks” in the Aztec language)—

wheels were his first acquisition here in the United States, the

where he is also working on building a house for his daughter.

first thing he managed to buy after several tough jobs as a

Thanks to his passion for cycling, Sergio Jiménez

gardener, and they were the first thing he later had to sell, out

transformed his life experience. The idea that life is 10 percent

of necessity, just before the birth of his beloved daughter and

what happens and 90 percent how one experiences what

greatest motivation, Dejanira Jiménez Ordoñez.

happens is exactly what this man is teaching us through his

Several years passed without these wheels. During this time, Sergio took a wide variety of whatever jobs he could find, even singing with a bachata band called Audicy y La Nueva Imágen de la Cumbia. When he finally had the opportunity to get a more stable job at Montecito’s iconic “Casa Bienvenida” where Scarface was shot, he was able to

passion for bicycles. On those two-wheeled contraptions, made of parts like the pieces of a puzzle, 90 percent of life can be experienced in a way that is much lighter and much happier. Jiménez, along with Carmen Lozano, Lynette Arnold,

recover his Mavic wheels. He found them on the countertop

and Robert Caiza, was one of the launchers of SBBIKE/Bici

of the Bici Centro shop, six years later, with the help of Ed

Centro’s Spanish Language Outreach program. He was the

France, SBBIKE’s executive director.

first to take “el Taller Móvil” (the mobile bike shop) with tools

At Bici Centro, he became the volunteer ranked number

a bicycle workshop in his native land—Hidalgo, in Tepexic

for repairs on the go out into the community. When SBBIKE

one at assembling bicycles. He holds the record of building

does community outreach, he’s involved, most often behind

between two and three bikes in four hours. At Bici, he

the scenes. Check out the Spanish version of Jiménez’s story,

surpassed the sadness of a lost love. He assembled his

“La vida en dos ruedos.”

Quick Release Fall 2016

A Million Smiles by Andie Bridges

s a little girl, Diana Blanchard adored her bicycle. “My banana bike was yellow

and sparkly. I loved it.” But like so many other children, she set cycling aside as she grew older. Several decades later, it was her own children who brought her back to this early passion. At the age of 44, after many years of homeschooling and raising her two children into adulthood, Blanchard felt a sudden new sense of independence. She began talking about biking to work. In response, her children, 18 and 19 at the time, bought her the perfect Mother’s Day gift—“a beautiful, winecolored Novara bike from REI.” The gift proved transformative for Blanchard. She started biking to work in Seattle, gradually gaining knowledge, strength, and endurance. A decade later, five bikes hang from the ceiling of her Ojai home. She’s biked in Italy, handcrafted jewelry from discarded chain links, and finished several century rides. When she’s not out pedaling, working for a local bike shop, or teaching private cycling lessons, she’s volunteering for SBBIKE. “I first became involved through COAST [the Coalition for Sustainable Transportation] eight years ago. I got my LCI [League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructor Certification] right away. I knew it would be useful for teaching anything,” says Blanchard, who also substitute taught for over 11 years. Blanchard speaks fondly of her time volunteering, “I’ve gained a million smiles. I’ve met so many wonderful people. Christine Bourgeois has been a huge motivation.

Diana Blanchard

Ever the teacher, Blanchard’s current challenge is helping a man in his thirties learn to ride a bike for the first time. To calm his fears, she began by pushing him across a grassy field. The process was slow and exhausting. They’ve since moved on to a gently sloping hill. “He’s getting it,” she beams. “He’s really starting to get it.” Blanchard has kept the momentum from her Mother’s Day bike going, and she plans to keep rolling for as long as possible. “I love the happiness factor

Everyone at Bici Centro and SBBIKE

that biking brings, and I want to set a good example for everyone I’ve taught,”

is amazing.”

she says. “I plan on riding until I’m at least 104 years old.”

She worked with Mike Vergeer to help establish two highly successful SBBIKE youth cycling programs—Pedal Power and Bike Summer Camp. “I love the thrill of

Blanchard has volunteered across the county, was on the board of the Santa Barbara Century (now SB100), and organized the Beach to Bluff ride in

teaching someone to ride. It enables them. It

Carpinteria for CycleMAYnia. And she’s featured in SBBIKE’s Pedal Power video

empowers them to have freedom.”

(by Michael Montenegro).

www.SBBIKE.org

young people something invaluable—ownership.

Dreaming of Bicycle Culture

“In a community where poverty-stricken families are very limited with resources and possessions, ownership of something of value is huge for a kid,” he explains. “You’ve built it. You’ve earned it. This is yours.” This knowledge seeded SBBIKE’s youth Earn-a-Bike program, Pedal Power, now in eight middle schools around the county. Back in the early Bici days, Gonzalez’s children—he and his partner have six, three his and three hers—were younger. The family rode together often, and his kids, along with the youth from Casa, were, in some ways, the beginnings of Bici’s youth programs. Alternative transportation has always been a part of Gonzalez’s path. Cruising on his long board, jogging to the beach, bike/bus combos to visit his mother—these are the ways he gets around. And Gonzalez continues to dream—for himself, for the kids he loves, and for the community. Gonzalez believes Santa Barbara can become a model of bikeability. As an LCI and the oldest of eight siblings, he’s long known the importance of modeling. He knows it’s

Eddie Gonzalez outside Bici Centro’s original front door. HOLLY STARLEY

imperative that resources like SBBIKE/Bici are able to continue providing “the tools people need.”

hen, nearly a decade ago, Eddie Gonzalez, joined Ed France (now SBBIKE’s director) and a handful of others to form Bici Centro, he

knew he was helping a vision take shape. But he couldn’t have imagined

Give him a magic wand, and he’d make one more bicycle dream come true—a regular day

all the transformations that would grow out of the group’s shared dream—

where Santa Barbara shut down its main arteries

to provide a place where Santa Barbarans could learn to repair their

to vehicles, bringing community to the streets, a

own bicycles.

practice he admired in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Gonzalez, Youth Center Director at Casa de La Raza, César E. Chavez Center, is a deeply community-oriented man. He’s passionate about Casa’s offerings, can wax poetic about altars and upcoming Día de Los Muertos events, and holds a Tuesday evening jog to the beach in solidarity with the

Dreamer Award from the California Bicycle

Dakota pipeline protestors. He exudes authenticity and desire to connect

Coalition (CalBike), part of the California Dream

with whomever he interacts with. For him, watching a bicycle culture of

Ride. The annual award honors extraordinary

inclusivity grow in the shop he secured next door to Casa’s main building

achievement in advancing CalBike’s dream—“that

was a joy. “I remember walking into the shop and seeing this complete diversity, of age, of ethnicity, of everything,” he beams. It wasn’t long before Bici was broadening its focus to another of

Gonzalez recently received the 2016 Bicycle

one day soon, millions of Californians will ride bicycles every day,” that communities will thrive,

Gonzalez’s passions, helping young people. Gonzalez knows from

and that streets will be safe. Read SBBIKE’s

experience that, besides expanding their independence, bicycles give

interview with Gonzalez.

Quick Release Fall 2016

A Few Faces behind the Facility’s Facelift

isit SBBIKE/Bici Centro these days, and you’ll find the facility amid a transformation. Meet three of the people

whose expertise, artistry, and passion are bringing the revitalization project to life.

Rubin is clearly skilled at making things happen “yesterday.” The cleanup stage (which explains her husband’s dump runs) took a mere two weeks. Along with style and motivation, Rubin hopes to share a philosophy she sees as missing in nonprofits: “You can do

Leslie Austere, former owner of

good by doing well. In a world where appearance counts, it’s

the multilocation

important to present yourself professionally,” she explains.

bike retailer, Summit

“Good design feels good.”

Bicycles, in San

When Rex Stephens, owner of Santa Barbara Cruisers,

Francisco, has lent

was commissioned to build an urban, industrial-style

both commercial

container for Bici Centro’s scrap metal made of—wait for

real estate guidance and a willing hand. “I wanted to

it—scrap metal, he smiled. He thought of the railing he’d Leslie Austere

created of bicycle frames for SBBIKE’s front office.

get involved with something that would improve bicycle

The container’s panels are a tight pattern of welded

infrastructure,” he explains. “There are real people who are

bike parts, many, like the pedals that wheel and the hub

doing that— people who have been fighting that battle.

that turns, still functional. Even the locking clasp was once

Anyway I can help them, I’m willing.”

a kickstand.

He looks away from the trellis he’s painting to joke about multiple dump runs, underscoring coalition director Ed France’s description of him as “unfazed by projects big or small.” When Austere and his wife relocated to Santa Barbara, they were incredulous at the city’s “dilapidated, out-of-date cycling infrastructure.” Enter SBBIKE and a much better surprise. “I’m shocked by the volume of programs these guys put out,” he says, adding, “What Bici Centro does for a community that really needs them is amazing. These guys have skills that some retailers dream of.” Suzanne Rubin, a well-respected designer with a distinct sense of style, who exudes both strength and

Rex Stephens, former pro bike racer and upcycler extraordinaire, with Bici Centro’s new parts container. (Photos by HOLLY STARLEY)

ease, is lending her expertise to improve the facility’s flow “I like to upcycle things,” Stephens says in what

and aesthetics.

anyone who’s visited his shop understands as a giant

As she walks through the facility, her multi-phased vision becomes

understatement. “In order to feel connected to the future,

as vibrant as the safety yellows,

you need to feel connected to the past—to things that have

blues, and oranges that will soon

a soul.”

brighten the Bici Centro yard. In the

Repurposing, reshaping is at the heart of the shop,

space to the side of the shop, she

where Stephens is working on some seriously unique

describes trumpet vines and shade

bicycle rebuilds. A mainstay among the artisans along the

sails and a professional, upscale

Haley corridor, Stephens loves his neighbors and collects

conference room. On the patio,

mementos from those no longer there. “You have to know

she sees Barcaloungers, painted

where you’ve been to know where you’re going,” he quips.

concrete, and potted succulents. The

Stop by SBBIKE/Bici Centro to see where the facility

kitchen will be cleaner, fresher, and more functional.

Suzanne Rubin

revitalization project is headed or get involved. www.SBBIKE.org

Sunday Famil y Bik e Ride

November 6th, 2016

Saturday, Oct. 29

Leadbetter Beach

9:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m

1:00pm

Departure at 1:30pm sharp

http://www.sbbike.org/family_ride102016

FREE raffle ticket for a family package (4 pers) to SB Zoo

Bring a bike in working condition and a helmet.

+ Youth under 16yo must ride with an adult.

do La N n a n i oc m u Free lights for riders with a bike

Día de Los Muertos Mural Ride

SB BIKE

Meet at Bici Centro, 434 Olive St.

rollout at 10:15

Ends at Casa de La Raza’s Día de los Muertos celebration

A family-oriented community ride to visit seven historically and culturally significant murals, hear from community members and Chumash leaders, and celebrate the Day of the Dead.

Please register online at sbbike.org/sb_mural_bikeride

Babies on Bikes! & little kids, too

From

bike seats

to cargo to bikes,

SB B SANT A BARB

ARA

IKE

BICY CLE

COA

LITIO

SB B SANT A BARB

ARA

IKE

BICY CLE

COA

LITIO

November 7, 9, 10, & 11 The Spanish Language Outreach Committee (SLOC) of the Santa Barbara Bicycle coalition is leading their fifth annual light give away to help low-income cyclists become more visible. JOIN US! Register to Volunteer at http://www.sbbike.org/sloc

Quick Release Fall 2016

trailers

Saturday, October 15 9:00-11:00 am Bici Centro 434 Olive Street

come learn about

the different ways to safely ride your bike with your wee one!

Hear

from experienced parents and

check out available

gear.

Meeting will be outside so please plan accordingly.

http://www.sbbike.org/family_ride102016

Ride with Us D

o you remember the first time you met one of your best friends? From a

shared interest grew a camaraderie and a series of great memories. For a friend who you work with, there are also a series of accomplishments to look back on—and to

Ed France. PHOTO BY PAUL WELLMAN

look forward to. For me, reflecting on the last ten years

here at SBBIKE, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for great people, great memories, and great shared accomplishments. It’s amazing what we’ve done together! And like in any great ride, we have further to go! Together we are cycling into a future where riding a bike is a regular occurrence for a majority of our residents, and bicycle commuting is not just safe, but one indicator of a robust, sustainable, multi-modal transportation system. Selecting just a few of the incredible people who have contributed to making SBBIKE great was a challenge. The

SBBIKE advocate Eve Sanford and graphic designer Cynthia Stahl celebrate a long ride in the Santa Ynez Valley. By jeffclarkphoto.

community. We are working to turn the tide of kids being able to bike to school. We are supporting lower income and do-ityourself bicyclists across the county. We’re opening our third Bici Centro this winter in Santa Maria!!! We are engaging a Vision Zero of ending roadway fatalities and following hundreds of projects and needs throughout the county to advocate for completing our bicycle network. Oh, and we’re having a ton of fun with each other along the

sea of people who make our community such an awesome

way. So from a volunteer shift to a group event to a fundraiser,

resource, where camaraderie and memories abound, is

there are many ways to join in. Ride with us.

vast. We are continuing the work, and we are growing our

-Ed France, SBBIKE Executive Director

Because of your sponsorship, memberships, and donations, SBBIKE’s advocacy, outreach, education, and shop programs have made phenomenal strides in Santa Barbara’s community in 2015. Help make SBBIKE's 2016 even stronger!

o $100 o $250 o $500 o Other $ Yes! I support cycling! o Credit Card o Check name

Credit Card

(business)

Valid Through

address

Signature

city,state,zip phone email

Security Code

or donate online: www.sbbike.org Make check payable to the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition PO Box 92047 Santa Barbara, CA 93190-2047

SB BIKE

SANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION

The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, so donations are tax deductable as allowed by law.

www.SBBIKE.org

SB BIKE

SANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION

Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition PO Box 92047 Santa Barbara, CA 93190-2047