Fall 2012 • Volume 22 / No. 2
Brought to you by the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition
Photo contest: Envision your sweet cycling image featured here in our next issue! Check out page 7
Want Bike Corrals in SB? Weigh In! / 6
Help Bici Centro Find a New Home / 4
Velo Wings Honors Women Cyclists / 10
“Skid Mark” Unveiled: Gramp’s Rant / 15
Board
Our vision
The Bike Coalition 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.
Letter From the Executive Director
This fall is the season of flux for the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition and our Bici Centro shop. We plan to move to a new location this season, and we need your help. We are also moving toward more community-driven advocacy starting in Carpinteria, Eastside Santa Barbara, and Old Town Goleta. We need your local networks and involvement if you live or work in one of these areas. Our youth after-school program, “Pedal Power,” is growing significantly, thanks to matching funds from Measure A. We need your old kids’ bikes, your volunteered time riding with one of our groups, or your financial contributions to help complete our match. Bici Centro—your community-run bicycle repair and education center—has had a tremendous run at our site host, Casa de La Raza. From our proof-of-concept monthly events in the Casa Patio to the four-year stay in a wing of Casa’s building, the partnership has been a great run. We now need a more accessible space that better suits our needs, and in the process, we hope to revamp our bicycle mechanics bays and services such as truing stands, a solvent tank, a grinder/polisher, and similar amenities. Like a community barn raising, we are putting out the call for helping hands, so stay tuned. Sincerely yours,
Erika Lindemann, President Erik Wright David Bourgeois Byron Beck Michael Chiacos Robert Caiza Carmen Lozano Hector Gonzalez Tim Burgess Courtney Dietz John Hygelund Mike Vergeer David Hodges Staff
Ed France, Executive Director Ed@sbbike.org Christine Bourgeois Education Coordinator edu@sbbike.org Karen Blakeman Operations Coordinator shop@bccentro.org Govt. Liaisons & Advisors
Matt Dobberteen, Advisor County of Santa Barbara 805-568-3576 Sarah Grant, Liaison City of Santa Barbara 805-897-2669 Kent Epperson, Advisor Traffic Solutions 805-961-8917 Ralph Fertig, President Emeritus 805-962-1479 Gr aphic Design
Danielle Siano www.daniellesiano.com Editor
Holly Starley editor@sbbike.org Contact Us
601 E. Montecito St. Santa Barbara, CA 93103 PO Box 92047 Santa Barbara, CA 93190 www.sbbike.org (805) 617-3255
Ed France Executive Director, SB Bike & Bici Centro Cover photo by Michael Chiacos Two dudes, two boards, one bike, no problem. Robert Caiza and his son, Gabe, head out for a day at the beach on Caiza’s custom-built Xtracycle.
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Quick Release Fall 2012
Contribute
Your time: www.bicicentro.org/volunteer In-kind: www.bicicentro.org/wishlist Financially: www.bicicentro.org/donate
Contents A New Bici Site?
4
Signage Update
5
Bike to Bowl
6
CycleMAYnia Challenge
7
Tour de Tent
8
SB Century
9
Women On Wheels
10
Bike To School Day
12
Cycling Camp
13
Events Calendar
14
Skid Marks Column
15
The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition and Bici Centro would like to thank all our supporters and business members!
At Bike to School Day at SBHS, organized with the Dons Net Cafe, newest SB Bike board member and now retired assistant principal, David Hodges (seated), becomes part of Team Soil’s show. Christine Bourgeois
Volunteer bike light Joe Andello, ever the jokester, is a bike enthusiast who gets a kick out of learning more about bike repair and helping community members do the same. His disarming sense of humor breaks the ice with other volunteers and customers alike. This summer’s volunteer of the year helps keep the shop spinning and the morale high. Favorite bike: Classic Bottecchia, steel-frame road bike Favorite times at the shop: When kids learn something new that they can do on their bike
Left: Joe Andello. Karen Blakeman
Dons Net Cafe Eye Specialists Service Objects www.bicicentro.org
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Bici update
Bici Centro started on the patio of Casa de La Raza in 2007. File PHoto
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Bici Centro Looks for a New Home
programming on five fter five South Coast Camyears and puses, one program over 3,000 in Santa Maria, and a individuals mobile bike repair bihelping repair bikes cycle, “El Taller Móvil” in its Do-It-Yourself (The Mobile Workcommunity workshop, By Bici Centro Staff shop), that appears at Bici Centro is actively community events throughout the South Coast. looking for a new place to call home. The successful bicycle The organization has three specific facility needs. The Comboosting program has facilitated massive growth in after-school munity Open Shop requires 500 to 1,000 sq. ft. of retail space, bicycling programs, bicycling events like CycleMAYnia, and bike ideally accessible by transit and within the Santa Barbara downvalet parking like that available at the SB Bowl and Earth Day. town core. Another 500 to 1,000 sq. ft. of storage space is needed After years of generous support from La Casa de la Raza César for bicycle and component recycling. This enables Bici Centro to Chávez Center, which has hosted Bici Centro since its inception, provide free refurbished bicycles to the youth program particithe program has grown beyond the effective use of the space. “Casa has made it possible for Bici Centro to grow from an idea to pants, affordable “starter” commuter bicycles to the community a very real benefit for many people,” recalls Ed France, co-founder at large, and used parts to low-income shop users. Lastly, Bici Centro seeks an office of 500 to 700 sq. ft. of Bici Centro and current Bicycle Coalition for meetings and staff and intern workstaexecutive director. “They believed in the tions. Combined, this would be a 1,500 to power of an upstart community group to 2,700 sq. ft.-facility. It is preferable, though make positive change before anyone else. not necessary, to have all these spaces in Wherever we next call home, the La Casa one location. de La Raza César Chávez Center will always Ideally this programming could be be a part of our story.” used to complement community service Where will the next home for this comand active transportation goals of local munity cycling center be? For the answer Bici Centro planning group, circa 2008. File PHoto government or larger nonprofit agencies. A to that question, the Santa Barbara Bicycle new Bici Centro site could also be temporarily used to help bring Coalition (SB Bike) is looking to the community at large. vibrancy to commercial real estate trying to reposition itself on The Bici Centro Community Bike Repair Project began in 2007. the market. Local cyclists helped community members make needed repairs With youth programming, bicycle recycling, adult education and fit adjustments that they otherwise didn’t have the skills, the programs, assistance for low-income cyclists, and the community tools, or the money to make. The program became fiscally sponbuilding of bicycling events like CycleMAYnia, Bici Centro believes sored by SB Bike, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, in 2008, and in 2010, Bici Centro formally merged with the coalition, becoming that it will bring value to wherever its new home might be. SB Bike needs your help to make the next stage of its offerings a the community services arm of the member-based advocacy organization. The project has been hosted by La Casa de La Raza since reality. Please contact Ed France, executive director at 805/203-6940 or ed@sbbike.org. it first got underway, but the program now has youth education
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Quick Release Fall 2012
advocacy
Bikeway Network Signage Update:
Pedal for Improvements Story and photo By Tim Burgess
Milpas Street
Slimming Down Milpas By Courtney Dietz
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t times, we need to slim down and tighten things up—times when excessive capacity must be reallocated for different uses. For our streets, such slimming is aptly called a road diet. This simply means a reduction in the number of automobile travel lanes, which in this case will accommodate Class II bicycle lanes on Milpas from Canon Perdido to Cota. In addition, pedestrian-activated overhead flashers will be installed at Milpas and Yanonali Streets to help alert cars to people waiting to cross. Milpas and Ortega will also have flashers, as well as a raised island in the center that will act as a refuge for people crossing the street. Some would argue that the proposed improvements to the Milpas Street corridor are long overdue. Most would agree that, unfortunately, it took the tragedy of fifteen-year-old Sergio Romero, whose life was cut too short, to mobilize the community. But what’s clear is this—the Milpas Street corridor is home to families, schools, businesses of all types, and increasing numbers of people getting around in a lot of different ways, not the least of which is by bike. Balancing all those users is challenging and necessary. What does all of this mean for cyclists? Three blocks of bike lanes. While three blocks may not seem like much to some, those blocks will provide better connectivity to a possible underdog bicycle route—Nopal Street. Since the existing shared bicycle lanes (sharrows) will continue to be lower Milpas Street’s bike route, providing bicyclists with other options remains important. In the hopefully not-so-distant future, a cyclist coming down Milpas Street could turn right onto Cota, where the Class II bike lane will end, to continue down Nopal, parallel to Milpas. The narrower Nopal boasts significantly less automobile traffic and feels like a safer, easier option to some cyclists who don’t enjoy, or even avoid, braving Milpas Street. The simple reality is that three blocks of improvements is still three blocks of improvements, and it brings us all that much closer to a route that we can share more safely.
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y neighbor’s son uses a “Foothill Route” sign nailed to a piece of lumber as a bike launch ramp. That’s one sign that’s definitely missing from a network that helps keep our county bike friendly and safe. The Santa Barbara County South Coast Bike Signage Network provides important route and SB Bike is seeking more volunteers direction information to to survey the bikeway, documenting local and visiting cyclists. missing signage and signs, like this In 1996, SB Bike and the one, in need of repair. County of Santa Barbara collaborated to design and install the county’s signage network. Since then, many signs have gone missing or been damaged. In addition to replacing the missing or damaged signs, adding arrows that point to communities or areas of interest, as well as “You Are Here” maps at a few strategic junctions, will improve and update this important network. On June 2, a dedicated group of SB Bike volunteers fanned out to survey the signs in the bike network. Each volunteer took a kit that included a map and index of the installed signs and set out on one of the bike routes to catalog the existing sign inventory. These initial route surveys taught us a lot. Volunteers identified signs located in places not shown on the maps, signs needing graffiti removal, signs needing repair or replacement, and signs completely missing. We also discovered that many of the signs have accumulated extra non-bike route signs sharing the signposts. In addition, many signs at bikeway and street intersections don’t actually indicate the name of the intersecting street, and new bike routes created since 1996 and currently heavily used by cyclists don’t have any signage. We will provide this new information to the county Public Works Department so that the department can replace signs and improve the network. However, some routes have yet to be surveyed. Interested in becoming a part of these improvements? We need volunteers to conduct surveys of the signage on the remaining unsurveyed bike routes. Volunteers can pick a section of the bike route that will take about two hours to complete and work either alone or as a team. Routes still in need of volunteer eyes include the western half of the Obern Trail, the Foothill Route, and the Maria Ignacio Route, to name a few. We will provide you with a kit that includes the map of the route, signs, and a booklet detailing the sign text as designed. You will need to bring a camera (a cell phone camera will be fine as long as you can upload the photos from it after the survey). If you are interested in surveying a route, contact Tim Burgess at tnburgess@gmail.com. www.bicicentro.org
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In our Community
Corrals Poll:
Going to the Bowl? Choose Your Adventure
Weigh In
By Courtney Dietz
What do you think? Are there locations in Santa Barbara County that could use “Bike Corrals” (on-street bike parking)?
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A) Sounds cool, but not needed. B) Absolutely, bring on more and better bike parking! C) Bike Corral? What are we, cowboys? To tell SB Bike what you think, submit your vote at bicicentro.org/corral. We’ll post the results in the next issue of Quick Release.
Ed France
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Quick Release Fall 2012
SB Bike Volunteers park bikes at the Santa Barbara Bowl. Ed France
emember those stories where you could choose your own adventure— the kind where the decisions you made at different points produced vastly different outcomes? Those were a lot of fun and a lot like life. With a sweet series of shows remaining this fall at the SB Bowl, it’s sure to be a rocking autumn. How you get there is your choice. Try this one out: Pocket from last night? Couch? Kitchen table? Finally find your keys and head out to your car. Feel amped and ready to go but deflated as you see that the fuel light is illuminated. Again. Detour six blocks in the opposite direction to get gas, as fumes only work for so long. Head toward the Bowl. Again. You’re not even in sight and there’s no parking. Get frustrated as you continue to circle the blocks in an increasingly wider and wider radius, trying to find somewhere. Anywhere. Get antsy as you hear the music that’s not coming from your radio. Sigh in relief as you eye a spot that you can barely fit in but decide you’re going for it. Cross your fingers as the car in front of you slows, hoping she’s not hunting too. Feel your blood pressure rise as she slips into the spot ahead of you. Spend another agonizing ten minutes looking for a spot and then another ten minutes walking to the entrance. Breathe deeply as you look at your watch—it’s thirty-five minutes later than you had planned on arriving. Or choose this: Grab your helmet as you throw your bag onto your bike (you’ll likely need a jacket for the ride home). Pedal cheerfully as you feel the fading sunshine on your exposed skin. Point out the adorable dog in the front yard you just passed to your friends riding with you. Cruise past the line of cars backed up for two blocks, carefully avoiding the cones meant to contain the agitated drivers. Coast easily into the main parking lot returning smiles of the event staff as you enter. Ride directly to the table, where a friendly Bike Valet volunteer greets you with a valet ticket and a cheery, “Thanks for riding!” Turn over your bike, helmet, and bag (with jacket for the ride home) knowing it’s all under the watchful eyes of these new friends. Exude happiness as you walk away knowing that pedaling to the show saved time, money, and stress while allowing you to stretch your legs and your lungs. High five your friend as you walk up the hill to the start of the opening act. What’s your choice?
in our community
Attention: Photographers!
First District Supervisor Salud Carbajal and Kent Epperson of Traffic Solutions present one of two checks to Ed France of SB Bike for a total Cycle MAYnia donation of $1,442. Special thanks to teams Eye Specialists, Zen Rabbit, Da Rasta Roadrashers, Pimento Cheesewheels, SB International, and City Rollers! Daniel Girard
MAYnia Numbers Add Up Daniel Girard
By Bici Centro Staff
H
ow did 565 bikers log 5,790 trips and earn $3,000 for their favorite local nonprofits? By stepping up to the challenge—Traffic Solutions of Santa Barbara’s eighth annual bike challenge. Part of CycleMAYnia, a month-long celebration and promotion of all things bike, the challenge pitted fivemember teams, either business or personal, in a friendly competition to see who could make the most round trips by bike instead of car. As a new addition to the Bike Challenge
2012, the top fifty teams got to donate their prize winnings to one of five local nonprofit organizations. As a result, Bici Centro received $882; Santa Barbara County Food Bank, $702; SB Bike Coalition Bike Advocacy $560; Transition House, $483; and the Coalition for Sustainable Transportation (COAST), $373. Team members logged their daily rides online and vied for weekly prize drawings to receive gear and gift certificates from local sponsors, Bicycle Bob’s, FasTrack, Open Air, VeloPro, Horny Toad Active Wear, and REI.
Eyes on the Road Pays Off By Doug Jacobson, MD
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s a local eye physician and surgeon and a bicycle commuter, I support organizations that promote exercise and improve the health of our community. I enjoyed captaining the Eye Specialists of Santa Barbara team for the Bike Challenge. The Traffic Solutions Web site made setting up the team and logging our rides a cinch. Throughout the month of May, our team members encouraged each other to ride everyday
via e-mails, texts, phone calls, and meet ups at the Cycle MAYnia events. We had a blast at the awards ceremony and bike-in movie and felt honored to donate our prize money to Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition. Thanks to all the teams and riders for making Bike Challenge 2012 such a great event. Keep your eyes on the road! Doug Jacobson is associated with Eye Specialists of Santa Barbara and can be reached at (805) 203-0852 or eyessb.com.
Above: Layla Varner sports her armor for the Medieval Family Bike Ride sponsored by Cottage Children’s Hospital. Participants bedecked in royal garb or dragon suits road from Hollister School to Goleta Beach.
Quick Release
Image Contest The Quick Release (QR) is looking for your awesome bike photos, images, or cartoons to feature in its next issue, Winter 2012. Submissions must feature cycling or bike culture in the Santa Barbara area. Along with having his or her work featured in the QR, the winning photographer will receive a complimentary one-year membership to the Santa Barbara Bike Coalition. Send submissions to editor@sbbike. org, with the subject line “Best Image Winter 2012.” Submission deadline is November 15, 2012.
www.bicicentro.org
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Rides
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Tour de Tent 2012
The Tour de Tent group shot.
story by Mike Suding; photos by Christine Bourgeois Bull and were poster boys for iking is a great way sibling rivalry. to meet interesting My new friends, including people. This was about twenty-five other riders, especially true on the 2012 and I regrouped at the top of Tour de Tent to Emma Wood Carpinteria Bluffs, where we State Beach in Ventura. My watched the amazing parasailfriend Steve and I met Sara on ers emulate the seagulls. our way down to the starting After the group arrived at point at Bici Centro. I knew Sara our campsite and we’d set up was a serious biker because she our tents, I noticed that Anita had a famous Surly Long Haul didn’t have a tent, only a plastic Trucker bike. Any bike that has bag looking thing to keep the a carrier for two spare spokes moisture out. Of course, the right there on the frame is a ever-generous Ed offered space serious touring bike. in his ten-man tent for anyone Meanwhile, the group who needed it. Steve, Krista, gathered outside Bici Centro and I headed over to the campwas growing. Like most avid ground to get some refreshbikers, Steve and I like to check ments and s’mores ingredients. out the interesting rigs that After a delicious dinner, people put together. After we the entire group hung out by noticed the severe scratches the fire, relaxing and chatting. on his seat post, Shane proudly Clockwise from Left: Eating well while on the road; Time for warmer socks; Soon, the guitars and drums explained that this was the appeared, and we enjoyed mark of the vampire (actually a Tour de Tent riders cruising south; Calvin, ten years old, and Ed gear up for the ride. listening and singing to such pedicab trailer). I confessed my varied tunes as Eagles and Pink Floyd covers and many more. Steve secret desire to be a pedicab driver, mostly because it would be a finally overcame his shyness and pitched in to do a blues duet with great way to stay in shape and meet interesting visitors. SB Bike director Ed France introduced us to Tour de Tent regulars Jason, another good guitarist. I enjoyed hearing stories from KG (don’t call him Kenny G) about his adventures using CouchSurfing. Dave and Christine. Ed then introduced Mike Vergeer, his “partner org and WarmShowers.org in countries far and numerous. in crime” and Dan Fishbein, our designated medic, who I later The next morning, the whole group pitched in to make a delilearned was providing cool solar-powered lights to people in rural cious breakfast, including naturally colorful eggs provided by places for reading and the like (check out www.unite-to-light.org). thirteen-year-old chicken farmer, Elias Siemens. We met Krista and her son, Calvin. My back cringed sympaI felt privileged to meet a handful of riders and partake in the thetically when I saw Krista carried all her gear in a backpack on event. On the ride home, the fond memories were already seeded, her road bike, but she handled the pack with relative ease. Marin and we brainstormed about neat locations for next year’s trip. chuckled when I mentioned her son’s rack looked like the old Tour de Tent is an annual CycleMAYnia event, and 2012 was its third newspaper rack that I’d used almost thirty-five years ago (major year. Stay tuned for details regarding next year’s event. Have suggesflashback). I was right; she’d used that exact rack. Her boys were a hoot to watch because they were more energetic than a case of Red tions? Contact event organizer Mike Vergeer at mvergeer@yahoo.com.
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Quick Release Fall 2012
Rides
A 100-mile Feat and a Gorgeous Ride By Byron Beck
Ride or participate as support crew in 2012. This year’s Santa Barbara Century will be held on Saturday, October 20, 2012. For more information or to register, visit www.santabarbaracentury.org.
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y name is Byron Beck, and I am a Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition board member. I represent the Santa Barbara Century to the coalition. I am also an SB Century board member. Every year, the Century provides a great venue and raises funds for a number of nonprofits around Santa Barbara and the world, SB Bike and Sports Outreach to name a couple. My first “job” as a Century board member in 2010 was to bring support to the different aid stations along the route, and when the last riders had gone through the stations, I was to pick up all the tables, chairs, extra equipment, pop-up shades, extra food and water, and so on. All of this, along with having just flown twenty-six hours after traveling around the Middle East visiting friends from Lebanon, Jordon, and Israel. Needless to say, I was running on empty. The one thing that kept coming to mind was how extraordinary this ride actually was. The hundred-mile ride takes cyclists along one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, climbing up Toro Canyon, Ladera Lane, and then up Gibraltar, known in the bicycle world as the Alpe D’Huez of California. All of this climbing adds up to
Local riders prepare to start the Santa Barbara Century 2011. This year’s century will be held on Oct 20, 2012. Christine Bourgeois
9,000 feet plus of elevation gain, a feat that I really wanted to try. After the first year shakedown of board meetings, I let it be known that, if I were to continue working with the SB Century as a board member, I would have to ride it the next year, just to see for myself if it was what its cracked up to be. So the next year, I trained—well I rode a little, doing some hills and some longer rides, you know thirty miles or so—and then thought I was ready. Now mind you, for the previous five years, I had been racing mountain bikes for Platinum Mountain Bike Team. Yes I realized my training had fallen off “just a little,” but I didn’t realize how much until the day I rode it. When I woke up the day of the ride, the weather was foggy and rainy. I suited up in the appropriate gear—leg warmers, arm warmers, and vest—and filled two water bottles. A few days earlier, I had been talking to one of my “younger” riding buddies, and he had said that he was going to ride with a big group and that he was sure that I could hang with them, no prob. It turned out to be quite a big prob, because when I went out with them at 7:00 a.m., in the dark, we were averaging around 23 to 24 miles an hour. That is
about 5 more miles an hour than I usually do. Basically, by the time I reached the first hill, around thirty-five miles into the ride, I was cooked. I was already hurting, and I hadn’t even got to the first serious hill climb. So I stopped at the aid station and crammed in some food, a lot of it, before hopping back on my bike. Over the next few miles, I began to wonder, Am I gonna really make this thing? Then, I started to climb Gibraltar, and the dreaded it happened—cramps. Cramps, cramps, and more cramps. For the next three hours, I tried with all my might to work through them, but with no luck. I was engaged in what was, by far, the most difficult mind game I had ever played. When I got to the bottom of Painted Cave and stopped at the next aid station, I realized I needed more food. I ate three sandwiches and two bags of potato chips and downed two cokes. As I rode the rest of the miles to the finish, I struggled like never before. It was by far one of the greatest challenges I have ever done. The great lesson? Pace, eat, and hydrate constantly. This year? Well, we’ll just have to see if the ole body will be ready. www.bicicentro.org
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Women on Wheels
Women on Wheels Honored for Community Cycling Programs
“If
you want to know whether or not an urban environment supports cycling, just measure the proportion of cyclists who are female. … Women lead and make it happen.” Howard Booth wrote this in his Santa Barbara Independent article about this May’s first annual Velo Wings Awards. The three women cyclists who received the award—Anne Chen, Carmen Lozano, and Kim Stanley-Zimmerman—are examples of just this type of leadership. And the extraordinary programs to which these women have endowed wings are, indeed, hugely impactful in making Santa Barbara County an urban environment that supports cycling—cycling that is safe, inclusive, and enjoyable.
Anne Chen by Jill Gass
I
f anyone in the Santa Barbara cycling community can be said to have wings, it’s Anne Chen. She works at Santa Barbara Middle School, serves on the Echelon Cycling Club board of directors, races for the B4T9 women’s cycling team, organizes rides specifically for women, and volunteers at just about every cycling event in our area. Anne does it all, and she does so in a way that inspires others to want to do the same. Thinking about trying a century ride? Anne will not only explain what a century is, she’ll have tips about everything from rotating pace lines to port-a-potties. Want to find other likeminded women to ride with? Anne has all the connections and can point you in the right direction. Along with advice on riding safely in groups, how to change a flat, and where you can get the best post-ride coffee and pastry. Want to try racing? Anne competes in every aspect of racing, from time trials, to criteriums, to road races, and can tell you about almost every event in California. Just be careful. When she has a number on her back, she transforms into a tough competitor, and she has the championship jerseys to prove it. Many women of wheels have Anne to thank for introducing them to the wonder-
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Quick Release Fall 2012
responsibilities, providing accessible materials in both Spanish and English. She is a tireless advocate for the “invisible cyclists” in our community—low-income folks who use their bikes as a primary means of transportation—and is committed to ensuring that local organizations like the Bicycle Coalition serve the needs of these constituents. Carmen is active on the Bicycle Al Crawford Coalition Board and can be found riding around town on her classy bike ful and challenging world of cycling. She’s with a huge smile on her face. She also a wealth of cycling information, inspiraenjoys riding with the no-drop Women tion, enthusiasm, and passion, and she Ride on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m., proudly truly deserves this award. wearing her Neon Girls Cycling jersey. Her Jill Gass is a USAC Certified Expert level next goal is to become a certified League coach and captain of Team B4T9. Cycling Instructor in order to teach bike education classes in Spanish. Que viva, Carmen!
Carmen Lozano by Lynnette Arnold & Howard Booth
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armen is the heart and soul of the Bicycle Coalition’s Spanish Language Outreach Committee. She was one of the founders of the Mobile Bike Shop that travels to low-income Santa Barbara neighborhoods to repair bicycles for free to anyone who rolls up with a twowheeler. Carmen helped organize the first annual Light up the Night campaign, which distributed free bike lights to a hundred cyclists last fall. At each of these events, Carmen has worked hard to educate cyclists about their rights and
Kim StanleyZimmerman by Eva Inbar
K
im attended UCSB and has lived in Santa Barbara ever since. She worked for CEC for several years and then had a family—Lilly and Nate. Six years ago, the Coalition for Sustainable Transportation (COAST) was looking for a Safe Routes to School coordinator, and Kim responded to the ad on Craigslist. COAST could see right away she would be wonderful, and that’ exactly how it turned out. The Safe
Women on Wheels Opposite: Anne Chen (second from right) with her mentors Angie Bell, Jill Gass, Anne Chen, and Michelle LePierre at the CA State Championship Team Time Trial. Left: Carmen Lozano prepping the first bike for the Taller Móvil Comunitario de Bicicletas (Community Mobile Bike Shop). Eli Gordon
Right: Kim Stanley leading a group of young cyclists at the recent Medieval Family Ride
Join a
committee!
The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition’s committees meet monthly
Daniel Girard.
www.bicicentro.org/commitees Bici Centro Shop
Manage our open shop, bicycle recycling, & education center facility concerns Monthly, 2nd Tues at 7pm www.bicicentro.org/Bicicom
Education
Routes to School program has flourished due to her leadership and hard work. Safety assemblies, bike rodeos, helmet distributions, walk around the block, Bike to School Day, Walk to School Day, and more—she does it all. From just a handful of schools, the program has grown to encompass all schools on the entire South Coast, from Carpinteria—that’s thirty-eight schools. Kim is having an incredible impact on this entire community, teaching the next generation how much fun it can be to bike and walk and be safe at the same time. Last November, Kim became a certified League Cycling Instructor. This June, she taught a June Cycling Camp for incoming
seventh graders. (Read about the camp next page.) Thank you, Kim, for all your wonderful work! Chen, Lozano, and Stanley-Zimmerman were honored at a May 9, 2012, ceremony on the patio of Whole Foods Market on State Street. The ceremony followed the third annual no-drop Women on Wheels (WOW) ride, during which a group of thirty-five women rode from Whole Foods Market to Goleta Beach. Whole Foods provided food and drinks. Mayor Helene Schneider, Second District Supervisor Janet Wolf, Hillary Blackerby on behalf of Assembly member Das Williams, and Jeremy Tittle on behalf of First District Salud Carbajal were in attendance.
Looking for other ladies to ride with? Neon Girls Cycling is a local, open cycling group for women. The members post info about upcoming rides regularly on the group’s Facebook page. Destinations, starting points, and lengths vary. To join or find out more, visit www.facebook.com/#!/groups/neongirlscycling.
Implement our after-school & summer programs for youth & mechanic & street skills classes for adults Monthly, 2nd Wed at 7pm www.bicicentro.org/Educom
Events
Participate at the planning home of CycleMAYnia, bike valet, & any public or member-only event of the coalition Monthly, 3rd Tues at 6pm www.bicicentro.org/EventsCom
Membership & Communication
Weigh in on membership growth & concerns, & community communications through our website, newsletter, & Facebook Monthly, 3rd Thurs at noon www.bicicentro.org/mc
Advocacy
Steer our campaigns (currently completing the bikeway network & bike parking) Monthly, 2nd Thurs at noon www.bicicentro.org/Advocacy
Spanish Language Outreach
Oversee & implement efforts to engage the Spanish-speaking cyclist community Monthly, 3rd Thurs at 7pm www.bicicentro.org/spanishcom
601 E. Montecito St. Santa Barbara (805) 617-3255
www.bicicentro.org
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education
Bike to School Day Carpinteria Family School Style By Lori Lee Collins
Get ready for next year’s Bike to School Day. Enroll your kids in Bici Centro’s after-school Pedal Power program. Bicicentro.org/youth Participants of Carpinteria Family School’s Bike to School Day pose for a snapshot.
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ind blowing through my hair, strength driving my legs, and my heart opening to the adventure just up the road. It was 1971; my blue Schwinn Stingray and I were two inseparable entities. I biked everywhere, all day, every day. This is what you did as a kid. My trusty bike with extended sissy bar, raised handlebars, and elongated banana saddle took me on many a journey around the small town where I grew up during the ’70s. I biked the neighborhoods to visit friends and family, traveled with canvas bags filled to the brim with newspapers for delivery, and of course rode to school and afterschool athletic events every day. This was my joy, my passion, and my love. I loved this bike! I loved this life. It is my dream to extend similar opportunities to my students at Carpinteria Family School. CFS is a public school of choice in the small community of Carpinteria for coming on ten years this fall. The three teachers; eighty students; and army of parents, grandparents, mentors, friends, and alumni make up the heart of this small, cooperative, multiage school. It was with enthusiasm that our
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Quick Release Fall 2012
Courtesy of Jan Silk
families accepted the challenge I posted to encourage and support students biking to school on National Bike to School Day this past May 9. Flyers were created, times and meet up points were designated, and volunteers were enlisted to lead the student cyclists to our final destination—our school garden for a community breakfast of muffins and freshly squeezed, homegrown orange juice. Some students were recognized and received fun bike “stuff” for distance cycled and various biking honors. The cool bike “stuff”—bells and spoke decorations—were provided by Kim Stanley-Zimmerman, the Safe Routes to School Coordinator with the Coalition for Sustainable Transportation (COAST). Lucky Llama, Carp’s new local community coffee café, hosted the largest meet up point with over thirty Family School community members arriving early to fuel up on espresso and cocoa before our short journey into town, over the very narrow bridge, and safely into the campus bus circle for a few parade laps together. There was a moment when I knew we’d reached the heart of cycling; coming down the bridge and seeing the long line of student and parent cyclists joining together to share an experience like no other; the joy, the freedom, and the power of cycling brought us together on this very special day. In the end, over fifty folks gathered to celebrate the elegantly simple pleasure one can find on two wheels. My two wheels may no longer have a sissy bar attachment, but my love of cycling will forever be attached to whatever two wheels are beneath my saddle (banana or otherwise). My hope is that this is only the beginning of building our bike to school community in Carpinteria. Lori Lee Collins, along with a group of parents and administrators, is a founding teacher of Carpinteria Family School. She rides to school as often as she can. During the summer, she can be found riding with Women on Wheels on Wednesdays or exploring the foothills of Santa Barbara on her bike.
education
Cycling Camps Prep New Junior High Riders Story By Bici Centro Staff photos by Christine Bourgeois
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his June, the SB Bike offered its first Cycling Camp for incoming seventh graders at Goleta Valley and Santa Barbara junior highs. The groups learned basic bike mechanic skills, such as how to fix a flat, lubricate the chain, and check the air pressure; reviewed bike handling skills; learned to incorporate into their riding safety measures, like visibility on the road, group riding etiquette and choosing the best route on a bike map; and much more. Participants put their new skills to practice each day by riding neighborhood streets with licensed cycling instructors. On the final day, the GVJH group went for a ten-mile loop ride along Los Carneros Road and through UCSB to Goleta Beach, then took the Coast Route bike path to the Maria Ignacio bike path and back to GVJH—a route they planned themselves. Teacher Wendy Newhouse offered her classroom for a focus on map skills. Newhouse, who SB Bike education coordinator Christine Bourgeois described as “our bike ambassador at GVJH” also went on several rides with the group and rides to school, herself, when she can. “Ms. Newhouse has been
Incoming Santa Barbara Junior High seventh graders meet on the MTD parking lot to learn how to load their bikes on the bus. Instructors included Sarah Grant, Diane Wondolowski, and Lake Singh.
an incredible supporter of our Pedal Power programs,” said Bourgeois. “She recruits participants. She opens her classroom for class time and helmet storage.” SBJH participants also planned a challenging ride so cyclists could practice dealing with traffic, steep bridges, and downtown Santa Barbara. The group crossed the US101 Freeway on Ortega Bridge, rode on San Andres, and returned using the steep bridge on Anapamu. Earlier in the week, they rode to the MTD lot and learned how to load a bike on a bus. They also went to Bici Centro’s DIY shop, where they lubricated their chains, made some adjustments on brakes, checked air pressure, and pedaled the bike blender to make a smoothie. “What a great success,” enthused Bourgeois. “Everybody showed better and safer riding skills on the road while having a good time with new friends.” And she’s not the only one singing
the camps’ praises. “My daughter, Allyse, enjoyed the camp a lot,” wrote Lena KangBirken. “No problems getting her up in the morning for camp, which says a lot in my family, and she had lots to talk about when she came home. Thank you!” Another parent, Amy Abbot, expressed her gratitude as well. “After completing the camp, I am confident that my son, Chris, has all the tools necessary to make him a safe cyclist,” she wrote. “He had a great experience and made some new friends. Anyone considering having their child bike to junior high should enroll in this program.” Kang-Birken added, “I hope you continue this camp next year for my son to enjoy.” Bourgeois definitely plans to do just that and adds her thanks to Measure A for its support. To learn about more cycling opportunities for youth, visit SB Bike’s Web site at www.bicicentro.org/youth.
From Left: SB Cycling Camp participants learn to check the air pressure in their tires; Cycling Camp participants learn map skills in teacher Wendy Newhouse’s classroom as they plan the best route for their ten-mile ride on the final day of camp; This SB Cycling Camp participant cleans his chain.
www.bicicentro.org
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Fall Bicycling events Education Pedal Power: Youth Bicycle Driver Education 18 hours of instruction for only $20 registration fee. Students without bicycles will earn a Bicycle, Lock, Lights, & Helmet Fesler Junior High (Santa Maria) Sept 10 — Oct 17th Santa Barbara Junior High Sept 25 — Nov 1st registration open* La Colina Junior High (Santa Barbara) Sept 26 — Nov 1st registration open* Goleta Valley Junior High Sept 19 — Oct 25th Carpinteria Middle School Sept 25 — Nov 1st registration open* *Register this week! Bicicentro.org/youth Street Skills: The 4-part series for the prepare and aware bicycle commuter Clinic 1: Get your Bike Ready to Ride Oct 1st, Free Clinic 2: Become a Confident Rider Oct 11th, $10 (plus Free bike lights!) Clinics 3 & 4: Bike Handling Skills & Group Ride Oct 13th, Free with Clinic 2 Learn Your Bike Series Join us for our much acclaimed 8-week bicycle mechanics primer. Oct 1st — Nov 19th, $95 non-members / $85 members Coaster Brake Hub Workshop Explore the mysteries of inner hub packing. Bici Centro
Oct 16th, 7:30 — 9:30pm, $20 non-members / $10 members
Checkout bicicentro.org/events
Presentation by Prof. John Pucher, noted Bicycle & Pedestrian Expert This exciting visit will highlight the latest in our field. Chase Palm Park Center
Saturday, October 27th, 2pm
Advocacy
Rusty’s
Oct 2nd, Noon, Free In & about the Eastside Eastside Library
Nov 6th, Free In & about Old Town Goleta
SB Family Day & Health Fair Visit our mobile bike shop “El Taller Móvil” along with a great collection of community offerings. Sept 22nd, Free “El Taller Móvil” A chance for the neighborhood to come Air up and tune up their wheels. Westside Bohnett Park
Oct 27th, noon — 3pm, Free Illuminando La Noche/Light up the Night Bicycle Lights Giveaway in Old Town Goleta, Carpinteria, the Westside, Eastside, & Downtown Center of SB Nov 5 — 9th, the week of Fall time change.
Committee Meetings
Goleta Community Center
Join us to plan our programs!
Dec 4th, Free
Advocacy
Biking Opportunities Experience CicLAvia: An Open Streets! Field Trip Join our Airbus sponsored fact finding mission to this massively successful Los Angeles Bike/Ped celebration. Oct 7th, $10, Free
Monthly, 2nd Thurs, noon www.bicicentro.org/Advocacy
Events Monthly, 3rd Tues, 6pm www.bicicentro.org/EventsCom
Spanish Language Monthly, 3rd Thurs, 7pm www.bicicentro.org/Spanishcom
Santa Barbara Century Choose from 35, 60, & 100 mile courses. Register www.santabarbaracentury.org, or www.bicicentro.org to volunteer. Oct 20th, Free
Monthly, 2nd Wed, 7pm www.bicicentro.org/Educom
Bike Moves Check www.sbbikemoves.com for upcoming themes (not an SB Bike event).
Membership & Communication
Want to promote yourself here? Show the Santa Barbara Biking community what you’ve got going on. To flaunt your stuff in the summer issue of the Quick Release, contact Ed France at (805) 617-3255, ed@sbbike.org.
Quick Release Fall 2012
Outreach
Westside Boys & Girls Club
Member Meetings: Public welcome as we discuss needed bicycle improvements in these neighborhoods. In & about Carpinteria Join us in discussing the Carpinteria Bridge replacement and bike path projects joined to the US101 widening.
PLAZA DE VERA CRUZ (E Cota & Anacapa/sb)
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Monthly, 1st Thurs, 7:30 pm, Free
Education
Bici Centro Shop Monthly, 2nd Tues, 7pm www.bicicentro.org/Bicicom Monthly, 3rd Thurs, noon www.bicicentro.org/mc
Thank you!
Column
Skid Marks
Join
Stop Riding Like Track-Axles Column by
Gramps
At an age he will not reveal (we don’t think he’s quite hit a third digit), Gramps is not your average cyclist. He loves tossing his cane aside, feeling the wind part his wiry locks, and taking his keen, observant eyes and lumpy but spry legs out for a spin. But most of all, he is an avid opiner. In the QR’s new column, “Skid Marks,” Gramps has found a voice to vent his thoughts on all things cycling.
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hat you young punks don’t understand is that we bicyclists have been fighting to be viewed as legitimate road users since before you held up your diapers in your grubby mitts to go ride your first “skut”. Most people think we cyclists are a bunch of weirdoes, and while they are absolutely right, we still should be able to ride on the street without getting a case of PTSD. friends. Functional brakes and working Since our bicyclist population has handlebars were our only line of defense grown and riding has gotten safer, all against often unfriendly streets and often these new-school wing nuts have been hostile motorists. The other day, I walked trying to figure out how to show off with a past as an aspiring more dangerous varia“fixie” kid road down tion on the pastime. It’s the sidewalk on his not like a handicap in no-brake, tiny handlebar, golf, people! Cars stop neon-colored machine. intentionally running Too scared to ride in the you off the road, so road. Ha! Juvenile. what do you do? ReSo listen, you don’t move your brakes. Bike want to wear a helmet? lanes become available Fine. Aside from trying and storm drains stop Fred Armisen, you Poser! to define what’s cool by becoming deathtraps? Cut your handlebars so short that you have showing off your helmetless mop, the steerage of a gnat. Drivers start to yield deciding whether or not to protect whatever you ostensibly have in your you the right of way? Cut through interdome is your own matter. sections at top speed with the aforemenRiding like a track-axle against traffic tioned lack of brakes and tiny handlebar through red lights and the like, however, bikes against the light, hoping that the places all those road raging motorists Buick driving through the intersection has the reaction time of a ninja and won’t plow squarely against us having a right to the road. And being as weird as we are already, you over. we can’t afford any more ostracizing. Back in my day, there was no need to Ya punks! create risks the way kids create imaginary
SB Bike
Why should you register or renew as a member of the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition? 1
It helps us assert our collective rights as legitimate road users.
2
Power in numbers helps us influence local government for better bikeways.
3
We help you stay in the loop of local bicycling related events.
4
We offer discounts with our local bike shops, as well as for our classes and events.
5
Membership enables you to volunteer at premium opportunities like bike valet at the SB Bowl.
Membership Rates: Individual, 1-year
$30
Individual, 2-year
$55
Household*, 1-year
$45
Household*, 2-year
$85
Business*, 1-year
$100
Business Gold*, 1-year
$250
A Business Gold membership includes advertising! *Household & Business memberships may include up to four members.
Register online today at www.bicicentro.org/join.
www.bicicentro.org
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Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition PO Box 92047 Santa Barbara, CA 93190-2047
Santa Barbara, CA Permit No. 647
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage
PAID
Return Service Requested
w/prizes for age categories
timed climb
look inside for more info!
SANTABARBARACENTURY.ORG
REGISTER TODAY!
Multiple rest stops, SAG, finisher prizes, more!
100 mile FULL CENTURY - $75 62 mile METRIC CENTURY - $75 30 mile FOOTHILL COURSE - $50
THREE DISTANCES
OCTOBER 20, 2012
SATURDAY