Cruise & Connect Sea Turtle Ride

Have you heard? There are sea turtles in the San Gabriel River! BikeLA will host a Cruise + Connect ride during high tide to catch a glimpse. Meet us at El Dorado Neighborhood Library parking lot in Long Beach.

Don’t have a bike or want to test ride a Brompton? We have a limited number of Brompton Bicycles we’ll be bringing on the ride for participants to use. Request one by emailing margaret.douridas@bike-la.org. We can only guarantee a Brompton for up to six participants, but we’ll let you know if you are chosen. 

When: Saturday, October 28, 2023

Start Location:  El Dorado Neighborhood Library, 2900 N Studebaker Rd, Long Beach, CA 90815

Check-in Time: 8:30 AM

Start Time: 9 AM

End Time: 11 AM

Ride Description:

This 10-mile bike ride is ideal for all rider types, including children. The route is briefly along a protected bike lane then the San Gabriel River Bike Trail.

 

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13 helpful tips for a worry-free first-time bike commuting experience

From MomentumMag.com

Written by:

Are you ready to embark on a two-wheeled adventure through the city? It’s easy to forget those initial butterflies in your stomach when you first set out on a bicycle, but fear not! We’ve got your back with some tips to make your bike commuting journey a breeze, whether you’re a newbie or just need a refresher.

1. Practice, Practice, Practice

Before you hit the bustling city streets, take some time to rekindle your romance with your trusty bike. Find a quiet spot, be it your driveway, a serene park, or a calm side street, and brush up on your cycling skills. From cruising with one hand to quick stops and even standing up to pedal, practice makes perfect.

2. Bike Check-Up Time

Give your bike some love. Clean the chain, pump up those tires, and ensure your brakes are in tip-top shape. If you’re not a bike mechanic pro, don’t worry! Pop by a local bike shop or co-op for a tune-up, and you’ll be riding in style, while there get them to show you how to change a flat!

3. Buddy Up

Feeling a bit jittery about your first ride? Don’t fret! Find a seasoned cycling friend, family member, or coworker and join them on a city adventure. Let them lead the way while you soak in the joy of the ride.

4. Plan for Success

Create a master plan by scouting out bike lanes and pathways in your community. Opt for routes with protected bike lanes or traffic-calmed roads, ensuring your ride is as smooth and safe as possible. If you can’t find a map online, consult a local cycling organization or bike shop for some expert guidance.

Photo by Noralí Nayla on Unsplash

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The GREATEST Display Of Cycling Skill We’ve Ever Seen? | GCN Racing News Show

Thibau Nys has hit the big time with a win at the first UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup of the season, and he did it in some style, riding the steps and a 100% gradient climb on the technical Waterloo course. There were also more wins for Jasper Philipsen at the Tour of Türkiye and plenty of other news as the road racing season draws to a close.

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HUB Cycling: Switching to bike commuting could save you $9,200 a year

From BurnabyNow.com

By Lisa Storey

As people around the region continue to grapple with rising housing costs and the growing challenge of affordability, it’s essential to find innovative ways to address these issues.

One such solution lies right under our noses — cycling. At the end of August, gas prices in Vancouver soared to the highest they have been at $2.13 per litre at many stations.

British Columbia’s consumer price index (CPI), representing changes in prices as experienced by consumers, was 3.8 per cent higher (unadjusted) in August 2023 than in August 2022, with the most significant inflationary increases being:

  • Food: an increase of 6.3 per cent
  • Health and personal: an increase of 5.9 per cent
  • Shelter: an increase of 5.1 per cent

As many people look for unique ways to cut costs, non-profit organization HUB Cycling suggests a sometimes overlooked solution to easing the blow of Metro Vancouver’s affordability crisis: bike commuting.HUB Cycling’s recent Pedaling Towards Equity report finds that people can save up to $9,200/year by switching their main mode of transportation to commuting by bike.

Photo by Eduardo Alemán on Unsplash

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12 best gravel bikes of 2023, according to real riders

From CNN.com

By Heather Balogh Rochfort, CNN Underscored

Gravel bikes — versatile, beefed up road-style bikes with fatter tires and off-road friendly gearing — are the fastest-growing style of bike today, with sales increasing by 109% since 2019. It’s not hard to see why since they appeal to pretty much any type of cyclist. Hardcore mountain biker? Spandex-clad roadie? You’ll both like gravel, and more and more riders are hitting unpaved roads across the United States to try the new discipline.

Gravel bikes have drop bars like road bikes, but with more relaxed frame geometry and lower gearing so you feel more stable on rough, rolling terrain but can still cruise while riding pavement. Wider tires with lots of tread mean you can easily handle dirt or gravel. While they’re not typically meant for extremely technical and rocky terrain, if you’re an experienced off-road rider, you can still take some of the gravel bikes out on flowy singletrack and have plenty of fun.

“Gravel riding gives you the freedom to explore and head off the beaten path, especially if you are coming from a road cycling background,” says Massimo Alpian, a cycling industry veteran and current board member for Ride for Racial Justice. “With this category exploding over the past several years, there are so many options now.”

Ready to call yourself a gravaficionado? We talked with various gravel grinding experts to get the lowdown on the best gravel bikes for all abilities. Whether you’re a first-timer hopping on the gravel ribbon or an experienced cyclist looking to get into bikepacking, here are some of our favorites.

Image courtesy of Kona

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