BFBC Events, 2005
Here is information on major BFBC events which happened in 2005.
May is Bike Month! Starting April 30!
Sat Apr 30, 11am-3pm: KIDS BIKE RODEO. San Pablo Park. Bring the whole family to join in the FREE FESTIVITIES! The Frances Albrier Community Center is located on the corner of Park St. and Oregon St., 2 blocks west of Sacramento. This year's theme is "Live Smart, Eat Smart, Ride Smart", emphasizing safety and nutrition. Admission is free, lunch is $2.00. Kids are put through a "Safe Town" bicycle obstacle course, fitted with new bicycle helmets, taught basic bike mechanics, interact with Berkeley's bicycle patrol team of police officers, go out on neighborhood bike rides, and are entertained with games, prizes, yummy and healthy food and much more. This year, by popular demand, BFBC's Phil Morton and David Coolidge will once again be on hand with their "Fix-a-Flat" booth, and this year our next door neighbor will be Bicycle Bob, who will offer hints and helps for keeping the harder parts of the bicycle in order. Staff Contact: Tasha Tervalon, City of Berkeley Injury Prevention Program, 510-981-5347, ttervalon (at) ci.berkeley (dot) ca.us.
All Month Events
All month, Wednesdays, FREE BIKE CHECKS at the Bikestation. Bike Mechanic at the Saturday Farmer's Market. Clif Bars for new Bikestation users. Commuter bike upgrade raffle prizes. Expanded hours: 7am - 9pm M-F.
All month, Wednesdays, 6-7pm, FREE BIKE REPAIR CLASSES, Mike's Bikes, 2135 University Ave. Bring your problems to Mike's Bikes and they will help show you how to fix and maintain your bike's good health. On Wednesday, May 11, Mike's Bikes will feature the "Commuter Bike", in preparation for Bike to Work Day, showing all the essential features of a practical commuter bike, including lights, panniers, fenders, etc.
All month, 7:30pm, FREE BIKE REPAIR CLASSES, Missing Link Bicycle Coop, 1988 Shattuck Ave. Dates: Thu 5 May, Wed 11 May, Wed 18 May, and Wed 25 May. Bikes aren't mysteries, they're just a lot of nuts and bolts! Missing Link continues its popular series of free bike repair classes. Each class features a different part of the bike. For full details see the Missing Link class schedule.
Sat May 07, 10am-2pm: HIDDEN GEMS OF BERKELEY BIKE RIDE. Come out to sample a treasure-trove of unusual natural and domestic places, public and private sites about Berkeley. We'll spend a day discovering them by:
- Peering into hidden gardens filled with fanciful sculpture.
- Seeing a schoolyard turned into a magical farm.
- Marveling at a community garden with art peering out of plants at every turn.
- Stopping by unique domestic architecture, one whose façade mural tells stories of fairie peoples.
See rich signs of other times, and places out of time. Explore the vernacular side of Berkeley you've never noticed before and learn about how the City's fabric has been shaped by historic streetcar and creek lines. Several special guest speakers will join us along the way. John Steere will guide this 6-7 mile ride, which will be easy and without hills. Bring a lunch, snack and water. The ride will begin at Halcyon Commons, a small neighborhood-built park on Halcyon Court, besides Prince Street, one block west of Telegraph. A Bioregional map of Berkeley depicting scores of these "gems" along with the City's creeks, community gardens and historic transit system has been created by John Coveney and will be available for sale. For more information: John Steere, (510)849-1969.
Bike Day at the Farmer's Market
Sat May 14, 10am-3pm: Bike Day at the Farmer's Market. Bicycle advocacy meets bicycle shoppers! There will be a full day of getting bicyclists ready for Bike To Work Day. BFBC will quiz bicyclists on their knowledge of the rules of the road as they apply to bicyclists, provide free bike checks and low cost repairs, have free bike helmets for new BFBC members, and most importantly, present a series of informative and fun interactive bike workshops.
10:30am "The Commuter Bike", speaker t.b.a. Learn all about the essential components of a commuter bike - lights, fenders, rack, panniers, kick-stand, bell, and more.
11:30am "How to Lock Your Bike", by Marian Hunting of Missing Link Bicycle Coop. Do you have a theft proof lock? Learn the latest on pickproof locks and tricks about where to best lock your bike, what to lock it to, and of course how to properly lock it up.
12:30pm "Street Skills Essentials", by Mike Cobb, LCI bike safety instructor. How to safely ride on busy streets, best techniques for turning left in intersections, where to position yourself on the roadway, and most importantly, how to ride like a vehicle to be visible and predictable.
1:30pm "The Better Low-Carb Diet - i.e. Shopping by Bike", by Robert Webb of Pedal Express. Use your car(buretor) less, ride your bike more. The bicycle can easily carry many things safely and conveniently. Shopping, errands, moving, hauling, etc. And with a proper bike trailer, there are few limits to what you can do with your bike. Learn what and how.
Sun May 15, 10am-2pm: BFBC FAMILY OUTREACH BIKE RIDE at the Berkeley Marina. Starts from Shorebird Park Nature Center, 10:00am. Know anyone with a garage full of bikes that don't get ridden much? Or ever? Start talking to those folks about the BFBC FAMILY OUTREACH RIDE which will be a flat, short, 2.8 mile loop around the Berkeley Marina. bring a lunch to eat at the halfway point, Cesar Chavez Park kite field. Planned ending time is 2:00pm. The ride skirts a couple of parking areas, otherwise there's no sharing the road with cars. Free parking in the city's lot across University - we're looking for riders who aren't ready to go 100% auto-free yet.
We want to get the owners of those "garage queen" bikes out in the sunshine so they can re-experience how easy and fun riding can be. Ride leader is David Coolidge who no longer rides fast enough to scare anybody. All ages welcome! Seniors and kids are encouraged to come out!! If logistics permit, we'll also have an intermediate contingent coming from N. Berkeley BART to cross the I-80 bridge and join the Marina ride at the Nature Center - that group, if it materializes, will be doing an 8+ mile loop.
There will also be free pre-ride checks available at the BikeStation on an earlier date (see above) - we'll pump tires, lube chains and adjust brakes, plus advise about any larger repairs that might be needed.
Bike to Work Day
Thu May 19: BIKE-TO-WORK DAY. This is the day when, if you never bike to work, it's time to join the throngs and give it a try. The Berkeley City Council will attempt to be the first city council in the Bay Area (maybe even the state) to all bike to work. In the morning, Energizer Stations will be set up all around town, including many new ones in West and South Berkeley. The City Hall Energizer Station is the destination of Berkeley's cycling councilmembers, and will reward them with hot coffee from Tully's, Noah's bagels, Zone energy bars, fresh fruits, and low-cost helmets.
| ENERGIZER STATIONS IN BERKELEY / ALBANY | ||
| Location | Time | Sponsor |
| Berkeley City Hall, 2180 Milvia Street | 7:00am - 9:00am | City of Berkeley |
| 4th St & Delaware | 7:00am - 9:00am | BFBC |
| California & Channing | 7:00am - 9:00am | BFBC |
| Downtown Berkeley BART BikeStation | 6:30am - 9:00pm | BFBC |
| Left Coast Cyclery, 2928 Domingo | 7:00am - 9:00am | Left Coast Cyclery |
| The Missing Link, 1988 Shattuck Ave | 7:00am - 7:00pm | Missing Link |
| North Berkeley BART | 7:00am - 10:00am | REI |
| Ohlone Greenway @ Solano Ave, Albany | 7:00am - 10:00am | Albany BAC |
| Re-Cycles, 3120 Sacramento @ 66th | 7:30am - 11:00am | Re-Cycles |
| Russell & Telegraph | 7:00am - 9:00am | BFBC |
| Rosa Parks School, 7th & Allston | 7:00am - 9:00am | BFBC |
| UC Berkeley, Northgate, Hearst & Euclid | 7:00am - 9:00am | BFBC |
| UC Berkeley, Sproul Plaza | 7:00am - 9:00am | UC Berkeley |
Thu May 19, 12 noon: Bike 'n Roll Tour of the Boulevards. At noon on Bike to Work Day, the City Council will set out on bicycles, pedicabs, and other non-motorized vehicles for a brief bike 'n roll tour of the bicycle boulevards. Heath Maddox, the City's Ped/Bike Coordinator will lead the ride around Milvia St., Channing, California, and Virginia. The ride is open to the public. Meet at City Hall at noon.
Be counted as a bike commuter -- don't forget to register for Bike to Work Day. This also enters you in the BTWD raffle.
The Bike-to-Work-Day web site has region-wide information and a full list of Bay Area energizer stations.
We welcome your feedback.
Sun Sep 11: Bike to the Solano Stroll
Ride there! Join a Bicycle-Friendly Berkeley Coalition get-acquainted bike ride from BART to the Solano Avenue Stroll street fair on Sun Sep 11. BFBC ride leaders will escort you on user-friendly routes to the FREE valet bike-parking right on Solano (see below). We'll give you a map - return on your own schedule. Ride schedule:
- North Berkeley BART: Meet at 9:30am or 11:30am in the parking lot north of the main station building.
- El Cerrito Plaza BART: Meet at 10:30am or 12:30pm at the south end of the island directly beneath the station platform.
- Travel time: 20 to 30 minutes from either station.
- Look for: Two (or more) cyclists wearing BFBC T-shirts.
- Detailed bikes-on-transit info is here: http://bicycling.511.org/transit.htm.
Park there! The East Bay Bicycle Coalition will offer Free Valet Bicycle Parking at the Wells Fargo Bank, Solano at Colusa, from 10:30am to 6pm. Parade starts at 11am. This year's theme is "Don't Rain on My Parade" so get out your rain capes, umbrellas, fenders and rain makers.
WIN A BIKE!! Win a fender-equipped Breezer Freedom commuter bike at the Stroll! To be eligible, either park at the bicycle lot or get 5-times the chance to win by joining or renewing your bicycle coalition membership at a $20 or higher level. Bike prize made possible by a generous donation from EBBC member James Doherty.
Volunteers needed. The BFBC coordinator for the bike ride to Solano Stroll is David Coolidge, dacoolidge (at) hotmail (dot) com. Please contact him if you can help lead one of the rides.
Sun Sep 25: How Berkeley Can You Be? Parade and Festival
Bike parkers needed! If you've never tried valet parking before, now's your chance!
Come help BFBC park bikes and sign up new members at one of Berkeley's largest and most unusual festivals, the How Berkeley Can You Be? Parade and Festival. Our goal: sign up 50 more new members which, with the 52 new members EBBC signed up at the Solano Stroll, will break our record for September new members, and bring our combined total East Bay membership to over 1100 members - over 400 in Berkeley alone.
Once again, BFBC member Jim Doherty has donated a brand new bike - this time a Yellow Cannondale Mtn Bike and Yakima bike trailer, to give away as an enticement to sign up more members.
Valet bike parking at How Berkeley Can You Be? is from 10am-6pm at the corner of Milvia and Allston, right next to City Hall. Contact Dave Campbell at dcampbel (at) lmi (dot) net if you can contribute a couple hours of bike-parking time.
Sat Dec 10, 7-11pm: BFBC 10th Birthday Party
The Bicycle-Friendly Berkeley Coalition turns 10 years old. Yeah, after a whole decade of bicycling good times and one heck of a more bicycle-friendly town, it's time to gear up for some fun. And to get ready for 10 more great years!
Please join BFBC for a holiday-themed birthday celebration on Saturday, December 10, 7pm-11pm at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian-Universalists, 1924 Cedar St at the corner of Bonita, in North Berkeley. We'll have a birthday piñata for the kids to smash, cake for all, beer and wine, raffle prizes and a dance band to help burn off some carbs. And of course attended bike parking to keep your two-wheeler secure.
On hand to address the celebrants will be Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, who will present BFBC with a Proclamation in recognition of our efforts. Councilmembers Linda Maio, Kris Worthington, and others are also expected to attend. Rumors are that Transit Man himself may appear. Transit Man is the Bay Area's action hero who fights for transportation justice for all.
Cost: $20, but no one turned away for lack of funds. Children 12 and under $5. You can also volunteer with BFBC to earn your admission.
Preparations are under way. If you would like to help, please contact the Berkeley Bikestation at 510-548-7433 or send an email to volcoord (at) bfbc (dot) org.
Donations are currently being accepted for our Raffle Prizes and Live Auction at the December 10 BFBC 10th Birthday Party.
We know you've already saved the date and are planning to celebrate our 10th Birthday with us. But until the big party, if you have a prize donation you'd like to make, we'd like to make it part of our raffle prizes or live auction. It will help BFBC continue its efforts to make Berkeley the most "bicycle-friendly" town in the Bay Area. BFBC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Hope to see you there!
Dave Campbell
President
Bicycle-Friendly Berkeley Coalition
See the press release about BFBC celebrating its 10th anniversary.