Tag: btwd

Bike To Work Day photos

Richard MasonerMay 13, 20102 Comments on Bike To Work Day photos

Happy SF Bay Area Bike To Work Day, all.

I did my usual Tour of South Bay Energizer Stations this morning, covering the 12 miles from Sunnyvale to Menlo Park in two hours, which I think must be a new slowness record for me! I distributed Action Wipes to the Mountain View Caltrain and Palo Alto City Hall Energizer Stations (thank you to Sue at Mountain View and Matt at Palo Alto for helping out with that), gave a bike bell to a newbie bike commuter, passed along the latest issue of Urban Velo at the Wilkie Way bike bridge, and consumed my share of bagels, coffee cakes, bananas, oranges, fruit snacks, and coffee along the way.

Congrats to Steve, who won the Bike Snob NYC book after he found me at the Dumbarton bike path Energizer Station in Menlo Park (sponsored by Oracle).



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Where’s Richard? Get Free Stuff

Richard MasonerMay 12, 20105 Comments on Where’s Richard? Get Free Stuff

Remember, tomorrow (Thursday, May 13 2010) is Bike To Work Day in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you see me, flag me down and I might have some goodies for you.

I’ll be on the wonderfully cute Kona Bandwagon fixed gear bike (light blue frame with obnoxious orange rims). I’ll likely have a big red backpack for the schwag.

One lucky winner will get a copy of Bike Snob NYC’s book (the hardcover released copy). Everybody else will get other random stuff. You must be willing to be photographed to get the prizes and have your photo posted to Flickr and this blog.

Feel free to ride with me — I’ll be on the fixed gear taking photos so I will be traveling a little slower than usual. If you want me to look for you, leave a comment on this post before 9 PM Pacific Time Wednesday and I’ll email you my cellphone number.

I’ll Caltrain from San Jose Diridon to Mountain View Castro Street, then bike to Menlo Park with brief stops at these “Energizer Stations“: Mountain View Caltrain, Castro & California, Wilkie Way bike bridge, California Avenue Caltrain, Palo Alto Caltrain, Palo Alto City Hall, Willow Place bike bridge, and the Dumbarton Bridge bike path at University Avenue. I would like to start at 7 AM in San Jose; let’s see if I actually get up early enough for that. Follow me on Twitter for updates.

I like the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition’s Bike To Work Day “reasons to bike”: “There are so many great reasons to give bike commuting a first try, but the reason people stick with it is simple – fun. So save the date for a morning of fun: Thursday, May 13 is Bike to Work Day 2010. Leave the car at home, dust off the bike, and enjoy your commute for once.”

Speaking of fun: I’m still trying to work things out, but I might be at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition bike fashion show Thursday night. There’s also a “Bike Away From Work Bash” on the Peninsula a tthe Depot Cafe in San Carlos.

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Santa Cruz area CHP: “Share the Road”

Richard MasonerMay 7, 20104 Comments on Santa Cruz area CHP: “Share the Road”

The Aptos / Santa Cruz office of the California Highway Patrol issued this press release this week.

BIKE WEEK 2010

CHP supports Bike Week 2010 with Share the Road enforcement

May 10th through 16th is Santa Cruz Bike Week, and the California Highway Patrol is showing support with concentrated enforcement and education. Motorists and bicyclists alike are urged to share the road in specific ways.

For those on four wheels:

  • Be mindful of entering the designated bicycle lane for right turns. Bicyclists in this lane have right-of-way, and this is a common cause of collisions (often injurious) between motorists and bicyclists.
  • Take care when passing or following bicyclists on two lane roads. Many of the scenic bicycle routes in our county are two-lane, fairly narrow, and have limited visibility around corners. The bicyclist has established their right-of-way on the roadway and may ride in the lane if no bicycle lane exists. Be patient and wait for clear visibility prior to passing. Do not follow the bicyclist too closely, as the rider may fall on the roadway and you will not have enough distance to stop in time.

For those on two wheels:

  • Bicyclists are beholden to the same rules of the road as motorists. This includes stop signs, traveling in the same direction as traffic, not riding on sidewalks, and DUI laws. Bicyclists who fail to follow these laws endanger themselves, pedestrians, and motorists alike.
  • Use caution when merging out of the bicycle lane and into the roadway. You must look behind to ensure that it is clear, and use proper hand signals. Those traveling on four wheels will not expect you to suddenly be in their lane, and may not be able to take proper evasive action.

CHP Officers will be concentrating patrols during Bike Week to enforce the above rules of the road. Officers will also be educating four-wheel as well as two-wheel travelers of the necessity of sharing the road.

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