Out of the saddle and just chillaxing…

Above: Rick Riedl, Megan Tolbert, Jon Wolf

Above: Christian Panetta, Seaside bike commuter.

Above: Chris Morfas of CalBike, Michael Baroni of Green Pedal Couriers, Vera Noghera of Velo Club Monterey, Samantha Ollinger of Cal Bike, and local bike advocates Tiffany Decker, Shannon Wall, and Nathan Pierce.

Above: Jon Wolf

Above, foreground: Roberto Salazar, Yasi Payandehjoo

Above, midground (seated): Mireya DelaVega and Paul Gallien

Above, background (standing): Vera Noghera, Shannon Wall, Chris Morfas, Tiffany Decker, Matthew “Mati” Miller, Heather Cunningham, Nathan Pierce

Above: Christian Panetta, Michael Baroni (Green Pedal Couriers owner) and JD DeGracia

The Green Pedal Couriers team pedaled up the Jefferson Street hill after providing free bike valet parking at the Old Monterey Farmers Market.

Among more than 30 people at the potluck were…

Darius Rike of Monterey Off Road Cycling Association/MORCA, Chris Cain of Monterey Bay Racing Team, Keith Vandevere and many other Velo Club Monterey/VCM members, Salinas bike advocate Jacky Luna, y a mí.

You’ll learn more about many of these individuals by typing their names in the Bicycling Monterey search window.

Try “Jacky Luna,” for example. You’ll see what she was up to in early October, and why she pedals with a passion.  (See search tips or contact me for help.)

Did you meet William Merry, Jocelyn Gretz, Trixie Trackstar, Danielle Wegman, Jamal JJ, Anita Joshi, Chris Villanueva, Katie Pofahl, or Harimah Marie at the potluck?

If you missed the potluck, you missed wonderful company and yummy homemade foods.

Plenty of animated conversations, laughter, and inspiring discussion!

Gratitude to the welcome committee members/potluck organizers (see names below),

 and special thanks to all who attended,

including our guests, Sam Ollinger and Chris Morfas of CalBike.

For more photos, check the Twitter streams of @ollingers, @nathan2077, @bikemonterey.

* * *

The information below was previously published here on November 6th (and published on the Bicycling Monterey County master calendar http:/bit.ly/BikeCalendar on October 25th).

Who

Everyone welcome.

What

Monterey County bike community potluck supper, to welcome California Bicycle Coalition board members Samantha Ollinger and Chris Morfas–California by Bike touring cyclists–to the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail and all of Monterey County! Learn more about this tour of bike advocates below–along with what to bring and other details.

When

Tuesday, November 12, 2013, 5:30-8:00 p.m.

Where

American Legion Hall, Post 41 at 1110 Jefferson Street, Monterey.  Direx tips, coming from downtown Monterey: From Pacific Street and Jefferson (near Friendly Plaza), go straight up Jefferson until it slightly bends left (at the stop sign). The American Legion Hall is straight ahead. It is a large, dark red/almost brown building with a large flagpole out front. Questions about coming from Skyline or another departure point? Legion welcomes calls: (831) 375-9015.

Update: Green Pedal Couriers will be busily caring for bikes at the farmers market on Alvarado Street. For the potluck at the Legion Hall, simply plan to lock up in a typical manner.

Why?

Some California Bicycle Coalition leaders and other bike advocates are doing the California by Bike Tour 2013 as a fundraiser following the California by Bike Summit.  They are biking the coast south from Oakland to Santa Barbara, stopping and raising awareness in communities along the way.  The six-day tour starts Mon., Nov. 11 in Oakland and ends Sat., Nov. 18 in Santa Barbara.

Stops in-between include San Jose, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo, where riders will enjoy celebrations of food and drink with local advocates.

They would love to meet you! Come be one of Monterey County’s bike community ambassadors and welcome these visitors. They will be camping that night at Veterans Memorial Park.  Your company at this supper will warm their hearts, cutting the chill of a November night.

What to bring

Bring some food to share (such as casserole, soup, salad, or dessert). Healthy foods encouraged, though any food brought with love is welcome. Labeling your dish with a heads-up on its ingredients is helpful to many people, e.g., vegan, lacto-vegetarian, gluten-free.  (Tip: Local farmers markets have good prices on organic produce. No time to cook? Nearby Tuesday farmers market opens at 4 p.m.; wash up some produce and bring a quick salad!)

You’re welcome to also bring beer, wine, or a non-alcoholic beverage.

Bring your own table service (plate, cup, silverware, napkin). Reusable tableware will help keep this a more waste-free event.

Invite friends

Visit the Facebook event page, “Community Potluck with CalBike Coalition.”  Or share a short link to this post, http://bit.ly/CAByBikeMRY or share fliers: CalBike’s CA By Bike Monterey potluck Nov 12 2013

[Tech troubleshooting – flier link: CalBike’s CA By Bike Monterey potluck Nov 12 2013 ]

Thanks!

Thanks to the following people for serving as the welcome committee and organizing this local gathering:

• Vera Noghera, Velo Club Monterey
• Bike advocates including Nathan Pierce, Matthew Miller, Bernard Green, Jacky Luna, and Megan Tolbert
• Michael Baroni, Green Pedal Couriers

Questions about the Monterey gathering?

Contact any of the welcome committee or Megan Tolbert – m_tolbert2003@yahoo.com, 831-917-2466.

Thanks to Dave Snyder and Sam Ollinger for the early heads-up on California by Bike 2013’s Monterey stop. Thanks to Vera Noghera of Velo Club Monterey for updated details.

Can’t make the Monterey party?  Say hi to these touring cyclists elsewhere in Monterey County. They plan to camp at Limekiln State Park on Nov 13th.

* * *

For more info about the California by Bike tour…

Contact Cal Bike treasurer Samantha Ollinger (also the Executive Director of BikeSD.org), 619.450.3011; or Dave Snyder at Cal Bike.org.

Below is an excerpt from the CalBike newsletter:

Explore the California by Bike website.

California by Bike Tour
November 11th-18th, Oakland

After the California by Bike Summit, join this tour of coastal California, led by CalBike’s Treasurer Samantha Ollinger. A veteran of touring, Sam leads Bike San Diego, a city-based local advocacy organization that works with our affiliate the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. The six-day tour starts the 11th in Oakland and ends the 18th in Santa Barbara. Stops include San Jose, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and SLO, where riders will enjoy food and drink with local advocates.

Follow Sam’s Tumblr.
Buy a ticket and bike the tour.

All funds support CalBike / California Bicycle Coalition. Leading fundraisers will win great prizes!

Welcome to Monterey County!

Tips for Bicycling Monterey County, a 20-section guide, includes:

• California Bike Laws and Personal Safety Tips (including some Monterey County ordinances)
  
• Tips for Serious Cyclists
• Monterey County Bicycle Shops, Services, Clubs, Infrastructure Contacts, Events, and other resources (AKA “main resources” page or “bike community leaders” page)
• Bike Maps and Other Tools for Finding Your Way
• Bicycle Valet and Other Bike Parking
• Bike Security, with Unique List of Places to Go

For more local bike-related and other tips

Contact any of the three individuals below, or other Monterey County bike community leaders.

Jan Valencia

Velo Club Monterey Answer Man Jan Valencia.  On Twitter – @jvalen – Twitter.com/jvalen or email Jan via the Velo Club website.

Mari Lynch

Contact Mari.

Frank Henderson

League of American Bicyclists instructor Frank Henderson.  Phone, 831-755-6738 or email,  fhenders@hartnell.edu.

Local news sources

What’s the buzz? 

The solar-powered, local, independent Monterey County Weekly is the largest circulation newspaper in the county.  It comes out late Wednesday nights and is available free at newsstands, on the Weekly’s website, and in a mobile edition.

Voices of Monterey Bay is nonprofit, multicultural news source launched by veteran local journalists Mary Duan, Joe Livernois, and Julie Reynolds Martinez in October 2017.

Monterey County Herald is a daily, a Digital First publication.

Gannett publishes the Salinas Californian and the weekly Off 68, along with the Spanish-language newspaper El Sol.

Carmel Magazine is a popular mag, along with 65 Degrees.   These and more periodicals, including the Herald’s weekly GO! magazine and Carmel’s weekly newspaper, the Carmel Pine Cone, are available free on newstands.

Most or all of the above also have online editions.

Additional Monterey County Visitor Information

The Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau’s See Monterey website is helpful, and their BlogMonterey.com provides timely MCCVB tips.

Monterey Bay Adventures, from the Monterey County Herald, features additional things to do.