Bike Buzz: Spring 2023 News from Bicycling Monterey

SEA OTTER CLASSIC: For some snippets from Monterey County’s 4-Day Celebration of Cycling, scroll down.

BIKING ON SIDEWALKS—RESOURCES IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH: Among Bicycling Monterey’s educational projects is our new video in Spanish about riding on sidewalks. It will be of interest to many people regardless of where they bike, and will be of special interest to people who bike in California. It also includes examples of sidewalk ordinances for Monterey County:

“ANDAR EN BICICLETA EN LAS ACERAS además de ejemplos de ordenanzas del Condado de Monterey, California.”

And in English, “BIKING ON SIDEWALKS, plus examples of ordinances from Monterey County, California.”

WE HAVE QUESTIONS, YOU HAVE ANSWERS: If you’ve ever biked, a little or a lot—or even if you want to bike, but something is holding you back—you’re encouraged to to respond to Bicycling Monterey’s Questionnaire for Bike Month (May). Click here to learn more.

Photo above: Stevenson House in Monterey, our bike alongside its garden wall on a sunny day in Feb 2010. Did you grow up enjoying “A Child’s Garden of Verses” or other poetry by Robert Louis Stevenson, and didn’t know that Stevenson has a place in Monterey County history? Check out snippets on that and other local history: https://bikemonterey.org/tips-for-tourists/for-history-buffs

BIKING IN RAIN: Is rain happening where you are? See Tips for People Who Bike in Rainy Weather for ideas from our fellow bike advocates in Oregon, Washington, and California. It was a wet winter in Monterey County, and spring started the same. Not complaining—yay for an end to drought!

MONTH OF MAY: May is Bike Month around the USA, and it’s also Bicycling Monterey’s anniversary month. Thanks to Larry Pizzi for leading the way this spring in celebrating the 14th anniversary (see how in first link under “Our gratitude to…” in 14th Anniversary of Bicycling Monterey, May 2023).

PHONE SUPPORT, AND MORE: As evidenced by What People Say, and from phone calls we receive, people from all over the US and beyond continue to find this website and other Bicycling Monterey projects helpful and inspiring. That includes the phone support! Recent telephone inquiries have included:

“Are bicycles admitted free on 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach?” and “Is there a newer bike map for Monterey County than the 2016 map?” and “The bike shop I normally use can’t get me on their maintenance services schedule soon. What other locally owned bike shops are in Monterey County?” and “Does Monterey County have a mountain bike club with group rides at Fort Ord and on other trails?” and “I’m a roadie new to the area. What is the most longstanding road bike club here?” and “How do I contact the high school mountain bike teams in Monterey County?”

MONTEREY COUNTY DIRECTORY: We created a 35-section directory of Monterey County Bicycling Resources and Bike Community Leaders. And we welcome phone calls anytime. It’s a pleasure to help people more readily locate the information they’re seeking about bicycling-related topics. If we don’t know the answer to a caller’s question—about bicycling in Monterey County or elsewhere—often we do know of an individual or organization to refer them to for that info.

HELPERS NEEDED: Many of y’all remain unaware that this public service, run by a volunteer since 2009, has received no public grants or other public funds, and needs your support. For example, why haven’t we restored the database that’s been down for one project since mid-2022? We’d love to! And we could, if more people step up to help—perhaps even as a Pedal Pusher like Edith, Kathleen, and Sam (see financial contributors page). Any amount is appreciated.

Curious? Total of all financial contributions, before fees and expenses, for 2022, $704; for 2021, $525. From May 1, 2009 – March 20, 2023, the average of total contributions was $3.22 per day. Questions? We welcome phone calls anytime.

WHY SUPPORT THE WORK OF BICYCLING ADVOCATES: Maybe you care about boosting public health, strengthening communities, or acting on climate change (transportation is the U.S. economy’s largest contributor of carbon emissions, and biking is one way to improve that). Or perhaps you simply want to inspire and support more people bicycling because of the joy factor—the pleasure biking adds to life!

Whatever benefits of bicycling you value most, we hope you will make a contribution to the work of bike advocates like us—around California (see CalBike’s local partners page), or wherever you live or travel. 

Thank you for your consideration and support.

More Bike Buzz: Sea Otter Classic

SEA OTTER CLASSIC, Monterey County’s 4-Day Celebration of Cycling, was held April 20-23, 2023.

Below: Local vendors in the SOC Expo included Nitro Cycle 831 https://www.nitrocycle831.com/about, voted Best EcoFriendly Business in the annual Readers Poll of Monterey County Weekly readers: https://www.montereycountyweekly.com/best/2022/shopping-and-services/best-eco-friendly-business-2022/article_30d3f3e2-39f2-11ed-8c02-bba11f60793e.html. 

Photos below by Sieg Magenheim for Bicycling Monterey

If you’ve wanted to attend Sea Otter Classic but the festival admission fee hasn’t worked for your budget, refer to how to get free admission.

Sara Rubin’s centerpiece story in the Monterey County Weekly, April 20-26, 2023: “Pedal People: The Sea Otter Classic is a temple of all things bicycling, for all kinds of bicyclists.” Cover, “BIKING IS FOR EVERYONE”: https://www.montereycountyweekly.com/archives/2023/0420/

From the Sea Otter Classic website https://www.seaotterclassic.com, access SOC’s online schedule https://seaotterclassic2023.sched.com. Among new activities for 2023:
All Bikes Welcome, Rowdy Goudy, and Ride for Racial Justice happy hour https://seaotterclassic2023.sched.com/event/1L1QN/all-bikes-welcome-rowdy-goudy-and-ride-for-racial-justice-happy-hour;
Adventure for All – Ride La Gravilla with Adventure Athlete Josh Eckert https://seaotterclassic2023.sched.com/event/1KYDV/adventure-for-all-ride-la-gravilla-with-adventure-athlete-josh-eckert;
Sea Litter Clean up—Earth Day trash walk or ride https://seaotterclassic2023.sched.com/event/1LK9N/sea-litter-clean-up-earth-day-trash-walk-or-ride.