• Click here for how Bicycling Monterey began, and for a short history.

• Learn about Bicycling Monterey’s first decade.

• See what people say about the Bicycling Monterey work.

This page tells a little about how Bicycling Monterey began. At the end of this page, there’s a list of the alternate domain names for https://bikemonterey.org — scroll down to “Domain name options.”

Bicycling Monterey includes resources and inspiration for people who bike anywhere and also serves as an Information Hub for Bicycling in Monterey County. The Bicycling Monterey site is relied on for a wealth of original, carefully researched content.

Bicycling Monterey has been linked by the following and others:

(Link list compiled beginning in 2009. When organizations update their websites, some result in broken links. Feel free to contact us about any need for updates.)

Applied Solar Energy, Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute (a program of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association), Big Sur International Marathon, Bike Santa Cruz County’s “Brilliant Ideas” section, Biking in LA, California Bicycle Coalition, California State University Monterey Bay, Campaign for Sustainable Transportation, Carey Beebe Harpsichords, City of Monterey, City of Salinas, City of Seaside, Communities for Sustainable Monterey County, Community Alliance for Safety and Peace, Cruz511 – Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, Cyclelicious, Cycling the Pacific Coast, Douglas Mueller, Filmmaker, Fort Ord Bicycle-Equestrian Trails Assistance (BETA), Hartnell College, KION, Lamp Lighter Inn, League of American Bicyclists, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission , Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Monterey County Herald School Bytes, Monterey County Weekly, Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey Off Road Cycling Association, Monterey-Salinas Transit, National Steinbeck Center, Natividad Medical Center, Naval Postgraduate School Cycling Club, Old Fisherman’s Wharf, Old Monterey Business Association, Paraiso Vineyards, Parents Place, Pedestrian & Bicycle Information Center, People for Bikes, People’s Climate Movement, Portola Hotel & Spa, e.g.,  calendar listing and blog post, Raleigh Electric Bikes, S.A.G.E – Green Valley Action Group Salinas Chapter of Citizens for a Sustainable Monterey County, Sea Otter Classic, Smart Growth America, Stevenson School, Tannery Arts Center, Transportation Agency for Monterey County, UC-Berkeley CATSIP , Velo Club Monterey, Ventana Chapter, Sierra Club, Women’s Bike Blogs by Bikestyle Spokane. Bicycling Monterey has been featured by media including AMP Media’s “Your Town,” Cedar Street Times, KKUP, KRML, KSBW, the Monterey County Herald, Monterey County Weekly, Radio Bilingüe, Salinas Californian, Women’s International Perspective (The WIP), and more.

In addition, and also as a volunteer, for over a decade Bicycling Monterey’s founder has created, coordinated, and supported a variety of bike advocacy projects. Get a glimpse at the hours involved; see a “Day in the Life of a Bike Advocate.”

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How did Bicycling Monterey get started?

Bicycling Monterey’s founder, Mari Lynch, tells how the site and projects began:

My first time to bicycle in Monterey County was when I biked here from Santa Cruz, where I lived at that time. As I tell in “Falling in Love with Bicycling,” I’d biked since childhood but Santa Cruz was where biking really won my heart.

After moving to rural Monterey County in 1981, I continued to bike. But for many years, I mostly limited my routes to my own rural neighborhood, or only biked after hauling my bike to the multi-use trail or elsewhere.

When I returned to biking regularly for transportation, and experienced again what a joy that is, I wanted to make it easier for others to bike here.

Biking on West Cliff in Santa Cruz, with my friend Gerri Dayharsh

Listen to the audio, or read “We’re All Heroes on This Bus.”

Tips for Tourists—and Others

I love to chat with people who come from all over the world to visit Monterey County.  And answering their questions on the bikeways made me realize it wasn’t easy for them to find helpful information that I’ve learned over the years.  So I created in May 2009 Tips for Tourists Bicycling Monterey and published it on this site in May 2009, as a courtesy to visitors. It soon expanded into a guide for local residents as well as tourists/visitors, Tips for Bicycling Monterey County.

Perhaps you’ve seen Tips for Bicycling Monterey County or other posters displayed in retailers’ windows and other places, such as concierge binders.  As more than one hotel staff person told me, “Biking is our #1 question, and we haven’t known what to tell our guests.”  That’s understandable. Certainly, even after living in the county since 1981, there’s a lot I still don’t know—things the hoteliers and others do know.

Sharing knowledge and talents can help us all have an optimum experience of our beautiful county. That’s one reason I’m sharing local bicycling info. Other reasons include environmental impact and other benefits.

The HER Helmet Thursdays Project—benefiting HER / Mother Earth

What about HER Helmet Thursdays, the ecology-economy sustainability project that encourages bicycling?  The inspiration for HER Helmet Thursdays came to me one evening on Cannery Row.  Thanks to the immediate enthusiasm of local businesses and organizations, it quickly went from idea to form.

The first post about that project went up on 11/24/09, and by 12/16/09, there were 41 participants.  By the project’s first anniversary, there were nearly 150 participating businesses and organizations, and it continued to grow. For the current list, refer to the Quick Reference Guide on the page LISTINGS, How to Get the Discounts, and FAQs about HER Helmet Thursdays.

Go to the HER Helmet Thursdays Project portal page for audios and videos about the project. Also included there—and right here—is how the HER Helmet Thursdays began, as told in the Earth Day 2010 issue of the Monterey County Weekly:  “Wheel the Earth.”

What’s here besides bicycling?

California’s Monterey Bay region is the primary focus.  Most non-biking content is related to ecologically sound projects and practices. Music will sometimes pop up too, and less frequently, other topics—e.g., local youth advocacy efforts. 

You may also be interested in knowing more about Bicycling Monterey’s founder. If you have other questions, please phone us.

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Volunteer or make a financial  or other contribution

If you might like to contribute time, money, or other resources in support of these bike advocacy projects,  please visit the following pages, or contact Bicycling Monterey with your questions, comments, and ideas.

• Acknowledgements–and how you can help
• Volunteer opportunities
• Contributions

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Why are the copyright © and other legal symbols occasionally displayed?

Unfortunately, the ease of ripping off copyrighted material via the internet has led to an increasing number of individuals and organizations who fail to respect copyright law.

Some may knowingly and unscrupulously use text and photos from this website for reuse without first obtaining permission.

Others may be well-intended but simply not be knowledgeable about copyright and trademark laws.

Detailed info is posted in Bicycling Monterey’s copyright section to help educate about how to respect copyright law, and the importance of doing so.

Similarly, others have set up crowdfunding pages, social media campaigns, etc. that were mistakenly assumed to be related to the Bicycling Monterey website and projects.

For reasons such as the above, Bicycling Monterey has occasionally displayed © or ™ symbols to serve as a reminder about use of the names Bicycling Monterey, Bike Monterey, and HER Helmet Thursdays.

Questions? Please feel free to contact us.

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Domain name options

Primary domain name: bikemonterey.org

1.  Fingers can easily get tangled typing b-i-c-y-c-l-i-n-g. Instead, we suggest https://bikemonterey.org.

Below, some alternate domain names…

2.  A domain name on many older posters and fliers is https://bicyclingmonterey.com

3. Another alternate domain name: https://bicyclingmonterey.org

4. Another alternate, which reflects that this site is valued by many Monterey County visitors: https://tipsfortourists.com

5. As reported by Kera Abraham in “The Change Agent” in the Monterey County Weekly’s first special bike issue in 2011: “What started as [the founder, Mari’s] personal blog two years ago quickly evolved into an umbrella website for all things two-wheeled in Monterey County.” As of February 4, 2020, this site still remains accessible via that original domain name, https://marilynch.com/blog.

Thank you.

To learn more about using the website, click here.

Questions? Phone Bicycling Monterey’s founder.