Bike Buzz: Winter 2025

This issue of Bike Buzz is dedicated in memory of
Christian Rodriguez Hernandez.

Wildflowers are in bloom, including this paintbrush spotted along our March 3 road ride.

ABOUT BIKE BUZZ: Bike Buzz includes items of interest throughout California and the nation, with a primary focus on Monterey County. Through the end of Winter here (March 19), this issue of Bike Buzz will be updated occasionally with more photos and news. To receive email notifications of Bike Buzz and other alerts from Bicycling Monterey, subscribe. You may also want to follow @bikemonterey on social media—see our Contact page for details. To access all posts since the Autumn issue of Bike Buzz, scroll to the end of this post.

Save the dates: April 10-13, 2025 Sea Otter Classic, Monterey County’s 4-day celebration of cycling.

What types of bicycling is Sea Otter for and about? All types! From BMX—like the Money Lynch Beast Mode Ripper below, the ride of our March 15 cycling companion —to adaptive bikes to cargo bikes to mountain bikes and more.

As a previous SOC attendee, Detox, emphasized: “Sea Otter Classic can be for anybody!” To hear that and more from Detox, a member of two Southern California bike groups, Night Riders (”a multicultural group of BMX riders, ‘Some people turn to sports or drugs, but I turn to my bike’“) and the Mountain Riders Bicycle Club of LA, click here.

Monterey County has plenty of bike-friendly winter weather, and we don’t take that blessing for granted! Neither do other bike-lovers we’ve met this winter, e.g., the sixteen directly below—including a sweet four-legged bicycling commuter. Of course, there’s some winter rain, which we appreciate (down with drought!), and many rainbows this winter!

People Who Bike

Among people we met with while biking Seaside on February 23 was Breanna, a Seaside resident.

Breanna is holding a Bicycling Monterey mini-flier. Tuck some minis in your gear to help more people find the Bicycling Monterey resources: download a mini here. Notice above Breanna’s shoulder a Monterey-Salinas Transit bus? See tips for taking your bike aboard MST.

En route to Seaside, we biked through North Monterey, where we paused to share a mini with Michael (below). He’s mindful of bike laws such as the equipment requirements for reflectors and headlight. To share those details with others, make use of the bilingual California bike law summaries on our Tool Kit page.

Errands are more fun by bike, including stopping to chat with folks. On Feb 22 we biked to Monterey, to the post office for our POB mail, to the library for a hold (a DVD, “Hard Miles,” which brings to mind our county’s Probation Department Youth Center bike program), and to do some grocery shopping. Our favorite thing about the bike parking racks at TJ’s? Meeting other folks locking up their bikes!

On Feb 22 that included a heartwarming talk with Vladimir, a Canadian resident who is a native of Ukraine. It also included a delightful chat with the new Monterey resident pictured below, Eric.

On Feb 21, after a rural ride to fill our cup with Mother Nature’s beauty, we biked to North Monterey. There we had the pleasure of meeting Joel, a Monterey County visitor from West Africa.

We met the bike-lovers in the next four photos riding a quiet section of the coastal trail on February 16th.

Wyatt, a great role model for sharing the trail with pedestrians and others.

Adalina, one of the many people who appreciate our compilation of resources in Spanish.

Two Monterey County residents who appreciate biking as a great way to spend the day together.

Loki enjoying a ride along the coastal trail with their owner, Chris. See more doggies in our Tips for dog-lovers biking Monterey County, and elsewhere.

Earlier in February we met the Salinas family below. The joy of biking is so visible on their faces! We understood that the man in the neon green jacket is the children’s grandfather, who inspires them all to get out and ride. They were cycling near Old Fisherman’s Wharf / Wharf I when we spotted them. The young girl rides in the Burley trailer, just as our daughter used to do!

While shopping and errand-running by bike on December 30, we met Monterey County resident Paul by a mural at Monterey Post Office, “Raising the flag at Monterey by the forces of Commodore Sloat, July 17, 1866.”

Why is that U.S. flag on Dec 30, 2024 at half-mast? It was in honor of James Earl (Jimmy) Carter, Jr, (1924-2024), the 39th President of the United States. He was widely respected for a lifetime of public service, and as former President George W. Bush & Laura Bush wrote of POTUS 39: “President Carter dignified the office.”https://www.jimmycartertribute.org/condolence/index.html.

E-motorcycle in the news

Bicycling Monterey appreciates that the Monterey Police Department recognizes the important distinction between legal class 1, 2, or 3 e-bikes and illegal e-motorcycles. Learn more, including in MPD press release: https://sfba.social/@bikemonterey/114005407640513971. For more on this topic, see “Consumer Advisory: Is it an e-bike—or something else?”

In years past, it was more common to see Monterey PD officers biking, including (as above) on the City of Monterey section of the recreation trail

Salinas PD has a history of bike-friendliness. But when citations are appropriate, they don’t hesitate to issue them, as the teen below experienced.

Learning process

“Learning some dos and don’ts of biking” — a Salinas teen made the best of a hard situation.

Learning some dos and don’ts of biking

Winter rains

We welcome the rain, so we appreciated the beauty of rain clouds hiding the usual Monterey Bay views on our February 1 ride (above).

For us, biking in light rain is refreshing. But on February 4 we knew by the sky it would be wise to shorten our riding that day. We decided to bike to town for minimal errands, and we had a couple miles biking in heavy downpour. For sure, not our favorite condition, to have rain pounding our face. It can definitely impair your vision, especially if you wear eyeglasses. To improve that situation, wear a cap with a brim under your helmet. Make use of more tips for people biking in rainy weather!

We appreciate those bike-friendly drivers who realize, e.g.—that puddle on the road? Yeah, slow down so as not to throw that extra water on the person biking alongside.

Speaking of bike-friendly drivers, hear what 88-year-old Paul of St. Paul, Minnesota had to say about drivers in Monterey. Click here for our post with a short video, and transcript, of Paul’s remarks.

A worthy detour: pausing in rainbow weather just to gaze at the sky.

Advocating for infrastructure improvements

In a public comment by Jack Holmgren at the February 5, 2025 meeting of the Transportation Agency for Monterey County’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Jack—policy director for the Santa Cruz Randonneurs—mentioned he learned about TAMC’s BPAC meetings via Bicycling Monterey. Jack was speaking up to bring the committee’s attention to a specific need for improved infrastructure: ln a nutshell, the bit of River Road between Buena Vista and the Salinas River bridge leading to Chualar. Ideally that piece of road would have bike lanes, or at least intermittent shoulder expansion. At present there aren’t even any flashing “Caution — Cyclists” signs.

Help others learn about TAMC’s BPAC meetings, and why more meeting participants—and committee members— are needed. Share the post linked below.

Speak up for bicycling and other active transportation: Transportation Agency for Monterey County’s Bike-Ped Committee

The Salinas Valley Safe Routes to School Program has been officially adopted by the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) board of directors and the Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield, and King City city councils, as reported in the King City Rustler: https://kingcityrustler.com/salinas-valley-safe-routes-to-school-plan-officially-adopted/. The story includes a link to https://saferoutesmonterey.org/programs/evaluation/, where you’ll find the Final Plan,

Search the Final Plan, a 425-page document, for information of interest to you. For example, we were especially interested in the Soledad section, pages 302-474, including Pinnacles High School info beginning on page 371, and Soledad High info starting on page 397. Soledad bike infrastructure was on our mind today because we’re currently assisting a Soledad teen who received a citation for riding outside a bicycle lane. (That’s a topic that could take an entire post to discuss—but in summary, refer to 21208 (a) in https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/local-assistance/documents/bike/statute-20120811.pdf.)

You may be surprised about some of the level of community participation in developing the Salinas Valley Safe Routes to School Final Plan. In Soledad, e.g., there were 0 responses to the draft recommendations survey (per page 318).

It can be hard for public agencies like TAMC, cities, and others to reach the public. The landscape of popular social media platforms is ever changing, as are many other ways people get meeting notifications. You may want to sign up for emails for communities where you bike; see “Bike advocacy: How to get notifications about Monterey County municipal meetings affecting people who bike.” Among Salinas Valley meetings this winter are the two below, in San Ardo and Gonzales on March 10.

San Ardo Active Transportation: Supervisor Chris Lopez will host a listening session on March 10 in San Ardo so residents can share their thoughts and ideas. Spanish interpretation will be available, and refreshments provided. Details: https://kingcityrustler.com/salinas-valley-news-briefs-march-5-2025/ – Also note, enter raffle to win a bicycle, scooter, or skateboard: https://www.countyofmonterey.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/49899/ – https://www.tamcmonterey.org/files/1e9d0c101/ATP+in+the+Community+of+San+Ardo.pdf

Gonzales Vista Lucia Specific Plan, which includes bike trails and pedestrian promenade: Public hearing with the Planning Commission on March 10 in Gonzales. Details: https://kingcityrustler.com/salinas-valley-news-briefs-march-5-2025/ – https://gonzalesca.gov/node/673

Speaking up for bicycling is one of Bicycling Monterey’s numerous projects, including by serving on the Policy Advisory Council of the California Bicycle Coalition / CalBike.

See a Feb 25 report on CalBike’s 2025 Legislative Agenda: https://www.calbike.org/calbikes-2025-legislative-agenda/

Pedal-pushing towards a sustainable future

On February 2, Kendra Ramsey, CalBike’s Executive Director—and also the mother of a young child—had this to say: “Bicycling holds the potential to be a bulwark against the environmental crisis bearing down on our state in the form of extreme weather and wildfires. There is a fallacy that high tech solutions are the only way out, when the simple bicycle is the best zero carbon vehicle known to man….As we look beyond the challenges of today toward the possibilities of tomorrow, we at CalBike are gearing up for an ambitious 2025. Every pedal push in our community is more than just a ride; it’s a step towards a sustainable future.”

We encourage your support for CalBike https://www.calbike.org/join/ and their local partners https://www.calbike.org/about_us/who_we_are/local_partners/, including supporting Bicycling Monterey!

Support the Bicycling Monterey work

Special thanks to Martin Dehmler Fine Cabinetmaking for stepping up again on January 31, 2025 with a generous donation in support of the Bicycling Monterey work. Martin started the year that way because he knows that in California, the transportation sector remains the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state—and that “the potential for cycling, and walking, to help address climate change is huge and within our grasp,” as Jill Warren, chief executive of the European Cyclists’ Federation, told Forbes.

We are grateful for all donations to Bicycling Monterey, in any amount! To donate, click here.

For a complete list of all donors, refer to the page linked directly below.

LIST OF ALL DONORS, 2009-2025

Bike and Walk Audits

As we reminded Monterey County Weekly readers, in our “Footwork” letter to the editor… https://www.montereycountynow.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor-01-30-25/article_ed745ca6-de8e-11ef-bdcf-f3e6288a46c5.html, we encourage all who are able to take to the streets—to audit the needs for bike/walk infrastructure improvements.

Anyone can do a walk or bike audit. In fact, the best are done by people with varying perspectives and mobility needs.

How to do an audit: Free print copies, as well as free digital copies, are available of the AARP / League of American Bicyclists Bike Audit Tool Kit, in Spanish and English—and likewise for a Walk Audit Tool Kit too. See our intro post, “AARP Bike Audit Tool Kit / Kit de AARP para auditorías sobre el uso de bicicletas.”

Photo from January 29, 2025 Monterey City Council meeting

Think globally, act locally

“Trying my level best to keep my energies focused on the local, not national, as the local is where one’s efforts have the best chance of making a tangible impact,” wrote David Schmalz on January 28 in Monterey County Now https://www.montereycountynow.com/blogs/opinion_blog/the-monterey-city-council-will-discuss-its-priorities-for-2025-and-this-is-your-chance/article_d044dff0-ddd2-11ef-bcba-63e60d3fb7f5.html.

David was alerting MCN readers to the January 29 City of Monterey Council meeting, a study session on setting the council’s agenda. We’d been invited to that meeting, which was open to the public; but with a full plate already, we’d not planned to attend (in person or online). Then David’s prompt got us to reprioritize for that day. And yes, we spoke up for bicycling at that meeting! Among issues we highlighted: California Bicycle Advocates Call on Elected Leaders to Protect E-Bike Riders.

To sign up for notifications about such meetings throughout Monterey County, see “How to get notifications about Monterey County municipal meetings affecting people who bike.“

The e-bike above, a Tern NBD P8i, has no throttle and is a Class 1 e-bike per California’s e-bike classifications: It is a low-speed pedal-assisted electric bicycle, provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of 20 mph. Tern https://www.ternbicycles.com/en/bikes is among e-bike brands available from a Monterey Bay locally owned bike shop, Current eBikes: https://currentebikes.com/local-ebikes/.

#BikePolite. Share the trail—and make sure your two-wheeled vehicle is legal there

On a multiuse trail, anytime we’re near pedestrians and others, we bike slowly, out of respect for the safety and comfort of others sharing the trail. On January 14 on the City of Monterey section of the Monterey Bay coastal trail, we were aghast to see a man slam on his e-bike’s brakes and skid within inches of rear-ending a woman with a child in stroller. “Sorry,” he said and raced on. Then a woman on an e-bike raced past the same woman and child, shouting “On your left!” (BTW, despite it being advised, we don’t find that a great phrase, where so many people speak other languages.—Instead we simply slow down, and either ring a friendly bell, or in a kind voice, call out a friendly “hi” or “hello.”)

Even people on a legal Class 1, 2, or 3 e-bike, or a traditional bicycle, are to be mindful of slowing around others. As for illegal devices, see why Bicycling Monterey was among signatories to a related California Bicycle Coalition statement. Read “California Bicycle Advocates Call on Elected Leaders to Protect E-Bike Riders.“

On January 14 we also stopped to have a conversation with two friendly Seaside teens who were leaving their schoolday at Monterey High. They called out to us, admiring our Tern pedelec, and said they’d been yearning for a Super73 (note: https://electrek.co/2025/01/12/the-days-of-superfast-super73-e-bikes-are-over-sort-of/). The teens were interested in learning about California’s legal e-bike classifications, and we also told them about the “Protect E-Bike Riders” statement we’d signed.

Help get the word out! Share fliers and posters

Click here for current items, including California bike law summaries, Monterey County tips, and more, such as the mini fliers below (https://bikemonterey.org/wp-content/uploads/2025-4-to-a-pg-mini-fliers-BikeMontereyDOTorg.pdf).

California’s E-Bike Incentive Project

Here’s an update on California E-Bike Incentive Project / El Proyecto de Incentivos para Bicicletas Eléctricas de California, which accepted the first consumer applications in December 2024: As of February 14, the https://www.ebikeincentives.org/ website states: “We are no longer accepting incentive applications. We will be announcing additional application windows in early 2025. Please subscribe to our email list [at https://www.ebikeincentives.org/] for the latest updates.“

Car-free trail of Don Dahvee Park, Monterey

Benefits of biking: Pausing to chat with folks

Among the many benefits of biking, as we noted in our 2009 message “We’re All Heroes” (https://youtu.be/Dme9tZUpaVY?si=w0cfwKOYANz5zTvO) is pausing to chat with folks! Here are a half-dozen examples from one day’s ride.

During our January 31 ride to Monterey we had the pleasure of chatting with Bo of the Salinas Valley’s Schoch Family Farm (at Del Monte Center farmer’s market); Isabel Orejel (at First Presbyterian Church of Monterey, location of the Jay Bartow Memorial Garden; Erios (at Portola Hotel’s valet station); staff at the Alvarado Mall location of Adventures by the Sea (among our county’s bike rental businesses); staff assistant Mikaela at Whole Dog Radiance on Casa Verde (photo below); and Neal, a City of Monterey Parking Enforcement Officer patrolling Garden Road (we chatted about the need for more people to report bikeway maintenance needs).

Online chat: #BikeNite

Wanna chat online with people who bike? One way to connect is #BikeNite @bikenite on Mastodon. To learn more, contact Bike Nite founder Phil Yip of Ascentale Lights (Phil is also a Bike East Bay staff member): https://sfba.social/@ascentale/113995317914748489.

A quiet section of the coastal trail

So many bike adventures, so little time to share them! We’d love to share more photos from our winter rides—mañana. Here’s a small sampling:

On Superbowl Sunday (February 9) we biked to a destination that had been the meetup spot for the 2012-2015 Intergenerational Ride for Bike Month: the Fort Ord Dunes State Park parking lot. The Feb 9, 2025 sunset photo above is just east of that parking lot, shot as we were about to make our return trip (after turning our bike lights on for biking in the dark. The pre-sunset photo below was taken a week later, when we biked that same route on February 16.

Kevin Cole, former safety director at Pebble Beach, had first suggested that Intergenerational Rides meetup location. And even on those Bike Month / May dates, it was completely uncrowded on the coastal trail between the Fort Ord Dunes lot and Monterey’s city limits. That’s a relaxing contrast to areas of the coastal trail that are sometimes fairly crowded, i.e., Lovers Point, Pacific Grove to Wharf II, Monterey.

On Superbowl Sunday, that fabulous coastal multiuse trail was more peaceful than ever! We came upon only about 15 people, including two groups of four people walking, one group of four people biking, two solo walkers, and one solo biker.

The following Sunday, Feb 16, was Presidents Day weekend, bringing more visitors. The trail was still uncrowded, but there were more people out—bicycling, walking, running, and skating. As we biked north, we crossed paths with a visitor from Corralitos biking south on the trail; he’s looking forward to continuing to explore Monterey County by bicycle.

#NewBooks2025

Boost inspiration for better bikeways in your community: Put in a purchase request at the library you visit for NACTO’s new guide. (Details below.)

National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)’s

Urban Bikeway Design Guide, Third Edition

https://nacto.org/2025/01/07/nacto-launches-new-urban-bikeway-design-guide

“Endorsed by the U.S. Department of Transportation and recognized in federal law, the Urban Bikeway Design Guide is used by hundreds of municipalities, state DOTs, and regional agencies across the U.S. and Canada to design streets that are safe and accessible for people biking.”

Monterey County Free Libraries (18 branch locations) https://www.countyofmonterey.gov/government/departments-i-z/library/self-service/recommend-a-title-for-purchase
Carmel Public Library https://ci.carmel.ca.us/profile/library-help-desk
City of Monterey Public Library https://monterey.gov/library/about_us/make_a_suggestion.php
City of Pacific Grove Public Library https://www.pacificgrovelibrary.org/community___services/borrowing,_holds___collections.php
Salinas Public Library https://salinaspubliclibrary.org/about/using-library/library-cards-accounts-circulation

ICYMI, Castroville Library: A Resource for People Who Bike.

Reminder: Help yourself, and others, by reporting bikeway maintenance needs.

WHERE TO REPORT for all California highways as well as for other roads in Monterey County.

About the photos above: In a motor vehicle, broken glass, car parts, and other sharp debris in a bike lane or on a road’s shoulder don’t appear to be a big deal.

But on a bicycle, such debris is hazardous! To avoid puncturing a tire, a person biking is often compelled to “take the lane” in fast traffic, or to dismount and walk their bike—although they’ll be on the wrong side of the road for a pedestrian. (Instead of walking “against traffic,” as California law and safety recommendations dictate, they’ll be walking “with traffic” until they can find a place to cross the road—and good luck with that on fast Hwy 68!)

PLEASE REPORT such conditions as these seen on southbound Olmsted Road, Monterey at the CA SR 68 (Monterey-Salinas Highway) intersection. BTW, on January 14 we noted that in three weeks time, this was at least the third such issue at this intersection—and on at least 3 of 4 sides. (For another example, on eastbound SR 68, see https://sfba.social/@bikemonterey/113709985426108972.)

Wildflowers are in bloom, including this vetch spotted along our March 3 road ride.

Gallery below: Scenes from 2024 Sea Otter Classic

SAVE THE DATES: April 10-13, 2025 Sea Otter Classic

Sea Otter is Monterey County’s 4-day celebration of cycling! Get a small taste in Scenes from 2024 Sea Otter Classic.

Free admission to SOC is again possible in 2025 by volunteering through Sea Otter Classic Foundation. Volunteers earn a free 4-day festival pass, plus other perks. Contact Jeff Lindenthal at the Sea Otter Classic Foundation to learn about volunteer opportunities: https://www.socfdn.org/faq

Can’t volunteer this year? See how to get free admission on Family Day https://www.seaotterclassic.com/kids-stuff/.

Some years there have been other ways to get free admission too (e.g., Earth Day tire/tube recycling mentioned here). For any such tips for 2025, watch SOC’s social media or contact SOC via their website: https://SeaOtterClassic.com.