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Bike Seaside: PAL Bike Fair, Mayor Ride, Rec Ride, and Amgen

For other tips on bicycling Seaside, see Bicycling Monterey’s http://bit.ly/bikeseaside post.

Updates regarding other years when Amgen Tour of California comes to Monterey County (e.g., in 2018, the Stage 3 Start in King City and Stage 3 Finish at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca, May 15, 2018) are linked in Bicycling Monterey’s Monterey County Bicycling Resources directory.

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Lo siento no información en español re Seaside PAL Bike Fair.  Un poquito de información en español sobre las bicicletas.

Updated 5/20/11:

  • Thank you, Tina Rosa of the Seaside Police Activities League (PAL) program, and all volunteers, for getting us ready for the 5/19 Amgen Seaside Start–and lots more biking–with the 5/15 PAL Bike Fair.
  • Thanks also to Seaside Mayor Felix Bachofner and Monterey Traffic Engineer Rich Deal for the 5/15 rides.
  • And gratitude to volunteer Abe Lincoln, Chairperson of the  Local Organizing Committee, Amgen Tour of California, Seaside Stage, for bringing this special race to Seaside.

A fabulous week, from beginning to end.  For more on biking in Seaside, click here.

Photos of the May 15 events, on the Bicycling Monterey website:

Screen Shot 2016-08-28 at 3.27.32 PM

4 Free Events!

Sun, May 15 – 9:30 a.m.
Ride with Seaside Mayor Felix Bachofner, 9-Mile Seaside Loop
Sun, May 15 – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Seaside PAL Bike Fair
Sun, May 15 – 4:30 p.m.
Recreational Ride with City of Monterey Traffic Engineer Rich Deal, Seaside-to-Monterey, 2.7-Miles (5.4 Loop)
Thurs, May 19
Amgen Tour de California Stage 5 Start in Seaside

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PAL Bike Fair, with bike rodeo, bike info,  live entertainment, and more!

Seaside PAL Bike Fair art work by Juan Flores

Ride with Seaside Mayor Felix Bachofner

Sunday, May 15, 9:30 a.m.

Join Mayor Felix Bachofner for a 9:30 a.m. ride.  This will be a 9-mile loop around Seaside, less than an hour, returning in time for the PAL Bike Fair.  Here are some things to know:

  1. Meet up at the Seaside City Hall, at the left stairs by the entrance. (Entrance is not on Harcourt or Canyon Del Rey; the entrance is off the parking lot.)  Where’s City Hall?  Across from Laguna Grande Park and near the Seaside Library and the DMV.
  2. All able cyclists are invited to join in.  This is considered a medium-level ride.  Overall, the route is pretty flat.  There are a few small climbs.
  3. The route is designed to be the safest and most scenic route.
  4. About 80% of the route is on Class 1 or Class 2 bike paths.  The majority of the rest is on roads with very wide shoulders, virtually no traffic and/or low-speed parking lot (e.g., Sand City Costco).
  5. The group will reach a high point, with great views of the City of Seaside and the surrounding region.  From there, some riders may choose to continue on to other destinations.
  6. Public streets and areas with motor vehicle traffic are involved, and as with any recreational activity, a certain amount of risk is inherent.  Each participant must be aware and agree to assume all risks before participating.
  7. Riders are encouraged to join the Mayor in returning to the Seaside City Hall for the PAL Bike Fair, which begins at 11 a.m.
  8. The Mayor will also have a Q & A with riders on a wide range of topics pertaining to the City of Seaside and/or bicycling.
  9. Click on the map below to enlarge and check out the route:

PAL Bike Fair

Sunday, May 15, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Why a PAL Bike Fair?
Nice bike racks at this Seaside school–except for their lack of use.
Tina Rosa of the Seaside Police Department wants to help change that.

Background: Most adults could bike safely to school.  Today, safe routes to school are something communities nationwide–including our Santa Cruz neighbors–are working to recreate.  As was addressed April 12-14 at the Bicycle Leadership Conference in Monterey, a vital element is bike infrastructure.  This is recognized worldwide as a reason kids, and others, sometimes stop biking.

Another element in supporting children in biking safely–to school, and throughout their communities–is giving them, and their parents,  reliable information and resources.  By California law, a necessary item for kids 18 and under is a bicycle helmet.

Accompanied by his pedestrian mother, this Seaside resident was biking on the sidewalk parallel to Del Monte Avenue

Under 18? Helmet required by CA law. And free helmets are available!

Thanks to the Seaside Police Activities League (PAL), for 250 Seaside or other kids,  having a helmet just got a lot easier.   Seaside PAL has created a PAL Bike Fair for all ages, which includes free helmets for the first 250 kids.

And there’s a lot more about the PAL Bike Fair that make it a fun day for kids and others!

The activities of the Seaside Police Activities League (PAL) have been recognized on this site before. Now PAL is hosting a fun day of free activities where you can learn from–or teach–and mingle with others who like to bike.

This will be a day to hang out, enjoy live entertainment, experience a bike rodeo, and eat yummy food.    And it’s a cool way for Seaside residents, and others, to get ready for Amgen (more on that below).

Tina Rosa of PAL has provided the details about the PAL Bike Fair that are published here.

Where is the PAL Bike Fair?

Most activities will be on the lawn in front of the Seaside City Hall (across from Laguna Grande Park).

The bike rodeo will be in the parking lot.

Bike-there tips:

You are encouraged to ride your bike (or bike-and-ride) to this event! Location is two minutes/0.2 miles from the bike/multi-use path.

Bike-there tips coming from the bike/multi-use path are cinchy!  Canyon del Rey Blvd is a wide boulevard and it’s a straight shot from the bike path up to Seaside City Hall.  However….

If biking with children, you may prefer to use this alternate route instead, biking through residential neighborhoods:

  1. Hop off the bike path at Del Monte and Canyon Del Rey (at the Embassy Suites intersection).  Walk your bikes across that intersection, and walk them up the sidewalk parallel to Canyon Del Rey (heading south–NOT in the direction of McDonald’s).  Walk your bikes the short distance to the first street, Amador.
  2. Hop back on your bikes and take a LEFT onto Amador.  Bike up Amador until you come to Imperial.
  3. Turn RIGHT on Imperial.
  4. Turn RIGHT on Sonoma.
  5. Turn LEFT  on Trinity.
  6. Turn RIGHT on Allston.
  7. You’ll immediately come to Harcourt, and just across the street, you’ll see the Seaside City Hall lawn.  You’ve arrived!
What’s happening at the PAL Bike Fair:

Bike rodeo – beginning at 11 a.m. with the Seaside Fire Department; Mike Garcia, coordinator.  What happens at a bike rodeo?  Here’s a typical scenario, and the 5/15 event can be expected to be somewhat like this:  Riders learn skills important for safe cycling. Stations like a slow race (practicing balance), riding a straight line and glancing over your shoulder (essential for checking for approaching cars), and a stop and restart (illustrates the ability to safely stop and start from a standstill).  Beyond learning bike skills, a bike rodeo is fun!

Basic bike maintenance and safety advice available from experts on hand, including Frank Henderson, a League of American Bicyclists Instructor (LCI #1432) since 2005; Monterey County’s 2010 Golden Helmet Award winner; and newly appointed to the Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities Advisory Committee of the Transportation Agency of Monterey County

 

Plus more bike-related information!

Helmet giveaway:  Free bicycle helmets will be given out to the first 250 kids! While the majority of the helmets will probably be sizes to fit elementary and middle school kids, teens are welcome to check them out too–the helmets are free for anyone  under 18.  Special thanks to the event sponsors, listed below.

Bike advocates:  The City of Monterey police officers on bikes will also be at the PAL Bike Fair, along with the Naval Postgraduate School Cycling Club, Bicycling Monterey and other bike advocates.  If you would like to set up a bike-related booth (no charge), contact Tina Rosa of PAL (see below).  PAL would love to include you.

Live  entertainment–including vocal performances by kids from the PAL program.  Performers will include:

Little ones will appreciate the presence of bounce houses too!

Eight food truck vendors will be on hand, so you don’t even have to pack a picnic lunch or snacks. (Do the eco-friendly thing–bring your own reusable cups, plates, silver, and cloth napkins.) Look for these food trucks:

Sponsors include Rabobank, Union Bank, and Seaside Police Activities League (PAL).  PAL is proud to partner with the Amgen Stage 5 Start.

What a great way to cap off Bike Week and get ready for Amgen!

PAL Bike Fair contact

Tina Rosa of the Seaside Police Department and PAL appreciate volunteers who are helping with this Amgen-week activity.  If you’d like to help Seaside youth and others be more involved in the world of cycling, or if you have questions about this event, contact Tina.

Tina Rosa:  (831) 760-0967 – trosa [AT] ci.seaside.ca.us

Bikes–even on a rainy day–at the Boys and Girls Club of Seaside.

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Recreational Ride

Sunday, May 15, 4:30 p.m.

In support of the Seaside PAL Bike Fair, and to celebrate Bike Week, Rich Deal, City Traffic Engineer for the City of Monterey is serving as Ride Ambassador for a Sunday afternoon recreational ride.  Rich will be joined by family members on this fun ride and encourages you to bring your family members or friends of all ages.

Work off the yummy foods you enjoyed at the Bike Fair by taking a fun spin with others along a short section of the Monterey Bay Coastal Bike Trail.  The group route is 2.7 miles one way, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Okay, everybody.  Off the couch!  If a family can bike from Kentucky to Alaska, we can manage a few miles!

The Harrison Family biking another section of the bike path in Seaside.

(Photo courtesy of Steve E. Anderson of  Velo Club Monterey)

The 4:30 ride with Rich is all Class 1 bike path.  It is on a stretch of the trail that has far less pedestrian traffic than the Wharf-to-Aquarium-to Lover’s Point stretch.  Nevertheless, the standard guidelines apply as for any recreational activity:  A certain amount of risk is inherent; individual participants agree to assume all personal risks by participating.

Riders will meet up with Rich Deal from 4:15-4:30 p.m. at the bike/multi-use path across from Embassy Suites (between Embassy Suites and Roberts Lake) in Seaside.  (This is very near the  Seaside PAL Bike Fair location of  Seaside City Hall.)

At 4:30, Rich and the other riders will pedal off, heading to the Custom House Plaza in Monterey.  The plaza is a spacious historic space where you can relax to visit with friends,  new and old.  Children (and kids at heart) will love taking a few spins around the plaza fountain.

 

What’s up after the Custom House Plaza?  From there, riders can decide if they want to continue on the trail to Lover’s Point at Pacific Grove, make the return trip, or explore other bike routes.  Some may bring their own snack to enjoy at the plaza, others may want to venture to a nearby business for a snack or early supper.

This ride caps off May 9-15 Monterey County Bike Week.

That was fun! Shall we ride more or think about supper?
Want more riding that day?

Besides the 4:30 p.m. ride with Rich Deal, the ride events for this final day of Bike Week include an 8 a.m. Velo Club Monterey ride and the above-listed 9:30 a.m. ride with Seaside Mayor Felix Bachofner.  Happy pedaling!

How to dress for the 4:30 ride

For those who might like to take the Dress-Up Challenge

Thinking you might like to dress up a bit for that Sunday ride?  Okay, try on your favorite fashion now, and take a photo.  Then, have the chance to win one of over 20 cool prizes in Monterey County’s first Dress-Up Challenge.

Our local Dress-Up Challenge is not a competition.  It is a community awareness-building event for males and females, residents and visitors, all ages, and all levels of cycling experience and fitness.  Prizes will be awarded in a free raffle drawing to those who send in a photo on or before May 14.  Details at the Dress-Up Challenge post.

For all others

Some people will want to dress up for this recreational ride in their “Sunday best.”  Others will like wearing casual clothes.  However you dress, you may want to make a fashion statement to the world:  biking is fun!

Riding in fashionable style vividly demonstrates a bike can be interwoven with daily life. Monterey County cyclists like Annabelle Bull and Laurel Thomsen show that too.  Unless you’re racing in Amgen, Sea Otter, or another event, biking doesn’t usually require putting on “cycling clothes.”

On this recreational ride, it’s a good opportunity to show that biking is come-as-you-are transportation.  Come ride with others and help spread the good word about cycling.

Going to Sunday service, too?  Bike to Worship!

Please contact me with questions.

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Amgen, Stage 5 – Seaside Start

Thursday, May 19 – 7:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m….

Thanks to Abe Lincoln, Jan Valencia, and the NPS Cycling Club for providing most of the details shared below!

Keep up on the news via the Facebook page for Amgen Tour of California – Seaside Stage.  Festival opens 7:30 a.m., race starts at 9:15 a.m.  Also see Facebook event page for more info and any updates to schedule.

See front-page May 18 story by Larry Parsons in the Monterey County Herald for some tips. And see below, and that Amgen Seaside Stage FB page, for more!

Wondering about the Amgen route changes due to Highway 1/Big Sur coast road instability?  They will still be starting in Seaside, as planned.  Click here for route change info. Hear about the route in Marc Carbonaro’s KION radio interview with Andrew Messick, AEG Sports Division President.

Watch some racers as they prepare

You can watch the activity of some of the racers on Twitter, as they prepare for Amgen:  @Andy_Schleck @ChristianVDV @ThorHushovd @Ryder_Hesjedal @LeviLeipheimer – (This is a sampling, not a comprehensive list of the racers who are coming.)

Race lingo

Duh, like what are they talking about?  Here ya go!

Where is the race start?

Start is at Seaside City Hall, 440 Harcourt Avenue, Seaside (at Canyon del Rey and Harcourt). Where’s City Hall?  Across from Laguna Grande Park and near the Seaside Library and the DMV. How to get there?  Skip the traffic!  Below are directions for arriving by bike.

Bike-there tips:

You are encouraged to ride your bike (or bike-and-ride) to the race start. Location is two minutes/0.2 miles from the bike/multi-use path.

Bike-there tips coming from the bike/multi-use path are easy:  Canyon del Rey Blvd is a wide boulevard, and it’s a straight shot from the bike path up to Seaside City Hall.  However….

If biking with children, you may prefer to use this alternate route instead, biking through residential neighborhoods:

  1. Hop off the bike path at Del Monte and Canyon Del Rey (at the Embassy Suites intersection).  Walk your bikes across that intersection, and walk them up the sidewalk parallel to Canyon Del Rey (heading south–NOT in the direction of McDonald’s).  Walk your bikes the short distance to the first street, Amador.
  2. Hop back on your bikes and take a LEFT onto Amador.  Bike up Amador until you come to Imperial.
  3. Turn RIGHT on Imperial.
  4. Turn RIGHT on Sonoma.
  5. Turn LEFT  on Trinity.
  6. Turn RIGHT on Allston.
  7. You’ll immediately come to Harcourt, and just across the street, you’ll see the Seaside City Hall.
What happens at a race start?

Race starts can seem boring, but the preliminary time is fun!  Here’s an idea of what can be expected:

  • The riders will have their bikes set out, so you will be able to see the latest and greatest bicycles and equipment for racing.
  • People can wander around and talk with the riders. If the weather is nice, the riders will often be sitting in lawn chairs outside their vehicles, open to mingling with the public.
  • Seeing the riders you’ve perhaps seen on TV can be a revelation; it’s fun to get a glimpse of their neat personalities, and with many,  it can be surprising that your larger-than-life hero is actually small in physical stature.
  • Before the race starts, riders must line up to officially sign in.  This is a time when they will usually sign autographs.
Following the route

A smaller number of race fans will enjoy also following the riders along the route, driving to various good spectator points along the way.

Some people will go to the base of Laureles Grade on Highway 68, or will go up Laureles Grade to park at the top and watch the riders do the climb.

Others will go to Greenfield to follow the route.  Some will continue on to the finish in Paso Robles.

Who to cheer for?

Read about the contenders in this Bicycling Magazine story that explains the top teams and riders.

Amgen t-shirts available at Monterey County bike shops
  • Bobcat Bicycles, Salinas
  • Joselyns, Monterey
  • Sports Center, Seaside

Find contact info for these and other local bike shops at this site’s Bicycle Shops, Services, Clubs, and Resources page.

Contact:  Amgen’s Local Organizing Committee Chairperson

Abe Lincoln of Salinas is Chairperson of the  Local Organizing Committee for Amgen Tour of California, Seaside Stage.  Connect with him via that Amgen-Seaside FB page, or catch him  on Twitter@abelincoln1212.

Contact:  Amgen’s Local Director of Volunteers, and Velo Answer Man

Velo Club Monterey‘s Answer Man, Jan Valencia, is Director of Volunteers for Amgen’s Seaside Stage.  Along with Abe, Jan is a great source of local info about Amgen week.   Contact Jan via the Velo Monterey website or on Twitter @jvalen

Following Jan on Twitter is a good way to stay in the Amgen flow….

A special shout-out to Velo Club Monterey member Alex Cappelli, who has devoted many hours to promoting both TAMC’s Bike Week and the Amgen Tour de California.

Amgen hits Seaside on a Thursday–discounts for cyclists!

Yes,  since it’s a Thursday, Monterey County will have the red carpet rolled out, with discounts for male and female cyclists of all ages.  Click here for listings of all HER Helmet Thursdays participants. That includes Scheid Winery in Greenfield.  (Learn more about Scheid in Wine-ding your way along Monterey County bikeways.)

Recognize this popular Seaside business? Look a little closer and see:
it’s an especially bike-friendly place!

Fishwife and Turtle Bay, in Seaside; the Fishwife at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, and Turtle Bay in Monterey are all charter participants in the HER Helmet Thursdays project!

Are you serious?

See the tips on this site for serious cyclists and tips for all cyclists in Monterey County.

Volunteer with Amgen

Besides volunteering with Seaside’s May 15 PAL Bike Fair, you can also volunteer with Amgen, such as working as a course marshal, setting the stage, or cleaning up afterward.  Contact Jan, or visit the Amgen website: http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/Tour/volunteer.html

Officer Snell of the Seaside Police Department will undoubtedly be on the beat May 19, 2011 when the Tour de California is in Seaside.
For more bicycling police officers in Monterey County…

See “Constables of the Peace.”  And watch cops on bikes in action with the City of Monterey; click here.

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Thanks for the early notice, Cameron!

Advance notice is essential when one is planning special activities like the PAL Bike Fair that Tina Rosa of Seaside PD is coordinating.  Thanks to LT Cameron Ingram of the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation Cycling Club for his helpful heads-up back in October 2010:

“The Tour de California is coming through Seaside….and is the most prestigious cycling event in the US.  Most of the professional teams competing in the Tour de France use the Tour de California as a prep race.  Awesome chance to see the best in the sport compete.  I’ll be there.  Join me!” http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/Route/map.html

[May 18, 2011 note:  All the information above has been updated, and was previously posted April 15, 2011 and prior.]

This post was published on 17 May 2011. One or more changes last made to this post on 12 April 2018.

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