An important accessory to have

Always bring a fashionable doggie-poop-bag holder when out and about with your favorite pets

Seeing double rainbows

Got a bit soaked but worth every moment.

School as a Garden

Children learn life long lessons when urban gardening is part of every day school. Grow your own food.

Keeping warm in the winter season

Even a quick spin around the neighborhood for half an hour makes a big difference in staying warm. So I rode the truck and trailer to pick up a 5 foot Holiday tree.

Friends on a leisurely ride to lunch and the beach

Bike The Village shadows

While walking to the train station I stopped and appreciated the shadows formed by the morning sun on the empty Bike The Village bike racks.

This made my day.

Hauling bikes on Bikes At Work trailer

I tried using the roof top bike carriers but ended with something simpler. It looks stable and I think BAW trailers has an accessory similar to this setup that you can order on their site.

Small wheels. Big City.

We invited 16 people to go with us to CicLAvia on June 23rd to explore the iconic Wilshire blvd in downtown LA. We rode on the early Metrolink train from Oceanside. The only recollection I and most people have about Wilshire blvd is that it is dominated and congested with motor vehicles. It is very inhospitable to bicyclists. The air is very toxic due to exhaust. And it is loud. I know because I rode my bike (on the wide sidewalk)the ten miles from Wilshire and Western to Santa Monica last year. I eventually took the side streets south of Wilshire because the fumes were so toxic. But last Sunday was an eye opener: people on bikes, skates, unicycles, and on foot enjoyed a car free Wilshire boulevard.

Monkey and doggie hanging out

Just went out for an evening ride and dinner. Our dog jumped into the pannier basket with excitement.

The hidden potential of a cycle path

I enjoy riding along the San Luis River multi-use path. It gives me a relief from busy roads with motor vehicles whizzing by at 35-60 mph. On the other hand, this design puts the trail away from major destinations. Why couldn't we link this to local cafes and stores along the route?

The recent SANDAG presentation for the Inland Rail Trail MUP is even worse and not user friendly. Due to rail line rules and private property lines, chain link fences to the right and left trap intended users. This prevents intended users from getting to various destinations like the local store, cafe, or restaurant. The suggested path looks very out dated. The modern separated cycle track designs makes more sense. It connects people to their destination, it improves local economy, and builds a stronger town.

Utilimate Cargo Storage bags

I had these Utilimate Storage bags and fits well on a long tail cargo bike. These bags are more affordable than the standard Xtracycle and Yuba cargo bags.

When the storage bag is empty then I can hook up standard pannier bags. The Utilimate has four bungee cords with a metal hook.

Riding with Vintage Bike Enthusiasts

We visited the monthly Cyclone Coaster Vintage bike ride which occurs every first Sunday in Long Beach. It was amazing to see many restored or not; pre and post war cruisers. There were also many newer beach cruisers and comfort bikes at the ride. In fact anybody on any bicycle is welcome to join this free event. The pace is slow, very social, and family friendly

We are velo-grateful this Memorial Day

Lunch time cruise along Crowne Point and PB bike path

Best time to ride along this path is midday except on weekends. But then gain if you like crowds this is the place to be on weekends

Biking To Work on a Bike Friday

The Nytro Triathlon bikes specialists had a pitstop in Encinitas. They knew the Bike Friday brand which was a surprise to me. This tells me that there are triathletes out there that travel with these bikes on triathlon events to save $$$$ from expensive airline fees.

My friend rode his HPV today. I call it the lime bullet

Brompton basket as a small dog carrier

It works really well. The carry handles act as a harness to keep the dog from jumping off. Rosie, our Cock-alier spaniel mix knows she is secure and safe.

Hauling two 5 gallon water jugs is easy on a Bakfiet

This was surprisingly very stable whether walking or riding the bike. The two 5 gallon water jugs weighed 80 lbs total.

Three Brompton folding bikes with bags, a Burley trailer, and a BikeRev trailer with dog kennel

We rode this setup during CicLAvia To The Sea. It is the most compact setup we have.

All this fit in our Prius: Three Bromptons fit in one passenger space in the rear seat: One on the floor behind the driver seat and two on the passenger seat. The trailers and bags were in the rear cargo area. We rarely use bike racks on road trips.

The Pink Brompton had a Commuter bag for front luggage and a Burley Travoy in tow. The Arctic Blue Brompton had a Grocery basket for front luggage for our pooch and the BikeRev/Kennel trailer in tow for the pooch. The black Brompton had the Touring bag for front luggage.

Venice beach in the morning before the throngs of CicLAvians invaded the area.

View from to the west. The Venice beach skate park. This is my favorite spot for bike and people watching. It is a rather busy intersection for bicyclists, pedestrians, jogger, skaters, skateboards, and many more human powered contraptions.

First time to see so many acrobatic and circus play and workout place.

The spinning ring was amazing to watch. The galvanized steel ring is made of four sections that snap together. You get in to it like the Davinci painting and spin round and round.

CicLAvia To The Sea, April 23, 2013

The first CicLavia for 2013 linked downtown LA to Venice beach. The route was 15 miles long of car free streets. We rode from the Venice beach hub to the Culver City hub (18 miles total trip from Santa Monica). Normal driving along Venice Boulevard is blah on most days. Thanks to cicLAvia we enjoyed the many community events like the Farmers market, downtown Culver city businesses and people friendly infrastructure. Most businesses along the route did very well that day as many cicLAvians flocked to re-fuel (get food and refreshments). I heard that there were 150,000 people along the route. Some say it may have been double that.

A snapshot of what could be possible if separate bicycle infrastructure is put in place.

This is what happens when people leave their cars at home. More space for fun!

Historic Culver City hotel, pedestrian plaza, and restaurants. Family friendly!

Preparing for bike tour

One of the best way to prepare for a bike tour is to commute to work even if it is only a mile or two. It allows you to test your equipment and make modifications as needed. Below are some photos I took along my commute on a gorgeous beautiful day in Del Mar and Torrey Pines.

Taking a break from climbing the inside grade of Torrey Pines hill.

Sunset on the ride back to the train station. It felt like I had gone on a short tour.