October Newsletter
COAST | Santa monica 2017
COAST 2017 definitely went out with a bang, beep, and honk.
The event provided an amazing amount of fun activities for walkers and cyclists alike. Like painting fun characters on cardboard and hanging them on trees, rides in colorfully painted excavation trucks reminiscent of old Tonka toys, and sing along stations with live bands along the route for kids and parents to catch their breath – or use their breath – between the walking and riding along the beach.
SMBC offered a reCharging station from Rock The Bike for the event to provide a fun reprieve from the heat with a Charger bike! There was a line consistently to charge your phone and help charge other people’s phones. It was a great, and green, attraction that would be perfect for your next work-mixer, or it could just be a reason to avoid water cooler talk at work!
Organizations like CicLaVia and now COAST have built a brand around connecting cities and the businesses that give them character, attracting tourists and locals alike. This event not only connected Santa Monica as a whole (quite literally top to bottom) but it invited other communities to join in on the fun. The event was a glimpse of what cycling culture and infrastructure can look like in even the most crowded metropolitan areas. If you haven’t already, take a look at our past newsletter if you’d like more information on progressive city planning and how cycling infrastructure can be both beautiful and safe! It could not have been a more welcoming stage for someone that hadn’t experienced Santa Monica to see our beautiful city.
This is the kind of thinking we want to facilitate in the future of cycling, community building, and local business. If we can ingrain these progressive thought processes in our kids, we can encourage their continued support of local government to ensure cycling is a part of future and infrastructure in a meaningful way. We can ensure that local businesses can thrive in a meaningful way. We can ensure that we are growing socially and culturally in a sustainable way.
You’ve done an amazing job paving the way COAST, we’re looking forward to what you bring next year!
CALIFORNIA COAST CLASSIC
The California Coast Classic has been around for seventeen years. Seventeen years! And frankly most of you probably haven’t heard of it, or any of the other amazing bike rides that happen. Like Aids Life Cycle, Pablove, or Chefs Cycle. All of the organizations, including California Coast Classic take donations throughout the entire year. The California Coast Classic is currently less than $150,000 away from reaching their One Million Dollar fundraising mark. If you now someone affected by arthritis please visit their donation page now to help them reach their goal!
These events provide a meaningful and actionable way for people to give back to an organization that’s only mission is to help those in need. The California Coast Classic’s goal is simple, to fight arthritis by providing a stage for athletes, and those affected by the disease, to engage in a meaningful experience and work together! The event also provides a platform to build awareness for the cause when they see their green jerseys riding in a pack of over one hundred riders down the beautiful California coastline.
Every single one of these volunteers are constantly overflowing with energy and enthusiasm to help you and make sure you’re happy and comfortable during the ride. They’re also ready to help you before the ride to make sure you’re prepared for the journey ahead, during to ensure you’re able to raise the money that you want to, and after to get you to a massage table and the buffet table at the same time. Their positivity and energy throughout the entire event was palpable even as the very last riders were rolling in after a long day on the road. They are the reason that events like this are possible and they have the impact on all those participating.
But wait, there’s a kicker. The beautiful coastal bike ride you want to do is in California, but you live on the East Coast. Gotta get the bike there somehow! Don’t worry, we partnered with California Coast Classic and Bikeflights to make sure that everyone’s bike could get home safely and in once piece (or at least in one box). More and more resources are popping up like this to make traveling with your bike easy, read the next article to see how to travel easily with a bike this holiday season!
Pack your bags, & bike, this holiday SEASON!
The holidays are fast approaching so we want to highlight some companies that are making traveling with a bike and exploring your destination on the saddle easier than ever! Also, keep reading to get tips on making the most of your next Bike Tour from our first guest on the newsletter, David Bender.
Ride Cabin
Ride Cabin is a brand new service offering “the dreamiest way to travel between LA and SF.”Passengers are picked up in a modern, elegantly branded coach bus as the sun sets and the street lights buzz on. Each traveler is given a sleeping cabin, complete with a privacy shade, blackout drapes, and soundproof walls, allowing them to snooze away the stress of traveling between two of the West Coast’s biggest hubs. The journey is capped by a comfortable wake up in the destination city, and a fresh cup of coffee. The best part? Ride Cabin is bike friendly. A one-way ticket up to San Francisco and a scenic, two-wheeled journey back down the coast is a beautiful way to get out of LA, rack up some miles, and clear your head this holiday season.
Trek Travel
Planning a bike-centric vacation can be stressful. Questions like, “How do I transport my bike?” and “Where should I ride?” are big hurdles that often result in bikes being left at home and vacationers lounging by the pool… But, fear not. Stop by the Santa Monica Bike Center and we’ll professionally pack and ship your bike anywhere you’d like to go. But, where should you go? That is where Trek Travel comes in. Trek has put in the time to design bike trips, covering locations all over the world, so you don’t have to. Pick a region, a time, and a ride difficulty and get out there. We’ll ship your bike safely and Trek will handle the planning. You enjoy the ride.
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This month we have a guest on the Newsletter, David Bender. David is an avid cyclist and blogger. Having travelled to over 10 countries with his bike, David has numerous tips for exploring the globe with your two-wheeled friend and he outlines them regularly in his blog: bestmtbgear.com. Below David details how to get the most out of your vacation bike tour!
10 Creative Ways for Remaining Healthy On A Bike Tour
What could be more exhilarating than exploring a country on the seat of a bicycle? Riding a bike is one of the best ways to explore a destination at your own pace, and get some exercise in the process. Bike tours focus on more than just the destination, but the journey of arriving there.
Before you decide to hit the road you need to know a few things to help you on your tour. Otherwise a trip that was intended to be happy and fun can turn out to be disastrous because the body just can’t take it.
1. Train before you start on your trip
It is wise to start preparing your body in advance on what it about to happen or occur. You can do this by starting to do short riding trips around your neighborhood until your body feels comfortable and relaxed when you are on the bike. This is the time that if you feel anything is amiss with the bike, you should fix it. Check the pedals, the saddles, the brakes, and so on.
2. Plan your trip
You need to be prepared for any eventualities, whether you will face very hot or cold weather, you need to be ready for it. Make sure you have clothing that will keep you cool when it is blazing hot or warm if it’s freezing cold. Don’t forget to carry sunscreen with you and use it generously to avoid blisters on your skin. Remember to pack your mountain bike gear too.
3. Hydrate, hydrate
Drink lots and lots of water and carry enough water bottles or hydration packs. You should do this before you start your trail for the day and don’t wait for your body to use up all the fluids before you quench your thirst.
4. Eat well
By saying eat well I don’t mean you should take five plates of food, no but have a balanced diet. Your body is burning calories fast because of the riding and that’s why replenishing with foods rich in fiber, protein, vitamins and carbohydrates are very important when you are on a bike tour, not forgetting fruits. Whole grains and pastas are very essential to your body. Stock up on healthy and nutritious snacks and energy bars to eat when en route.
5. Stretch
Every day before you jump on your bike for another exciting tour, try to stretch both your arms and legs. This will help your blood to flow well and make you limber. Remember to do the same in the evening when you are done with biking for the day.
6. Wash up
Getting water always might be tricky because you are on the move but it doesn’t mean that now you have a license to be smelly. Because of the sweating when you are riding, it is important to find ways to stay clean. You may bathe in a stream if you come across one, use public restrooms to shower or even use the water from your hydration pack to try and clean yourself as best as you possibly can. You can carry unscented wipes and taco powder to help you. Brush your teeth every day and try to be as presentable as possible.
7. Rest up
Get as much rest as you can. You don’t have to push your body to a breaking point. It is ok to relax and not just at night when you are logging off but even during the day depending on how you feel take a load off as your wish. Listen to what your body is telling you.
8. Carry a first aid box
You are out of your comfort zone; be sure that you are bound to get a graze here and a scratch there. This might happen when you are not near any store or any place that you can easily access medical supplies, so it is wise to carry your own. Make sure your box has alcohol swabs to clean wounds, painkillers gauze bandages and even some safety pins.
9. Prepare for altitude sickness
If you are going to ride in a high altitude you need to be prepared because your body may take some time to adjust. In case you are affected, keep hydrating and resting. It might take a few days to get used to the air up there, so don’t panic or be in a hurry just let your internal mechanism adjust to the new changes.
10. Let loose
Forget about the mortgage payments, exams and the hustle and bustle of everyday life and just enjoy yourself. Stop and smell the roses, let your hair loose in the wind as you are riding.
Try new foods in places you pass and even make new friends. Take photos to remember different places and people. Be happy because you only have one life to live so live it.
Feeling inspired?