Put some miles on your bike! Join our Oct. 25 BikeCurious Ride

If you’re an experienced commuter or recreational cyclist, but want to get into riding for longer distances, our BikeCurious ride on Sunday, Oct. 25 is for you. The ride leaves from Savannah Bicycle Campaign headquarters (1301 Lincoln St) at 10 a.m. bikecuriousoct

The ride route will include Hunter Army Airfield and other areas on the Southside, and is designed to allow participants to explore the city by bike. The total distance will be approximately 30 miles and the average speed around 15 – 17 m.p.h.

Because of the distance and pace of this ride, helmets are required. In addition, it is strongly recommended that participants use a road bike and bring water, equipment to change a tire, cash and valid ID (required to enter Hunter AAF gate). Let us know you’re riding by joining the Facebook event or R.S.V.P. by sending email to info@bicyclecampaign.org

Ride your bike to the Food Day Festival on Oct. 24 and use our free bicycle valet

 

food_fest_2013_geoffs_0031We are excited to offer free valet parking for bicycles again this year at the Savannah Food Day Festival on Saturday, Oct. 24 in Daffin Park. Take in all the Food Day fun including live music, exhibitors and, of course, food! We’ll watch your bike while you enjoy the festivities.

We are  seeking volunteers to staff the bike valet. The first two people to volunteer will receive passes that allow access to the exclusive VIP tent. Sign up to volunteer.

Practical people pedal to Picnic in the Park

bikevalettodayThe annual Picnic in the Park concert will draw thousands of people to Forsyth Park on Sunday, Oct. 4 to hear the Savannah Philharmonic and other musical performers. Many people will drive, creating traffic headaches and demand for parking that far outstrips supply. But you know a better way to go, right? Right!

You’ll ride your bike to Picnic in the Park and leave your wheels at our bicycle valet parking service. It’s totally free  — small donations are appreciated, but definitely not required — and easy. You won’t have to walk your bike through the crowd or find a place to lock it. You can rest easy and enjoy the show knowing your bike is safe and secure.

If you’re interested in volunteering, we’d love to have you. We’ll have a pretty good view of the stage from our location near the Drayton Street sidewalk.

We look forward to seeing you and your bike on Sunday. Don’t forget to bring your lights for the ride home!

Fall Bike Sale scheduled for Sept. 26

We are hosting our Fall Bike Sale on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at 1301 Lincoln Street (corner of Lincoln and Henry streets) A variety of bikes, including vintage and unusual specimens, will be available for purchase at reasonable prices. All have been professionally reconditioned and are ready to ride. This is your chance to pick up some cool wheels and support our New Standard Cycles program, which provides safe, dependable transportation to people in need. For more information, email Jen Colestock. Photos show some of the bikes available for purchase.

 

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SDRA director to speak on walking, biking and redevelopment at Sept. 15 Cycle Social

finalkevinArchitect and urban designer Kevin Klinkenberg will present, “Walking, Biking and Redevelopment: What’s next for the Savannah Development and Renewal Authority” at our monthly Cycle Social event on Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. at SBC HQ (1301 A Lincoln St.)

Klinkenberg is executive director of the SDRA and author of “Why I Walk: Taking a Step in the Right Direction” (Don’t worry, he rides a bike, too). Why we really don’t care about car accidents, one of his essays, was published last month by Slate Magazine and has generated national discussion. Here’s an except:

“The truth is, driving is dangerous. It’s the leading cause of death for nearly everyone younger than 45. It’s probably the most dangerous single thing you do every day. The only truly effective ways to save lives are to make driving optional instead of a mandatory fact of life, to narrow roads so as to slow speeds, provide great public transportation options, and enforce strict penalties for bad driving behavior.”

Join us to enjoy pizza and beverages, and learn about Kevin’s vision for making Savannah safer and friendlier for people who ride bikes. Join the Facebook event or R.S.V.P. to info@biyclecampaign.org to let us know you’re coming.

Second Annual Savannah Seersucker Ride rolls on Sept. 5

seersuckerWhat’s not to love about a bike ride with style? Our second Savannah Seersucker Ride is a great way to show off your southern, summer clothing on your bike. It will depart from Grayson Stadium in Daffin Park on Sept. 5 at 2 p.m. We hope you’ll join us for another leisurely trip around town, ending with a catered picnic in Forsyth Park.

Don’t have any seersucker in your closet? Don’t worry! We love you in seersucker or not. Try to dress for the theme with some dandy cycling attire (a helmet is strongly encouraged as part of your ensemble), even if it isn’t in this particular textile. Linen, madras and other seasonal fabrics are also good choices.

Let us know you’re coming by joining the Facebook event.

Cycle Social on Aug. 18 will focus on Tybee Island

11745863_10155920515220427_4702127350970579712_nTybee Island is a great place to ride a bike and leaders there are taking steps to make it even better. However, reaching Tybee Island by bike is a dangerous proposition.

Join us on Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 6 p.m. at SBC headquarters (1301 Lincoln St.) for pizza and beverages. We’ll hear from City of Tybee Island officials about the current status of U.S. Highway 80 and new bike facilities being built on the island.

Seating is limited, so please  let us know you plan to attend by joining the Facebook event or R.S.V.P. via email.

SBC partners with Bike Index to help recover stolen bicycles

 

logo_stripedSavannah Bicycle Campaign and Bike Index are cooperating to make it easier for local people to identify bicycles that have been stolen. Here’s how it works:

“It’s simple: we offer an easy and efficient way to store and update important identifying information about your bike.

In the unfortunate event that your bike is stolen, you can harness the power of our network to help get it back. Registering with Bike Index ensures that law enforcement, bike shops, individuals, and everyone in between has the information they need to help reunite you with your bike.”

Bike Index has teamed up with other bicycle advocacy organizations across the country, including INDYCOG, Bike Cleveland and the Topeka Community Cycle Project.

Savannah residents can register their bicycles through our website. We also recommend registering bicycles through the Savannah Metropolitan Police Department website. Savannah College of Art and Design students can register their bikes with SCAD Security.

State Department official nominates New Standard Cycles for White House award

bicyclingBarbara J. Day, a section chief with the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, visited Savannah earlier this year and learned how our New Standard Cycles program is working with Lutheran Services of Georgia to provide safe, affordable transportation to refugees who have settled in Savannah.

nsc logoDay nominated the program for a White House Champions of Change Award. Competition for the award was significant and the program was not selected. Nonetheless we are grateful to have been nominated. Congratulations to New Standard Cycles program Manager Jen Colestock and her volunteers for achieving this honor, and thank you to the Metropolitan Savannah Rotary Club for its support during our first year of operations. We appreciate everyone who has donated bikes, parts and financial support to this effort.

If you’d like to volunteer with or donate to New Standard Cycles, email Jen.

Attend our July Cycle Social and find out why “the rules of the road are designed to be broken”

Due to the expected hot weather, we are adjusting the format of Cycle Social on Tuesday, July 21 at 6 p.m. again this month. We’ll meet at SBC headquarters, 1301 Lincoln Street, for pizza and beverages (on us!) and talk about what your Savannah Bicycle Campaign is doing to make Savannah better for bicycling. We’ll also have a provocative presentation.

PiatkowskiDr. Daniel Piatkowski will present, “The rules of the road are designed to be broken,” in which he’ll provide a brief history of why we design our roads so dangerously and why everyone breaks the law. He will also report on some of the descriptive statistics emerging from the Scofflaw Biking Survey he conducted earlier this year with colleagues from the University of Colorado Denver. Piatkowski is an assistant professor of urban studies and planning at Savannah State University.

If the weather is cool enough after the presentation, we’ll go for a ride. If you plan to attend, please R.S.V.P. to john@bicyclecampaign.org to ensure we have enough food and drink on hand.