Of course, today was CicLAvia, a wonderful five hours when a few of LA’s streets were open to all who moved under their own power, and not the preserve of those who arrogate the earth’s limited oil reserves, your health as well as theirs, and the 70% of our city’s land surface that is handed over to motor addicts for their traffic jams and parking frenzies.

Just sweet humanity of every sort, all races and cultures sharing the road quietly and happily, men and women, old and young and very young, rich and poor, radical and reactionary, cutting edge and stodgy as a casserole.

Hybrids mixed with fixies mixed with old touring bikes pedaled by Birkenstock mixed with BMX and chopper and recumbent and road bike and Dutch roadster, gliding, zipping, or wobbling along in chaotic harmony from the bluffs of Boyle Heights to storefronts of Hel-Mel, tens of thousands of people with nothing in common except a love of bikes, their city, and real freedom. Not jailed in cars, but human together in a swirling, rolling seven-mile-long town square.

They had something else in common that might have lasting civic benefit: thirst and hunger.

During last year’s CicLAvia, local merchants, ever shortsighted, assumed that minus cars, there’d be no business. Statistics, in fact, suggest the opposite, that catering to cyclists is better for most businesses than depending on drivers. But statistics don’t speak as loud as crowded counters.

Well, this time some brave folks stayed open for the ride, and some smart fellas opened especially for cicLAvia.

And they were rewarded with piles of bikes outside their doors, and throngs of customers forking over the folding green inside.

Here are photos of a few of the lucky winners:

Let the rest of the city’s merchants take notice; you can get more customers to your businesses on bikes than in cars. Think about it. And then you’ll know what to say when bike lanes, bike boulevards, and bike corrals come to your neighborhood: Please…bring ‘em on!

 

This Sunday April 10th, bring the whole family out for CICLAVIA. This is the second event in Los Angeles’s history and the goal is to do it three more times this year. The streets highlighted in blue are all going to be closed down for the event, for more information check out Ciclavia.org

Enjoy the city on a bike, a skateboard, a razor scooter or whatever. Experience first hand how perfect city life would be if cars didn’t dominate the landscape.Also this weekend we will be having a sale on Surly, Kona, and selected Jamis COMPLETE bikes!

Ride your bike, have fun and stop by the shop we would love to see your beautiful faces!!

It’s the first Sunday of the month, so that means Chuck Schmidt’s Vélo Rétro ride, a twenty-file-mile celebration of vintage steel that roams from the south end of the Rose Bowl parking lot, winding through mostly quiet, tree-lined streets of Pasadena, South Pasadena, tony San Marino, Temple City, Arcadia, Altadena, and on up into the hills of Sierra Madre for a stop at the Beantown coffeehouse.

Think of it as a Critical Mass for fanatical bike collectors–ownership of twenty, fifty, or in one case a couple hundred bikes is not rare–but it usually moves a pace that CM never sees. Vintage bikes are not required–if you’re pedaling anything with two wheels, you’re welcome to join–but most people bring old classics. Including yours truly, riding my beloved Bottecchia, now nearly half a century old and still kicking ass.

We roll along, taking the lane and chatting jovially about everything and anything, including politics and religion, a mismatched peloton of riders wearing everything from blue jeans to full kit, and riding bikes that range from rare team specials of the ‘Fifties to carbon wonders straight out of the mold. A generous sprinkling of fixies most days, too, today including Chuck’s own immaculate Waterford. As a bonus, Dave Ductor showed up on his Pederson.

It was a nice break from thinking about politics, advocacy, and my little business that supports it all, and a chance to hang with friends–including Hel-Mel regular John Vu today.

Then on the way home I crossed paths with both Jimmy Z of Bicycle Kitchen fame (on a bakfiets), and another Hel-Mel regular, Brian C., riding his Quickbeam fixie–both on Fourth Street!

My kind of day off!

With vintage bikes now hot among urban riders, it could be yours too–it’s worth getting up early for on a Sunday. Think on it….