Tag: group rides

Ride to ice skating in Martinez – Monday, Dec 26, 11am

Kenji Yamada2 Comments

Downtown Martinez has an outdoor ice skating rink this winter. Let’s ride there, have fun skating, and patronize local businesses. (States Coffee & Mercantile might be a good choice, as they have a bike corral right outside.)

Assemble at 11am on Monday, Dec 26 at our Bike Tent site, corner of Willow Pass Rd and Grant St in Todos Santos Plaza. We’ll roll out at 11:15.

The rink charges $14 per person, including skate rental.

Reasonably confident riders only, please. We will be riding along busy streets with no bike lanes. We’ll ride from Todos Santos along Concord Ave to Contra Costa Blvd, turn right, and continue as CC Blvd becomes Pacheco Blvd, all the way to downtown Martinez. There will be some significant elevation change, so eat your breakfast and be ready to burn some calories!

Distance is 7.4 miles each way.

It’s a bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Kidical Massive 2016! 

outsidemommaLeave a comment

Join us on Saturday, September 17 at 9:00am for a family friendly ride from Larkey Park in Walnut Creek! Kids dressing as their favorite superhero will be entered into a raffle to win a new Nutcase helmet or bike bell!

Celebrating a safe, fun ride!
Forming up to depart from Meadow Homes Park.
A hard-working machine.

Kidical Massive aims to be the biggest global family bike ride ever and you have a chance to take part. Help us show that kids are traffic too on this legal, safe, and fun bike ride for kids and their families. All types of pedal bikes, trailers, bike seats, cargo bikes, trikes or any variation of are welcome! Adults are responsible for the safety of their minors but we will all look out for one another. Gain confidence and skills while riding on the streets during this 4.5 mile round trip ride. Bring water and snacks. We will take a break at our half way point to have a raffle and play.

The fun starts with bike decorating at 9am at Larkey Park. Coming from Concord? No worries! Jump in on the group ride leaving Pleasant Hill BART at 8:30am. You won’t want to miss out on this fun event! Like the Kidical Mass Walnut Creek Facebook page for more info and full details.

Return of Castle Rock Picnic Ride

MyakishevaLeave a comment

Anyone looking to climb some rolling hills?  We did this ride back in April and it would be nice to make it a habit.  This is a good ride for anyone who wants to get some moderate exercise, it’s not too hard and we won’t leave you behind even if you walk the hills.  It starts nice and flat and then gradually builds up, eventually getting quite hilly.  It’s work, but it’s a lot of fun to ride down after we’ve eaten and rested a bit.  The route includes lots of variety: residential and arterial roads, with and without bike lanes, and the canal trails. This is ride is a loop, so I will see you all the way back to Concord BART.

DATE: this Sunday!  August 21st.
Time: meet at 9:30, roll out at 10:00
Start and finish Location: Concord Bart
Destination: Castle Rock Trailhead, has bathrooms, water, and picnic tables.
Food: BRING LUNCH and at least one bottle of water
Difficulty: Medium (rolling hills)
Child Friendly: not really, we will be riding in traffic some of the time.
Distance: 17 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 360 feet
Speed: 6-12 mph uphill
Drop: No, we won’t leave you behind.
Route: Concord Bart to Contra Costa Canal Trail to Oak Grove Ave to Castle Rock, return using Ygnacio Canal Trail.
Round-trip Route with elevation: https://goo.gl/cOM8Mx

if you are running late, tweet me: @SciMsM

Advanced street ride Saturday, Aug 20, 11am from Todos Santos

Kenji YamadaLeave a comment

Bike Concord will lead a group ride along busy streets on Saturday, August 20 at 11am from Todos Santos Plaza.

This ride is for somewhat experienced bicyclists who would like to build their confidence riding on busy streets. It is not recommended for children or beginning riders. There will be a ride lead and sweep and no one will be left behind, but there will be no crossing guards, and participants will be expected to exercise their own judgment and skill to follow the lead’s movements in busy car traffic.

A rearview mirror on your bicycle or helmet is highly recommended.

Meet at Todos Santos Plaza. We’ll start by heading west on Willow Pass Rd. We will take the full rightmost lane instead of staying to the right edge, because it’s too narrow for a car and bicycle to safely travel side by side. (This is explicitly allowed by the California Vehicle Code: Section 21202, paragraph (a)(3), and riding on the sidewalk in this location is prohibited by Concord Municipal Code Section 10.45.240.)

We’ll continue straight under Hwy 242, then merge left across the road for a left turn onto Franquette Ave. (This is explicitly allowed by the California Vehicle Code: Section 21202, paragraph (a)(2).) This will allow us to use the small tunnel under 242 to reach Meadow Lane on the other side. (Improvements to this tunnel and its surroundings are planned in the City’s Capital Improvement Project #2307.)

A right turn after the tunnel will put us on Meadow Lane. We’ll follow it south all the way to Monument Blvd, where we will merge left for a left turn.

On Monument Blvd we’ll stay to the right in the rightmost lane, as it is wide enough to allow cars to pass within the lane somewhat safely. Straight on until Oak St, where we’ll turn right to pass by Concord BART.

From there it’s a few blocks north along Grant St, where buffered bike lanes are planned soon in the City’s Capital Improvement Project #2277. That will take us back to Todos Santos, where our ride will end and we can patronize local businesses.

Ride route: https://goo.gl/maps/LkXWMrpXjCw