Upcoming Cycling Events May 16, 2012

Upcoming Events in the Silicon Valley

Thursday, May 15, 2012

Scarlet Johansson has been invited
but may not show for the Bike Party's
90's ride.

San Jose Bike Party - The 90's Ride
Friday, May 18, 2012 8:00PM
Route Sheet (PDF)

http://www.sjbikeparty.org/

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San Jose Fixed SJF
15-25 mile Bike Ride
Every Tuesday 6:45 @
Meets @ IMinusD Fixed Gear Boutique
112 Paseo de San Antonio (See Map Below)

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San Jose Bike Party - The 90's Ride
Friday, May 18, 2012 8:00PM

Maker Faire
May 19th and 20th
Help SVBC provide valet bicycle parking at Maker Faire,
San Mateo County Event Center

Valet Bicycle Parking is one of many ways that SVBC encourages people to bike to public events and volunteering to park bikes is a ton of fun! Sign up with some friends and make a date of it. Cyclists arriving at the event are always happy to see you and fun to talk to. For more details visits Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalitions calendar at http://bikesiliconvalley.org/event/2459.

San Francisco Bike Party
Friday, June 1, 2012
http://sfbikeparty.wordpress.com/

Bicycle Music Festival 2012
June 21, 2012
Facebook

San Jose Bike Party Ladies Ride
Test Ride #1
Saturday, June 2, 2012 3:00 PM

Join us for the first test ride of the upcoming 2012 Ladies Ride! We will be exploring a possible route for the Ladies Ride, which is scheduled for July 14. This test ride will be a slow cruise pace. Meet at Ceasar Chavez Park.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/356714104390658/

San Jose Bike Party Ladies Ride
July 14, 2012 - (Sorry guys, ladies only)

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Also note the Guadalupe River Trail will be closed for paving construction soon. The closed portion will extend north of 880 all the way to Gold Street in Alviso. check Twitter for more details.

Too see all rides on the map click the link just below the map. Thanks.

View Upcomming Bay Area Bike Events in a larger map

SJ Mercury News columnist looks back on five years without a car

Jenny on her Univega
photo: Richard Masoner
Cyclelicious

Last week in a Bike to Work Day column, Joe Rodriquez looked back on his five years in the Silicon Valley without owning a car. Like my experience it began when someone crashed into my car and turned me into a full time cyclist. As Joe relates in his article  "if I could find her today, I'd thank her for countless hours of pleasure over a cup of coffee, so long as the cafe is near a bike route to work."

I too have experienced many of the physical benefits of riding a bicycle daily but I would add one other as well. During my time spent on a bike I have meet numerous people (both cyclists and not) in my travels both in this country and Canada. For some reason being on a bicycle not only makes you more accessible but more approachable as well. You also begin to see your community in a new light; both the good and the bad. You notice and discover things that you had not seen before. You also notice that when you talk of certain places or location most drivers don't really see or understand those subtle differences in their neighborhoods.

As Jose further states in his column, "If everybody biked to work once or twice a week, we could reduce traffic and wouldn't need so many freeway lanes or gigantic parking garages. We could mute road rage, clean more air. The price of gas might drop. Big Oil would have a fit, but given its brazen hypocrisy, the industry would throw token public relations money into bike lanes and brag about its largesse in television commercials. As a big fan of bike lanes, I'm not that proud. I'd take the money. "

Yes imagine fewer of those ugly parking lots, imagine more people out walking and cycling. Not a bad idea Joe.

Bike to Work? Me? San Jose Mercury News

Upcoming Events in the Silicon Valley - May 10, 2012

Upcoming Events in the Silicon Valley

Thursday, May 10, 2012

San Jose Bike Party - The 90's Ride
Friday, May 18, 2012 8:00PM

http://www.sjbikeparty.org/

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San Jose Fixed  SJF
15-25 mile Bike Ride
Every Tuesday 6:45 @
Meets @ IMinusD Fixed Gear Boutique
112 Paseo de San Antonio (See Map Below)

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Bike To Work Day

Bay Area Wide - 18th Annual Bike to Work Day
http://www.youcanbikethere.com/
Thursday May 10, 2012


Bike Away from Work Bash at the Art Ark Gallery,
Thursday, 6 – 8pm
Recharge in San José after a great cycle-centric day with some food, beer, and people-powered art with friends new and old. Admission is free for SVBC members, and non-members can get a first-time membership discount at the door. Visit the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition calendar at http://bikesiliconvalley.org/event/2458 for all the details.



East Bay Bike Party
Pajama Party
Friday, May 11, 2011 7:30 PM

http://eastbaybikeparty.wordpress.com/

San Jose Bike Party Bike the Limits Ride
Saturday, May 12, 2012 -  8:00 am - 11:00 am
Ride Start: San Jose City Hall Rotunda
Save the date for San Jose Bike Party's third annual Bike The Limits Ride! Bike The Limits get its name from 2010's routing, which rolled along the San Jose City Limits for 30, 60, or 100 miles!

For more info and ride prep, click here (Bike the Limits Ride details)

Route will be posted on Thursday, the day before the ride at
http://www.sjbikeparty.org/

Amgen Tour of California San Jose to Livermore
May 15, 2012

King of the Mountain Challenge
May 15, 2012 -
Join SVBC and 400 amateur cyclists, including CEOs of major Silicon Valley companies and elected officials, as they climb the steep Sierra Road hill in East San José for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group's King of the Mountain. Then stay and watch the Amgen Tour of California! Contact Monica Schwenke at monica@bikesiliconvalley.org for more information about registering and joining the SVBC team


San Jose Bike Party - The 90's Ride
Friday, May 18, 2012 8:00PM

Maker Faire
May 19th and 20th
Help SVBC provide valet bicycle parking at Maker Faire,
San Mateo County Event Center
Valet Bicycle Parking is one of many ways that SVBC encourages people to bike to public events and volunteering to park bikes is a ton of fun! Sign up with some friends and make a date of it. Cyclists arriving at the event are always happy to see you and fun to talk to. For more details visits Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalitions calendar at http://bikesiliconvalley.org/event/2459.

San Francisco Bike Party
Friday, June 1, 2012
http://sfbikeparty.wordpress.com/

Bicycle Music Festival 2012
June 21, 2012
Facebook

San Jose Bike Party Ladies Ride 
Test Ride #1
Saturday, June 2, 2012 3:00 PM

Join us for the first test ride of the upcoming 2012 Ladies Ride! We will be exploring a possible route for the Ladies Ride, which is scheduled for July 14. This test ride will be a slow cruise pace. Meet at Ceasar Chavez Park.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/356714104390658/
San Jose Bike Party Ladies Ride 
July 14, 2012 - (Sorry guys, ladies only)

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Also note the Guadalupe River Trail will be closed for paving construction soon. The closed portion will extend north of 880 all the way to Gold Street in Alviso. check Twitter for more details.

Too see all rides on the map click the link just below the map. Thanks.

View Upcomming Bay Area Bike Events in a larger map

Calling all transpo wonks - the new adovocacy calendar list

National Train Day San Jose
San Jose Diridon Station
Saturday, May 12, 9:30am - 2:00 pm


San Jose City Council Meeting
May 15, 2012 1:30 Regular Session
Agenda (Note: No Transportation items on this weeks agenda)
San Jose City Hall
Council Chambers
200 E. Santa Clara St.
San Jose, California

Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Caltrain Headquarters
Bacciocco Auditorium, 2nd Floor
1250 San Carlos Ave.
San Carlos, California

SPUR movie night - "Urbanized"
Thursday, May 17, 2012 7:00 pm
Location:
Camera 12 Cinemas
201 South 2nd Street
San Jose, CA 95113
More than half the world’s population now lives in an urban area, and 75 percent will call a city home by 2050. But while some cities are experiencing explosive growth, others are shrinking. The challenges of balancing housing, mobility, public space, civic engagement, economic development and environmental policy are fast becoming universal concerns. Yet much of the dialogue on these issues is disconnected from the public domain. Urbanized looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world’s foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers. Join us after the movie to continue the discussion at one of downtown San Jose's urban hot spots.
Co-hosted by San Jose Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio

Free, however registration is required.
Register here

See the event website: http://www.spur.org/sanjose/events/events-1

Greenbelt Alliance and the Grand Boulevard Initiative presents
"An Evening with Gil Penalosa"
June 4, 2012 6:00
Cubberley Community Center Theater
4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto

Gil Peñalosa, the former Commissioner of Parks, Sports, and Recreation for the City of Bogotá, Colombia, has led the effort to create one of the most successful and celebrated parks and recreation systems in the world. He has effectively initiated the “new Cicolvia” – car-free Sundays – where over 1.3 million people come out weekly to walk, run, skate and bike along 121 kilometers of Bogotá’s city roads.

This event is free, but registration is required. Don’t miss this chance to hear from Gil Peñalosa, internationally renowned city advisor and active public spaces advocate. Download the flyer for more information

Caltrain Joint Powers Board
Board Meeting
Thursday, June 7, 2012 10:00 am
Caltrain Headquarters
Bacciocco Auditorium, 2nd Floor
1250 San Carlos Ave.
San Carlos, California


San Mateo County Transportation Authority Meeting
Board Meeting
Thursday, June 7, 2012 5:00 - 7:00 pm
Caltrain Headquarters
Bacciocco Auditorium, 2nd Floor
1250 San Carlos Ave.
San Carlos, California

San Mateo County Transit
Board Meeting
June 13, 2012, 2:00 pm
Caltrain Headquarters
Bacciocco Auditorium, 2nd Floor
1250 San Carlos Ave.
San Carlos, California

VTA Board Meeting
June 29, 2012 9:00 am
**This Meeting Has Been Cancelled**

Amtrak now using smart phones on the operations side as well

In line with National Train Day this Saturday, Amtrak has announced the introduction of an  iPhone ticket processing app to be used among conductors on select Amtrak routes.

In this blog I have chronicled some of the great ways Amtrak has slowly introduced new technologies and features within the nationwide national passenger rail system. In addition to the ample legroom, extremely comfortable seats I also highlighted the great bike accessibility to the California Corridor line linking the Bay Area to our state capitol in Sacramento.

In November of last year, Amtrak California announced the addition of Wi-Fi on its  Capital Corridor, San Jaoquin, and Pacific Surfiner routes. The next month Amtrak unveiled their new e-ticketing system on their Downeaster line linking Boston to Maine. This new system allows Amtrak customers the ability to change their reservations at the last minute. It will also give Amtrak the ability to have an updated passenger manifest at all times.

The unique environment of train operations which is unlike airlines, allows for passengers to get on or off at any number of stations along the way, making difficult to keep track of not only the passenger manifest but the seating arrangements as well. With airlines, their is only one check in point to collect this essential data but on trains, with multiple train cars and conductors collecting the ticket information, the task is trickier.

Conductors along the Capitol Corridor line (from San Jose to Sacramento) and Downeaster line have been using the new systems since November according to the New York Times article. This new e-ticketing system is currently available on the iPhone system but will soon be introduced on the Android system as well.

Let us know what you think.

SV TUG and One Square Mile to Cohost San Jose's first National Train Day Celebration

Silicon Valley Train Riders and 1 Square Mile to Celebrate National Train Day

Join Silicon Valley Train User Group, One Square Mile, the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association, and members of the Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee to celebrate our first National Trail Day Celebration.

With the extension of BART, Caltrain electrification, and California High Speed Rail, San Jose's historic Diridon Station will be the busiest station west of the Missisippi. We will host an information table in the historic station along with history displays highlighting train travel in the Silicon Valley. With the recent groundbreaking on the extension of BART into San Jose, the city is exicited about this national celebration.

Information on the City's expanded plans for Diridon Station will be on display along with a presentation and walking tours of the station. In addition we will conduct and old style welcome of the 10:07 am arrival of the Amtrak Coast Starlight on its way from Seattle to Los Angeles. Come join us.

Tuesday Night SJ Bike Party Volunteer (BIRDS) meeting

Tuesday, May 8, 2012. 6:45 - 8:30 at the Rotunda in Santa Clara's Central Park

Come join us for our monthly volunteer mixer. We'll be talking about upcoming events, and how you can help! The parking lot is on Kiely Blvd near Kiely/Homestead. Meet at the rotunda.


View Larger Map
AGENDA
6:45 - Pizza and social time. If you want to bring a few dollars to kick in, ...our volunteers buy pizza with their own $$$.
7:00 - Introductions
7:15 - Discuss May-June-July BP themes from the last meeting
7:20 - Discuss regroup protocols
7:30 - Discuss the 90's Ride
7:40 - Plan the next BIRD event
7:50 - Prepping for the 100 mile ride8:00 - Announce upcoming SJBP events - ladies ride, etc
8:10 - Other announcements
8:25 - Cleanup

Tonight South First Friday's Art Walk Friday

Tonight will feature an eclectic evening of arts and culture in downtown San Jose's SoFA District (& beyond), tonight from 7:00 pm until 11:00 pm.

A self-guided evening tour through galleries, museums, and independent creative businesses
featuring exhibitions and special performances- all venues are FREE & open to the public!

The People-Powered Art Exhibition is bringing bikes, walkers, skaters, and other human-fueled transportation to Art Ark Gallery Friday, May 4th from 6-9pm. Join host Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition and musical guest Native Brew as they celebrate the beauty of an active world.

Stop by MACLA for an exciting evening of art. In MACLA’s Gallery: Latino Art Now: MACLA’s 14th Annual Art Auction and Exhibition.

More Joe Minicozzi and the simple math that can save cities from bankruptcy

Following up on the first two videos of a presentation Joe Minicozzi made I present parts III and IV along with a link to an insightful article on the basis of Joe's research.

The article appeared online at Atlantic Cities is entitled  "The simple math that can save cities from bankruptcy".

Part III




Part IV

Another great San Jose based urbanist blog



http://www.thinkbiggersanjose.com/

 As you know on this blog I cover mainly transportation issues at the city, county, regional (Bay Area), and state levels in addition to land use, placemaking and the ever increasing sums of money we commit to keeping a mono-modal (predominately car oriented) system going.  Transportation issues mainly cover transit (public and private), rail, bicycle, pedestrian, and other modes as well.

Another great local blog I think you'll like is one titled Think Bigger San Jose - San Jose, history, development and tourism (that's right tourism), along with his accompanying Twitter feeds under the name ThinkBiggerSanJose. When Mark is not so busy writing for his own blog, he also writes for Content magazine. In the current, 4.1 issue he has a story on Willow Glen real estate personality Michael Mulcahy and one on a Tetris skyline.

Can you give your input on VTA's Measure A?

On Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at 7:00 PM VTA invites you to speak out at a public hearing to provide input on the 2000 Measure A program. the meeting will be held at the County of Santa Clara Government Center, Board of Supervisor's Chambers at 70 West Hedding Street, San Jose, Ca 95110. The Board Chambers are on the first floor.

Measure A, approved in November 2000, is a 30-year half cent sales tax devoted to improvement projects for the area's public transit network, including extending BART to Silicon Valley. the measure created an oversight committee, comprised of citizens from through the county to review measure A expenditures to ensure funds are being spent in accordance with the intent of the ballot.

This Citizens Watchdog Committee (CWC) is responsible for conducting an annual audit and for informing the community on its findings. Macias Gini & O'Connel, LLP, independent certified public accountants, conducted this years compliance audit and issued an unqualified or "clean" opinion, meaning that in their professional opinion VTA complied, in all material respects, with the requirements applicable to the 2000 Measure A Program.

Additional information on the Meaure A Program, the CWC, as well as the results of the independent compliance audit, is available at http://www.vta.org/. If you are unable to attend the upcoming hearing, written comments will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on May 9 by email to: board.secretary@vta.org or by mail to: Office of the Board Secretary, 3331 North First Street, Building B-1, San Jose, CA 95134-1927.

This location is served by VTA Light Rail and Bus Lines 61, 62, 66, and 181.

May 12th, help celebrate National Train Day

Saturday, May 12 is National Train Day. Help us celebrate the future of Amtrak San Jose Diridon Station.  More details to follow but here is a promotional video on this great event.

2012 San Jose Bike Party - Bike the Limits Ride



Maybe this year SJ Bike Party's unofficial highland
piper Josh Agee will start the ride.
Photo: Richard Masoner::: Cycleicious

Bike the Limits Saturday - May 12, 2012
8:00 am until 11:00 am (assuming those riding 100 miles average over 30 MPH)

Save the date for San Jose Bike Party's third annual Bike The Limits Ride!
Bike The Limits get its name from 2010's routing, which rolled along the San Jose City Limits for 30, 60, or 100 miles!

Metric Century route profile
66 miles - to be listed later
Full Century route profile - to be listed later101 miles
Bring $4 for BART fare

Last years 100 mile finisher stats:
30 guys, 12 ladies
26 geared road bikes, 9 geared hybrid type, 7 non geared (1 cruiser, 3 fixed, 3 single speed)
32 people completed 100mi+ for the first time (yoshi estimate)

One Test Ride Left this Saturday
Test Ride #2 (May 5)http://www.facebook.com/events/280113822071651

Save the date for San Jose Bike Party's third annual Bike The Limits Ride! Bike The Limits get its name from 2010's routing, which rolled along the San Jose City Limits for 30, 60, or 100 miles!

Metric Century route profile
66 miles

... Full Century route profile
101 miles
Bring $4 for BART fare

Last years 100 mile finisher stats:
30 guys, 12 ladies
26 geared road bikes, 9 geared hybrid type, 7 non geared (1 cruiser, 3 fixed, 3 single speed)
32 people completed 100mi+ for the first time (yoshi estimate)

Test Ride #2 (May 5)
http://www.facebook.com/events/280113822071651

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Yoshi's guide for the century (65 mi + 100 mi versions)Training
Build up your mileage slowly. join us on the test rides to any of our rides if you don't have a group to ride with. ride to and from the test rides to add mileage. If you can do 120 miles in a week with 65 miles being on one day, you can do a century. ride the bike you will be riding on the century. try out different foods/drinks to find out what you like. You may like a certain flavor energy bar, but it may taste different after you've had the same flavor 5 times in the last 5 hours... eat something with protein within 2 hours of your rides.

Bike
The third person to finish last year rode a single speed cruiser... it's not what you ride, but that you are comfortable riding it. make sure you are comfortable on your bike for extended periods of time. There are no offroad sections, so buy a set of road (smooth) tires for your bike. get your bike tuned a month before the ride to be able to iron out any problems that may arise. don't make any changes on your bike for the 2 weeks before the ride. make sure your tires are inflated at least two days before the ride (ideally the morning of the ride).

If you have gears, use 'em! starting from a standstill takes a lot of energy and strains muscles. use your easy gears and gradually build up your speed from lights.

Food before the ride
eat till you're satisfied the night before (not too much fat)
light breakfast

Food during the ride
You will be burning about 500 calories/hr. Consume about 200-250 calories/hour every hour. your body can only digest about 250 calories/hr when you're exercising so any more than that and the food will sit in your stomach. 200-250 is about 2 granola bars (one pack), 2 kudos bars, 1 energy bar/hour. eat something with protein (3-4 grams/hour). Pack a lunch or figure out somewhere on the route where you can stop to eat. Things that are salty will taste really good. Most of you will be biking for at least 6 hours + lunch.
EAT BEFORE YOU ARE HUNGRY

Hydration
16 oz of fluid an hour. more if it's really hot.
DRINK BEFORE YOU ARE THIRSTY

Electrolytes
salt: about 300-500mg/hour (most food will have enough salt)
potassium: 100mg/hour

Stuff to bring
Sunblock, sunglasses, something to keep the sun off your head (hat/helmet), tools you know how to use, patch kit/spare tube, device to inflate your tires, credit card, ID, some cash, camera, cell phone, map, lights

Amgen Tour of California Stage 3 to start in San Jose

This year the 8 stage Amgen Tour of California will include a Stage 3 start in San Jose travelling 115 miles to Livermore for the finish.

From the tour site:
San Jose is the only city to have played host to the Amgen Tour of California all seven years of the race. This year, the typical downtown start has been moved to north San Jose, just a few miles from the infamous Sierra Road climb. While the riders won’t be expected to tackle a Category 1 climb just two miles from the start as they have been in the past, the route into Livermore is one that the race has taken before: Calaveras Road and Highway 84. While Livermore will be hosting their first stage finish in 2012, riders have raced thru the town during previous editions including the Stage 4 start in 2011. Home of the renowned Lawrence Livermore Labs, the City of Livermore (established in 1869) played a prominent role in California’s Gold Rush history and is home today to a thriving wine industry.

Just 28 miles into the race, the riders will contest a challenging Sprint to the finish but the race will just be getting started. Heading out north on Livermore Avenue, the riders will likely face a stiff headwind coming down the valley. After passing through the town of Danville, the Amgen Tour of California will grant a wish that has been made for the past six years by riders and fans, “Please climb Mt. Diablo.” For the first time in the history of the race, the riders will climb Mt. Diablo. One of the most revered climbs in California, race organizers, cyclists and fans alike are excited to have this climb as part of Stage 3 of the 2012 race.

After a fast and technical descent into Walnut Creek, the race will then head east into the Town of Clayton where the second Sprint of the stage will take place. From Clayton, the race will connect back to a familiar route into Livermore. Just nine miles from the finish, the riders will likely tackle blustery winds as they battle the final KOM of the stage up Patterson Pass Road followed by a quick descent that will take the race onto Cross and Tesla roads. On Livermore Avenue once again, it will be just a few miles to what is sure to be a sprint finish in historic downtown Livermore.