Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition

The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition will be providing bicycle parking at the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts. Please consider volunteering for a three-hour shift. It’s a very satisfying experience because people are so grateful for knowing their bikes are being guarded. And there’s no need to limit your time to only one event.

Shifts available:

Saturday, August 23, 2008 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Our Program Coordinator, Shelly, is pedaling on to other pastures! We’d like to show her our gratitude for the amazing work she’s done in outreach and program coordination for SVBC. Please join us at the Palo Alto Gordon Biersch to celebrate with SVBC and say goodbye to Shelly.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008 6:00 PM

Presenter Bill Burton Wright of Library Bikes will have some “Roue Libre” bikes to share as well as a powerpoint presentation. He says his presentation will focus on all the steps Paris took towards a successful launch. It will be followed by an informal Q&A and discussion of implications for Palo Alto.

Thursday, June 5, 2008 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM

Would you like to use your bike to get around town, get exercise and be kind to the environment, but are afraid to ride in traffic? Improve your confidence and your bike/ traffic negotiation skills by taking this class taught by a certified instructor with the League of American Bicyclists.

This class gives cyclists the confidence they need to ride safely and legally in traffic or on the trail. The course covers bicycle safety checks, fixing a flat, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques and includes a student manual. Recommended for adults and children above age fourteen, this fast-paced, nine-hour course prepares cyclists for a full understanding of vehicular cycling.

To take the class, you should own an operable bike, be able to ride it at least 100 yards and know how to steer it. You will also need a bike helmet. If you don’t already know how to ride a bike, separate private instruction can be arranged by contacting the instructor.

Fee: Sliding scale based on household income, $60-$110 (members of First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto receive additional discount)

Maximum number of students: Twelve. Please pre-register with the instructor by May 28. To register, please call Margaret at 650-269-4109.

Saturday, June 7, 2008 2:00 PM - 5:50 PM

All bike parking volunteers and Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition Members are invited to the bar area of Gordon Biersch to hang out and have a brew after the Amgen Tour of Palo Alto Prologue on Sunday, February 17th at around 6 PM. This is a come-if-you-want, pay your own meal, hang-out party where you can meet up with some of the other volunteers to celebrate this great accomplishment of parking more bikes than you ever dreamed. There will be no fancy speeches or official announcements, but just a bunch of weary smiles on some really awesome people. Come and celebrate with us!

Sunday, February 17, 2008 6:00 PM

Community Bike Ride from Mitchell Park to Downtown Palo Alto:

Join Council Members and other Palo Altans on this fun ride! Ride down East Meadow to Bryant Street (the Ellen Fletcher Bike Boulevard). Ride ends at Lytton Plaza in downtown Palo Alto. Ride the entire route OR join in anywhere along the route!

For more information contact Carol Anderson at candersonb [at] aol [dot] com or (650) 853-1590 or call Kathy Durham at (650) 329-2568.

Saturday, February 16, 2008 9:30 AM

The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition kicked off an exciting two weeks of bicycling by giving 9 bicycle safety demonstrations to three middle schools in Palo Alto. Teaming up with the local organizers of the Amgen Tour of California Prologue, we taught the six graders of Terman Middle School, Jordan Middle School, and Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School about the exciting Prologue that was coming to their own town Sunday alongside bicycle safety skills, such as hand signaling, correct lane positioning and helmet safety.

Many thanks to Richard Swent and Kathy Durham for making these demonstrations possible.

Before the race, meet the riders! Peninsula Trek Dealers present Levi Leipheimer, Chris Horner, and Viatcheslav Ekimov. The riders will give short presentations, followed by a Q and A session with the audience.

Then, the local organizing committee for the Amgen Tour of California will present celebrity riders from the 2008 Tour. There will be autograph signing, and it is suggested you bring your own item and/or camera.

The admission is $25, and includes light refreshments.

Thursday, February 14, 2008 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM

The Charity Challenge happens on February 17, 2008, just before the 130 of the top cycling professionals in the world officially kick-off the Amgen Tour of California.

Ever wonder how fast the riders of the Tour de France, Olympics and Tour of California really are? Ever wonder how you might stack up against Levi Leipheimer, George Hincapie and Fabian Cancellara? This is your once-in-a-lifetime chance to test your speed against some of the world’s greatest cyclists. This is more than a backstage pass to the Pro Tour – it’s a chance to experience first hand the excitement of riding a major prologue. You will ride the Palo Alto/Stanford prologue course just moments before 130 of the top cycling professionals in the world officially kick-off the 2008 Amgen Tour of California.

Space is limited—so the 25 highest donations made to the Palo Alto Recreation Foundation (call 1-800-341-0310 to place your bid for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity) between now and February 10th at 5pm (PST) will earn a spot to test this course. Minimum bid is $500. Then, the official ranking will be updated and posted daily. Official bidding will start soon, so check the Charity Challenge website (and flyer PDF) for more information.

Sunday, February 17, 2008 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM