For anyone wanting an energizing bike ride in January that won’t take them into the freezing winter cold, Hot Italian on 16th and Q streets has just the thing: Savage Sprints. For the second year in a row, the Midtown restaurant is hosting a series of stationary bike races free to anyone who wants to show up and ride. The next racing event will be Jan. 8. “They are small interval races of about 10 to 12 seconds (each),” Alisa Kuwabara, a supervisor at Hot Italian, said Friday. “It sounds short, but it’s really intense and gets your heart racing like crazy.” The head-to-head races start with little kids on smaller bikes, and progress to adult races on larger bikes, Kuwabara said. Accord

During the cold winter nights, the colorful Christmas lights on homes around town bring warmth to the hearts of passers-by. Each decorated house, big and small, has its own charm – front lawns filled with Santa Claus balloons and figures, brightly lit reindeer, colorful candy cane lights, and even cartoon penguins and bears. Some homes have lights overflowing their rooftops and trees, and some have their lights dance to the tune of Christmas carols. Cars slow down in amazement, smiles on their occupants’ faces, as they gaze at the festive decorations. Here are the photos from some of the houses Kalyn Ruijters and I took around our neighborhoods – East Sacramento, South Sacramento, and El

Q. I just moved to Sacramento and have noticed many people riding bicycles around town. Biking to work would be ideal, but I’m worried about dealing with traffic in certain areas and would be tempted to ride part of the way on sidewalks. I have a hunch this is illegal, yet I see cyclists doing this pretty often. Could I be ticketed for riding my bike on a sidewalk? - Dan A. Sidewalks are invariably appealing to bicyclists: smooth, level surfaces that facilitate cruising and offer a cushion of safety from approaching vehicles and their drivers, some of whom may still be using handheld devices to talk or text. Despite popular belief, sidewalks can be lawful segments of bicycle routes, but

The 2nd annual Vélo & Vintage Fashion Show was held at Hot Italian Saturday night in Sacramento.  The show is as much about bicycles as fashion. Lorena Beightler of Sac Cycle Chic founded the event to highlight "urban cycling as a smart, stylish and fashionable mode of transport." Kari Shipman of Juniper James organized the event with Beightler. Models attired in vintage clothing sourced from local boutiques rode a variety of vintage and newer bicycles into the restaurant and onto the runway. Each of the ten models showed three different looks ranging from "daytime" to "night" and ending with a "crazy" look that included a wild mishmash of styles, smeared makeup, and plenty of attitude.

New bike lanes could be added to 65th Street if the city receives enough cash from the state. The City Council is expected to approve the application for funding to install bicycle lanes on 65th Street between Fourth Avenue and Folsom Boulevard. The issue will be reviewed at Tuesday night’s council meeting. The city’s transportation department estimates the new bike lanes will cost $337,000 to install. California would pay most of the project’s costs if it selects the city’s application for the state’s Bicycle Transportation Account grant program. The city would pay 10 percent of the cost from revenues from Measure A, a local half-cent sales tax applied to street projects, according to E

Bicycle theft in Sacramento’s central city is an ongoing problem, but cyclists can take steps to minimize their chances of becoming victims. “People come in here every day telling me their bikes got stolen,” said Simon Garcia, assistant manager of City Bicycle Works at 2419 K St. “Every day. I’m not exaggerating.” The obvious tip for keeping a bike from being stolen is to lock it up, but it isn’t that simple, according to Garcia. “I consider all locks deterrents,” he said. “(But) if someone wants the bike, the lock won’t stop them.” Having said that, he added that some locks are better than others, and U-locks like the ones pictured below are the best easily transportable locks for sec

Midtown resident Sheila Wages treasured her brand-new bicycle – a seven-speed cruiser her boyfriend had put a lot of effort into picking out for her. She kept it in her back yard, from where it was stolen in August. Wages started a Facebook page for stolen Midtown bicycles within the next couple of days. “It started out as a joke,” she said, adding that the Facebook page has since taken on a life of its own, where users will post details of their stolen bikes and possible places to look out for them. “When my bike was first stolen, I didn’t realize what an epidemic (bike theft) was,” Wages said. “You’ve got to lock them up and take them inside if you can.” According to Wages, one of th

Sacramento residents will get a chance to comment on the city's plan to reintroduce cars to K Street Mall at a community meeting on the issue Thursday evening. The meeting is one of the last opportunities for people to give feedback on the design concept, which is not yet complete. The Sacramento City Council previously approved a $2.7 million construction and design project allowing cars back on K Street from Eighth to 12th streets. The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 - 7 p.m. at the historic City Hall, 915 I St. The public's input is being sought before the City Council's Nov. 4 meeting. The council will be asked to approve an environmental study and allow the final design work to be un

On Sunday, September 19, the Sacramento Old City Association presents its 35th annual Home Tour, focusing on the homes of Q Street's Bungalow Row and Winn Park. Sacramento Press reporter Brandon Darnell detailed the story behind the Home Tour here: www.sacramentopress.com/headline/35635/Historic_homes_to_open_for_tour The home tour's "base of operations" this year, where tickets are sold, is located in Winn Park, at the corner of 28th and P Street. Winn Park is also the location of the tour's street fair, featuring local contractors, artisans, crafters, artists and organizations. At the center of the park, near the fire relay station that is one of the stops on the tour, musical perform

A festive, county fair sort of atmosphere prevailed as people milled around with frames yoked over their shoulders, talking bikes, and revving their engines Sunday at the Vintage Bicycle and Motorcycle Swap Meet. A line of eager cycle enthusiasts stretching a quarter mile waited for the gates to open as early as 7 a.m. Sunday morning where Sacramento 6 Drive-in hosted the Vintage Bicycle and Motorcycle Swap Meet. Up to 1,000 people showed up to the event, which Marshall Topping of Topping Events, Inc. called “the world’s largest motorcycle garage sale.” “There was a guy here today who ran into the man he bought his first bike from,” Topping said, pointing excitedly. “They haven’t seen ea

The opening of a commuter/touring bike shop and cafe next to the downtown train station has stalled. Brothers Tim and Mike Fallis originally had expected to open Depot Bikes & Cafe at the Railway Express Agency Building, 431 I St., Suite 102, in mid-May. They planned to sell, rent and service bikes and offer ready-to-go food and beverages. The opening was pushed back to July or August when they took over the lease for the space next door, after 5th and H Café closed Memorial Day Weekend. No work appears to have been done on either retail space since then, and temporary signs announcing the coming of Depot Bikes have been taken down. Tim Fallis could not be reached for comment.   Pho

Businesses in the heart of Sacramento still have time to order free capital city-inspired bike racks as National Bike Month winds down. The city's Department of Transportation has installed 81 racks since a pilot bicycle parking program launched last year. That means there are still another 19 left out of 100 rack installations planned to help build a bike-friendly downtown. Their unique appearance has earned them the nickname "Sac racks." Each green rack comes with a Capitol bicycle logo — an identifying symbol made from fusing the silhouette of a tiny two-wheeler inside the outline of a Capitol dome, said city Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Ed Cox, who designed the logo. The bike

The first annual Fit Crawl on Saturday had 38 "crawlers" ride bicycles to five locations for a 20-minute preview of different fitness methods. Downtown locations included Pipeworks for rock climbing, Fleet Feet to learn about proper running shoes and technique, Ultimate Fitness for in-ring training and bag work, Asha Yoga to try the styles of yoga and Bodytribe, for a fresh take on fitness training. The Crawl was put on by the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness, and sponsored by PepsiCo.  The $35 ticket included bike rental, loaned from Bikes and Bites.  The Wellness Task Force, in existence since 2002, focuses on fitness and nutrition in schools and the workplace. Exe

Whether your idea of an attractive model is Christy Turlington or a Schwinn classic cruiser, one particular Second Saturday Art Walk event this weekend could be for you. Exploring the intersection between bike culture and fashion, Velo and Vintage will feature local models dressed in vintage threads - no Lycra allowed - from local shops. Thus attired, they will then cruise down the runway - atop color-coordinated bicycles. Nevertheless, with two shows Saturday night in the expansive and stylish space of Hot Italian pizzeria at the corner of 16th and Q in Sacramento, Velo and Vintage isn’t just about wheels and wedges. It’s about community. Conceived in the fertile, bike-obsessed imagina

Posted by lpoulsen Help! My daughter’s 1st birthday is at the end of the month and I’m itching to get back on the beach cruiser! I managed to find an infant helmet and I’ve done a little bit of research about attached infant bicycle seats vs. wearing a backpack type carrier while riding. I’d prefer to ride with her in the backpack but not sure if it’s legal. I checked out VC 21202 but it’s a little fuzzy. What is the law regarding carrying babies on bikes? Thanks!! Dear lpoulsen, You definitely got a good start on your homework. You may look at California Vehicle Code Section 21204. It states as follows: 21204. (a)( )1 A person operating a bicycle upon a highway shall not ride other tha

From now on, Doug Koleada will be a law-abiding citizen when he rides his bicycle on the K Street Mall. The city of Sacramento has installed new signs on K Street that list rules for bike riding. Cycling can now commence legally on the Mall from Seventh to 13th Streets and in the tunnel between Second and Fourth Streets. Koleada was riding his bike near the Westfield Downtown Plaza Wednesday afternoon. He readily admitted to biking on K Street in the evenings; his nighttime rides will now be perfectly legal. The Pyramid Alehouse Brewery employee said he knew about the city’s former ban on bicycling on K Street Mall, so he didn’t bike there when police officers were in sight. Koleada al

The Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen and the Friends of Fremont Park held the first Sacramento Bicycle Swap in Midtown on Saturday. Dozens of people turned out to sell, buy, trade or just talk shop at Fremont Park. The swap offered a little of everything, from well-worn Bianchis to classic banana seats and cutting-edge bamboo machines. Danilo Masuelli and his crew from Masuelli Bicycles in Stockton were there to show off their sustainably built, locally grown bikes. The bamboo frames take 40 to 60 hours to make by hand and use bamboo grown in Rocklin, said Masuelli, a native of Argentina. While Asia has long had bikes made of bamboo, the Stockton shop is one of no more than four making bambo

Tim Castleman had a big response to the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. He felt so sad, disappointed and angry that he changed his life. He started developing a hemp-based biofuel system and fought for legalization of hemp in Arizona to help end U.S. dependence on fossil fuels. He began a national "Drive 55" campaign to lower Americans' gas consumption and reduce carbon emissions — an effort turned into a documentary. And he organized two "Peace Trains" to Washington, D.C., to promote rail travel. "My interest in biofuels led me to understand the real problem isn't that we need another source of fuel. We need another source of energy," said Castleman, 51. "The real problem is we

  (Note from the author- I found a lot to like this weekend, instead of doing 5 different "stuff I like pieces", I did 1 "Discovering Sacramento" piece.  Among the places/things discussed here in- The Torch Club, Final Final Band, Michaelangelo's, Walmart bikes, Los Gallos, and The Old Spaghetti Factory.  I hope you enjoy)  So, how was your weekend? Good? Got out and enjoyed the spring weather? Oh, you didn't get to? You were stuck in the office, finishing those TPS reports? I'm really sorry to hear that. Man, that is rough. Hey, let me just stop you there. To be honest with you, I was really just hoping to segue into a conversation about my weekend.        I had a fantastic weekend.  I

Thanksgiving normally brings family and friends together around the dinner table, but only a Sacramento Thanksgiving brings them together around the Capitol Mall roundabout, whooping and yelling on bicycles. Give thanks for the Appetite Enhancement Bike Ride. The annual underground bicycle parade attracted over 500 people to the California Stage early Thursday morning. R and 25th streets were littered with road bikes, penny-farthings, low-riders, vintage cruisers, every bike imaginable, plus a giant toaster mobile. DJ Larry Rodriguez' international beats and raffle ramblings rang out over the block. What started out as a casual ride with a dozen bikers 21 or 22 years ago — no one can rea