They come into the bike shop with eyes darting from corner to corner.  You can actually feel their fading hope that  at any moment the stolen bike that gave them so much pleasure or secured them a swift passage to their livelihood will miracuosly show up. Then without a hello or how are you, the tragic mental record of loss unfolds. With their face quivering they often confess of the ommision of forgetting to lock up their trusty steed.The carelessness and absent mindedness is afterall a part of modern day life.     If the loss makes them just plain mad the next reaction is to get another bike to make up for the loss but this time its going to be invisible to the common bike thief. the

Midtown’s Ride Your Own Way bicycle share program wrapped up its six-month trial period this week with an average of 20 bicycle rentals per week and plans to significantly expand it under a private company in 2012. “I think the bike share is a really great program to have in Midtown,” said Midtown Business Association Streetscape Program Manager Niki Fay. “It obviously gives people a way to get around businesses quicker and easier, and the environmental benefits are great.” The bicycle share program launched in June and provided two locations with six bicycles each that were rented to riders via automated systems. Similar programs are successful in cities such as Washington, D.C., Montre

The 3-year-old Ikon Cycles bicycle shop recently relocated from its 18th Street location to a new spot on J Street, finishing construction last week. Owner Adrian Moore, originally from Portland, came to Sacramento in 2004 and shortly thereafter decided to open a shop similar to the ones in his hometown. “In Portland, there’s a lot of fiercely independent local stores,” he said. “I think of this shop as being like some of the locally owned ski and snowboard shops.” The original location, 1126 18th St., was a 500-square-foot space, and Moore said some were skeptical that he could fit a bike shop inside, but it worked well. Deciding to move to the new location, at 2318 J St., took the sh

Bridging the gap between male and female bicycle enthusiasts, female mechanics at the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen are helping women learn the technical skills needed to maintain and repair their own bicycles. Bicyclette is an after-hours session hosted by Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen, located at 1915 I St., that is exclusive to women, transgender and female-identified people, according to Andrea Havelaar, 37, outreach coordinator for the shop. The free session is held from 6 - 9 p.m. every third Monday of the month. "In our society, there is the tendency for guys to do things for a woman instead of thinking that she has to do it for herself," mechanic Robin Evans said. The Midtown resident

Thousands of Sacramento participants toughed out the rain this Thanksgiving morning as they participated in the 18th Annual Run to Feed the Hungry. The event is benefiting the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. For more information and race results visit www.runtofeedthehungry.com Photos from this morning's event:

"I did it!" is an often heard refrain after the Mustard Seed bike ride for kids. On Sunday, September 25th the 7th annual Mustard Seed Spin in Sacramento will take place on the American River bike trail. This bike ride -- by kids for kids -- has already raised and donated $120,000 to the Mustard Seed School for homeless children. All rider fees are donated directly to the school. More than 700 riders are expected this year, slightly more than last year. The bike ride introduces kids under the age of 18 to organized cycling, teaches bike safety, and hopefully creates a whole new generation of bike commuters.  There is also a bike Scholarship Program which hosts 50 underprivileged kids at t

Sacramento’s Ride Your Own Way bike share program suffered a setback when three bicycles were stolen earlier this month, but organizers said they are going forward with an updated system, and new bicycles will soon be ordered. “Someone stole a credit card and used that to check out the bikes,” said Midtown Business Association Executive Director Rob Kerth. “We’ve made some changes to how people have to validate the credit card, so we’ll be able to tell if it’s the right person.” The program, which launched June 11, allows bicycles to be rented from one of two kiosks in Midtown – one at the Priority Parking lot at 16th and I streets and one at the Priority Parking lot at 27th and J street

Sacramento’s bicycle-sharing program in Midtown commenced at 4 p.m. Friday. Riders can rent bicycles for free for 30 minutes, and for $2 per half hour after that at automated kiosks. The program is a six-month pilot that is privately funded. At the end of the pilot, organizers will determine if and how it should expand. Currently, two locations are set up – one in the Priority Parking lot at 16th and I streets, and one in the Priority Parking lot at 28th and J streets. For the full Sacramento Press story, click here. Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Residents will get a chance to see the design of a planned pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the railroad between Curtis Park and Land Park Wednesday night. The city’s project team will give a construction update at the Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community, 2791 24th St., at 6 p.m. 6:30 p.m . Wednesday The bridge is designed to give pedestrians and cyclists safe access over the railroad tracks from the light rail stop at Sacramento City College near the intersection of 24th Street and Sutterville Road. “Currently, pedestrians and bicyclists must use Sutterville Road to travel between Curtis Park and the light rail station,” according to a Department of Transportation newsletter.

About 200 people are expected to don seersucker clothes for the upcoming Seersucker Ride by Sacramento Tweed, where a bicycle ride, a picnic and culture will intersect. The ride was delayed from this weekend to June 26 due to unusually wet weather. “I love that it allows people to come together and meet each other,” said organizer Rick Houston. “Lots of people in town are interested in cycling ... and this gives everyone an opportunity to meet.” The riders will meet at 11 a.m. June 26 in front of Revolution Wines and Temple Fine Coffee and Tea at 29th and S streets. Riders bedecked in their finest seersucker outfits – summer is (usually) too hot for tweed, after all – will assemble, th

Sacramentans will soon be able to borrow bicycles in Midtown for free – if they’re fast – or for a nominal fee as a group moves forward with a pilot bicycle-sharing program that will launch by June 11. Starting small with just 12 bicycles for a six-month trial, Ride Your Own Way allows anyone with a credit card to rent a bicycle from an automated station, which organizers say is perfect for the Midtown and downtown lifestyle. Renting a bicycle is free for the first 30 minutes, and a $2 per half hour charge is applied after that. “I see this having many uses,” said Rob Kerth, Executive Director of the Midtown Business Association, which is a partner in the endeavor. “Folks who don’t have

The Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen is pleased to announce that registrations are (finally) open for the third annual "Hunt the Grid" bicycle scavenger hunt.  This year's hunt promises to be the best yet, with more prizes, more teams, and more clues to suss out and items and places to hunt for!  Test your knowledge of midtown and downtown and your eagle-eyes against the Bike Kitchen's volunteer huntmasters! That's not all; Hunt the Grid III will segue into a special fifth anniversary Second Saturday party at the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen!  After five years of operation across two Sacramento locations, a tremendous group has come together to wish the Kitchen well on its next five years.  The A

Bicycle food delivery service Edible Pedal has opened a Midtown retail store with an emphasis on helping new cyclists, repairing bicycles and providing locally produced gear. The shop opened Jan. 1 in the Alley between L Street and Capitol off 17th Street, next to Old Soul Co. Originally, Edible Pedal was solely a food delivery service. “This is the perfect location,” said owner John Boyer. “We get a lot of foot traffic through here, and people are taking the time to look at the (business) signs and see what’s around them. When they drive down the major streets, you don’t really get that.” The first products for sale were bicycles on consignment, and it expanded from there. Business now

About 600 people wearing blue T-shirts walked and rode bicycles, searching for clues in downtown Sacramento at the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services’ third annual Race for the Ring event Saturday. Food Bank communications director Kelly Siefkin said the money raised will help support all eight programs, from providing food and clothing to education and women’s resources. “I think it’s a way to involve part of the Sacramento community and people who don’t really know about the programs,” Siefkin said. “We make it a fun day. They want to come back with their families, volunteer and be motivated about the programs.” The event provides a fun way for people to get an “Amazing Race” expe

 All you need is a partner, a mobile phone and a means of transportation. You can be on a bike, non-motorized scooter, roller skates, unicycle or you can be on foot, and you will be well on your way to possibly winning a diamond ring, among the many prizes, at this year’s Race for the Ring event. The annual fundraiser event takes place May 21 at 10 a.m. in downtown and Midtown. Race for the Ring was created by Rogers Jewelry Co. in 2009 as a way of fundraising and supporting the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). According to Calvin Curtin, 46, marketing director for Rogers Jewelry Co., the top 13 winners are eligible to win jewelry. First place gets a Hearts on Fire diam

Some of the world’s top bicyclists will be racing into Sacramento Monday to finish the second stage of the sixth annual Amgen Tour of California at the Capitol. Racers will enter Sacramento from the northern city limits on Sorrento Road to Main Avenue, then head to Highway 160, where they will then enter the central city on 12th Street, according to Department of Transportation spokeswoman Linda Tucker. For the race route and road closures, click the interactive map below. View Amgen Tour of California Route in a larger map “You’ve got the opportunity to watch some of the best athletes in the world ply their trade,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, which owns the race. “

The weather should be perfect this weekend as May is Bike Month kicks off in the Sacramento region. Get your bike tuned up and ready to ride this weekend and then ride to work on Monday, May 2, and come out for a lunchtime ride led by the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates. The kick-off will start at 11:30 a.m. along the Sacramento Riverfront Promenade, located at 1800 Front Street in Sacramento, just south of O Street. The low-speed bike ride will start at noon, traveling through downtown and midtown and ending by 12:50 p.m. Bicycling has taken off in the Sacramento region as an easy way for people to get to work or school, run errands, or just ride for fun. Sacramento was recently ranke

With a string of dead-end jobs taking him nowhere despite having a master’s degree from Rutgers, Eric Clausen decided to ride his bicycle around the country, documenting what he sees and the people he meets through sketches. “New York is kind of a terrible place for young artists,” the 26-year-old Clausen said. “There’s plenty of art to look at, but there are almost no opportunities. I was kind of miserable and decided to just hit the road.” He sold almost everything he owned and started in Brooklyn on Sept. 5. He arrived in Sacramento this weekend. A run-in with a bicycle gang, a fall that cut his arm so badly he had to stitch himself up and a night spent in an improvised shack are a f

Downtown Sacramento is going to get more bicycle-friendly over the next year and a half, as the City Council gave the nod for the Department of Transportation to begin planning more bicycle lanes for downtown streets Tuesday night. “The intent of the project is to create bike lanes on some of the most traveled downtown streets,” said Ed Cox, the city’s pedestrian and bicycle coordinator. The project will be completed in two phases. The first phase involves painting bicycle lanes on a number of streets that are already wide enough to handle the bikeways without losing any lanes or parking spaces, Cox said Wednesday. “We’re looking at J Street, I Street, Ninth Street, Fifth Street, 10th S

A new East Sacramento shop is offering commuters an alternate method to get to work or run errands around town – electric bicycles. Mike Majors opened The Electric Bike Shop at 3644 J St. on Dec. 11. “No one really knows much about them,” Majors said. “There are other stores that sell them here in town, but they don’t market them much.” Majors sells electric bicycles that come complete with batteries, electric motors and pedals, so riders can either use them as standard bicycles, electric motorbikes or a combination of the two. “I like to ride mine with the pedals, but if I get to a stop sign, I’ll use the throttle to get up to speed when I take off,” Majors said. Federal law requires