We had a great beginning to Bikeramento Week, last night at the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen located in midtown.
Ed Cox and Chris Dougherty put on a very informative presentation about riding around in an urban environment and how to keep our bikes safe for riding.
Chris is a very engaging speaker with great tips. He stresses the importance of being visible to everyone on the road. "Blinking lights are good but as a motorist looking at them is hard to judge your distance. I recommend that you wear a solid light on the back of your jacket and on your helmet" he suggests.
Chris also encourages us to learn to care for our bikes. "Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen is a good resource; you not only can work on your bike here but they will also teach you how to do it yourself." He mentions a website http://www.sheldonbrown.com that contains videos and different bicycle technical information.
Then comes Ed Cox with his wealth of knowledge and experience. Ed is the pedestrian and bicycle coordinator for the city of Sacramento. He shares a powerpoint presentation on the California Vehicle Code (CVC) and provides a smart street skills summary.
One of the things I will remember from Ed’s presentation is that "Bicyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles." I know I am afraid at times to take the road, and have had my close calls once or twice, but I believe that in a bicycle culture this is one of the first things that we need to do to educate on both sides.
"There is no CVC code on crosswalk crossing on a bike," reminds Ed. "And sidewalk riding is only allowed in a residential district or where there are signs indicating that is okay to ride on the sidewalk."
In front of us, we have a very enthusiastic group with a yearning and desire to make Bikeramento’s goals a reality. It is a community coming together to establish change that matters in our everyday lives. Together, we make green choices and it’s exciting to watch it unfold.
Come out tonight for our bike crawl! Meet us at Temple Coffee & Tea 5:30 pm and ride with us to different locations in town. Details are on our website: http: www.bikeramento.org
And join the celebration at Zuda Yoga tomorrow 2/11 at 10:30 am for the installation of the first Sac Bike Rac
