You may have heard some talk on the street about Cycles of Change adding a new bike shop in Oakland. Now it’s here and it’s time to celebrate!

Join the Cycles of Change folks and other like-minded bike people at the new Cycles of Change International Blvd program site (2289 International Blvd – in the Eastside Arts Building) for their Opening Sale this Saturday from 10a-5p. Not only can you tour their new location, but you can check out their current stock of affordable, high-quality bikes (and spread the word that more will be coming soon)!

Come support this new community bike shop. Who knows, you might walk in and ride home! (Click here for a map)

sound familiar?

In a city known for its aggressive drivers, flummoxing street layout, confusing rotaries and overall rudeness on the road, what is a cyclist to do?

oh.  yeah it does.

The answer, according to Nicole Freedman, a former Olympic cyclist who was hired as Boston’s “bike czar” in 2007, is “is to change the culture, which is an incredible task”.  In this article from the NY Times, Nicole outlines the city’s attempt to turn a corner from a bike hostile (or challeneged) city named as Bicycling Magazine worst three times in the last 15 years.

And much of it starts at the very top:

“But about four years ago, Mayor Thomas M. Menino got on a bike for the first time in decades. He was quickly hooked, and decided to share his new hobby with the masses. In 2005, Mr. Menino started Hub on Wheels, an annual cycling event, and vowed to make Boston a biking destination.”

We look forward to similar leadership in our City.  WOBO, much like MassBike is there to support and press Boston to lead.  It’s time.

Commonwealth Ave Boston colored bike lanes

A favorite line of mine from the article, so much like a comment that could be made about Oakland: “Do we have problems? Yes,” Mr. Menino said. “We’re an older city. Most of our roads were cow paths.”

No doubt many from the cycling community have heard of the Bike Kitchen in SF (see youtube vidi below).   “The Bike Kitchen is a cooperative, do-it-yourself bike repair shop…  Our staff of volunteer mechanics is available to give advice and answer questions.”  It costs $5 bucks a day or 40-80$ a year to join and use tools which value in the thousands to have a smooth rolling bike(bikes if you are like me).

Now we hear news of the Bicycle Works in San Anselmo, just launched this weekend with support from the new owners of Breezer Bikes.  Membership there is $100 a year, with access to tools and classes – a great amenity.  Of course, in the east bay we have a couple of co-op places: Missing Link in Berkeley and Cycles of Change Alameda Point Collaborative.  But still, where’s the O in cooperative?

All this interest and enthusiasm for bike repair and the creation of bicycle culture hot spots brings us to the need for one in Oakland.  Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland’s At Large City Council member, specifically suggested in a recent meeting with WOBO that the city should help foster a downtown bike kitchen / “bike station” / community space.  If this rings a bell for you – let us know.  It would be a great addition for Oakland’s varied cycling community and offer a way to keep everyone’s bike running nice and smooth when the roads are rough.

As I wrote about earlier last week here, it looked like the city was gonna risk leaving out the bike lanes when they repaved Lakeside Dr. Well, good on them for getting it right.  Now round one corner of beautiful Lake Merritt we have both a NEW BIKE LANE and TWO LESS CAR lanes.  And at 5:30 pm Wednesday, it didn’t look to cause a bit of traffic!

New bike lane action on Lakeside!

And below, a nice touch, the bike lane starts just ahead of 14th, dropping auto lanes before the intersection so bicyclists don’t get munched while cars merge.

Now if you ride through here you’ll notice a pretty sad design feature:  as you round the corner, the bike lane simply dives into the curb, under parked cars…. we’ll get that on file soon and try and get that addressed!

And of course, Oak St will need to get restriped, offering a clean and easy route from Oakland’s waterfront/ Jack London area to the Lake and beyond!

If you have been getting out and about the O in the last few weeks, since the City adopted the heinous budget that slashed all kinds of services and staffing, you’ve seen some of the below signs posted meekly in desolate medians, begging for attention and love.

This park will receive little maintenance due to a shortage of funding. We need your help…. call Public Works call center at 615-5566

Well, now is your time.  Your time to shine and show you care.  Step up in your neighborhood, grab your rake and maybe plant a few plants.  Take back that concrete.  It’s time.

Neighbors have been doing this for years of course throughout Oakland.  I’ve been blown away by the 40th Street plantings year after year.

Personally, I’m eyeing a couple of glaring bare patches in the MacArthur median, near Broadway.  Who wants to join me?

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Walk Oakland Bike Oakland invites you to join in:

Oakland’s Second Kidical Mass

A social ride for families with kids of all ages, and others interested in riding along.
This is your opportunity to get to know some other families who are moving around Oakland by pedal power.

Saturday August 22
Meet up at Frog Park
(also known as Hardy Park, 491 Hardy St, Oakland)
Between 10:00 and 10:30
Depart around 10:45

Ride to Lake Shore Park
(between Lake Merrit and 580)
This location gives us all a chance to visit the farmers market, have lunch and hang out.

Bring the kids on the the trail-a-bike, the trailer, the Xtracycle, on their own bikes, or however you happen to make it work. Enjoy the camaraderie of others who are doing the same. Don’t have kids? Come anyway and share the joy of a casual social ride. This ride is about 3 miles. Expect a leisurely pace and relaxed atmosphere. We will, hopefully, spend a few minutes talking about the future of Oakland Kidical Mass. So please be ready to share ideas for future rides.

Please pass the invitation along to your friends.

Questions contact:
Mark
mark@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org