Southern California - Bicycle Friendly Community

Ever notice there are no cities in SoCal that qualify as Bicycle Friendly Community?

http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/communities/

Just an observation, that's all (... and Pasadena is not one of them)

LA is king of the car culture. I wouldn't expect any kudos from a cycling organization.

But Pasadena is Geared for Bikes... :D

http://pasadena.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=14&clip_id=429

I would have thought Irvine may be on the list.

I noticed that Irvine bike laws suggest that riders ride "no more than two abreast"...

Has that affected cyclists in Irvine?

Although not labeled as bike friendly, I don't seem to have any problems riding in mi barrio and surrounding areas. Drivers do not seem to mind me on the road. Plus, with my gigantic smile I'm pretty much able to bring my bike into many businesses.....I'm rarely asked to leave my bike outside. I have no complaints. :)

I noticed that Irvine bike laws suggest that riders ride "no more than two abreast"...

Has that affected cyclists in Irvine?

Oops?

Although not labeled as bike friendly, I don't seem to have any problems riding in mi barrio and surrounding areas. Drivers do not seem to mind me on the road. Plus, with my gigantic smile I'm pretty much able to bring my bike into many businesses.....I'm rarely asked to leave my bike outside. I have no complaints. :)

Hardly a general indicator. If everyone could pose as you do we would have eternal world peace and a latte in every cup.

Although not labeled as bike friendly, I don't seem to have any problems riding in mi barrio and surrounding areas. Drivers do not seem to mind me on the road. Plus, with my gigantic smile I'm pretty much able to bring my bike into many businesses.....I'm rarely asked to leave my bike outside. I have no complaints. :)

When I used to live in Pasadena, and worked at E! (next to the La Brea Tar Pits), I commuted twice or sometimes three times a week by bike. I had no problems, and I was even cutting through parts of Hollywood to get through Eagle Rock (I think) and Glendale. So even though it is not labeled as bike friendly, it doesn't mean it's harder to commute than a bike friendly community. I was just making an observation.

I would have thought Irvine may be on the list.

I would second that. Irvine, in its master planning, has gone out of its way to include bike trails and paths. There is always an alternative to a busy street etc.

I have no problem with the 2 abreast in a bike lane rule in Irvine and think it's reasonable. That's all that can safety ride together in the bike lane anyway. Large clubs like Santiago Cyclery ride in a double paceline all the time without a problem.

What's up with Huntington Beach? :eek: There's these great bike lanes and wide streets, but motorists yelling at cyclists seem like a sport. I was riding alone on Garfield (in a bike lane) and got called the c-word, among other things. Another driver threw a cup of juice on me. (Could have been worse things in that cup, I admit, plus it smelled nice, kinda fruity)

What's up with Huntington Beach? :eek: There's these great bike lanes and wide streets, but motorists yelling at cyclists seem like a sport. I was riding alone on Garfield (in a bike lane) and got called the c-word, among other things. Another driver threw a cup of juice on me. (Could have been worse things in that cup, I admit, plus it smelled nice, kinda fruity)

Small penii.

Irvine does have a lot of communities where the roads dead end; one way into the community and only one way out. So that means not being able to pass through on the smaller streets and having to stick to the major roads.

How does one define "bike friendly?" What would the ideal "bike friendly" community look like? Please post your definition/ideal/vision of what the perfect, "bike friendly" community would be like.

VP

Although not labeled as bike friendly, I don't seem to have any problems riding in mi barrio and surrounding areas. Drivers do not seem to mind me on the road. Plus, with my gigantic smile I'm pretty much able to bring my bike into many businesses.....I'm rarely asked to leave my bike outside. I have no complaints. :)


My barrio is bike friendly, too. And I, too, bring my bike into every business that I frequent. I don't ask first, just roll it in and set it in an inconspicuous place...with a big smile. Rarely am I told that "bikes are not allowed"...

:D

^^^ yep, the big smile always works. :D I even roll it into my bank, twice weekly...

Here are some things that I can think of right now:

-bikes lanes & bike paths
-bike racks for parking
-cities where businesses and residental areas coexist together instead of cities where the city planners separate residental to one side of the town and commercial on the other side of town
-central park/recreational area
-cities that have few cul de sacs/dead ends

They seem to like Santa Barbara (http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/communities/bfc_santa_barbara.php#)

Who doesn't like Santa Barbara? :)

Who doesn't like Santa Barbara? :)

I know, I know, this is a bike forum, but I was on a road trip in my car. I almost got stranded in Santa Barbara because I couldn't get gas at 11pm at night. I hit 6 closed gas stations; and credit cards were not accepted. :mad: On my 7th attempt I finally found an open gas station. What a sigh of relief.

There are these cool bike-shaped racks all over the place in Waikiki that folks can lock their bikes to. I'm straddling one in my avatar :D

There are these cool bike-shaped racks all over the place in Waikiki that folks can lock their bikes to. I'm straddling one in my avatar :D

It looks like you're riding a FG/SS.

Missoula, Montana has a bunch of those too.

It looks like you're riding a FG/SS.

Missoula, Montana has a bunch of those too.

I guess it'd be a NG/NS? :p

What's up with Huntington Beach? :eek: There's these great bike lanes and wide streets, but motorists yelling at cyclists seem like a sport. I was riding alone on Garfield (in a bike lane) and got called the c-word, among other things. Another driver threw a cup of juice on me. (Could have been worse things in that cup, I admit, plus it smelled nice, kinda fruity)

That's awful!

At least you have a sense of humor about it. Don't these boneheads realize they could be endangering someone's life?

That's awful!

At least you have a sense of humor about it. Don't these boneheads realize they could be endangering someone's life?

Those are the same people that leave their guns lying on the table and then wonder how the hell their own kids shot themselves. Thinking takes attention away from other important things in life.

That's awful!

At least you have a sense of humor about it. Don't these boneheads realize they could be endangering someone's life?

It wasn't dangerous. They didn't try to run me off the road or anything. It was just idiotic.

(It takes a bit more than namecalling and juice to rattle me) :rolleyes:

What's up with Huntington Beach? :eek: There's these great bike lanes and wide streets, ...

I wish I could agree with you, but, wide streets, yes, great bike lanes, no. So many of the streets I ride on the bike lanes are full of rocks and debris. It's no wonder we have to move out into the slow lane.

As an example, last Wednesday going down Bushard, the Fountain Valley portion was nice and clean but the newly paved Huntington Beach portion was rough and full of rocks that have a certain magnetism that my tires just love.

I'd vote for Fountain Valley, wide and CLEAN bike lanes.

I totally agree on Irvine and Huntington Beach. And yes, I even think Pasadena should be considered bike friendly ... the point is I am surprised none of these were even considered. I don't know what LAB is basing their criteria on ... or maybe the city council doesn't even know about this, and hasn't applied to become one. I bet if someone did, it would make it to the list.