The Pink Bike

I talk to youth almost every day about bicycling. I hear about their favorite bike stories, their family members who ride, and their reasons for not being able to bike. We spend a lot of time talking about the reasons they can’t bike; their parents wont let them, they live to far away from school, they don’t have a bike or a helmet. Often times the situations are overwhelming and the kids have already given up hope of ever being able to ride their bikes to school.

We talk about all the reasons to love biking instead of driving. It produces less traffic, less pollution, more exercise, and of course more fun! We talk about predictability, awareness and communication. In the yard, we practice the skills that will keep them safe on the road.

I spend three 1-hour class sessions with each 4th grade class. In our conversations, stories, and fun, I get to experience the unique personalities of the students. After session 1 of my most recently sequence, a student came up to ask what they had missed while they had been away in music class. He expressed great excitement about the rumors he has heard from classmates claiming we would be riding bikes in the yard. I confirmed the rumor and encouraged the student to ride his bike to school on the day of our big road-eo. The mood shifted, and like most situations, provided a reason why he couldn’t ride. He admitted to owning a pink bike and being too shy to ride it to school. I assured him that the color of the bike did not matter, and that it was the fact that he was able to ride to school that made the experience awesome!

After our third session, where we rode bikes in the yard, we practiced; riding in a straight line (so we are predictable), riding with on hand (so we can communicate our turns and stopping), and looking over our left shoulder (so we can be aware of what is around us), I surprised the small class with the special treat of keeping the helmets we had given them for the day. The class was overjoyed, and I walked away hoping it would mean at least one kid would be able to ride to school more safely.

Well not only was my dream correct, but I was able to see it with my own eyes! Two days later, as I was riding past the school on my way from another class, I was stopped at a red light. Just over the car next to me I could see the top of a familiar red helmet on a cyclist on the sidewalk. It was pouring rain and school had just let out. In head to tow rain gear, I saw the same student who had complain about a “feminine” bike, stand up to pump this infamous pink bike across the street!

Spring!

Fun Events!

March
6. [FUN!] 100 Days of Spring, Market @ Franklin, 7pm-late, Grand Opening, Community for 100 days.
16. [Volunteer/Fun] Bag Stuffing Party, Presidio, 11:30am-1:30 pm and 5:30pm-8pm, Free Food!
17. [Volunteer/Fun] Bag Stuffing Party, Presidio, 5:30pm-8pm, Free Food!
19. [Bikes/Youth/Volunteer] Community Hubs, Sunset, 10am-3pm
20. [Food] Urban Eating League, Panhandle, 6pm-10pm, Sign up 3.13@Grove Farmer’s Marker 10am-2
21. [Bicycling/Hauling/Delivery/Volunteer] Bag Distribution, San Francisco, 9am-5pm
29. [Bike Tour] YBike staff & Friends Spring break Tour, March 29-31 160 miles up north

April
2-3 [Bike Tour] Trip to Regenerative Design Institute W/ The Wigg Party!
7. [Volunteer/Bicycling/Fun] Bike to School Day! San Francisco, 7:30am-10am
14. [Ice Cream] Volunteer Ice Cream Party! Downtown, 5:30pm-7pm
29. [Bike Tour] Tour for all! 60 mile riders meet up with 15 mile riders to celebrate bike camping!

May
[Fun!] Queer Camp! <100 miles from bay area, Vote now, May 20th-22nd OR 27th-30th


100 Days of Spring,

We will be providing 100 days of 100 events, classes, and performances. It's YOUR space too! It's perfect for whatever you want to offer to the community...DAY 1 is Monday, March 7th. Food, Drinks, Banjos, Clowns, Friends, and everything else you could dream of. It is where the impossible is still impossible, but we strive for it.

Monday, March 7th-June 13th. 100 Events • 100 Classes • 100 Days
1592 Market @ Franklin, 7pm-??,


SF Bike to School Day - Bag Stuffing
Join the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition for our yearly SF Bike to School Day bag stuffing party at the YBIKE headquarters. Over lunch and 2 nights we'll stuff 3000 bags for student riders in this year's SF Bike to School Day on 4/7/11 at over 40 schools across San Francisco. Delicious meals are provided. For more info or to volunteer email rose@sfbike.org or call (415) 431-2453, ext 314.

Wednesday March 16th, 11:30-1:30pm,
YBIKE Headquarters, Teen Center, Letterman Gym, at 1151 Gorgas Ave

Wednesday, March 16th, 5:30-8:30pm,
YBIKE Headquarters, Teen Center, Letterman Gym, at 1151 Gorgas Ave

Thursday, March 17th, 5:30-8:30pm,
YBIKE Headquarters, Teen Center, Letterman Gym, at 1151 Gorgas Ave

Community Hubs - Family Bike Fest!
Join the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's Safe Routes to School staff and the YBIKE program for family bicycle and pedestrian safety training as part of the "Community Hubs" program. It's the perfect place for young and old to learn to ride, learn helmet fitting, safety skills, safe street crossing, and how to ride safely on the road. Bring a bike to donate to the Bike Swap or pick one up for your family. As part of the event 50 bicycle helmets will be given away. For more info or to volunteer go to http://www.ybike.org/communityhubs or email volunteer@ybike.org.

Sat., March 19th, 10am-3pm, Francis Scott Key Elementary School, Sunset neighborhood

Saturday, April 9th, 10am-3pm, Webster Elementary School, Potrero Hill neighborhood

Saturday, April 16th, 10am-3pm, Alamo Elementary School, Richmond neighborhood

Saturday, April 30th, 10am-3pm, Commodore Sloat Elementary School, Balboa Terrace



Urban Eating League-Panhandle
UEL is a progressive dinner, teams of 3 walk from house to house within a neighborhood. Each host site integrates local foods, communal dinning, costumes, competition, and 5 courses of delicious local food. IT costs $15-20 (sliding scale) which does directly to the cost of food. Form a team of 3 hungry folks, good costumes and your epicurean standards and be the first in line (line forms at 10am) at the Grove St. (@ Divisadero) Market on March 13th. Individual spots are available too. E-mail uel@wiggparty.org for more info. Dessert potluck/talent show, open to all, at the Sunshine Castle at 10pm.

Sunday, March 20th, 6pm-10pm, Sign up March 13th @ Grove St. (@ Divsadero) Market 10am-2pm
Sunshine Castle, 1571 Fulton Ave. Dessert Potluck follows, 10pm-?

SF Bike to School Day - Bag Distribution
We are going to deliver 3,000 bags to 40+ schools all over SF. We will need help completing such a task. Do you have a bike and like to haul stuff? Do you have a car and want to take a few boxes to a school near you? E-mail rose@sfbike.org for more details.

Monday, March 21st, 9am till we are done!
YBIKE Headquarters, Letterman Gym, at 1151 Gorgas Ave



YBike & Friends Spring Break Tour- Northern Exploration
If it’s your spring break, time for a vacation, or time to take fun-employment on the road, this is the trip for you! We leave Tuesday, with everything we need on our bikes, head north, camping, biking, laughing, and playing along the way. All are welcome! E-mail rose@sfbike.org for more details.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, March 29-31
A Route of 160 miles up north, bike camping

Bicycle Touring Trip to Regenerative Design Institute
With the Wigg Party!
This is a two day bike touring trip to the RDI for a tour of the Common Weal Garden. Tour is on Sunday morning from 1-4pm. The bike tour will leave SF early Saturday morning and will camp out somewhere along the coast. Possible stops along the way: Stinson Beach, Slide Ranch, some hidden waterfalls. Option to bus back on Sunday. Email Clint (clint@wiggparty.org) RDI website for more details has info on the garden tour. it is necessary to register with RDI for the garden tour

Sat and Sun, April 2 and 3, Bicycle Tour
San Francisco to Bolinas and back, all by bike!


Bike to School Day!
Help youth ride to school on April 7th. All over San Francisco, 3,000 youth will ride their bikes to their schools. You can ride with them! Visit www.sfbiketoschoolday.org to sign up your school or e mail rose@sfbike.org to sign up to volunteer today!

Thursday, April 7th, a flexible 7:30am-10 am,
All over San Francisco!

Bike to School Day-Volunteer and Organizer Ice Cream Party
Celebrate this year's event with pictures, stories, food, and "make-your-own ice cream sandwiches." Family friendly and bring some toys for the little ones. E-mail rose@sfbike.org for more details.

Thursday, April 14th, 5:30-7:00pm
SF Bicycle Coalition Office, 833 Market St., 10th Floor, Near Powell St. BART


Tour for all-Marin
A bike tour for anyone who can ride a bike 10 miles
With two riding options, its like a choose your own adventure bike tour! Those interested in riding 30 miles per day and can take Friday off work will ride up to China Camp on Friday morning. On Saturday the same group will ride 20 miles (or more) back to the Marin Headlands and meet up with our second group of riders who opted to leave SF on Saturday morning and ride 10 miles to the Marin headlands. We will meet in the headlands and Celebrate bikes, friends, and camping! On Sunday, after lots of bacon, we will return to the city and ride in the huge (and still to-be-announced) bike parade that will be taking place in the city.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, April 29th-May 1st
A Route of 160 miles up north, bike camping


Queer Camp! <100 miles from bay area,
This is a big dream of mine that I am finally putting into action. Come one, come all, to Queer Camp! All are welcome regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or anything else that we attempt to homogenize in this culture. The weekend will have a summer camp like structure (cabin groups, talent shows, and making out in the woods) without the hetero-normative, put my box in a box, boys v. girls bull shit most of us had to suffer through at other summer camps. Vote now for which weekend you want, sign up to be a cabin leader, and counselor or support staff. There will be some cost of this event, which goes towards food, location, and necessary supplies. Want to be on the planning team? E-mail Johnson.rose@gmail.com, we are forming a planning team.

Vote now, May 20th-22nd OR 27th-30th Or June 3rd-5th
Location is still TBD-do you have access/connections to a big piece of land (w/h2o) where we could camp?

Good Morning Bike to School Day Volunteers!

Thank you for the hard word you put in last year to make Bike to School day a success! This year we are anticipating 3,000 riders! We have tons of ways you can contribute. Please let me know if you are interested in volunteering and where and we will start putting you on the map!



Community Hubs - Family Bike Fest!

Join the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's Safe Routes to School staff and the YBIKE program for family bicycle and pedestrian safety training as part of the "Community Hubs" program. It's the perfect place for young and old to learn to ride, learn helmet fitting, safety skills, safe street crossing, and how to ride safely on the road. Bring a bike to donate to the Bike Swap or pick one up for your family. As part of the event 50 bicycle helmets will be given away. For more info or to volunteer go to www.ybike.org or email volunteer@ybike.org.



Sat., March 5th 10am-3pm, Cesar Chavez Elementary School



Sat., March 19th, 10am-3pm, Francis Scott Key Elementary School



Organizers Meeting

Meet other organizers are schools near you, hear the low down on the 3rd annual Bike to School day and have your B2SD questions answered at our next Organizer planning meeting. Dinner provide. E-mail sfbike2schoolday@gmail.com to RSVP!



Tuesday, March 8th, 5:30pm-7pm

SF Bicycle Coalition Office, 833 Market St. (near Powell St. BART), on the10th Floor.




SF Bike to School Day - Bag Stuffing

Join the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition for our yearly SF Bike to School Day bag stuffing party at the YBIKE headquarters. Over lunch and 2 nights we'll stuff 3000 bags for student riders in this year's SF Bike to School Day on 4/7/11 at over 40 schools across San Francisco. Delicious meals are provided. For more info or to volunteer email rose@sfbike.org or call (415) 431-2453, ext 314.



Wednesday March 16th, 11:30-1:30pm,

YBIKE Headquarters, Letterman Gym, at 1152 Gorgas Ave



Wednesday, March 16th, 5:30-8:30pm,

YBIKE Headquarters, Letterman Gym, at 1152 Gorgas Ave



Thursday, March 17th, 5:30-8:30pm,

YBIKE Headquarters, Letterman Gym, at 1152 Gorgas Ave





Bike to School Day!

Help youth ride to school on April 7th. All over San Francisco, 3,000 youth will ride their bikes to their schools. You can ride with them! Visit www.sfbiketoschoolday.org to sign up your school or e mail rose@sfbike.org to sign up to volunteer today!



Thursday, April 7th, a flexible 7:30am-9:30 am,

All over San Francisco!