The following announcement comes from Camille Carlson, who commutes by bicycle from Meiners Oaks to her job teaching Spanish at Monica Ros School in the east end. She is one of the new wave of activists leading the charge to make the Ojai Valley a world class Bicycle-Pedestrian Friendly Community.
Hello Friends, Family and the Ojai Community,
I’m writing to remind you that May is National Bike Month.
May 12-16 is Bike to Work Week.
May 16 is National Bike to Work Day.
May 11-17 is also National Transportation Week
May 21- Evening for the Ride of Silence (in Ojai and nationwide)
Flyer for Ojai Ride of Silence
Ride of Silence flyer (PDF)
Check out www.bikeleague.org (American League of Cyclists) if you get a chance.
Just wanted to see if anyone is interested in commuting by bike to work or ‘wherever’ together at any point during the month of May. It makes the ride all that more fun!!
I also discovered that May 21st is the evening for the Ride of Silence. Check out these videos or visit www.rideofsilence.org.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNtMpMt0V1A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXpNjvKJP6k
I don’t know if anyone in Ojai organizes this event, but basically the Ride of Silence is about an 8 mile ride on a designated route through town. Riders who participate do so to show solidarity and pay tribute to cyclists who have been fatally injured, hit, or harassed while riding on the road. We ride in silence and wear a black or red arm band. The beauty of this event is that it is open to anyone with any type of bike, it is not a race, and we ride at a steady pace. Helmets are required.
I like the fact that it is an opportunity to spread awareness throughout the valley that as cyclists we are on the road, we are a part of traffic, we are not going away, and we are concerned about the safety of motorists and ourselves.
Although I don’t personally know anyone who has been fatally injured while cycling, the harassment is something that I deal with on almost a weekly basis. I know others do too. Like I mentioned before, I don’t know if anyone organizes this ride in Ojai, so I’m asking if anyone would like to help organize it with me. Why wait until a friend or loved one is injured; this is a great opportunity to deliver a powerful message to our community…
Please let me know if you’re interested. Also, feel free to forward this on to friends or family you know who might be interested in helping organize or participate.
Sincerely,
Camille Carlson
gargamila@yahoo.com
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Kenley Neufeld is head of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition Transportation Committee. Here is a link to the OVGC transportation page.
http://www.ojaivalleygreencoalition.org/action-committees/transportation/
And a recent article by Kenley:
http://www.ojaivalleygreencoalition.org/2008/01/do_you_stay_inside_all_the_tim.shtml
HORA LE!!!
we are setting up a new Bicycle Recyclery in the Valley — CycliciTree — this one at the West Campus of HELP Of Ojai. might be a 2nd recylcery, or else a moving of the old one from Oak Grove School … end of this month. maybe we can do something special on 21 May.
also I will ask David and Soriya if the FullMoon bicycle ride is back on for the summer … and if they want to coordinate with you, Camille, re the Ride of Silence.
Thank you Millennium. That sounds good!
Hi Suza,
I thought of you when I read this
Sally
Pedaling Toward Cleaner Cities – Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/s/oneworld/20080513/wl_oneworld/45361605341210700161
Thank you Sally!
That is such a great article! I sent a copy to Kenley Neufeld who is head of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition Transportation Committee.
(See Comment #1)
PS Sally’s last name really is “Carless”
TORA LE!
Who will lead Ride o’ Silence?
I vote for Suza!!
Hey Suza,
Thanks so much for helping out by posting this, I’ve already had someone e-mail me.
I have all of the definite information on the ride of silence (when, where, etc.) now which might be more pertinent or informative to post. I will attach a flier.
I think we’re going to have a really successful event and hope it only grows in the future.
Hopefully the message of the ROS will become even stronger as more and more cyclists are about on the road. Thanks for being an inspiring bicycle activist as well. Really, if it wasn’t for activists like you, I may have never been riding in the first place.
Thanks again Suza.
Sincerely,
Camille
Ride of Silence
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Meet 5:30 pm @ Coffee Connection- 311 E. El
Roblar
Gather to share personal experiences and hear a
speech by local cyclist Kelly Pasco
Ride begins at 6:00pm
Come one, come all!
Please join in for Ojai’s 1st Ride of Silence, a nation-wide event of solidarity and remembrance for cyclists who have been fatally injured, hit, or harassed while riding on the road.
Together we ride 8 miles in silence at a slow and steady pace.
Helmets are required.
For more information please contact (805) 797-6582
Visit http://www.bikeleague.org and http://www.rideofsilence.org for more information on cycling education and awareness.
thanks Camille!
and thanks to Kelly Pasco, and Suza.
I think after the Ride Of Silence, we are planning this summer’s first Full Moon Bicycle Ride … we confirmed with David Klein and Soriya Blalock yesterday.
assuming the Ride of Silence is finished by 7 pm or so, the Full Moon Ride will do a loop perhaps from the West Campus aka Honor Farm (where the new Bicycle Recyclery is planned), along the Bicycle Trail to the Libby Park Fountain, and from there around Ojai and back to Meiners Oaks.
full schedule and routes should be determined this weekend.
And thank you Camille and Millennium for all you are doing to increase bicycle awareness in our beautiful valley.
Someday I will post the story of how I stopped riding my bike after I discovered a black widow living under my black bike seat. I’m back on my bicycle again but for awhile the thought that I was riding around with Mrs. Widow so close to my bum gave me the weebie geebies. (I cannot leave my bicycle outdoors in the summer. My extra bikes that I used to keep outside also had blackwidows living under the seat and in the side bike bags!)
I will post the flyer for the Ride of Silence, Wednesday May 21st, very soon.
I might not be able to join this ride because my daughter is driving to Berkeley for a friend’s graduation on the 21st and I’m catching a ride with her to visit my son (who happens to be a bicycle racing champion:
http://www.pbase.com/bohebe/wvrr20070421 )