Immersing ourselves in Bike Week

Melissa and I could not wait for the first week of May. We had our calendars ready (well Google Calendars), our watches set, and our bikes all cleaned up. We were ready to start May with the big, the bold, and the wheely fun Bike Week.

This past year Melissa and I have been collaborating with the City of Santa Cruz, People Power, Ecology Action, and other related organizations. We've given our efforts in tabling at multiple events throughout the year, volunteering with Elise Ehrheart of Ecology Action in teaching elementary school children how to properly ride their bikes to school with the Bike Smart! program, and co-facilitating bike-commuting workshops with Amelia Conlen of People Power. All these events we partook in were to contribute towards our main goal: to increase bicycle ridership in Santa Cruz.

Melissa, our friend and favorite volunteer Hasti, and me at Bike Night First Friday

We started our week off last Friday (May 2nd) at the Ecology Action and People Power sponsored event "Bike Night: First Friday at the Museum of Arts & History." This event was the big kickoff of Bike Week! It was fun night filled of bike-related arts and crafts stations, a group-led bike ride downtown, live music from local artists, bike-blended ice cream, and free helmets! Melissa helped people deck out their bike with decorations for Bike Week while I helped lead the bike ride downtown. I had to to keep people to the right side of the road to ensure that we weren't impeding traffic too much! Overall it was a successful night!

On Saturday, Melissa hosted a Bikes & Food Justice Fest on campus to promote students to become more aware of this mode of transportation and get some free strawberry bike-blended smoothies! At this event, people learned about the importance in Food Justice and how it's related to sustainable transportation. I helped table about our project to heighten the importance of bicycling! 

Bike valet by People Power at Open Streets

On Sunday, Melissa volunteered at Capitola's "Open Streets" event. It was  day filled with music performances, arts and crafts, and People Power's exhibit on the importance and safety that cycletracks or protected bike lanes can bring in our town. Since Santa Cruz has two of these protected bike ways, this exhibit was advocating the importance of them and the encouraging people to support having of more in the local communities.

Bike Week World Cafe

On Monday, Melissa and I participated in a UCSC World Cafe by having the theme be about bikes (since Monday was the official beginning of Bike Week)! We made bike-blended smoothies, talked with students about cycling and its benefits, and got people stoked about the upcoming events! On Tuesday, Melissa helped volunteer with UCSC Transportation and Parking Services to give away free helmets to ensure people who are biking remain safe!

Bike to Work Day on May 8

Celebrating Bike to Work Day with a beer at Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing with one of our mentors, Amelia Conlen.

IT WAS FINALLY THURSDAY! The reason Bike Week was so important for the both of us was it allowed us to measure if our goal of increasing bicycle ridership was being reached in Santa Cruz, specifically on Thursday when it was Bike to Work/School Day. To measure our success, Melissa and I volunteered alongside the UCSC Cycling Team in giving away free breakfast to bicyclists who biked up to school. We all had such sensational and awe-inspiring conversations with the vast amount of cyclists who stopped to chat and eat some of the food we offered. From bike cruisers, to mountain bikes, to road bikes, Melissa and I were both so proud to see so many people ditch their cars and bike that day. To end the great day, we both went to Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing to help donate $1 from our pints of beer (hehe) to Ecology Action and Bike Week programs for all their hard work this week.

Santa Cruz Bike Party takes over the Wharf!

On Friday, Melissa and I wanted to bring all this bike awareness towards some hard earned fun! We joined People Power in a massive Santa Cruz Bike Party that was themed (Bike) Empire Strikes Back with many local community members, students, and families in the streets of Santa Cruz. We all biked from downtown to the Wharf, along the San Lorenzo River, up to Mission Street, around Safeway, and back downtown. We were all motivated to bike the night away by the speakers blasting dancing music and everyone dressed in Star Wars costumes.  

Melissa and Hasti promote bike valet

We ended our Bike Week by volunteering with Amelia Conlen, director of People Power, in having free bike valet at the UCSC music festival "Edge of Eden." We wanted to promote to student and participants a cheaper alternative to driving and taking public transportation! We got to enjoy the amazing performances of several artists, soak in the sun, and give people the freedom to have fun as we took care of their bikes. 

On the "edge of Eden" waiting for people to come valet their bikes!

Overall, this week was filled with so many amazing moments, conversations, and memories. This month has only just began, but this past week sparked the passion and drive that Melissa and I have for cycling. Come join the fun! 

For Immediate Release – For May’s Bike Month Melissa Ott Puts the Spotlight on Santa Cruz’s Leading Female Bicycle Advocates

For Immediate Release – For May’s Bike Month Melissa Ott Puts the Spotlight on Santa Cruz’s Leading Female Bicycle Advocates 

Date: April 29, 2014

Contact: Melissa Ott/UC Santa Cruz undergraduate student/Bicycle Intern

Tel. (925) 918-3425 Email: mott@ucsc.edu 

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Santa Cruz, CA – To celebrate National Bike Month this May and recognize those who work to support a thriving and diverse bicycle culture in Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz undergraduate student Melissa Ott is writing a series of profiles of seven of the community’s female bicycle advocates for the Women on Bikes California initiative and its website Pedal Love, a new media communications platform dedicated to sharing “dynamic and compelling stories of how ordinary people are making extraordinary changes to their lives with bicycles.” Though much of the bicycling world’s focus has been on men and the sport of bicycling, these engaging profiles demonstrate that in Santa Cruz, bicycle advocacy is strongly supported and promoted by women passionate about all forms of riding a bike. To read the profiles go to: www.pedallove.org/its-wheely-easy-being-green.

In Santa Cruz, the week of May 2-9 is Bike Week, and many of the women profiled in the Pedal Love series are instrumental to planning, promoting, and celebrating more than a dozen bicycle-related events, rides, and workshops taking place during Bike Week and throughout May. To learn more, including the fifteen free Bike to Work Day breakfast sites visit http://santacruztransportationsolutions.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html.

A new member of the Pedal Love creative team, Melissa chose to write her first series of pieces on the women who are inspiring her in the local bike advocacy scene. The result is a glimpse of the diverse and thriving bicycle community in Santa Cruz from environmental program directors to college students to recreational club leaders, and more. The interviews feature the following women:

• Amelia Conlen (Director of People Power of Santa Cruz County)
• Maura Noel (President of the Santa Cruz County Cycling Club)
• Elise Ehrheart (Coordinator of Ecology Action’s Bike Smart! Program)
• Emily Glanville (Ecology Action’s Transportation Group Program Specialist)
• Myrna Sherman (Santa Cruz County Cycling Club)
• Hasti Afsarifard (UC Santa Cruz undergrad & volunteer with People Power)
• Alyssa Tyree (UCSC undergrad & intern with People Power)

In bringing them all together in a series of interviews, Melissa hopes to support awareness of Santa Cruz’s connected bicycle community that spans the varied interests represented by these seven women. She also hopes to continue her bicycle advocacy work after she graduates in June by staying involved in the Santa Cruz bicycling community and writing stories that she hopes will connect more people with the beauty and freedom of the bicycle. To read the profiles go to: http://www.pedallove.org/its-wheely-easy-being-green/ 

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About Melissa Ott
Melissa Ott is an undergraduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz studying English Literature. She has been actively involved with the sustainability community on campus since 2011. In high school, Melissa served on the City of Pleasanton's Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and she has never owned a car. In her current advocacy work, Melissa strives to empower women, young people, and all members of her community to discover the magic of bike riding--not only to reduce carbon emissions, but also to increase happiness, health, and engagement with one's community. To learn more about the bicycle advocacy work she’s currently doing in Santa Cruz, visit http://santacruztransportationsolutions.blogspot.com/p/ideass-bicycle-transit-planning-team.html.

About Women on Bikes California & Pedal Love 
An initiative of the California Bicycle Coalition, the mission of Women on Bikes California focuses on the bike as a tool for optimism in the lives of women. We work to engage, connect and cultivate opportunity for women of all ages, races and walks of life interested in bicycling, active living advocacy and bike-related/bike-friendly industries. Key to our strategy is elevating the voice of women passionate about bicycling via engaging storytelling and proactive media outreach through our “Pedal Love” project website and our series of “Active Living Plugged In” trainings. Learn more about us at http://www.pedallove.org/.

UC Santa Cruz Bike Month Events 2014

Many UC Santa Cruz banana slugs bicycle year-round, but during May, which is National Bike Month, these banana slugs not only bike but also celebrate the greatest two wheeled invention known to humankind. Join the UCSC community in celebrating the bicycle at these upcoming events, and see a full listing of Bike Month events here.

Stevenson Bikes & Food Justice Fest - May 3 at 12pm - 4pm
Stevenson Main Quad, UC Santa Cruz. 
Join us for a bike & food justice fest featuring free bike maintenance, bicycle education and history, bike-generated strawberry smoothies with education about strawberry production, music, bike part art, a food justice & transportation board game, and more! At 2 PM, there will be a speaker panel and discussion about the intersections of transportation and food justice in the Stevenson Fireside Lounge.

Slug Bike Party Ride Around Campus – May 3 at 3:30pm 
Meet in Stevenson Main Quad, UC Santa Cruz. 
During the Bike & Food Justice Festival, a group will be heading off on bikes to explore easy and secret routes around campus while also touring some of the campus gardens. Bring a bicycle in good working condition, a helmet, and comfortable shoes. Bike party!

Bike Week World Cafe - May 5 at 5pm - 7pm 
Kresge Piazzetta, outside Kresge Seminar Room at Porter-Kresge Rd, UC Santa Cruz. 
The World Cafe is a weekly potluck of both food and ideas that takes place in Kresge College. The theme for this week is bicycles to celebrate the beginning of Bike Week in Santa Cruz! Join us for conversations about the revolutionary role of bicycles to empower and free people in our community, enjoy some bike generated smoothies and music, and learn some basic bike maintenance.

UCSC Bike Helmet Giveaway - May 6 at 1:30pm - 4pm 
Base of UCSC campus, corner of Bay & High. 
In celebration of Bike Week, Transportation and Parking Services is hosting the Bicycle Safety Campaign! TAPS will be surveying cyclists and handing out 200 free helmets to members of the UCSC community on first come first serve basis. Proof of UCSC affiliation required. Invite your friends if you care about them staying safe on the road! If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Julie.

Bike to Work/School Day! - May 8, 2014 at 6:30am - 9:30am 
Have you ever wished someone would celebrate your bike commute with free food? Well that’s what Bike to Work Day is all about! There will be 15 public breakfast sites for people who bike to work/school this day, with three sites at UC Santa Cruz: base of campus, top of the Bike Path, and Quarry Plaza. For more information, visit the website.

Edge of Eden Music Festival (Free Bike Valet) - May 10 at 2pm - 10pm 
Take your bike to this music festival at the UCSC East Field and receive free bike parking! Parking is limited for the event anyway, and you won’t have to worry about your bike while you enjoy the show. Learn more here.

Free Bike Commuting Workshop at UCSC - May 14 at 12:30pm – 1:30pm 
Science and Engineering Library Room 332, UC Santa Cruz. 
Come to a free one-hour workshop for UCSC bike commuters of all skill levels hosted by People Power of Santa Cruz County. We’ll cover best practices for commuting to campus, including gears, laws, and routes.

Endless Summer Bike Ride - May 18, 2014 at 11am to 3pm
Soak in the sun, practice your cycling skills and explore little-known routes around Santa Cruz on this easy 8-10 mile bike ride. $6 cost includes a picnic lunch at Twin Lakes Beach. Bring a helmet and bike in good working condition. Register online here.

Promoting People Power through Media & Interactive Activities

At the beginning of the quarter, I promoted and participated in the Sneak Routes and Secret Places Bike Ride. This 10 mile group bike throughout the lesser-known routes on the Westside of Santa Cruz took place on a beautiful sunny day and drew in a cool crowd of all ages.

A week before the sneak bike ride event, I was inspired to make my own laser cut version of a bike route sign for a secret bike route.

This is the digital design I created in Adobe Illustrator. The thickness of the lines instruct the laser machine where to cut and where to engrave.

The smaller squares from the digital designs were cut into dozens of People Power key chains!

Before the Sneak Routes and Secret Places Bike Ride, we reviewed saftey guidelines and helpful riding tips.

Instead of using the main street, we took the sneaky route!

We stopped by the railroad near Wilder Ranch to talk about the Rail Trail, a recently funded project to build a bike path along the rail road that will connect San Mateo County to Watsonville. You can read more about it on People Power's website.

The MAH organized a Pop Up Museum event at hub where People Power coexists with other organizations like the Bike Church, Computer Kitchen, and Sub Rosa. A Pop Up Museum is an open event for all community members to set up related exhibits and workshops in one space.

People Power set up a fun an interactive spin art station where participants could pour paint or pedal the stationary bike to create a cool splatter effect.

We also set up a helmet decorating and spoke care making workshops. We had reflective stickers participants could cut out to make their gear unique and visible!

Some sample spoke cards.

After adding reflective stickers of my initials "HA" on both sides of my helmet, I went for a bike ride along West Cliff. It was definitely noticeable! HAHA

Here's a glimpse from the Santa Cruz Bike Party on Valentines Day. We had a gang of over 50 people biking around town under the full moon. It was so roll-mantic!

An awesome glowing tandem bike with speakers and a couch trailer!

Some sisterly love!

Dancing in San Lorenzo Park!

We set up some spin art again for the "What the Cruz?" event at the MAH.

Here are some submissions for the Bike Week poster from high school students across Santa Cruz County. Instead of hiring a graphic designer to create the poster, there was a contest among local teenagers and the entrees were impressive! 

We met at the pirate themed bike party a few months ago. We were laughing because we both arrived at the meet up spot late with our pirate buddies and couldn't find the official group so we ended up forming our own bike party like true pirates!

We also set up a station for helmet decorating and spoke card making workshops. This time we had a legitimate laminating machine!

Crafters creating spoke cards with reflective stickers.

I made this spoke card using one of the unclaimed splatter paint papers from the previous event we held with spin art. People Power!

Currently, I've been helping promote upcoming free Bike Commuting Workshops that will be held at the People Power headquarters on Pacific Avenue. I walked around downtown  Santa Cruz with my classmate Maryam talking with local businesses about posting these eye-catching posters in their window for the next few months. The majority of businesses we spoke to were very supportive!

I look forward to continuing my work with People Power in the Spring and participating in more informative workshops and interactive events!

*A big thanks to Tawn Kennedy and volunteer photographers from the MAH for capturing many of the photos included in this post*