Sunday Streets Surpass Summer Skies

Purple accessories found at St. Cyprian's busy deco corner

3 chocolate chip cookies for $1: best deal of the day from ruby & sam

Huge crowd gathered here: no one cared about the drizzle

At the top of Baker street at McAllister: just another biking day?

Heavy fog, mist, and drizzle along with warm temperatures greeted Sunday Streets on its first foray into the Western Addition and the mostly residential North Panhandle neighborhood Sunday. Everyone who ventured out into the gray expanse took the weather with exasperated shrugs and sighs and then got on with the business of having a great time in the streets. Here's a few photos of what we especially liked -- with a caveat. BIKE NOPA was so engaged with activities in the neighborhood that we never managed to travel east of Divisadero. Our loss for missing the fun in Japantown, Kimball Park, and the Fillmore.

Dads on Wheels: Jason Beers With A Lot of "Huh" From The Back Seat

Image by Meli of Bikes And The City

Jason and Phoebe tooling around the park Photo: Jason Beers

"Good way to get a nap going but don't tell the chiropractor": Jason Beers

Photo: Jason Beers

Trying out the wheels Photo: Jason Beers

Jason Beers and his wife, Jane Catherine Zimmerman, are active with Nopa Little Ones, a playgroup for neighborhood families with children newborn to five years old. Say hello to Jason and Phoebe if you see them on the way to school or in the park.

When did you start biking with Phoebe?
She was 15 months old.

How often do you bike with her now and where are favorite rides for you both?
Once a day to school and some weekends to Golden Gate Park. Our favorites are the park, Crissy Field, and anywhere ice cream is served.

How did you start biking with Phoebe?
When she was small, we used a front-of-the bike seat. By the time she was 3 we moved to a seat on the back of the bike as that fits a bigger kid well. She's really getting into the balance bike now too at 3 and a half.

What’s the best thing about biking together?
Using the front seat, she would chat up a storm with me. I put on handlebar extensions so that we'd each have a place to hold onto. We could talk about everything we saw, and I could even hear her. Now she still talks about everything, but she's in the back so there's a lot of "huh"!

What do you say to relatives or friends who think our city streets aren't safe for kids to bike?
You have to pick and choose your streets, but there are a lot to choose from.

What makes a street OK for you and your daughter to bike?
Not having to compete for pavement space with the cars. Bike lanes, low traffic streets, closeout of streets like in Golden Gate Park. When there are cars on the street, I bike cautiously and signal my intentions clearly.

How difficult is it getting kids ready for trips if you’re traveling by bike?
Bike riding is a treat and treats are an incentive for the little mind. Getting the helmet on is the main obstacle, but at least they're *slightly* easier than when I was a kid.

How often do you bike on your own?
I bike every day to work -- a 20 minute commute to the financial district -- and to run errands. I used to ride a lot for pleasure back when I had free time. Now I get pleasure from riding while I do chores.

Any advice for dads who are thinking about biking on their own or with their kids?
Try it - start with a manageable route. Consider a forward mount seat when they're young like the ibert (bright green seat, not to be confused with qbert - the scratcher you may have seen back when you had free time).

BIKE NOPA and Bikes And The City: every Tuesday, more Dads on Wheels.

For previous posts in the Dads on Wheels series, check here.

Dads, moms, kids: save the date. Sunday, September 19th, 10 am to 3pm, Sunday Streets travels through NOPA and the Western Addition. YBIKE will host a kids' bike rodeo for practicing the best street maneuvers and the SF Bicycle Coalition will lay out its popular Freedom from Training Wheels course -- both on Grove at Baker. Nearby on the Sunday Streets route, members of St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church will set up kids' games, face painting, and prizes.

Bike to School Day in NOPA: SF Day School Students Spin to Campus

Riding through Golden Gate Park on the way to school

Top of Central Avenue, just a 1/2 block to go

Have to take the sidewalk during the morning blocking of the bike lane

The first-ever Bike to School Day for the San Francisco Day School inspired more than 25 students, teachers, and parents to spin through Golden Gate Park on a crisp morning to reach the campus at Golden Gate and Masonic Avenues. Leonard Moon, a Day School parent, organized the ride for the school. At first he thought the only kids committed to the ride today were his own. Instead at least twenty gathered in Golden Gate Park to kick-off the ride to the North Panhandle. Only a few students bike regularly to school now, according to Moon, but he hopes today's event will encourage more to do so. "Most kids think of the bike as a toy; it is much more useful than that."

Most of the kids on bikes were from the fourth through sixth grades, according to Jason Stone, a teacher in the Technology Department for the Day School. "But we also have a few younger students this morning." He was especially impressed that eighth-graders appeared for the morning ride. "To get them out this early is really surprising." Stone lives near the ocean and rides to school several times a week, especially now with the new smooth pavement on JFK Drive.

Rajan Dalal drove from Noe Valley to the meeting site in the park where he met his eleven-year-old son Kavi, who bicycled there, for the final spin to the school together. "This is so special to ride all together."* Rajan said they biked in their neighborhood and have found mostly flat routes.

Dr. David Jackson, Head of School, had planned to lead the bike bus from the park to the campus, but he had trouble finding the group at the meeting place. Instead he was standing with his Raleigh at the school entrance greeting all the bikers on their arrival. "We have quite a few faculty who bike every day," he noted. So far only a few students bike regularly. "Our families come from disparate areas in the city and our kids are mostly young so it's a little tricky to have them bike to school even with their parents." Jackson was particularly concerned about adopting more traffic calming measures on Masonic Avenue, the corridor that borders the Day School.

Students and parents all over San Francisco find biking to school safer and easier than ever before. Last year 500 students from 25 schools participated in San Francisco's Bike to School Day. This year organizers hope that number will double. The Unified School District supports the special biking day, and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition organizers the event with other partners. For parents and kids who want to increase their bike skills, the Presidio YMCA Bike Program offers "Bike Smart, Ride Safe for Kids" this Saturday, April 17th from 10am to 12:30pm at the Presidio YMCA Bike Skills Area. For more information, contact Ben Caldwell, Director of Bicycle Programs.

1pm update: Early estimates suggest that 1000 students rode their bikes this morning to more than 30 schools. For further news about bike-to-school events around the city today and some great photos, check the YBIKE blog here.

* Correction: the earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that Kavi Dalal rode in his father's vehicle to the park. Kavi informed us that he biked all the way from Noe Valley to the park and didn't burn up any gasoline. Good job, Kavi!

Friend of NOPA Launches New Web Site: YBIKE for Youth & Family Biking

NOPA neighbor and YBIKE staffer Rose Johnson consults with new cyclist

Lots of kids on bikes during NOPA's BIKE THE BLOCK party last year

Boosting street smarts at YBIKE safety rodeo

Last year North Panhandle neighbors and friends cheered the kids' "bike safety rodeo" that anchored our first BIKE THE BLOCK celebration. The great team at the Presidio Community YMCA Bicycle Program readily agreed to join our bike-themed block party, set up the operation, and worked with parents to introduce kids to biking or strengthen their street skills. And they made it fun for everyone who joined in or watched. Now these dedicated experts at the Y have launched a new website.

The one-stop site describes all the youth and family biking opportunities sponsored by the Presidio Y. Take your pick from a huge selection of upcoming bike rodeos, bike to school programs, family recreation rides (including cool family moonlight spins), and BikeSmart bike mechanic classes.

Want to introduce or encourage your kids (or kids: your parents!) to family biking? You're in good hands with YBIKE; consider what they hold dear:

"We believe...

• Every child and adult deserves to feel safe riding their bicycle anywhere anytime in San Francisco
• No child in San Francisco should go without a bike if they want one
• The streets of San Francisco are neighborhood gathering places that are not complete and on not build strong communities until they belong at least as much to strolling families and biking kids as to our cars and trucks
• Riding a bicycle is a joyous, conscientious, sustainable act that benefits our fragile environment, the city, the community, and you
• A world in which a majority of San Francisco's citizens walk or ride their bikes to work or school is a safer, stronger, healthier world -- and such a world is possible in our lifetimes"

The YBIKE Program thrives on a dynamic collaboration with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition; together they provide neighborhoods across the city with everything to make biking healthy, safe, and exciting for youth and families. NOPA will certainly welcome back the YBIKE team when Sunday Streets comes to the neighborhood on September 19th. Get ready for the fun and check out YBIKE.

Volunteers Rocked BIKE THE BLOCK

Neighbors bike forth! NOPA's BIKE THE BLOCK party last Sunday spun forward with the help of dozens of neighbors and friends of NOPA. Their overlapping affiliations with community organizations helped tie the groups together even more in a shared committment to a more livable neighborhood and city. A few examples:

• Max Poletto and Kara O'Keefe are bicyclists, NOPA residents, and San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC) members. Max helped with bike repairs while Kara worked the bike decorating table.
• Mollie Poe serves on the Board of Directors for Pacific Primary School and is a huge supporter of NOPNA. She helped the bike block party in so many ways, along with her husband, Declan Hickey, and her brother KJ Johnson.
• Rose Johnson works with YBIKE and guided kids through the skills course Sunday; she's also a member of the SF Bicycle Coalition and an advocate of sustainable living in NOPA.
• Nathan Frankel is an avid vendor at weekend farmer's markets, a prime bike parker for SFBC, and long-time NOPA neighbor. He set up the bike parking operation for us.
• Sarah June Crockett co-organized the block party; last school year she and her husband, Sandy Crockett, biked with one of their kids to his classes at Pacific Primary. Both Sarah and Sandy are SFBC members.

Lots of kudos for these other great volunteers: Doug Diboll, Jim Cowan, Tom Brown, Suzanne Cowan, Jen Grant, Dan Nguyen-Tan, Jarie Bolander, Janel Sterbentz, Justin Connolly, Marc Caswell, Chris Hogg, Lenore McDonald, Matt Dove and Lily, Kareem, and Raquel of the YBIKE team, Kathy O'Brien, Leela Gill, Holly Ames, Leigh Culpepper, Kyle Brunner, J.P. Collins, Meligrosa!, Will Valentine, Cliff Courrier, Robbie Socks, Jerry Kirwan, Larissa Zimberoff, Jane Catherine Zimmerman, Bill Rivers, and Dale Danley (who helped with everything).

A salute to the individuals behind the C0-Sponsorships:

• Belann Giarretto, Executive Director of Pacific Primary, for tables, art supplies, the essential Porta-Potty, and so much enthusiasm for the event;
• Ben Caldwell, Bike Program Coordinator at the Presidio Community YMCA, for his rapid response to our request for a skills course with great staff help;
• Kevin Rafter, NOPNA President, and all the NOPNA board members for approving the application fee payment, and their day-in, day-out work for our neighborhood;
• Neal Patel, SFBC Community Planner, for bike ed materials, event promotion, and sharing SFBC's experience and commitment to greater livability.

An enthusiastic round of applause to:

• Len Rogers, owner, Electric Bicycle Outlet, for bringing his cool rides for neighbors to try;
• Ali, superb owner of Central Coffee & Tea, for keeping neighbors fortified.
• Amy D'Auria of Pink Buttons Patisserie, for keeping neighbors sweet.
• Rev. Will Scott and Rev. Dr. Sue Singer for the best bicycle blessing.
• Remy Nelson, owner of Mojo Bicycle Cafe, for cool raffle t-shirts, and bike service gear.
• Kash for the generous loan of bike parking gear from Warm Planet Bikes.
• Dmitrius Spartos, manager of the Divisadero Farmers Market, for our "cross pollination" of events.
• Beth Byrne, a superb graphic designer, who gave BIKE THE BLOCK its great poster and printed all the copies at her office -- with her boss's enthusiastic approval.

"I was thrilled with the turnout and so happy to help a little." Kyle Brunel.

"It was amazing to see the diversity and all the families turn out for our mini-Sunday Streets on one NOPA block." Dan Nguyen-Tan.

Let's all keep Biking the Blocks and celebrating NOPA livability.

BIKE THE BLOCK Rocks NOPA

"This has been awesome," Matt Dove exclaimed, "This has been one of our most successful events." Matt and three other staffers from the Presidio YMCA Youth Bike Program, YBIKE, guided more than fifty kids through a skills training course full of STOP and YIELD signs, "watch out" door zones, and twists and turns during NOPA's BIKE THE BLOCK celebration on Sunday. "My son just learned about yield signs," one NOPA mother gushed a few minutes after arriving at the bike-themed block party.

While YBIKE anchored one end of the block, fun-ready folks lined up for a spin on the seven-person party-bike at the other. Dan Nguyen-Tan steered singing, waving, laughing neighbors on spins on NOPA streets with hardly a refueling stop in between. "Real trooper duty," one block resident proclaimed seeing Dan smiling and sweating through a perfect San Francisco summer day. Dan picked up riders from the Divisadero Farmers Market and plucked a few from the Panhandle Path, but the party pedalers who seemed to have the most fun were the women in their Sunday church finery rocking to Michael Jackson.

Cyclists especially appreciated the free bike parking and tune-ups from volunteer members of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC). Max Poletto grinned and showed his chain-greased hands after three hours of expert bike care. "I worked on about a dozen bikes." Max worked alongside Justin Connolly and new NOPA resident Marc Caswell at one of the busiest bike stops on the block.

Confirmed walkers as well as cyclists took their first rides ever on electric bikes provided by Len Rogers, owner of a San Francisco electric bike outlet. Cliff Courrier, NOPA neighbor and electric bike owner and enthusiast, teamed up with Len to advise riders on how to get a power boost during their tryouts. "Almost too much power," commented Will Valentine, but then Grove is one very flat street.

"This is fantastic to have have so many options for kids," Jodie Howe concluded. "This helps us start planning for biking for our ten month old." Nearby Kara O'Keefe helped kids make a flurry of ribbon, streamers, and flowers before displaying their bedecked rides. Younger kids took a hand at drawing and stickering anything that could be stuck.

How much more could one city block offer on a sunny bicycling day? Chris Hogg wowed the crowd with gravity-suspended stunts on his BMX. So amazed were the onlookers that no one even said, "Kids don't try this at home." Next to Chris' twirls and balances, Sarah Crockett, BIKE THE BLOCK co-organizer, and Lenore McDonald displayed bike trailers for all kinds of hauling. We overheard Sarah explain to another mother of young ones what it's like transporting kids on a bike. "You know what they say about riding a bike: 'it's just like riding a bike.'"

In the late morning, Reverend Will Scott, Associate Pastor of NOPA's St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church extended a Bike Blessing with a prayer written by Nadia Bolz-Weber and adapted by and for the people of the neighborhood. When was the last time a prayer extolled "the simple beauty of the bicycle," the needs of "victims of road rage and bike theft," and protection for "eco-warriors, bike co-op anarchists, and messengers"?

Khalil, a neighbor from Fell Street, offered his summation of the day. "Today is an example of how we can envision a more sustainable world and provide examples of our diverse cultures and ethnicities and all come together."

BIKE THE BLOCK was all about kids riding safely on a neighborhood street, parents enjoying their kids taking the block, and everyone else celebrating a fine day of bike-themed fun events. SFBC Community Planner Neal Patel beamed once he spun onto Grove Street. With an experienced eye, he judged today's event included about 300 people.

An enthusiastic collaboration of generous sponsors made the NOPA bike party possible: our progressive neighborhood association, NOPNA; bike-friendly Pacific Primary School, superstar YMCA/YBIKE, inspiring and dedicated SFBC, and BIKE NOPA. Special thanks as well to Mojo Bicycle Cafe for free t-shirts and tune-up gear, Central Coffee and Tea for the coffee and pastries that kept us going, Warm Planet Bikes for bike parking gear, Electric Bicycle Outlet (everyone loved the rides!), and Amy D'Auria with her dessert wonders from Pink Buttons Patisserie.

On behalf of the event sponsors, a special thank you to the residents of the 1500 block of Grove for sharing their part of NOPA with so many others.

BIKE THE BLOCK posts later this week: "BIKE THE BLOCK Volunteer Roll" (more pics),

"The Blessing of the Bicycle" (with YouTube video), and "Tool Kit for Block Parties: Transforming Our Public Spaces."

BIKE THE BLOCK: Kids Stuff Too

Eighty blog posts ago, on July 7th, we suggested that a "NOPA Play Block" might be just the thing for kids to get to ride their bikes in the street...safely. We later learned that several parents ride with their kids through NOPA regularly, although not so many as to be a common sight.

This Sunday all that changes. Kids on Bikes on Grove Street. For three hours kids and adults can ride, walk and enjoy the neighborhood while they sample rides, decorate their bikes, watch bike stunts, and ride the funcycle.

The dedicated staff of YBIKE, the youth bicycling program of the Presidio YMCA will offer tips at the kids' cycle course -- whether on Skuuts, tricycles, or bicycles. Kids can also ride their bikes the length of Grove Street, between Lyon and Baker.

For exercise, for fun, for the sheer joy of biking. Kids on Bikes. Sunday.

Bike the Block party

Sunday, Sept. 27

10 am to 1pm

Grove, between Lyon and Baker.

Kids events on the Baker end of the block.

Bike art, bike decorating, bike stunts, bike T shirt raffle, bike stickers.