Pedal Revolution clinic

This nonprofit storefront provides employment and job training for at-risk youth and offers free in-store clinics – including a lecture and demonstration – geared to the experience and needs of the participants. Clinics cover basic topics such as flat repair, bike maintenance, bearing adjustment and wheel repair. 3085 21st St. (415) 641-1264, www.pedalrevolution.org.

REI maintenance basics

Learn how to lube a chain, fix a flat tire in record time, and make other minor adjustments to your bike. No experience necessary (links.sfgate.com/ZKDY). REI‘s Expert Advice section online ( www.rei.com/expertadvice) offers videos and articles on bicycle repair and maintenance for learning at your own pace. 840 Brannan St. (415) 934-1938.

Sports Basement classes

Sports Basement offers a variety of ongoing free classes at each store. (There are four in the Bay Area and two in San Francisco: 1590 Bryant St., (415) 575-3000; 610 Old Mason St., (415) 437-0100.) See a listing of free classes at links.sfgate.com/ZKDZ.

Bike Kitchen’s help center

The Bike Kitchen is a do-it-yourself bicycle resource run by volunteers. On the second and fourth Fridays each month from 6-9 p.m., the group offers classes for “women, trans/gender queer folks, femmes, or anybody else that has had gender be a barrier to learning mechanics.” No one is turned away. The Bike Kitchen also has basic and advanced classes for nominal fees. 650H Florida St., (415) 647-2453, www.bikekitchen.org.

Bicycletutor.com

My searches for complete online bicycle maintenance and repair resources came up short, but the videos at www.bicycletutor.com seem well-done and informative. The site has guides to basic and advance repair tools, detailed repair instructions, suggestions for picking out products and a Q&A; forum.

S.F. Bicycle Coalition

Join the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and put all of your newfound bicycle repair and maintenance skills to work with discounts on parts and accessories at shops all over the city. Your membership also supports the work that is making streets safer and more inviting for cyclists. Go to www.sfbike.org for participating stores and specific discounts.

Bike About Town is presented by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, an 11,000-member nonprofit dedicated to creating safer streets and more livable communities by promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation. For more biking resources, go to www.sfbike.org.

Two Wheeler Blog: Smooth Riding in the Howard Street Bike Lane

Although we counted on the old, decrepit, pot-hole riddled, cracked, debris laden Howard Street to feel like we were getting some use out of the “mountain” part of our mountain bikes–real off-roading like, the newly paved, smooth as a baby’s bottom, Howard Street bike lane is like butta’. Now instead of fretting about falling into a point of no return hole in the street, all you have to worry about is the random peds darting into the bike lane, and of course, car doors being flung wide for no apparent reason. 1 less hazard to contend with and this makes us pleased as punch. Thanks SFBC…and you too CCSF.

Stroll and Roll Mission Sunday Streets

Come out and play with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and tens of thousands of people for Sunday Streets, this Sunday, July 11 from 10am-3pm when Sunday Streets does an encore in the Mission. Four miles of Mission District streets will be transformed into a people-powered party from Dolores Park to Garfield Park along Valencia, Harrison and 24th streets. Enjoy the open streets with dancing, yoga, rollerskating, and of course biking. The SF Bicycle Coalition and Presidio YMCA have organized biking activities on Harrison Street, like urban cycling classes and Freedom From Training Wheels. Bike maintenance booths and bike rentals can be found on Harrison Street at 17th and 25th streets (in Garfield Park). We hope to see you there enjoying the fun, make sure to stop by our orange tent and say hello.

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Bicycle-stings-use-high-tech-gear-97449954.html

Everyday we fight our way through these City streets, avoiding potholes big enough to qualify as the black hole, pedestrians who meander aimlessly through our bike lanes, and the ubiquitous MUNI bus slaloming down the rode. One danger we shouldn’t have to contend with are other cyclists. We’re all part of the same team, people. So when you see a fellow cyclist making a left-turn, slow down or maybe even stop, if they have the right-of-way. No need for collision course mentality out there. Life doesn’t have to be a series of petty torments so let’s achieve Peace on Bikes…

SF Bicycle Coalition LGBTQ Meet & Mingle

Mon., Jun. 21 | 6-8pm | Duboce Park Cafe, 2 Sanchez St (at Duboce)

Start the Pride party early this year at this casual happy hour to raise a glass with other LGBTQ bike lovers and support the SF Bicycle Coalition’s work to make better biking conditions in our city!

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is proud to boast a large and diverse membership, and we want to bring our LGBTQ community together to meet and mingle and support big changes to bicycling in San Francisco. Duboce Park Cafe is generously donating 10% of profits from the party to the SF Bicycle Coalition. Both members and non-members alike are encouraged to come with both friends, partners, kids, or just bring yourself and meet other amazing LGBTQ folks working to make our City better.

No need to RSVP, just stop by for some fun on your way home from work and show your support. Complimentary bike valet provided.

Today on the Board of supervisors agenda was the review of the Bike Plans Environmental Impact Review. Today’s meeting wasn’t to discuss if the Bike Plan is good or bad for San Francisco, it was to discuss whether the EIR was adequate in it’s review. The meeting was held and it was decided that the EIR was through and adequate. Now that the study has been approved it’s time for the City Attorney to head over to the judge overseeing the case and have him lift the injunction.

Read up on the bike plan here and here.

Stay safe!

Bike Sharing is a relatively new transportation solution. The idea has been around for a while now, the most recent inception is Paris’s Velib sharing program.

Today SFGate tackled the idea of San Francisco implementing a Bike Share Program. In January the Mayors Office announced a bike sharing plan for San Francisco. The idea has drawn criticism from many that the program is starting too small, San Francisco doesn’t have the proper bicycle infrastructure to handle a bike share program and a complaint that the bike share program would be funded by Clear Channel.

That being said this Sunday at car -free Golden Gate Park, a mini bike share program, BIXI, will be letting people give bike sharing a shot.

Read more about the plan here.

Transit seemed like it might be getting a fair shake via state stimulus funds. Turns out many transit agencies across the country are cutting funding and raising fares.
Streetsblog reports that Illinois is facing the loss of $1 billion of stimulus funds devoted to transit projects and planning as a stop loss measure due to increasing budget woes. Even though transit ridership has increased over 9% in the last five years highway development and improvement projects are given a green light. Meanwhile AC Transit is cutting service by %15, Muni is facing a loss of $61 million over the next tow years and the state as a whole cut transit funding by $536 million.

We’ll see what happens. Let’s hop on bikes and hope for the best!