Sunday Funday Through the SGV

Who knew Sunday's could be such fun day's?  Well, other than the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) who keep bringing their popular Sunday Funday rides to various parts of the county and, I suppose, all the riders who keep coming out and making those Sunday Funday rides popular. I would have continued to be, mostly, oblivious to the fact if I had not decided, last minute, to make this latest Funday ride a part of my Sunday. There you go. 

Teamed with the LACBC for this little mini-tour of the San Gabriel Valley was Bike SGV. The ride marshals from the two organizations led this ragtag bunch mounted on pretty much the entire spectrum of bikes, excepting bone-shakers and penny farthings, on a route between Monrovia station and South Pasadena station, both stops on the Metro Gold Line. In between the two end points were opportunities to explore both successfully implemented bike routes and others contested by the, seemingly, inevitable nimby backlash against change for the common good. There you go. Again.

A big part of cycling advocacy, and Bike SGV and the LACBC, are the largest bike advocacy groups in the region, is not just talking the talk, expounding the fiscal and health benefits of fewer cars, but highlighting the intangible, the "fun factor" as well. Both groups, through rides like this one, have become especially adept at drawing people in to advocacy through their recreational outreach. There is nothing new to the approach, but it is one that bicycling is particularly positioned to utilize to great success.

Did I have fun? Absolutely. I got to meet some new people, become reacquainted with others I had met previously, finally do a ride with the godfather of cycling in The Valley, pick up another pair of socks at the Cub House, and share a beer, grub and talk at Griffins of Kinsale in South Pasadena. And there you go, definitely a fun Sunday.

got to tell you, I was pretty impressed with Monrovia station, and its adjoining park

big group

small part of the big group

big group

yup, big group

the Cub House van

orange you glad you got your orange slice before they were gone?

Thanks LACBC and Bike SGV for bringing another fun, and informative, ride to us. 

And one last thing; an album full of photos.