MARK YOUR CALENDAR and dust off your bicycles for the free bicycle clinic taking place from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 2 at the Benicia Community Center, 370 E L St. This clinic is for all bicycles and their riders of any age and ability!

This informative, fun and challenging clinic is the result of a partnership among the Community Sustainability Commission, Benicia Bicycle Club, City of Benicia Police Department, Greg Andrada of Wheels in Motion and Doug Snyder of California e-Bikes.

This bike clinic is one of several actions undertaken by the Community Sustainability Commission as a result of the findings of last year’s City of Benicia’s 2010 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Update Report that showed “On Road Transportation” emissions had nearly doubled.

Emissions rose from the equivalent of 156,310 Metric Tonnes of carbon dioxide (MTCO2e) to 305,490 MTCO2e between 2000 and 2010. That’s a 95 percent increase.

Last year’s CleanTech Expo, organized by the Community Sustainability Commission, included a focus on public transportation and alternative vehicles, and the upcoming Bicycle Clinic is part of the Commission’s efforts to provide optional ways of getting around, especially in our beautiful town of Benicia.

Bike Clinic Layout
The first station of the bicycle clinic is the Bicycle Maintenance area on the deck at the end of the community center. Here you’ll learn how to change a tire, determine the appropriate tire pressure for your bicycle, how to oil your bicycle’s chain and other basic maintenance tips and techniques that will keep your bicycle operating safely.

The next stop will be about choosing the appropriate bicycle equipment and accessories. This includes the right bicycle helmet, the type and colors of clothing, shoes, gloves and so forth. After my bicycle accident (Score: car – 1, bicycle – 0), I personally got the best helmet I could afford and started to wear bicycle gloves and a light, bright neon yellow bicycle safety vest.

I saw someone at the Benicia Torchlight parade July 3 who had a small air horn on her bicycle, and it made me think that might be an upgrade from my musical bicycle bells.

We’ll have a table loaded with maps of bicycle routes around Solano County, and posters of the safe routes that Nancy Lund of Benicia Bicycle Club and our Benicia bicycle representative to the Solano Transit Authority, devised for seeing and getting around Benicia.

The last stop before the skills clinic is the bicycle check area. There your bicycle will be checked out for safety, alignment, and adjustments for proper seat and handle bar height and distance.

Amazing!
We’re so lucky that the bicycle skills clinic will be overseen by our Benicia Police Department. City police officers train regularly on motorcycles. The same techniques and skills used for safety on a motorcycle can be applied, for the most part, to bicycling.

Two skills courses will be set up to test the novice rider and the more advanced rider. Naturally, you will be given a skills overview. Depending on the turnout, you may be able to try out the skills course more than once to perfect your knowledge.

e-Bikes

Have you ever wanted to test ride an electric bicycle? Doug Sndyer of California ebikes will have electric bikes on hand for riding. He’ll also give you e-bike maintenance and safety pointers. I’m hoping he might also have on hand his really cool recumbent tricycle!

Bicycle safety starts with your bike being properly maintained and having the right gear, knowledge of the rules of the road and techniques for smart riding. Benicia has rich riding destinations and great routes to get there.

Please plan to bring your bicycle and join us from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 2, at the Benicia Community Center, 370 East L St.

If you missed it
In case you missed the gray water laundry conversion workshop, the video is now available on YouTube, at the link below. According to our city’s Climate Action Plan coordinator consultant, Alex Porteshawver, there are a few free kits still available.

Learn more

• beniciabicycleclub.org
• bikeleague.org/content/take-class
• california-ebike.com
• City of Benicia 2010 GHG Inventory: sustainablebenicia.org/files/cap/2010_GHGEmissionsInventoryUpdateReport_FINAL.pdf
• Graywater Workshop video: youtu.be/-pRMtGNEkbI
• Sustainablebenicia.org
• wheelsinmotionbenicia.com

Constance Beutel is the chair of Benicia’s Community Sustainability Commission. She is a university professor and videographer and holds a doctorate from the University of San Francisco.