During all the celebrations of National Bike Month and to kick off Bike to Work Week, the League of American Bicyclists announced its latest round of Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC). The City of Santa Monica has been awarded national recognition of our local efforts by raising our ranking from Bronze to Silver level. At the same time Walk Score, a national organization devoted to promoting walkable neighborhoods, ranked Santa Monica at #5 on its Bike Score list of Top 100 most bikeable cities.

The Bicycle Friendly Community “Silver” award will be presented to Mayor Pam O’Connor by our own Jennifer Klausner, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition on Wednesday, May 15th at 5pm in the courtyard behind Santa Monica City Hall, 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica.  Before the award presentation you are invited to join us and SM City staff on a bicycle tour highlighting new bicycle facilities during Bike Week. Cyclists are invited to gather for the ride at 3:30pm in the courtyard behind City Hall.  We roll out at 4pm to return by 5pm for the award ceremony. After the ceremony you are in invited to join us for a Handlebar Happy Hour Celebration at West 4th & Jane.

“The Bicycle Friendly Community Silver award is presented only to communities with remarkable commitments to bicycling. You should be very proud of this accomplishment,” wrote Nicole Wynands, Program Manager for the League of American Bicyclists.

The City earned an impressive 83 Bike Score from Walk Score. This rating is derived from a data set that includes infrastructure, hilly terrain, numbers of bikers on streets and more.

“Santa Monica has embraced bicycling as one of the most important strategies to help achieve its environmental, economic and quality of life goals and adopted an award-winning Bike Action Plan in November 2011.  Since then, the City has invested heavily in bicycling, in both programs: education, events, awareness, enforcement, –and facilities: parking, lanes, sharrows, and signal detection” quoted the press release by Lucy Dyke, Planning & Community Development.

For more information on Bike Week Events and bicycling in Santa Monica:
Bike Month Santa Monica, SM Spoke
Bike Santa Monica, SM City

For more information on Bicycle Friendly Communities:
http://www.bikeleague.org/

For more information on Bike Score:
http://blog.walkscore.com/2013/05/bike-score-expands-to-100-cities/

Santa Monica Spoke’s 3rd Annual Bike Exhibition at the
Santa Monica Festival

Plus lots more – stay tuned for more info on our events at the festival.
Don’t miss the 22nd annual Santa Monica Festival! Experience an eclectic mix of live music and dance, DIY art workshops with recycled and repurposed materials, guilt-free shopping featuring earth-friendly artistic wares and local services offered by City, environmental and local non-profit organizations. The Festival is a celebration with a purpose, highlighting the dynamic connection between the City’s communities, businesses, art, culture and the environment while offering ideas and options for a greener, healthier and more sustainable lifestyle.

Supporting the Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy in Santa Monica.

Join Santa Monica Spoke, local business and Santa Monica City Staff on Team Santa Monica Bike Center as we join together locally and compete in the 2013 National Bike Challenge.
Click the image above and join. Then navigate to leaderboard and click teams to find team Santa Monica Bike Center. Join the team and log your miles! The process is a bit muddled but hopefully worth it. We are currently in 7th place nationally for the month of May!!

[Helen's Cycles](http://helenscycles.com), Bike Month Deals storewide

[Performance](http://www.performancebike.com), Bike Month Deals storewide up to 50% off bikes

[Cynergy](http://www.cynergycycles.com), Bike Month Deals storewide

Zone3 Multisport, 10%-15% off on bikes and accessories May 17th-19th
3216 Santa Monica Blvd.

Team Bike Attack, 10% off all bikes and accessories May 17th-19th

Yogitoes, 20% off all yoga gear and a free yogitoes hBand (headband) when you mention Bike Week! May 14th-19th

Pedal… or Not! — Pedego Santa Monica
Ribbon Cutting New Bike Buy Local Business in Santa Monica
Electric Bicycle Guided Tours
214 Pier Avenue (just off Main Street)
Santa Monica, CA 90405

DTLA Bicycles, 700 Wilshire Blvd.
Bike Local Weekend May 17th-19th they will offer 10% off there entire purchase by mentioning “Bike Local LA”

WE LOVE THIS EVENT!
Bike Night at the Hammer
Friday, May 17, 7-11pm
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! BRING YOUR BICYCLES!
Grab some friends and join us as we pedal on over for an evening celebrating all things bicyclistic!
Free festivities include bicycle portraits, a screening of the 1983 Australian action movie BMX Bandits (starring a young, not-yet-famous Nicole Kidman), bicycle-centric crafts, and free admission to LLYN FOULKES. Guest hosted by artist and bicycle enthusiast/activist Lisa Anne Auerbach.
Check out photos from last year’s Bike Night.

*Group Ride:
We will meet at the Santa Monica Bike Center (2nd & Colorado) at 6:30pm and roll out around 6:45pm. We will ride east on Broadway if you want to join us on route instead. It will be an easy paced ride. We can coordinate a time for folks who want to ride back as a group or – if need we can make route slips for folks that want to ride back on their own.
– Please wear your hemet and bring lights!

Cyclists should enter the museum via Lindbrook Drive and will then be able to sashay down the bicycle runway with their bikes for everyone to see. Once in and park your bike at guarded racks (but please bring a lock).

Bike Night at the HAMMER! This years program
Co-presented by UCLA Transportation, the UCLA Rec Center, the UCLA Bike Shop, and Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC).
Bike Night at the Hammer has received support from The David Bohnett Foundation.

NORTH COURTYARD:
PEDAL PROMENADE – Biking is just as much about fashion as function. Show off your bike-styles on the Pedal Promenade.
CASH BAR – Enjoy Fat Tire draft beer and food-on-the-go from Ammo Café.  A second bar is located on the Gallery Level.
INFO TABLES – Keep up with the latest information on the growing bike communities in Los Angeles from METRO, Los Angeles County Bike Coalition and HAMMER Student Association info tables.
INTERACTIVE MAP – Share your biking landmarks with your peers and tell us about your favorite bike shops, routes, collectives, and more. Map it, pin it, Post-It or draw it all directly onto the map yourself.
SCREENING – BMX Bandits. This 1983 Australian action film stars a young, not-yet-famous Nicole Kidman. In/out privileges, no tickets needed.  8:00PM in the Billy Wilder Theater. (92 minutes)

SOUTH COURTYARD:
BICYCLE REPAIR STATION – Pop a tire on the way over? The UCLA Bike Shop is offering free, basic bike maintenance.
BIKE PORTRAITS – Smile! Have your portrait taken with your trusty mount and we’ll upload it to the Hammer Flickr and project into the South Courtyard. To download your portrait visit facebook.com/HammerMuseum
BESPOKE SPOKES – This VIP parking area doubles as an exhibition of custom and art bikes for all to admire.
GOLDEN TICKETS – will be handed out at Hammer’s Lindbrook Entrance to select individuals with unique, outrageous or eye-catching rides.
THE SQUEAKY WHEEL – Rant and rave about all of your bad and good biking experiences in LA in our video booth.  Clips will be edited into a PSA-style documentary video for the LACBC. All night with LACBC in The Lab (pssst – it’s under the stairs to the Gallery Level).
GALLERY LEVEL:
CASH BAR – Enjoy Fat Tire draft beer and food-on-the-go from Ammo Café.  A second bar is located in the Hammer Courtyard.
D.I.Y. REFLECTORS – Combine fashion, fun and function by making your own custom reflectors and stickers. Located on the west side of the Lindbrook Terrace.
BALLOON SPRINTS – Like Goldsprints, but hopefully no puking. Race a friend to see who can fill and pop a balloon first using pedal power. Located on the west side of the Lindbrook Terrace.  People generating power, created by the clever folks at Metabolic Studios.
PARTY BIKE – Give it a spin! Everyone knows that pedal power makes you feel good; especially when you’re powering a bubble maker that’s raining down orbs of joy on your fellow Bike Nighters! Located on the west side of the Lindbrook Terrace. Good vibes, courtesy of the good folks at Metabolic Studios.
SILK-SCREENING – Choose from four unique artist designs to adorn your own tee, safety vest, back patch or hoodie. Screened and dried on-the-spot by the UCLA Transportation Department, friends to cyclists all around Westwood.
PING-PONG – Put some backspin into your backhand and return that loop with a lob. Skunks welcome on the tables tonight in light of all our other activities.

EXHIBITIONS –
Check out some art in the HAMMER’s galleries. All exhibitions are FREE and open till 10pm.
LLYN FOULKES is located in Galleries 1 & 2.
Cyprien Gaillard is located in Gallery 6.
More exhibitions on Gallery & Courtyard Levels and Wilshire Lobby.
MUSEUM STORE – Peruse or purchase a wide selection of art-related publications and gifts in our unique retail environment. Open till 10pm.

Did you take the pledge? Pledge here to ride your bike on Bike to Work Day and you could win a new folding bike from REI and other great prizes!

If your ride is long or a full day at work makes it a challenge to pedal home, go multi-modal:
Big Blue Bus joins Metro (and other transit) to will offer FREE rides to bicyclists all day on May 16^th  For other participating transit agencies all you need to ride for free is your bike or helmut   – however it seems you have to “print” a ticket for BBB? Find it here.

Santa Monica Bike to Work Pit Stops

Santa Monica Spoke & Co-Opportunity on 16th and Broadway to host a Bike to Work Pit Stop from 7am -9am.
You are also invited to join us for BIKE FROM WORK Handlebar Meet Up & Happy Hour, 5-9pm at Pono Burger, 829 Broadway.

City of Santa Monica, 6-9am, Santa Monica City Hall, 1685 Main Street, there will be giveaways, continental breakfast, hot and cold beverages and gift packs for bikers, also lots of bicycling information. Santa Monica Spoke will be here too!

Santa Monica Bike Center, 1555 2nd Street (corner of 2nd and Colorado) Bike commuters can order a handmade peanut butter sandwich with a wide range of toppings to go with crunchy or creamy peanut butter.  They are also giving away gift cards from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, REI, Co-op, and Trader Joes.
Collin Myers of ABUS will be there from 8am – Noon talking about bike security, he will be giving away two locks during his security clinic.
Mike Ryan will be there doing video interviews with commuters on the topic of why they Love Their Commute!

REI Santa Monica, 6-10am, 402 Santa Monica Blvd, REI Santa Monica will join the community in supporting local cyclists with a pit stop. They’ll have a tech on hand if your bike needs a check up, snacks to keep you fueled up for your ride, and a raffle giveaway. Pledge to ride at www.metro.net/bikeweek and you could win an REI Novara Bike!

Helens Cycles,  7:30-10AM, 2501 Broadway, Free Bike safety checks, coupons, information, snacks and giveaways

DTLA Bicycles 10am -7pm, 700 Wilshire Blvd. Free safety checks and 10% off there entire purchase by mentioning “I Ride LA”

Santa Monica College, 9-11am, 1744 Pearl Street, Check out the new bike parking corral, Free parfaits, bagels, and cream cheese! Swing on by and enjoy some breakfast!

Crossroads School, 6:30-8:30am, 1731 20th Street (just south of Olympic Blvd), Cool water and snack bars

Yahoo, 8-10am, 2400 Broadway, Drinks, energy bars, bike route maps

Equity Office,  8-10am, 2400 Broadway, Refreshments, raffle for prizes, and protein bars

Water Garden, 8-10am, 2450 Colorado (in front of Subway), water, snacks, and bike information

Art Institute of California, Los Angeles, 9-11am, 31st and Ocean Park Blvd, Continental breakfast, water, and giveaways

Bergamot Bike-In Luncheon, 11:30-1:30pm, Pennsylvania Ave & 26^th Street, $5.00 off area food trucks for the first 300 attendees, Helen’s Cycles will there to display various commuter bike options and share bike commuting advice

Golden Pedal Awards

It’s time again for the Golden Pedal Awards, Metro’s annual bicycle story competition! Do you or someone you know have a great story to tell about your bicycle commute? What do you love about bicycling to school or work? Tell us about your victories—whether it be the hills you conquer every morning, bicycling to school with your children, or your clever shortcut that lets you zip past traffic.
Enter here by May 19, 2013. We will be awarding reflective safety vests, a box of Clif Bars, and one year of bicycle roadside assistance from Better World Club to up to thirty (30) winners!

Our ride will begin and end in the courtyard behind Santa Monica City Hall, 1685 Main Street. The event is co-hosted by Santa Monica Spoke and the City of Santa Monica.

Courtyard behind SM City Hall at 3:30 pm roll out at 4:00 pm.
Press event follows in front of City Hall
5:00pm

As if that was not enough after the ceremony you can take a tour of the Santa Monica Bike Center after which:
We invite you to join us for a Celebratory Handlebar Happy Hour Event

Location :    West 4th and Jane
Address:      1432A 4th Street (between Broadway & Santa Monica Blvd)
Time:           6:00 pm till ……when ever
Date:           May 15th

As always, please enjoy the event and ride responsibly

Morning event – Lady’s choice - a ride to coffee, tea, networking? We can explore the benefits, challenges and shared experiences as women on bikes. Non-gender specific – all are invited  - but lady’s choice on ride and topics.
Meet up location for morning beverage and conversation at Cafe Bello 7:30am, 1912 Broadway

Sunset Memorial Ride of Silence – in honor of the injured and killed cyclist. The ride is conducted in silence. This will be the 10th year of this international event and will be one of multiple Rides of Silence across LA.

Meet in front of Santa Monica City Hall at 6:30pm – roll at 7:00pmSanta Monica City Hall, 1685 Main Street
We’ll conclude the ride at Casa Martin Mexican Restaurant, 1654 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90401. Casa Martin is supporting bike month with 10% off during May when you arrive by bike.

Helen’s Cycles, 26th and Broadway
Bicycle safety checks from 7:30AM – 10AM, coupon good for $25 off a basic tune-up. Same free safety checks and coupons on Thursday Bike to Work Day.

Cynergy – Santa Monica Blvd at Cloverfield
special deals and discounts for bike month

Santa Monica Bike Center, 2nd and Colorado
Free bike safety checks all week and $10 off tune ups, not including parts

Team Bike Attack, Main Street
Free Air and Oil, Free Quick Inspections from 10am – 7pm

Performance Bicycles – 5th and Broadway
Free safety checks through Monday 5?13 plus special deals and discounts for bike month

Zone3 Multisport, 3216 Santa Monica Blvd.,
Free inspections 1-5pm