Bike mob video

Thank you so much to everyone who came to show San Diego that biking is an alternative form of transportation! Here is a video of our fabulous bike mob~enjoy!

If you are interested in staying involved email me vmlcunningham@gmail.com

less then tweleve hours from now....

Hey Folks,

I am super excited for tomorrow's bike ride!

Just a couple of last minute reminders

Please bring your own homemade sign reading "350" on it to pin your shirt and lots of water

The event is starting at 9am and we will be riding at 10am. During the hour we will be going over some basic bike safety and etiquette, the route and establishing traffic controllers. Also, we will be taking our carbon reducing pledges.

As for attire, dress to impress but we're not picky. We want to get there without too much discomfort, but we also want to be noticed as we ride by. So... biking gear, work clothes, suit and tie, halloween costumes are all acceptable. We're going to have fun, so what ever gets you there.

There are plenty of links below for safety, etiquette, transportation to the park, and the map.

If you are attending KickGas, plan your trip home accordingly. It will be dark when the festival is over and friars road is very different at night, so have lights and ready if you plan to ride back. Note that your ticket to the festival gets you a free trolley pass as well. And we will have a meeting place for all those who are just riding out to support 350, to return home after the photo.


See You all There, I hope you are as excited as We are!!!

What to bring and where to go....

As the ride is steadily approaching I just want to give a quick list of things you should bring

• WATER-two 24 oz water bottles at least
• A sign with 350, sort of like riding numbers except all will say 350. Bring pins to attached the sign to your shirt
• A lock and light (if you are planning on staying at the festival)
• $10.00 cash to get into the festival (going to the festival is optional)
• Cash if you want to take the trolley back
• And oh yeah....your helmet, don't leave home without it!

When we get to Qualcomm Stadium there should be plenty of bike parking. Additionally we will have our own fenced off area where we can chain our bikes to.

If you are planning on staying until the end of the festival (7pm) please be sure to bring your bike lights and look before hand at alternative routes to get home because Friars Rd might be inundated with traffic and we want all of you to get home safely.

A couple of post down are bike safety tips. If you are rusty on bike etiquette or are new to biking PLEASE read it and the following links.

How to get there

So... I'm sure your wondering what the best way to get to the ride is...

If you can't ride to the start point, we hope you can take public transportation. Here are two handy links that will help you get there. The first is a map of San Diego County and all of the desiganted bike routes. (PDF File)

The second is MTS trip planner. You can find it here.

As for parking there is a good size parking lot at Dusty Rhodes Park. There is additional parking across the street behind the skate park and tennis courts.

The event starts at 9:00am and we sill start the ride at 10am. During that hour we will be designating ride leads, getting our numbers on and taking our pledges. The ride will take about 1.5 hours. When we arrive to Qualcomm, we will be doing a photo with all of our pledges and a big 350 sign to commemorate our rockin ride. After the photo, people can enter the event for a discounted rate ($10.00), take the trolley to get home or I will be lead a ride back to Dusty Rhodes Park.

Ride Safety

Now its time for some housekeeping. Road Safety is going to be a big issue the day of the ride. Friars road is a very busy road and most drivers are not accustomed to sharing it with a large group of bikes. So we all should take the time to refresh our knowledge about the rules of the road.

The California Bicycle Coalition has some very good resources regarding all aspects of biking but the links for sharing the road can be found here:

CBC - Sharing the Road

I am particularly fond of a guide posted by the Marin County Bicycle Coalition about Etiquette and common sense, which we all need to use so that we don't alienate ourselves form those we are trying to reach out to.

Bike Etiquette

So please read up on these, safety is a serious issue and we all want to make it to our destination so we can ride another day. Even in large numbers, we are all responsible for ourselves on the road. And with these large numbers any mistake will be magnified in it effect on those around us. Please note that this is just a group of people getting together to ride to an event, You Will Be Riding At Your Own Risk.

KickGas Festival

It has come to my attention that the planning of this event may be causing some confusion. I wanted to note that we are not officially affiliated with The KickGas Festival. While we do support their cause, this event was planned independently for the 350 day of action.

The fact remains that in order to accomplish any sort of progress, we all need to work together.

So that being said, The KickGas Festival is going to be a great event, and I encourage everyone to check it out, but dont think that your not doing your part for 350 if you can't make it. We planned the ride to end there to show solidarity with others trying to promote the same cause in a different way.

In order to find solutions we need to look at every possible path forward. These two events promote a different, but equally important approach to reducing our dependance on carbon intensive energy. One advocates slowing down and looking to tradition to reduce our fuel use. The other looks technology to help us adapt to our ever changing world. Both are going to be necessary to keep our planet healthy and ensure the future of our civilization.

October 24th Draws Near!!

Well I Have to say, I'm getting Excited....

As the day grows closer, momentum is gaining and people are really starting to get interested in 350. Thanks to everyone who has responded so positively. Ive been getting out around town to publicize the event and people are happy to listen. So you may start seeing flyers around at your local bike shop or market. And if you dont see one where you want one, feel free to post one (or five) there.... just ask the management first :)

Ive uploaded my basic flyer to google docs and you can check it out here:

Flyer

There is also a more simple pdf version with 4 pages that can be printed as quarter sheet handouts. If you are connected to biking groups or plan on attending any cycling events please had a few out, sadly I cant be everywhere at once....

Quarter Page

Thanks again to all those who have been willing to help out with this event.

Ride Time Has Changed

Please note That Weve changed the Time of the Ride

We are now staging at 9am with hopes of being on the road by 10.

So sorry for any confusion.  We want everyone to get to the festival with enough time to see the whole thing.  There is a small admission charge to the Kickgas Festival and I want to make sure we can be there the whole day so its worth the price.

Thanks again for your support!!

How can I get Involved?...

Once Again, Thanks for taking the time to check out this event.

Im sure by now your wondering how you can get involved... Showing up is a good start :) The more people we have, The larger of an Impact we can make.

Please tell all of your friends, relatives, casual aquaintances, allies, alter ego's, sidekicks, homies, enemies, classmates, neigborhood kids, bike shop employees, community activists and organizers, government representatives, reporters, musicians, strangers and anyone else who might be interested. I have flyers and spoke cards prepared if you are willing to print some up (on reused, or eco-friendly paper) and pass them out.

Another thing we would like Is for all the Riders to make a "Race Number" to wear with the numbers 350 on them. You can decorate them and make them as big and colorful as you want. Just make sure you can wear it on your ride without killing yourself :) Ill Have some reused office paper, markers and safety pins on the day of... Just in case...

I Cant Wait to see you all there!!!

Ride Details

Ok here Are the Basic details For The October 24th Ride:

Meeting Place : Dusty Rhodes Park, Ocean Beach, CA

Time: 9:00 am Ride Starts by 10

Destination: Qualcomm Stadium

Were ending at the KickGas Festival, which Showcases Alternative Energy Vehicles, Local Products, Organizations, and Entertainment.

Bring: Please Make your Own 350 Race number to pin on your back from reused Paper. We want to show our solidarity in supporting the 350 organization.  Bring plenty of water and anything else that will get you there safely and get our group noticed.


There will be more information as the day Draws Closer.


Thank You everyone for Checking us out!!!!!

Im Excited to Join 350.org in Planning a Worldwide Day of action. Do your part and come down and ride with us. See you in October!

Just The Start!

Hey, You're here!

Good, That's the first step toward making a contribution to a Worldwide effort to raise awareness about Climate Change.

For all of you who have not heard of 350.org Check out their site. What you will find is a multinational core of inspired environmentalists and activists looking to make a bold statement about the current climate crisis. The Goal is to inspire individual groups across the globe to organize events to be seen by the media, lawmakers, and surprised citizens all coordinated on a specific day later this year. I'm interested in getting together a bike mob of more than 350 people (hopefully quite a few more) and taking over the streets of San Diego. Not only will this show people a unified force of concerned citizens respectfully making our point, but also reinforces need to use alternatives to automobiles and fossil fuels for transportation. Were going to make a short documentary and have it posted to the 350.org site and many others to hopefully give people a laugh and show them what they can do in their own communities.

Here is the 350.org mission from their site:


350.org is an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis--the solutions that justice demand.

Our mission is to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis--to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet.

Our focus is on the number 350--as in parts per million, the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. But 350 is more than a number--it's a symbol of where we need to head as a planet.

To tackle climate change we need to move quickly, and we need to act in unison--and 2009 will be an absolutely crucial year. This December, world leaders will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark to craft a new global treaty on cutting emissions. The problem is, the treaty currently on the table doesn't meet the severity of the climate crisis--it doesn't pass the 350 test.

In order to unite the public, media, and our political leaders behind the 350 goal, we're harnessing the power of the internet to coordinate a planetary day of action on October 24, 2009. We hope to have actions at hundreds of iconic places around the world - from the Taj Mahal to the Great Barrier Reef to your community - and clear message to world leaders: the solutions to climate change must be equitable, they must be grounded in science, and they must meet the scale of the crisis.

If an international grassroots movement holds our leaders accountable to the latest climate science, we can start the global transformation we so desperately need.




That said, You're probably still here because you have an interest in participating on October 24th, the day of action, and would like to pedal your way toward cleaner air.

My original plan was to have 350+ bikes mob together and ride out into the San Diego area. Seems there is already a devout group of riders who do this on a regular basis and regularly have way more than 350 riders :) This makes me very optimistic and If you are here from one of those groups thank you for taking a look and helping to do this for yet another good cause ...and I'll see you at the next Critical Mass.

So This being my first post, please feel free to contact me with any feedback and as time goes along I hope this event can become a success. Any photographers or videographers willing to lend their expertise will be greatly appreciated as well. Lets make this 350 day of action come alive!

Mark your Calendar for October 24th

350 Media

This is just a cool little video the 350.org produced.






You can Check out their Flickr Account too.