Upcoming Events

July 2nd, BCA’s Final Bike First Friday Art Scavenger Hunt. Read below in Past Events about the May 7th First Friday to get the idea. Scavenger hunt questions and map will be available at BCA’s website July 1. July’s Bike First Friday is featuring 1% for Art installations around town. Put your riding legs on. We’re going Downtown, Dimond, Kincaid, and to West Anchorage before finishing for a beer at our new finish location- CAFE AMSTERDAM (who is very excited to have us) at 8:30 pm!

Summer Festivals Free & Secure Bike Parking:

Everyone loves our Free And Secure Bike Parking Service. It allows you to enjoy all the benefits and advantages of bike commuting, without having to be concerned with the security of your bike. We usually park about 200 bikes during these events, and each bike represents less cars on the road, fewer parking problems, and a healthier Anchorage. This is a secured valet system, so we attach a ticket to each bike and give a matching ticket to the rider. When they are ready to pick up their bike, we match up the tickets and give them the bike. Last year we did four events, and this year we’re already signed up for six! We’re going to need your help to make these events a success. It takes volunteers to help with setting up, staffing the event, and taking it down. Please consider signing up for at least an hour or two to help with our bike parking services. These events are a lot of fun to participate in, and a great way to spend a summer afternoon, and also know you are helping the bike commuting community move forward. There’s a list of the events we need help with below. To sign up send an email to info@bicycleanchorage.org.

May 1st: Bike to Work Fashion Show (University Center)

May 8th-9th: The Clean Air Challenge (Talkeetna)

June 19: Summer Solstice (4th Ave and Town Square)

June 19: Solstice Midnight Sun Ride (Kincaid Park Chalet to Downtown)

June 26: Alaska Pride Festival (Park Strip)

July 4: 4th Of July Celebration (Park Strip)

August 7: Renewable Engery Fair (Park Strip)

Summer Bike Fridays

First Friday

More information to come!

Last Friday – Coffee & Treats for Commuters:

On the last Friday of the month, throughout the summer, BCA will again be offering coffee and treats to morning commuters. Its a small way for us to say thanks for biking and encourage those that otherwise may leave the bike at home. If you want to help with any of our coffee and treats stations please let us know at info@bicycleanchorage.org.

BCA’s Past Events

May 30th, 2-5pm, BCA Veggie Spring Roll. A Food Garden Tour & Salad and Salmon barbeque. BCA leaders will take you on a tour of 5-6 food gardens. This is an opportunity to learn how easy it is to grow your own food, reduce your food costs, and eat deliciously, healthy munchies you grow! We’ll collect salad greens along the tour to contribute to our salmon and salad potluck. limited # of participants. You must contact Dawn at 338-0484, ordawngroth@alaska.net to register. $10 donation to BCA appreciated.

May 21st: Bike to Work Day- No, you’re not dreaming when you pass the Chester Creek/New Seward Hwy section of the Chester Creek trail and smell bacon. BCA and Spenard Roadhouse is cooking up bacon! Plus some of our city’s current and past assembly members; Matt Claman, Patrick Flynn, Jennifer Johnston, and Debbie Ossiander will be out there serving you the most deliciously brewed coffee from Ravens Brew to help you get your groove on. BCA suggests you don’t miss it! 7-9am.

May 12th: Are you ready for Bike To Work Day (May 21st)? Are you geared up for the summer commuting season? Do you know the Rules of the Road? Or what the most common danger zones are and the simple things you can do
to stay safe? If you answered “No” to any of these questions, join BCA at REI on May 12th from 6PM to 8PM for a Bike To Work Day Clinic.

May 7th: Yippee! It’s BCA’s inaugural Bike First Friday! This BCA event is designed to encourage you to enjoy First Friday in Anchorage the non-motorized way, on your bike! Celebrate the beginning of the weekend, get some exercise, and chase down scavenger hunt questions with your friends/family/kids.

Start by downloading the questions on this website. Pick a meet up location with your friends at one of the locations on the scavenger hunt. Plan your attack; concentrate downtown, or pedal to Dimond to really stretch your legs. Enjoy a cup of delicious cayenne pepper hot chocolate at Modern Dwellers or sip a sudsy at Midnight Sun Brewing.

No matter where you start, meet up at the Anchorage Museum at 8:30pm to finish and quibble about the answers to the scavenger hunt. BCA’s free bike valet will be set up, so you can relax and enjoy the live music and vivacious conversations with all the other participants. Participation prizes to be given out by the bike valets.

Remember to follow the rules of the road. You are BCA’s Bicycle Ambassadors.

April 20th: BCA Party at Midnight Sun Brewery. We will be hosting a party at Midnight Sun from 6pm to 8pm on the 20th to celebrate the unanimous passage of the Anchorage Bike Plan and to let everyone know about all the upcoming events we have planned for this coming summer. We will also be looking for volunteers to sign up and help out with our summer events. Without volunteers we simply wont be able to provide the types of services, like bike parking and coffee and treats for commuters. So come on out and find out how you can get involved. And if you are one of the first 30 to sign up you get a free beer. Does it get much better than that?

May 1st: Bike to Work Fashion Show & Festival. BCA, the Muni Health and Human Services and GreenStar will be at the University Center May 1st from 1-3 showcasing gear that makes bicycling to work easy. We will also cover some general safety tips. Its a great time to come out if you are considering participating in Bike to Work day but are not sure how to make it safe and convenient. The BCA will provide Free And Secure Bike Parking, so come down by bike and we’ll handle the parking for you.

May 1st and 2nd: Jane’s Walk and Roll 2010 is a national event, taking place in cities and communities around the country on May 1-2. The event is a series of free neighborhood walking or bicycling tours honoring the legacy of urbanist Jane Jacobs and helping to put people in touch with their urban environment and with each other, by bridging social and geographic gaps and creating a space for cities and communities to discover themselves. The Alaska Center for the Environment will be hosting a series of activities, including a bike ride around downtown. Lori Schanche, drafter of the Anchorage Bike Plan will be on hand to explain what the Bike Plan will bring to our city. Stay tuned for more details.

March 31, 2010 – Bike Commuting Clinic at REI

February 20 - Winter Trails Day 2010

October 23, 2009- REI Public Lands Open House

The BCA will be one of the groups at REI’s Public Lands Open House on Friday Oct 23 from 5PM – 8PM. Stop by and learn about BCA’s current and future events, and opportunities for volunteering. Many other local groups involved in public lands and parks will also be there. The event is free, and there will be light refreshments.

October 7- Winter Bike Commuting Clinic

On Wednesday Oct 7, 2009 from 6PM-8PM at REI, the Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage will host a free clinic on Winter Bicycle Commuting. We’ll cover gear, winter riding techniques, and how to get around Anchorage by bike in the winter.

August & September Bike Fridays

When: Last Friday of the Month – July 31, August 28, & September 25

What: BCA will be handing out Free Coffee and Treats.

Where:

• Tudor/Elmore at Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Building parking lot (6:30am-9:00am)
• Chester Creek Trail at Lake Otis baseball fields (7:45am-8:45am)
• Campbell Creek Trail just west of the Seward Hwy bridge (7:00am-9:00am)

If you want to volunteer or help us extend our network with a new location please contact us at: info@bicycleanchorage.org

August 1st – Renewable Energy Alaska Project Fair Bike Valet Parking

August 1st from 11:00am to 9:00pm we will be back at it looking after your bike while you enjoy the REAP Fair. The Bike Valet Parking is a free, secure and convenient way to leave your bike while checking out the booths and music.

More information about the REAP Fair can be found here.

July 4th Bike Parade and free BCA/Off the Chain Bike Valet

July 4, 10:00am-6:30 pm. The Bike Parade starts at 11:00am on 9th Ave at K St. and heads west around the Delaney Parkstrip

Given that it is a 4th of July parade, dress & bike decoration are HIGHLY encouraged, especially in red, white & blue. The theme is “NORTH TO THE FUTURE.” Bike parade planners hope that there will be commuter bikes, mountain bikes, road bikes, trick bikes, tall bikes, short bikes, kids on bikes, kids in bike trailers or bike seats, bakfiets, recumbents, tandems, unicycles, and any other human powered cycle you can think of. Keep in mind, there’ll be LOTS of stopping and this is a fun ride that will move rather slowly. Helmets are of course encouraged.

After the parade, valet check your bike at 10th and I and roam around downtown enjoying the festivities while BCA guards your wheels.