Two Wheelin' Tempe

Update: Prom Ride is now Vegan Zombie Prom Ride!

Lauren Fach — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:08:06 +0000

This image and content were provided by the Tempe Bicycle Action Group. Check out their Facebook event. http://on.fb.me/KqGbqp

Where: Meet at Tempe Beach Park entrance: the northwest corner of Rio Salado Parkway and Mill Avenue in TempeWhen: Saturday, May 12, 7:30 p.m.Cost: FREE

How: For more information, contact biketempe.org

Wish you could relive the sweaty-palmed dance, the oddly posed photos, the drama and excitement of your first prom? This may not be the prom for you.

This go around, prom will be less about getting a pink blush on your cheeks after your first kiss, and more about keeping your rotting body parts from falling off.

May 12, the Tempe Bicycle Action Group’s Second Saturday ride will be infected by the Vegan Zombie Beer Club in all their undead glory.

Get out that rotting old tux and taffeta dress, and give your maggot-eaten face a shine – the ghouls are hitting the town!

Meet other festively dressed corpses at 7:30 p.m. in Tempe Beach Park, on the northwest corner of Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway. Photographers will be on hand for pics with props and a backdrop for your dead heart to dote on for eternity. Then the ghoulish party will set off on bicycles to the fine drinking establishments of Tempe.

All cyclists are invited. Please RSVP to the Facebook event at the Tempe Bicycle Action Group Facebook page.

Too Busy Riding Around On My Bike

Lauren Fach — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:59:21 +0000

I know that I haven’t produced a particularly entertaining blog in some time. I’m really sorry about that! It’s a shame because there have been so many bike events going on in Tempe in April! After all we’ve had the most lovely weather that one could dream of for a bike ride! (I highly recommend Tempe Town Lake for a breezy ride during sunset- beautiful!) If you have attended any bike events recently please feel free to drop me a line about your experience at the event or even a photo. Whatever you want to share!

So here’s my excuse, I’ve been super busy with classes, a PR internship and even hiking when I really need to get out, but the important thing for my readers to know is that, where ever I may be, I most likely rode my bike there! Throughout the last few semesters at school, my car has been unreliable and I mostly use my bike on the daily! Think of all the gas money I have saved! (Although I’m still paying car insurance!?) I’ve taken my bike on the light rail many times and that is always an adventure. It’s difficult because my bike is about medium weight, which is too heavy for Lizzle to lift onto the little rack on the train. Sad face

Anyways, I usually upload photos to Twitter and sometimes to this blog, when my iPhone app is working correctly! If you want to keep up with me and my travels on bike, make sure to follow @twowheelintempe and @lizzlemynizzle. I also made up the hashtag is #GoRideABike and it’d be cool with me if you borrow that from time to time!

Happy Biking!

Time For Another ‘That Bike On The Street’

Lauren Fach — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:19:38 +0000

I’ve seen another bike in passing that caught my eye! This bike is a lime green Cannondale road bike. I love the white racing handlebars. I saw this bike near ASU’s Tempe campus on College Avenue and Sixth Street. It’s a neat bike, but also pretty expensive.

What is your favorite brand of bike? I currently have a Schwinn hybrid that fits my lifestyle quite nicely!

The Bike Thief Strikes Again

Lauren Fach — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 03:55:50 +0000

Another bike has been stripped of its wheels, seat and chain on the ASU Tempe campus. This bike was selected by one of the many sneaky bike thieves that like to frequent near the ASU campuses. What was once a stylish ride is now the sad remains of a bike frame, that could end up chained to this pole at the Rural & University light rail stop indefinitely. Many disassembled bikes face the same fate, as many bike owners become discouraged and abandon their once prized two-wheelers.

Don’t let this happen to you! Use a sturdy U-lock and a second lock- a thick cable lock to secure quick release wheels. Also, if you see a suspicious person tampering with a bike, call the Tempe Police at 480.350.8311… Or if you feel brave, strike up a conversation with them about the bike in front of them. This should throw the bike thief a curve ball. We, as cyclists, have to be proactive about making our bikes difficult for a thief to steal. It may not be fair, but you’ll be happier riding your bike than wondering how you will get a wheel-less bicycle home!

Links:

New Twitter Account

Lauren Fach — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 05:56:41 +0000

Two-Wheelin’ Tempe has been borrowing my Twitter handle for far too long and finally I decided to reach out in the Twitter world through a separate, but also wonderful, Twitter account. If you enjoy stories from cyclists, biking tips, information about gear, bike rides and events in Tempe- make sure to follow @TwoWheelinTempe! Thank you for stopping by!

#GoRideABike

Second Saturday Bike Rides

Lauren Fach — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:00:14 +0000

If you have been wanting to join in on local group bike rides and enjoy activities that usually stop or end near a bar, you will have more chances each month on Second Saturdays, all year!

Thanks to Tempe Bicycle Action Group, also known as TBAG, for scheduling these rides, making them fun and open to anyone! You don’t have to be an experienced cyclist like Lance Armstrong to participate. But remember to be safe. Bring a bike light, reflective gear and your U-lock!

ALL RIDES BEGIN at the Tempe Town Lake entrance on the NW corner of Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway.

Here is the bike ride schedule for:

TBAG SECOND SATURDAYS 2012

March 10- Mustache Ride: Whether you have a mustache or not, buy one, grow one or draw one on for this fun ride! Here are some fabulous ‘staches to aspire to!

April 14- Hotel Bar Ride: How often do you frequent the hotel bars in this area? Give them a chance tonight! Actual hotel bar locations to be announced.

May 12- Prom Ride: If you can still fit into your Prom getup from high school, wear it! If not check out a local thrift store or your parent’s closet for your evenings attire.

June 9- ‘Steers and Beers’ Cowboy Ride: The perfect excuse to wear cowboy boots and saddle up on your bike for a fun night!

July 14- Second Saturday Ride

Aug. 11- Trailer Park Ride: Did someone say jorts? Find a outfit that Kid Rock would appreciate.

Sept. 8- Second Saturday Ride

Oct. 13- Zombie Ride: Prepare for Halloween with the Zombie Ride.

Nov. 10- Harvest Ride: Enjoy a bike ride in the crisp fall weather. Celebrate the season in any way you see fit!

Dec. 8- Eggnog Ride: The annual holiday lights viewing ride. Wear an ugly, holiday sweater and bring a thermos of eggnog!

Jeremy Staat’s Wall-to-Wall Cross Country Bicycle Ride

Lauren Fach — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:30:47 +0000

4,163 miles… 15 states… 100 days…

… and lots of determination!

Some of you may not know who Jeremy Staat is… but you may have heard or read that he is coming to ASU, as a stop on his Wall-to-Wall Cross Country Bicycle Ride.

ASU Alumni, former NFL player and Iraqi War veteran, Jeremy Staat

Staat played professional football for the Pittsburg Steelers, St. Louis Rams and arena football for the Los Angeles Avengers. But before all of that, he began his football career at ASU and was friends with our local hero, Pat Tillman. After the tragic loss of Tillman, Staat lost interest and decided to leave his career in football. He chose to join the United States Marine Corps, and is now an Iraqi War veteran.

Staat formed the Jeremy Staat Foundation to raise awareness and support for the nation’s veterans and veterans organizations. By stopping at ASU, Staat hopes to promote veterans centers on college campuses.

Staat and fellow Iraqi War veteran, Wesley Barrientos, are riding more than 4,163 miles starting at the Wall of Valor in Bakersfield, Calif., to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. Barrientos is a three-time Iraq War veteran, three-time Purple Heart recipient and a double amputee who rides a hand-crank bicycle. Both Staat and Barrientos are both from Bakersfield.

Wesley and Jeremy taking a short break

The Wall-to-Wall Bicycle Tour will arrive outside of Sun Devil Stadium around 2 p.m. on March 8. The ride will conclude in D.C. on Memorial Day.

Keep up with Jeremy and Wesley:

Click here to follow the ride schedule.
You can also keep track of where the riders are right now on the website.

We can’t wait to see you at ASU on Thursday!

For related articles:

Wall-to-Wall riders get an enthusiastic welcome in Tehachapi (The Bakersfield Californian)
Cheer On Jeremy Staat As Wall to Wall Ride Arrives in Tempe (House of Sparky)
Pedaling hope: War Veterans Plan 4,163 mile bike ride (MSNBC.com)
Wall-to-Wall: The Journey of Jeremy Staat (NFLPlayers.com)

Walk Your Wheels Campaign on ASU campus

Lauren Fach — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:57:50 +0000

If you use a bike, skateboard, longboard, scooter or other method of wheeled transportation on Tempe campus, you may be aware of the Walk Your Wheels campaign, brought to us by the Undergraduate Student Government put in place to make crowded areas safer. The Walk Your Wheels campaign started in the beginning of the 2011- 2012 school year and the purpose was to encourage safety in congested mall areas, by asking people on bikes or other wheeled means of transportation to dismount while in the crowd. I have seen the signs in a few spots on campus and depending on if the foot traffic around me was heavy or not, I have obeyed the request. But what do you think? The USG wants student input for the future of the campaign. Walk Your Wheels could become a stricter program, not allowing wheeled transportation on campus at all, or the program could dismantle if people are not happy with the results. If this campaign effects you- make your opinion known! Take the survey to ensure that your voice is heard!

Click here for more information on the Walk Your Wheels campaign. The State Press has also covered this topic multiple times and I included links to a few recent articles below.

From an article by The State Press(Photo by Shawn Raymundo)

Some related articles from the State Press:

Walk Your Wheels campaign falls short (Feb. 28, 2012)

USG makes final push for Walk Your Wheels campaign (Jan. 11, 2012)

Students weigh in during Walk Your Wheels forum (Nov. 3, 2011)

Walk Your Wheels to officially launch (Sept. 18, 2011)

That Bike On The Street

Lauren Fach — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 01:17:09 +0000

Sometimes you might be walking around town, when something happens to catch your eye. If you are anything like me, it’s probably a flashy bike! In order to share some cool bikes with you, I decided to start capturing moments like this to feature in a segment appropriately called, “That Bike On The Street”. If I am lucky, I hope to occasionally snag a quick interview with the bicycle owner.

So here you go folks, this is the first edition of That Bike On The Street. I just had to snap a pic of this beach cruiser because of the unique pink lotus flower designs. This bike is made by Electra and can be found here. I saw it locked up at Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe, a prime location for some sweet rides. Enjoy!

Beer, Brunch and Bikes

Lauren Fach — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:56:42 +0000

Do you want to indulge in beer flavored recipes on a delicious brunch menu….AND to bike all the live long day?

I thought you might! Remember to schedule an event alert in your iPhone for this Saturday, Feb. 18.

Arizona Beer Week is coming back to town with events scheduled each day! Saturday’s ‘Beer, Brunch and Bikes’ starts off the week of beer-related festivities. Arizona Beer Week is Feb. 18 – 25.

I love that we just celebrated the Centennial in Arizona and now we have a whole week devoted to beer!

This event begins at 10 a.m. at the SunUp Brewery, in Phoenix on Camelback Road and Central Avenue (Map). When you arrive, come hungry for a hearty breakfast and make sure to save some energy for a 3-mile bike ride to the Strong Beer Festival. The bike ride should be fairly easy and open to cyclists of all skill levels, but I’d assume you have to be 21-years-old to participate in the Strong Beer Festival. Two local bike groups, Tempe Bicycle Action Group and Phoenix Critical Mass, will be in attendance. They always love to get down on a local bike ride, especially if a nice cold beverage is waiting at the end destination! They will also be providing safety marshals to escort the bike ride to more beer!

Phoenix Critical Mass

SunUp will be opening at 10 a.m. for the beer brunch buffet, which costs $15. Here ‘s what you can expect on the menu: coffee and tea, Hefeweizen pancakes with lemon beer butter, breakfast potatoes, Amber poached breakfast sausage (regular and vegan sausage), assorted quiches, steel cut oatmeal cooked in soy milk served with bananas and brown sugar, and assorted pastries. Happy hour prices will be in full effect all day to kick start Arizona Beer Week off right!

Important Info:

Date: Saturday, Feb. 18

Time: Brunch: 10 a.m., Strong Beer Festival:1 p.m.- 5 p.m.

Cost: $15 for brunch buffet

Where: SunUp Brewery, 322 E Camelback Rd., Phoenix, AZ, 85012
(602) 279-8909

http://www.arizonabeerweek.com/