August 2026

Summer in the Valley is winding down, school is starting back up, and the days are getting shorter — which means it's time to check that your lights and reflectors are working before your evening ride. This month we had a great week with middle school students at the FSTI Bike Academy, and we have some significant news on state legislation.

In this month's Newsletter:

• FCBC volunteers spent five days teaching bike skills to FUSD middle school students at the Fresno State Transportation Institute Bike Academy.
• A major bicycle donation from Trek North is already back out in the community thanks to our partners in Reedley.
• The next FCBC general membership meeting and FCBC Board meeting are scheduled for Tuesday, August 18 at 6:30 and 7:00 pm, respectively.

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FCBC VOLUNTEERS RIDE ALONG AT THE FSTI BIKE ACADEMY

FCBC was on campus all week for the Fresno State Transportation Institute Bike Academy, July 27–31, working with Fresno Unified middle school students. The week opened Monday with helmet decorating led by Samantha Gonzales and a health and first aid discussion with Tony Molina. John Liu delivered a Smart Cycling classroom presentation on Tuesday — reformatted at FSTI's request to be more hands-on and interactive — followed by a bike maintenance session with Danny Vazquez.

Wednesday was parking lot drills, with five stations covering the slalom, quick turns, and hand signaling, staffed by John Liu, Tony Molina, Samantha Gonzales, and me, Thor Smith! Lots of fun, and everyone braved the heat wonderfully. Thursday closed out the week with a group ride and a well-earned stop for free ice cream at Gibson Market. Our thanks to Cesar and the FSTI staff for the partnership, and to Rubber Soul Bicycles for supplying bicycles for the week. The kids had a great time!!

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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM SACRAMENTO AND WASHINGTON

Thanks to Nick Paladino for another thorough advocacy report. A few highlights members should know about:

• SB 1167 (e-bikes) — A comprehensive e-bike bill co-sponsored by four organizations including CalBike. It revises the definitions of electric bicycles, motor-driven cycles, and mopeds; updates labeling and disclosure requirements for manufacturers and sellers; strengthens false advertising protections; and adds new operational safety requirements. The Assembly Transportation Committee identified roughly 24 distinct changes to state law. The bill has cleared the Senate and Assembly Transportation and now sits in Assembly Appropriations. FCBC supports it as a way to end the ongoing confusion between legal e-bikes and electric mopeds, motorbikes, and motorcycles.
• Preserving Safe Bikeways (CalBike-sponsored) — Would prohibit removal of a bikeway built with state general funds for 20 years unless the change preserves the safety, accessibility, and mobility of people who aren't driving. It is aimed primarily at protecting Class IV separated facilities and would make reversing a road diet considerably harder.
• Active Transportation Program reform — CalBike is pushing for the program to favor bikeways connected to transit projects and to genuine network development rather than isolated segments.
• Youth e-bike education — A further bill would direct the State Department of Education, in consultation with the CHP, to develop a standardized e-bike safety and training program for students in grades 7 through 12.
• Federal outlook — The U.S. Department of Transportation is increasing scrutiny of projects that reduce roadway capacity, which disfavors road diets and makes bicycle-friendly federal grants harder to win. Five of the Federal Highway Administration's 28 evidence-based proven safety countermeasures have been eliminated, including bicycle infrastructure and bike lanes, road diets, speed safety cameras, variable speed limits, and appropriate speed limits for all road users. Surface transportation reauthorization has passed the House but is stalled in the Senate; an extension to maintain the funding stream is considered likely.

As John Liu noted at the meeting, bicycle fatalities are trending upward. Growing ridership without improving roadway infrastructure is a recipe for more of them — this is the wrong direction, and it is exactly why local advocacy matters.

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BIKES IN, BIKES OUT: A NEW STANDING REPORT

The Board has established a monthly Bike Donations and Dispositions report so that every bicycle that comes into FCBC hands and every bicycle that goes back out is on the record. Tony Molina will triage and respond to donation offers arriving at info@fresnobike.org, and John Liu will maintain the inventory and report to the Board each month.

Last month FCBC received a large donation from Trek North. Thanks!

If you have a bicycle you'd like to donate, email us at info@fresnobike.org with a photo or two and we'll let you know whether we can put it to good use.

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WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS

Please join us in welcoming our newest member, who signed on as a Catalyst member this month. Welcome aboard!

A note from your Membership Coordinator: if you ever receive a lapsed-membership notice you believe is in error, or you mailed a renewal check to the P.O. Box and haven't seen a receipt, just email info@fresnobike.org and we will sort it out promptly. We would much rather hear from you than have you assume you've dropped off the rolls.

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COMING UP, AND WAYS TO HELP

• Coffee Outside — Returning in October, date to be announced. Watch next month's newsletter.
• World Day of Remembrance — Mid-November. FCBC will observe this important day honoring people killed and injured in traffic; details to follow.
• Board elections — Coming this November and December. If you've been thinking about getting more involved, this is your year. The Chair position is currently open following Edna Pedroza's resignation in June, with Vice Chair John Liu serving as Acting Chair.
• FCBC swag — We're scoping out t-shirts, tote bags, pins, and pens for our event table. Samantha Gonzales has floated a high-visibility hot pink option to complement our traditional orange. If you have vendor recommendations or opinions, we want to hear them.
• Ride of Silence — The Fresno Cycling Club's Ride of Silence drew only about 20 riders this year. It's an event squarely aligned with our safety mission, and FCBC intends to help promote it next spring.

And a special thank you to Edna Pedroza, who has run Bike Prom for ten years. The Board is actively working on how to carry that tradition forward.

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Next General Membership and Board Meetings

The next general membership and Board meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, August 18 at 6:30 pm and 7:00 pm, respectively, via Zoom. The general membership meeting is for members and nonmembers to meet with the Board prior to the official Board meeting to ask questions or raise issues for the Board to consider. Board meetings are restricted to members only.

If you would like to participate in either or both meetings, email info@fresnobike.org to register and we will send you the Zoom link.

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Membership

If you are not yet a member of FCBC or need to renew, please visit https://fresnobike.org/join to become a member or renew your membership.

Happy riding, and keep an eye out for kids on bikes now that school is back in session!

Have a comment or suggestion? Contact us at info@fresnobike.org.

Thor "Tori" Smith
Membership Coordinator, Fresno County Bicycle Coalition