December 2020

A Look Back at 2020

The final year of the decade started up with much promise and excitement.  FCBC had many plans to further our mission to promote safe bicycling for everyday transportation and recreation in Fresno County through advocacy and education. These included participating in several parades, organizing and promoting many activities for Bike Month, putting on Smart Cycling classes at bike shops and in conjunction with the U.S. Green Building Council Central California, and leading many group rides throughout the year.

All the plans changed, of course, with the pandemic that took a horrific toll to society in terms of health and mortality, and disrupted needed human connection.  Everyday life changed for everybody, with many jobs lost, people working or being educated from home, travel halted, and going to the movies becoming a thing of the past.  The Creek Fire destroyed many homes in the Shaver Lake area and blanketed the Central Valley with poor air quality for weeks.  The racial reckoning highlighted many important issues regarding equity and reconciliation, including in transportation.

One possible bright spot in an otherwise dismal year was a resurgence in bicycling, with people looking for alternate ways to exercise with gyms closed.  Some also chose to bike because of concerns over the close quarters of mass transit.  The slow streets movement took hold in several cities but not within Fresno County, though not for a lack of trying.

FCBC was able to pivot and do Smart Cycling classes virtually, with many events done in conjunction with the U.S. Green Building Council Central California.  Effort was expended to deploy a Bike Match program in Fresno to get unused bikes to those in need of one.  There have been some hiccups to get the program launched, but the effort is ongoing.  Early in 2021, the FCBC Board will meet to determine the goals and plan the activities for the new year, as society transitions back closer to normal once the COVID-19 vaccines become widely available.

Bike Safe Fresno Smart Cycling Videos Online

The virtual Smart Cycling classes held in October in collaboration with U.S, Green Building Council Central California for their Bike Safe Fresno Program are available online.

In Part I, FCBC Board members and League Cycling Instructors Tony Molina, Jeremy Doyel, and John Liu cover bike basics, maintenance, and gear.  In Part II, John Liu, Ed Smith, Thor Smith, and Tony Molina discuss rules of the road, types of bicycle facilities, where to ride in Fresno, cargo carrying, bike locks, and accident avoidance.

Motherload Movie

As we all need something to look forward to in the coming year, FYI, FCBC is in the planning stages for a Virtual Screening of the “Motherload” movie in early 2021. We plan to include a post-screening Virtual Community Discussion with director Liz Canning and invited local guest panelists Fresno City Councilmember Esmeralda Soria, FUSD Trustee Veva Islas, and US Green Building Council Executive Director Laura Gromis.

http://motherloadmovie.com/welcome

MOTHERLOAD captures a new mother’s quest to understand the increasing isolation and disconnection of modern life, its planetary impact, and how cargo bikes could be an antidote.

Filmmaker Liz Canning cycled everywhere until she had twins in 2008. Motherhood was challenging, but to Liz hauling babies via car felt stifling. She Googled “family bike” and uncovered a global movement of people replacing cars with cargo bikes: long-frame bicycles designed for carrying heavy loads. Liz set out to learn more, and MOTHERLOAD was born.

Since making its world premiere in May 2019, MOTHERLOAD has been on a Global Screening Tour, winning multiple awards and playing over 300 venues.

Board Elections and Next General Membership Meeting

Nominations for the FCBC Board of Directors were closed last month.  The election will be held online on the FCBC website, and an email will be sent 12/9/20 to all current active FCBC members with a link to the poll. If you have been an FCBC member in the past and would like to vote, please update your membership status at https://www.fresnobike.org/join and email us for the election link and the Zoom link to the meeting at info@fresnobike.org. Please let us know if you any need assistance in updating your status or accessing the link if you are a member in good standing and did not receive it.  Members unable to vote online will be able to vote at the next general membership meeting, which will be held on Thursday, December 17 at 7:30 pm via Zoom.  Please join us with your favorite beverage and be ready to share your bike stories from 2020 before we count the votes. We would like to offer some virtual bike trivia member events this coming year so we will kick off our election meeting with some bike trivia “icebreakers” to “spice” up our annual holiday meeting. There is no candidate for Membership Coordinator, but the FCBC Board has the ability to fill vacant positions by majority vote at Board meetings.  Any FCBC member who has an interest to serve on the Board as Membership Coordinator can contact the Board at info@fresnobike.org for more information. Write-in candidates will be allowed on the ballot.  

The traditional group ride after the general membership meeting to Cindy Lane in Clovis to see the holiday lights will not be held this year.  Members are still encouraged to ride there on their own.  Here’s a look back at last year’s group ride to Cindy Lane:

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