If you live in the Sacramento area, there is a good chance you have ridden your bike while commuting or for pleasure, and you have probably indulged in some locally made craft beer. Living in an area with an abundance of beautiful weather and locations to feed an appetite only increases the chance you have combined outdoor recreation with beer and cuisine. In honor of springtime in the Sacramento valley, why not hop on your bike and explore what’s brewing near you. Biking and Beer offers a perfect yin and yang experience between the indoor and the outdoor, the intimate conversation that sharing a freshly poured pint encourages, and the freedom gained through traveling on a bicycle. Not on

In the 1970s, a wave of young people, including Sacramento State students and state employees, moved to Sacramento’s central city, drawn by inexpensive rents, beautiful homes and tree-lined streets. Many shared an interest in craftsmanship, sharing techniques to restore older homes and create unique works of art, and used these skills to fix up their own houses or started businesses to help others turn faded homes back into gems. Tim Holt, publisher of Sacramento's Suttertown News weekly newspaper, called them “Sacramento's Urban Pioneers--New People in Old Houses.” They left a legacy of art, craftsmanship, entrepeneurship, neighborhood activism, and restored historic homes. Join us for a

The Greens Hotel on Del Paso Boulevard hosted the first event of a summer series that will hopefully become a requisite Thursday evening activity for Sacramentans in-the-know. The REEL Bike-In Theater hosts an outdoor movie on the big screen every first and third Thursday through the end of October. The purpose of the event is two-fold: to give the creative minds of the city something fun to do on Thursday night and to work towards changing the stigma that has been placed upon the area of Del Paso Boulevard for so long. Indian Jones in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” was up first. The hotel complex was the perfect place to start the cool down after an ultra-hot Sacramento day, and neighborhood

Mike’s Bikes and PODS of Sacramento team up to collect bikes for African charity through April 29   For the second year, Sacramento moving and storage company lends support to gather donations for bike retailer’s sister shops in Africa. (SACRAMENTO, Calif.) – From now through April 29, PODS of Sacramento is lending its support to Mikes Bikes, the largest independent bicycle retailer in the U.S., to help collect donations for their ongoing Africa Bike program. A PODS® container has been placed at the Sacramento Mike’s Bikes store located at 1411 “I” St. (at 14th Street) and the public is encouraged to help fill it with donations of new or used bikes that will then be sent to Mike’s Bikes

In case you didn't already know: it's a great weekend to be in Sacramento. In addition to the arrival of the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) at the Convention Center, it's also the finale weekend of Sacramento Beer Week. Both were epitomized at Thursday's Art Bike Kick Off Party at Hot Italian. Hot Italian was serving their Beer Week special--a Moretti in a glass you get to keep--and Sierra Nevada was on site giving out samples of their beers. Three Art Bikes were on display (have you seen the other nine around town?): a Trike (that you were encouraged to climb on for a photo opp), a Shark Bike, and a St. Patty's Day Bike. The crowd was asked to submit their vote for their fa

The 62nd Sacramento Autorama once again brought the premiere custom car show on the west coast to town. From Friday to Sunday thousands of vehicle enthusiasts visited the Cal Expo Fairgrounds to enjoy a fun-filled weekend of bicycle, motorcycle, motor boat and classic car exhibits. The theme for this year’s Autorama was "Futuristic" and the Main Hall of Building A housed vehicles that fit the theme. Some of the finest hot rods, boats, custom vehicles and motorcycles from across the U.S. and around the world made their way to the fairgrounds to compete for awards. Not only were motorized vehicles up for awards but also unicycles, bicycles, mini-bikes and even a stroller or two. Nea

For anyone wanting an energizing bike ride in January that won’t take them into the freezing winter cold, Hot Italian on 16th and Q streets has just the thing: Savage Sprints. For the second year in a row, the Midtown restaurant is hosting a series of stationary bike races free to anyone who wants to show up and ride. The next racing event will be Jan. 8. “They are small interval races of about 10 to 12 seconds (each),” Alisa Kuwabara, a supervisor at Hot Italian, said Friday. “It sounds short, but it’s really intense and gets your heart racing like crazy.” The head-to-head races start with little kids on smaller bikes, and progress to adult races on larger bikes, Kuwabara said. Accord

During the cold winter nights, the colorful Christmas lights on homes around town bring warmth to the hearts of passers-by. Each decorated house, big and small, has its own charm – front lawns filled with Santa Claus balloons and figures, brightly lit reindeer, colorful candy cane lights, and even cartoon penguins and bears. Some homes have lights overflowing their rooftops and trees, and some have their lights dance to the tune of Christmas carols. Cars slow down in amazement, smiles on their occupants’ faces, as they gaze at the festive decorations. Here are the photos from some of the houses Kalyn Ruijters and I took around our neighborhoods – East Sacramento, South Sacramento, and El

Q. I just moved to Sacramento and have noticed many people riding bicycles around town. Biking to work would be ideal, but I’m worried about dealing with traffic in certain areas and would be tempted to ride part of the way on sidewalks. I have a hunch this is illegal, yet I see cyclists doing this pretty often. Could I be ticketed for riding my bike on a sidewalk? - Dan A. Sidewalks are invariably appealing to bicyclists: smooth, level surfaces that facilitate cruising and offer a cushion of safety from approaching vehicles and their drivers, some of whom may still be using handheld devices to talk or text. Despite popular belief, sidewalks can be lawful segments of bicycle routes, but

The 2nd annual Vélo & Vintage Fashion Show was held at Hot Italian Saturday night in Sacramento.  The show is as much about bicycles as fashion. Lorena Beightler of Sac Cycle Chic founded the event to highlight "urban cycling as a smart, stylish and fashionable mode of transport." Kari Shipman of Juniper James organized the event with Beightler. Models attired in vintage clothing sourced from local boutiques rode a variety of vintage and newer bicycles into the restaurant and onto the runway. Each of the ten models showed three different looks ranging from "daytime" to "night" and ending with a "crazy" look that included a wild mishmash of styles, smeared makeup, and plenty of attitude.

New bike lanes could be added to 65th Street if the city receives enough cash from the state. The City Council is expected to approve the application for funding to install bicycle lanes on 65th Street between Fourth Avenue and Folsom Boulevard. The issue will be reviewed at Tuesday night’s council meeting. The city’s transportation department estimates the new bike lanes will cost $337,000 to install. California would pay most of the project’s costs if it selects the city’s application for the state’s Bicycle Transportation Account grant program. The city would pay 10 percent of the cost from revenues from Measure A, a local half-cent sales tax applied to street projects, according to E

Bicycle theft in Sacramento’s central city is an ongoing problem, but cyclists can take steps to minimize their chances of becoming victims. “People come in here every day telling me their bikes got stolen,” said Simon Garcia, assistant manager of City Bicycle Works at 2419 K St. “Every day. I’m not exaggerating.” The obvious tip for keeping a bike from being stolen is to lock it up, but it isn’t that simple, according to Garcia. “I consider all locks deterrents,” he said. “(But) if someone wants the bike, the lock won’t stop them.” Having said that, he added that some locks are better than others, and U-locks like the ones pictured below are the best easily transportable locks for sec

Midtown resident Sheila Wages treasured her brand-new bicycle – a seven-speed cruiser her boyfriend had put a lot of effort into picking out for her. She kept it in her back yard, from where it was stolen in August. Wages started a Facebook page for stolen Midtown bicycles within the next couple of days. “It started out as a joke,” she said, adding that the Facebook page has since taken on a life of its own, where users will post details of their stolen bikes and possible places to look out for them. “When my bike was first stolen, I didn’t realize what an epidemic (bike theft) was,” Wages said. “You’ve got to lock them up and take them inside if you can.” According to Wages, one of th

Sacramento residents will get a chance to comment on the city's plan to reintroduce cars to K Street Mall at a community meeting on the issue Thursday evening. The meeting is one of the last opportunities for people to give feedback on the design concept, which is not yet complete. The Sacramento City Council previously approved a $2.7 million construction and design project allowing cars back on K Street from Eighth to 12th streets. The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 - 7 p.m. at the historic City Hall, 915 I St. The public's input is being sought before the City Council's Nov. 4 meeting. The council will be asked to approve an environmental study and allow the final design work to be un

On Sunday, September 19, the Sacramento Old City Association presents its 35th annual Home Tour, focusing on the homes of Q Street's Bungalow Row and Winn Park. Sacramento Press reporter Brandon Darnell detailed the story behind the Home Tour here: www.sacramentopress.com/headline/35635/Historic_homes_to_open_for_tour The home tour's "base of operations" this year, where tickets are sold, is located in Winn Park, at the corner of 28th and P Street. Winn Park is also the location of the tour's street fair, featuring local contractors, artisans, crafters, artists and organizations. At the center of the park, near the fire relay station that is one of the stops on the tour, musical perform

A festive, county fair sort of atmosphere prevailed as people milled around with frames yoked over their shoulders, talking bikes, and revving their engines Sunday at the Vintage Bicycle and Motorcycle Swap Meet. A line of eager cycle enthusiasts stretching a quarter mile waited for the gates to open as early as 7 a.m. Sunday morning where Sacramento 6 Drive-in hosted the Vintage Bicycle and Motorcycle Swap Meet. Up to 1,000 people showed up to the event, which Marshall Topping of Topping Events, Inc. called “the world’s largest motorcycle garage sale.” “There was a guy here today who ran into the man he bought his first bike from,” Topping said, pointing excitedly. “They haven’t seen ea

The opening of a commuter/touring bike shop and cafe next to the downtown train station has stalled. Brothers Tim and Mike Fallis originally had expected to open Depot Bikes & Cafe at the Railway Express Agency Building, 431 I St., Suite 102, in mid-May. They planned to sell, rent and service bikes and offer ready-to-go food and beverages. The opening was pushed back to July or August when they took over the lease for the space next door, after 5th and H Café closed Memorial Day Weekend. No work appears to have been done on either retail space since then, and temporary signs announcing the coming of Depot Bikes have been taken down. Tim Fallis could not be reached for comment.   Pho

Businesses in the heart of Sacramento still have time to order free capital city-inspired bike racks as National Bike Month winds down. The city's Department of Transportation has installed 81 racks since a pilot bicycle parking program launched last year. That means there are still another 19 left out of 100 rack installations planned to help build a bike-friendly downtown. Their unique appearance has earned them the nickname "Sac racks." Each green rack comes with a Capitol bicycle logo — an identifying symbol made from fusing the silhouette of a tiny two-wheeler inside the outline of a Capitol dome, said city Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Ed Cox, who designed the logo. The bike

The first annual Fit Crawl on Saturday had 38 "crawlers" ride bicycles to five locations for a 20-minute preview of different fitness methods. Downtown locations included Pipeworks for rock climbing, Fleet Feet to learn about proper running shoes and technique, Ultimate Fitness for in-ring training and bag work, Asha Yoga to try the styles of yoga and Bodytribe, for a fresh take on fitness training. The Crawl was put on by the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness, and sponsored by PepsiCo.  The $35 ticket included bike rental, loaned from Bikes and Bites.  The Wellness Task Force, in existence since 2002, focuses on fitness and nutrition in schools and the workplace. Exe

Whether your idea of an attractive model is Christy Turlington or a Schwinn classic cruiser, one particular Second Saturday Art Walk event this weekend could be for you. Exploring the intersection between bike culture and fashion, Velo and Vintage will feature local models dressed in vintage threads - no Lycra allowed - from local shops. Thus attired, they will then cruise down the runway - atop color-coordinated bicycles. Nevertheless, with two shows Saturday night in the expansive and stylish space of Hot Italian pizzeria at the corner of 16th and Q in Sacramento, Velo and Vintage isn’t just about wheels and wedges. It’s about community. Conceived in the fertile, bike-obsessed imagina