On Saturday, November 5, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC)
hosted our inaugural LA Bike Fest, where we announced our new name: BikeLA! We want to start by thanking each and every one of you who helped make LA Bike Fest a success whether you purchased a ticket, became a peer-to-peer fundraiser, donated, or promoted it.
OVER $90,000 RAISED!
Our entire Team and Board were blown away by the support and attendance of this new approach to fundraising. We are already looking forward to creating something bigger and better for you next year!
We thank all of our sponsors for their generous donations, from money to prizes to swag!
Gold Helmet Sponsors
Silver Helmet Sponsors
Bronze Helmet Sponsors
Laemmle Charitable Foundation
Story Bikes
Underwriters
Beer Sponsor Safety Sponsor Hydration Sponsor
RidewithGPS | Estolano Advisors | Spurcycle | Farm Fresh to You
Lime | Alta Planning | Equator Coffees | Tern Bicycles | Road Runner Bags
Traveling from almost every corner of LA County, many attendees joined our Local Chapter-led feeder rides to Bike Shed Moto Co where they were met with the ultimate bike party. Friends of the Bike Fest were spotlighted through an expo in the center of the venue highlighting our ongoing partnerships with Community Based Organizations (CBOs) including Walk ‘n Rollers, CicLAvia, Streets Are For Everyone (SAFE) and Sunset4All as well as bike-friendly businesses, Road Runner Bike Bags, REI, Lime, Tern, Farm Fresh to You, and Alta Planning who also donated to our cause. Guests engaged with activations such as FourGround Co’s live t-shirt screen printing with an exclusive LA Bike Fest design, digital caricatures provided by Toonupz, and a silent auction with donated items ranging from gift baskets from local businesses to bicycles from Brompton, REI, Story Bikes and Urb-E.
LA Bike Fest hosted by BikeLA at Bike Shed Moto Co November 5, 2022
Food and drinks were included with a ticket courtesy of Tardino Bros, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Liquid Death, and Equator Coffees that guests enjoyed while listening to sets by DJ Medek and KCRW DJ Chris Douridas, as well as live music from indie rock band Westerner and solo artist Dina Valenz.
During our program, BikeLA honored three inspiring members of the cycling community with our first-ever Spoke Award. Granted to those who exemplify what it means to be a bike advocate, our honorees are passionate, dedicated, and collaborative in making Los Angeles a more bikeable region for everyone. Assemblymember Laura Friedman and Senator Anthony Portantino helped to welcome and celebrate our honorees along with members of the Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee.
CD4 Councilmember Nithya Raman, Eli Akira Kaufman, Jimmy Lizama, and Yolanda Davis-Overstreet
“Our work to make Los Angeles a safer and more enjoyable place to ride a bike is built on the advocacy, critical input, and partnership of the Angelenos who ride them,” said CD4 Councilmember Nithya Raman. “LA Bike Fest creates a space for bike riders of all stripes to connect, joining together to help pave the road for a more bikeable city.”
Spoke Award handcrafted by Jimmy Lizama; photo by Eric Dearborn
We thank Councilmember Nithya Raman, Council District 4, Yolanda Davis-Overstreet from the West Adams Safety Project, and Jimmy Lizama, our E-bike Pilot Partner for their continuous work as allies and activists fighting for safer streets.
From left to right: Councildistrict 4 Mehmet Berker, BikeLA Board Vice President Josh Cohen, CA Assemblymember Laura Friedman, CD4 Councilmember Nithya Raman, BikeLA Executive Director Eli Akira Kaufman, BikeLA Board President Jim Wuthrich, BikeLA Deputy Director Kevin Shin and Assemblymember Laura Friedman’s office, Seamus Garrity; photo by Eric Dearborn
Also during our program BikeLA revealed its new name along with new branding. Our Staff and Board of Directors felt that the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) did not capture who we are and our mission to support more Angelenos to get out and bike LA. So BikeLA, is more than our new name, it is a call to action to embrace the many benefits of bicycling, which is why we advocate for the infrastructure and the policies that will make riding a bike in LA more accessible for everyone.
With a new name, BikeLA, and a committed board and staff, we will further the cause of a safer, more bike-friendly Los Angeles. 2023 will be a year of refining our messaging, attracting supporters who want to make streets safer for cyclists, and advocating for bike infrastructure that supports the lives of cyclists. Learn more about the bike LA movement and how you can get involved by subscribing to our newsletter here.
