Date: First Friday of every month
Time: 8:00PM sharp
Location: Under Tijuana Arch on Avenida Revolución
Documentation: Passport required for return to the US

Getting there:
Suggested tourist cyclist route San Diego - San Ysidro Border Crossing (One of many!).

Please allow 15-30 min. to travel from the border crossing to ride start.

During the Turista Libre art ride I got in contact with Arturo Viazcan, the founder of "Paseo Urbano Bicicletero" (Urban Bicyclist Ride), a group that meets three times a week to ride the streets of Tijuana.

Riders of Tijuana/San Diego

Paseo de TODOS (every) in Tijuana will be riding together to give each other strength to be able to peacefully change the way by which society perceives human mobility and transportation.

We will unite so that together we can look after the common good and to make a meaningful presence as a single collective. In general, bicyclists are upset because the measures of a government who claims to be in favor of the bicycle/bicylists have not been taken in order to benefit the bicyclist, since the two bike paths from Tijuana (zona río y rosas magallón) are impossible to access via bicycles. The pseudo governmental support of such facilities is only used as a political scapegoat.

In the inauguration of the Rosas Magallón sports center, the mayor Jorge Ramos declared: "Today we are planting the seed of hope; today we are investing in making sports a tool that can allow us to keep our children and our young ones from the wrong path." However, without access for pedestrians or bicyclists, it is impossible and very unsafe to access these bike paths unless it is with the use of a vehicle. Children and young people are not able to drive.

The petitions that we have on our first phase are as follows:
A revision to the Rules of Transit.
A restructuring of the Public Transport system so that it is more efficient.
Signaling/Signs that foster respect to the Pedestrian and the Bicyclist.

We believe that if we provide with more security to the urban bicyclist and the pedestrian, society will be even more trustful of riding bicycles more often, which will result in the reduction of traffic in the neighborhoods as well as downtown It is almost unbelievable that in a two-block stretch people have to drive a vehicle (for example: going to the store to get milk).
We invite you to be part of modernization and re-culturization of our city.
This is a world movement.
In Mexico it takes place in DF, Guadalajara, Puebla, Queretaro, Celaya, Monterrey, Oaxaca, Morelia.
In Baja California it takes place in Ensenada and Tijuana.
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Ride Details & Suggestions:

Prior
-Make sure that your bicycle is in good running condition.
-Bring patches and our tubes in order to fix a flat.
-Get together with friends and or family members to assist the ride.
-Involve yourself and join us as a volunteer.

During
-Use lights and reflectors on your body or your bicycle.
-Always ride on the indicated lane, try to yield to the vehicles whenever necessary.
-Help out during intersections, supporting the volunteers, remember that the Paseo es de TODOS (it is everyone's ride)
-Follow instructions of volunteers and law enforcement.
-Maintain order and respect towards motorists, pedestrians and other bicyclists.
-Avoid screaming things that could offend the integrity of others.
-Avoid littering.
-Avoid consuming drugs and alcohol during the ride.
-Pay attention while crossing intersections.
-Be responsible for minors that are riding and their education, or tell your mom/dad to take care of you.
-Remember that you are the only one responsible of your safety to transit the street and taking care of others helps you become a part of a harmonious society.
-Enjoy the ride.

After
Take advantage of the experience that you gained during the ride and share it with other bicyclists.

Remember:
-This ride is fun and festive, violent attitudes are not welcome.
-The motorist is a potential bicyclist...smile and explain to him that this is el Paseo de TODOS (everyone's ride) and thank him for waiting.

Visit Facebook for more information.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=137477426265047&index=1
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To my understanding and what Arturo said, this ride is a bit of a Tijuana critical mass, except that it strives to be more organized, kept-together, more courteous and tries not to leave anybody behind and regroup as much as possible.

cobraeverde:...it strives to be more organized, kept-together, more courteous and tries not to leave anybody behind and regroup as much as possible.

Sounds like our CM here in San Diego can learn a lot from these guys!

AllisonEquality:quiero ir! quien quieres ir conmigo?

this looks awesome...does anyone who lives in SD proper want to go? i would love to go but would definitely want a buddy...

xoxo,

I am definitely going, if you'd like we can meet somewhere and take the trolley down.

"Bad Roads, Good People..."

El Paseo de Todo was a really positive, vibrant experience...Cobraverde is an amazing bicycle coyote and the warmth of the people who gathered for the ride was inspiring. There were people riding of all ages and the energy of the ride was very community-oriented. There were a couple of times throughout the duration of the ride when a rider would get a flat and one of the ride leaders would ride to the front, calling out 'un ponchada, un ponchada!' The entire mass would pull over and patiently wait while the flat was repaired. With all the stops, I think the ride was something like 2-3 hours and the terrain was pretty flat, with some subtle rolling hills. The ride leaders did a very thorough job of stopping traffic for the mass and the presence of the traffic itself was patient and tolerant. In addition to this, there were several occasions where the ride halted for regrouping and I personally enjoyed the presence of several young kids on the ride, some of whom were very serious riders based on the look of their bikes and gear (from my amateur perspective). The riders who attempted to speak with me (and were met with a 'no hablo espanol') met me with their best english. I was offered an escort back to the border after the ride, although I didn't need to accept the offer (Cobraverde).

After the ride, the group went to a diner where we consumed....burgers and fries! I had an amazing portobello 'burger' that I chewed while bopping my head to some 80s classics and between bites, I attempted to resuscitate my espanol and was met with positive responses. The energy of the group was so elated - they are deeply committed to cycling and their commitment perseveres in light of having no infrastructure for cycling. The people I spoke with were so encouraged to see that people came across the border to support their cause.

Personally, I was deeply impacted by the opportunity to drop the potential divisions of culture and experience unity through the love of two wheels! I highly recommend the experience to anyone with a free Friday night (1st Friday of each month). I believe that in addition to the joy that comes from a well-spent evening with your bike, you will find your heart expand from the contagious exuberance of this group!

PS. And the roads were really not any worse than what you see in SD.

Njord Noatun:
PS! How eventful was it to get through the US border checkpoint on your return?

It was a piece of cake! It took 10 minutes, including standing in line... However, I had a passport...might be a bit trickier with just your state-issued ID.

Cobraverde: How often does this ride take place? I may not be able to do this for another month or so, but I am really interested in going.

Hi Everyone.. here are some pics of last friday.. Thanks to Allison and cobraeverde for join us

A lot of the bikes seem to be mountain-esque (chunkier than my poncy bike). The ride was just on regular streets, right? No all terraining?

It may take some prodding from Allison or Beany to keep me out that late, but would be interested. If nothing else, I'd like to see anothe side to TJ. Having grown up here it was Revolucion & tequila poppers. As I've gotten older, it just seems more dangerous (so much so we don't go to Baja anymore). So being with a large group of locals would be nice.

Oh, yeah. Almost forgot about the passport thing. Please remind me when we do go as I WILL forget them. Mine & the Limey's are good. Does the Limey bring his passport or his resident alien card? Or both? I really don't like the idea of traveling around with said items, but I'm figuring that we can't get back without it.

If I seem paranoid, it is because I am. One of the last times I travelled across the border on foot (me & 3 other girls) we had a very very bad incident where total strangers came up, started ass grabbing and skirt flipping. When we protested one of the girls got a fist cold cocked straight in the face. I've never seen anyone fall straight back onto concrete, smash the back of their head, eyes rolled back in their head, and not wake up. The cretins just walked off. No help, nothing from anyone. Bad scene.....

So, I figure going in a larger group for a lovely social ride should be ok.

Not going to walk around with my birth certificate. I have a passport. But what do resident aliens do? Both the foreign passport AND the resident alien card?

¡Gracias!

I went last time and want to go again, but I am not sure if I can remember where to go after you get across the border. I am trying to connect with someone I met last month to see if I can get an 'escort'...I would love to go if you want to try and meet up!

we'll go for sure...i think i can remember it, if we can't find someone to meet us. i know tj a little bit and my spanish is sufficient for asking for directions. crossing the border is a piece of cake, just make sure that you have your ID. i live on the mesa so we can just meet at velo cult and ride down to the trolley, if that works for you! the ride doesn't start until 8 but i think it is good to leave around six-thirty - does that work for you?

The invitation is, of course, open to anyone reading!

cobraeverde:About the passport thing, I cross with a birth certificate and CA driver's license. Usually have no trouble doing that.

6:30 at Velo Cult tomorrow. I'll be there! And I'll bring my passport.

PS. how does it work as far as updating the title of this topic with the updated date? Does only the topic starter have permissions for this?

Does anybody know how to get from the trolley station, across the border, and to the meetup place on the other side?

I can likely make it to this. If I can find my passport in time, that is.

Njord Noatun:Does anybody know how to get from the trolley station, across the border, and to the meetup place on the other side?

I did it last month and am going tomorrow. it should be cake!

I need to head down to NTC first, and will probably arrive at the SP meetup spot about half an hour early: I'll just hang out at Rebecca's, if anybody else is early and wants to join me.

For anybody I haven't met - I will be likely be wearing my VC jersey if you're looking for me.

Hey TJ gringo! thanks for all the awesome info...hopefully we'll get to connect with you (tonight?)!

Kyle & Njord (Sigurd?) - I'll try to get out early to meet up at rebecca's. I am always looking for a good reason to stop working early!

Wait - I can use Nikolai's bike -- the show may be on, after all!

Hans, watch your mobile as I need to SMS you about your whereabouts around 7 or so (my mobile number in my profile).

What trolley station downtown are you guys planning to depart from?

It's called Barrio Logan.

just got back from the ride. GO TO TJ!!
So much fun. More later, n:face-monkey:w sleep.

Be sure to let us know when the next one is!!!

So I am to understand that it's entirely possible to spend a night in TJ without being shot, kidnapped, abused, harassed, smuggled, or detained and held until you have $200+ to go home?

... that's not what I heard...