FCBC Newsletter — October 2026 (final)
October 2026
Autumn has arrived, and with it the best riding weather of the year
in the Valley. The mornings are cool and the evenings are coming earlier
— so give your lights and reflectors a quick check before your next
evening ride. FCBC has a full month ahead: a wrap-up of a landmark year
in Sacramento, our local observance of World Day of Remembrance, and
good news about the bikes finding their way into the hands of people who
need them.
In this month’s Newsletter:
A wrap-up of the state legislation that will shape bicycling in
California for years to come.
World Day of Remembrance — join us Saturday, November 14 at
Woodward Park for our local observance of a global day of
remembrance.
A look at what has been accomplished so far with support from the
REI Cooperative Action Fund.
Bikes in, bikes out: your donated bicycles are reaching people
who need them.
Open seats on the City of Fresno’s Active Transportation Advisory
Committee — and how to step up.
Board elections are coming: nominations open at our October
meeting.
Coffee Outside returns Tuesday, October 6 at Trolley
Park.
LEGISLATION
WRAP-UP: A LANDMARK YEAR FOR CALIFORNIA’S BIKES
Thanks to Nick Paladino for another thorough advocacy report from our
Advocacy and Legislative Committee. This has been one of the busiest
sessions for bicycling in recent memory, and as the session closes, the
bills FCBC has been tracking are arriving on the Governor’s desk — with
one already signed into law.
SB 1167 (e-bikes), the comprehensive e-bike bill
co-sponsored by CalBike and partners, has passed both houses and is on
the Governor’s desk, where it is expected to be signed. The bill draws a
clearer line between legal electric bicycles and the mopeds,
motor-driven cycles, and electric motorcycles that have muddied the
waters for riders and regulators alike. It updates labeling and
disclosure requirements for manufacturers and sellers, strengthens
protections against false advertising, and adds new operational safety
and law-enforcement reporting requirements. It is widely regarded as the
most consequential bill of the session — and it is the clarity FCBC has
been asking for.
AB 2346, also on the Governor’s desk, requires sellers
and distributors to disclose key e-bike information at the point of
sale, and recommends that riders under 16 stay under 15 mph. It also
gives local authorities the ability to set 10, 15, or 20 mph speed
limits on bike paths and multi-use trails, with clear signage
requirements.
AB 2168, sponsored by CalBike, revises the Active
Transportation Program so that safe-routes-to-transit projects rise to
the top — including better access to school bus stops and to transit in
underserved and rural communities. This is the shift toward building
real networks, not isolated segments, that advocates have been pushing
for.
Already signed into law: a bill directing the
California Department of Education, in consultation with the CHP, to
develop a standardized e-bike safety training curriculum for grades 7
through 12 by March 1, 2028, and to encourage partnerships with local
law enforcement and parent-facing training demonstrations. That is a
real investment in teaching the next generation of riders how to ride
safely — a mission that sits right at the center of FCBC’s work.
Bicycle fatalities are trending upward statewide, and growing ridership
without better infrastructure is a recipe for more of them. That is
exactly why this work matters, and exactly why local advocacy matters.
Watch this space for updates as these bills are signed and take effect —
and if you would like to be part of it, our Advocacy and Legislative
Committee is always glad to have more voices.
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WORLD
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE — OUR LOCAL OBSERVANCE, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14
Every year, on the third Sunday of November, people around the world
observe World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. It is a day
to remember the people killed and seriously injured in traffic crashes,
to honor the families and first responders who carry that loss, and to
call for the changes that prevent these tragedies. The observance began
with the road-safety charity RoadPeace in 1993 and was adopted by the
United Nations in 2005; this year the international day falls on
Sunday, November 15.
FCBC is again joining with the City of Fresno’s Active Transportation
Advisory Committee (ATAC) to hold our local observance, and this year we
are gathering one day early, on Saturday, November 14, at
Woodward Park. Moving our event to a Saturday — and from City
Hall out to the park — makes room for more of our community, and more of
our local leaders, to be with us. This will be FCBC’s fifth year taking
part.
The centerpiece of this year’s observance is a revived
“Ride/Walk for Your Life”: a ceremonial-pace ride of
about two miles, open to every skill level, paired with a walk on the
trail for anyone who would rather be on foot. It is a chance for our
community to move together — in memory, and in hope. Fresno Cycling Club
is also planning a longer ride for more experienced riders as a possible
addition to the day.
The Board will take up formal approval of FCBC’s role in this event at
its October 12 meeting. Watch next month’s newsletter for details, and
please plan to join us on Saturday, November 14. Our
thanks to ATAC Chair Nick Yovino and to ATAC’s World Day of Remembrance
task force for their partnership.
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WHAT
YOUR SUPPORT HAS BUILT: THE REI COOPERATIVE ACTION FUND
FCBC was honored to be awarded a grant from the REI Cooperative
Action Fund, under the program “Connecting Fresno’s Communities to
Cycling.” As we reach the midpoint of this award, we want to share
with our members what this support has helped make possible so
far.
Because the award is unrestricted, it goes where our capacity is
thinnest — and in a volunteer-run organization, that means it goes to
the work itself. With this support, FCBC has kept donated bicycles
moving through our hands and back out into the community, through the
local organizations and partners working directly with us to get bikes
in the hands of people who need them. It has helped us keep youth bike
safety education going, from bike rodeos to hands-on skills and
maintenance sessions. It has kept our community events free and open to
everyone, including the Coffee Outside meetups that bring riders
together for the simple joy of riding. And it has let us begin something
long overdue: a simple attendance count at every event, so that we can
honestly measure our reach and report back on it.
Connecting Fresno’s Communities to Cycling — that is exactly
the work. Thank you to the REI Cooperative Action Fund for believing in
it, and to every member and volunteer who makes it happen.
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COMING UP, AND WAYS TO HELP
Bikes in, bikes out. Your donated bicycles keep
finding their way home. This month, kids’ bikes and adult bikes went out
through the local organizations and partners working directly with us to
get bikes in the hands of people who need them — people for whom a
bicycle is not recreation, but transportation. Every one of those bikes
will be put to vital, everyday use. If you have a bicycle you would like
to donate, email us at info@fresnobike.org with a photo
or two, and we will let you know whether we can put it to good
use.
Reedley Lions Club Bike Rodeo. FCBC volunteers
spent an evening in Reedley on September 29 helping lead a kids’ bike
rodeo and fixing the flat tires and loose parts that stand between young
riders and a safe, fun ride. Our thanks to the Reedley Lions Club for
the invitation, and to everyone who gave their evening to make it happen
— it was a great night for kids on bikes.
Open seats on Fresno’s Active Transportation Advisory
Committee. The City of Fresno’s Active Transportation Advisory
Committee (ATAC) is where community voices help shape the city’s walking
and bicycling decisions — and there are seats open right now. If you
care about safer streets, better bike lanes, and a Fresno where more
people feel comfortable riding, this is your moment to step up and help
our city and its cyclists succeed. We would love to see FCBC members in
those seats. Learn more and apply through the City of Fresno’s ATAC
page.
Board elections are coming. At our October 12
Board meeting, FCBC will form its annual Elections Committee and open
nominations for the 2027 Board. Every position is open to nominations —
Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Coordinator, and
Member at Large. Anyone may nominate themselves or another individual,
as long as the person nominated is a current FCBC member. New Board
members bring new energy and new ideas to a working Board that sets the
year’s rides, events, and advocacy. Watch for more information next
month — and good luck to all running for positions!
Coffee Outside. Tuesday, October 6 at 7:30 AM,
Trolley Park. Bring your cup of coffee (or even your mobile brewing
method) and join us for a morning ride and conversation. Easy commute,
good company — early, so it fits into your morning commute. Tori will be
commuting to her college class after Coffee Outside — come ride
along!
Holiday Lights Ride & December Member
Meeting. Save the date: Sunday, December 13.
More details to follow in next month’s newsletter.
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Next General
Membership and Board Meetings
The next General Membership and Board meetings are scheduled for
Monday, October 12 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.
Registration for this meeting is being set up now. Please visit our
website to register and join the conversation. [REGISTRATION LINK —
TO BE ADDED]
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 — and with the shorter days, keep those lights on.
Have a comment or suggestion? Contact us at info@fresnobike.org.
Thanks for reading!!
-Tori Smith
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Membership Coordinator, Fresno County Bicycle Coalition