Be uplifted by the love for biking, and for beautiful Monterey County, in nine Bicycling Monterey videos shared below.

One features a sampling of HER Helmet Thursdays spots and tells how that project works; another is an interview snippet from a local bike commuter, Doris Chen; and seven are slideshow compilations set to music (Taylor Kropp or Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen) and/or bike-related essays.

You’ll see people of all ages and abilities who ride all types of bicycles. Where? In Big Sur, Carmel, Castroville, Del Rey Oaks, Greenfield, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Salinas, Sand City, Seaside, and other Monterey County locations.

Plus five more: “Why Stop Now,” “Monterey County Bike Community Leaders,” “Doris Chen: A Steward of the Earth,” “Bike Date in Monterey County,” and “Bike Buzz,” also accessible below.

Thank you to everyone who appears in the videos.

They inspire this bike advocacy work!

Since founding Bicycling Monterey in May 2009, the founder has donated well over 12,000 hours to the Bicycling Monterey projects, including creation of these videos. To contribute to the Bicycling Monterey work, and for FAQs, click here. Thank you.

The videos were created by volunteer Mari Lynch. Respect copyright. For permission to reuse videos, photos, or music, contact Mari.

“It’s a New Day”

(For full-screen viewing, click icon at lower right).

Video credits and descriptions

Special thanks to the musicians, who generously contributed rights to soundtracks:

•  Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen, videos 1, 2, 5, 6, and 9; and the musical selection for video 3

• Taylor Kropp for the soundtrack to video 8, “Bike Date”

All photos were taken in Monterey County from 2009-2017, with one exception: the fourth photo in the 17-min video (and its 2-min, 45-sec excerpt) was taken in 1991; it includes the late Eugenia Lynch, Mari’s mother, in whose memory that video is dedicated.

All photos were taken by Mari Lynch with the exception of: (1) in the HER Helmet Thursdays video, Rich Tanguay provided the Heller Organic Estates photo, and Carey Beebe provided the Carmel Bach Festival photo; (2) in the “Why Stop Now” video, one photo by Christine van Burken; and (3) in the Monterey County Bike Community Leaders video, two photos were provided by Erik Thurman of Castroville Library, and two provided by the Donnell family.

1. “Bicycling Monterey County: Visitors and Locals, 2009-2015” – 17 mins – Features over 250 scenes. All music performed by and copyright 2013-2015 by Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen, danandlaurel.ca. Songs featured are “It’s a New Day,” Thomsen/Frechette; “Rough 96,” Laurel Thomsen; “New Song of Beauty,” Dan Frechette; “Tales from the Labyrinth,” Thomsen/Frechette; and “Vagabond Heart Mountain,” Dan Frechette.

2. It’s a New Day”  – 2-mins, 45 secs (an excerpt from the 17-min video #1). Music, “It’s a New Day,” performed by and copyright 2015 by Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen, danandlaurel.ca.

[viewable at the top of this post]

3. “Sampling of HER Helmet Thursdays Businesses and Organizations” – 6 mins  Audio written and recorded by Mari Lynch (click here for transcript) introduces HER Helmet Thursdays, one of many Bicycling Monterey projects. Audio produced by Guy Lasnier for KUSP in 2010. Music, “Saturday Night Will Be Rocking,” performed by and copyright 2015 by Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen, danandlaurel.ca.

4. “The Joy Factor / We’re All Heroes on this Bus” – 2 mins. Audio written and recorded by Mari Lynch (click here for transcript), produced by Guy Lasnier for KUSP in 2009.

5. Click here for “Why stop now?” – Grey hair isn’t about to keep them from bicycling!

6. Click here for “Monterey County Bike Community Leaders.”

7. Click here for “Doris Chen: A Steward of the Earth.”

8. Click here for “Bike Date in Monterey County,” music by Taylor Kropp.

9. Click here for “Bike Buzz.”

For Bicycling Monterey audios, click here.

Bicycling Monterey’s 9th  year began May 2017 and remains for the founder a volunteer effort. Read the overview at http://www.gofundme.com/bikemonterey to learn why ten women launched a Bicycling Monterey fundraising campaign. 

For ways to contribute and FAQs, click here.

For a list of all financial contributors, click here.