Wednesday, April 01, 2009

San Diego Custom Bicycle Show 2009

The 2009 First Annual San Diego Custom Bicycle Show begins this weekend with show set up on Friday morning, with the show opening to the public on Saturday, April 4 at 10 AM. The show takes place at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center in the "Golden Pacific Ballroom", 500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, California 92108. This is where Highway 163 crosses Interstate Highway 8.

Let me know if you're going and I'll link to your photos, tweets and blog.

The exhibitor list is naturally heavy on California builders -- including many names I recognize from Northern California -- but I see a few names from out of state also. California builders Chuck Schlesinger, Brian Baylis, Richie Ditta, Scott Dion, and Dave Ybarrola put the show together.

San Diego Custom Bicycle Show.

Bicycle Access

Since this is a bike show, you might want to, you know, ride your bike to the show. I assume locals already know how to get around.

From Old Town San Diego Amtrak to Town & Country is about 2 miles as the bike flies. This is mostly on high speed access roads adjacent to I-8 so watch yourself.

From the San Diego Amtrak Station on Kettner is about 4 miles. You'll take a similar route from San Diego Airport.

View the San Diego regional bike map online.

Mass Transit Access

The Bicycle Show venue is located directly across from the Fashion Valley Transit Center at the Fashion Valley Mall. The San Diego Trolley Green Line stops here, as do bus routes 6, 14, 20, 25, 41, 120, 928. Google Maps has San Diego transit planning information for you.

San Diego Transit buses are equipped with racks for two bicycles, so you might get stuck if the racks are full. San Diego Trolleys can carry up to two bicycles per car -- carry your bike up the stairs of the rear door and stand against the bulkhead with your bike. Complete bike rules are here.

Access from the Fashion Valley Transit Center to the Town & Country Hotel is on a high traffic, high speed road with four narrow lanes, but I think you might be able to just cut across parking lots. Town & Country is south of the Transit Center.

The Coaster train service from Oceanside operates on Saturday and stops at the Old Town train station, from where you can catch the Green Line trolley. Bikes are allowed on Coaster trains on trains marked with a bike emblem.

5 comments:

-p said...

Oh man, I really really wanted to go to this but some other stuff has come up. What's the mass transit situation like around the venue?

Yokota Fritz said...

I guess I should've mentioned that. The Fashion Valley Transit Center is located directly across from the conference center. I'll update the post with more detailed information.

chatterbox said...

I'd be interested to hear what you think of cycling in the area. I was just down there. The good: bike lanes on almost every road. The bad: all of said roads were "freeways" with 3-5 lanes in each direction, cement divider and 45-65 mph speed limit - even on what look like smaller local access roads.

Yokota Fritz said...

My (very limited) experience matches yours: every road a high speed road. My brother lived next to Charger Stadium for several years and then next to Sea World for a little while, and I've stayed at a hotel there at Hotel Circle a couple of times.

AoK said...

Check out my article on Rapha: Cycling with style!

Find out the latest in kool, from fashion to food at http://ambassadorofkool.blogspot.com/
http://www.twitter.com/ambassadorok