A Glide in the Valley (San Fernando, CA)

[MarkM]

In my greetings to everyone thread a discussion started about having an event -- a glide event -- using the new busway road that is under construction here in the San Fernando Valley.

I think this is an excellent idea.

I'd like to propose a ride starting at each end and meeting in the middle (Northridge Mall?) for lunch?

The other option is to meet at Balboa park and ride out a distance and back.

Let's get some discussion going and work to set a date. I think this would be a great Sunday afternoon activity.

Thoughts?

-mark=

[zzcarolyn]

Sounds great! Decide on the day and time and post the details. My husband and I are up for a glide.

I'd like to start near the south end of the trek and go north, since we live south of the SF valley.

Thanks, Carolyn

[MarkM]

I believe the track I am thinking about -- the new busline road -- goes from West to East / East to West.

I will see how many posts I get--but it would be fun. I see you're in Rancho Palos Verdes--do you go to the Long Beach segway store?

-mark=

[zzcarolyn]

Hi Mark,

We go everywhere! We did a Long Beach Glide on July 24. Barry Fulton and his staff loaned us the i-pod tour. Six of us had a spectacular day, with lots of sunshing and much to see. Long Beach, Belmont Shores, and Naples have an unlimited number of gliding options.

We were in LA/Venice for a glide this past Wednesday afternoon and met the fellows at Segway LA, who let me recharge my batteries before continuing on. The rest of America must think that we are all like the...interesting...people you see in Venice. Wonderful glide!

We met Dick and Janice Burke from Segway Orange County when we attended SegwayFest Sacramento and New Hampshire. We joined them for a July 4 parade glide, followed by demos and fireworks. Their Newport store grand opening is August 12, 13, 14, with a glide scheduled for Sunday the 14th at 3pm. For details, click on Fests and Events, then Event: Grand Opening... We will definitely be part of this glide (unless our daughter has her baby that weekend :) )

When we were in Sac, we met the dealer in Sac as well as the man who does the San Francisco Segway tours. When we did a Santa Barbara glide, we stopped by the SB's newly opened store for conversation and a battery charge.

We have met the nicest people at the Segway stores, fests, and on our glides. It is so much fun to glide with new friends and see their neck of the woods. My mom lives in Agoura Hills, so I know the area a little bit, and I am looking forward to gliding the SF valley with you.

Carolyn

[Mr. Protocol]

Looks like fun to me. I myself was thinking of organizing a glide centered around the OLD zoo in Griffith Park - not the one with animals but the one that closed in 1963 or so. I have to check out the area more, though...and I'm stuck with my weekends committed to an aggravating work-related activity until Sept. 7. I may be available for a weekend glide before that but it's highly uncertain.

[zzcarolyn]

The old zoo glide would be great, too. I didn't even know we had an old and a new zoo. Having it in Sept is no problem with me. I really appreciate your willingness to organize it, Mike. I love to glide new places with great people.

Carolyn

[poohbear]

I would LOVE for there to be another group glide. I was bummed that I had to miss the Long Beach group.

Hey Mike! (Mr. Protocol): I picked up my new Blue Li-Ion last night and it's home charging as we speak. I plan to take it out for it's first ride tomorrow. I'll start out easy around my neighborhood (Fox Hills Mall, I think). I want to build up my stamina to make it down to Venice Beach, eventually.

-poohbear
http://www.bol.ucla.edu/~khartman/poohseg.gif

[MarkM]

I will try to set the date soon. I am thinking of a Sunday--I think tomorrow or Sunday I will scout out a possible route. Here is a question--how many Segways (sorry sounds like a joke) does it take to over power a multiple power outlet extension cord?

Perhaps if we found a place along the way to have lunch--we could ask to power up the beasts. All we would need is a heavy duty cord and perhaps a multi-socket power strip?

Carolyn--my girlfriend and I met Barry. Cool guy. My sister loved him -- he was nice to her when demonstrating the Segway. If it were not for my sister encouraging me to have a ride I would still be just motorcycling everyday!

-mark=

[zzcarolyn]

Mark,

A Sunday is great. Don't worry about planning in too much detail. Everyone I have glided with is flexible about where we go and where we stop for lunch. We just wanna have fun.

I have the old batteries, so I will need a charge midway, depending on the total length of the glide. You should be fine with your Li-ion batteries. I have no idea how many charge cords you can safely plug into one power strip, but if you bring one and we bring one, that should be enough.

Sunday the 14th we will do the glide in Newport with Segway Orange County. Have you thought about joining this glide?

Carolyn

[MarkM]

Greetings to all and of course Carolyn!

I did a test ride across the valley. I left from Victory Blvd near the Best Buy not that far from Canoga and rode to Balboa park.

The good news is that the bus route also has a very nice bike route right next to it that is paved 99% of the way. There is this 1% that I ended up launching off of due to my lack of paying of attention for a short moment. Happy to report Segway and I are just fine--there was no crash.

The ride is a bit boring though--straight and more straight. The fun begins when you get to Balboa park as the bike trail does some winding around. I am thinking that maybe the glide should be at Balboa park. The question I have yet to solve is how to allow a refueling. Anyone have thoughts about that?

If we can solve that--I'd suggest a picnic there on a Sunday with a glide around the park.

What does everyone say?

-mark=

[zzcarolyn]

Balboa Park sounds great. Those of us who have old batteries could just do as much gliding as our machines allow, while the rest of you continue on.

Craig and I have been gliding each evening. Yesterday we went to Royal Palms beach, Abalone Cove, and Pt. Fermin. The day before we did the Redondo and Hermosa Beach strand. It is awesome to be by the beach as the sun sets. We didn't stop for any demos b/c we were savoring the evening. We did answer lots of questions, tho.

Looking forward to the Balboa Park glide. Thanks, Mark, for getting it going.

Carolyn

[poohbear]

A group of us did a glide at Balboa Park last year. We met in the parking lot of the air park (where the model planes fly). We went around the park area on the bike path, we were asked not to ride directly around the lake so we just went on by it. For lunch, we stopped at the coffee shop by the golf course. They had a few outlets outside on the patio, and some of us charged while we ate.

The Japanese garden was closed that morning, so we don't know if we would have been allowed in there. (I think you might need reservations.)

Here's the thread from that glide:

http://www.segwaychat.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7475

Bruce Wright organized the glide and he was tracking our distance on his GPS. I believe we went just over 9 miles, all told. We had 7 people that day --5I & 2p, no lithium back then-- everyone made it. A really nice glide. :)

-poohbear
http://www.bol.ucla.edu/~khartman/poohseg.gif

[MarkM]

I think as they say "It's on!". There is a bike path within the park--and a sidewalk that runs around the lake. I don't think they'd like us on that sidewalk and I don't know if I would want to glide there anyway as one mistake it is the pearly gates--I don't think that the SegWay likes being drowned much.

Plenty of places to ride and the restaurant will work perfectly!

We just need to set a date.

I am thinking about maybe Sunday August 21st. I will check with my GF Unit and see what she thinks!

-mark=

[MarkM]

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

[zzcarolyn]

Mark,

Craig and I are a "yes" for the 21st (unless our daughter has her baby...the 21st is the due date.) Is this day a go for your GF?

Carolyn

[pwelty]

I'm game for any glide. If it is too far out I will need driving directions from OC. I will be there on Sunday in Newport Beach so maybe we can do some planning then. I did a very long glide (24 miles) and found that it would have taken about 4 hours to recharge to get home. Luckily husband came and "rescued" me, but it is something to keep in mind.

[poohbear]

I think I can make it on the 21st. :)

-poohbear
http://www.bol.ucla.edu/~khartman/poohseg.gif

[bystander]

The local model airplane club will be having an event that day.

http://www.valleyflyers.com/Events2005.html

That means there will be something to see, but parking may hard to come by over by the flying field.

When I go to the basin, I have been parking over by the baseball diamonds where Oxnard street dead-ends, or in the north parking lot of the "Balboa Sports Center".

The end of Oxnard street (baseball diamond area) is locked at sunset, so either park outside the gates, or drive away by sundown.

Parking at the northern "Balboa Sports Center" lot gives easy access (along an interesting "underway" to Balboa lake. And there's a barely-wide-enough-for-a-HT gate to allow passage to a wide dirt path around the golf course.

There is also a parking lot on the south end of the "Balboa Sports Center", along Burbank Blvd.

There is an "Amber's Chicken and Donuts" restaurant on the corner of Burbank and Balboa. Haven't eaten there recently (not since the donuts were added to the menu a number of years ago), so I don't know if it's recommendable over the coffee shop at the golf course.

There are probably some places for food in the pod malls along Victory Blvd, but I don't know them well enough for a recommendation. Ventura Blvd is south from the park area by a mile or so, there's got to be a number of good places to eat there. As long as we don't tool around the park area too much, us folks on NiMH should be OK. I'm sure the Saphion powered folks will have no problems.

As for the Japanese garden, the Encino Chamber of Commerce website (http://www.encinochamber.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=23) indicates that "Free docent-guided tours (by reservations) are available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.", so that may be off the agenda for a Sunday. Check out the Encino C of C link (http://www.encinochamber.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=23) for more links of more things to see in the area.

It's likely to be hot, so bringing extra water would probably be a good idea.

At that point in the valley, the busway runs along Victory Blvd. A couple of miles west, you can get to Reseda Blvd, and a couple of miles east can get you to Sepulveda Blvd. If everyone was on NiMH, that's about as far as you would want to go (and back) w/o recharging (and/or pushing!). With the Saphion packs you could get to Woodland Hills or North Hollywood and back (from either place).

[bystander]

By the way, here's a link to a .pdf file of the busway and the points of interest at each stop.

http://www.etopiamedia.net/mtw/pdfs/rapidwaymap1.pdf

[MarkM]

So here is what I am going to put on the calendar ...

Sunday August 21st - Noon
Meet at the Golf Club Coffee Shop (off of Burbank) outside Balboa Park/ Gold Course

We can have lunch and then glide through and around the park!

If you need map / directions please drop me an email!

See you on Sunday!

-mark=

[poohbear]

That's cool if everyone agrees. I was thinking of starting a little earlier, away from the coffee shop (just because that would have been a good mid-glide recharge spot). Gliding a little before lunch, and gliding afterwards back to the start point. Plus, it can get warm in the valley, so earlier might be a little more comfortable.

I'll go with the majority, though.

-poohbear
http://www.bol.ucla.edu/~khartman/poohseg.gif