Slow News - September Edition Hi Neighbors, Happy September! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

*Take 12, September 6th 2025 *

Slow News.

Hey Neighbors,

Lately, when people ask me what I want to do in the future, I tell them that, honestly, the one thing that sparks joy in my heart is to be a cargo bike mom. I dream of living in a world where my future children are raised with intentionality, community, and love. I want their commute to school to be filled with views of JFK and smiling neighbors, not the roof of a minivan. I want to hop onto the bus with one child in a stroller and another in a carrier and make our way across the city to see the bay. I want the journey to be filled with interesting sights and people and no concerns for traffic. I want them to feel connected to their world, to understand their city, and to know the individuals that make up their community.

One thing that I love about bikes is that they expand your access to the world tenfold. No longer are you stuck in the mindless slog to and from your designated places of attendance - work, the grocery store, the gym, the bank, etc., but the entire city is yours to explore. You can get through the park and make as many detours onto the winding dirt trails as your heart desires, you can stop at the library because the warm glow of the lights makes reading a book feel oh so inviting, you can visit your third coffee shop of the day for a mid-ride cappuccino because at least you aren’t spending $65 to fill up your tank with gas. There is no fear of not finding parking, of being late, or of breaking the rules, there is only independence and joy.

When I moved to San Francisco, I was afraid. Afraid of the size, afraid of the people, afraid of parking tickets and harassment and my car being broken into. When I started biking, my fears dissipated nearly overnight. It was like I had been looking at a facade of the city and when I started pedaling the curtain dropped and I could see. My heart rate steadied, my mind became calm, and my opinion not only shifted, but became passionately in favor of the city I called home. Scenic Routes became an anchor that I could tether myself to as I set off on my new quest to explore the city on two wheels. I knew that wherever the handlebars took me, I could point them back to 521 Balboa Street at the end of the day and land in the soft embrace of friendship, thoughtful guidance, and a shared understanding of the world I was trying to cultivate.

As I’ve moved through the roles of customer to friend to volunteer to employee to manager, I have remained steadfast in my gratitude for what Scenic Routes has done for me. It has transformed my understanding of San Francisco, of cities, and of myself. Scenic Routes has watched me grow up at the same time as I have helped shape it into the space it is today. “We are all learning and growing” is our motto at the shop anytime we do something that could be classified as a mistake. We are all learning and growing, and what a gift to do so while being held just tight enough that our wings can still open without the fear of falling.

I will continue to set my sights on the dream of mothering my children in a world that is soft and radical and full of love, and until then, I will continue to learn and grow and cultivate the world that I want them to have access to.

Our events every month are my favorite reminder that what we are doing is working. Our attempts to create an alternative space in the world of cycling that is detached from goals of athleticism or stats or weight are becoming a reality.

This month, we are kicking off our monthly family bike ride:

QUERCUS FAMILY BIKE RIDE

*Sunday, September 7, 2025 *

Meet @ 9:00 AM, Roll @ 10:00 AM

A ride for every member of your family tree!

Join us for a slow rollin’ good time. There will be bubbles, kids’ tunes, and a story time at the end featuring a book about bikes! Kids (of all ages) on balance bikes, pedal bikes, scooters, and cargo bikes are all welcome; we’ll pick a pace to accommodate our littlest riders!

Starting at the ‘LOVE’ blocks on JFK in front of the Conservatory of Flowers, and ending at the meadow across from Metson Lake on Middle Drive. Meet at 9:00am, roll at 9:15.

SEE YOU TOMORROW!!!

Also happening this month:

NIGHT MOVES COMMUNITY BIKE RIDE

*Thursday, September 11th *

Meet @ 7:15, Roll @ 7:30

Join us for a cruise through Golden Gate Park (or maybe the Presidio), at a sweet, conversational pace. We’ll serve tea and cookies at the end, so don’t forget your mug!

It’s getting dark earlier, so don’t forget your lights and a jacket!

ROTATING MECHANIC’S CLASS

All About Tools

*Thursday, September 18th @ 7:15pm *

Join Jay for a lesson all about speciality bike tools. Learn all the ways we make the bits and bobs on your bike turn and tighten.

Sign up here: Class Sign Up!

COMMUNITY NIGHT

*Thursday, September 25th 7:00pm *

We’re staying open late and inviting you all behind the counter to drink our beer and listen to our bad jokes and ask your questions about bikes and life. Join us for our monthly display of community!

DAY GROOVES COMMUNITY BIKE RIDE

*Sunday, September 28th *

Meet at 10:45, Roll @ 11:00

Join us for our monthly queer centered ride. Yes we ride our bikes, but mostly we giggle and talk about how cute our bikes are and almost definitely stop for coffee. We hoot and holler on the downhills and go slow on the uphills. We’ll cruise around the park and stop to look at the ducks in the lake. See you there!

As always, if our events don’t spark joy, feel free to swing by the shop any time, noon to seven, Tuesday through Sunday. Our doors are open, the records are spinning, and the coffee is hot. We love having you take up space in our shop.

Ayla

P.s. if you’re far away (or close!) and want to support the shop, feel free to buy our stuff. We’ve got hats and straps and a crewneck preorder on the site right now. Click below to have a good ol’ fashion shopping spree.

Crewnecks will be ordered at the end of September, and we’d love to know what size you want! Shop our Stuff!

Visit Our Site!

Scenic Routes Community Bicycle Center, 521 Balboa Street, San Francisco, United States

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