CicLAvia guide: How to rent a bike, fix a flat, join a feeder ride and more tips (Photos)

So you want to go to CicLAvia?

For the uninitiated, CicLAvia (pronounced seek-lah-vee-uh) is a car-free party along Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles. It is open to anyone – and a pet – to enjoy the streets. It is not a bicycle race or ride, but rather a free, open playground. Now in its sixth occasion, CicLAvia heads west to Venice Beach for the first time.

"It is a way to see the city on two wheels and share that experience with several thousand people," said Carlos Morales, founder of the Eastside Bicycle Club and co-owner of Stan's Bike Shop in Monrovia. "It's a very healthy way to get families out to do something together."

His shop and other local bike clubs are just some of the groups preparing for CicLAvia with feeder rides, which is a guided group bike ride from your neighborhood to the event. Stan's Bike Shop is leading a group ride from El Sereno to CicLAvia, led by Olympic cycling silver medalist Nelson "Nelly" Vails. 

RELATED: MAP: CicLAvia — Ride with an Olympic medalist, plus more helpful tips

Below we have more feeder rides. And are you organizing a feeder ride, sponsoring a hub or any other CicLAvia event? Please let us know in the comments.

Start planning the day with KPCC's guide for anyone who wants to attend CicLAvia this Sunday:

• Don't know how to bike? That's OK – you can walk, stroll, skateboard, run or jog. Rollerblade, unicycle or walk your dog from downtown to Venice along the 16-mile route. Anything without a gasoline motor is allowed at CicLAvia.
• Don't own a bike and still want to ride? You have a few options. Aside from going out and buying a new or used bicycle, you can call in advance to reserve and rent everything from cruisers to "fixies" at a shop along the CicLAvia route. Find a rental shop close to you, walk there and bike to the route. We've included some non-traditional rentals in this list as well, including children's attachment trailers, children's seats, recumbent bikes and electric bikes.

You may also be able to find a bike to borrow or rent from someone in your neighborhood using sites like Neighborgoods and Spinlister. Have a bike that you're not using? Why not rent it out to someone using Spinlister?

Here are some rental shops by location:

At least one day before the ride, take five minutes to check your ride over. Got air in your tires? Give your brake levers a strong pull. Are the brake pads worn out? Is your bike chain noisy as you ride it?

If you live near a bicycle co-op, you can go to your nearest co-op workshop to use a tire pump, chain cleaner and other tools you may not own. Check hours and call in advance to reserve a bike stand. If you can't ride your bicycle comfortably, go to a bike shop for air and a comprehensive check-up. 

• Silver Lake area, near Vermont/Sunset — Bicycle Kitchen open Monday through Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at various times, but not this Sunday. Monday night's "Bicycle Bitchen" is ladies and transgender-only from 6:30 to closing.
• Highland Park — Bicycle Oven open seven days a week at various times. Check the schedule here.
• Mar Vista — Bikerowave open Monday-Thursday,  6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• MacArthur Park — BiciLibre open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
• El Monte — Metro Bike Hub at the El Monte Bus Station has a bike repair stand and bike pump. Registration and a small fee is required. Open all week.
• Van Nuys — Valley Bikery open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays. 

The day of the event, bring a helmet, good shoes, water bottle, wallet, Metro pass, lock, lights and cash for food. At the various CicLAvia hubs along the route, there will be food trucks, water stations, first aid stations and bike mechanic areas sponsored by local bike shops.

How to get to CicLAvia? For those who live near Metrolink or Amtrak stations on the San Bernardino, Orange County and Antelope Valley lines, Metrolink will provide extra bike cars. You can walk, bike, bus or drive to the station and bring your bike and stroller on board. Animals are allowed on Metrolink and Metro Rail as long as they are in a pet carrier.

For those who live closer, taking Metro Rail to Union Station, 7th Street/Metro Center, Civic Center, Pershing Square, MacArthur Park or Culver City stations will all get you straight to the route. And there may be a special edition TAP card, too.

Riding rail or bus to and from CicLAvia: 

How to bike to CicLAvia: Several groups are organizing feeder rides across Los Angeles. Join a feeder ride or use the bike lanes. If you're interested in a feeder ride, check out the details below and make sure to ask the organizers whether there will be a return ride as well.

How to get home? Do I have to bike the whole route, round-trip? The newest Metro Rail line – the Expo Line – has a stop at Culver City along the CicLAvia route. To get back to Union Station, take the Expo Line at the Culver City Hub at Venice Boulevard and Robertson and transfer to the Red or Gold Line to get to Union Station. Alternatively, you can get off at 7th Street/Metro Center and bike to Union Station.