On Sunday October 26, more than 30 cyclists came together from across LA—including families, kids, and attendees from Anaheim and the Palisades—at the beautiful Loma Alta Park in Altadena to support those still rebuilding and recovering from the wildfires in January. Together, we raised over $1,500 for Lotus Rising LA’s wildfire recovery programs and gathered as a community to reflect on the year’s tragic events, inspire continued change, and provide hope for the future.
In partnership with Altadena Councilmember Dorothy “Dot” Wong and her Altadena Cycling Club, our Sun & Spokes bike ride took us on a roughly 10-mile journey through neighborhoods still devastated and recovering, downtown structures standing strong, and historic landmarks that have formed the fabric of Altadena since the 1800s.
For many, the event provided one of the first opportunities to gather on the ground—nearly a year after the natural disaster claimed more than 37,000 acres and 16,000 structures—and check in with fellow survivors and LA neighbors.
The result was truly heartwarming. Old friends reunited, new connections formed, and local bike groups blended for the first time on a trek through Altadena’s parks and neighborhoods in the Sunday sunshine. We had attendees from Pasadena Village, ActiveSVG, and my Bike the Strike group of local entertainment industry artists and crew members.
We were also uplifted by the generous support of Prime Pizza, who hosted us for a delicious lunch and donated 20% of every order to our programs, and Pasadena bike shop Around the Cycle, who helped us coordinate bike rentals for attendees.
To commemorate the event, our cyclists were gifted with little frog friends, hand-customized by Lotus Rising LA founder and master seamstress Jacqui Medina, that they could clip to their bikes and bags. The amphibious keepsakes were a hit and will serve as sweet reminders of the day we shared. As Councilmember Wong profoundly noted, many people lost their belongings and precious items in the fires, so tangible mementos like these hold even more weight than ever.
Want more frogs, friends, and cycling fun? Ok, fine!
Here, we’ll dive into some of the biggest highlights and notable stops from our community bike ride:
A historic home relocated from Los Feliz to Altadena
Our first stop took us to Poppyfields Dr., where a 1910 Craftsman home from Los Feliz had been carefully dismantled and relocated to a burned lot—providing a new lease on life for the historic building and an innovative solution for a couple who lost their house in the Eaton Fire. This unique and sustainable rebuilding strategy was made possible by Omnigiving Architecture’s Historic House Relocation Project, which helps relocate at-risk older homes to save them from being demolished.
“There were a lot of people talking about prefab houses in Altadena as a different way to rebuild,” Morgan Sykes Jaybush, creative director at Omgivning, told KCRW. “And so I thought, well, couldn't this be a different type of prefab?”
He’s right! And prefab is fresh in our minds after Lotus Rising LA’s Prefab 101 event in September. Learn more about how families can explore resourceful prefab housing options in our interview with cityLAB UCLA.
Remnants of old railways in Mount Lowe Park
Next we visited Mount Lowe Park, former home of the Mount Lowe Railway, which operated from 1893 to 1936. As the story goes, tourists would take the Pacific Electric trolly into Rubio Canyon, and then take the Incline Railway to the top of Echo Mountain for beautiful vistas and weekend stays. Mount Lowe Park was originally part of the railway that led into the Canyon and, in 1993, was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Today, it’s a lovely strip of parkway with winding dirt paths, flowerbeds, and shade for pedestrians.
The enduring natural beauty of Christmas Tree Lane
Christmas Tree Lane on Santa Rosa Avenue is home to the oldest large-scale outdoor Christmas lighting display in the world, drawing thousands of visitors each holiday season since 1920. Start at the top of the Avenue and you can see down the nearly one-mile stretch of 134 majestic deodar cedar trees planted in 1885 by John and Frederick Woodbury, founders of Altadena.
Naturally—pun intended—Christmas Tree Lane is designated a California State Historic Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
A Pacific Electric substation-turned-thrift-store
Over on Lake Ave., we paid a visit to the historic Pacific Electric Railway Company Substation No. 8, built in 1905, which served as a critical power hub for the electric rail lines in the Pasadena and Altadena area. The beautiful brick building is now home to beloved local shop, Full Circle Thrift.
Reflections at the St. Elizabeth St. Church Grotto
After cycling through the late-morning sun, we stopped to make time for some quiet reflection at the serene St. Elizabeth Church grotto, built in 1939. According to the Altadena Historical Society, the grotto was constructed by Ryozo Fuso Kado, a fifth generation stone and rock craftsman, to mirror the famous grotto in Lourdes, France. Hundreds of thousands are said to have made pilgrimage to the grotto since it was established nearly a century ago. Tucked behind rows of trees and shrubbery on New York Ave., the historic site features Carrera marble statues of Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Bernadette and a peaceful stream of running water, which some believed had power to heal the sick.
Lunch with friends at Prime Pizza
Our nearly three-hour tour culminated with a delicious group lunch at Altadena’s Prime Pizza where we sat to chat about the events of the morning, enjoy a slice—or a few—and, like any good bike trip, make plans for the next ride!
Gearing up for the future
We hope that this event is just the start of a growing cycle of community action. We’ve already begun talks with Councilmember Wong about future bike rides and local gatherings, including a Palisades ride (get those legs ready for some hills!).
In true LA fashion, this Sun & Spokes experience exemplified the resilience, support, and hope embedded in our communities. Our goal is to keep the wheels turning—bringing neighborhoods together, shining a light on recovery efforts, and proving that joy and resilience can share the same path.
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