February’s Ride Was Legendary – Thanks, Everyone!

For those of you who were there, you know last Friday’s ride was legendary.  A police escort through San Leandro (with one officer using his P.A. system to say, “Bike Party!”), great community spirit, a party stop left completely free of trash when we rolled out, people in the pack looking our for one another (shouting, “Stay right,” and, “Car up!”), and an after-ride party at NIMBY that will be hard to beat.  If you weren’t there, you’ll just have to join us for the next one.

The goal is to have a super-fun, community-oriented, people-positive, law-abiding ride and you nailed it! People from San Leandro cheered us on ride night, left positive comments on our Facebook page, and a few even promised to join us on future rides.  The police were super-helpful, blocking traffic and escorting us through San Leandro, and it was great to hear lots of Bike Partiers saying, “Thank you, officer,” throughout the evening.  Bike Party on Friday really was a community event.

We even got a write-up on the San Leandro Patch website, and the unofficial poll (at the bottom of the page) shows that people think Bike Party rocks! The article’s author discovered the previous post on this site in their research, and by quoting it, they’re helping us spread the word on what Bike Party is all about.  (Although calling us a ‘flash mob’ is somewhat hilarious.)

We’ve said it before: You create the culture of Bike Party.  Friday shows that you’re creating something amazing. Keep it up.  And if you want to help grow the culture, it’s as easy as walking the talk and also telling people how and why we ride when you’re answering their questions about when we ride.

If Friday is any indication, Bike Party will just keep getting better and better. The greatest thing is that you can tell everyone that Bike Party is your party. And your party ROCKS.

Special thanks go out to Ashley E., who put together the absolutely mind-blowing after-party at NIMBY; Nick U., who plotted, tested and revised the ride route; Snook and everyone at NIMBY who couldn’t have been more generous with their time, party space, rides and popcorn; DJ Dom, who provided ’90s tunage for the dance floor; all of our amazing test riders, who helped us maximize the route’s fun factor; and every rider who came out on Friday – you helped create something special and memorable.

Let’s do it again next month!  And there’s only one thing left to say, so feel free to whisper, sing or shout it wherever you are right now…

BIKE PARTY!!!!

’90s DANCE PARTY RIDE is Tomorrow: Ride Route and Final Notes

We have three words for you about tomorrow night’s Bike Party: JUST DO IT.

The route is short and sweet (so that we can rock the party at NIMBY), the music is going to be amazing, and the after-ride party is the stuff of legend. For example: NIMBY is going to be SETTING UP RIDES FOR US!!!  Whoomp, there is is!  You do not want to miss this.

The starting point is the Oakland Coliseum BART Station.  As always, we’ll start to gather at 7:30pm and roll out just after 8pm.  As for the route, it looks like this:

1 party stop during the ride and a big, all-ages party after.  And no hills.  This ride is hella flat.  For a zoomable version, click the image above or just click here.  Some important reminders:

• Your Ride, Your Community, Your Responsibility - If you threw a party in your backyard and saw people trashing your place or messing with your neighbors’ houses you’d be furious.  The truth is, this is your party.  The neighborhoods we ride through are our ours.  The houses we pass belong to people in our community. So, if you see something, say something.  If you notice someone helping out a fellow Partier, cheer them on!  If someone says, “Car up,” repeat it and pass it down the line.  If someone new doesn’t know the basics of Bike Party, get them up to speed in a positive way.  And if  you see behavior that’s destructive or is endangering people on the ride, remember that it’s your party, so it’s important for you to say something or find someone who’s comfortable doing so. There are so many people who have your back on this one!  We all love Bike Party and want to see it keep on keepin’ on.

• Bring a Lock - There will be bike racks aplenty, but it’s self-parking, so you’ll need to bring your own lock.
  

• Get Lights - It’s not just about cars seeing you, it’s about other Bike Partiers seeing you. If someone doesn’t know you’re behind them, they might cut you off and cause a crash.  And without a rear light, it’s hard for someone to see you slowing down. When they stop short (or worse, run into you) it causes a big crash.  Lights aren’t expensive and they’re an investment in your safety (and that of your fellow riders).  Most shops sell a front/rear set for $15 or less.  With lights, you’ll shine like the star we know you are!

• Bring Cash - There will be food and drink available at the after-party at NIMBY and Sulaiman will be selling East Bay Bike Party t-shirts and hoodies.  All of this is on a cash-only basis, so if you want in on any of this, bring some currency.

• Helmets Strongly Suggested - ‘Nuff said.

We’re incredibly excited to see you tomorrow night!  We will see you in the ’90s!

BIKE PARTY!!!

Tuesday Test Ride is a Go! (Weather Hasn’t Canceled)

We have a ‘rain cancels’ policy for test rides, but since it’s not raining (as of 5:15pm Tuesday, 2/7) and the roads are super-dry, the final test ride is on!  The best thing to do on a grey day is to dress warm and get your blood pumping on a fun, social bike ride.  It’ll be about 9 miles.  Since it’s a small group, it’ll be a relatively quick tour and you’ll be happy you did it when we’re done.

DETAILS: 7pm tonight (Tues., 2/7) at Oakland Coliseum BART. Lights, helmets and warm clothes (preferably water-resistant at a minimum) recommended.  Let’s do this!

BIKE PARTY!!!

 

THIS TUESDAY (2/7): Final Test Ride Before February EB Bike Party

Our next East Bay Bike Party – the ’90s DANCE PARTY ride – is this Friday and it’s going to be AMAZING. We’re putting the finishing touches on this month’s route and we could use some TEST RIDERS!

We’re doing one final field test of our current ride route to get rider feedback and see just how solid it looks. We don’t just want your input, we NEED it! Plus, test rides are a great way to get a sneak preview of the ride, meet some other die-hard Bike Partiers and find out about volunteering. Saturday’s Test Ride was absolutely amazing!

This test ride will start at the Oakland Coliseum BART on Tuesday (Feb. 7) at 7pm. Test rides are smaller and faster than the actual Bike Party (which means you’ll be home sooner), and it’s still hella fun.

We’ll be looking to roll out as close to 7pm as possible. And we always recommend lights, helmets and locks. See you Tuesday!

BIKE PARTY!!!

February 2012 EB Bike Party – Test Ride #1 (Thursday, Feb. 2 @ 7pm)

All right, stop – collaborate and listen. Our next East Bay Bike Party is Friday, February 10th and it’s going to be AMAZING. We’ll have an invite with full details coming soon. For right now, we could use some TEST RIDERS!

As always, we’ve fleshed out the ride route pretty well, but we need to test it and get rider feedback to know just how solid it looks. Plus, riding is more fun with a crowd.

We’re taking the start to a whole new BART this time around, so we’d love to see you at the Oakland Coliseum BART on Thursday (Feb. 2) at 7pm for the first TEST RIDE for February. It’s smaller and faster than the actual Bike Party (which means you’ll be home sooner), but it’s still hella fun.

If you’re going, please RSVP. We’ll be looking to roll out as close to 7pm as possible. And we always recommend lights, helmets and locks. See you Thursday!

BIKE PARTY!!!

SKI HO’S & SPEEDOS RIDE – Now Starts at SNOW PARK (Fri., Jan. 13)

The first East Bay Bike Party of 2012 is almost here!  The route has been finalized, and thanks to amazing feedback from our Test Riders (thanks, all) we’ve made some adjustments, including the starting point.  The Friday, January 13th Bike Party will now be starting at SNOW PARK.  Seems appropriate for a ski-related ride, right?

What does the route look like?  It looks a little something like this:

For a zoomable version of the map, you can click the map or just click here.

What else do you need to know?

• The theme is beachwear and/or slopewear, but you’re welcome to make up your own theme if you like.
• We gather at 7:30pm and try to roll out at 8pm – the starting point this month is Snow Park (your closest BART will be the 19th Street BART).
• Volunteers are always appreciated (just look for someone with a bullhorn when you arrive and tell them you want to guide people through a corner or two).
• If you’ve got a sound system, bring it! You’ll be like a bike folk hero.

That’s about it.  We’re excited to see you this Friday.  You know what comes next…

BIKE PARTY!!!!!!

January EB Bike Party: SKI HO’S & SPEEDOS

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It’s 2012 and we’re excited for our first EB Bike Party of the new year.  On Friday, January 13th (at 7:30pm) we expect to see you at Snow Park for the SKI HO’S AND SPEEDOS ride!

With two ways to go, we’re sure you can come up with some kind of costume for this ride. Since some ho’s outfits are remarkably like swimwear, we think you might even be able to combine the two! And don’t take the word ho too literally, you’re also encouraged to grab your pimp cup, cane, hat and cape and roll with us.  Of course, if your costume leans in the skimpy direction, just remember to dress warmly beneath.

If you want to help us test the route in advance, there will be a test ride Tuesday, January 3rd leaving from Snow Park at 7:30pm and another one next week which we’ll announce soon.  Your feedback matters! Here’s the FB link for tomorrow’s test ride:

https://www.facebook.com/events/330103807019447/

The vibe on the rides has been great and we love the sense of community and responsibility we’re seeing out there.  With a new year, we expect many new riders. If you want to help them get into the swing of things, feel free to share the basics with them:

• Stay Right
• Stop At Lights
• Ride Straight
• Don’t Hate
• Pack Your Trash
• Don’t Get Smashed

As always, volunteering is encouraged and appreciated.  If you’d like to help direct people through a turn or two on ride night, it’s something that everyone on the ride benefits from.  You can find out more about how to volunteer on a test ride or by looking for the volunteer coordinator (seek out someone with a megaphone) on ride night.

If your New Year’s Resolution is to make 2012 better than 2011, the best way to kick-start that is to be with us for this month’s Bike Party.  Now shout it like it’s New Year’s Eve…

BIKE PARTY!!!!