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!!!!!!

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!!!!

It happens Tuesday, so you’ll have plenty of time to recover from your New Year’s revelry by then. It will also give you a chance to decipher this month’s theme. We’ll gather at 7pm and leave promptly from MacArthur BART at 7:30pm.

The route starts at MacArthur, heads Downtown, then East to the Dimond District, with a return ride that will give you a taste of Lake Merritt (not literally!) before heading north to Mosswood Park. Pretty great, right?

Test Riders give us the necessary feedback to ensure the route is fun, safe and do-able given the number of people we ride with. Plus, it’s a great time! We could use you out there and would love to see you on Tuesday. Join us!

BIKE PARTY!!!!!

You can click the map to get a zoomable view or just click this link.  For the turn-by-turn instructions, I’ve attached them to the bottom of this post.

Just announced: The ride will end at the bandstand in Lakeside Park (on Lake Merritt) for live music from Caldecott! If you need more details on the ride, this post should take care of it.  We’ll see you at Lake Merritt BART tomorrow night!

BIKE PARTY!!!!!!

TURN-BY-TURN DIRECTIONS

START @ LAKE MERRITT BART
1. Down Oak St.
2. R ~ 10th St.
3. L ~ 5th Ave.
4. R ~ International (AKA “E. 14th”)
5. R ~ Fruitvale Ave.
6. Go over Fruitvale Bridge, MERGE LEFT
7. L ~ Fernside Blvd.
{Potential dip onto Thompson on ~R~ for Xmas Lights, then back to Fernside}
8. R ~ Otis Dr.
9. Otis dead ends into a park ~ PARTY STOP! :D
Push all the way into the park toward water’s edge.
WATCH FOR SPIKES AT PARK ENTRANCE
10. R ~ out of park onto Westline Dr.
Westline curves ~L~ and becomes Shoreline Dr.
11. Forced ~L~ onto Broadway
12. Slight ~R~ Tilden Way
Over Fruitvale Bridge
13. MERGE to RIGHT-MOST left turn lane
14. L ~ E. 12th
15. L ~ 2nd Ave.
16. R ~ 10th St.
17. R ~ Oak St. Oak becomes Lakeside Dr.
18. R ~ Grand Ave.
19. R ~ Bellevue Ave., inside Lakeside Park
END @ The Bandstand (676 Bellevue) for Live Music by Caldecott!!

We will be meeting at Lake Merritt BART at 7pm, rolling out at 7:15. Bring some extra layers for those scenic (and chilly!) bay-side miles.

Goal for this test ride? We’ll make sure all of the turns are accurately represented on the map so that we can publish the route with a turn-by-turn list for people to print out or have on their smartphones!

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK, WE SALUTE YOU!

~~ BIKE PARTYYYYYYY!!!!! ~~

Come out and roll like a ROCK STAR with your fellow Bike Partiers Friday, December 9th. Got a sound system? Bring it, because the consensus is, “I WANNA ROCK AND ROLL ALL NIGHT!”

We’ll start at Lake Merritt BART, head east to Fruitvale, then travel south to Alameda — because island getaways are just part of the deal for ROCK STARS. Once on the island, we’ll enjoy some scenic shoreline miles before heading back to the mainland and our final destination by the Lake.

Costuming for this one is all you. Everyone has an inner ROCK STAR, so channel it. Will you be a classic stadium showman like Mick? All glitter and glam like Ziggy? Edgy like Gaga? Or maybe this is just the push you need to get the band back together!

If the being in spotlight isn’t your style, put your own spin on what it is to be a ROCK STAR. Maybe you’re the guy behind the guy, like a session drummer or backup singer. You could be a literal ROCK STAR, like Michaelangelo’s David, the Sphinx or one of the Presidents from Mt. Rushmore. You could even come as a can of ROCKSTAR energy drink or a riding version of the game Rock Band.

Volunteers are always appreciated, as guiding riders through turns is what keeps the party together (while keeping it safe and fun). To get involved, come out for the next test ride (to be announced soon), email us at ebbikeparty[at]gmail.com or look for the volunteer coordinator on ride night at 7:30pm.

If you’ve got an entourage, bring it. Have lots of gear? Get some roadies. Whatever you do, don’t be late for the show! This performance is ONE NIGHT ONLY. As always, load-in is at 7:30 and we’ll kick it into gear at 8pm. We’re excited to rock with you December 9th. It’s been a great year and we just want to say, “FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK, WE SALUTE YOU!”

You do NOT want to miss this one. Now shout it with me, so they can hear you in the cheap seats: BIKE PARTY!!!

The ride is ON tonight. Dress for the weather. Meeting up at 7:30pm at MacArthur BART and rolling out at 8pm. BIKE PARTY!!!

Heavy rain will cancel the ride, but for the definitive word of whether the ride is on or not, you can check this page on ride night.  You can also check our Twitter feed (@EBBikeParty) or our Facebook page – all will have the go/no-go call.

Things to Bring: You’ll want lights, no question.  In the darker stretches, a rear blinky light is super-valuable as it keeps people from crashing into you and it lets them know when you’re slowing or stopping.  A bike lock is always a good idea and cash (since we’re likely going to have at least one food truck there) wouldn’t hurt.  It’s your call, but some kind of windbreaker or rain jacket wouldn’t be bad to pack either.

We’re all about being safe and having fun (at the same time), so just remember, this is how we ride:

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

Get ready for adventure! Who knows, you might even meet your long lost sibling:

BIKE PARTY!!!

• Ride Route: Here’s what the ride route looks like. For a zoomable view, click the image below.

  

• Rain Cancels – Check Facebook & Here: Bike Party is a ‘rain cancels’ affair. If we don’t ride on Friday, our next ride will be the second Friday in December. So that everyone’s on the same page, we’ll make the call on whether the ride happens or not. Check here or on the Facebook event page Friday afternoon/evening for the ‘go/no-go’ call.
  
• Bring Lights: There are some sections of the ride which don’t have that many streelights, so it’s important you bring front and rear lights. It’s not just about being able to see, it’s also important that people can see you. Not having a rear light in a dark stretch is an easy way to get run into.
• Bring a Lock: Based on feedback from the bike/Bike Party community, there have been more than a few bike thefts lately. It’s a good idea to lock your bike at party stops (if you’re going to walk away from it) and at the end of the ride. Even locking your bike to itself or another bike is way better than not locking it at all.

See you Friday.

BIKE PARTY!!!!