Wear your scarfs this month!

Test Rides are a way that we prepare the SJBP route & train volunteers for the main ride. We need many more volunteers & we need these tasks (listed below) performed for both the Test Rides and the main ride. Your help is appreciated.  For those that get up  early on a Saturday, or want to catch a ride en route this ride’s for you… next Saturday, Dec. 12th, 10:00am-1:45pm

1. help market via FB, SJBP page,etc
2. send out info on FB (direct messages only)
3. print out guest list (2 per ride)
4. make & format documents – “Turn by Turn Directions”
5. create route & site captain sheets on google docs
6. recruit friends to join the test rides – or volunteer
7. lead a test route, ensure pace is good, regroups brief

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Help make our 2 year Anniversary ride the best one yet!

We need volunteer riders for all aspects of the rides!

You’ve ridden SJBP several times, you know what needs to be done to help us …

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It’s that time again!  Time to remark on the ups and downs of another amazing ride.

First, the stats:  17.25mi, 1,535 riders (counted around 10:30pm at the Mabury overpass of I-680, since it narrowed and slowed us there).  It’s almost uninteresting to remark that 1500 riders is an all-time record for us, since we’ve been growing at 50% a month for several months now, meaning we’re twice as big as we were two months ago and FIVE times larger than we were in January.  Wild.  We have more riders each month than the ride that started so many rides in so many cities, San Francisco’s Critical Mass.  Go San Jose!

But with all of this impressive growth come some staggering problems.  Enormous numbers of people earn red-light violation tickets  each month (average cost = $300ish), plenty of people wipe out unnecessarily as a result of reckless riding, and littered trash is rampant at all of our stops and even along our route.  This is not sustainable.

What can we do to clean up the ride, both literally and figuratively?  We all want to see the ride continue – many of us think it’s the best thing to happen in this city in years.  It’s not going to happen on its own.  Plenty of people stepped up tonight to become BIRDs – Bike Information Resource Directors, the volunteers who keep our ride together.  These people are true heroes, and we need more of you to join this cause.  But that is not and will not be enough.  What can we do?

Hit your comments – for the purposes of this discussion, please avoid any “people should” or “you all should” comments – stick to the “I will” sort of comment and tell us what YOU will do to help our ride, not what someone else should do.  Also, of course feel free to mention tales and experiences from the ride, and photo links.

Ride on!

Do you love Bike Party?

Do you want to help out but are not sure how?

Are you a seasoned Bike Party rider?

We need your help!!

San Jose Bike Party has gotten HUGE. In less than two years, we have grown from an average ridership of forty cyclists to over a thousand!!

With so many riders, we are getting a lot more attention from politicians, police, community residents, and of course drivers.

We need help to keep Bike Party safe, keep it fun, and keep it from getting shut down.

San Jose Bike Party is asking all riders who have ridden on at least four or more rides and understand the “how we ride” policy to become a Bike Party BIRD. (Bicycle Information Resource Director).

What does a Bike Party BIRD do?

Be the face of Bike Party and guide new riders on what’s going on.

Help other riders follow rules of the road.

Some Birds can lead the way, be in front of the pack and tell people where to go.

Remind people to pick up their trash, stop at red lights, and roll past conflict.

This is a very fun job! You get to be a mentor for riders while enjoying bike party.

If you are interested, please come to the ride 45 minutes early or email sjbikeparty@gmail.com. We have awesomely designed shirts for all participants.

The more riders who are BIRDS means the larger likely hood San Jose Bike Party will be around for a long time!