Kick off the year Running the Bulls with a mellow OR challenging ride through the Evergreen hills!
You've always wanted to run!
We will start together at Eastridge Mall (Eastridge Center) then split horns at Ruby & Quimby, with the “mellow” flatter steer chase heading North and West. The “challenging” steeper bull run will roll East and South. Both rides will meet up again on Yerba Buena road near Hwy 101 to ride to downtown San Jose. We’ll try to keep the mellow steer ride regroups short so we can coordinate both routes to meet at a similar time on Yerba Buena. If you’d like to go back to Eastridge after Regroup #3, simply take a right on Tully Rd.
TIME: Show up by 7:30pm – Wheels hit the street at 8:00pm!
Maps
Mellow Steer Ride: MapMyRide (the flatter version), “Visual Map” (all of ride) , the “Turn by Turn” directions (double sided format)
- or -
Challenging Bull Ride: MapMyRide (the hilly version), “Visual Map” (only miles 3-10.5, see other map too), the “Turn by Turn” directions (double sided format)
Note: The Mellow ride at 220ft elevation overall is slightly more than average…but the 486 ft for the “Challenging” ride is great… but only if you know how to ride! Be sure to let faster riders pass on the left *inside the rightmost lane* and let slower riders merge right.
For Pre-Rides please look at “more” down below.
Note that the VTA Alum Rock station is only about 2.75 miles away and the Curtner station is about 4miles away. (DT SJ is 5.65 mi away – you can park there and join a Pre-Ride)
As always we need Volunteers at key intersections and to ensure riders go deep in to the regroups!
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Happy Holidays!
We have a neighborhood-focused ride full of holiday lights this month.
There are a few important things to remember:
- Arrive on time! Wheels hit the street @ 8pm!
- Light up your bike! It’s dark, it’s the holidays, DO IT.
- Please don’t forget to follow the “How We Ride.” Make this a successful ride by keeping fellow riders, pedestrians, and cars happy and safe on their commute. We don’t want any crashes or $400 tickets.
- Bring a canned food item or two to be donated to Second Harvest Food Bank.
The route for the event is here: Scarf Ride Route Map.
Please print (1-10+) these out before the ride:
The starting and ending point of the ride is 101 Paseo de San Antonio Walk – by the SJ Rep. Please do NOT park at the starting location.
Volunteers needed! Meeting @7:30pm (prob towards the SJ Rep box office)
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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Where's Waldo?
Weather update: Forecast says dry skies for the ride! Bring canned food! Maps and Routes below updated for clarity!
START:
Hellyer Velodrome (7-8:30pm bike & roller derby races & party)
- or -
former Capital Buick/GMC (regular start)
It’s your choice! (park in Campbell, dt SJ or Capitol VTA – but NO parking in/near Hellyer Velodrome – and please drive instead of taking VTA if possible)
Just as Waldo explores a new environment with every new page, so SJ Bike Party turns the page on another exciting adventure through new territory of Southeast San Jose! This month’s ride brings:
- a food donation drive with Second Harvest Food Bank! bring non-perishable food to the start!
- new roads you’ve never seen before – some great, some sketchy
- a mix of ‘hoods from dense & urban to hilly & country open space within city limits!
- new libraries and other new city buildings
- Northern California’s only active velodrome with a race for you!
Bring a can - you know it!
Reminders
- Please review How We Ride before joining us – it’s the single most useful guide to the Bike Party experience!
- Read Get Ready to Ride for a checklist of things to remember. Bring lights and wear a helmet! This ride hits some very dark roads with occasional rough pavement – be prepared!
- Bring fenders and rain gear – we ride rain or clear – and rain seems likely.
- Help us keep the party festive – colorful costumes, bright lights, and music trailers make the night a blast! Please do try to keep noise down in residential neighborhoods, and be sure to ride sober – some more foolish riders have discovered the hard way that $400 tickets are no fun.
- Ride to the ride! Please do NOT plan to park a car at the start location or at the velodrome – there is absolutely no parking at either location. Plentiful parking near the start/finish at VTA’s Capitol Station, north & south of Capitol Expy @ Narvaez.
Hellyer Velodrome track party before November's Bike Party!
Bike Party can help you get to the velodrome races! These pre-rides will go straight to the velodrome to catch the race event and then meet up with the rest of the Bike Party when it rolls near the velodrome:
If you can’t come early to see the races at the velodrome, join us to catch the main ride:
Full Map & Directions
Main Ride: 20 miles – from the wide expanses of Capitol Expressway to winding Coyote Road to high density development streets… finishing at the starting point.
Turn by Turn Directions: Please print out 10-20 copies so you can share with others. Thanks!
Help Needed!! Can someone can check out actual signage for turn off of Blossom Hill onto Endicott/Great Oaks,etc? Please email what it says to sjbp.prerides@gmail.com Thanks!
Going Home
For those interested in riding home to downtown San Jose after the ride, here’s a map specifically for you: Capital Buick to DT SJ – SJ Rep
For everyone else, just ride the reverse of how you got there!
At long last, we have our final route mapped for Friday’s ride.
Route for June Ride
Check the map here:
June 2009 Bike Party route on Map My Ride
Thanks to Justin, Scott, Jeff, and everyone else who helped – yes, we’re last-minute again, but this was a really hard one to plan (tough neighborhoods with few parking lots) and everyone put in their volunteering overtime on this one. Nice work! As always, we will need more folks to help plan next month’s ride, the earlier the better. We try to get a test ride in – join the route conversation on the forums.
Highlights/Stats for this ride:
- 17.5 mi total from Dick’s Center to end at SJSU fountain
- Scenic rides through the Shasta/Hanchett Rosegarden neighborhood, small hill/night view above East Side SJ, ride through Alum Rock neighborhood, and a visit to the underused but awesome Mexican Heritage Plaza.
- Farthest Northeast Bike Party has ever ridden (farthest East was actually Southeast to Silver Creek/Brigadoon, over a year ago) – deepest into East Side we’ve ever gone
- Alum Rock hill = average climb of 2% grade, maximum 4% grade for last 1/4mi only. Downhill is average 3% grade down for 1 mile – whee!
Remember to stop at ALL red lights. Experienced riders, we need you! Show up early to earn your BIRD shirts and help keep our ride well-organized and smooth-flowing!
- your friendly route planning volunteers
I know you’re excited, so here’s the freshly-planned March Bike Party Route Map! (It sends you to MapMyRide.) Update 3/18: This route (at version 4) is now complete and accurate!
Major destinations include downtown Willow Glen, Oakridge Mall, Almaden Expressway, and South First Street. Mileage is moderately increased from last month – up to around 16mi/26km. The regroups are really evenly spaced, from around 2.5 to 3.5 miles between.
To see the turn-by-turn directions, scroll down to the 5th comment!
