The promise of rain couldn’t keep Bike Party from happening last night. Approximately 1,200 riders were counted right after the Winchester Movie Domes. What could have been a down pour in spots, turned out to be a fantastic ride! Honestly, the weather couldn’t have turned out nicer. Many thanks for all the volunteers who posted up on corners and worked many hours behind the scenes to pull off this ride. And yes fellow riders, we love that you made it out this month!
Highlights included the high energy levels that everyone brought as we rolled past neighborhoods and all over this town. Music trailers and more systems on individual bikes kept the vibe going. The Mary Street foot bridge remains an amazing image in my mind. Seeing a taco truck at the rest stops was truly a bike party first. And when the occasional spill happened, people stopped to help their fellow riders get back on the bicycle, simply amazing. We truly hope that Bike Party is able to foster a sense of positive behavior as we hit the streets, meet new people, make friends, and continue to explore the community we are all part of.
Share your reflections here in the comments – if we see any recurring themes, we’ll add to this post.
Please post & share photo/media links!
What a glorious bunch of holiday lights tonight! Tonight’s ride might not have too many superlatives for it – it certainly wasn’t our longest or shortest in distance, it was neither the best-attended or sparsest (around 950 counted at Central & Westfield), BUT it was quite possibly the best received! Sidewalk observers and passers-by were in fine form tonight, with holiday cheer shared amongst all. Our ride encountered literally hundreds of amazing holiday decoration displays, including one on Glen Eyrie that included an entire brass band! Neighbors didn’t seem to mind the traffic jam for this impromptu block party – this was a piece of San Jose community at its best.
Thanks to the incredibly thoughtful route planners and the many, many BIRDs who helped to direct cyclists at complicated turns. Tonight seemed to prove that perhaps being a BIRD isn’t a patch or a qualification, but a job anyone can step into at any time. Thanks to those who jumped right in where needed and helped make the ride great – THAT is the down-home Bike Party community spirit.
One reminder: bike lights make an excellent holiday gift for casual cyclists and regular riders alike, and if tonight’s ride is any sign, this valley’s cyclists could use a LOT more bike lighting. Remember, be safe, follow the law, and ride confidently!
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)
Here’s the latest, most updated route for this Friday’s Troll Ride! We’ll update this post if last-minute changes happen in the next day or so.
May 15th Troll Ride on Map My Ride
This route takes on a tour of Cupertino to the brand-new $15M Mary Ave bridge – and a WAY cool photo op for the photographers on the Stelling Ave overpass – only a half-mile away from our crossing of the lit-up Mary bridge.
Update, 5/15:
I know it’s last-minute, but here are the directions for the route tonight! Learn them early so you can help keep our ride on-route!
May 2009 Route Sheets
Directions
R on Bascom Ave (watch the traffic!)
3 Lefts! on Whitethorne, Spruance, Pamlar
R on Bascom Ave
R on Hamilton Ave
3mi – REGROUP #1: Parking lot by Del Taco
R on San Tomas Aquino Rd
R on Marilla Ave
L on Williams Rd
6mi – REGROUP #2: Longs Drugs Parking lot
L on Moorpark/Bollinger Rd (cross De Anza)
R on Kim St
L on McClellan Rd
R into De Anza College – go towards observatory
9 mi – REGROUP #3: De Anza Observatory Lot
through campus, out to Mary Ave
cross Stevens Creek, to Mary Ave bridge!
R on Homestead Rd
R on Stelling Rd – take a picture of the bridge!
L on Stevens Creek Blvd – No turns!
12mi – REGROUP #4: old Mervyn’s Lot
16mi – REGROUP #5: Circuit City parking lot
R on Santana Row
R on Olsen Dr
18mi – END at Century 21/22/23 parking lot!
Updated! The draft route for the April ride has been posted! We’re headed to Los Gatos via Bascom, returning up Winchester to visit Santana Row!
Note that this ride is a loop that will return to Dick’s Center, and those wishing to continue to SJSU can do that after, or just keep going on San Carlos Street when the rest of us turn.
See the route here on MapMyRide.
