San Jose Bike Party

{{Infobox organization

| name = San Jose Bike Party

| image = File:Kluft-photo-2019-05-17-SJBP-street.jpg

| caption = SJ Bike Party group moving as a light turns green on May 17, 2019

|formation = {{start date and age|2007|10}}{{cite web

|url=http://www.sjbikeparty.org/faq/

|title=Frequently Asked Questions

|publisher=San Jose Bike Party

|access-date=2019-06-13}}

|type = non-profit corporation

|purpose = bicycle events

|location = San Jose, California

|website = {{Official URL}}

}}

{{Infobox recurring event

|frequency = Monthly

|dates = third Fridays

|location = route announced 1-2 days before ride

|participants=over 1000 in Summer

}}

San Jose Bike Party is a monthly social bicycle ride event in and around San Jose, California held on the third Friday of every month.

Attendance varies with weather and time of year, usually ranging from hundreds in the winter months to low thousands in the summer. Established in 2007, it is the original 'bike party' now replicated in other cities around the world.{{cite web

|url=http://www.sjbikeparty.org/about/

|title=About Us

|publisher=San Jose Bike Party

|access-date=2019-06-21}}{{cite news |last1=Grobelny |first1=Kasia |last2=Goode |first2=Lauren |date=2014-04-21 |title=San Jose Bike Party is not your typical Silicon Valley cycling group |url=https://blog.sfgate.com/inthepeninsula/2014/04/21/san-jose-bike-party/ |work=SF Gate/San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=2019-07-19}} Its motto is "Building community through cycling".

Monthly ride

{{Panorama|image=File:Kluft-photo-SJBP-2019-06-21-regroup-pano.jpg|height=300|width=75%|caption=San Jose Bike Party at a regroup point on June 21, 2019|alt=panorama of San Jose Bike Party including crowd with lots of bicycles at a regroup point on June 21, 2019}}

San Jose Bike Party's rides are on the 3rd Friday of each month. The ride begins at 8pm, with a suggested meet-up time of 7:30pm.

There is a different route and title theme for each month. The distance ranges from 15–30 miles. The route is announced on email, the web site and social media 24–48 hours before the ride. The relatively short notice of the route announcements started as a preventative measure against unruly riders who caused some mischief.{{cite news

| last = Gonzales

| first = Sandra

| date = 2010-10-20

| title = San Jose Bike Party, monthly ride attracts thousands of die-hard bicyclists, but no politics

| url = https://www.mercurynews.com/2010/10/20/san-jose-bike-party-monthly-ride-attracts-thousands-of-die-hard-bicyclists-but-no-politics/

| work = San Jose Mercury News

| access-date = 2019-08-15

}}

=Regroup points=

File:Kluft-photo-2019-07-19-SJBP-regroup2a.jpg

File:Kluft-photo-2019-10-18-SJBikeParty-regroup.jpg

Two regroup points along the route allow everyone to catch up. They serve as rest and party stops. The overall pace is slow enough that some families bring their kids. The regroup points often have food trucks and DJ'ed music.

=Nighttime rides=

The 8pm start time, after the evening commute, means the regular monthly rides are always night rides. The ride starts before sunset from May to August at San Jose's latitude.{{cite web

|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/san-jose

|title=San Jose, California, USA — Sunrise, Sunset, and Daylength

|website=TimeAndDate.com

|access-date=2019-07-21}}

California law requires lights and reflectors for cycling on public streets at night.{{cite web

|url=https://www.calbike.org/go_for_a_ride/california_bicycle_laws/

|title=California Bicycle Laws

|website=California Bicycle Coalition

|access-date=2019-07-21}}

=November 2018 ride cancellation=

File:2018-11-16-EPA-airnow-peak aqi sanfrancisco ca.jpg

San Jose Bike Party usually rides regardless of weather. The ride of November 16, 2018 was the first time a ride was cancelled. The reason for the cancellation was unhealthy air quality. The entire Bay Area was affected by wind-blown smoke from the Camp Fire far to the north in Butte County.{{cite web

|url=https://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.mapsarchivedetail&domainid=49&mapdate=20181116&tab=1

|title=EPA AirNow Air Quality Maps Archives

|date=2018-11-16

|website=United States Environmental Protection Agency

|access-date=2019-09-24

}}{{cite web

|url=http://www.sjbikeparty.org/2018/11/11/cartoonanimeride/

|title=Cartoon/Anime Ride! Nov 16 Cancelled!

|date=2018-11-16

|publisher=San Jose Bike Party

|access-date=2019-06-13

}} For 2 days including the day of the monthly ride, the Air quality index in the Bay Area exceeded 200, a level indicating "very unhealthy" air.{{cite news|last1=Morrison|first1=Lily|last2=Chen|first2=Amy|last3=Linou|first3=Natalia|last4=Linos|first4=Eleni|title=California wildfires: I am simultaneously worried about my own health, my patients, and my children|work=The BMJ Opinion|date=2018-11-23|access-date=2019-06-21|url=https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2018/11/23/california-wildfires-i-am-simultaneously-worried-about-my-own-health-my-patients-and-my-children/}}

The same route from the cancelled ride was rerun, as well as the "Cartoon/Anime Ride" theme, in June 2019 under direction of the same ride leader volunteer who had originally prepared it.{{cite web |url=http://www.sjbikeparty.org/2019/2721623457853774/ |title=SJBP: The Cartoon / Anime Ride |date=2019-06-19 |website=San Jose Bike Party |access-date=2019-06-28}}

=2020 cancellations & virtual rides=

The COVID-19 pandemic caused all bicycle parties to be cancelled from March to July 2020. From August 2020 to June 2021, the bike parties were hosted as virtual events.

Emphasis on civility and safety

File:Kluft-photo-2019-05-17-SJBP-regroup1.jpg

San Jose Bike Party differentiates itself from protest rides such as nearby San Francisco's Critical Mass. Bike Party is a social event, not a protest.{{cite news |last=Richards |first=Gary |date=2009-08-19 |title=Roadshow: San Jose Bike Party hits the road Friday |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2009/08/19/roadshow-san-jose-bike-party-hits-the-road-friday/ |work=San Jose Mercury News |access-date=2019-07-19 }} The organization encourages riders to ride safely, obey rules of the road and set a good example for others as much as possible. They repeatedly remind riders of 6 rules as "How we ride".{{cite web

|url=http://www.sjbikeparty.org/how-we-ride/

|title=How We Ride!

|website=San Jose Bike Party

|access-date=2019-06-13}}

{{cite web

|url=http://content-magazine.com/home/san-jose-bike-party/

|title=San Jose Bike Party

|last=Moreno de Thompson

|first=Flora

|date=2017-04-28

|website=Content Magazine

|publisher=SV Creates

|access-date=2019-07-29}}

Stop at lights
Stay to the right
Pack your Trash
Roll Past Conflict
Ride Sober
Be nice

Making a point about safety is relevant. Accidents and injuries have occasionally occurred.{{cite web

|url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Cyclist-Hit-Seriously-Hurt-During-San-Jose-Bike-Party-101222399.html

|title=Cyclist Hit, Seriously Hurt During SJ Bike Party

|date=2010-08-21

|publisher=NBC Bay Area

|access-date=2019-06-13

}}{{cite web

|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2013/07/22/campbell-hit-and-run-driver-sought-after-injuring-bicyclists-in-san-jose-bike-party/

|title=Campbell: Hit-and-run driver sought after injuring bicyclists in San Jose Bike Party

|last=Salonga

|first=Robert

|date=2013-07-22

|work=San Jose Mercury News

|access-date=2019-06-26}}

Visits by politicians

Mostly during election seasons, San Jose's Mayor and City Council members or candidates for those offices have ridden with San Jose Bike Party.{{cite web

|url=https://sf.streetsblog.org/2014/07/25/san-jose-candidates-campaign-pitch-public-safety-at-sj-bike-party/

|title=San Jose Candidates Campaign, Pitch Public Safety at SJ Bike Party

|last=Boone

|first=Andrew

|date=2014-07-25

|publisher=Streetsblog SF

|access-date=2019-06-13

}}{{cite news

| last = Boone

| first = Andrew

| date = 2014-10-01

| title = San Jose Candidates Campaign at Bike Party, Bike Life Festival

| url = https://sf.streetsblog.org/2014/10/01/council-candidates-campaign-at-san-jose-bike-party-and-bike-life-festival/

| work = StreetsBlog SF

| access-date = 2019-07-06

}} City Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio wrote an op-ed for San Jose Inside about his experience riding with Bike Party in March 2009.{{cite web

|url=https://www.sanjoseinside.com/2009/03/30/san_jose_bike_party/

|title=San Jose Bike Party

|last=Oliverio

|first=Pierluigi

|author-link=Pierluigi Oliverio

|date=2009-03-30

|publisher=San Jose Inside

|access-date=2019-06-21

}}

Bike Party has also attracted visiting politicians. There have been two occurrences of participation by mayors of sister city Dublin, Ireland. In both cases a special event ride was arranged on a weekend afternoon with a shorter route to fit the schedule of the Mayor's visit to San Jose. The ride for Lord Mayor Andrew Montague was on March 11, 2012.{{cite news

|last=Gottschalk

|first=Mary

|date=2012-03-02

|title=Special Irish Ride planned when Dublin lord mayor visits San Jose

|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2012/03/02/special-irish-ride-planned-when-dublin-lord-mayor-visits-san-jose/

|work=San Jose Mercury News

|access-date=2019-07-20

}}{{cite web

|url=https://www.sjbikeparty.org/2012/special-event-the-mayor-ride-sunday-mar-11th-10am-city-hall/

|title=Special Event : The Mayor Ride – Sunday, Mar 11th 10am @City Hall

|date=2012-02-29

|website=San Jose Bike Party

|access-date=2019-09-29

}}{{cite web

|url=http://www.sjbikeparty.org/2012/reflections-the-mayor-ride/

|title=Reflections : The Mayor Ride

|date=2012-03-11

|website=San Jose Bike Party

|access-date=2019-09-29

}} The ride for Lord Mayor Oisín Quinn was on March 9, 2014.{{cite news

|last=Pizarro

|first=Sal

|date=2014-03-03

|title=Dublin Lord Mayor Oisín Quinn to join San Jose Bike Party ride

|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2014/03/03/pizarro-dublin-lord-mayor-oisn-quinn-to-join-san-jose-bike-party-ride/

|work=San Jose Mercury News

|access-date=2019-07-20

}}{{cite news

| date = 2014-03-09

| title = Irish Mayor Attends South Bay Bike Party

| url = https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Irish-Mayor-Attends-South-Bay-Bike-Party-249216191.html

| work = NBC Bay Area

| access-date = 2019-07-29

}}{{cite web

|url=https://www.sjbikeparty.org/2014/2nd-annual-dublin-ireland-mayors-ride/

|title=2nd Annual Dublin Ireland Mayor's Ride

|date=2014-03-02

|website=San Jose Bike Party

|access-date=2019-09-29

}}{{cite web

|url=https://www.sjbikeparty.org/2014/st-patricks-day-a-bit-early-in-san-jose/

|title=St. Patrick's Day a bit early in San Jose

|date=2014-03-10

|website=San Jose Bike Party

|access-date=2019-09-29

}}

File:Kluft-photo-2019-10-13-Bike-to-the-Bay-SJBP.jpg

San Jose Bike Party has since 2016 assisted organizing the annual "Bike to the Bay" event led by Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese. It is a group bicycle ride held in October along the Guadalupe River Trail from near downtown to Alviso Marina County Park for the Day on the Bay festival.{{cite web

|url=http://www.sjbikeparty.org/2019/378054586456384/

|title=Bike To The Bay 2019

|date=2019-10-06

|website=San Jose Bike Party

|access-date=2019-10-13

}}{{cite web

|url=http://www.sjbikeparty.org/2016/2016-year-review/

|title=2016 Year in Review

|date=2016-12-23

|website=San Jose Bike Party

|access-date=2019-10-13

}}

Organization

Established in 2007, San Jose Bike Party was the original 'bike party', now replicated in other cities. It was originally founded as an informal association. It later achieved non-profit incorporation in 2014 so it could accept donations and work with the city on events. The organization can use the Volunteer Protection Act to shield volunteers from liability when acting on behalf of the organization. It remains an all-volunteer organization with no employees.{{cite web

|url=https://www.sanjoseinside.com/2014/11/19/san-jose-bike-party-incorporates-to-pursue-nonprofit-status/

|title=San Jose Bike Party Incorporates to Pursue Nonprofit Status

|last=Wadsworth

|first=Jennifer

|date=2014-11-19

|publisher=San Jose Inside

|access-date=2019-06-13}}

Awards

San Jose Bike Party was awarded "2019 Environmental Organization of the Year" by the Santa Clara County chapter of the League of Conservation Voters.{{cite web

|url=http://scclcv.org/index.php/awards.html

|title=Environmental Award Recipients

|website=Santa Clara County League of Conservation Voters

|access-date=2019-09-29

}} A San Jose Bike Party social media post included a photo of the LCV award and a "Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition" signed September 26, 2019 by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo.{{cite web

|url=https://twitter.com/SJBikeParty/status/1177619278930989057

|title=San Jose Bike Party is the "2019 Environmental Organization of the Year"

|date=2019-09-27

|publisher=Twitter

|access-date=2019-09-29

}}

References

External links

{{Official website}}
[https://www.sanjose.com/2012/01/29/sj_qa_katie_heaney_san_jose_bike_party/ "SJ Q&A: Katie Heaney, San Jose Bike Party"], SanJose.com, January 29, 2012 by Hayley Benham-Archdeacon
[http://velo-city2013.com/wp-content/uploads/20130612_JohnBrazil.pdf "San José Bike Party:A Convergence of Culture"], presentation slides at Velo-City Vienna 2013 by John Brazil and Ryan Smith, City of San Jose Dept of Transportation
[http://activate.metroactive.com/2013/10/san-jose-bike-party-celebrates-six-years-of-free-ride/ "All Grown Up, San Jose Bike Party Celebrates Six Years of Free Rides"], MetroActive, October 15, 2013
[https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/07/20/5-free-things-from-charlie-chaplin-to-blues-sensation-lara-price/ 5 free things to do this weekend: From Charlie Chaplin to blues sensation Lara Price], San Jose Mercury News, July 20, 2017
[https://www.bicycling.com/culture/a26522174/group-bike-rides-near-me/ "10 Popular Cycling Groups for When You’re Tired of Riding Solo"] by Bicycling Magazine, July 18, 2019
Videos with different approaches to showing the large scale of the event {{plays audio}}
{{YouTube|id=z5dgkLx0CMM| title=San Jose Bike Party: Not Your Typical Silicon Valley Cycling Group}} by Stanford Journalism, April 21, 2014
{{YouTube|id=IROFKmWk824| title= SJ Bike Party 2016-12-16: Riding in Silicon Valley's Rolling Holiday Flash Mob|link=no}} by Ian Kluft
{{YouTube|id=nha1YViNHas| title= San José Bike Party - Rainbow Brite, May 19th, 2017|link=no}} by ElectricBikeReview.com
{{YouTube|id=W9onLXl02_Y| title= San Jose Bike Party January 2019 - The Viking Ride|link=no}} by Nunya Biznuss (well-attended ride for January due to good weather)
{{YouTube|id=gSGibK346hw| title= San Jose Bike Party- How We Ride|link=no}} by Mabel D as part of coursework at CSU Monterey Bay, Sept 21, 2019