Recap: Volunteer Ride and BBQ!

note: all pictures linked to either original flickr page or credited directly.

SFBP had its first volunteer ride & BBQ this past Saturday. Thanks to the 40 or so riders who came out to enjoy the amazing Saturday spring weather.

foto by SFBP

Our amazing event organizers and volunteer outreachers were hard at work behind the scenes this month to put this Saturday ride on. Three SFBP planners led the rides while three other SFBP planners were getting the BBQ set up.

Team Cargo hauled over 120 veggie and meat hot dogs, a grill, condiments, plates, napkins, utensils, etc all by two cargo bikes.

Did you know that in SF we have a few dedicated bike traffic lights? It’s hard to tell from the camera phone pic, but we are waiting for the bike light off of the panhandle bike lane on our way to reserve the BBQ spot in Crissy Field.

Meanwhile on the ride… families came out in full force! Yay! Kids on bikes are crucial to the future of BIKEPARTIES all over

Also, on a day like Saturday, a lot of bikey people are out on their bikes. SF is pretty small like that, so you are bound to see someone you know. Looks like there was a Giants ride. A member of our fellow bike advocacy group, SFBC’s own Andy Thornley was out in orange riding around with others rootin’ for the home team.

photo by nio (note, that is not andy t.)

The purpose of this ride was to give volunteers some practice on how SFBP rides in the city and how to “clear” intersections and turn guard. We ride to the right and stop for lights. We also try to wait for riders who might get caught up changing a tire or just need some extra time to go up those famous SF hills.

photo by nio

christine mytko via SFBP facebook page

Isn’t that view gorgeous? We were in the presidio overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We really are fortunate to live in such a beautiful town.

Then it was time for the BBQ…and the wind!! The MVP at the BBQ site was the windblocker our awesome parents with cargo bikes, James and Adrienne, provided spontaneously.

We managed to chow down anyway. nomnomnom.

So, thanks to Mother Nature for making this Saturday an awesome precursor to our May ride, Rites of Spring, which is this coming Friday.

Interested in being a volunteer? We are having a volunteer test ride on Tuesday, 5/3 at 7pm at Justin Herman Plaza. We have test rides so volunteers can familiarize themselves with the upcoming route. During the ride, we let volunteers know of the areas where we need to guide bikepartiers in the correct direction.

If this sounds like someting you would like to do, please join us! If you are looking for camaderie only, please wait until Friday’s main ride. Be sure to bring some flowers to give to that special someone…or someones! Spring is in the air. It’s definitely time for a BIKEPARTY!!

Volunteer Ride and BBQ

Saturday, April 30 | Meetup to Ride 11:00 AM, BBQ Approx. 1 PM | Starting at the Conservatory of Flowers | Ending at Crissy Field

Calling all volunteers, future volunteers, those of you thinking about volunteering!! We are holding a volunteer ride and BBQ on Saturday, April 30 from 11-3 PM.  We will be meeting at the Conservatory of Flowers, taking a leisurely ride through the Presidio and ending with a BBQ at Crissy Field.  We will bring the food, you bring the beverages.

This is your chance to meet the collective members of San Francisco Bike Party, learn about volunteering, and to provide some input on the ride!! We need volunteers to keep the ride successful and fresh! Please come out!

Image courtesy of Bikes and the City

In order to purchase appropriate amounts of food, if you would like to attend the event, please RSVP via the facebook event page or via email at sanfranciscobikeparty at gmail dot com.

Volunteers: Join SFBP For Test Ride Next Week

*Due to the rain our test rides are cancel this week. We plan on holding a pre-ride next Tuesday*

SF Bike Party would like to extend an invitation for you to join us on our upcoming test rides:
Tuesday, 3/22* & Tuesday 3/29
*Rain date-Tuesday 3/24 7:00pm
Test ride meet location: Civic Center | Larkin Street – between Grove & McAllister |
[The big empty space where the 3-headed, 6-armed Buddha used to be located]

Test ride meet time: 7:00 p.m.

Ride length & duration: Approximately 13 miles (+/- 2 miles); approximately 2 hours (+/- 20 mins).

What is a test ride?
This test ride is to familiarize as many volunteers as possible with the route before formally publishing it to the SFBP community. This ride is open to anyone. If you wish to volunteer for April’s Bike Party, please let us know (test ride night) so we can plan accordingly based on the number of volunteer interest. If you can’t help with April’s Bike Party, no worries! There will be plenty of opportunities on future Bike Parties.

What should you expect during a test ride?
During the test ride, please think about what section of the ride you would feel most comfortable riding with (front, middle, back).  Also feel free to take ownership of sections/turns you are passionate about. i.e. “I would like to be a turn guide/monitor for right turn on Market & Octavia.”. We encourage and will do our best to accommodate those requests.

Come by yourself or with a friend or two.

Come to volunteer or to find out more about what this volunteer thing is all about.

Sincerely,

San Francisco Bike Party
1st Friday of the month.

We need a few good volunteers!

Are you interested in helping out with the ride? We need people to help direct riders, help us plan routes, and outreach for events.  If you are interested, please sign up using our spreadsheet. Will be contacting people to help out for our Feb ride.