Bikecrawl: Bikes mean business (and bulbous bellies)

There are few things that pair better with a nice bike ride than food. What better excuse to ride your bike than the opportunity to dine on a sunny patio at your destination? We rolled with this notion last Saturday, when we partnered with Dishcrawl to organize the first ever Bikecrawl, a two-wheeled tour of Downtown San José eateries.

We began our epicurean journey at On a Roll, located in the beautiful San Pedro Square Market. The spring rolls were the perfect appetizer for our moveable feast. Next, we ventured down San Pedro Street to bike-friendly San Fernando Street, jogged northward on First Street and walked our bikes half a block to The City Fish, a new offering from a long-established San José restaurateur family. The fish was hot and crispy and generally regarded as delicious. Our group of 30 rider-eaters completely took the joint over for half an hour as we dined.

Our next destination, Taqueria San José, was just a few blocks down Santa Clara Street, so we took the long route down First Street and St. John Street. I was so happy to hear participants ooh and ahh over tacos from a place I've patronized for years. ¡Que ricos!

Everybody was quite full after stop the third, but there was more eating to be done! The Pita Pit on Second Street was our final stop of the day. The Pit was generous to us Bikecrawlers, doling out well-stuffed half pitas to all. It was too much for a few, who decided to take their final sampling to go. Full and happy, we returned to San Pedro Square, where we ran into a group of people on bikes about to embark on the San José Bike Party Ladies Ride test ride. The Market was hopping with bikes! Some of our group joined the test ride, others made their way out to dinner or back home.

All in all, the afternoon's activities took about three hours. Our ride was only a bit over two miles, but the casual pace and tasty stops made for a fun atmosphere. Individuals, couples, and families all participated and took advantage of the opportunity to meet new people, try new restaurants, and enjoy a beautiful Saturday afternoon exploring San José. Good times!

A huge "Thank You" goes out to the SVBC San José Team, which helped plan this thing, particularly members Jacob and Peter!