Saturday Social Ride in San Mateo
SVBC kicked off the spring season with a group ride through downtown San Mateo – but not just any ride. People who didn’t have (or want to use) their own bikes were encouraged to use San Mateo’s bike share service, called San Mateo Bay Bikes. It was a great introduction to the bike share system, as each participant received a special coupon for the ride.A group of about 10 riders pushed off from the San Mateo’s downtown CalTrain station, traveling through bike-friendly Central Park and along the bike lane down Palm Avenue before they reached the retail strip on 25th Avenue. Some riders opted to grab coffee from the San Mateo Coffee Shop or browse at Reach and Teach while they took a break to chat and marvel at how fun it is to bike around San Mateo. We even ran into Bay Bikes supporter, City Councilmember Rick Bonilla! After the caffeine break, the group pedaled past other Bay Bikes hub locations and popular destinations like Whole Foods and Kaiser.
By the time the group arrived back at the starting point, they were eager to find more ways to explore San Mateo by bike. Many of the people who came had a bike in the garage they hadn’t used in awhile, were unfamiliar with bike routes in San Mateo, or simply wanted someone else to bike with. Participants are thinking of creating a monthly ride to continuing biking together.Curious about Bay Bikes? They can be checked out from one of the ten “hubs” placed in popular locations like the San Mateo CalTrain station and on 25th Avenue, or from outside hub locations where a prior rider may have dropped off the bike (they can be located with the Bay Bikes app). The bikes are easy to rent – in a Silicon Valley minute, you can enter your account number and PIN, unlock the bike, and you’re on your way!Stay tuned for future workshops and bike rides in San Mateo!For more information, visit www.baybikeshare.com.
