Bike to Wherever Days’ Huge Thank You: More Butts on Bikes! Did someone Say Bikes?
The week of May 16th was a biking blast! More below (find yourself in this message... ALL OF YOU... somewhere, like a scavenger hunt on bike.... hint hint )
FIRST: THANK YOU BIG TIME to all of you who biked and/or volunteered at one of our Energizer stations!
And for getting more "butts on bikes" - enthusiastically encouraging our friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and more to bike and pursue more sustainable transportation options as an alternative to cars.
What is that irritating song we hear on the radio, that makes us want to run our nails down a chalkboard as a more enjoyable alternative? OH YEAH! It's
"1-877-Kars-4-Kids
K-A-R-S Kaaaaars for Kiiiids"
Well because of ALL OF YOU, we can replace it with
"1-877-Butts-On-Bikes
B-U-T-T Butts on Bikes"
(pause for effect here.. I HOPE YOU ARE LAUGHING! AND SINGING...)
Ok, I thought it was funny. Will work on it. Hope I did not ruin your week with the distracting earworm of that song.
SERIOUSLY though, imagine a world where the conversation is mostly about exchanging and donating bikes, not cars. Idealistic? Perhaps. Now think of just one of the reoccurring conversations with parents who came to our Energizer stations, "My kid is going to grow out of his bike soon. Who can I give it to and get a bigger bike?"
I'll pause this line of thought to get to the timeline of last week and the thanks to our volunteer peeps!
DAY 1: Thursday, May 16: Bike to Work Day!
There were multiple energizer stations everywhere! I got the honor of being a bike ambassador to the Sunnyvale Government Tent at Bishop Elementary School.
Transportation manager Dennis Ng and his employees Eric and Tinh who enthusiastically greeted a multitude of cyclists handed out food, and way cool Sunnyvale labeled swag (lights, bells, reflectors). And they fielded a few questions about transportation projects going on in Sunnyvale. We also got to hang out with a way cool crossing guard (I am sorry I did not get his name... but I DID give him a thank you "rubber chicken." IDEA: One day we need to do a "thank your local crossing guards" ride around Sunnyvale. (Hold that thought!)
Thanks much to EVERYONE who hosted an Energizer Station all over the Bay Area!
DAY 2: Friday, May 17: Bike ALL OVER Silicon Valley to Hide Cutty Caps for the “ Ride with GPS (International) 'Cutty Cap Challenge’ ”
Thanks, Tim Oey for putting me to work! Between the two of us I think we collectively put in 130+ miles to hide limited edition collectible "Cutty Caps" all around Silicon Valley as our SVBC contribution to this international Scavenger Hunt. In the elevation profile of our ride, there was only ONE REALLY BIG climb... Guess who Tim asked to climb it? (Answer: the person attached to the pointing finger in the photo)
Turns out he read one of my earlier posts about going up this climb to overlook the valley from the tippy top, so knew exactly who to ask. Thanks, Tim. I was so into getting that climb out of the way I TOTALLY missed one the of the previous locations, so Tim and I biked the final leg together to hide the last cap.
I gotta say AFTER the climb, the route I took through the flat part of Silicon Valley was just as beautiful, with clear views of Mt. Hamilton and Mt. Umunhum on either side. And then having lunch at Park Station Hashery (Great place for cyclists - food, beverage, outdoor seating near bike racks) was sublime!
Stay tuned and next year YOU TOO can be part of the Cutty Cap Challenge! Stay updated to find the map with locations and clues. Go for an awesome fun bike ride! Find a cap... or perhaps something "eggstra special" coming from, yes, "Chicken Man."
DAY 3: Saturday, May 18: Energizer Stations at Sunnyvale Farmer's Market and Library!
Thank you so much volunteers!
Georgina, Michelle, Enno, Thomas, Paul, Nilesh, Lisa, David ... and others who stopped by to say Hi and/or helped me behind the scenes leading up to the event!
Y'all were awesome, each of you contributing your time and skills to our cause, from set up and take down, to photography, to engaging with future cyclists, to listening to each other to learn and field new questions, and more! In person experiences like these are ALWAYS fun and benefit us in ways that go way beyond the event! I look forward to volunteering with you all in the future.
Thanks for the homemade donuts, Gina!
Thanks for the Bike Sunnyvale Signs and all your photography, Enno!
Thanks, Nilesh for coming in at the last second with the limited time you had because you really wanted to help, so came to set up and then stuck around LONGER than you had intended because we were having so much fun!
Michelle, thanks for both what you do with the Library AND for helping us out with our station!
Lisa and David, thanks for the behind the scenes stuff.. tent, supplies, ongoing efforts for future rides!
Paul and Thomas, thank you for being cheerful, informative, and humorous... and when things got busy jumping in to keep many conversations going at once!
And thanks to Mayor Larry Klein for stopping by! (Seems that Mayor guy gets around to support the community a lot . Either that or he just can't get enough of all us way cool safe road promoting cyclists...and the awesome food at all the local restaurants he visits...and local art he posts online while running with his dog, "Buddy"...and much more!)
DAY 3: Saturday, May 18: BIKE BASH! A HUGE THANKS to the Staff of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition!
Their work and each of their individual contributions are always ongoing! Like links on the bike chain of life, our quest to crank together toward our common cause always continues! We really appreciate you! (And yes I had to include my rubber chicken in the photo… HEE HEE! "Bike to Wherever Days" and "Bawk to Wherever Days" unite.
All Month Long: Bay Area Bike Challenge!
Participating in the Bay Area Bike Challenge has been an exhilarating experience. I’ve been eagerly vying for a spot in the top 30, I find myself hopping on my bike every chance I get. It’s surprisingly fun to check the leaderboard regularly and figure out ways to tweak my way up a few spots with a few extra miles here and there. Whether it is running errands to the ATM or grabbing groceries, every ride becomes an opportunity to inch closer to the top of the leaderboard. The challenge has not only sparked my competitive spirit but also transformed my daily routines into exciting biking adventures.
Now for all of us, keep the momentum going way beyond Bike Month & Bike to Wherever Days! Keep biking, encouraging others to bike, support SVBC’s work for safe streets, and get your City and Company to support too!
Bookmark the SVBC Events Calendar to stay up to date on rides, classes, meetings, social events, and more! Our common cause is 365 days a year!
VIVA SVBC!
Cheers, Gears, and yes, Rubber Chickens,
Yours,
Chicken Man
aka Hans