Regular calendar events

Slow Rides

  • Roughly once a month, usually on a weekend afternoon
  • Starting point and route varies, announced in advance
  • Organized by us, in the Slow Rides signal group

Routes highlight slow streets and other bike-friendly infrastructure, and/or gaps in the network. The ride is slow enough to not leave anyone behind. The group sticks together and asserts our right to use the street, but aims to do so in a non-confrontational and joyful way so that everyone is comfortable participating.

Great Walkway Slow Rides

When we have done slow rides on the Great Walkway, some drivers have unfortunately been very hostile, and so these rides tend to be higher stress than other slow rides.

Picnic Hangouts

  • Roughly once a month, usually on a weekend afternoon
  • At a transit-accessible park, no bike needed
  • Organized by us, in the Social Planning signal group

An opportunity to talk and get to know each other. Bring picnic blankets if you have any, snacks and drinks, and park games. These are always held outside, so we cancel them for bad weather.

Scenic Routes Community Night

  • Thursdays 7-9 PM, sometimes cancelled, check their Instagram
  • at Scenic Routes at 521 Balboa Street
  • Organized by Scenic Routes

Scenic routes is a community-oriented bike shop in SF. They specialize in bike repairs, maintenance, and refurbished bikes. They mostly update via Instagram. At community night, you can drop by and hang out, talk about bikes or other things, and talk to other people in the bike community, including a lot of people in SSR. There is an outdoor backyard space, but the event is largely indoors.

Critical Mass

  • Last Friday of every month at 6 PM ish
  • At Embarcadero Plaza, by the Ferry Building
  • Organized by nobody, the route is decided by whoever is in front at any moment

The idea behind Critical Mass is that if enough people ride bikes at the same time, we can reclaim our right to safely bike in the street. While the route is unpredictable, it often goes places you otherwise could not safely bike. It ends when the last person goes home. It typically is fairly slow, avoids hills, and people ride a wide range of bikes and bike-like things. It's a bit more confrontational than Bike Party (though less than some people think). Volunteers will spontaneously help block traffic (cork) so the group can safely stay together. It's a good event to learn corking skills.

SF Bike Party

It's more chill than Critical Mass. The route is planned in advance, has a leader and a sweep (a person with a broom who stays at the back), and moves slowly.  There are also one or more party stops, where people stop to dance, drink and generally party. Alcohol is common, but you don't need to drink to participate and there are often kids. There are also usually several music bikes. 

East Bay Bike Party

Second Friday of every month.

Like SF Bike Party but much, much bigger. Always starts and ends at a BART station.

San Jose Bike Party

A bike party, in San Jose. Not as commonly attended by people from SF because San Jose is hard to reach by public transit. Third Friday of every month.

Butterlap

  • Every Wednesday at 7 pm
  • Starts at Fort Point in the Ferry Building, same route every time (see https://butterlap.bike/)
  • No leader

This ride is a bit more challenging than bike party tends to be, with more elevation gain. People go at different paces and don't all bike together, regrouping at three different hilltops. There is a wide range of different types of bikes.

Bike and Brew

Faster than bike party, targeting 12+ miles per hour, with hills.

Midnight Mystery Ride

Similar to bike party, usually 10-12 miles with 2-3 party stops, ending around 2-3 AM. Usually avoids hills.