"San Jose Bike Party" Rolls On To The Eastside

SJBIKEPARTY & SHORTYFATZ JUNE 18, 2010 from DE BUG on Vimeo.

Last Friday, we went out for Bike Party starting at the Shorty Fatz parking lot at Ninth and Taylor. For those who have never seen these enormous gatherings, Bike Party is a homegrown, completely organic party on wheels in San Jose. It started a few years ago and has been steadily gaining momentum and riders with each monthly ride. This time around, there were nearly 3,000 participants from all backgrounds. Each ride takes on a different theme, and this time it was the World Cup. Many participants came dressed in their favorite soccer team jersey.

Looking around, as I rode up to Bike Party, I realized I hadn’t seen so many people since my days of wandering through the San Jose Flea Market. The ride down through the eastside and back downtown started around 8:00 pm. I was a bit reluctant to go, but I bought a light and a lock and headed down with the crowd.

As a means of transportation, riding a bike is very economical, even if it's also tiring at times. We rode down Berryessa towards Jackson and McKee, towards White, and then past Story Road. My legs ached from pedaling hard. A guy with speakers on the back of his bike played MGMT’s “Kids.” I felt the cool breeze pass by me, sweat clinging on me, my bag hanging on my side. It was a good day. I know things like this happen all the time -- communities being built. I just rarely see it. We rode down San Antonio Street, which is closer to downtown and you could see the houses starting to look nicer, the streets becoming quiet and clean. I wanted to go back home, to the eastside.

Bike Party is in essence like a flea market of people. It’s an ocean of lights and speakers and cultural clashes. It’s the thrill of being around so many people that you ride with for 26 miles.