WHAT’S A BIKE DISCO?

Monthly night ride and dance party. Light yourself, light your bike, and come party with us! We roll rain or shine.

THE RIDE

7:00pm - Meet at Red Square on UW campus
7:30pm - Roll out
~11:30pm—1:00am - Wrap up

Ride up to 5 miles - happy hour
Ride up to 5 miles - dance / supply stop
Ride up to 10 miles - party
(see maps of previous rides on the gram-a-lam)

note: Socials may not be updated as we go. Feel free to meet up or head out along the way; but please let the party caboose know before you peel so we don’t wait!

HOW TO BIKE

ACQUIRE BIKE
- Bring your bike, duh
- If you don’t have a bike there are some excellent bike-share options
LIGHT YOUR BIKE
- Don’t forget your headlight and taillight
HYDRATE
- Don’t forget your water
HELMET
- Protect ye olde noggin
DRESS FOR THE WEATHER
- All weather party
- We will potentially be out in [PNW] cold and rainy weather, after dark, dress accordingly

HOW TO DISCO

PARTY LIGHT YOURSELF + YOUR BIKE
- Cover yourself and your bike in party lights (some examples below)
COSTUME YOURSELF + YOUR BIKE
- Costumes are encouraged, but not required.
- Some months may have a theme. Feel free to dress to the theme or however you like.
DE-HYDRATE
- Bring a drink and snack for stop 1 & (maybe) 2, but expect a supply shop for BEvERages and snacks along the way.
MAKE SOME NOISE
- Try to bring a portable FM radio with speakers. We are working on a system to get everyone on the same playlist...

STARTING ANNOUNCEMENTS

The People
- Who’s Who: this ride’s Leader, Party Kaboose, and Patch Kit
- Buddies: identify yours, don’t leave them behind
- Pictures: please let us know if you want to opt-out
- Tune In: shared radio station while stopped, 96.9, 90.3, or 89.5 FM
Route Details
- Stops: (un)known bathrooms, lack of lock-up at supply shop
- Not a round-trip: find friends heading near your final destination
- Mobile dance with multiple stops: when a 5 minute warning is called, find your bike to keep the party rolling
  - Keep an ear out for a puppet-icular song indicating we are riding soon
  - We try to start by group riding counter-clockwise around an object until the Ride Leader breaks off
- Let the Party Kaboose know if you’re peeling off
Rules of the Road
- Keep a lane open when able; strive for fun and friendly, even to the metal boxes
  - (and do not ride against traffic...)
  - This is not a protest ride
- Ride Leader will ask for Corks / Plugs / Crossing Keepers, please volunteer
  - Thank them for keeping us safe as you roll by!
- Ride moves through lights as a train, once we start—keep rolling
- Ride will slow/stop after turns and atop/abottom hills
  - You are encouraged to go at a pace that is safe for you on hills
  - ... but wait for and let the Ride Leader pass by if you get there first
- Repeat yelled messages, if you hear it again, repeat it again
  - e.g., “Ped Up”, “Ballered”, “Pole”, “Left Turn”, “Car Back”
- Yell “Mechanical” if you need the entire group to stop
  - Pull over as far as possible when coming to a stop, allow space for others
- All participants must be on wheels while in motion
  - i.e., pets must be in a basket or trailer, not walking alongside
  - We travel at a bicycle pace and the kaboose tries to keep everyone above 10 mph on flats
- Lower music volume to be overheard while in motion
  - Help maintain ride safety, yelled messages need to make it to each end
Consent and Kindness are Key
- We are all here by choice
- Respect each other’s space
- Assume good intentions
- Leave things better than they were

HOW TO VOLUNTEER

Regular Organizers
- Meets monthly to go over previous ride and plan the next route
- Schedules quarterly ride dates on middle-Fridays based on organizer availability
- Ride Leader: rides at start of the line making sure the ride stays together and on track
  - Does opening announcements
  - Pre-rides route at least a week beforehand
- Party Kaboose: rides at back of the line making sure no one is dropped
  - Cheers on slower riders and communicates if things need to slow down
  - Blocks any vehicles from passing for line safety
  - Should be very visible, from ahead and behind
- Patch Kit: speedy rider carrying basic bike repair equipment
  - Rides between front and end while in motion
  - Takes messages between Ride Leader and Party Kaboose
Mid-ride Volunteers
- Corks / Plugs / Crossing Keepers: stops and secures intersections by request of the Ride Leader
  - Waits for Party Kaboose to arrive before rejoining ride
  - Having more than one per intersection side is always nice
- Photographers: captures the many moments of fun we build together
  - Everyone can participate, but nice to have at least one person committed to this each ride
  - Will eventually be collected, curated, and displayed on the website...
Off-road Laborers
- Map Maker: designs the route map graphic for release on the week of the ride
- Social Sharers: creates the ride event pages on various Internet platforms