June 17th San Jose Bike Party

The wife and I haven't been to the San Jose Bike Party for awhile, but the weather has been nice so we decided to load it up and go last night.

Bike Party seems to always carry the same timeline as the night progresses:

• Starts off very fun; lots of mature riders having a great time with music going.


• First stop, the energy is still cooking but the youngsters start to come out and the obnoxious behavior commences.


• The mature, well behaved riders either dropped off the back or called it a night. Now it's nothing but completely obnoxious humanoid monkeys, screaming indecipherable words in the tone of a teenage boys whose balls haven't dropped yet.


• Mile 20 - end: "Let's get ahead of everybody else so we can just get home"

Bike Party is an interesting look into how things can start as something cool and fun but turns into a bit of a mob mentality near the end - and I don't think it's anybody over the age of 21 acting this way. However, considering how large the group is and how rude and obnoxious a lot of the participants can be, I am surprised that there aren't more problems than presented.

I have spoken to the organizers and even done on the "Test Rides" and these folks sincerely want to keep the Bike Party in relatively good order - which they generally do. However, the message of civility isn't getting to those who need it the most.

For the most part, I have been taking my "utility bike" on these rides, but the wife and I decided that for the next Bike Party we ride, we are going to have to take something with a little more speed behind them to get ahead of the group and away from the lower primates. Therefore we are taking our road bikes - so if we need to jump far ahead of the group, we have the ability to do so.

I enjoy the scene of Bike Party, but some of the youngsters get a little on my nerves.

Yup, I am officially an old man.

Photos courtesy of Mrs. RidesBikes. Check out her Tumblr HERE