Let’s celebrate! Closing out Bike Month with two events on Saturday
As we near the end of National Bike Month, we still have plenty to celebrate!
End of the month party
Join us this Saturday, May 25, from 6-8 p.m. at Spoke and Hub, 5412 Government Street. We will be celebrating National Bike Month AND this will be the official 5 year anniversary gathering.
I’ve had people say recently that they feel weird about coming because they don’t go on the rides. DON’T FEEL THAT WAY! That’s the whole point of this. This is really a celebration of our community, which includes lots of people who cannot attend the rides. In fact, I know a lot of you who read this newsletter regularly are not necessarily bike riders. That’s why I want this event to be about the gathering, so there’s no related bike ride associated with it.
That being said, there are plenty of places to park your bikes at Spoke and Hub. In fact, they have a super cool bike repair station that we’ll be showing folks how to use that night.
So what can you expect at this gathering? There will be live music from THREE bands that are part of the Young Band Nation program at the Baton Rouge Music Studios. They are all fantastic!
The music and our group will be centralized outside, but you’re welcome to go in and grab dinner. We’re not providing any food, so you’ll need to bring your wallet. And you’re going to want to because the food is delicious!
The morning before
On Saturday, May 25, the Red Stick Farmers Market is hosting Bike Fresh day at the market. There will be various bike organizations out at the market, and Downtown East will be among them! We will hand out lights and talk about our Light Up the Night campaign.
RELATED: Bike Fresh, Bike Local: Red Stick Farmers Market set for May 25, with glass recycling dropoff
Along with all the bike-themed activities, you can bring your glass bottles because they will be collecting it for Glassroots, a New Orleans-based nonprofit organization. They collect glass bottles and convert them into sand and glass cullet used for Louisiana coastal restoration and protection, disaster relief, eco-construction, art and more!
Update on Light Up the Night
To date, we have ordered a total of 300 lights! We will be able to get at least one more round of lights ordered before closing out this campaign. A new campaign for the fall will be launched at the end of the summer.
It is important to note that the price of the lights went up. Our first order was $65.08, and our last order, which was just submitted a couple weeks ago, was $92.91. It’s still a fantastic price, and I’m very pleased with the quality of the lights that we have received.
READ MORE: Breakdown of how the money has been spent
I do intend to purchase replacement batteries for the collection of lights we have that have a burned out battery. That, coupled with the last order will take us to the full amount of the money received. Once the campaign concludes, I’ll send out a full article breaking down how every dollar was spent.
It is important to note that none of the money goes to me. I’m putting every bit of it into lights.
So where do these lights go? The majority are given out to people we see riding without lights. The Downtown East area sees a high number of bicyclists. Many are folks with the means to purchase their own lights, but just as many don’t. Whether you have the cash or not, however, is not the point of handing out the lights. It’s a one-on-one education campaign.
Being visible on the roadway is one of the best ways to reduce a potential collision with a vehicle. We want people to get where they want to go SAFELY! Also, it is illegal to ride a bike at night without lights. You can get a ticket that carries a $30 fine. And if you can’t afford lights, you certainly can’t afford a ticket.
As always we'd love for you to join us on a bike ride. We meet every Monday night at the Electric Depot, 1509 Government Street. We gather at 6 p.m. and roll out by 6:15. You are not legally required to wear a helmet, but are encouraged to do so. Check out our website to learn more. And, the store with official merch will be launching very, very, very soon!