United States Office of Air
Environmental Protection and Radiation
Agency Special Projects Staff
Washington, DC 20460
v>EPA How to Organize
A Bike Day
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This booklet was prepared under contract with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. 20460. The views expressed
herein do not necessarily reflect those of the agency or of the U.S.
government.
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How to Organize
A
Bike Day
Project Manager: N. Dianne Rowe
Written & Designed by: Peter Harnik
Art by : Thomas Broad
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Why Cycle?
As the nation's department devoted to the enhancement of
the environment, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
supports the promotion of bicycling to help reduce air and
noise pollution and to conserve the use of nonrenewable re-
sources. Here's how bicycling is good for your health, your
pocketbook and the nation as a whole:
It will keep you healthier. Cycling is good for your lungs,
your heart and your legs, it keeps you fit and it helps keep
your weight down without dieting.
It will save you money. If you currently drive four miles to
work and pay $3 for parking, switching to a bike would save
you nearly $1000 a year. As the price of gas goes up, you'll
save even more.
It's patriotic. At a time when air pollution and energy short-
ages are major national problems, bikes emit no fumes and use
no fossil fuels. Also, bikes are remarkably quiet — so quiet, in
fact, that they don't even register on EPA's traffic noise mon-
itoring equipment.
Lastly, bikes are surprisingly fast. In rush horn commuter
races in Boston, Washington, New York and elsewhere, bikes
have consistently defeated cars and mass transit!
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With the nationwide surge of interest in bicycling, more and more
communities across the country are staging organized bicycle events -
frcm tours to races to bike-a-thons to Bike-Days. This booklet is all
about the newest of these cycling events, the Bike-Day - what it is, why
it's done and how to organize one.
WHAT IS A BIKE-DAY?
A Bike-Day is a group bicycling event with a purpose. Generally
speaking, the purpose is to promote cycling, but a Bike-Day may have one
or more specific goals - for instance, increased cormiuting to work or
school; better recreational opportunities such as park or riverside
paths; better facilities, such as more bike racks, bike lanes, bridge
crossings or better road maintenance; or simply more funding for bicycle
programs and facilities. Unlike a bicycle race, a Bike-Day does not
have only one winner - all participants share in the victory. Unlike a
bike-a-thon, the event is not primarily a fundraiser, although a well-
planned Bike-Day can more than cover expenses. Unlike a bike tour, the
purpose is less to see the sights than to be seen by others.
Before beginning to organize a Bike-Day, you must decide precisely wriat
your purpose is and what your messages will be. This initial resolution will
be the basis for many of your other decisions. The three principal types of
Bike-Days are for recreation, carmutihg to work and commuting to school.
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The "Park Bike-Day." Many carnnunities have inadequate recreational
facilities for cyclists. If your park has no bike path, or if cyclists
are forced to share a narrow, dangerous path with runners, dog-walkers
and others, or if your recreational trail is badly maintained, poorly
designed, poorly located or frequently crossed by motor traffic, you
might want to organize a Bike-Day to press for improvements. For instance,
in Washington, D.C., a coalition of environmental and recreation groups
held a Bike-In/Jog-In to dramatize their request for the closure to
cars of a major park roadway.
A recreational Bike-Day should be scheduled for a Saturday, a Sunday,
or a holiday. It should be park-oriented (that is, not along a busy
thoroughfare), and it should be designed for the whole family to take
part in. The route shouldn't be too long (perhaps 10 miles round trip,
or at least with a short loop for weaker riders), the pace not too fast
(about seven miles an hour), and there should be some provisions for
snacks, water and restrocms along the way.
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The "Ccmmute-to-Vtork Bike-Day." There are very few cities or
towns in the U.S. that make adequate provision for the average person
who wants to cycle to work. Even though nearly 700,000 Americans
commute daily by bike, they face a variety of significant barriers including
high speed roads with narrow lanes, impassable highways and bridges,
poor road surfaces, lack of secure parking and lack of shower facilities
at work. Moreover, new cyclists face the barrier of not knowing which
the safest and best routes are. A number of communities have found
that "Bike-to-Work" events serve the double purposes of encouraging new
riders to join experienced cyclists in learning a satisfactory route,
while also publicizing to the proper officials and to the public -
and, ultimately, solving - the problems faced by daily bike commuters.
A "Ccmute-to-Wbrk Bike-Day" must be held on a week day during or
slightly before the morning rush hour, since people do not have much
time before work, the route cannot be too long or too far frcm their
hemes and their offices. Therefore, many ccrmunities have designed
routes shaped like the spokes of a wheel, beginning in the suburbs all
around the town and converging on a single central location. If the routes
are carefully pretimed, "convoys" or "caravans" of cyclists from each
direction can arrive downtown at the same moment. Routes should use
main roads (though not those of extraordinary difficulty) and the pace
can be fairly fast since there will be no young children along.
The "Bike to School Day." High school and college students who
cycle to class often face difficulties similar to those office workers
who go downtown, A school Bike-Day can be used to advocate bike lanes,
special signals at difficult intersections, more secure bike racks or
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perhaps use of shower facilities. The Bike-Day could be held in conjunc-
tion with a school-wide bike clinic to teach safe riding and simple repair.
A School Bike-Day should be held on a weekday, although certain
Saturdays with major school events - sports activities or school fairs -
might also work. Since most students live relatively near school, the
route will probably not be very long. Make sure you have a sufficient
number of marshalls or leaders - adolescents can sometimes be irrespon-
sible riders, and you don't want a few prankster giving your whole
event a bad name.
GETTING READY
After you've agreed on the purpose of the Bike-Day you must begin
your planning. Tt> do this you need a date and time, a name and a
starting place (or places).
The date must be chosen carefully. Give yourself enough lead time
to plan a successful effort - three to four months if you have never
organized a mass event before, and certainly no less than eight weeks.
(If your group meets for the first time in April, don't even consider
a Spring Bike-Day!) Select a period that is warm and pleasant but not
too hot. Avoid times that are historically rainy. Check to make sure
that your date isn't already taken up by another popular event or a
religious holiday. If you plan to rely on students, keep clear of
final exam time. As for the starting hour, begin around 7:30 or
8:00 a.m. for a commuter event, 11 a.m. or noon for a park Bike-Day.
The phrase "Bike-Day" by itself is descriptive but not very exciting.
Why not embellish it? If you are trying to improve a park, use that
name ("Golden Gate Bike-Day"). Perhaps it's scheduled for a holiday
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("Merrorial Day Bike-In") or a day with a message ("Earth Day Bike-In"
to promote a clean environment or "Sun Day Bike-Day" to show that cyclists
are solar powered and use no fossil fuel). Or use the end point of the
ride ("Bnpire State Bike-Day" in New York or "Liberty Bell Bike-Day" in
Philadelphia).
Next you will need to attract participants. This involves getting
publicity for your Bike-Day.
SPREADING THE WORD
Once you have a name and date, write a press announcement and
distribute it widely to all community's media - newspapers, magazines,
radio and TV stations, even the in-house publications of larger employers
such as the telephone company or government agencies. Don't put this
off until the last moment - magazine lead times are often surprisingly long.
(The deadline for an Aprii issue may be as early as February 10.)
The press advisory will serve to put reporters on notice about the
Bike-Day even if they don't all do stories about it immediately. About
a week later, call each one to make sure he or she received the material.
Same may have written stories; if so, thank them. Those who didn't may
premise coverage as the event nears; jot down the pledge in your calendar
and hold them to it. Encourage your newspaper to print a map of the
route(s) and to list starting times. Ask your radio station's traffic
reporter to tell motorist which streets to avoid because of heavy
cycling that day. Maybe one of the traffic helicopters will even
follow the Bike-Day from the air and give a continuous report 1
Don't forget flyers and posters, especially if one of your cyclists
is an artist and can design nice materials. Even though printing will
be an addditional expense, these items will enable you to spread the word
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wherever you want and reach people who might not read the papers or
listen to the radio. Flyers can be given out by volunteers along bike
paths and busy bike routes, placed on bicycles (in "rat trap" carriers
or between spokes), posted on bulletin boards or even placed under the
windshield wiper of cars with bicycle carriers. In addition, you might
get access to the membership lists of local recreation or environmental
groups for mailing of the flyer. Make sure every poster and flyer
includes an address and telephone number for further information.
GETTING MORE RIDERS
A good percentage of your potential riders will take part simply
through hearing of the event. Others, however, will need an additional
lure. TV} increase your turnout, consider other attractions, such as:
0 Celebrities. Actors, politicians, musicians, sports heroes
and other prominent persons will help bring crowds to your event. If
possible, make sure the celebrity rides all or part of the way with you
- preferably in front so photographers can get a good shot. Of course,
don't forget to publicize your star attraction^
° Prizes, A little rivalry can spice up any event and provide
real interest. While a race would be too competitive, why not reward
the level of participation? You can offer prizes for the most bike
riders from the same company, government agency, neighborhood, school,
class, etc. If the prizes are funny or clever, they will get press
coverage, too. (In Washington's 1980 "Earth Day Bike-Day" the
Environmental Protection Agency won a golden bicycle wheel for having
the largest number of participating cyclists of any federal agency.
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° Food. In most cases, people will not cycle just for food, but
the premise of a "Breakfast for Bikers" or an end-of-the-ride "Pedalers'
Pizza" could be just the lure for the undecided or apprehensive. Again,
since the purpose is to stimulate participation, make sure your food
plans are well publicized.
° Numbers. The more people you expect, the more will cone.
People like to be part of "what's happening." Don't make wild predictions
that you can't possibly reach, of course, but be optimistic that you'll
be able to attract large numbers of people. You should at least be
confident that you can organize an event larger than any previous similar
event in your conmunity! (Naturally, the number you ultimately attract
is dependent on all factors - date, route, purpose, publicity, celebrities,
etc.).
DJGIST1CS
A Bike-Day has many diverse, interlocking ccmponets. Although
you've taken care of the two most important steps - defining your yoals
and getting the word out - there's still a lot of work to be done!
Here's a checklist of the main logistical matters you must consider.
Your destination. Where will the Bike-Day end or converge? Is
the space large enough? Conversely, is it so huge that your group
will appear insignificant? Ideally, choose a plaza, square, field or
park that will just barely hold your crowd. ("They completely filled
Memorial Circle and spilled into the street!" is the best press coverage
you can get.) The destination should be well known and should have
political relevance to the goals of your Bike-Day - for instance,
City Hall or your state legislature, Park or Highway Department Head-
quarters, a bridge that is closed to bikes, the office of the college
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president, etc. Other factors to consider are: Does the site have
electricity tor a speaker system? Is there a place to park bikes? Do
you need a permit?
The route. Of all your routing considerations, the most
important is visibility. A Bike-Day is a public statement, and your
message will not get across if you are not seen and heard. Part of
your route - in not all of it - must be on major streets, through
major intersections, past important buildings. (If the prospect seems
frightening, don't forget you'll have the safety of hundreds or thousands
of fellow cyclists.) Other route considerations include difficulty
(avoid long hills where you'll spread out too far), traffic lights
(decide how you will handle a red light if half your group has already
passed the intersection), and lanes (how many will you use on a wide
street?). It your route is linear (that is, with one starting and one
ending point) many people will drive to the start, so make sure there
is space to park cars. If the route converges downtown frcm many
starting points in many residential neighborhoods, make provisions for
the "Bike- Day" that evening so people can join groups to ride heme
again.
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Tiitting. Linear routes do not require pinpoint timing. Publicize
the starting place and time widely, then begin the ride a couple of
minutes late to avoid too many stragglers, it you have speakers, food,
and prizes at the end of the ride, make sure you've worked out the
schedule and stick to it. Converging routes, where cyclists from many
different points reach the same destination at the same time, need
careful planning. Try to agree on a ccrmon cycling speed and require
all leaders to state a practice run the day before to make sure they
all arrive simultaneously.
Volunteers. A Bike-Day is a labor-intensive enterprise, and you
will need many helpers. Day all your literature (posters, flyers,
newspaper announcements, press releases) let people knew that volunteers
are needed, and give an address or phone number for them to contact.
When planning for volunteers, keep in mind same of the tasks you will
have: writing, drawing, leading groups of cyclists, assisting leaders,
handling first aid, making telephone calls, arranging for and serving
food, chauffering celebrities, calling reporters, doing radio and TV
interviews, handling fundraising, buying (or making) prizes, getting
permits, handling the sound system. Schedule regular volunteer meetings,
perhaps fortnightly at first and weekly as the event nears. If you are
short of volunteers, have each one bring a friend along. Use the
meetings to generate enthusiasm as well as to plan activities - remember,
if you can't attract good volunteers it may be a sign that you won't be
able to attract many participants, either. Finally, on the big day,
don't forget to thank all your volunteers publicly?
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Press coverage. Although the media is a vital component of your
pre-event publicity, its main function is to cover the Bike-Day itself.
No matter how many cyclists you have, far more people will read about
it in the papers or see it on TV - so don't neglect your press relations.
Call reporters to make sure they are going to cover the Bike-Day. If
you know a particurly good vantage point to see the ride, tell TV crews
and news photographers where and when they can get good pictures. And
don't forget to consider human interest stories - the youngest and
oldest riders, the family on a tandem pulling the toddlers in a bike
trailer, the man on a high wheeler, the woman who is taking part even
though she's eight months pregnant. Perhaps you can even interest a TV
crew in accompanying one of the cyclists all the way from heme to the
end-point.
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Peemits. Check with your police and park departments to see if
you need a permit for your Bike-Day. In general, the on street part of
the event will not need a formal permit (bicycles, after all have the
same rights and responsibilities as cars). However, a permit may be
necessary if you are planning to assemble in a public space or if you
want to close a roadway or a traffic lane. In any case, it's a good
idea to let the police know what you're doing - they may help with sane
logistical problems and even help avoid potential conflicts with motorists.
(Incidentally, if it turns out to be extremely difficult to officially
close a road, don't waste your time trying. With a large group cyclists
you'll be safe from cars - and more people will see you.)
Repairs and medical assistance. Several people on your Bike-Day -
at least one per convoy, but not a convoy leader - should be equipped
and able to make quick repairs. With a few hundred cyclists you can
expect at least a couple of flat tires, seme brakes out of adjustment
and perhaps an ornery gearshift or two. Make sure same marshalls have
the responsibility to stop, fix problems and help stragglers rejoin
the main group. Also, be sure that several people who know first aid
and have medical kits are spread among the riders to help with any
scrapes, falls, cramps, etc.
Parking. Dsn't forget about the potential traffic jam at your
destination, when bikes and people are crowded together around a speaker
or food table. Most cyclists in urban areas will not leave their bikes
unattended even for a few minutes, so you should make provisions for
special bike parking, either by borrowing racks, rigging up a steel
cable or arranging for guards and a bike check system.
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Rain. Even though rain will reduce your turnout, most Bike-Days
are planned on a "rain or shine" basis. The logistics are usually
so complex that they can't oe put off a day or a week without causing
considerable confusion. Also, there is the question what constitutes
"rain?" A morning mist? A drizzle? Threatening skies? Or, it might
rain again on the rain date, if you have one. Your best bet is to
tell people how to dress for rain and announce that nothing is going to
stop the Bike-Day. If only 250 riders show up in a downpour, make sure
to tell the press, "Had it been sunny we would easily have had 1000!"
Liability. Since a Bike-Day is more in the nature of a bicycle
demonstration than an organized tour, you probably don't have liability
for possible injuries. Nevertheless, you should talk to a lawyer and
The main event
While cycling is obviously the most important aspect of a
Bike-ln, the event needs to be more than just a "ride," You
want to fill out the activity to make it meaningful to the par-
ticipants as well as to the media and the public at large.
At some point during your Bike-ln, even for just a few min-
utes (although 45 minutes to an hour is best), there needs to
be a rally with speakers, an audience and a specific message.
This is where your cycling leaders should state their visions,
complaints, demands, praise or condemnation; where your
celebrity says a few words to the delight of his or her fans;
where your politicians make their campaign promises or pat
themselves on the back; where you award your prizes and
applaud your hardworking volunteers; where your T-shirt and
button salespeople hawk their wares; where your musicians
play; and where you make an impassioned plea for spare
change to cover your unmet costs.
The ideal Bike-ln will be remembered not only as an enjoy-
able ride but as an educational and inspiring rally, too.
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get specific advice. He or she may suggest printing up liability
release forms that all riders must sign before taking part in the Bike-Day.
Coordination. Of all the factors that will affect the outcome of
your Bike-Day, good coordination is the most important. Whether handled
by one person or by a cormiittee which meets frequently, the coordination
means drawing up a schedule, assigning tasks and seeing to it that the
jobs are carried out properly and on time. The coordinator must stay
in touch with all the volunteers, remind them of deadlines, make sure
that people are working productively together and that all new ideas
are passed on to the correct persons. The coordinator (or chairperson
of the coordinating committee) needs to be reachable by telephone and
mail, and he or she must have the name, address and telephone number
of all volunteers. The coordinator need not make any speeches, lead
any cyclists, plan any routes or talk to any reporters, but the position
is so important that if you don't have one you shouldn't undertake a
Bike-Day.
FUNDING
Since most Bike-Days are coordinated and organized by volunteers
they are usually not costly enterprises. Many have been staged for
under $1000, seme for as little as $250 - although the more you can
raise and spend, the bigger the event is likely to be. Whatever the
amount, the money must be raised, and you should draw up a proposed
budget as soon as you start planning the Bike-Day.
Some of your expenses will be "non-recoverable," such as printing,
postage, telephone, prizes, renting a sound system or paying travel
costs; others will be temporary expenditures of front money that will
be repaid by sales, such as T-shirts, buttons and possibly food. For
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these temporary expenses you might make an effort to get a loan, either
frcm a sympathetic individual or by purchasing on credit from the sales
company. Your sales will generate considerable income on the day of
the event.
Printing flyers and posters will probably be your biggest and most
important expense. If you are very successful at getting money for
printing, then you can become more extravagant, perhaps giving more
elaborate prizes, bringing in celebrities frcm out of town, or possibly
even making a film of your Bike-Day.
There are many ways of raising funds for a Bike-Day. Solicit from
corporations - try big companies that have headquarters or outlets in
your town, medium sized local businesses that have a reputation for
civic-mindedness, and even small establishments like bike shops that
may be sympathetic to the event. You may be asked to submit a proposal,
in which case prepare a short statement of your purpose, planned activity,
budget and specific request (money or services). Depending on their
size, ask companies for between $50 and 5250 (although no company or
individual should contribute more than about a quarter of your budget).
Make sure to promise (and give) public recognition to contributing
companies.
If you know of non-profit conmunity organizations interested in
civic improvement, health, clean air or other similar issues, seek a
contribution frcm them, too. If they don't have funds they may be
able to help out in other ways or donate services.
Individuals can be solicited, too, perhaps through a mailing or a
telephone campaign to a cycling list, or through a tundraising party
where each biker brings at least two friends. Most important, make
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sure all your informational flyers have a contribution checkoff box -
you'll get unexpected checks.
Sales, of course, are an important way to recoup expenses.
T-shirts, buttons, ballons, safety vests, bicycle bumper stickers
and any number of other unique items can be sold at the Bike-Day or
during the days preceeding and following it.
Finally, don't forget to fundraise at the event itself. If you
haven't met expenses, tell the assembled cyclists and ask everyone to
"dig down deep" and help out. Have volunteers go through the crowd
with money jars (or bicycle helmets!) - you'll be surprised at the
contributions. After all, these are your greatest fans - the people
who just took part in an exhilarating, exciting event. They will be
happy to help out!
Since it is not always feasible to raise funds directly at the
event - seme people might be cycling without any money, or soliciting
might be prohibited at the site - it is very important to get a list of
the Bike-Day participants with their addresses. The best way to do this
is to have volunteers circulating through the crowd with pro-bicycling
petitions. The petitions should state your basic demands - better
bridge crossings, a bike lane or Main Street, safe parking, or whatever
prompted your Bike-Day in the first place - and they should be delivered
to the proper official after the event. But first make a copy of the
names and addresses so you can do a follow-up mailing for either money
or future political action.
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IN CONCLUSION
Organizing a Bike-Day j.s hard work. You need to stay on top of
hundreds of details, be in contact with dozens of people and solve many
a "crisis" along the way. But it is rewarding work, too. A successful
Bike-Day will expand your town's cycling community and create a spirit
of cameraderie. It will educate the public about some cyclists' basic
needs and, in the long run, help improve the environment for everyone.
Best of all, your Bike-Day will be remembered for a long time as an
enjoyable, pleasant statement on behalf of cycling.
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