Have bike, will party

I knew I was in for a fun night when one of the first bike riders I met at the downtown City Plaza was a 50-something man with a white beard wearing a big grin and a bright gold and blue pharaoh headdress with a cobra’s head on top. It was a beautiful summer evening on the last Saturday in June, and I was meeting up with 13 riders who would be taking part in the monthly Chico Bike Party.

My new pharaoh-headed friend went by the name of Nearly Normal Bob. He was a fun-loving contractor who said he’s been to nearly every one of the Chico Bike Parties over the last year and a half.

“I come to every one that the voice in my head tells me to attend,” he said.

After complimenting him on his headdress, and I questioned whether it was as safe as a helmet, Bob suggested that “gold lamé is better protection than anything! That’s why they use it on the space shields for re-entry.”

The Chico Bike Party has launched its rolling gatherings from the City Plaza on the fourth Saturday of each month since October 2012, featuring anywhere from six to 20 party-friendly bike enthusiasts. With bikes decked out in flamboyant decorations and colorful lights, and riders dressed to match the theme of the night’s ride—e.g., Blues Brothers Ride, the Orange Ride, and for the June ride, tie dye—they travel to a handful of different outdoor destinations over the course of approximately 15 miles. Along the way they enjoy the scenery, listen to music, get some exercise, and have a few beers or soft drinks and socialize at each stop.

The main instigators of the loosely knit group are 45-year-old mechanic Earl Hallett, 40-year-old John Barton, a “bicycle lifestylist” at Cyclesport in downtown Chico, and the group’s marketing director, 22-year-old Cassidy Noble, a customer service agent for ChicoBag.

“We’re not just long-distance speed racers or just partiers,” said Hallett, who serves as the group’s route director. “It’s about getting out with friends on a decent bike ride, enjoying a beer or two and meeting new people.”

Or, as Nearly Normal Bob put it: “Life begins when you get off your fat ass and get on your Fat Tire bike and get out there.”

Inspired by similar but much bigger monthly bike parties in San Jose, the East Bay and San Francisco, they decided the events would be perfect for bike-friendly, eco-conscious Chico. Barton said he took part in the massive San Jose Bike Party (with more than 5,000 members) when he lived there.

“I’m glad our Chico Bike Parties are much smaller,” he added. “You get to know every one of the riders and we all feel close to each other.”

Hallett and Barton—who is music director for Chico Bike Party—showed up to the June ride with each of their bikes outfitted with small trailers toting booming stereo systems that played danceable classic rock, funk and hip-hop nonstop.

There were three 15- to 45-minute stops planned for this evening—the bike-path bridge over Lindo Channel near Chico Nut Co., the Chico Municipal Airport and Upper Bidwell Park near Horseshoe Lake.

As the group merrily rode along in single- or double-file, everyone chatted away, ringing their bells and shouting “Bike Party!” to cheering passersby.

Though most didn’t wear helmets, citing the leisurely pace of the ride, the group did stay in bike lanes and otherwise follow the rules of the road. And though adult beverages were consumed, moderation was the rule and no one got bombed.

“I promote safety,” Hallett said. “We stop at red lights, are respectful and don’t litter.”

By the time we got to the Horseshoe Lake stop, it was fully dark out. It was a gorgeous scene, with the multicolored bike lights shining off the water.

It was midnight by the time the Horseshoe Lake portion of the evening ended, as many in the group rode off to extend the party with stops under the Highway 99 overpass in Bidwell Park and beyond, I decided to peel away from the pack and head home. As the other riders disappeared into the night, I was glad that I had gotten off my “ass” and joined Nearly Normal Bob and the gang for a little nighttime adventure.