Long-time rider, Caleb Holtmeyer, will be leading us on a ride through Philadelphia City Council District 1, featuring Pennsport, Queen Village, Old City, Port Richmond, East Kensington, and the new Northbank development. Caleb is a lead organizer for Philly Bike Action, a grassroots bike advocacy group focused on improving bike infrastructure in the city of Philadelphia. This is the first of hopefully many rides that will focus on a specific City Council District to highlight the need to act local and engage elected officials and RCOs (Registered Community Organizations) to affect change. We’re excited to end the ride at Philadelphia Brewing Company; please stay after the ride to hang out and meet someone new.

Even if you’ve been on a ride before, please take the time to read our How We Ride guide. Wednesday Night Rides has some specific practices and norms that may be different from other group rides you’ve been a part of; we’d appreciate everyone following our ride norms so everyone’s on the same page which will help keep the ride safe and fun. Specifically, we’d like to highlight these:

• Stop at lights. Please, please DO NOT block intersections contrary to the traffic light. If the light turns red, please stop. If you’re worried about getting separated from the group, downloading the route to your phone in advance using Komoot or RideWithGPS is a great way to make sure you don’t get lost.
• Roll past conflict. We are not a confrontational ride. Do not swarm, block or trap cars, or engage with cars or people that are being jerks. Let it go, keep us all safe.

Finally, a reminder of risks and responsibilities. You don’t need to sign a waiver to join a Wednesday Night Ride, because it’s an entirely voluntary & free group activity. But please keep in mind:

• Everyone rides at their own risk.
• Every rider is responsible for themselves, their behavior, and their bike.
• Keep your bike properly maintained. Here’s a link to a basic bike check.
• Cycling has inherent risks–you could crash, fall down, or get hit by a car, and get hurt or even killed–though we try to minimize these risks.
• If you have a health condition that could affect your ride or put you at additional risk, consider a) checking in with a doctor, b) letting us or a friend know, c) having a backup plan to get home if riding doesn’t work out.
• We always plan to have a sweeper, but can’t rule out that you could get lost, or that your bike could break down and you’ll need to find another way home.

Thanks for riding! See you Wednesday.