BCOM Bike Week Party at Redbones

Anyone not at Redbones on Monday night to kick off Bike Week missed an excellent party.

Redbones is a funky restaurant in Davis Square with excellent BBQ and beer. For $3 you got valet parking (for your bike), a barbecue beef or pork sandwhich with side dishes, Pilgrim Ale (and you could keep the glass), and a chance to win a doorprize.

The owner of Redbones announced their new bike parking policy. Anyone visiting Davis Square for any reason is welcome to make use of the FREE valet bike parking at Redbones with no obligation to buy anything. He said that as far as he could find out, no other business anywhere in the US is offering such a service for bicyclists.

In addition to excellent food and beer, there were lots of fun bikers to talk with. BCOM had a large turnout, with Executive Director Conrad Willeman manning a table and recuiting members, and various current and former board members circulating. At the other end of the BCOM table, Jane Holtz Kay, author of "Asphalt Nation: How the Automobile Took Over America and How We Can Take it Back", signed books, with proceeds from purchases going to BCOM. NEMBA was represented by such luminaries as Heidi Davis, Krisztina Holly, and Peter Brandenburg.

The media was out in force (Richard Fries and Karen Haas of The Ride, Lynn Tolman from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, and Jack Johnson, editor of the Mass Cyclist). The people parking the bikes included volunteers from IF (Steve) and Wheelworks (Jason). I picked up a signed cycling cap from Tyler Hamilton, who this summer will become the first native New Englander to ride in the Tour de France. I also chatted with Mike T. a former software engineer who quit his job to become a bike messenger. He rides an IF wearing PI jersey and shorts and carries a BioHazard kit in his messenger bag.

In all a very enjoyable evening.

Phillip Stern stern@atb.teradyne.com (and Doug Mink dmink@cfa.harvard.edu)


[Boston Bike Week 1997] [Bike Week Food]