Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About The World’s Greatest Bicycle Parade
What is “The World’s Greatest Bicycle Parade”?
It’s an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record record for the “Longest Single Line of Bicycles”. In 2010 the Davis Odd Fellows coordinated this same event and set the new World Record category created by Guinness with 916 bicycles. The Davis Odd Fellows and the community of Davis, CA are the current holders of this record. This year, we hope to attract over 1200 bike riders for our parade and to set a new record!
Who is organizing this effort?
The effort to set the record is spearheaded by the Davis Odd Fellows Lodge, chartered in 1870 and composed of 160 members. The Lodge established the Bicycle Parade Committee, chaired by Lodge member Frank Giustino and composed of 21 Odd Fellows. Numerous community leaders and community groups have joined the effort including the Mayor and entire City Council, the entire School Board, the Davis Chamber of Commerce, the Davis Downtown Business Association, all three Rotary Clubs of Davis, the Soroptimist International of Davis, and others.
What exactly is a “bicycle parade?”
The Guinness World Record book now includes “Longest Single Line of Bicycles” as one of its listed records. The Guinness folks establish complex rules to qualify as a bicycle parade. These rules include: bikes must be in a single line, only bikes powered by humans, bikes must traverse the entire route which must be a minimum of 2 miles in length, bikes cannot be more than three (3) bike-lengths separated from each other, etc. A complete set of rules can be found on our website, www.worldsgreatestbicycleparade.com.
When and where does this record-setting effort take place?
Sunday, October 2 is the date of the parade and World Record attempt. The parade will officially start at 10:02 a.m. on 10-2-2011. The starting line and the finish line for the parade will be in front of the Davis Odd Fellows Lodge at 415 2nd Street in Downtown Davis, CA.
When do we want folks to come to the downtown on October 2?
Folks who are part of the parade are asked to be in the downtown staging area as early as 8 a.m. but no later than 9 a.m. on October 2. The staging area is the area bordered by B and F Streets and 2nd and 5th Streets in Downtown Davis.
What do I have to do if I want to be part of the parade?
You have to do three simple things. First you need register for the Parade. Go to our website at www.worldsgreatestbicycleparade.com. Click on the registration page and follow the simple directions. You can pay on line as well. The cost of registration to be in this fun and historical parade is $10. If you want to register and also receive the commemorative collector’s item T-shirt, it will cost $20. Second, after you register you will go to the Odd Fellows Lodge at 415 Second Street, Davis, CA, to pick up your bicycle parade packet (including T-shirt if you ordered it). The packet will include a specific description of your color-coded staging area (the specific place for you to gather downtown on the morning of the parade). The packet will also include a special “bib” with a unique electronic code that will count you as you cross the start line and the finish line of the parade. The dates and times for packet pick up are: Friday, September 30 from noon to 8 p.m. and Saturday, October 01 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (A special pick up time for out-of-towners who can’t make an earlier pick-up time will be Sunday, October 2 from 7 to 9 a.m. However, the morning of the parade will be a very busy time and we strongly encourage early packet pick up on September 30 or October 01.) Third, registered bike parade participants need to show up on 10-2-2011 to help us have some fun and set the new record!
Can I register the day of the parade?
Yes, but we discourage it. It will be crowded and busy just before the parade starts. The more folks who can register online before the day of the Parade, the better. We want 99% of the participants to register on line early, early, early!
What route will the parade take?
The bicycle parade will take an easy 3.7 mile route at a leisurely pace. The starting line will be in front of the Odd Fellows Lodge at 415 Second Street. From there, the bikes will travel in a single line “parade” up Second Street until they reach F Street. A left turn on F Street takes the parade all the way to 14th Street where the parade makes a U-turn going back down F Street till 8th Street where the parade turns right and travels down 8th Street till Anderson, U-turn at Anderson so the parade goes back down 8th Street till F Street, right on F Street toward the downtown. On Second Street, the parade turns right to cross the finish line, again in front of the Odd Fellows Lodge. The lead riders and “pacers” for the parade will be Mayor Joe Krovoza, Noble Grand of the Odd Fellows Lodge Dave Reed, and Odd Fellows Lodge members (and one of last year’s pacers) Stella Ruiz.
Will stores and restaurants be open in the Downtown during the parade?
Absolutely. The Davis Downtown Business Association and the Davis Chamber of Commerce are partners in this effort. Businesses welcome you to the downtown and we hope you will visit them!
In addition to the food and shopping choices in downtown Davis, there will be the Festival in Central Park where there will be food and gift vendors that will be supporting our fundraising efforts for the Davis Schools Foundation.
Who can participate?
This all about fun, family, friends and community! We welcome folks from Davis,Woodland, Winters,Sacramento and anywhere else in Northern California, to help us break this record. We allow children over 7 years of age to participate, but no children younger than 7. Bicycle helmets required by law for minors, and adults are encouraged but not required to wear bike helmets. Guinness counts 2-wheeled bicycles powered by human pedal power. Through special arrangements with Guinness, three-wheeled vehicles and other modes of transport for impaired persons are welcomed.
When will the parade end?
We will start at 10:02 a.m. and the route will take about one hour to traverse at our leisurely pace. That means the last folks in the parade will cross the starting line at about 11:00 a.m. and the last riders should finish the parade at noon. Realistically, we expect the parade to end between 11 a.m. and noon for riders.
What happens after the parade ends?
It’s time to have a party! We are planning a run, family-friendly Festival at Central Park when the parade ends. The festival will include music, vendors, local businesses, bounce houses, the pedal-power carousel will be open, the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame will also be open, there will be food and drink, and a beer and wine garden for the adults. The local and regional food vendors will be providing delicious post-parade cuisine. Portable toilets will be available adjacent to Central Park on C Street, as will bike parking.
Should I drive my car downtown?
We discourage it. Parking will be at a premium. We recommend that you bike downtown. For folks coming from out of town or from a distance, there will be plenty of automobile parking on the UCD campus – parking on Sunday is free.
Why are we doing all this?
Well, first it’s going to be a lot of fun. Second, we’re determined to break our own record in the Guinness World Record Book. Third, and most importantly, funds raised from this effort will go to the Davis Schools Foundation for the benefit of the kids in theDavisSchool District.
How can I help?
You can help by being in the historical bicycle parade on October 2. Remember to register on line! You can also help by being a sponsor for the bicycle parade – just go to www.worldsgreatestbicycleparade.com and click on the sponsorship icon and all will be explained. Finally, if you can’t be in the parade, we have need for dozens of volunteers. Go to the website and click on the volunteer icon and we’ll sign you up!
Thank you from the World’s Greatest Bicycle Parade Committee!
