Saddle Sores Bike Club and RideRichmond kick off the new year with two events guaranteed to get your legs pumping and your booty shaking. First, it's Goldsprints at Sprout Market And Cafe, brought to you by RideRichmond. Goldsprints are races conducted on stationary bikes, with riders pedaling as fast as they can while machines measure the distance they would be covering. These events are a blast to watch and participate in, even when things go awry (as can be seen here, in a video shot at a RideRichmond event last month at Mojo's):
WHAT: Goldsprints!
WHERE: Sprout Market And Cafe (1 N. Morris St.)
WHEN: Friday, January 21, 9 PM
ADMISSION: Free to watch, $5 to race
The second event, presented by Saddle Sores Bike Club, is Out Cold! A Bicycle Safety Dance. The event will take place on Saturday, January 22nd, from 10 PM - 2 AM at The Cellar Door (1600 Monument Ave). The event is free, but a $3-5 donation at the door will get you a raffle ticket and a bike light (while supplies last). In addition, raffle tickets will be sold for $1 apiece after initial entry, and will be good toward raffles (of such things as helmets, headlamps, winter cycling essentials, possibly a bike or two) that will be held throughout the night. VKNG and SHMOHAWXX will be DJing the night. All proceeds will go to RideRichmond in their efforts to pay for non-profit status.
WHAT: Out Cold! A Bicycle Safety Dance
WHERE: Cellar Door Restaurant (1600 Monument Ave, in the basement of the Stuart Court Apartments)
WHEN: Saturday January 22, 10 PM
ADMISSION: Free
More about RideRichmond, Saddle Sores Bike Club, and their goals as organizations, after the jump:
RideRichmond is an organization dedicated to achieving a safer and sustainable city by establishing a hub for news, activities, and discussion for the communities within Richmond and surrounding areas. Specifically, RideRichmond focuses on biking in the city, but also promotes other forms of alternative transportation such as mopeds and skateboarding. We've hosted Goldsprints, a cycling symposium (we gave out 100 sets of bike lights) and bike swap, and this April we're planning a full week of bike events. We're just about going out and doing good, keeping fun free. Any money raised goes back into RideRichmond (currently we're trying to raise $400 to submit our non-profit paperwork).
Saddle Sores Bike Club was formed in early 2009 by three young cyclists who shared one goal: to expand the cycling culture in Richmond through awareness, activities, and events. The club has since grown to 14 members. We've thrown two alleycats and a safety dance party. In addition to hosting bicycle-related activities and events, Saddle Sores Bicycle Club schedules and volunteers throughout the Richmond Community. 100% of proceeds (proceeds, not profits) from our events have been donated to a local non-profit, such as Safe Harbor (a shelter specializing in those affected by domestic violence). The club has adopted the major biking corridor from Harrison at Marshall down to MCV at Marshall and cleans by picking up trash, cigarette butts, and other litter once a month.