Volunteer for SVBC's 2025 El Camino Real Ride

These signups are to VOLUNTEER to make the ride happen - participants can sign up to ride the route here.

Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) is recruiting on-bike and off-bike volunteers to support our 2025 ride for a safer El Camino Real!

On-bike volunteers will manage road safety for these bike buses, and off-bike volunteers will host "rest stops" at Santa Clara and 4 subsequent locations along our route listed below.

Details are included in the ticket descriptions when you click "Get Tickets". If you are willing, eager, and certain you can attend on May 17th, please choose a ticket type that matches your skillset!

Additional details are shown in the ticket descriptions when you click "Get Tickets". Ride route is here.

• Sunday, April 27th, 9:00 AM: "Dress Rehearsal" Ride - all on-bike volunteers (ride leaders, ride support, sweeps, and trailer riders) must attend a Dress Rehearsal to ensure they are familiar with the route, tough intersections, ingress/egress to the rest stops, trailer details, audio tech, and "conference calls" in advance.

• Saturday, May 17th, 9:00 AM: SVBC's 5th Annual El Camino Real Ride

• Santa Clara Transit Center - 8:30AM - 10:30 AM

• Sunnyvale City Hall - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

• Mountain View Eagle Park - 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM

• Palo Alto Cal Ave - 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

• Menlo Park Santa Cruz Ave - 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM

At 9:00 AM on May 17th, 2025, about 150+ bicyclists will start arriving to the Santa Clara Transit Center to participate in SVBC's 5th Annual El Camino Real Ride.

Groups of about 50-100 riders will split into 4 "Bike Buses". Bike Buses are groups of riders who stay together on the road for the sake of both safety and strength in numbers.

Every Bike Bus and all on-bike volunteer ride support will ride the entire distance from Santa Clara to Menlo Park.

Bike Buses will leave Santa Clara Transit Center at 9:30, 9:40, 9:50, and 10:00 AM.

Non-volunteer participant riders can join and leave a bus at any point along the route by meeting up at one of the hosted rest stops!

• Greeters: energetic, cheerful faces who greet riders as they arrive, direct them to check-in table, and inform them of the schedule. 1-2 greeters per rest stop. May be able to ride route when final bus departs.

• Rider check-in: detail-oriented smartphone users who ensure we check in every rider who shows up. 1-2 check-in per rest stop. May be able to ride route when final bus departs.

• Rest Stop Captains - these essential and committed volunteers are the day-of leaders of the small volunteer team at each rest stop, and can contact SVBC staff with any day-of questions. Captains bring equipment like folding tables, signage, canopies, chairs, flyers, etc to their assigned rest stop. Cannot ride the route - will be stationary while managing volunteers and station equipment (tables, signage, snacks) both before and after the groups arrive and depart.

• SVBC outreach ambassador (Bike Ambassador) - knowledgeable and personable volunteers who answer questions about SVBC and encourage riders to become more involved with the organization. 1-2 volunteer per rest stop. May be able to ride route when final bus departs.

• Refreshment volunteers - these volunteers focus only on the tasks associated with managing refreshments, and duties will change by Rest Stop location. More info about your role is listed on each ticket. On the day-of, arrange and refresh snacks before and during rider regroups. Table, tablecloth, chairs are provided. May be able to ride route when final bus departs.

• Ride lead, sweep, and ride support - these confident riders wear vests and accompany the groups to perform tasks like pushing pedestrian activation buttons, "sweeping" the ride, helping with mechanical issues, role modeling safe road riding, and keeping riders in the safest lanes (bike lane and right-hand main lane). These riders join a conference call to be able to communicate with the ride leaders of their "bike bus". Per bike bus we need 1x lead, 6x outriders, 2x sweeps. Must attend "dress rehearsal" ride on April 27th to familiarize with the route.

• Trailer Haulers - These riders are the centerpiece of these Bike Buses, hauling a 6' long trailer that is rigged up with vinyl banners and sound systems. All trailer haulers must ride entire route, Santa Clara to Menlo Park, with the trailers on the day-of the ride, 5/17. Must also test trailer/bike hitch connection in advance of the day-of the ride in Sunnyvale at the trailer staging location. Must attend "dress rehearsal" ride on April 27th to familiarize with the entire process - trailer pickup, riding the route, and returning the trailer to Sunnyvale.

• Photography and videography - up to 5 skilled photographers who can get a shot list of candid photos of riders both on-bike and off-bike. These photographers are essential to help us convey the purpose and meaning of our ride.

• Floaters - able to fill in for any absences, run errands, convey messages, and more.

The posted time of 8am to 4pm is the total event time. Specific times and locations for volunteering are indicated for each volunteer ticket type.

Thanks for helping Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition! We advocate for healthier and more just communities by making bicycling safe and accessible for everyone.

Questions? Email [email protected]

N OTE: Please only sign up if you are quite certain that you can attend as the event is relying on your presence to be successful.

Host or Publisher Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (volunteering)