Supermarket Street Sweep - SMSW 2010!!

The Supermarket Street Sweep 2010, SMSW 2010 took place this past Saturday at noon here in San Francisco. Two awesome bike ladies Kacey and Jenny Oh, are the wheelwoman power rangers behind this operation alongside photographer Koshi and many volunteers.

"The Supermarket Street Sweep is an annual bike race that benefits the San Francisco Food Bank! For the past four years, hundreds of participants have zipped around the city to local supermarkets and brought back thousands of pounds of food to donate to this wonderful charity." -supermarketstreetsweep: about 

This year I decided I was mentally ready to participate in this. As a lone wolf I often times am, I stopped by a few of years ago, but got a little intimidated (bike wise) by the cargo bikes, thinking I couldn't carry much or deliver a big load of stuff. But then I saw some pictures later and learned furthermore about it, +I could totally do a food-bank fundraising alley-cat style ride, and so I was stoked to join this year!!

 

The 2 posters I gave as my contribution for the prices this year, were safe+dry and ready for delivery. Mandatory coffee stop before showing up at noon was a must. I even had a breakfast burrito. Extra bike fuel was necessary this morning.

 

Here is the complete map. Approx 14.8 miles

and the day went like this:

pamela! her set is here: link

reesie stopped by to take some snaps =)

chicas.
Katie got first place in the race on road bike. woo!

Nio and everyone, ready to check-in

Jenny y Kacey

Jeremiah y Sasha

mark had the best sox

and ready

set

go!

1st stop: Safeway. The first stop was 4th and King and didn't take many photos, I was still figuring and things around, bought some beans and canned food.

spoke card

 

 

2nd stop: CALA foods. Heading from the SOMA to Hyde and California was the most fun because I knew I'd rn into the sea of red. Santacon was crawling around civic center and I knew my beloved Polk street would be plenty of entertainment. Never fails.

Route: 4th> Townsend> 7th> Market> Grove> Polk> California

 

santasland

 

Buying more rice and reading chisme magazine.

CALA pit stop. 

 

 

 

3rd stop: Safeway. Heading to Webster and O'Farrell from California street, was all downhill. I liked that. Off to the Safeway between Japantown and the Fillmore. That safeway was packed. 

Hyde (big wheeeee!!> Geary> Polk> Macallister> Webster

Safeway in the fillmore

Frenchie parking. I took some time to stretch and drink lots of water.

new amigos

These guys and their epic balloon swords, mostly from the Eat Bay, were super nice y encouraging =)

3rd stop: Rainboooow. Going from the Fillmore to the Mission was super easy, flat and the traffic was quiet serene. Once I got to Rainbow I thought I'd get myself a really fresh drink as I was super uber thirsty. Given that a place like Rainbow has all kinds of hippie cool drinks, I knew I'd find something fun. I was imagining maybe cilantro water? ha aa, well better yet, I got me some coconut drink with lime juice. Wattttt. Fantastico.

>Webster> Page> Gough> Mission> 14th> Folsom

oh rainbow. it's so heavy up in here.

I was so happy my sudafed had almost entirely kicked in (I had been fighting with nasty ear flood feeling allergies) I decided to take a photo. When I set-up the timer of my silly happy moment, some guy working there gave me the dirtiest look. You know what, I don't care what kind of philosophical dark day you are having mr. Nietzsche guanabee of the Mission. Now move over boy, while I go continue to overfill my mixte basket.
dingding and off I go!!

This is somewhere on 16th. It started to sprinkle just a little bit, then it stopped.

4th stop: Smart and Final. Getting from Rainbow, to the Bay Shore blvd. I decided to go around the dogpatch to hit less traffic lights and mini hills and opted to take 3rd.

This one I wasn't sure I could do out of memory, as I had already done the whole ride without a map, but if my memory served me right, I remember passing by this Smart and Final many times on multiple random rides. I thanks my good memory.

This was perhpas my favorite spot of the route, as I got to talk to a middle schooler that asked the group about what we were doing. I continued to talk him and his mom for a little bit and it was just a very nice moment. I told him I could totally see him on a bike and he got really shy, it was cute.

This was the stop I learned from my neighbor loaders, that if you have a goal of making a top cargo load, this is the time to do it. Makes sense since it is closest to the final point. Everyone had such crazy big loads and I even saw a trio of guys gobblyish walking down Oakdale because their bikes were just so overloaded. Dammmn awesome!

>14th> Rhode Island> 16th> 3rd> Evans> Toland> Oakdale

mi buddy dirty dave

John's 315lbs! guaooo - this champ got 2nd place for cargo.

jiffy basket
heavier items went in the basket, the pasta and such went in the backpack.

IRL Tonka trucks, riding on César Chávez heading back to the dogpatch

 

Final stop: Food bank. Pennsylvania and 22nd is where the Foodbank is. In the above little map is the red + black square. Getting there and delivering the tiny load of mine felt great, at this point I wish I could carry more, but 10lbs on my back is max, and the rest go in the basket. My intentions and will were gazillions of pounds however. It was super fun to see so many people and their loads. I chatted with most throughout the ride as I decided to do join up alone, I didn't have a group or any of my girls with me.

Often I like doing stuff alone. And no matter what, you are always surrounded by good people.

load of buckets

dad and son duo. Cooper was the youngest rider and such a fantastic trooper =)

yes finish!! checkin back in with Jenny

oh HAI!


deliveries into the food bank

finito

I may have not hauled a tremendous big load but at least I can proudly say I did the whole thing sans map.
damn RIGHT I ride the hell out of this city.

-

Sasha hauled an impressive 80+lbs in her everyday bike. That's rad!

Mind you I think having a bike covered with heart-shaped stickers helps... =)

Afterparty: Rickshaw bagworks. Prizes, pastries, party on. Yes. Food from TaKorea and beer from 21st amendment. Nice and nice.

Rickshaw bagworks is located on 22nd street near Minnesota.

Everyone loves Steven
He won the 1st place in the men's road alleycat race, before the finish line was even open. Classic.





matthew won a beanie

foto chisme

the boys

the ladies

I was very happy and inspired to see the ratio of women quite high throughout the day. 

My ladies are super badass!!

raffles

mi poster has an owner! swoon ♥

- - -

Here is a foto I really liked, fueling myself with the AM power bfast burrito +not a surprise with coffee in hand...

Taken by Adam:

Cupid Coffee (C)TyrellVoightKampff

SMSW 2010 Riders (C)jkoshi

Me and frenchie!!  

This photo was taken by Koshi, and you can view the complete set of all riders awesome rideres here: SMSW 2010 Rider Portraits

 

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OK, that is all -- thanks to the awesome volunteers, participants and organizers for making this happen. And come all next year, it is fun and the best feeling + great way to spend a Saturday on your bike around the city hauling food, for a good cause.

♥xxo.meli