Here are some common questions about BYOBW, if you don’t find your answer here:
NO VENDING – NO CORPORATE BRANDING – NO ADVERTISING
Nope. You will be asked to leave by Dept of Rec and Park. No vending is allowed inside the street closure aside from the local neighborhood school nonprofit. We bust our butts and hard earned cash to make this event happen and it is not permitted through the city for additional vending.
Where/When does BYOBW take place?
(Permit approval and ducks in a row providing) The event takes place at 20th and Vermont Streets in San Francisco on Easter Sunday. Kids Only (12 and under preferred) from 2pm-3pm and Adult Children from 3pm-5pm. Sharp cut off at 5pm so we can clear the street of hay and clean up the area. Are we doing it this year? Probably. If all the paperwork goes through and there are no issues, then yes. If we can’t raise enough funds to make it happen or the city decided to not grant us permits, then no. There’s always a scary chance that the event can’t happen so if that sad fact is announced, we’ll need everyone to behave themselves and NOT try to make the event happen anyway. The SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), SFPD and SF Rec and Park are all part of who we have to report to and we don’t want to ruin the chances of us being able to have the event in the future.
Is there a registration fee?
BYOBW is brought to you completely free, but we do recommend a $10-20 donation that you can make on site or online at this link. As of 2024 the event costs roughly $12,755 to produce. The main BYOBW Crew person fronts a lot of money pre-event (and does not work in tech) so what truly keeps the event happening are the racers, friends & family that so generously give. If we got $10-20 from every person who comes out and enjoys the races, we probably wouldn’t have to keep balancing things precariously on credit cards. (woo yeah!)
You can register for the event by signing up and accepting our digital release form. We tend to open the form for registration a short time before the event. Loosey goosey time so keep checking the page a few weeks before the event. If you want a hard copy you can also download that. If the online reg is having issues, you can always sign up the day of the event.
And to the question about accepting corporate sponsorship to help cover the event, we say a firm “no thanks”. Our event has always been free of branding and advertising and we want to keep it that way.
Is there an age limit?
Not at all. Every adult is required to sign a waiver for insurance purposes and parents or guardians should fill one out for anyone under 18. The first hour of the event is exclusively for the littles, kids about 12 and under. Parents are welcome to follow behind their littles, some even tie ropes to their trikes and guide them slowly down.
As far as young ones riding with the big kids in the main heats, if you are under 18 you need your parents to sign one of our registration forms and then it’s really up to them if they feel comfortable letting you race down the hill. Parents: you are completely responsible for allowing your kids to participate in any part of the races. We’ve seen some kids as young as ten years old holding their own with the adults, but bear in mind there can be roll overs and pile ups and although we very rarely have serious injuries, consider yourself warned. We highly recommend helmets, wrist guards and elbow / knee pads for all riders but especially the youngins. One father wrapped his child in bubble wrap, which is not a bad idea and quite hilarious.
Are there any rules?
DO NOT CROSS THE STREET DURING THE EVENT / DO NOT STAND IN THE STREET. It’s not safe and you have only your self to blame if you get knocked on your tush. Find a place to perch off of the street and only cross at the top and bottom of the course when you have a very clear line of sight to the riders coming down.
Do Not Block The Stairs – Let riders get back up the hill! Now that the event has gained more popularity our riders are having a harder time getting up the hill because of spectators blocking the way. Riders are here to participate fully in this event so respect their right of way. Riders! use the wider stairs along the park side to to get back up to the starting line. Avoid the stairs along the side of the houses.
Please do not bring dogs. It’s just no fun for them to be in the crowds.
Read and adhere to the Code of Conduct, but generally we’re not big on rules. Our main request is that you only bring Big Wheels or trikes that are made of plastic with plastic wheels. Why? In the words of our founder, John Brumit, “IT SOUNDS WAY COOLER and control is overrated anyway.” Plastic wheels slide so much better on the pavement too!
We really prefer, No Metal Frames and absolutely no exposed metal spokes, pegs or wood that could impale you or fellow riders. You may be asked to tape up your spokes and sharp bits so save time and do it before you arrive.
As required by the City Of San Francisco this is a NO ALCOHOL and NO SMOKING event. And we are kinda tired of seeing beer cans in the toilets so just pre-load somewhere else and leave your trash at home.
Take Your Trash Home With You: We pick up all the garbage on site and have to pay to dump it after the event. The city does not do it for us. Take care of this neighborhood as if it is your own.
Is there any safety gear I should bring?
Recommended safety gear:
- A helmet (brain buckets are important!)
- Work gloves (pro-tip: use your hands on turns. gloves help to prevent them from getting cut up)
- Elbow pads, knee pads and wrist guards.
- Goggles (the hay dust tends to fly around and can get in your eyes)
If you should get scraped up and need assistance, we have several EMTs on site to help. SF General ER is 0.4 miles away too!
Will there be food trucks?
There are no food trucks. This is a BYOS (Bring Your Own Snax) event. There may be a snack table from the local school nonprofit but you can also support the many local stores of Potrero Hill – see below.
Will there be port-a-potties?
Most def. USE THEM and only put toilet paper and #1 or #2 in them. NOTHING ELSE. Please donate (recommended) $10-20 so we can keep paying for them. 🙂
Parking sucks, take public transport or rideshare:
This IS San Francisco and parking is pretty limited. We suggest that you take public transit, carpool or take a cab over. When parking in the neighborhood be respectful of driveways. If you take a cab / rideshare have them drop you off a block away at 20th and Kansas St or 20th and San Bruno. It helps keep the main intersection clear of a log jam of cars and people.
Is there cool stuff I can buy?
Not really. We try to have a yearly commemorative sticker and sometimes patches but we actually try not to promote the event so that it stays a manageable size. Consider making your own DIY gear, handcrafted small batch organic gluten-free grass fed BYOBW gear. You know, the cool stuff.
Support Local Potrero Businesses!
Chiotras Grocery – 858 Rhode Island – Chiotras Grocery
New Potrero Market – 1301 18th St – New Potrero Market
Good Life Grocery – 1524 20th St – The Good Life Grocery
Next Level Burger (vegan burgers, fries and shakes) – 450 Rhode Island St Next Level Burger Potrero Hill
Goat Hill Pizza – 300 Connecticut St – Goat Hill Pizza
Connecticut Yankee (pub food)- 100 Connecticut St – Connecticut Yankee
Farley’s Coffee – 1315 18th St – Farley’s Coffeehouse