San Francisco To Host First Annual Bicycle Day Parade

First Annual Bicycle Day Parade Poster by Michael Divien

Knock the dust off your playa bike and sparkle it up for San Francisco's First Annual Bicycle Day Parade!

Psychedelic bicycle enthusiasts around the world already know that April 19 is Bicycle Day, a day commemorating the anniversary of the day when Sandoz pharmaceutical company research chemist Albert Hofmann took the world's first intentional dose of a substance he'd been analyzing called Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, or LSD-25 for short. 

As the effects of the drug began to take effect, he told his lab assistant he wished to return to the comfort of his home. As he later relayed:

We went by bicycle, no automobile being available because of wartime restrictions on their use. On the way home, my condition began to assume threatening forms. Everything in my field of vision wavered and was distorted as if seen in a curved mirror. I also had the sensation of being unable to move from the spot. Nevertheless, my assistant later told me that we had traveled very rapidly. Finally, we arrived at home safe and sound. -- psychedelic-library.org

Over time, Albert Hofmann's Bicycle Ride has taken on mythic proportions. 

This year, the city best known for propagating psychedelic culture will host a psychedelic parade.

  • Who: YOU! In your gorgeously awesome attire!
  • When: April 19th, 2014 @ 1PM
  • Where: We'll begin at Hippie Hill in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
  • Why: Because we love FUN. And Bikes. And riding bikes. And, well, because BICYCLE day.

  • For more information visit: bicycledayparade.com.

    Artist Michael Divine has printed 33 signed and numbered archival prints of this image, all of which presold through MAPS. Shakedown Gallery is currently in the process of printing 100 posters of the image and will also have a variant of the image available as blotter art

    This event is free and open to the public. 

    An evening Bicycle Day event will be hosted by the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors project and Shakedown Gallery will once again be working with Alex & Allsyon Grey to staff their merchandise table and bring in psychedelic art and artifacts. 

    View More Articles