Bike Tag is the cycling game we need right now

Looking for a way to have some socially distanced fun on your bicycle, look no further than Bike Tag, a game that gained prominence last spring in Portland, Oregon, and is now opening up in cities across North America and even Europe. The latest game to get underway is in Vancouver.

Tyrone Siglos, a bicycle food courier, is one of the volunteers who helps to organize Vancouver Bike Tag. He got involved after he was contacted by Portland’s Ken Eucker.

Siglos says the concept of the game is straightforward. A photo of a bicycle somewhere in the greater Vancouver area is shared via the bike tag website. Usually, there is enough in the photo for savvy cyclists to discern the location, but there could also be a teaser or hint or puzzle.

“Essentially, it’s a race to get to that spot, take a picture of your bike in the same locations, and then find a new location,” Siglos explains. “It’s like a moving game of tag around the city”

Those who get to the spot first, decide what the next photo will be.

Generally, the game tends to follow the traditional cycling routes about town, although since it has begun in Vancouver the geographic range has extended beyond the core to incorporate the surrounding areas including Richmond, Burnaby, and North Vancouver.

“People are playing while they’re commuting to work. They’re like, oh, I know what that is. I can kind of divert a little bit,” Siglos says. “But generally cyclists are staying along the bike trails, and the bike routes, so they don’t stray too far away. But you will see people that just, I mean, myself, I ride my bike for food delivery. So I ride throughout the city. And I like to put them in kind of tucked away places that show something neat that you wouldn’t generally see. Like, hey, here’s a cool little thing you didn’t know, or here’s a spot in the city that is something you need to check out.”

Although it is mostly regarded as a quirky and fun way to check out the city, there is still competition to win the game.

“There are some people that are competitive,” Siglos says. “And it’s fun, and it’s a rush to want to get there first. Especially if it’s in a pretty densely populated neighborhood. You know that’s not going to stick around for too long, right? So you want to be the first one to rush there and pick that up.”

300 people follow along with the game currently, and about 40-50 players actively pursuing tags regularly.

“There are a few daily people that play and then you’ll see the people that play a little bit more on the weekends or when it’s nice out,” Siglos says. “It started in Vancouver in the late fall/winter time and people played all throughout the winter.”

According to Siglos, the game is great for everyone, not just those cycling on the daily and can offer a bit of variety for people looking to get out on their bikes during the pandemic.

“I think it’s fantastic for families. If you’re stuck at home with COVID going on, and you need an excuse for a 20-minute or half-hour ride, here it is. Like, oh, here’s something cool to check out,” he says. “We are just trying to encourage people to ride their bikes and get out to explore the city, move around a little bit. And be able to do it in a way that is also pandemic friendly.”

Since Bike Tag was featured on Global Cycling Network, games have started up around the world. There are currently 28 listed on the Biketag.org website with locations across North America and as far away as Paris, Vienna, Munich, and Islamabad.