Students, alumni and fans gathered at Rice April 10-11 to celebrate the 69th annual Beer Bike, one of the university’s most popular traditions and a centerpiece of the residential college experience.
Dating back to 1957, Beer Bike blends an intramural bicycle relay race with a water-chugging competition, as each residential college, along with the Graduate Student Association, fields men’s and women’s teams as well as a coed alumni team. Riders and chuggers work in tandem during the relay-style race with a teammate required to chug before the next rider can begin, creating a fast-paced competition that blends teamwork and school spirit.
“This is my favorite time of the year — seeing the students so excited, not just today but all week long as the energy builds across campus,” President Reginald DesRoches said. “Beer Bike shows the true culture of Rice. We’re competitive, but we work together.”
The excitement builds throughout “Willy Week,” the days leading up to Beer Bike when residential colleges prepare for the race and campus traditions take center stage. On race day, students packed the track near Rice Stadium to cheer on their colleges after participating in long-standing festivities such as the water balloon fight and color war.
For many students, Beer Bike represents months of preparation and collaboration across their college communities.
“I love it,” said Allie Meacham, a sophomore at Baker College. “Our team worked really hard — the bikers, the chuggers, the pit crew, everyone involved — and then you have the water balloon fight, the color war and all the events leading up to it. It’s all really great.”
Meacham said seeing the competition unfold in person made the experience even more memorable after watching the race remotely the year before.
“I was excited to finally see the Baker team race in person,” she said. “Last year it was a video stream, which was fun but not quite the same.”
For seniors, the annual event often carries an added emotional weight as one of their final campus traditions before graduation. Hong Lin Tsai, a senior from Brown College, reflected on participating in Beer Bike for the last time.
“It feels kind of bittersweet, experiencing all four years of Beer Bike,” Tsai said. “But I’m glad I got the chance, and now I’m ready to pass it on to the next generation of Rice students.”
Tsai said the traditions that surround the race, from filling water balloons to the colorful campus celebrations, create lasting memories.
“There’s a lot. Filling the water balloons, the water balloon fight, color war and getting to participate in all the events throughout the night,” Tsai said. “Those are some of the most precious memories.”
The tradition also brings generations of Owls back to campus. Alumnus Rick Davis ’89 said he has returned frequently in recent years to watch his daughter take part in the competition.
“It’s always been fun,” Davis said. “I think of it as a kind of spring homecoming, a great time to come back and get together with everyone.”
Watching his daughter participate has added a new perspective to the event, Davis said, especially as she serves as a pit crew captain helping catch riders during the relay.
“This is a unique Rice thing,” he added. “You don’t go to other schools and see something like this. It’s in our DNA.”