Creative Director – 2026 Bay Ride

Design the Jersey That Defines Our Movement

About The Bay Ride

Born from a crazy idea among friends in 2014, The Bay Ride has become the Bay Area's signature cycling event – a stunning 135-mile journey circumnavigating the entire San Francisco Bay. More than just a ride, we're building a movement to transform the Bay Area into America's premier cycling metropolis.

The Role

We're seeking a visionary Creative Director to design the 2026 Bay Ride jersey – the centerpiece that will inspire our entire brand ecosystem. Your jersey design will set the creative direction for our website, merchandise, marketing campaigns, and the overall visual identity of the 2026 ride.

What You'll Do

• Lead with the Jersey: Conceptualize and design the 2026 Bay Ride cycling jersey in collaboration with local artists and our community
• Create a Visual Story: Develop a design that captures the spirit of cycling 135 miles around the Bay – through diverse neighborhoods, over iconic bridges, and across four distinct regions
• Extend the Vision: Guide how the jersey design translates across all touchpoints:
  • Website design and digital presence
  • Event merchandise and swag
  • Google and Meta advertising campaigns
  • Rest stop festival branding
  • Participant communications
• Honor Our Legacy: Build on our tradition of partnering with local artists while bringing fresh perspective to our cosmic cycling culture (yes, we have mascots called The Star Riders!)

What We're Looking For

• Portfolio demonstrating exceptional design work, ideally including apparel/textile design
• Experience creating cohesive brand systems from a central design concept
• Understanding of cycling culture and/or passion for advocacy and community building
• Ability to balance bold creative vision with functional requirements (jerseys need to look amazing at 20mph!)
• Digital advertising experience, particularly with Google and Meta platforms
• Bay Area connection preferred but not required

Project Timeline

Start: End of 2025 Jersey Design Finalized: By March 2026 (production deadlines) Full Brand Rollout: March-September 2026

Compensation

Keeping in mind we are a non-profit we have found $1,000 payment to be fair, but open to varying forms of compensation. 

To Apply

Send your portfolio, a brief note about why this project excites you, and your favorite Bay Area cycling route (or dream route if you're new to the area!) to [email]

Join us in creating something that 68% of our riders say pushes them further than they've ever gone before – starting with a jersey design that inspires a movement.

About LiveTheBay.org: LiveTheBay.org is the nonprofit behind The Bay Ride, dedicated to transforming the Bay Area through cycling advocacy, fundraising, and policy changes to improve cycling infrastructure throughout the region. Proceeds from The Bay Ride support CalBike's mission of advocating for equitable, inclusive, and prosperous communities where bicycling enables all Californians to lead healthy and joyful lives.