If you notice an extra hundred cyclists wheeling around Downtown Oakland next weekend, give them a little extra space and a welcome.

The Oakland Yellow Jackets are hosting a three-day conference at the Oakland Marriott Friday, Aug. 4, through Sunday, Aug. 7.

The National Brotherhood of Cyclists, or NBC, is a consortium of local riding clubs dedicated to promoting a love of cycling in communities of color. Depressing national and local data show that both physical inactivity and related preventable deaths are most common among people of color. The NBC's conference aims to inspire and support local organizations in their efforts to reduce this disparity through cycling.

The NBC was formed in 2008 and held its first conference in Minneapolis, Minn., last year.

"I went, and I thought wow, this is a very bicycle-friendly city, but we offer a lot in California, in terms of just the beauty and the terrain," remembers Pat Baxter, a member of the Oakland Yellow Jackets and a co-organizer of this year's conference. "We really want to showcase Oakland's cycling advocacy. You can go to places like Minneapolis and St. Paul, but Oakland's advocates are really special."

The East Bay Bicycle Coalition and Walk Oakland Bike Oakland are supporting the conference, as well as the city of Oakland.

"It's great that we have the support from the city of Oakland and Mayor Quan," Baxter said. "I don't think many people know she's a cyclist."

Given the name, and the trend towards bike-riding men, one might expect a brotherhood of cyclists conference to attract mostly, well, brothers. That is not the case at NBC.

"The majority are female, over 60 percent will be female. The majority of people will be African-American, but look at the Yellow Jackets, we're a very diverse club," Baxter said. "Even in Minneapolis, you have people coming from all over. I think this country will be well represented."

Information sessions like "Maximizing Health, Minimizing Injuries," "Youth Programs" and "Women and Cycling" will help participants learn ways to improve their local programs. More effective local advocacy means more cyclists, and eventually better public health.

"The goal is, not only to bring people together for networking, but also from the perspective of putting in the forefront the health benefit of cycling," Baxter said. "Most of the clubs are going to be African-American clubs, and within the African-American community you have such a health disparity."

No bicycle conference is complete without organized rides, and participants will see some of the best the Bay Area has to offer.

"I go to a lot of conferences, and I bring my bike, and one of the things people always bring up to me is riding in the wine country," Baxter continued. "I met a group of folks from Pennsylvania, probably a couple years ago on a ride in Maryland, and I promised I would put together a wine country ride for them. So on Wednesday, the early bird riders will take vans up to Sonoma, and we have a ride planned there."

Rides around Oakland, including a women's only ride, will depart Friday afternoon. The vans reserved for the Napa ride are already full, but like all Oakland Yellow Jacket rides, the Oakland rides are open to the public. The only catch is that participants are required to wear a helmet.

The conference will wrap up Sunday with a bike blessing at the Cathedral of Christ the Light on Lake Merritt. The blessing, led by Father Jay Matthews, will lead a moment of silence for cyclists that have passed while enjoying the sport of cycling. Afterwards, local advocate Angela Davis will speak at a brunch at Souley Vegan.

A key component of the NBC is supporting local youth cycling programs, and all proceeds from this event will help develop a new Oakland Yellow Jackets youth program.

To register for the conference or the Sunday brunch, sign up here. For more information on the rides and the full schedule, see the PDF embedded below. OYJ NBC Conference Program_final