JON MARCHIONE

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Crafting a community bike race.

Group of people smiling and talking outdoors near a table with colorful baskets and a megaphone on a sunny day in a park.
Person holding a colorful packet labeled 'Flower Rat Baltimore MD March 23rd' at an outdoor event with people and tables in the background.
Three men wearing floral-patterned shirts, flower-themed sunglasses, and bicycle helmets decorated with flower pots and fake mice, holding a purple basket with a paper titled 'Flower Rat'.
Two people holding a gray T-shirt printed with 'Flower Rat' graphic near a screen printing frame with bicycles in the background.
Group of people wearing colorful outfits and helmets are gathered outdoors with bicycles, one girl reading a paper under a tree on a sunny day.
Green tie-dye t-shirts with 'Flower Rat 2026 Baltimore' printed in black, hanging on a white rack outdoors in a park with people and bicycles in the background.
Smiling woman wearing glasses and a pink shirt holds up a black tie-dye t-shirt with yellow text and graphics reading 'Flower Rat Baltimore MD'.
A crowd of people outdoors watching an event, with a table of colorful merchandise and decorations in the foreground.
Person in a plaid shirt standing behind a table with bananas, a blender, and a menu while another person with a gloved hand stamps a card.
A beekeeper in protective clothing sitting on grass surrounded by a crowd watching and taking photos outdoors on a sunny day.
Two smiling people wearing hats and glasses sitting at a table behind a potted plant, holding a newspaper titled Flower Manifest.

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Client

Charm City Flower Rat

Scope

Logo Design
Identity Development
Digital Design
Illustration
Production
Signage

The Charm City Flower Rat is a beginner-friendly, alley-cat-styled bike race that I've organized and created the identity for every spring in Baltimore since 2023. Over that period the ride has grown to over 100 participants, becoming a mainstay, bringing together the bike community in celebration of the spring season and warmer weather.

Man in a floral shirt and cap signing a paper on a green tablecloth outdoors during a sunny community event with people and bikes in the background.

Spoke Cards

A tradition of alley-cat races is to place a custom spoke card in between the spokes of your bike's wheel to identify riders and also as a way to show to other bikers after the fact what races you have participated in. This concept has driven the branding of each year's ride with a custom illustrated and designed spoke card featuring flowers, bikes, and rats.

Colorful vintage-style poster with curved text reading Flower Rat Baltimore MD April 1st and a small drawing of a rat riding a bicycle through flowers.Colorful illustration reading 'Flower Rat 2024 Baltimore MD Now April 14' with three animated animals riding bicycles surrounded by flowers.Colorful graphic with pink 3D text reading 'Flower Rat 2025', yellow script 'Baltimore, MD', surrounded by yellow roses, green foliage, and a white rat lying by a bicycle.Illustration with three large yellow flowers and a relaxed cartoon rat lying on grass, text reads 'Flower Rat 2026 Baltimore' with a small yellow bicycle graphic.

Showing Off

Every year I hand print shirts for the race and have an activity for riders to do at the end of the race relating to the shirts. We've done tye-dyeing, bleach-dyeing, and a print-your-own printing booth where participants could bring their own shirt to print on! In 2025 I made a custom patch for the race from the hand-lettered logo I made for the race.

Beige T-shirt with a circular navy blue graphic reading 'Flower Rats Baltimore MD' with floral and bicycle illustrations.Two black T-shirts with green floral designs reading 'Flower Rat 24 Baltimore MD,' with note indicating bleach dye effect on smaller shirt.Flower Rat 25 Screen Printing Station announcement with floral design, inviting participants to bring clothing or paper to print race design, showing design example and t-shirt print.
A woman demonstrating screen printing with a wooden frame to a small group of people at an outdoor event.Close-up of colorful embroidered patches including one with 'Flower Pot 25 Baltimore, MD' in red and yellow text.

Community Prize Sponsors

Every year I coordinate with local businesses to donate prizes for the winners of the race. Every year they exceed my expectations with their generosity and really make the ride special for all the participants.

Decorative dark sign with the text 'Sophomore Coffee' and 'Prize Sponsor!' surrounded by floral and geometric patterns.Decorative floral border surrounding text reading 'Flower Rat 24,' green Patagonia logo with mountain outline, and 'Prize Sponsor' in orange text on a dark background.Colorful graphic poster with text 'Flower Rat 25', 'TREK Bikes Service Gear', and 'Prize Sponsor' surrounded by floral designs and a cartoon rat lying among plants and a bicycle.Yellow background with black text announcing Flower Rat 2026 Prize Sponsor Baltimore Bicycle Works, featuring a cartoon mouse resting on a flower and a yellow bicycle graphic.

A Special Spring Surprise

This event is a labor of love and I do it every year because I truly enjoy getting to meet folks in the community and bring everyone together. The spirit of the ride was exemplified during the afterparty of the 2024 Flower Rat.
The 2024 Flower Rat ended and our afterparty was at Charm City Meadworks. While we were tallying the points at the end of the race a migrating swarm of bees touched down on one of our rider's bike bags. Thankfully another rider was a beekeeper & quickly rode home to grab their gear!
This happening against the backdrop of a giant bee mural felt like a sign of approval from the gods of spring. Plus not one rider got stung!

Swarm of bees clustered and flying around a bicycle bag attached to a bike frame on a grassy surface.
A large swarm of bees covering the handlebars and front of a bicycle, with many bees flying around.
Person in a full beekeeper suit handling a cluster of bees near wooden beehive boxes with bicycles and a crowd watching in the background.
Beekeeper in protective suit tending to a beehive with bees flying around, three people sitting nearby, and a mural reading 'Welcome to: Johnston Square' in the background.

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