BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I was just talking about this with people last night. I hear Cleveland has a pretty good bike coop, too

These guys are also doing some cool stuff including fun themed bike rides, raising money for bike racks etc. Crank Set Rides. I have not joined them yet. Dan spent years in PGH.

Some Ohio stuff I'm doing:

Near Cleveland: Sweet Corn Challenge

Central Ohio: ohiogranfondo.com

Overall, Ohio can be alright.

Someone should go to North Ridgeville's Corn Fest for me. I haven't been in years

Saw a crew riding around last friday night when I was at the House of Blues. All were lit up and lit up well riding around with whistles, bells, and a horn of some sort. Was pretty cool. What struck me as even cooler was that is was a very racially diverse group. That shouldn't be something I notice but it was and it is good that everyone was riding.

So so in for a trip to a new city to ride in a big group ride. I'll pitch in for gas! And it's on a day i actually dont work!! Let's do it!

And now from London -

Arrests in Critical Mass bike ride near Olympic Park

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19023104

Sooo, let's do this thing!

Just an update, on the Cleve news. Next one 9/28.

http://fox8.com/2012/08/31/bicyclists-gather-to-promote-fun-safe-riding/

When would we have to leave here to get there on time?

Let me thimk on that. It's +- 2 hrs to downtown, I believe.

I am almost positive i'm free that day. Def. interested in going.

It would be cool to go, but I can't do fridays. boo.

So it took me more than a year, but I finally made it to one of these. It was a total blast. I took a half day off from work, which I don't do nearly enough, and drove up to Cleveland with my son. The route was planned to loop around and end on the West side of town, so I parked at a spot near the end point, suggested by one of the participants, about 6 miles from the start. There were a bunch of other people also preparing to ride to the start. I can't say that Cle drivers are uniformly any better than Pgh drivers, since almost as soon as I put wheels on the road, I had to staunchly defend my lane, twice, on the ride in. But they weren't horrible interactions, and we just proceeded on. We rode in with a guy who went by "Rickshaw Willie", nice and colorful guy. The start was at Public Square, the heart of Cle. People were trickling in, many were wearing costumes, and many had lively and creative light setups, lots of hellos and greetings and a general party atmosphere. People from roadies on carbon bikes, to duffers on mountain bikes, cruisers, and dogs in trailers and baskets. There are a lot of crazy and colorful biking characters up there. Someone said CM had evidently made the "10 best" weekend activities in their version of the City Paper. Eventually about 200 people showed up, and when we rolled out, the hooting and hollering began in earnest, a huge cloud of howls and wildly blinking lights. It was a big group, but on a cold evening that threatened drizzle, not nearly as large as the 800+ people they get in the summer months. People took turns corking intersections as the group rode through, and one of the things I noticed was that, rather than just stand in the intersection, some of the corkers would ride up to the drivers of the blocked cars and - talk! - to them about what was going on. It was amazing that easily half of the cars that passed or were corked were honking, waving, and hooting and hollering right along. People in windows and porches were waving and hollering. It was a huge party. I didn't observe any aggro behavior from either side, though I can't definitively say there wasn't any, and the frequent hoots of "Happy Friday!" were entirely sincere, coming and going. The table-flat terrain certainly made it easier to keep the mass together than it does around here. We went about 10 miles, and were still en masse at the end point, then people dispersed to various entertainments. It was great. Cleveland knows how to party.

edmonds59 wrote:It was great

That is such a cool tale!

Anyone interested in doing one before it gets much colder out? I've got gas money. Sounds like it could be fun!

I would go, but not until January or later. I work retail and just cannot take a Friday off to go out there until the holidays are over.

Bumping this since the weather continually keeps getting better. Let's plan a trip people? Anyone? I've got gas money! Haha.

FWIW, there is a Critical Mass ride in Pgh that would love to have your presence. Maybe do both?

For that matter, come to Flock, the week prior. But I suppose there is some thrill to having a multi-hundred rider ride.

I do make Flock rides on occasion or when my schedule permits..But yes, the energy and fun of rides that have over 30 people in them makes me want to go to Cleveland. Change of scenery, pace, people..

I somehow managed to get on Bike Cleveland's email list. Today I've been informed that this month is their version of Bikefest, and there's a whole bunch of rides this month, some of which sound absolutely fantastic, and some of which we flat out need to steal for ourselves (after-hours-bike the zoo?!). Sooo...anyone wanna go up some weekend and crash one or two? (Remember that if you've signed up properly, your Nat'l Bike Challenge miles count for Pittsburgh no matter where you ride...even in Cleveland.)