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The Passage of a Few People Through a Rather Brief Moment in Time
Thread started by nathansnider at 06.28.09 - 3:44 am
"One or more persons during a certain period drop their usual motives for movement and action, their relations, their work and leisure activities, and let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there."
It's a bike ride.
And a bike ride is many things. Among these many things, you may discover the following:
-full moon picnics
-inconvenient passageways
-"cover" versions of other people's rides, performed with amateurish enthusiasm
-disorientation
-reorientation
-pool halls
-karaoke
-geocaching
-traffic median tea parties
-rivers that no longer exist
-bowling alleys
-smell tourism
-Couchwick v2.0
Started by user nathansnider and user theroyalacademy.
We meet at 8:30pm at California Donuts #21.
We ride at 9pm.
Metro riders, we will do our best to return you to your spaceship in time for you to return to your home planet (that is to say, by midnight).
Yes, this is really the name of the ride. Early drafts of the name sent out for review were returned with large quantities of red ink describing the text as "geeky," "awkward" and "sprawling," with calls for "more action words!!!" and frequent admonitions to "show; don't tell!!!" One reviewer simply crossed out all the words and wrote: "The hacienda must be built." We feel that these criticisms are themselves quite perfect descriptions of the ride, and so the name will remain.
understandably, but you must admit that starting it at a donut shop is bound to attract that element. personally, im just looking forward to the "smell tourism."
The "smell tourism" idea was stolen from someone else (I'm sorry that I don't remember who it was) who talked about planning a "smells of Vernon" ride. I don't know whether that suggestion was serious, but it seemed like such an interesting idea that it has to be done - not necessarily just in Vernon, though Vernon has so many smells that it would be almost impossible to leave it off the itinerary.
Suggestions for good smells to visit would of course be welcome. Does anybody have a smell map of Los Angeles? Does anybody want to make one?
Also, we now have (partial) lyrics to Skull's original Midnight Ridazz anthem, which will be sung at the entrance to the LA River bike path tomorrow night, just as it was on the original E.T. Ride oh-so-many moons ago.
I'm pretty sure that was me that you were talking to in regards to the smells of Vernon. I was mentioning this to a few people. Vernon is the de facto prime territory for gross smells. There's the smell of death from meat processors, sausage makers, and poultry processors. Then you've got all the other food processors there to balance it all out. Not the place to go for pleasant fragrances.
This ride looks great, can't wait!
User1 responding to a comment by nathansnider
06.29.09 - 9:15 pm
@nathansnider I've been talking about a smell ride for a little while, and I think mixtemotions has mentioned one, as well. One good place is up San Fernando Blvd., west? north? of Figueroa Blvd. There is a sourdough bread bakery, a Peking Noodle Company (fresh-baked fortune cookie smell!), a candle-making company, and a tortilleria. You don't necessarily smell them all at the same time, but sometimes you do, one right after another. It's the BEST RIDE when they're all going!
Also, the El Pato facility just across the river near 4th street (we passed it on Stevo's Grateful Dead Ride) always smells like chiles and vinegar.
Thank you everyone for coming out tonight. We had representation from all over town, which was really cool. Hope y'all had a good time. See you next week!
THANK YOU so much for tonight! it was an awesome route/ride.. made me learn to love hills.. :), i really like that we hardly stopped only for a few minutes to regroup and when that accident happened, i
I will be showing up to all these future rides. Will this be weekly or monthly?
Cause we don't have enough weekly tuesday rides already? Thought this was a one off ride thing. Out of all the days in the week, you guys pick Tuesday? Really???
OK OK I know it's a free world and you can pick any day you want, but what made you guys pick Tuesday?
User1 responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
07.1.09 - 1:04 pm
i though i was hurt more than it looks in the pictures.
rbi,
i'm doing alright.
by recommendations at the doc at SMC, got a tenus shots and applied anti biotic cream covered with a semi permeable bandage
i realized in class i did hit my had, i have a small bump.
thank y'all who helped me out after!!!
i still haven't cheked the damage on my bike =/
aksendz responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
07.1.09 - 4:27 pm
the antibiotics will help fight off the staph infections that you can get from the la streets. thats why i suggested you wash out the road rash near your elbow. as for your bike, the back tire was wobbly as shit from griffith to the start point. i dont know if it was like that before the ride or what.
Thanks again to everybody who came out last night. It was great to see so many people coming from all over the city. Special thanks to our medics, mechanics and antenna operators. E.T. could not have phoned home without you.
The smell ride will happen, perhaps in two weeks. I'm starting work on a smell map now, so keep posting your suggestions!
Speaking of maps, I'm also going to start collecting route maps from old rides so that next time we "cover" a ride, we'll have a bunch to choose from.
@User1, we picked Tuesday because that's the day we picked. Is there some hidden eighth day of the week that doesn't already have multiple established rides? Plus, this way, there's always the possibility of meeting up with other rides in a different part of the city, intentionally or by chance. Serendipitous convergence; it's what we do.
No eighth day, but there's days that don't have very much happening and days that seem to have alot of rides happening. Tuesday is a day that seems to have alot of rides happening. I would like to do serendipitous convergence everyday, not just Tuesday. Right now seems like that's just possible on Tuesday.
But like they say, it's a free world out there and I'm always free to do my own ride. So more power to you.
User1 responding to a comment by nathansnider
07.1.09 - 7:42 pm
till 1:45ish.. we hardly stopped at all.. the only times we did was to regroup/say hi to the cribbage club.. anddd when there was the accident when we stopped to bandage people and fix bikes
Good lights are always a good idea, but just FYI there are no bike paths and no parks on this week's route. Which doesn't mean there won't be dark parks or road hazards, but certainly no extended stretches of darkness like last week.
Yeah, well, even though it is only about 7 or 8 miles from Hollywood to downtown, with all the weaving and such the route I sketched out was about 30. It'll be more fun if we don't have to rush. We'll see how it goes. If we're running "ahead of schedule," we might do it all.
I'd like to join you all, but I may be resting up following a low-speed encounter between my bicycle and an automobile, or more to the point, a low-speed encounter between my tailbone and the pavement. The bicycle, being made of heavy Japanese steel, held up admirably. My tailbone, being made of a lightweight American composite, sustained only minor damage. The automobile and its driver, both of undetermined Silverlake provenance, seemed shaken up, but otherwise intact.
I hope to be healed in time to scout some smells for next week.
I actually already have a ridiculously thick padded saddle on the Centurion, and I was able to ride on it alright after the accident. I'll have to see how easy it is to ride now that the adrenaline has stopped flowing.
Little known fact: The hymns of the French Revolution sound best when sung in a concrete tunnel beneath the 101, as they were originally intended. Don't let any historical revisionists tell you otherwise!
Bummer. I hope you heal up for the ride, but it not, don't push it. So long as we can manage to keep taking turns with our injuries, we'll be able to keep rolling.
Also, everyone come out, because this week is going to be a great route. We've got sights, sounds and smells! I'm sure we can work something out for the other senses too, in case anyone feels the need to interact with the city using touch and taste.
The seeking of smells can be a rough business, so everyone make sure that your lights are working and your tires are fully inflated tonight. Smell you later!
Nathan and Sean,
thanks for putting the ride together. I'm glad I made it. It was a great route and ended up learning something in the process. Never knew Vernon was that wicked. Hitting the LA River at that spot was cool too. That had to be the fastest and easiest 20 mile group ride I ever did.
Thanks again.
User1 responding to a comment by Joe Borfo
07.22.09 - 1:52 pm
Loser1 can't help smelling like ass. he's incontinent, has poor personal hygiene, has an aversion to soap and water, and can't remember what deodorant is for
The shortest distance between two points on the surface of a sphere can be calculated using the formula:
The formula for the funnest distance between two points on the surface of a sphere remains a subject of fierce debate, but we will attempt to derive the equation tonight!
The Harmony of the Spheres is happening again. The Harmony of the Spheres is happening tonight!
This is not an echo. This is not a test. This is not a flashback or deja vu. Starting today, The Passage of a Few People Through a Rather Brief Moment in Time is moving to Wednesdays! Same bat time. Same bat channel. Same bat donut shop. But now on Wednesday.
Surely you have to admit that this change makes an overwhelming amount of sense. The two great Wednesday night rides of K-Town and DTLA both recently ended their reigns, and we are seeking to remedy this great imbalance in the bici-force. Thank you for joining us in our new mid-week time slot.
So tonight we ride, and tonight we seek the spheres, and tonight we carry on in our strange orbit.
You're really nobody in L.A. unless you live in a house with a really big door. And so we ride in search of doors, big doors, doors that beckon us even as they refuse us entry. Wear your best pearls or your top hat or your monocle. Spats would not be inappropriate.
(Once again, gears recommended. Hollywood Hills, y'all.)
We start pretty close to 9:00, and since our stops are usually pretty short, it could be difficult to arrange a meetup (though Sean might be able to suggest something). Next week, maybe?
It appears that I just might be able to finish my work in time to make it to tonight's ride (which I'm REALLY looking forward to)... however, I don't trust my bosses to not screw my over at the very last second... so... I'll just keep crossing my fingers, and hopefully I'll see you guys at (a bit before) 9!
The route map looks kind of like the outline of a platypus, swimming to the surface. This means there are a couple ways to acquire a route map for this ride:
Method A:
1) Get a map of Eastern and Central Los Angeles
2) Using a quality pen or felt marker (waterproof recommended), draw an outline of a surfacing platypus on the map. It's OK to be a little impressionistic; just do your best.
3) Get on your bicycle.
4) Ride your bicycle along the route that you have just drawn.
Method B:
1) Bring your bicycle to California Donuts #21 tomorrow night between 8:30 and 9:00pm.
2) Ride with us and enjoy the city.
3) Fondly remember the streets.
4) Record the map in your scrapbook for posterity.
Presto!
The choice is yours. The most rewarding strategy, obviously, would be to follow both Methods A and B. See you tomorrow, then?
I should clarify one thing, in case anyone is feeling clever, thinking that they can simply draw the outline of a platypus on any old map and acquire a route map on the cheap:
Remember that you must ride your bike along the lines that you've drawn in order to make it a route for a bike ride. Until you do that, it's just a drawing of a platypus...
A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: "What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate sitting atop a giant donut." The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, "What is the donut standing on?" "You're very clever, young man, very clever," said the old lady. "But it's donuts all the way down!"
Awesome ride! I especially liked when we hit the tail of the platypus, I think this was my favorite portion of the ride. Also! I tried chocolate Nesquick for the first time and I must say it is pretty great with the donuts. Ohhh donuuuutsssssssss
I love all these big-boy-club references.
I, long ago, stated that I wanted to make 5fix2 a conspiracy-movie-drive-in-night, eventually.
I got distracted with hipster pussy.
Is this in the works for the ride. . .?
Not a movie night, but maybe, are you guys passing out literature with stuff to watch and/or read?
Thanks for another awesome ride last night nathansnider and theroyalacademy. You guys always keep everyone on their toes thinking and watching the ride. Your effort is much appreciated.
WoW there's that statue in all it's glory! That pic looks awesome. I ran across this story about the thief of it. click here
Sebastian Espana, 22, and Jessie Hernandez, 23, were later arrested on suspicion of grand theft in connection with a string of thefts of bronze statues and sculptures in the Wilshire area and in Beverly Hills.
hmmmmmmmm sounds like a possible ride?
User1 responding to a comment by jeffwr3
08.27.09 - 4:45 pm
OK, so the air looks good. We're on! Bring your picnic baskets or picnic shoulder bags* with tasty food items to share. At least one secret spot promised.
*What's a picnic shoulder bag, you ask? Why, it's a bag in which you keep your picnic shoulder, of course!
Hey picnic'ers. I was the doofus whose deraileur exploded like 100 yards from the start. I got it replaced so I'll be back to try again. Shame I had to miss the pic-a-nic ride of all rides though... I love pic-a-nics.
Who doesn't love pic-a-nics? The derailleur explosion was a bummer, but at least it happened early and not somewhere in the middle of Griffith Park! Thanks for coming out. We will definitely pic-a-nic again on some future ride.
Unless it's an unusually short route, we usually finish around midnight, give or take 15 minutes. If anyone is taking the metro, we make every effort to get back with enough time for them to safely catch the last train. I think the only time we haven't managed to do that was on the ET Ride, when we had a crash and ended up getting back to California Donuts at 12:40.
The last train back to LB from 7th and Flower DTLA is at 12:45am.
@Nathan and Sean, are you guys cruising by the o' Grand Central Airport? Always been meaning to stop by there. This would be a prefect time, that is if it works for you guys.
User1 responding to a comment by tfunk408
09.9.09 - 1:12 pm
That place looks like it could be cool, but unfortunately we're not going to be getting all that close to it, really. But we can hit it up another week. Maybe also hit up Travel Town on the same ride and make it an oldtimey transport theme. Now if only we could find an autogyro....
User 1 that is a good idea. There is the brand Library up the hill from that spot which is kind of cool. and then maybe hit up some other historic buildings in Pasadena.
Foldie responding to a comment by User1
09.10.09 - 12:32 am
Thanks for doing the ride and the spoke card last night guys. Was a fun ride.
That was weird how it was all downhill after that Marino dude got mad and left. I wonder if that happens all the time? Let's get him mad again and see?
Thanks to everyone who came out this week! The street, it was warmed. Limited edition Fall '09 spoke cards are still available. I'm really impressed with how well they came out. You go, nature!
And before it completely disappears from my memory, here's the route we followed. One too many hills for Marino. Sorry, dude.
Ha! Thanks, but I'd better give some credit where credit is due. On the Ridazz NYC trip, I can't remember whether it was AT, mixtemotions or Skidmarcus who first said "hey, let's drag that couch out into the middle of the street!" but it was the genesis of a most brilliant idea: Couch + Bushwick = Couchwick!
That was an inspired evening and also the inspiration for this week's ride. Couchwood? Koreacouch? Whatever you call it, it was a successful experiment. I mean, I thought so anyway. Any experiment that combines bikes, furniture reappropriation and mint chocolate chip cookies is a success in my book.
Damn it! I was at a concert last night. I messaged Nathan, not sure if he gets txt messages or not. Looks like I'm just going to have to ride over there myself!
What was the tunnel you guys rode?
User1 responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
10.8.09 - 3:27 pm
The route was great this week. Thanks to everyone for waiting below (for like a whole hour) while I fixed my blowout-that-I-didn't-realize-was-a-blowout on that epic downhill. Third time's a charm!
And oh yeah, sorry to the new guy with the Elephant's Perch jersey. We didn't mean to drop you. We just looked back when we got up to SM Blvd and realized that you weren't with us anymore. Hope everything's alright...
WAIT WHAT. There is a place in this city called Shakespeare Bridge and I DID NOT KNOW IT? We must go there again when I do not have school. I must know where this is.
danya responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
10.8.09 - 5:19 pm
Ooo. Indeed. Sean actually put on a Donutzz Ride earlier this year, and he has been talking about doing a sequel.
A long ride like that would be a bit too much for our usual Wednesday night thing, but we may find another excuse to visit donut other shops on this ride. Keep your eyes peeled, I say.
Chatter around these forums lately has been sorta strange. Does Jared Leto really like us? Do we like Jared Leto? He does look kinda fetching leaning up against that wall in his flannel shirt, kinda deep...... Substitute "Jordan Catalano" for "Jared Leto" and you pretty much have the plot of My So-Called Life. So this week we go back to high school (4 high schools, actually) and find out how we really, like, feel. And for that extra knot of authentic teenage awkwardness, I haven't had time to scout the route -- so there'll no doubt be some false starts, some wrong turns. It's okay, that's how we, like, grow. Or whatever.
i can't wait for this ride... i love collaboration rides like these.. and geocaching i heard was so much fun! so wait, are moms starting at california donuts?
Yeah moms starting at California Donuts and earlier 8:30pm .... (might be worth swinging by the smokehouse at 10:00pm to see if there are anyone there too .... )
braydon responding to a comment by goosegoose
10.27.09 - 4:51 pm
thanks nathansnider for the nice cold "treasure" and cool spoke card.I lost u guys when we hit downtown i waited for the last rida to catch up..and we lost u guys...but it was pretty late so i had to bounce, anyways one of the best rides ive been in and those hills..which some of walkd them..lol.Funtimes!
So I marked a spot with gps last night (with geobeagle) that I want to go back to, and checked to see if it gave the right direction today, and it pointed in the right direction and distance. :) Woot. However you'd need to know where north was, unless the software could take samples and determine your bearing based on those, which it doesn't....
The route we took looked roughly like this. Of course I have no idea what route you guys took to get to the first stop, and there are a couple other turns I'm not so sure about, but this is pretty close. Tunnels! Bridges! Stairways!
I'm also liking this strategy we developed of avoiding the tough hills by taking the ridiculous hills instead. The "easier" way that I was hinting at is actually the route that we took back along City Terrace Dr. But whatever; the climbing was more fun anyway.
Thanks to Jeff for rocking the GPS and Braydon for helping with the route!
And oh, yeah: sometime I want to organize a "proper" geocaching ride where we go searching for other people's caches and write our names in little books and stuff like normal geocachers do. Two of the stops this week were actually supposed to be real geocaches, but I wasn't there for the first one (near the donut shop) and I couldn't find the second one (at the cemetary). Something for the future, I guess...
There is a whole series of caches along the river bike path, 5 or 6 of them, that we should do for a "proper" geocaching ride. Next, next Wednesday maybe?
braydon responding to a comment by nathansnider
10.29.09 - 11:01 pm
Thanks for a totally awesome ride that kicked my ass in the best way possible! I'm determined to come back cuz clearly coming on *this* ride will make me a better rida which rules, cuz I had a blast too! Felt it allll day at work today & had a big ol' grin on my face!
I was thinking of doing it in a couple months, maybe. There are a lot of other routes and ideas for this ride that I want to try before doing another geocaching thing. The fun is in the variety.
ATTN: Mr snider..i recently had my bag stolen from my muy thai class..i had a couple of buks in it..i had other valuable stuff in it..but wat i really got me was my..The Passage of a Few People Through a Rather Brief Moment in Time spoke card...was gone.It was one of my favorites,it involed leafs i guess Im a hippie tree hugger but it was one of a kind.also the ride.If you have any laying around.I'll even donate some buks for the next ones u produce...or put in for the "tresure"..lol thanks again g
Huey555 responding to a comment by nathansnider
11.1.09 - 8:42 pm
Bummer about your bag. That sucks. The Fall '09 spoke cards were a limited edition (not because I wanted them to be all exclusive or anything, but because they took forever to make), and I gave the last of them out on Wednesday. So, sorry, the leaf spoke cards are all gone.
Everybody seems to really like them, so I'll have to come up with something equally special for the winter edition. When I do, I'll make a couple extra for you and Marino (his got stolen along with his wheel on Friday). Probably not leaves, but something neat.
Thanks to everybody who came out last night! Fun times. I wish CA Donuts had a drunk guy hanging around offering to buy everyone a donut (and, um, take a shower back at his hotel room[?]). Anyway, here's the route. Enjoy!
it's with the Beach City Dash (LAfixed) ride, thursdays, 7:30pm, hermosa beach pier. usually a 30 mile route but tomorrow we're going from hermosa to griffith observatory via westwood/beverly hills, coming back via culver city/palms. a little more than 60 miles, not quite a metric, but should be fun with a couple snack stops. open to everyone, the more the merrier! but we don't really have a "no-drop" policy and riders should be self-sufficient. a few of us LBC'ers will be there so come out if you're interested!
tfunk408 responding to a comment by User1
11.11.09 - 6:23 pm
for sure! hermosa beach pier by the surfer statue, 7:30pm, leave at 8. i don't want to hijack this thread so hit me up for more info tfunk408@gmail dotcom or 408835715nine.
tfunk408 responding to a comment by User1
11.11.09 - 11:37 pm
Hey guys, just got back into town. I've been on planes all day and it is like 6am for me, so I am a bit delirious and probably won't post it until the morning -- but the ride is definitely on tomorrow. Same place, same time. Stay tuned for details.........
Well, I've been super busy at work today and so haven't really had time to write a proper post (you know, one of those oblique, "esoteric" descriptions that y'all know and love) for tonight's ride, but it's posted.
Great fun tonight! I enjoyed the funky karaoke vocal stylings of Sean. We all got to hang out in Eagle Rock and sample the local flavor (or flava if that's how you like it).
High point: Nacho Chow Mein
Low Point: Nathan's bike felt lonely and liberated itself from it's tether to ride off into the night without him.
Great fun tonight! I enjoyed the funky karaoke vocal stylings of Sean. We all got to hang out in Eagle Rock and sample the local flavor (or flava if that's how you like it).
High point: Nacho Chow Mein
Low Point: Nathan's bike felt lonely and liberated itself from it's tether to ride off into the night without him.
One might blame my bike's disappearance on the cable lock that was used to secure it, or the fact that it was locked up within easy reach of the sidewalk, but I prefer another explanation.
Consider the following:
Marino's wheel
goosegoose's bike
Huey555's bag
Chivo's bike (I think?)
nathansnider's bike
Aside from being stolen, what do these things have in common? They were all sporting ĂĽber-sexy TPOAFPTARBMIT Fall '09 spoke cards. Those things are thief magnets, I tell you.
Yeah, I hope my bike gets found too, in much the same way that I hope an anonymous benefactor will leave a briefcase full of gold bullion on my doorstep along with a bouquet of flowers and a kind, handwritten note.
But seriously, thanks. And thanks everybody for your sympathy or whatever. I'm such an idiot.
ahh that sucks nathan... i know exactly how ya feel..
and yes you are right.. they were stolen because of that spoke card.. one of my fav unique spoke card too!!!
goosegoose responding to a comment by nathansnider
11.30.09 - 3:31 pm
Oh, and yes, I still have one bike. It's heavy and old, like yo momma. Well, maybe not like yo momma (whom I've never met and who I'm sure is quite a nice person), but y'know, like the proverbial momma... who is heavy... and old... maybe also a little rusty. Anyway, it's still good enough to climb Mt. Lee, which is the important thing.
There's about a mile of dirt fire road, but it's relatively flat and well-packed. Knobbies would be more sure-footed, but they're not a necessity. I've ridden this route 7 or 8 times, always on skinny tires.
popping my night time mtbing cherry sort of makes up for not being able to take a piss on the "H". good meeting and riding with everyone tonight! the donut holes were good, but that croissant hot link would've been FTW.
Thanks, everybody, for coming out! You guys are a great crew. The hill, it was a piece of cake, yes?
Here's the route we ended up taking. Some night when the moon's looking full-ish again, there'll have to be another ride back up there (but maybe starting just a little earlier so that we don't get chased off the mountain before we reach the top).
I took a nap at 7p and woke up at 5a Thursday. Completely the opposite of cool. Guess I needed the sleep... I swear I'm coming next week. If I am the only one there because of the holiday I am gonna weep openly. But no one will be there to see it so you'll have to take my word for it.
Sean, the photos look awesome! I wish I could have made it last wednesday, but I was too busy before my flight to my parents home. I'll see everyone in January 2010!
Awesome route! Fun stops and scenery, spiffy bridges. Hills were just short enough to make me feel like I have potential while simultaneously driving home the point that I have a ways to go before reaching that potential...
Given:
1) Nathan being out of town
2) my mom flying in this evening
3) we did an extra-long route last week
4) the threat of additional rain
5) the cold
6) that I am in a crappy mood
Therefore:
No ride tonight.
Sorry, guys.
Have a safe and happy New Year's and we'll see you in 2010.
Nathan's back and working on this week's route, but I just want to assure you guys that it IS definitely on.
Sorry again about last week.
----
Also want to mention another ride I'm organizing, for Saturday during the day. Yes, the long-promised DONUTZZ 2. Hope some of you folks can make it out for that too.
Thanks, ladies, for coming out. And for being game for a little hill climbing. Just a little though.... Wait until Nathan's David Lynch ride. Or my S&M ride.
You there, reading these words, look out the window and observe the weather. Go on; we'll wait for you...
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You see how it's cleared up? You did that, just now, by observing the weather*.Thus, we are riding tonight! We will observe and re-enact quantum phenomena. Get excited!
*This statement has not been evaluated for truth by the FDA, FCC or physical reality. Buncha spoilsports they are, anyway...
We rode and didn't ride this week. Here is the route. For the sake of clarity, the routes ridden in alternate realities are not shown on the map. We are all about the clarity here.
Okay, guys, big time fail on my part. There is absolutely no way I am going to get this type ride together by Wednesday. I've just been too busy with other stuff and have let myself procrastinate a bit too much on this.
We're probably looking at that thing happening in mid-February.
So this week's ride will just be a normal, noneducational Passage. Though maybe a little on the easy side, because I really have been busy and am totally exhausted.
I won't be able to get out to Passage until next week, so no loss for me!
But srsly, I think planning and scouting 2+ routes a month is already quite a gift that you give us. No big deal if you gotta spend one week enjoying a leisurely, aimless ride, right?
outerspace responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
01.25.10 - 9:59 pm
That clip isn't the most perfect representation of this week's ride. For instance, we probably won't be going quite that fast, and there will be no Philip Glass soundtrack (unless people feel inclined to sing out those 6/8 arpeggios on their own). But yes, this week is about as flat as it gets. And shiny.
Also, please; you handle the hills just fine. Which will come in handy for next week...
I don;t think I'll be able to make it....again. My bike and I are becoming estranged; I've been sick and working (simultaneously). I hope the ride's a blast!
So I finally went to the doctor 3 weeks ago because I'd been sick since December and I was pissed about missing so many rides. The doc told me it was probably just a tenacious virus and not to worry about it.
I'm still sick, and it's been two months now, so I went back to ask the doc WTF. He is gonna "run tests" or whatever. I am thinking about looking for a second opinion.
I have missed Passage like 6 weeks in a row and that's unacceptable. I'm very pissed and kinda scared, but I'll be back eventually, I promise.
Thanks for coming out, all. The route from last night - so bright! We saw many finely illuminated places of lodging... The O, The BRYS, The SBURY and The HO CEC, among others.
Don’t know how you remembered all those turns without a route slip. It was a good ride! In fact, it was so good, I needed THREE donuts after the ride before I rode home.
Kakihara responding to a comment by nathansnider
02.4.10 - 2:38 pm
oh man..i went to one of these rides...only 1 and it was one of my best rides..the spoke card i got was so unique and awsome,made out of leaves ,i think it only 24 were made not sure,but suks it got stolen.booo
Huey555 responding to a comment by nathansnider
02.16.10 - 1:42 am
Between the Vista gate and the post that starts the chainlink fence alongside the road, there's a gap. I'd imagine that those who are skinny could just slip through that, and those who are less skinny could just hop the chainlink fence (not too difficult, since the hill on the side slopes up pretty quickly and gives you some elevation to start out with).
But how did we get through? Well, that's a secret between us and the backwards-talking dwarf.
......though, on second thought, given that you live way out in outer space, I would hate for you to get stuck (if we for some reason get seriously delayed by a mechanical or something). So maybe driving is again a good idea...?
Okay, I'm going to downgrade our likelihood of riding.
I will be at the start by 9pm.
A. If it the rain has completely stopped and people show up, we'll ride.
B. If it is still raining and people show up, we'll go to Shatto Lanes.
C. If it is still raining and no one shows up, I'll have a donut and go home.
...I really can't stress enough the extent to which I find riding in the rain un-fun (I wear glasses, so either I keep them on and they get wet and I'm blind or I take them off and everything is blurry and I get a headache).
i like riding in the rain but that's bc i dont have to wear my glasses at all times. see you tonight around 8:45 but i will bail if there is bowling as i should really come home and unpack from salton sea
Kakihara responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
02.24.10 - 7:27 pm
Thanks to the Midnight Bowlazz who came out last night. Sorry I'm such a sissy about riding in the rain, but I know I still had a fun time. We'll make up the make-up exam next week.
@outerspace We were just at Shatto Lanes around the corner. You could've shown up anytime. Oh, well. Next time.....
Ah it was fun! even though I think I really did fuck something up near my trapezius muscle or the muscle itself trying to show off my bowling skillz. I also learned that eating the cardamom in your Turkish coffee is not always the best idea
Kakihara responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
02.25.10 - 1:00 pm
I don't think any of our regulars come from that direction, but we will be passing through the south side of downtown towards the end of the ride, so it would be easy for you to drop off there if you wanted and get back to USC.
Screw the rain, I had fun, cool route as always (what we saw of it, anyway). I woulda been up for the full route if my tire didn't have a hernia half way through. What's up with the rain letting up ten minutes after we threw in the towel! Geeze!
We got pretty soaked by the time we made it back to Angelino Heights. It’s nights like these where you wish you had a dryer at your place. at least Lucy’s is open 24 hours. See you next week!
Kakihara responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
03.4.10 - 9:53 am
Now that I see the abbreviated route, I don't feel so bad for bailing. I still feel bad for not checking the goddamn weather forecast and bringing an appropriate bike and some appropriate gear, though.
PC responding to a comment by Kakihara
03.4.10 - 4:48 pm
Yeah, it basically disintegrated right after you guys left. We hung out under the 10 for a little while and then scurried back to Ktown for donuts. We'll do the rest of the route some other time. When it's warm and summery.
booooooooo. 2 hours of sleep in 48 hours 70 miles or riding ridge way parties and sunrises from the top of the world have not helped me heal. i can cough into my bandanna but it is still gross. + i avoid this amateur drinking day like all hell. be safe and have fun. maybe NEXT week!
Kakihara responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
03.16.10 - 4:09 pm
Thanks! 'Twas partially based on where I ended up after getting lost on the way to the Safari Ride (and partially on this one Ride Arc a long time ago) (and partially on a perhaps unhealthy fixation with alleys). Plus: frogs!
We usually finish around midnight (last night, given the few extra miles, it was more like 12:15), so one can usually still get a decent amount of sleep.
i like the even mix of boulevards, residential streets, alleys, bike paths, and even the ride around that little lagoon off jefferson (i came to scout this place and there was a gate saying trespassers were prohibited, so i gave up on the idea.... maybe i shouldn't?)
We would never participate in nor endorse any illicit activity such as trespassing. Certainly not. The above should only be viewed as a possible route, which a theoretical group of riders could take. Perhaps with their lights off along certain paludal segments to avoid drawing attention to themselves. And maybe actually going the other direction through these segments than shown in the route map (which a person might have done while scouting) could be preferable because the glare of streetlights perhaps would not be in said theoretical riders' eyes.
I'm heading out to scout in about an hour. Yay, insomnia. I have two possible routes in mind. Both are in our usual range of 25 miles, so I'd say they're pretty Red Line friendly. One route is hilly; one route is not. Which one we do will depend on whether I decide to turn left or right when I step out my door.
In case there was any doubt, I thought I'd confirm for y'all that the ride is on this week. I picked the flat route. We're aiming for all things spring-y: flowers and elasticity; hydrology and tasty dipping sauces.
The ride post will go up as soon as I get to an internet connection that's not too flaky to upload images. Stay tuned.
My computer says we averaged 13mph. I refuse to acknowledge that. It felt like 32 at least.
I learned my lesson about cupcakes. Sticking to donuts from now on. Oh, I did go and try out that taco truck after everyone left, and it was pretty decent. $1.25 tacos, got carne asada, it was tender and fairly delicious, and they had that amazing avocado salsa that some places have... I think donuts, coffee and tacos are gonna be my new thing.
Damn it! I can actually make it tonight. Well, I’ll show up in hopes that I get more than donuts for my trip (not saying the donuts are not worth it, but I like to have them before and after the ride - you know, so I can feel victorious with VICTORY DONUTS!)
Kakihara responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
03.31.10 - 12:11 pm
What is up with the nice weather we're having right now? Looking out my window, I see not a single cloud in the sky. Is Mother Nature trying to lull us into a false sense of security before beating us with a cane?
I know. Every time I check weather.com, they've pushed the advent of the supposed rain an hour later. Right now it looks like rain isn't particularly likely to happen until after the ride, when our bellies are full of donuts and our bodies tucked safely in bed.
Okay, okay. Yes, with all the additional twists and turns that weren't on the original route I drew up,it was indeed closer to 30 miles. I'm tricky like that.
We got some education, some religion, some consumerism, and a little luxury lodging. 'Twas an epic adventure. And we only got lost once! Trickster my arse.
Yes. I often feel this way riding through the beach bike path areas which I have done only once in the afternoon, but yes the feeling was similar.
Go with the trickster theme. We got lost. You did not. You tricked us.
Kakihara responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
04.1.10 - 11:46 am
See you tonight. I am telling you this in the event I am delayed because I am going to find this bridge and have some coffee and dinner before I head out
http://www.midnightridazz.com/viewImage.php?imageName=%2Fimages%2Fstories%2Flarge%2Fminibridge_1270665853.jpg
Kakihara responding to a comment by nathansnider
04.7.10 - 4:56 pm
Ah, now here is tonight's route. It has a little bit of everything - hills, dales, mini-parks, mega-parks, bridges, overpasses, elevators, etc. Everything but freeways. Some day... some day...
really bummed i keep missing out on this ride. mileage is excellent, people are down to earth, routes are well planned and a little off-beat....you guys even came right through my neighborhood last week. (verdugo)
my extreme admiration for your routes grows every week...... if i wasnt still attending high school i'd be on your ride every wednesday...
seriously, tuesday afternoon i scouted almost a replica of this exact same route from and back to pan pacific park, for my ride, the new ride type F (franklin canyon)
until summer, i will continue to admire your ride from gmaps....
I am going to get a flat on this ride, I can already tell. Maybe I should bring my desert bike. First, I have to go home and drill some holes, but I think I can make it there in time. 87% coming
BUNNIES!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kakihara responding to a comment by nathansnider
04.21.10 - 12:32 pm
i'm trying to decode if there will be any BIG BIG hills from your description, but you guys are too cryptic for me... Either way i'll make it out and make my way up that hill one way or another...
until then i'm gonna have this song in my head :)
Gizzard responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
04.27.10 - 6:52 pm
If I am not there by the time Jeff gets there, then don’t wait up. I will probably ride around somewhere else wondering if you guys are headed where I think you are headed… then end up in some bar. But hopefully I will see you tonight!!
-e-
Kakihara responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
04.28.10 - 2:06 pm
Err… I meant the route you choose to go and eventually end up at the damn dam. I may ride around and try to find you but this is likely not to happen judging from your past rides.
Maybe I should get some sleep today. Ha!
Now that we've sold out, I've stopped riding bikes and started astroturfing full-time. So at the suggestion of obvious spam posters, I'm just going to hang out with my new marketing friends at the Baskin Robbins all night.
Well, hope everyone made it back to North Hollywood in time. The rest of us decided, since we were already out there, might as well do Sepulveda Pass too. Ended up being a three-donut ride after all (though I probably should've actually forgone that bear claw).
Sure. Not just more rest stops, but longer ones, too!
I am, of course, kidding. As usual, the best-laid plans to tone things down got hijacked by the irresistible draw of some park we haven't been to yet. I'll post it up when I have time to shoehorn it into some kind of "theme." It takes effort, this shoehorning.
In the meantime, know that the route for this week is neither donut- nor manatee-shaped, but something more along the lines of a reinmutt:
Reverend Esther Napastak M.o.t.S.C, S.O.D. D.D.
Doctor of Divinity of Universalis Incongruous Hypermortality
High Priestess of the Benevolent Order of the Ridge Way, et. al.
Confirmed (dis)believer in Two Words One Lifestyle
Supreme Comrade of Tren Way
Kakihara responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
05.5.10 - 12:40 pm
Whether winding along the picturesque banks of the LA River, or cruising down the chic thoroughfares of Downtown LA's Fashion District, The Passage of a Few People Through a Rather Brief Moment in Time Ride, based in the hip Koreatown district of midtown Los Angeles, is giving Angelenos of every stripe a new way to while away the hours on Wednesday Nights.
Thanks to everyone who came out. Good to see y'all, faces old and new.
Here's the route from last night, with all detours, digressions and deviations included. Not so much the reindog, it seems; rather more of a ferret or a mongoose - and a 30 mile-long ferret or mongoose, at that! Somehow these things happen. Don't ask me how.
Oh, and sorry about the algae. I hope that everyone who slipped feels closer to nature now.
Aha! So thaaaaaaat’s the route we took, eh?
I am actually curious to see how that going through fence onto the river or all the underpasses look on a map because I can never get my mapped out routes to capture quiet what I did/planning on doing.
Kakihara responding to a comment by nathansnider
05.6.10 - 10:20 am
While we paused for a bit under the 6th Street bridge, thinking we were all hardcore and the business, this guy appeared on the other side of the channel riding a mountain bike, just cruising along downstream and out of sight like 'tweren't no thang. OG Crimamphibianz, he was, f'rsure.
Thanks. I was really happy with how they turned out. (And, seriously, I think the "LOSER" ones are probably a little nicer. But then I have always had a soft spot for the losers of the world. ...I mean, of course the GERMANS won, right?)
Definitely curious to see the route that you and Jeff took.
that race was rigged I tell you! rigged!!
we killed venice all the way to the beach and still placed 3rd?? Props to julio from maestros and theroyalacademy and errone else from lastnite. fun fun!
In response to a couple of people who have asked me about the scavenger hunt list...
500 - the ocean
200 - Griffith Observatory
200 - Society of the Spectacle
200 - riding Angel's Flight
200 - eating something at Den Dinner
150 - Angel's Point
150 - Chuck Norris's Walk of Fame star
150 - Museum of Jurassic Technology
150 - Spago
150 - Ennis House
100 - in the LA River
100 - John Wayne
75 - airplane
75 - vintage trolley car
75 - spiral ramp or staircase
75 - view of downtown from top of hill
75 - inside an elevator
75 - Chick Hearn
50 - tunnel
50 - sign with the word "passage" on it
50 - Wolfpack Hustle sticker
50 - Little Ethiopia
50 - In-N-Out Burger
50 - Ooga Booga
50 - holding a bowling ball
50 - a Barney
40 - fountain
40 - abandoned couch
40 - traffic circle
40 - giant bell
40 - wizard
40 - top of a parking garage
40 - fiberglass mascot/character
40 - SCI-Arc
40 - Pacific Design Center
40 - Schindler House
40 - Magic Castle
30 - Brown Derby
30 - Beard Papa's
30 - Machine Project
30 - movie studio
30 - sign purporting to be the "original" of something
25 - bridge
25 - any of the signs from the Type ride
25 - bike rack that looks like a bike
25 - ducks or geese
25 - roadkill
20 - sign prohibiting bike riding
20 - gazebo
20 - donut shop
20 - soul food restaurant
20 - 24-hour restaurant
20 - 99¢ Only store
20 - Mr. Pizza Factory
10 - sign stating that a park is closed at night
10 - sign with misspelled words on it
10 - underpass
10 - bike shop
10 - high school
5 - sphere or globe
If you're getting sore, there are a few simple things you can do to help combat that:
1) More water and food during the ride
Keeping your body full of the stuff it needs means the ride will take less of a toll on it.
2) Don't go to sleep right when you get home
After a few donuts, this is never a problem for me. But, if you aren't flying high from sugar (or adrenalin), you're probably getting right into bed after getting back from the ride. Don't. Try to stay awake and stay on your feet for at least a few minutes (20-30). Do some stretching. Or just do the dishes. Whatever. Just don't go motionless right away.
3) Chocolate milk
Seriously, the best recovery drink. I had been told about it and never believed until I did ALC and saw that most of the stronger riders downed the stuff after the day's ride. It works. Hopefully, you're not lactose intolerant (or vegan).
4) Recovery ride
I hear a lot of people say they mostly just ride on Wednesday night. At least in terms of riding to challenge themselves. It is good, the day after, to climb a hill or two, or to make those muscles really work a little bit in some way. If you're sore, this might seem counterintuitive (and, certainly, if you hurt, you probably want to rest), but afterwards you will feel better.
-
Our ride is not a hustle or anything, so we don't really stress the "fitness" aspect nor the concomitant nutrition/recovery needs. (We stress the victory donuts.) But the reality is that if we treat our bodies a little better, the ride will be easier and more fun for all.
Which isn't to say I'm going to stop eating the donuts.
fantastic ride last night, thanks for all the work you do scouting such an great route! after peeling off @ fountain, i had tacos at the 101. it was good, but i'll do the victory donuts next time!
PeterR responding to a comment by nathansnider
05.20.10 - 2:07 pm
Thanks sean! After reading this, I'm pretty sure it was due to not having victory donuts! That post ride ritual is my chocolate milk fix AND keeps me awake for a few minutes!
Btw, shoot me an email I have some info for you that I forgot to give: lilwahine at gmail
Gizzard responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
05.20.10 - 3:06 pm
(Though that map is a little deceiving. Because the readily visible tunnel, under the E-W Zoo Drive, isn't the one in the pictures. The tunnel from the pictures is perpendicular to it, under N-S Zoo, mostly hidden by trees.)
The tubetunnel is right where we first hit Zoo Drive on the north side of the park.
It looks like it was probably part of a mini-train route at one point, but now there's an overgrown fence and a bunch of ivy blocking the way into Travel Town. It doesn't really go anywhere, so obviously, we had to take it.
But, seriously, the enthusiasm is appreciated. Really.
....I'll get this week's ride posted later today. Get ready for approximately 33% more distance and 100% less hills than last week. That's right: NO hills. At least, nothing that I would call a hill.
I know, crazy, right? Nearly one year ago we did our first ride and only one person showed up. Now, one year later, at least five or six people show up each week!
Ah... you know us; we always try to get the ride post up at least 4 hours before start time. I'm sure Sean's got something planned. I have no idea what the mileage will be, but even the more sprawling routes we've been doing lately have gotten us back with enough time for people to catch the blue line south when they needed to, even if they had to break off a few blocks early. In fact, except for the ET Ride, where a couple Ridazz had to carpool back to the Valley, I don't think anyone's missed their train yet (have they?).
And where will it go, you ask? Probably somewhere we haven't been yet, I imagine. (for reference, this is where we've been so far)
There's no real secret to it. Just Photoshop and a little determination, 'sall.
1) Ride your bike.
2) Map out the route you rode on gmap-pedometer.
3) Take a screen capture of the map.
4) Select the color range in Photoshop that matches the route path.
5) Paste the route path as a new layer onto a blank map.
6) Set layer blending to "Darken" to avoid artifacts from overlaying multiple paths.
7) Repeat once a week for a year.
Also, while we do have another long route this week, I think with leaving on time and a little bit of hustle we should get back in time for the subway(s). We are, however, going in pretty much the opposite direction from all the trains, so if there are an inordinate number of flats or something, it might be tough. ...I don't know. Don't want to give any guarantees or anything, but I don't think it will be a problem.
Kinda off topic, but worth bringing up. Seemingly inappropriate names for free software isn't a new thing, i.e. GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), in fact, it's kind of a trend. Git is another one. They work well for what it is, it's only four letters, easy to type, and it doesn't conflict with the names of anything else in the software repository. Thoughtful consideration however is given to the many of the names of distributions of free software operating systems. Which I think is a reflection of the culture. The complete software package, the operating systems are important, the names of the applications really are not worth the time. Ubuntu, Debian, and Gentoo for example. Ubuntu is probably the best, as it translates to: "humanity towards others".
braydon responding to a comment by secretragingcow
06.9.10 - 12:44 pm
Eh, I wanted to like the GIMP, but I could never warm up to it. Maybe it was the user interface. Maybe it was the ball gag. Maybe I was just too lazy to learn all the keyboard shortcuts. Anyway, the "free-ness," by itself, has never been quite enough incentive for me to start using it, when I already have Photoshop to tie up and whip.
The experience running it on Mac OS X is garbage, or Windows from what I would imagine, mainly because you have to start up X11, it's usually the only application that needs it. So it's inconsistent with the rest of the OS. It's much better when running it where X runs all the time.
braydon responding to a comment by nathansnider
06.9.10 - 3:23 pm
I thought it was another one of those stock-reply "meme" things for a bit too, but then I watched the video and said "now hey, maybe that was a little more clever than I thought." Or maybe it wasn't. It's hard to be sure, when one's cleverness depends so much on whom one intended to quote.
thanks sean, nathan, and everyone else for a great evening of riding. definitely an interesting route "from the east to the beach". also, thanks for waiting up for my buddy. he said the last ride he remembers is the handbone ride, so it's been a while =] looking forward to next week's adventures.
Great route! Boss wanted me to work late tonight, but I offered to work late Thurs and Fri in exchange for tonight, and I'm so glad he took me up on it.
I'm feeling super, super dead now. I need to get back in shape, that shouldn't have been quite so hard for me...
Whatshisname totally missed out on the opportunity to get his picture taken with us. Coulda gotten his face in the history books and everything, looking all awkward and stuff. He'll never know how close he came. He'll never know.
Ah, but here's what is going in the history books: tonight's route.
Ah, OK - something was bugging me about that leg, but I couldn't quite figure it out. I fixed the map to include Ocean View and Coronado now (should work using the same link), but I can't remember whether we turned on 3rd or 4th to get to Rampart. A pretty minor point, I guess, but let me know if it needs more fixing...
So I was kind of nerding out with the old maps today, as I do from time to time, and I realized that we've ridden over 1150 miles in the last year. Our passage has included 21 different cities, not even counting the unincorporated areas like Universal City, Altadena, East LA, etc.:
Los Angeles
Burbank
Glendale
Pasadena
South Pasadena
Alhambra
Monterey Park
Commerce
Vernon
Maywood
Bell Gardens
Bell
Huntington Park
Montebello
Gardena
Inglewood
El Segundo
Culver City
Santa Monica
Beverly Hills
West Hollywood
So, yeah. For a little bit, I even thought about trying to estimate the number of victory donuts we've eaten, but it's probably best to let some things remain mysterious.
Could you somehow estimate/calculate the cumulative elevation of our rides? Like, if we just piled our highest elevation gains on top of one another how high would we have traveled?
OK, so I added up all of our climbs and our cumulative elevation gain for the first 51 rides is... 22,350 feet! Actually, this is just the difference between minimum and maximum elevations for each ride, so it doesn't account for multiple climbs on the same route. Including all those, we've surely climbed the equivalent of Mount Everest by now.
In any case, we will be adding another 1,330 feet to the total tonight. Easy!
Wow. Jesus, Buddha, and black widows. The places you can get people to go when you call it a "bike ride," it's amazing, I tell you... Thanks for coming, everybody!
Remember the Hollywood sign ride six months ago and how we got chased off the mountain before we got to the top? Remember how we said that someone should try that again? Someone's trying it again tomorrow night.
This isn't really a proper Passage ride, but it is cobbled together from previous Passage routes (#24 and #26). If you missed the first ones, or if you want to finally make it up to the top of Mt. Lee, or if you just didn't get in enough climbing on this week's route, then come out for this!
Oh, and I finally made 1-year anniversary spoke cards. Only two weeks late -- not bad. If you were on the actual anniversary ride and can't make it this week, let me know and I'll put one aside for you.
Can you save me a spoke card from the anniversary ride? As of yet I'm at 1.5 donuts so I'll be at barchopz tonight but I'll start getting my legs ready for next weeks ride ;)
Gizzard responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
06.30.10 - 1:52 pm
Okay, so I lied about the mileage. Only ended up being about 26 miles. And I lied about there being no ditches to fall into. Sorry Gav! But I didn't lie about the off-roading, did I?
Thanks for coming out and thanks Tyler and Liz for meeting up with us in Burbank.
show up on the passage on a fat tire townie and you might only make it a few miles.
this ride tends to keep a zippy pace and is not afraid to attack a lot of hills in pursuit of an interesting destination.
And let me reiterate, in case it wasn't already clear: it's an easy one tonight. On our standard rating scale, this is a "one donut" ride. Or, if you prefer, a "one churro" ride... or a "one mandazi" ride... or a "one lokma" ride... (whatever suits your fancy). But easy! I'll try to arrange the route so that the later stops are close to downtown, allowing people to catch their trains in the case that diplomatic negotiations run into overtime.
Sounds delicious but I can’t make it tonight : (
I am back but my bike is not going to be here for a few more days (pending the shitty luck I had traveling to Austin is not a round-trip affair) - also I should like, start to, umm, maybe pack and move and stuff….. it is JULY after all!
Have fun – see you next week.
-e-
Kakihara responding to a comment by nathansnider
07.7.10 - 11:00 am
After the whole "no ditches to fall in" false promise, I'm not going to guarantee anything. But, yeah, I think Nathan's intent is to keep things nice and simple this week.
The white space is where we still need to go. Obviously.
I kind of like the ungrammatical version, though. It's like the imperative "we still need to go" is synonymous with (or somehow embedded within) the blank space on the map. But uh, yeah, me type bad.
I guess there are a number of ways you could make something like this, but the way I do it is to start with the composite route map I've already created. Then, for each route layer:
1) Select the layer mask (Ctrl-click on the layer thumbnail in Photoshop).
2) Fill the selection with a very light shade of gray (hit it maybe 7 or 8 times with that paint bucket to make sure any areas that were only partially selected get totally filled).
3) Set the layer blending to "Multiply."
Then duplicate the document and go through each layer again, filling in all the areas "inside" the route path, creating a map like this...
Then multiply those two images together and play with levels or curves or whatever until the contrast seems right.
I guess this all sounds kind of tedious/complicated, but now that I've got the system down, it's really just 10 minutes of work every week adding new layers to the existing maps. Worth it? I think so.
OK, so this morning I scouted a super-hilly route for this week, but by doing so, I messed up my knee, meaning that now I can't actually lead a ride on that super-hilly route for this week. Next time, Oppenheimer, next time.
But anyway, the point is: don't be too terribly surprised if the announcement goes up at the last minute again this week. Ride's still happening, but probably at a considerably lower donut rating than originally planned.
you and Sean are beasts (i mean that in a good way) for scouting the route a day or two before and then leading the group. i look forward to the fruits of your labor.
tfunk408 responding to a comment by nathansnider
07.21.10 - 2:59 am
GAH! this ride description is so tempting! I was super excited to see you guys again when i read that you guys were gonna keep it flat.... but since the hills are back on, i aint gonna kid myself, I'm gonna take it one hill a ride (not 8).
ps. nate, awesome pic!
Gizzard responding to a comment by nathansnider
07.21.10 - 4:30 pm
My knee is still fucked. I am also moving (yes, still.. ) so I think I should be responsible and take care of my responsibilities tonight.
Have a good ride!
-e-
Kakihara responding to a comment by nathansnider
07.21.10 - 4:38 pm
@Gizzard
I think if I can do it, you can do it. ;] I seem to remember you doing better than I did on the Birthday Ride!!
Next week can we do a long distance training ride to help get ready for Donutzz? I need some kind of training... never done more than 50mi before and even that was a long, long time ago.
I guess my description was kind of ambiguous, but it's really just two hills that we spend 8 miles riding through. And only about 3 of those miles are up, so if you look at it that way, it's not so bad, right?
I am curious what the grades were on some of the hills we did last week. Sure felt like more than 7%, even if it was only for a couple hundred feet... each...
Thanks for coming out, everybody! Here's a little more information on that secret film studio. Sorry that the landmarks I was telling everybody to look for were missing. A lot can change in 48 hours, I guess.
Great fun, as always! Most amazing view I have seen in a long time. Awesome spot, and totally worth the climb. Not that the climb wasn't worth doing just on its own. ;]
You know, I made it about half way up that gigantic finale hill, and then I had to walk it the rest of the way. Only the second time I ever had to dismount on a hill! (Both have been Passage rides.) Anyway, making it half way tells me if I keep working at it, I can eventually make it up the whole thing. Passage is making me stronger!
Also, don't hesitate to keep calling me out on all the whining I do at the starts of rides. It's a bad habit I could use some help breaking. :[ ;D
thanks guys, what a fantastic ride last night. from this point forward, whenever i see old footage of mushroom clouds, i will think about radiated unprocessed negative being soaked in chemicles somewhere in that bunker, on top of that insane hill, with fog rolling over the ridge
pretty bummed i missed out, just had too much work to do, on top of recovering from sleep deprivation. thanks for posting the route, i'll add that onto my list of things to do.
not sure about baking cookies buuuuuuuut I do have some really great tea I wouldn't mind sharing (esp. since Nathan was the one who turned me onto the pu erh teas)
we can do this even if I am on the ride. I just (since July 8) moved to this place and nothing is unpacked. Give me another month ahhahahah I will find a kettle.
Kakihara responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
07.29.10 - 9:22 am
... and tea is a good "active recovery" drink, too, since it has antioxidants (i recently started throwing teabags in water bottles as opposed to sports drinks). there's a tea place in chinatown that has a good selection. and i just saw little teapots at ranch 99 market for 3.99.
tfunk408 responding to a comment by Kakihara
08.4.10 - 2:22 am
Srsly when did people start giving soooo much of a fuck about free radicals? Every god damn thing I see now has some shit about “high in antioxidants” do people even know what that means? Look into white tea. That might be it but I haven’t done any research on it bc I really don’t care about antioxidants. I like gin. Yummm Hendrick’s gin. Maybe that has some anti-oxidants
Sorry not ripping on you just kinda funny how ubiquitous this word has become
Meow meow
Kakihara responding to a comment by outerspace
08.4.10 - 1:48 pm
btw if you tell me what tea is high in this but low in caffeine and i have such a tea i will bring a sample for you tonight if you like... i think i can make it out tonight!
-e-
no tea guru here but E is right, a white/green tea would probably be good. a little caffeine isn't bad, but during strenuous exercise its diuretic effects can result in faster loss of electrolytes. the trick to not having to pee so bad on rides is to not start drinking liquids until you've already worked up a moderate sweat. nowadays i don't even take a sip of water until i'm 5-10 miles into a ride.
tfunk408 responding to a comment by Kakihara
08.4.10 - 3:40 pm
I am liking this idea of a tea party ride very much. Seeing as how we've been promising traffic median tea parties in our "things you might expect" list for over a year now, it's about time. Let's find a way to do this whenever you get unpacked.
The only tea I have that's both "high in antioxidants" and low in caffeine is contraband smuggled back from Peru. The packaging claims that it "acts against fatigue and altitude sickness" and "relieves tiredness of voice." Always such a problem, that tiredness of voice...
I think the antioxidant thing is often just a convenient marketing gimmick, but rooibos tea is also supposed to be high in antioxidants and caffeine free.
My tea is unpacked… it is going fast though so let’s talk and I can get some more stuff online or at least run down to china town/little Tokyo for a fast pick-up
talk to you more about this tonight
Kakihara responding to a comment by nathansnider
08.4.10 - 5:03 pm
You know my year of birth is '82 PEEEEEEECEEEEEEEEEEE
I didn't make it to the US of A until '92
I was not bombarded by advertisements (granted, I don’t have a television so maybe on TV the ads have been around for years) about this antioxidant shit in everything! I didn’t notice these up until maybe 2 years ago in random liquor stores or grocery stores (ok I didn’t do much grocery shopping and restaurant menus don’t really mention anything about antioxidants buuuuuuuuut still!) on every god damn drink product! Now, I want fucking juice or some sort of tea drink and instead of reading a god damn label telling me the flavor and what the fuck the actual product is (juice, soda, carbonated jizz etc) ALL I can fucking read is *antioxidants*
That's all I am sayin'
I told you this at 3 am last night but you were probably too busy making fun of my donut consumption because I am a cyclist. Someone's computer showed that she had burned 1000+ calories on this ride. I don't really care what that means so I took that as my green light to eat 6 donuts!!!! Actually, I am embellishing - I only had two. But they were full of antioxidants!!!
I'm pretty sure those were antioxidants we were smelling in Vernon, especially near the snack factory. Thanks for the longest ride I've been on in a while!
I'm curious how the pace compares the other rides labeled as medium--was that pretty average? I'm pretty new to these group rides.
anty responding to a comment by nathansnider
08.5.10 - 12:59 pm
PS--Riding the rail! "Riding the rail (also called running out of town on a rail) was a punishment of Colonial America in which a man was made to straddle a fence rail held on the shoulders of two men, with other men on either side to keep him upright on the rail. The victim was then paraded around town or taken to the city limits and dumped by the roadside. Injuries from the ride could, if the victim were stripped, result in a cut crotch that often made walking painful.
The punishment was usually a form of mob extrajudicial punishment imposed in connection with tarring and feathering. It was intended to show community displeasure and humiliate the victim so he either conformed his behavior or left. Alternatively the term also referred to tying a person's hands and feet around a rail so the person dangles under the rail.
Other references mention its being used as punishment for Confederate prisoners in Union POW camps during the American Civil War. In these cases, the victims were usually clothed."
I rarely look at ride posts anymore, so I have no idea which rides are calling themselves "medium-paced" these days besides ourselves. But I can say that that was definitely a bit faster than we typically go. When we do longer routes, we tend to rush more to still get back at a semi-decent hour. Our rides usually fall into one of two categories: long, flat, and a little faster or else a little shorter, a little slower, and with fun hills.
I guess, in general, my thinking is:
5-12 mph = slow
13-19 mph = medium
20+ mph = fast
I took that as my green light to eat 6 donuts!!!! Actually, I am embellishing - I only had two. But they were full of antioxidants!!!
Hahah! That's why I didn't feel the need to supplement my donut dinner with tea.
According to ye infallible internet, gin is not high in antioxidants, but vermouth is; so maybe a martini is what we are looking at for a nice healthy drink before a good long ride.
I skimmed the Wikipedia article on antioxidants because there are only 4 errors per Wiki article on avg so there probably aren't any in the antioxidant article, right?! It says there is an article or study outlining the dangers and shortcomings of antioxidants for every article or study touting its benefits. Something something moderation something something. I dunno why I fell for the antioxidant marketing ploy, I don't normally go for that kind of thing.
ok I didn’t do much grocery shopping and restaurant menus don’t really mention anything about antioxidants
See...that's it, right there. You are only noticing it now because it has only been within the last year or so that you realized that human beings can consume food without going to restaurants. And that thing I said about hipsters. I am your #1 fan. OK bye.
PC responding to a comment by Kakihara
08.5.10 - 3:00 pm
I think it was decided to let the thread hit 1,000 before a new one is started. It takes a while to load, yeah, but that fits well with the theme of the ride.
Monday Night Rehab bills itself as a "chill paced" ride but they were averaging 13-15mph the last few times I went. Aside from Passage, I haven't been a regular on any ride other than TNS and MNR, but it seems based on that small sample set that rides naturally tend to get faster (or more challenging) over time.
Discussion thread ID - year on June 30 in which the loony was introduced - year on June 30 in which east Germany and west German merged their economies - year on June 30 in which uk transfers hong kong back to PRC - 1st ride post ID / the number day June 30 falls on ^ avg number of donuts eaten x apex number of rides done
Foldie responding to a comment by outerspace
08.5.10 - 3:56 pm
The theme is my kinda theme for sure, and I've been getting amped about climbing hills recently, but I can't make it this week due to leaving to go camping!
But I wanted to let you know that the party hat spoke card is done and on my bike. It's even amazinger than I thought it would be. You will see it next week.
Damn it! I missed the ride so I can ride around by myself searching for a new place to live. I went to my car to use my phone bc my current location has shitty reception and saw you guys ride by on West Edgeware! I almost ran inside to grab my bike but then remembered the reason why I missed the ride in the first place.
Still looking…. Hopefully will find something soon and join you next week!
-e-
Kakihara responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
08.12.10 - 9:54 am
So, it was you? Ha. Yeah, you should know better.... Come on the ride to find a place to live! (We found a lovely spot down by the river. You have a tent, right?) (Or there's this tree in the park that John likes.....)
nice! I was here recently looking for a place to live but then ended up exploring the hills instead, wanting to take a few more friends with me on a bike ride but realized my memory and bad night vision would fuck us all and i was better off doing this sort of adventuring alone.
yay!
Kakihara responding to a comment by nathansnider
08.18.10 - 4:40 pm
We were definitely on Washington for more than a couple blocks and Ardmore for a good bit, too. Not totally sure about 15th and Hobart, but those seem to fill in the blanks pretty well. I also remember a short jog on James M. Wood, hitting Exposition just a li'l bit before Farmdale and turning on Ursula rather than Nicolet. But other than that, it's all the same. (mapping obsession: CONFIRMED)
damn it I miss The Passage!
I moved... again...
next week will include lots of coffee/Jameson and unpacking bc I am not going to wash my pony on Wednesday nights anymore!
-e-
Kakihara responding to a comment by nathansnider
08.26.10 - 10:41 am
"They sought it with thimbles, they sought it with care;
They pursued it with forks and hope;
They threatened its life with a railway-share;
They charmed it with smiles and soap."
So you can see why the snark-hunting party would make such good mascots for a ride, right? Foolhardy, inspired, rushing headlong into new territory, forks out, looking for a taste of the unknown? Yeah, exactly.
I only got 4 hours of sleep last night, my left ankle is busted, my right foot got some warts frozen off this morning, I've got a bit of a cold, etc...
But I've been looking forward to this tea ride for a long time so why not. I can rest my ankle starting tomorrow.
Island #1:
Black Lychee tea – from Taiwan
I love this because I don’t put honey or sugar in my tea, and with people who usually like things sweeter I offer them this tea instead. Very sweet!
Island #2:
Tung Ting charcoal roasted Formosa (Taiwan!) oolong which is one of my favorite oolongs out there. it actually got me back to drinking oolong tea without mixing it with other (usually green) tea.
Unfortunately I don’t think I did this tea any justice by brewing it at not quiet the right temperate and not for as long as it needed. I definitely did not rinse the tea, but you know, being on a an island and all you gotta take some short cuts.
Here is a little more about this particular oolong:
In mid-April 2007, we drove two hours with our Spring harvest Tung Ting to a 72 year old master tea roaster. We were in search of traditional tea roasting methods using longan fruit wood and ash-lined charcoal pits. We found it in septuagenarian Mr. Chen.
Our Charcoal Roasted Tung Ting is mid-fired using longan fruit wood on racks set over ash-lined pits.
Roasting in intervals allows the tea to develop a rich complexity. Using mid-oxidized, more robust tea as a starting point gives the tea a pronounced caramelized sweetness.
Water Temperature: 195-200°, or when medium bubbles begin to rise and water becomes agitated.
Brewing Instructions: Use 2 teaspoons (double for a medium sized pot). Rinse tea for 1 second. Discard rinse water. Steep for 2-3 minutes. May be infused multiple times.
Island #3:
I had a thermos of highly concentrated Persian tea (I don’t remember the brand but it was not Sadaf with earl grey which is my default, although I want to find the one that has cardamom nom nom nom). It had to be diluted with water. *Someone didn’t listen to my long story of just how much tea I put in the press pot at home and just how concentrated this is and if you are not a tea/coffee drinker you should really add A LOT more water to it than other people. I watched you take a sip of it without any water. yeah, I knew you would spit it out :) but it was delicious after you mixed it with water, yeah?
Thanks for the tea and the YUMMS!
Kakihara responding to a comment by nathansnider
09.16.10 - 10:38 am
I am so, so glad I came out last night. I didn't want to at first but I told myself "you have been waiting for the tea party ride for weeks... if you don't go you will never forgive yourself." How glad? So glad.
Thanks so much for hosting this thing. Even the cops were cool! How do you do it?!
Also thanks for posting the tea types. I am ready to have a little chat with our resident tea nerd at work. ;]
Okay, I just got back from scouting and as much as I wanted this to be an easy ride, accessible to everyone interested, it's simply not. I'm even going to skip one site (the Lovell Health House) because it is sort of a silly climb and then you can't even really see all that much at night. Nonetheless, there is some serious climbing. Certainly nowhere near the hardest we've done -- probably more middling/average -- but definitely not "easy."
Any of our regulars can totally handle this, no problem, and we always wait for everyone, so anyone determined can handle it, but just don't complain about hills, because I am warning you there are indeed some hills.
Don't want to scare anyone off, but also don't want to be accused of lying (like usual)...
Yeah i was so incredibly miserable on sunday. I couldn't speak or swallow. Went to the doctor monday and they gave me some heavy duty antibiotics and now I'm at like 75% so i recovered amazingly well.
Felt like I had no self control tonight. Am I crazy? I will behave myself better next time. I dunno, I'm delirious. Even forgot to eat the banana I brought.
That was fun! Better improv than you'd get at a club in Hollywood, that's for sure. Anyway, I made a couple small changes to the route (Rosedale, Stanford, Ave. 28), based on my memory. Totally taking the fun out of everything, I know, I know...
Also, bring a buck (that's right: $1) and get a PASSAGE PATCH so you can represent your colors.
Options:
CRIPS (blue canvas)
BLOODS (red canvas)
BLACK METAL (black canvas)
HIPSTER (dark indigo stretch denim)
(I'd just give them to y'all for nothing if I wasn't all unemployedd and such right now. But fabric ain't free.)
* Please note: color descriptions above do not imply any endorsement of the gang lifestyle, black metal, nor hipsterdom by the Passage ride, its organizers, or its parent companies.
** I also printed a very few Passage tote bags. They are black and they are awesome. Very heavy duty. Those'll be $12. Contact me if you want one.
Thank you, everybody, for putting up with that ridiculousness. ...I mean, thanks for coming out and enjoying the fun ride!
And I can now admit, as you may notice from the map, that I missed a turn that would've cut out about 200 ft. of that really stupid steep climbing. Oops! By the time I noticed it, we had already gone most of the way down the hill past the turn.
maybe you ought not admit to the mistake on missing that turn, i prefer to think it was torture by design. yeah, i have to purchase a new pair of legs after that one. a seriously satisfying ride!
PeterR responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
11.4.10 - 9:40 am
Yeah but if you check the map carefully (which I can’t from my current location)I think you would notice that it doesn’t completely reflect what we did. Or at least that’s what I think Sean meant. I didn't notice some of the street signs, especially going downhill.
That iced green tea never tasted sooo good. Thanks for an excellent ride.
-e-
Kakihara responding to a comment by PeterR
11.4.10 - 11:17 am
Right on Dabney from Wallace Ridge. (Though I suppose not turning on Bowmont off of Loma Vista might also have been a mistake, assuming it goes through to Mulholland. But that wasn't a planned turn as Dabney was.)
Honestly, Hillcrest & Loma Vista are kind of the worst. Very steep. Much better to go through Franklin Canyon.
YEah those two streets look pretty steep.I tried going through Franklin Dr.I hit Beverly dr until I hit Franklin.but it was closed.Maybe because it was pass 11pm.
Huey555 responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
11.5.10 - 5:05 pm
alot of rides have been through there, even mine, it's a good ride but lights are important and you need to scout it in the day man you need to actually be able to see the place
I scout at night to see if its a nice chill route for the ride at night.So scouting in the day doesnt really show me how it will be at night.Im sure the view is nicer in the day,but I like riding at night hearing the crickets and shit...lol..thanks for the info though.
Huey555 responding to a comment by superblueman3
11.8.10 - 9:24 pm
Hmmm. We'll be passing through downtown on our way back; I'd give it 50/50 odds that we'll pass Union Station before the last train to NoHo.
As far as the best route goes, I think over Cahuenga or around Griffith Park are just about the only real options. If given the choice, I'd probably pick Cahuenga.
If i had seen that you used Aguirre: The Wrath of God i probably would have tried harder to make it. also i would have spoken with a german accent all night
" I have a cellular phone plan that includes “whenever minutes.” This is a chuckle to me, because no minutes are “whenever”—they are precisely now, and in fact they are already gone."
I hope they publish multiple volumes of his diary....
Foldie responding to a comment by secretragingcow
11.12.10 - 10:18 am
I still have a faint remnant of a bronchial cough...
I've been indoors for the last 2 weeks... Will the route be relatively close to a metro line? Just in case I do make it out but cant hang?
Gizzard responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
11.17.10 - 4:08 pm
In case the ride post is unclear (or, uh, more unclear than absolutely necessary) it's a picnic of sorts this week, so the idea is to BRING FOOD if you can. If you can't, then of course still come out and ride. But bring an "anti-Thanksgiving" food or beverage if you can swing it on such short notice.
I was lookin' forward to a (mentally at least) relaxing no-work-tomorrow Passage ride but I got me a nice fever and sore throat brewing, so I'll have to see you guys after the holiday.
Have an awesome ride!! And holiday! And everything else!
Bright side: I bought a new computer today so I will be able to load this thread faster! :D We're almost to our goal!
Oh, hey, so did I ever tell you about last week's route? Because it looked like this, in case you weren't there or were distracted by all the food and drink...
Now that I look at that blog longer I see there are a few more (even better) historic pics of that bridge. And some of the other points in our journey last night.
Baldwin Hills, roughly. This week's ride is actually comprised of several distinct "bites." If you want to come out for the first climb (which is sort of ridiculous, but worth it), we should be back on flat ground in time for you to get back to Mid City by 11.
Also, sorry everybody for not getting this posted up yet. Technical difficulties; stay tuned.
Damn! dumpster of fortune?! I missed a good ride but at least I am kicking the ass of whatever cold or flu is trying to sneak up on me. Hopefully next week.
Kakihara responding to a comment by nathansnider
01.6.11 - 2:39 pm
It was a good ride indeed. Two wishing wells, five psychics, Good Luck, Pure Luck, the Dumpster of Fortune and any number of random fortuitous symbols. The route went like this.
(and the dumpster of fortune, for those who want to return, is here.)
hahaha - -This certainly cheapens my memory of the show. To the Batcave! I wonder if he (Robin -- the man who played him) looked forward to saying that in the episode? Probably not. Probably his woes were drowned in a sea of whiskey and groupies. Anyway -- I know where you're going!! Maybe. I miss going on passage!
et responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
01.11.11 - 1:59 pm
Somewhat relieved to discover that the Adam West art show actually came down a few days ago. Because if it was still up and I didn't take us there, I would feel remiss in my ride leaderly duties.
Thanks for the heads up about it though, guys. Because I really wanted this....
...forever burned in my mind. It cannot be unseen.
The pic was taken in an abandoned quarry in Griffith Park. One of the entrances to the tunnels was used in the 1960's TV series for the exterior shot if the Batmobile leaving the cave.
A little under 25 miles, with no hills to speak of. The first stop is around mile 4, and the second is around mile 12. I'd give it a two-donut rating - nothing too intense, but not totally lazy, either.
No particular themes. No dietary restrictions from me. If anyone wants to make requests, they are of course welcome (though as usual, our short notice could make all that moot).
Thanks for the fotos, Funkster.
It's good to see Al back on his bike and on a ride.
I had to miss this (as usual) due to my 5:30 am wake up call to cycle to work.
Maybe I can get out during spring break.
@CreativeThing: thanks. it was good running into Al; looking forward to seeing the both of you on saturday.
@SkeletonKey: yes we did, although we forgot about the cactus. we realized it when we sat down after ordering, and saw them slicing the cacti in the back. next time.
Not going to have a chance to scout until tomorrow, so the plan could potentially change, but this week's ride is looking like a long one (long and relatively flat). So, here's advance warning that we will be leaving ON TIME at 9pm sharp.
Thanks to everyone who came out for our long adventure westward, especially the guys for whom that was their first ride -- you picked a doozy (hey, at least there were no hills). We didn't see any butterflies tonight, but we did encounter a cranky airport security officer.
I'm bummed I had to miss last night. My boyfriend had a gig at the Blue Whale, which meant I got to show him the garden we were kicked out of last week.
anty responding to a comment by theroyalacademy
01.27.11 - 11:34 am
-->
Ridazz Roulette!
"One or more persons during a certain period drop their usual motives for movement and action, their relations, their work and leisure activities, and let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there."
the smell is near third and main. duh.
Some photos from last night by WAAG.
HOLE! 
"'Tis merely a flesh wound!"
Beee Gooooood!
This week's route map? ------>
OH NO! You okay??? Tailbone... ouch.
_1247478720.jpg)
This ride is fragrant.
Loser1 can't help smelling like ass. he's incontinent, has poor personal hygiene, has an aversion to soap and water, and can't remember what deodorant is for
Bump! Tonight!
In Capitalist America, conspiracy smells you!
I love all these big-boy-club references.
Dan the Miner rules!
Thanks for another awesome ride last night nathansnider and theroyalacademy. You guys always keep everyone on their toes thinking and watching the ride. Your effort is much appreciated.
Missed it by that much. 
Also, assuming I have time to assemble them, fall spoke cards available this week. Because it's fall now, don'tchaknow?
Brings new meaning to couch surfing!
And oh hey now, lookit that --->
And for the minimalists (I know you're out there), a context-free version of same...
_1259719215.jpg "It's on!")
What does 6 months of TPOAFTARBMIT look like, you ask? It looks a lot like this---->
Or, alternately, like a precious snowflake.
Talked a little bit about situationism last night. If any of you are interested in learning more about that stuff, 
Really wish I could make it...Sounds AMAZING...
You there, reading these words, look out the window and observe the weather. Go on; we'll wait for you...
Okay, guys, big time fail on my part. There is absolutely no way I am going to get this type ride together by Wednesday. I've just been too busy with other stuff and have let myself procrastinate a bit too much on this.
Yeesh! Yeah, sounds like it's time for a second opinion.
New map! -->
Aaaand this -->
Here is some of the education we received: I actually really liked this sign. A beautiful typographical catastrophe...
A many-petaled flower we are growing ---->
Image link fail. Okay.....
Sigh.
I will bring my Snuggie Poncho in case of rain!
And, guys, was it just me, or did riding through the Century City Mall not feel like the final assault on the Death Star?
Stay on target... Staaay on target...
![](http://www.counterkicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/new-balance-bb790-retro-lakers-1-600x398.jpg")
?
The wind giants can slow us down, but they can't stop us! See you all here:
...And sometimes it gets away from you.
I don't know, dude. I see more of a manatee.
Ready to scavenge!
Come ready to bring it, my friends. For the victors go home with the coveted "WINNER" spoke cards.
Whereas everyone else has to bear the shame of...
what's the hill situation looking like this week. Geared? Fixed?
Nothing too crazy.
OK, so I added up all of our climbs and our cumulative elevation gain for the first 51 rides is... 22,350 feet! Actually, this is just the difference between minimum and maximum elevations for each ride, so it doesn't account for multiple climbs on the same route. Including all those, we've surely climbed the equivalent of Mount Everest by now.
...and no flats!
imma rofl it up after this 
