Nike Ride? WTF?
Thread started by
bici_chica at 07.30.09 - 12:15 pm
I know this might be a dead issue, but, after all the bitching, I just had to finally check out that stupid Nike ride last night. Please boycott this ride.
They are using free beer to entice you to sign away your image while releasing them of any liability. Smart, right? So, for free beer and a Live Strong bracelet, we are allowing—supporting them—while they exploit our very own bicycle scene for their marketing campaign. This is all about using you to give them street cred—exploiting cyclists (shame on Lance fucking Live Strong for being part of this). The ride they purport to "organize" is not only very dangerous, it does a big fat zero to promote any community between riders or riding, not to mention a tolerance for bikes among drivers.
The shit: there ain’t no group-of-riders mentality, mofo. That is, if you are there for the benefits of riding with a large group of likeminded peeps, you are fucked. There is, however, the follow-like-cattle mentality. Without warning, we had to jump on our bikes and tear off to follow a jeep with a photographer in it, like cattle, on some of the most treacherous streets in town. For even a very experienced rider, like the ex-messenger dude I rode it with last night, streets like Hollywood Blved et al are death traps that must be navigated with respect. And, the most hilarious and stupid part of it is that we were following a car, for fuck’s sake!
Even if you do not give a shit about the politics of riding, don’t promote this shit. Yeah, how cool it will look when they post the image of you getting flattened by some asshole in a Hummer. Dudes, really?
They sell it like a group ride on the website, as though they actually promote the cycling community. Propaganda with our faces on it.
The solution: No More Nike. Shut this fucker down!
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this whole scene ALREADY HAS BEEN EXPLOITED.
but WHO FUCKING CARES?!
EVERYTHING ELSE YOU DO HAS BEEN EXPLOITED AS WELL.
KiMS107.30.09 - 12:18 pm
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^^^ Of course it has already been exploited. But we don't need to participate in it. Thanks for the extremely thoughtful explanation of the ride, bici_chica.
Ms. Stephanie responding to a
comment by KiMS1
07.30.09 - 12:22 pm
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There was a big thread about this the first ride it had.
There's a good amount of riddaz that support this on m.r.
I guess in the end cheap free beer is what it takes to sway some of these people...
Debut21307.30.09 - 12:31 pm
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i looked angry in every picture they took of me
66607.30.09 - 1:04 pm
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Too bad you had to go on the ride to figure out Nike's angle on this. Hopefully you're able to figure things out better as you get older.
Yeah Nike paid a fuckin super low price to get some respectability in the bicycling world. Hope they put you guy's imagines in some triple XXX hardcore gay porn bicycling site! LOL
User107.30.09 - 1:20 pm
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you mean respectability in the urban cycling world, right? because nike has been sponsoring pro cycing for quite some time.
ruinedbyidiots responding to a
comment by User1
07.30.09 - 1:23 pm
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Shit, I just realized I've been posting quite a bit negative stuff lately. So without further ado..........
User107.30.09 - 1:24 pm
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In the "underground" hipsterdom world.
User1 responding to a
comment by ruinedbyidiots
07.30.09 - 1:25 pm
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whats wrong with "triple xxx" (is that 9 X?) gay porn?
md2 responding to a
comment by User1
07.30.09 - 1:30 pm
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Ha, wow! I didn't know the "leader" of the ride is a photographer in a car... Sounds MAD lame! Someone should so hijack the ride for the fuck of it, hahaha.
northernsoulbyrd07.30.09 - 1:30 pm
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Cheap free beer makes some people say "i do".
Nike is not the problem... its the idea that people think they're underground when they're totally not.
Its like Nirvana hating Pearl Jam... Pearl Jam thought they were underground, and Kurt Cobain hated groups that acted that way...
Good example, right?
Awe, I miss Kurt, I still remember hearing on KROQ, all the people calling in when he died... damn it still hurts...
We should get Nike to sponsor a ride to Jumbos Clown Room, and then have Courtney Love dance there again to Nirvana tracks. And then we can pee outside
md2 responding to a
comment by Debut213
07.30.09 - 1:33 pm
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Yeah it's 9 x X, makes it alot more painful when the hipsters hear their pic can show up there! LOL
User1 responding to a
comment by md2
07.30.09 - 1:42 pm
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in the emerging urban cycling fixed gear target 16-24 year old demographic.
Roadblock responding to a
comment by User1
07.30.09 - 1:45 pm
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the truth is... as Andy Corson once put it for the SS..the same is kind of true for mass rides
its dead
http://www.63xc.com/acorson/singlespeeding.htm
What ever MR was supposed to be--its dying. We loved it, but what did any of us expect to happen? That people would really negate their commercialism? That companies would respect the popularity and let everyone enjoy the purity of socializing for free?
Didnt we expect useless bike accessories like toptube pads to emerge for road bikes? Didnt we expect that youngster will be drawn to brakeless bikes without understanding why they NEED a brake?
Every time you put on your "expected" to wear tight jeans, american apparel, messenger bag that cost was more than need be, and clip into a bike that is the least versatile bike you can ride (let alone comfort)... you know you contributed to the decline.
its true... and you know it.
md2 responding to a
comment by Roadblock
07.30.09 - 1:54 pm
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not "you" as in Roadblock
but "you"
as in "all of us"
Heres to SS MTB riding... did i mention i can see the mountains from here... FUCK.
md207.30.09 - 1:56 pm
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@md2 Man. You need a hug. Just do what Rev. Dak does: He gets on his 3-speed, wears his armor, and rides because he just fucking loves to ride. If everybody does that, we'll never die.
Ms. Stephanie responding to a
comment by md2
07.30.09 - 1:59 pm
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I remember reading that Andy Corson article a couple of years ago. Assuming it wasn't all a giant troll, Andy Corson is absolutely the worst kind of sniveling sub-cunt. Judging by the rest of your post, it's rubbing off on you. Cut it out.
PC responding to a
comment by md2
07.30.09 - 2:13 pm
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MR isn't dieing... it's evolving. it always has been evolving. the first ride was an adventure with a finish at a bar... we got our drink on from the beginning. there was no theatrics it was sight seeing. then it became more evolved, into a theatrics kind of affair with costumes and themes... but that format became a victim of itself... so it evolved into many many rides... and damnit the drinking and loud adversarial behaviour creeped in... but then it melts away too... so here we are. where will evolve next?
I still have my Wolfpack Hustle.... one of the (if not thee) soberest and safest rides in town.
Roadblock responding to a
comment by md2
07.30.09 - 2:13 pm
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I think you're taking dying the wrong way.... as would taking dying from Andy Corson the wrong way.
Of course nothing is literal...since MR still exists and occurs.
Im not stretching the truth by claiming (maybe Im wrong), but what MR essentially wants, wanted to be is, as Roadblock stated--"evolving".
The death isnt negative, as it shouldnt be even in most literal applications.
It just means that "something" died. Something about MR died, and is dying.
Whats wrong with that?
md2 responding to a
comment by PC
07.30.09 - 2:20 pm
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I'll take your backpedal as a positive sign. Welcome back to the world of the living.
PC responding to a
comment by md2
07.30.09 - 2:23 pm
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"Andy Corson is absolutely the worst kind of sniveling sub-cunt"
Well its a good article... Im not Andy Corson, but you seem to be against the whole name calling thing as far as Ive noticed...so..
"cut it out"?
Let me ask you this... honestly...
If you had to present MR to someone and explain "essentially" what you want MR to be, what you think it currently is, what would say?
I dont think the two mesh (yet?)... I dont know if it ever will. But something about MR cannot be taken back... (im using MR loosely)... but judging by the ads (shit, Urban Outfitters has bikes), the spirit of MR is being commericalized, so to speak... and just as Corson is pointing out that its inevitable... he doesnt claim its bad.
Im not claiming its bad either.
People will learn what they want the ride to be (i.e. WP Hustle).
md2 responding to a
comment by PC
07.30.09 - 2:28 pm
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Dont know where i backpedaled, but ok...
Im still enjoying:
"cut it out"
md2 responding to a
comment by PC
07.30.09 - 2:35 pm
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Why are you a part of M.R if you have such a negative idea of its members?
Debut213 responding to a
comment by md2
07.30.09 - 2:36 pm
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it is... and it isn't.... the way Nike sees it on a financial level, it is about positive PR and tax breaks the people that work on the campaign are surely into the idea of beating cancer but everything they do regarding the campaign revolves around the publicity and positive PR generated by the campaign.. from Lance's POV it is probably more about curing cancer than any financial motivation since he himself experienced having cancer.
Roadblock responding to a
comment by thegodofthor
07.30.09 - 2:36 pm
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because MR is about EVERYONE being involved. It's like that old saying... "if you don't like this country then get out" well... that saying is nonsense. this country belongs to everyone and if you dont like it you can say you dont like it... now, if you complain and if you dont offer up solutions about this country (or this ride) then you should probably decide on your own to get out otherwise you will grow up bitter... eventually if all you do is complain then people will isolate you on their own.
(I don't mean "you" as in you personally Debut213)
Roadblock responding to a
comment by Debut213
07.30.09 - 2:40 pm
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"but judging by the ads (shit, Urban Outfitters has bikes), the spirit of MR is being commericalized, so to speak"
That's a trend. If MR and groups like MR helped create a trend, well, whatever. Most of those people will buy a bike, try to do a few bar spins on it, and set it in the garage. That's not the spirit of MR, at all, at least not as I see it.
If some of those people go out and buy their Fuji / Obey Giant or Urban Outfitters bikes, ride them and decide that maybe they should incorporate flying through the city streets on their bikes instead of driving, and that maybe they want to love the excitement and adrenaline of seeing their cities up close and personal on their bikes more often that they want to spend money on shopping and spending to feel good, then fuck. Hallelujah.
Ms. Stephanie responding to a
comment by Roadblock
07.30.09 - 2:45 pm
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By the way, my previous comment was in response to @md2.
Also, I just realized that there may be a tension between my first comment and my last one. I have to think about this.
Ms. Stephanie07.30.09 - 2:49 pm
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i dont have have a negative idea...
I recall just posting I think MR is essentially wonderful.
Maybe because I used Mom Ridazz as an example before... i dont know.. but why is my criticism of the fact (?) that MR is being commercialized, essentially a sign of something dying about it (hence its dead-- i mean come on, no one could take this as literal). Outside of commericalizing... its the trends, the cool, the fact that some many who are joining are unaware of "why" people did it initially...
Was it for fun? yes... is it still fun? yes...
But, and I know im not wrong... the culture, scene, what ever you want to call it, is being marketed and it will turn into something else--hence MR wont exist in the same way.
ITS not bad... but as I indicated, its a problem of pretending MR is X, when its becoming Y.
I accept fault if Im not coming across right... big deal... we'll all live and ride another day
but trust me... I like you guys...
i think most of you do some great things for Los Angeles. As ive pointed to in the past, there is something great about the diversity in a gentrified area (our current situation)... though there are good and bad... I really like what people are doing with the area.
md2 responding to a
comment by Debut213
07.30.09 - 2:57 pm
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well isn't it good that the start of a bicycling trend is hitting LA?
palucha66 responding to a
comment by Ms. Stephanie
07.30.09 - 3:09 pm
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@palucha66 Absolutely, and maybe I wasn't super clear. Maybe I should have used the word "fad" instead of trend. I meant that that in a lot of cases, I suspect that the fact Urban Outfitters now sells bikes is indicative of a passing fad. It's "trendy," and soon something else will be "trendy."
But if a few of these people that get caught up in the current in fad stick around and learn to love riding, and LA gets more bikes on the streets, well....fuck. That's a good thing.
Ms. Stephanie responding to a
comment by palucha66
07.30.09 - 3:14 pm
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thats what i meant to say I just didn't know how to explain it.
palucha6607.30.09 - 3:25 pm
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I agree with hoping that other will "learn to love riding and LA gets more bikes on the streets".
But you definitely want to curb the marketing appeal of some aspects. I think marketing brakeless bikes is not a good idea.
If Nike wants to push the agenda fine... they have a right to... what we need as a culture is a true identity. The problem is that MR appeared to have one once... If you think Im a asshole for saying the idenity is headed towards $$$, well its true.
OF COURSE, some will always tap into the essential spirit, but something is lost for the johnny come lately.
Sort of like a fine converstation I had with a young person about Souls of Mischief's 93' til Infinity track. You can listen to it now, and try to tap into the Wu of our psyche when we hear it... but if you didnt hear it 1993, then you wont understand what we experience when we hear it today.
This is all meaningless... cause we cant tap into the newbie's experience (based on that idea)... however... Dont call Pearl Jam underground when they're mainstream. With that -- Ive lost my mind.
I love bikes
md2 responding to a
comment by Ms. Stephanie
07.30.09 - 3:33 pm
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the only downfall to the "fad" is that we might get stupid people that steal, litter, or start shit with other riders
palucha6607.30.09 - 3:35 pm
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