"BikeSummer" 2009
Thread started by
alec at 11.11.08 - 1:18 pm
BikeSummer
2005 completely changed cycling in LA. It was powerful. It was FUN. There were over 150 events in one month witch was ridiculous for the time. We basically have an endless BikeSummer in LA now so I think its time to share some bike love with our neighbors- our extended family. I want to do a BikeSummer like long weekend in one of our neighboring cities. San Diego at the furthest but I’m thinking Costa Mesa or Long Beach or Torrance.
We would need
-at least a dozen people to commit to organizing a ride or bike event.
-a couple people to focus on advertising.
-someone to setup web stuff.
-someone to design a logo and some fliers/posters.
-someone to find us out-of-towners some floors to sleep on.
-a writer to put into poetry what we are doing.
-a new name, BikeSummer has too much tradition.
-to find some riders just outside of LA that want us.
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Bike Summer FTW !!!
Alec FTW !!!!
skano11.11.08 - 1:28 pm
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What say I see about renting a plane to pull one of those gigantic-ass banners across the sky?!?!?!?!?
Or, if I'm back over the road by near-then(most likely) I'll stick some gigantic-ass, magnets/ad's on the back of my trailer so people in various states will know about it.
Also, slip some fliers into the magazine racks at the truck stops and shit.
It would be kind of interesting to go through all my efforts and all of a sudden, have a massive convoy of rigs show up, then they all pull bikes out.
bentstrider11.11.08 - 1:29 pm
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Dude. Taking it back, are we? Looking at the
calendar makes me realize how epic all of that was at the time (the only MR ride was the second Friday) and how many things are gone.
RIP A-house, Bike Out, F-house shows, Flor Y Canto, 33 1/3 books, Orlando's hangover relief ride, More Than Transportation (1 through 4)...
The
Men's Leg Shave event was amazing. If you missed that, you really missed out.
bike punk11.11.08 - 1:37 pm
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FYI first week of June a grip of us are coming down from SF for the aids ride,
dannyzuko11.11.08 - 1:37 pm
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To think all that cool shit was going down while I was just 100 miles away from it at the time.
I feel so, used after looking at that old calendar.
bentstrider11.11.08 - 1:41 pm
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BIKE SUMMER 2005 CHANGED MY LIFE before that i was a biker with no biker fwiends. Now I have more than I can count!
tallcans4tallbikes11.11.08 - 1:42 pm
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@tallcans
Back in those days, I was just a rancher who rounded up cattle into a pen.
Now, I'm actually a cowboy that wrangles in actual cattle-drives!!!!!
bentstrider11.11.08 - 1:51 pm
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rent a plane? how about an apartment for people to crash at!
MTT!, Lars! , Jen!
alec11.11.08 - 2:27 pm
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Bike Punk you forgot Cafe Luna SoL ...
skano11.11.08 - 2:29 pm
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@alec
Well, think about it.
The more this event gets hyped up, the more people will want to know what's going on.
In turn, this will lead to possible exploits of much appreciated, "out-of-town" logistical support.
bentstrider11.11.08 - 2:34 pm
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Bikesummer! Ah, those were the days... That earnest spirit of discovery and appreciation for the city. That growing recognition of something new and huge happening in the streets. Being part of a group where everyone was seeing the dream become real for the first time, and the thrill of just making it up as you went along. The city was a blank slate, and bikes were your cans of paint. People would still shout "what is this?" from the street corners when a large ride passed by. These days, it seems that they're more likely to shout "Midnight Ridazz!!" instead, which is of course awesome in an entirely different way. Never in a million years would I trade what we have now for what we had then, but man, those were some
times...
If the purpose of this "New Bikesummer" is to spur the development of bike culture in new cities, I think that the last item on Alec's list is probably the most important. Wherever we go, get some natives involved ahead of time. Without a homegrown base of bike lovers taking part in the process of planning rides, etc, there may not be enough people who feel "invested" in the culture for things to take off. Plus, the locals will have the skinny on all the cool places to go in their community.
All of which is a long-winded way of saying: Oh yeah, I'm in! (nsnider on the gmail, in case anyone's assembling a mailing list or something)
And as a complete aside, whatever happened to the "official" Bikesummer? Did New Haven ever use their Bikesummer money?
Oh, and +1 to Lars and Jen!
nathansnider11.11.08 - 4:37 pm
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common_sense79@yahoo.com
I totally agree with getting the local people to buy into it otherwise it might just be a passing thing.
Jazzy Phat Nastee11.11.08 - 9:56 pm
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Listening from LB.
I know LB hasn't been exploited yet by the masses.
We got the whole coast going South and the Blue Line starts up around 4:30am. We also have a little used suburb called San Pedro. It's a ghetto but kind of fun to see it anyways.
User111.11.08 - 10:46 pm
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@user1
Kind of ironic to hear about all the dead-calm down there after talking to countless ridaz who happen to be from there.
Saddle up, lock'n'load, and sound the trumpet!!!
And if you need torches and pitchforks to get the point across, my connections at Home Depot will hook it up!!!
bentstrider11.11.08 - 10:50 pm
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I know there's rides going on here in LB. It's just hardly anyone takes the Blue Line to get down here. Plus there always seems to be a big ride going on some where else. Which is usually where you'll find me.
User111.11.08 - 11:34 pm
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Lars and Jen FTW! The first ridazz I met, long before I got my bike. We still have his BIke Winter (or maybe BIke Summer, but I think it's Winter) hanging on the wall down at Betalevel. I should wash it and wear that sucker.
theroyalacademy11.11.08 - 11:41 pm
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Bike Winter HAT that is. Hat.
It's a hat.
The concept of bike winter is not hanging on our wall.
theroyalacademy11.11.08 - 11:52 pm
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Bike infinity is what we have created. Bike Infinity. yesssssssssssssssss.
kryxtanicole11.12.08 - 11:50 am
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yes!
web, graphics, posters, stuff... I'm down to aid the cause
e-rock11.12.08 - 1:18 pm
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I know a lot of roadies in vegas but not enough ridazz. A bike summer in vegas would bring them all out. Let's spread the sinfull kinda love. reno, slo, and santa barbara are other likely targets.
shauners11.13.08 - 5:50 pm
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Little-known fact: I went to high school with Lars!
If it weren't for some of my friends, the BikeBoom calendar, various how-to and gallery Web sites, and seeing peeps riding around at night, I might not have started riding bikes again.
cabhauler11.14.08 - 1:21 pm
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I’m so happy. Someone who worked on More Than Transportation said to go ahead and use that name if I want. I love that name! I should have time to get a bit organized the week of Christmas so I’ll contact people around then.
alec12.13.08 - 3:12 pm
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