I haven't gotten out near as much as I used to, and these past few Sundays had me traveling, battling a cold, or in many cases, just plain exhausted.
Despite having gone to some good friends' birthday bbq Saturday and up pretty late, I did manage to wake up in a timely manner Sunday morning and join the LA Bike Meander.. I have even learned to post pictures from my cel phone..
riding at the cornfields.. (that are not cornfields).
I have a bunch of photos to upload & edit.. so I'll get to that at some point. Suffice to say it was a good time.. we had a good group of 6 this time, and even a gentleman from Santa Monica came out for the ride! We rode around the Arts District quite a bit and then over to the cornfields and then back to the Toy Lofts (then I rode a little bit more).
I am so incredibly sore from our little ride! I think I'll take a day off from biking and return to it mid-week because the soreness tells me that I really need to get back to cycling again. That and more walking.. I've gained at least 5lbs sitting around waiting for things to happen & things to do.
Now if the Olympics and life in general doesn't distract me too much, I'll have more to see here in another day or so.. Happy Monday! (LOL)
Here we go.. Sunday Meander =P
one of our intrepid meanderers..
The last couple Sundays I was lucky to join the group of cyclists called "la bike meander" which heads out every Sunday around 10am from the Toy Factory Lofts over on Industrial. They don't go anywhere in particular, not too fast, and it's not necessarily a flat ride, but then again, sometimes it is. =)
I had fun, I took some pix and I even posted them to my flickr. I really had a good time and while I can't always expect to go every Sunday, I'll try and make it now and again. Thanks bunches to the nice folks I rode with. =)
I scanned the gang of cyclists for familiar faces as they zoomed by on their bikes.
"Come ride with us!" said someone.. as I snapped this photo, the cyclists rode by me on my way back from catching live music on a late Friday night. Another rider chanted "one of us! one of us!" as I gave them the "thumbs up." I was really wishing that I didn't need to go back, and could join up with them on whatever was left of their midnight ride. I'm sure it was fun, whatever road they traveled.
Safe journeys to them all.
aka: "Mo Better Meaty Meat Ride"
Having never experienced the original "Mo' Better Meaty Meat" burger of the 90s onward, the experience of having two firsts, (my first downtown night bike ride & my first "meaty meat" burger) was irresistible. Grateful to be invited, (thanks Will!) the calendar was marked and eagerly anticipated.
Tuesday came, the bike was ready, the helmet, and the light set was purchased and mounted on the bike. Ready to go, heading out on the bike and with very few glitches along the way, we headed to the library where the meet at 7pm was to take place. I say, we because one of the people who was also going on the ride was none other than BlogDowntown's Eric Richardson, who was on his 'fixie' and sporting some fun new bike lights.
I was grateful for the company, as I hadn't experienced the traffic in LA at night like this before and getting to a library I had yet to go to was a challenging prospect. We made it through alright with little incident, and once at the LaFayette Park the rest of the group gathered. There were six of us including blogger Will Campbell.
Even taking the 4th street bike lane had its dangers and we managed to get through them, including a near miss accident (which bent one of our riders rear wheel rims) and the hills and red lights that cost me personally on some time keeping up with the rest of the group. Otherwise it was a pretty easy course, which ended at mid-point with the amazing "Mo Better Meaty Meat Burger" which is now called simply, "Beef Burger Combo" but made by the same original loving hands hot off the grill at the Indulge Cafe.
Indulge Cafe is located near Pico and Redondo. The owners and operators of the place are incredibly friendly and generous. The food was delicious and the brownies.. Amazing! It was well worth the ride out there and I enjoyed burning the calories (or some of them) on the ride back downtown. The entire experience took about 3 or so hours from the ride out from the library at 7pm to returning back downtown by 10pm.
While not so sure about the riding in traffic at night comfort, the comfort of the MO Better Meaty Meat Burger at Indulge (not to mention those amazing brownies) will be a comfort to me in the future I'm sure.
We headed to the bike shop on Main Street, El Maestro. They have racks of new and used bikes. Many of them are barely used bikes. The new bikes are shiny and priced fairly. The staff was super friendly and helpful with all kinds of information. I had narrowed my search down to two used bikes and had come back the next day to try them on.
Trying it on:
The frame needs to fit the body of the person riding it. One should be able to put your foot down when stopping and not have to jump down off the bike or stand on your toes. You should also have at least one inch of clearance when standing with legs on either side of the bike.
Neither of the two bikes I looked at had the clearance I needed. I started looking at other bikes and found one that was new in the right size. The one I ended up purchasing was a fair price and very good quality. They give a 30day warranty on bikes with exceptions. They offered their service for other things as well, including repairs, tune-ups, and various other bike related needs.
Other stuff:
Besides the bike, they had several high quality bike locks to choose from as well helmets, mirrors, light sets and other various bicycling accesories. I was so happy with the service I received, I was sure to come back the next day. This time I returned and purchased a helmet from their store and a cable lock (to accompany the U lock I purchased).
I am so happy with the service and bike that I purchased on Main Street, I am wishing everyone looking for a bike check it out. There's bike adventures to be had downtown, so rather than wax poetic, I'm getting to it!
more later I'm sure!
Another personal story about the Meeko. I am a cyclist. No, not the sort that goes for the 30k tour de Whatever. Nor a speed racer. Nor a BMX rider. I just ride. That wasn't always the case. One of the issues with me is that I've always had some balance issues. I've taken gymnastics for some of that, but found writing and learning to sketch/paint to be more worthwhile. Those skills can take care of the mental creativity. It doesn't free you to out-distance yourself, or take you physical places from your comfort zone. I have found bicycling does that for me. It's just not a mode of transportation. It moves you, to be cliché.
For Christmas my 6th year, my parents got me a lime green Huffy with training wheels. I was fine with the training wheels, but once the wheels came off, just one at first, I was terrified. I couldn't ride without at least one. My mom swore I would never get another bike until I learned to ride the one I had. It was personally humiliating for me. I eventually got over it when I was 12 years old. Everyone else had shiny ten-speeds, while I had my little girls Huffy bike with the banana seat, flower basket, and training wheels. There's nothing like peer pressure to get you over your fear.
Eventually it did happen for me and I've been on a bicycle ever since (for the most part). I would ride through high school, even using it as a way to get to & from work (and drive my mom crazy with worry getting across highways). Those were the days before bike helmets and lights on your bike; Before it made more sense to wear light clothing and reflective tape. You just rode until your bike wore out; The good kid-stuff that people seem to forget about when they grow up. I wore out 2 bikes in the Army taking them out on long distance country rides — getting around the hills and towns and feeling the wind, the snow & even the rain on my face. I think I was hardier stuff then. I kept riding, though; And much later I would only ride to get back and forth to class or work or whatever and whenever. I was on my bike. It was enough.
This changed for me about 3 years ago when I felt I couldn't ride safely anywhere. I was living in Anaheim and near busy intersections and a sweaty ride down the side roads of I-5 to make much sense to me. It was too much trouble to take the bike out, hauling it up & down the stairs and then the long trek to the front of the complex to what would surely be a difficult and dangerous way to get anywhere. Instead I would walk or take the bus, or just not go anywhere. Moving to downtown LA changed that for me. Downtown LA is a bike-able city.
If you're still with me, yes you read that right. Downtown LA is a bike-able city. If only I had known that when we made our move downtown. I was looking forward to the buses, the MTA the walking (and yes you can walk in LA too). Because I am a believer in the simplicity movement, I was willing to lose my bike and it's attachments. No more bike helmet or locks or air pump or things that reminded me of my beautiful Trek Hybrid. It was a sore point with me; I had become apartment bound and without wheels. I didn't deserve that bike.
Yet, as I sit here, surfing the net, I'm finding that there is so much more going on downtown with people, like myself, who enjoy the long ride. The ride for no other reason to get to someplace that is too far to walk yet too short to drive. The people that like the wind in their face, the clicking of gears, the squeal of brakes and the camaraderie of doing something like any number of Bay Area bicycling groups that might still exist in their own pockets of space. There is that secret happiness when you can see another cyclist. You can smile at them, knowing when they smile back, it's the acknowledgment of the cyclist. It's the club you belong to. The bicyclist club. I wanted back in. I would get back in. Meeko and her bike is a necessary thing.
END PT ONE
