The Chainlink

How does the "online source for Chicago biking" have very little to do with the Late Ride?

Are you hipsters too good to participate in such an event?

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Permalink Reply by smich on July 11, 2011 at 9:52am

I am totally with you on this, James. It holds absolutely zero appeal for me. Riding my bike around the city is such an everyday thing for me. It doesn't take much imagination to have fun on a bike ride throughout the city. I won't pay to be a follower and go on an organized ride.


James Baum said:

I see the draw here for the inexperienced rider.  Letting someone else do the thinking/organizing might be the prefered way to go for a rider with less experience and little knowledge of the city for a dark late night ride in unknown territory.

 

The issue is that many of the people here are regular riders.  We don't need much of an excuse to ride  Heck we ride to work and ride for errands and ride to the bar (or hangout) and back after all that.  The whole idea of having to sign up and pay to go for a ride is sort of silly for many of us.  Riding is just what we do and we don't need to have our hands held to do it.  I'm not sure about other people but the whole idea of having to "sign up" and fill out forms and releases and pay money just go for a ride to be a little bit on the obtrusive/ridiculous side for me -if not outright offensive.  If one wants to ride in a group then Critical Mass is FREE and doesn't have all that authoritarian rigid structure that the pay-to-ride events have. 

 

Maybe that is just the anarchist/anti-authoritarian in me -or the Dutch spirit of a bike just being basic transportation where one just gets on it and RIDES.  Sort of like a car.  Most people don't need to sign up for a hand-holding session to drive downtown or out to Uncle Fred's place to have dinner.  Most people just jump in a car and go.  Riding a bike is the same thing -without the trip to the gas station.  If people want to hang out then just meet and hang out and maybe ride around then just DO THAT.  Wha's with all the sign-up sheets and entrance fees?   I do understand the part about trying to raise money but would it be so hard to just have it be an open ride and have some guys with a bucket collecting cash zipping around the ride?  

 

Maybe it's just me.  I hate structure ;)

 

 

Permalink Reply by Vilda on July 11, 2011 at 9:55am
Good alter ego ed! ;-) Will i be seein ya this weekend for the FBC/Marauders? Where we will ride around the city at night ;-) Bringing your purple pants?
Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on July 11, 2011 at 10:38am

47 here and yes I used copacetic all the time.

Herpyderpy, not so much; but I like it.



James Baum said:

Thank you for the plaudit.  

 

You must not have been around in the 80's because that word was so over-used back then that I didn't realize there were people who hadn't heard it.   I forget how old I am sometimes.

Duppie said:

New word of the day: copacetic

I had to look that one up. Nice!

James Baum said:

Every night is late ride.  Why would I spend money doing what I do any night for free?

 

After this outburst/troll post I'm even less copacetic about this Late Ride thing.  What more do these guys want?  It was listed on the calender and in posts.  Sounds like herpyderpy to me. 

notoriousDUG said:

Please explain to me why I should support a paid event that bills itself as a cyclists only chance to ride the city after midnight when I do just that every week?

 

the Late Ride is yet another cycling 'event; that works hard to make a larger gap between cyclists and those who don't ride.

Permalink Reply by Craig S. on July 11, 2011 at 10:48am
You got the fixie, now you need to grow the ironic beard!

Ed said:

 

"Are you hipsters too good to participate in such an event?"

 

Does this mean I am a hipster now?  Cool....but I am probably the oldest one!

Permalink Reply by Dr. Doom on July 11, 2011 at 10:50am
Yeah, I'm not claiming I need a hand-engraved invitation, just responding to the OP. Why wasn't there much talk about the ride here? Because no one involved with the ride talked it up. I don't think anyone's really bashing it, in fact it seems like people who personally don't care for the ride would have been happy to have volunteered if the organizers had posted a quick note here asking for help and sent out an email to past volunteers asking if they'd be up to help again, which is pretty basic stuff (though of course maybe they already had lots of volunteers and didn't need more). This is almost in the line of constructive criticism...
Permalink Reply by Duppie on July 11, 2011 at 11:50am

A few things I learned from from this thread:

1. The Late Ride attracts a different kind of rider than the average chainlink member.

2. Chainlink members love their community and are quick to defend it.

3. James Baum likes to use obscure words. He deserves eclat for that.

Permalink Reply by Davo on July 11, 2011 at 11:59am

Isn't this the ride that had several cases of dehydration last year and McDonalds had some kind of crappy energy drink (that probably didn't help the situation)?  If so I hope the organizers did a better job of educating participants on what to expect on the ride and how much water to bring.

 

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on July 11, 2011 at 3:23pm
That's a change.  Usually I'm being castigated. 

Duppie said:

A few things I learned from from this thread:

1. The Late Ride attracts a different kind of rider than the average chainlink member.

2. Chainlink members love their community and are quick to defend it.

3. James Baum likes to use obscure words. He deserves eclat for that.

Permalink Reply by Davo on July 11, 2011 at 4:13pm
is that how uniks are made?

James Baum said:
That's a change.  Usually I'm being castigated. 

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on July 11, 2011 at 4:30pm
Uniks are made similar to bicycles, except they only use one wheel.
Permalink Reply by Laura on July 11, 2011 at 6:38pm
So you like bike rides that support, bikes and bike things? Sweet! Because the Racketeers are having a bike ride, fundraiser on October 1st!! Details soon.
Permalink Reply by Duppie on July 12, 2011 at 8:49am
I don't always stick to the script that you have written in your mind ;)

James BlackHeron said:
That's a change.  Usually I'm being castigated. 

Duppie said:

A few things I learned from from this thread:

1. The Late Ride attracts a different kind of rider than the average chainlink member.

2. Chainlink members love their community and are quick to defend it.

3. James Baum likes to use obscure words. He deserves eclat for that.

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