Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Leah Peterson]

Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/C_iWGOKOF9_/?igsh=cHl4M3V4dDV6aWo=On Sep 5, 2024, at 9:04 AM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!  wrote:I’d love to come and ride with you Californians! Preferably in the dead of winter when I’m deep in withdrawals here in SW Michigan. Borrow me a bike?Last night was another great experience. Dubbed The Tunnel Ride because the route takes you through two long tunnels, it was an adventure. The second part of the ride always my favorite because it is so exhilarating to ride in the dark. We do not backtrack. You never know where you’re going but you can count on off-roading. The Kids were in fine form; one of them was riding a Townie and wheelie’d it nearly the whole ride. Another was on a tiny BMX bike WHICH HE RODE BACKWARDS ON CITY STREETS, nearly missing several parked cars. The little BMX could accelerate surprisingly fast, and he came close to taking out one of his buddies in the dark. None of these kids can be bothered with lights. It was one man’s 40th birthday. He had a birthday hat and had decorated his bike accordingly.We encountered another group ride - the crotch rocket crowd! They were stuck at a light, waiting for our group to run our red and make them miss their green. They revved their engines at us, put their bikes up on the rear wheels, but it looked like camaraderie and not a threat. “We should team up,” I told J.  At a light, a truck behind us rolled down the window and asked which way we were turning. Where had we started from? What is this and where are we going? It was a man, I put him in his 70s, and I cringed, waiting to be scolded. Nope, he was genuinely interested and he was happy to see us out and share the road with us. At that same intersection, another man about the same age was waiting at the crosswalk, licking an ice cream cone. He blessed us and wished us a safe ride. Please believe me when I say Michigan is the Land of the Nice People.The socializing spot took place on a service road in the woods. It was dirt tire tracks, sometimes pockmarked with water-filled pits. Tree branches obscured the way, some of them hooking into our clothes as we rode by. I am unnerved by uneven terrain like that, but my Platypus has never balked. I think the bike is far more capable of staying upright on rough terrain than I treat it. These rides will make me a more confident rider.This is a no drop ride, and if anyone has a mechanical, the leaders stop and fix it. Both men run bike shops - “We know how to fix bikes and we have tools” they tell us, and by golly they do. We had a lengthy mechanical on the bike path home. It was 10:30, pitch black, and homes lined the side of the bike path. We are a motley crew, a mob of bikes and riders with lights and several speakers blasting music. It is the middle of the work week. Some of the riders rode circles in people’s driveways. If I’m those homeowners, I’m irritated, and probably scared. I fully expected the police to arrive or a homeowner to come out and yell at us. The lights flickered on in the homes and I knew we were being watched, but nothing happened. The patience of the Michiganders will never cease to amaze me. I’ll switch my IG to public and attach a link in the next post so you can see these characters in living color. Thanks for coming along with me. You guys are so fun.LeahOn Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 12:24:27 AM UTC-4 Joe Bernard wrote:Now see I like how this is turning into a massive crowd insisting Leah come visit us in California. Come ride, Leah! On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 5:07:28 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:Hold up hold up, message me if this is happening in the Bay Area, my kid and I will attend if possible!On Sep 4, 2024, at 16:37, Sarah Carlson  wrote:Ben, I've got a dress I can wear for a Greenway Prom. If Bill gets his blue suit ready maybe that will be the critical mass we need to get Leah back out to CA. But it needs to cool down because right now it is too hot for the amount of sparkles I plan to wear. On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 11:15:30 AM UTC-7 ben.r...@gmail.com wrote:Bill should we grab Patch and make our own prom ride down the greenway?  Maybe that would be enough to convince Leah to come to the Bay.   😂 Ben ROn Wed, Sep 4, 2024 at 11:12 AM Bill Lindsay  wrote:If I ever go Wilding with Leah, I would proudly wear a powder blue tuxedo and be her prom date.  In my office in Michigan I keep a Crust Florida Man fixie as well as my Rivendell Sam Hillborne.  My assumption with that demographic is that I'd ride the Florida Man.  That would go better with my tux anyway.  Bill LindsayEl Cerrito, CAOn Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 6:52:46 AM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com wrote:I am waiting to hear the write up from a Bill L/Leah anything goes ride! Bill,  just to play devil's advocate... what bike are you going to take?!!!On Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 6:36:07 PM UTC-7 Bill Lindsay wrote:"when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience this

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

I’d love to come and ride with you Californians! Preferably in the dead of 
winter when I’m deep in withdrawals here in SW Michigan. Borrow me a bike?

Last night was another great experience. Dubbed The Tunnel Ride because the 
route takes you through two long tunnels, it was an adventure. The second 
part of the ride always my favorite because it is so exhilarating to ride 
in the dark. We do not backtrack. You never know where you’re going but you 
can count on off-roading. The Kids were in fine form; one of them was 
riding a Townie and wheelie’d it nearly the whole ride. Another was on a 
tiny BMX bike WHICH HE RODE BACKWARDS ON CITY STREETS, nearly missing 
several parked cars. The little BMX could accelerate surprisingly fast, and 
he came close to taking out one of his buddies in the dark. None of these 
kids can be bothered with lights. It was one man’s 40th birthday. He had a 
birthday hat and had decorated his bike accordingly.

We encountered another group ride - the crotch rocket crowd! They were 
stuck at a light, waiting for our group to run our red and make them miss 
their green. They revved their engines at us, put their bikes up on the 
rear wheels, but it looked like camaraderie and not a threat. “We should 
team up,” I told J.  

At a light, a truck behind us rolled down the window and asked which way we 
were turning. Where had we started from? What is this and where are we 
going? It was a man, I put him in his 70s, and I cringed, waiting to be 
scolded. Nope, he was genuinely interested and he was happy to see us out 
and share the road with us. At that same intersection, another man about 
the same age was waiting at the crosswalk, licking an ice cream cone. He 
blessed us and wished us a safe ride. Please believe me when I say Michigan 
is the Land of the Nice People.

The socializing spot took place on a service road in the woods. It was dirt 
tire tracks, sometimes pockmarked with water-filled pits. Tree branches 
obscured the way, some of them hooking into our clothes as we rode by. I am 
unnerved by uneven terrain like that, but my Platypus has never balked. I 
think the bike is far more capable of staying upright on rough terrain than 
I treat it. These rides will make me a more confident rider.

This is a no drop ride, and if anyone has a mechanical, the leaders stop 
and fix it. Both men run bike shops - “We know how to fix bikes and we have 
tools” they tell us, and by golly they do. We had a lengthy mechanical on 
the bike path home. It was 10:30, pitch black, and homes lined the side of 
the bike path. We are a motley crew, a mob of bikes and riders with lights 
and several speakers blasting music. It is the middle of the work week. 
Some of the riders rode circles in people’s driveways. If I’m those 
homeowners, I’m irritated, and probably scared. I fully expected the police 
to arrive or a homeowner to come out and yell at us. The lights flickered 
on in the homes and I knew we were being watched, but nothing happened. The 
patience of the Michiganders will never cease to amaze me. 

I’ll switch my IG to public and attach a link in the next post so you can 
see these characters in living color. 

Thanks for coming along with me. You guys are so fun.
Leah

On Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 12:24:27 AM UTC-4 Joe Bernard wrote:

> Now see I like how this is turning into a massive crowd insisting Leah 
> come visit us in California. Come ride, Leah! 
>
> On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 5:07:28 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:
>
>> Hold up hold up, message me if this is happening in the Bay Area, my kid 
>> and I will attend if possible!
>>
>> On Sep 4, 2024, at 16:37, Sarah Carlson  wrote:
>>
>> Ben, I've got a dress I can wear for a Greenway Prom. If Bill gets his 
>> blue suit ready maybe that will be the critical mass we need to get Leah 
>> back out to CA. But it needs to cool down because right now it is too hot 
>> for the amount of sparkles I plan to wear. 
>>
>>
>> On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 11:15:30 AM UTC-7 ben.r...@gmail.com 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Bill should we grab Patch and make our own prom ride down the greenway?  
>>> Maybe that would be enough to convince Leah to come to the Bay.   😂 
>>>
>>> Ben R
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Sep 4, 2024 at 11:12 AM Bill Lindsay  wrote:
>>>
 If I ever go Wilding with Leah, I would proudly wear a powder blue 
 tuxedo and be her prom date.  In my office in Michigan I keep a Crust 
 Florida Man fixie as well as my Rivendell Sam Hillborne.  My assumption 
 with that demographic is that I'd ride the Florida Man.  That would go 
 better with my tux anyway.  

 Bill Lindsay
 El Cerrito, CA

 On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 6:52:46 AM UTC-7 
 sarahlik...@gmail.com wrote:

> I am waiting to hear the write up from a Bill L/Leah anything goes 
> ride! Bill,  just to play devil's advocate... what bike are you going to 
> take?!!!
>
>
> On Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 6:36

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Sarah Carlson]

Joe if you are going to join we will find a way to make this happen! 
The blue sparkler would be perfect for an event like this.

On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 9:24:27 PM UTC-7 Joe Bernard wrote:

> Now see I like how this is turning into a massive crowd insisting Leah 
> come visit us in California. Come ride, Leah! 
>
> On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 5:07:28 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:
>
>> Hold up hold up, message me if this is happening in the Bay Area, my kid 
>> and I will attend if possible!
>>
>> On Sep 4, 2024, at 16:37, Sarah Carlson  wrote:
>>
>> Ben, I've got a dress I can wear for a Greenway Prom. If Bill gets his 
>> blue suit ready maybe that will be the critical mass we need to get Leah 
>> back out to CA. But it needs to cool down because right now it is too hot 
>> for the amount of sparkles I plan to wear. 
>>
>>
>> On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 11:15:30 AM UTC-7 ben.r...@gmail.com 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Bill should we grab Patch and make our own prom ride down the greenway?  
>>> Maybe that would be enough to convince Leah to come to the Bay.   😂 
>>>
>>> Ben R
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Sep 4, 2024 at 11:12 AM Bill Lindsay  wrote:
>>>
 If I ever go Wilding with Leah, I would proudly wear a powder blue 
 tuxedo and be her prom date.  In my office in Michigan I keep a Crust 
 Florida Man fixie as well as my Rivendell Sam Hillborne.  My assumption 
 with that demographic is that I'd ride the Florida Man.  That would go 
 better with my tux anyway.  

 Bill Lindsay
 El Cerrito, CA

 On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 6:52:46 AM UTC-7 
 sarahlik...@gmail.com wrote:

> I am waiting to hear the write up from a Bill L/Leah anything goes 
> ride! Bill,  just to play devil's advocate... what bike are you going to 
> take?!!!
>
>
> On Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 6:36:07 PM UTC-7 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>
>> "when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience this lunacy 
>> simultaneously?"
>>
>> I'll let you know if something materializes in late September.
>>
>> BL
>>
>> On Friday, August 30, 2024 at 3:13:31 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
>> Ding! wrote:
>>
>>> Bill, I heartily solicit and accept your approvals! 
>>>
>>> I think the line of not being precious is also out of MY hands…I 
>>> seem to go on these adventures with little control over the details 
>>> (like, 
>>> I have not the foggiest idea of where I am at any given time ever, so 
>>> whatever they say I have to do) and then have to face the aftermath. I 
>>> spent  on that curated little purple sparkler and I will probably 
>>> spend 
>>>  fixing it after these GR guys get done with us. 
>>>
>>> In fact, Bill, when are you going to meet me in GR so we can 
>>> experience this lunacy simultaneously? I bet it’s not too far from your 
>>> Michigan whereabouts; I promise it will be worth the drive. 
>>>
>>> Little Brother Ben, I knew you’d love the look of that Atlantis. It 
>>> is totally up to your filthy bike standards! I still think J should 
>>> clean 
>>> it. Also, I know you would love this ride. Take a vacation!
>>> L
>>> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 5:06:39 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>>>
 Leah

 I vigorously approve of your wanton disregard for the stern 
 guidance you received from the Jargon Police Department (JPD).  Keep 
 on 
 Wilding!  
 I disapprove of the thought of an older man falling hard and having 
 a hard time getting up the next day.  I don't like that part of the 
 story
 I conditionally approve of not being precious with your bike.  
 There is a line that you get to draw, and then get to decide if you've 
 crossed the line you made.  It's out of my hands...
 I strenuously withhold comment regarding whether or not you are too 
 old for this kind of activity.  That tops the list of "Things that are 
 not 
 my call"  

 Bill Lindsay
 El Cerrito, CA
 On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1:16:02 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
 Ding! wrote:

> 
> I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a 
> young guy I know from a bike committee we served on together. He is 
> almost 
> a kid. Like, mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he 
> is 
> proud of:
> [image: image0.jpeg]
>
> The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. 
> We live in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like 
> ours. 
> Jack saw bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.
>
> [image: image1.jpeg]
>
> I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the 

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Joe Bernard]

Now see I like how this is turning into a massive crowd insisting Leah come 
visit us in California. Come ride, Leah! 

On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 5:07:28 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:

> Hold up hold up, message me if this is happening in the Bay Area, my kid 
> and I will attend if possible!
>
> On Sep 4, 2024, at 16:37, Sarah Carlson  wrote:
>
> Ben, I've got a dress I can wear for a Greenway Prom. If Bill gets his 
> blue suit ready maybe that will be the critical mass we need to get Leah 
> back out to CA. But it needs to cool down because right now it is too hot 
> for the amount of sparkles I plan to wear. 
>
>
> On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 11:15:30 AM UTC-7 ben.r...@gmail.com 
> wrote:
>
>> Bill should we grab Patch and make our own prom ride down the greenway?  
>> Maybe that would be enough to convince Leah to come to the Bay.   😂 
>>
>> Ben R
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Sep 4, 2024 at 11:12 AM Bill Lindsay  wrote:
>>
>>> If I ever go Wilding with Leah, I would proudly wear a powder blue 
>>> tuxedo and be her prom date.  In my office in Michigan I keep a Crust 
>>> Florida Man fixie as well as my Rivendell Sam Hillborne.  My assumption 
>>> with that demographic is that I'd ride the Florida Man.  That would go 
>>> better with my tux anyway.  
>>>
>>> Bill Lindsay
>>> El Cerrito, CA
>>>
>>> On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 6:52:46 AM UTC-7 
>>> sarahlik...@gmail.com wrote:
>>>
 I am waiting to hear the write up from a Bill L/Leah anything goes 
 ride! Bill,  just to play devil's advocate... what bike are you going to 
 take?!!!


 On Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 6:36:07 PM UTC-7 Bill Lindsay wrote:

> "when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience this lunacy 
> simultaneously?"
>
> I'll let you know if something materializes in late September.
>
> BL
>
> On Friday, August 30, 2024 at 3:13:31 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
> Ding! wrote:
>
>> Bill, I heartily solicit and accept your approvals! 
>>
>> I think the line of not being precious is also out of MY hands…I seem 
>> to go on these adventures with little control over the details (like, I 
>> have not the foggiest idea of where I am at any given time ever, so 
>> whatever they say I have to do) and then have to face the aftermath. I 
>> spent  on that curated little purple sparkler and I will probably 
>> spend 
>>  fixing it after these GR guys get done with us. 
>>
>> In fact, Bill, when are you going to meet me in GR so we can 
>> experience this lunacy simultaneously? I bet it’s not too far from your 
>> Michigan whereabouts; I promise it will be worth the drive. 
>>
>> Little Brother Ben, I knew you’d love the look of that Atlantis. It 
>> is totally up to your filthy bike standards! I still think J should 
>> clean 
>> it. Also, I know you would love this ride. Take a vacation!
>> L
>> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 5:06:39 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>>
>>> Leah
>>>
>>> I vigorously approve of your wanton disregard for the stern guidance 
>>> you received from the Jargon Police Department (JPD).  Keep on Wilding! 
>>>  
>>> I disapprove of the thought of an older man falling hard and having 
>>> a hard time getting up the next day.  I don't like that part of the 
>>> story
>>> I conditionally approve of not being precious with your bike.  There 
>>> is a line that you get to draw, and then get to decide if you've 
>>> crossed 
>>> the line you made.  It's out of my hands...
>>> I strenuously withhold comment regarding whether or not you are too 
>>> old for this kind of activity.  That tops the list of "Things that are 
>>> not 
>>> my call"  
>>>
>>> Bill Lindsay
>>> El Cerrito, CA
>>> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1:16:02 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
>>> Ding! wrote:
>>>
 
 I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young 
 guy I know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a 
 kid. 
 Like, mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is 
 proud of:
 [image: image0.jpeg]

 The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. 
 We live in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like 
 ours. 
 Jack saw bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.

 [image: image1.jpeg]

 I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and 
 the back. Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.

 “I’m down,” he said, coolly. 

 J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state 
 of filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.
 [image: image1.jpeg]

 [image: image2.j

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[luckyturnip]

Hold up hold up, message me if this is happening in the Bay Area, my kid and I will attend if possible!On Sep 4, 2024, at 16:37, Sarah Carlson  wrote:Ben, I've got a dress I can wear for a Greenway Prom. If Bill gets his blue suit ready maybe that will be the critical mass we need to get Leah back out to CA. But it needs to cool down because right now it is too hot for the amount of sparkles I plan to wear. On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 11:15:30 AM UTC-7 ben.r...@gmail.com wrote:Bill should we grab Patch and make our own prom ride down the greenway?  Maybe that would be enough to convince Leah to come to the Bay.   😂 Ben ROn Wed, Sep 4, 2024 at 11:12 AM Bill Lindsay  wrote:If I ever go Wilding with Leah, I would proudly wear a powder blue tuxedo and be her prom date.  In my office in Michigan I keep a Crust Florida Man fixie as well as my Rivendell Sam Hillborne.  My assumption with that demographic is that I'd ride the Florida Man.  That would go better with my tux anyway.  Bill LindsayEl Cerrito, CAOn Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 6:52:46 AM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com wrote:I am waiting to hear the write up from a Bill L/Leah anything goes ride! Bill,  just to play devil's advocate... what bike are you going to take?!!!On Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 6:36:07 PM UTC-7 Bill Lindsay wrote:"when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience this lunacy simultaneously?"I'll let you know if something materializes in late September.BLOn Friday, August 30, 2024 at 3:13:31 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:Bill, I heartily solicit and accept your approvals! I think the line of not being precious is also out of MY hands…I seem to go on these adventures with little control over the details (like, I have not the foggiest idea of where I am at any given time ever, so whatever they say I have to do) and then have to face the aftermath. I spent  on that curated little purple sparkler and I will probably spend  fixing it after these GR guys get done with us. In fact, Bill, when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience this lunacy simultaneously? I bet it’s not too far from your Michigan whereabouts; I promise it will be worth the drive. Little Brother Ben, I knew you’d love the look of that Atlantis. It is totally up to your filthy bike standards! I still think J should clean it. Also, I know you would love this ride. Take a vacation!LOn Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 5:06:39 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:LeahI vigorously approve of your wanton disregard for the stern guidance you received from the Jargon Police Department (JPD).  Keep on Wilding!  I disapprove of the thought of an older man falling hard and having a hard time getting up the next day.  I don't like that part of the storyI conditionally approve of not being precious with your bike.  There is a line that you get to draw, and then get to decide if you've crossed the line you made.  It's out of my hands...I strenuously withhold comment regarding whether or not you are too old for this kind of activity.  That tops the list of "Things that are not my call"  Bill LindsayEl Cerrito, CAOn Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1:16:02 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young guy I know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a kid. Like, mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud of:The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We live in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours. Jack saw bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the back. Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.“I’m down,” he said, coolly. J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state of filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.“It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively. That ride was months ago.Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, which J tells me are the best bike polo courts in the country. He routed us through GR historic bike polo places along the way, like this scary space, where they used to play until they were removed from the property as they were a “liability.”We had the usual hair-raising experiences. A guy took a stick to the wheel riding up a hill and went over his bars. Our mob of 86 riders was forced to suddenly veer off the road to allow the screeching ambulance to roar by. We had to scramble down an embankment and lift our rigs over train tracks before ascending one final grassy hill to reach our courts.The bike polo people were waiting with speakers and microphone, alcohol and other things at the ready and for the taking. I did not do the taking. Revelry ensued. The bike polo matches began. There were novices and experts. Lots of crashing. The bikes for this are spec

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Sarah Carlson]

Ben, I've got a dress I can wear for a Greenway Prom. If Bill gets his blue 
suit ready maybe that will be the critical mass we need to get Leah back 
out to CA. But it needs to cool down because right now it is too hot for 
the amount of sparkles I plan to wear. 

On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 11:15:30 AM UTC-7 ben.r...@gmail.com 
wrote:

> Bill should we grab Patch and make our own prom ride down the greenway?  
> Maybe that would be enough to convince Leah to come to the Bay.   😂 
>
> Ben R
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 4, 2024 at 11:12 AM Bill Lindsay  wrote:
>
>> If I ever go Wilding with Leah, I would proudly wear a powder blue tuxedo 
>> and be her prom date.  In my office in Michigan I keep a Crust Florida Man 
>> fixie as well as my Rivendell Sam Hillborne.  My assumption with that 
>> demographic is that I'd ride the Florida Man.  That would go better with my 
>> tux anyway.  
>>
>> Bill Lindsay
>> El Cerrito, CA
>>
>> On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 6:52:46 AM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I am waiting to hear the write up from a Bill L/Leah anything goes ride! 
>>> Bill,  just to play devil's advocate... what bike are you going to take?!!!
>>>
>>>
>>> On Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 6:36:07 PM UTC-7 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>>>
 "when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience this lunacy 
 simultaneously?"

 I'll let you know if something materializes in late September.

 BL

 On Friday, August 30, 2024 at 3:13:31 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
 wrote:

> Bill, I heartily solicit and accept your approvals! 
>
> I think the line of not being precious is also out of MY hands…I seem 
> to go on these adventures with little control over the details (like, I 
> have not the foggiest idea of where I am at any given time ever, so 
> whatever they say I have to do) and then have to face the aftermath. I 
> spent  on that curated little purple sparkler and I will probably 
> spend 
>  fixing it after these GR guys get done with us. 
>
> In fact, Bill, when are you going to meet me in GR so we can 
> experience this lunacy simultaneously? I bet it’s not too far from your 
> Michigan whereabouts; I promise it will be worth the drive. 
>
> Little Brother Ben, I knew you’d love the look of that Atlantis. It is 
> totally up to your filthy bike standards! I still think J should clean 
> it. 
> Also, I know you would love this ride. Take a vacation!
> L
> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 5:06:39 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>
>> Leah
>>
>> I vigorously approve of your wanton disregard for the stern guidance 
>> you received from the Jargon Police Department (JPD).  Keep on Wilding!  
>> I disapprove of the thought of an older man falling hard and having a 
>> hard time getting up the next day.  I don't like that part of the story
>> I conditionally approve of not being precious with your bike.  There 
>> is a line that you get to draw, and then get to decide if you've crossed 
>> the line you made.  It's out of my hands...
>> I strenuously withhold comment regarding whether or not you are too 
>> old for this kind of activity.  That tops the list of "Things that are 
>> not 
>> my call"  
>>
>> Bill Lindsay
>> El Cerrito, CA
>> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1:16:02 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
>> Ding! wrote:
>>
>>> 
>>> I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young 
>>> guy I know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a 
>>> kid. 
>>> Like, mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud 
>>> of:
>>> [image: image0.jpeg]
>>>
>>> The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We 
>>> live in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours. 
>>> Jack saw bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.
>>>
>>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>>
>>> I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the 
>>> back. Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.
>>>
>>> “I’m down,” he said, coolly. 
>>>
>>> J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state 
>>> of filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.
>>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>>
>>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>>> “It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively. 
>>> That ride was months ago.
>>> [image: image3.jpeg]
>>>
>>> Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a 
>>> winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, 
>>> which 
>>> J tells me are the best bike polo courts in the country. He routed us 
>>> through GR historic bike polo places along the way, like this scary 
>>> space, 
>>> where they used to play until they

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Bill Lindsay]

Here I am, reading the ride description:

*"-Dress appropriately for mid-70s to mid-60s..."*

OK! bell-bottoms, paisley cowboy shirt, fringe, headband

*"... temperatures"*

Oh, never mind.

BL in EC
On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 2:35:53 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
Ding! wrote:

> Ok, ok LOOK what they got on the agenda for tonight! A TUNNEL ride?!? I’m 
> totally going. Starts in a couple hours. What will they think of next?
>
> [image: image2.jpeg]
>
> [image: image3.jpeg]
>
> On Sep 4, 2024, at 2:15 PM, Ben R  wrote:
>
> 
>
> Bill should we grab Patch and make our own prom ride down the greenway?  
> Maybe that would be enough to convince Leah to come to the Bay.   😂 
>
> Ben R
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 4, 2024 at 11:12 AM Bill Lindsay  wrote:
>
>> If I ever go Wilding with Leah, I would proudly wear a powder blue tuxedo 
>> and be her prom date.  In my office in Michigan I keep a Crust Florida Man 
>> fixie as well as my Rivendell Sam Hillborne.  My assumption with that 
>> demographic is that I'd ride the Florida Man.  That would go better with my 
>> tux anyway.  
>>
>> Bill Lindsay
>> El Cerrito, CA
>>
>> On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 6:52:46 AM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I am waiting to hear the write up from a Bill L/Leah anything goes ride! 
>>> Bill,  just to play devil's advocate... what bike are you going to take?!!!
>>>
>>>
>>> On Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 6:36:07 PM UTC-7 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>>>
 "when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience this lunacy 
 simultaneously?"

 I'll let you know if something materializes in late September.

 BL

 On Friday, August 30, 2024 at 3:13:31 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
 wrote:

> Bill, I heartily solicit and accept your approvals! 
>
> I think the line of not being precious is also out of MY hands…I seem 
> to go on these adventures with little control over the details (like, I 
> have not the foggiest idea of where I am at any given time ever, so 
> whatever they say I have to do) and then have to face the aftermath. I 
> spent  on that curated little purple sparkler and I will probably 
> spend 
>  fixing it after these GR guys get done with us. 
>
> In fact, Bill, when are you going to meet me in GR so we can 
> experience this lunacy simultaneously? I bet it’s not too far from your 
> Michigan whereabouts; I promise it will be worth the drive. 
>
> Little Brother Ben, I knew you’d love the look of that Atlantis. It is 
> totally up to your filthy bike standards! I still think J should clean 
> it. 
> Also, I know you would love this ride. Take a vacation!
> L
> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 5:06:39 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>
>> Leah
>>
>> I vigorously approve of your wanton disregard for the stern guidance 
>> you received from the Jargon Police Department (JPD).  Keep on Wilding!  
>> I disapprove of the thought of an older man falling hard and having a 
>> hard time getting up the next day.  I don't like that part of the story
>> I conditionally approve of not being precious with your bike.  There 
>> is a line that you get to draw, and then get to decide if you've crossed 
>> the line you made.  It's out of my hands...
>> I strenuously withhold comment regarding whether or not you are too 
>> old for this kind of activity.  That tops the list of "Things that are 
>> not 
>> my call"  
>>
>> Bill Lindsay
>> El Cerrito, CA
>> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1:16:02 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
>> Ding! wrote:
>>
>>> 
>>> I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young 
>>> guy I know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a 
>>> kid. 
>>> Like, mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud 
>>> of:
>>> [image: image0.jpeg]
>>>
>>> The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We 
>>> live in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours. 
>>> Jack saw bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.
>>>
>>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>>
>>> I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the 
>>> back. Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.
>>>
>>> “I’m down,” he said, coolly. 
>>>
>>> J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state 
>>> of filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.
>>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>>
>>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>>> “It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively. 
>>> That ride was months ago.
>>> [image: image3.jpeg]
>>>
>>> Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a 
>>> winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, 
>>> which 
>>> J tells me ar

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Leah Peterson]

Bill! The pressure! You’ll be the more stylish one for sure! What do I have in my closet to go with powder blue?!? Ben, I gotta make it back to the Bay…too bad we didn’t know each other when I lived in Southern CA or in Vegas. Would have been an easy drive!On Sep 4, 2024, at 2:12 PM, Bill Lindsay  wrote:If I ever go Wilding with Leah, I would proudly wear a powder blue tuxedo and be her prom date.  In my office in Michigan I keep a Crust Florida Man fixie as well as my Rivendell Sam Hillborne.  My assumption with that demographic is that I'd ride the Florida Man.  That would go better with my tux anyway.  Bill LindsayEl Cerrito, CAOn Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 6:52:46 AM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com wrote:I am waiting to hear the write up from a Bill L/Leah anything goes ride! Bill,  just to play devil's advocate... what bike are you going to take?!!!On Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 6:36:07 PM UTC-7 Bill Lindsay wrote:"when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience this lunacy simultaneously?"I'll let you know if something materializes in late September.BLOn Friday, August 30, 2024 at 3:13:31 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:Bill, I heartily solicit and accept your approvals! I think the line of not being precious is also out of MY hands…I seem to go on these adventures with little control over the details (like, I have not the foggiest idea of where I am at any given time ever, so whatever they say I have to do) and then have to face the aftermath. I spent  on that curated little purple sparkler and I will probably spend  fixing it after these GR guys get done with us. In fact, Bill, when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience this lunacy simultaneously? I bet it’s not too far from your Michigan whereabouts; I promise it will be worth the drive. Little Brother Ben, I knew you’d love the look of that Atlantis. It is totally up to your filthy bike standards! I still think J should clean it. Also, I know you would love this ride. Take a vacation!LOn Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 5:06:39 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:LeahI vigorously approve of your wanton disregard for the stern guidance you received from the Jargon Police Department (JPD).  Keep on Wilding!  I disapprove of the thought of an older man falling hard and having a hard time getting up the next day.  I don't like that part of the storyI conditionally approve of not being precious with your bike.  There is a line that you get to draw, and then get to decide if you've crossed the line you made.  It's out of my hands...I strenuously withhold comment regarding whether or not you are too old for this kind of activity.  That tops the list of "Things that are not my call"  Bill LindsayEl Cerrito, CAOn Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1:16:02 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young guy I know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a kid. Like, mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud of:The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We live in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours. Jack saw bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the back. Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.“I’m down,” he said, coolly. J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state of filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.“It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively. That ride was months ago.Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, which J tells me are the best bike polo courts in the country. He routed us through GR historic bike polo places along the way, like this scary space, where they used to play until they were removed from the property as they were a “liability.”We had the usual hair-raising experiences. A guy took a stick to the wheel riding up a hill and went over his bars. Our mob of 86 riders was forced to suddenly veer off the road to allow the screeching ambulance to roar by. We had to scramble down an embankment and lift our rigs over train tracks before ascending one final grassy hill to reach our courts.The bike polo people were waiting with speakers and microphone, alcohol and other things at the ready and for the taking. I did not do the taking. Revelry ensued. The bike polo matches began. There were novices and experts. Lots of crashing. The bikes for this are special - they have one brake, a front disc, usually, and it’s got a guard. Polo bikes have low gearing and twitchy handling. Some have nets in the spokes.Pictured, some of the 86 bikes that were ridden to the courts that night.The Platypus attracted excessive attention by both folks who knew Riv and who had never heard of it. One man said, “The more I look at this the more I see..this bike is CURATED.

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Ben R]

Bill should we grab Patch and make our own prom ride down the greenway?
Maybe that would be enough to convince Leah to come to the Bay.   😂

Ben R


On Wed, Sep 4, 2024 at 11:12 AM Bill Lindsay  wrote:

> If I ever go Wilding with Leah, I would proudly wear a powder blue tuxedo
> and be her prom date.  In my office in Michigan I keep a Crust Florida Man
> fixie as well as my Rivendell Sam Hillborne.  My assumption with that
> demographic is that I'd ride the Florida Man.  That would go better with my
> tux anyway.
>
> Bill Lindsay
> El Cerrito, CA
>
> On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 6:52:46 AM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com
> wrote:
>
>> I am waiting to hear the write up from a Bill L/Leah anything goes ride!
>> Bill,  just to play devil's advocate... what bike are you going to take?!!!
>>
>>
>> On Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 6:36:07 PM UTC-7 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>>
>>> "when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience this lunacy
>>> simultaneously?"
>>>
>>> I'll let you know if something materializes in late September.
>>>
>>> BL
>>>
>>> On Friday, August 30, 2024 at 3:13:31 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!
>>> wrote:
>>>
 Bill, I heartily solicit and accept your approvals!

 I think the line of not being precious is also out of MY hands…I seem
 to go on these adventures with little control over the details (like, I
 have not the foggiest idea of where I am at any given time ever, so
 whatever they say I have to do) and then have to face the aftermath. I
 spent  on that curated little purple sparkler and I will probably spend
  fixing it after these GR guys get done with us.

 In fact, Bill, when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience
 this lunacy simultaneously? I bet it’s not too far from your Michigan
 whereabouts; I promise it will be worth the drive.

 Little Brother Ben, I knew you’d love the look of that Atlantis. It is
 totally up to your filthy bike standards! I still think J should clean it.
 Also, I know you would love this ride. Take a vacation!
 L
 On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 5:06:39 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:

> Leah
>
> I vigorously approve of your wanton disregard for the stern guidance
> you received from the Jargon Police Department (JPD).  Keep on Wilding!
> I disapprove of the thought of an older man falling hard and having a
> hard time getting up the next day.  I don't like that part of the story
> I conditionally approve of not being precious with your bike.  There
> is a line that you get to draw, and then get to decide if you've crossed
> the line you made.  It's out of my hands...
> I strenuously withhold comment regarding whether or not you are too
> old for this kind of activity.  That tops the list of "Things that are not
> my call"
>
> Bill Lindsay
> El Cerrito, CA
> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1:16:02 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding
> Ding! wrote:
>
>> 
>> I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young
>> guy I know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a 
>> kid.
>> Like, mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud 
>> of:
>> [image: image0.jpeg]
>>
>> The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We
>> live in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours.
>> Jack saw bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.
>>
>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>
>> I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the
>> back. Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.
>>
>> “I’m down,” he said, coolly.
>>
>> J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state of
>> filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.
>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>
>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>> “It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively.
>> That ride was months ago.
>> [image: image3.jpeg]
>>
>> Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a
>> winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, 
>> which
>> J tells me are the best bike polo courts in the country. He routed us
>> through GR historic bike polo places along the way, like this scary 
>> space,
>> where they used to play until they were removed from the property as they
>> were a “liability.”
>> [image: image0.jpeg]
>>
>> We had the usual hair-raising experiences. A guy took a stick to the
>> wheel riding up a hill and went over his bars. Our mob of 86 riders was
>> forced to suddenly veer off the road to allow the screeching ambulance to
>> roar by. We had to scramble down an embankment and lift our rigs over 
>> train
>> tracks before ascending one final grassy hill to reach our courts.
>>
>> The bike pol

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Bill Lindsay]

If I ever go Wilding with Leah, I would proudly wear a powder blue tuxedo 
and be her prom date.  In my office in Michigan I keep a Crust Florida Man 
fixie as well as my Rivendell Sam Hillborne.  My assumption with that 
demographic is that I'd ride the Florida Man.  That would go better with my 
tux anyway.  

Bill Lindsay
El Cerrito, CA

On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 6:52:46 AM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com 
wrote:

> I am waiting to hear the write up from a Bill L/Leah anything goes ride! 
> Bill,  just to play devil's advocate... what bike are you going to take?!!!
>
>
> On Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 6:36:07 PM UTC-7 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>
>> "when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience this lunacy 
>> simultaneously?"
>>
>> I'll let you know if something materializes in late September.
>>
>> BL
>>
>> On Friday, August 30, 2024 at 3:13:31 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Bill, I heartily solicit and accept your approvals! 
>>>
>>> I think the line of not being precious is also out of MY hands…I seem to 
>>> go on these adventures with little control over the details (like, I have 
>>> not the foggiest idea of where I am at any given time ever, so whatever 
>>> they say I have to do) and then have to face the aftermath. I spent  on 
>>> that curated little purple sparkler and I will probably spend  fixing 
>>> it after these GR guys get done with us. 
>>>
>>> In fact, Bill, when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience 
>>> this lunacy simultaneously? I bet it’s not too far from your Michigan 
>>> whereabouts; I promise it will be worth the drive. 
>>>
>>> Little Brother Ben, I knew you’d love the look of that Atlantis. It is 
>>> totally up to your filthy bike standards! I still think J should clean it. 
>>> Also, I know you would love this ride. Take a vacation!
>>> L
>>> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 5:06:39 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>>>
 Leah

 I vigorously approve of your wanton disregard for the stern guidance 
 you received from the Jargon Police Department (JPD).  Keep on Wilding!  
 I disapprove of the thought of an older man falling hard and having a 
 hard time getting up the next day.  I don't like that part of the story
 I conditionally approve of not being precious with your bike.  There is 
 a line that you get to draw, and then get to decide if you've crossed the 
 line you made.  It's out of my hands...
 I strenuously withhold comment regarding whether or not you are too old 
 for this kind of activity.  That tops the list of "Things that are not my 
 call"  

 Bill Lindsay
 El Cerrito, CA
 On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1:16:02 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
 Ding! wrote:

> 
> I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young 
> guy I know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a 
> kid. 
> Like, mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud 
> of:
> [image: image0.jpeg]
>
> The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We 
> live in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours. 
> Jack saw bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.
>
> [image: image1.jpeg]
>
> I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the 
> back. Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.
>
> “I’m down,” he said, coolly. 
>
> J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state of 
> filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.
> [image: image1.jpeg]
>
> [image: image2.jpeg]
> “It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively. 
> That ride was months ago.
> [image: image3.jpeg]
>
> Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a 
> winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, 
> which 
> J tells me are the best bike polo courts in the country. He routed us 
> through GR historic bike polo places along the way, like this scary 
> space, 
> where they used to play until they were removed from the property as they 
> were a “liability.”
> [image: image0.jpeg]
>
> We had the usual hair-raising experiences. A guy took a stick to the 
> wheel riding up a hill and went over his bars. Our mob of 86 riders was 
> forced to suddenly veer off the road to allow the screeching ambulance to 
> roar by. We had to scramble down an embankment and lift our rigs over 
> train 
> tracks before ascending one final grassy hill to reach our courts.
>
> The bike polo people were waiting with speakers and microphone, 
> alcohol and other things at the ready and for the taking. I did not do 
> the 
> taking. Revelry ensued. The bike polo matches began. There were novices 
> and 
> experts. Lots of crashing. The bike

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Sarah Carlson]

I am waiting to hear the write up from a Bill L/Leah anything goes ride! 
Bill,  just to play devil's advocate... what bike are you going to take?!!!


On Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 6:36:07 PM UTC-7 Bill Lindsay wrote:

> "when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience this lunacy 
> simultaneously?"
>
> I'll let you know if something materializes in late September.
>
> BL
>
> On Friday, August 30, 2024 at 3:13:31 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
> wrote:
>
>> Bill, I heartily solicit and accept your approvals! 
>>
>> I think the line of not being precious is also out of MY hands…I seem to 
>> go on these adventures with little control over the details (like, I have 
>> not the foggiest idea of where I am at any given time ever, so whatever 
>> they say I have to do) and then have to face the aftermath. I spent  on 
>> that curated little purple sparkler and I will probably spend  fixing 
>> it after these GR guys get done with us. 
>>
>> In fact, Bill, when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience 
>> this lunacy simultaneously? I bet it’s not too far from your Michigan 
>> whereabouts; I promise it will be worth the drive. 
>>
>> Little Brother Ben, I knew you’d love the look of that Atlantis. It is 
>> totally up to your filthy bike standards! I still think J should clean it. 
>> Also, I know you would love this ride. Take a vacation!
>> L
>> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 5:06:39 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>>
>>> Leah
>>>
>>> I vigorously approve of your wanton disregard for the stern guidance you 
>>> received from the Jargon Police Department (JPD).  Keep on Wilding!  
>>> I disapprove of the thought of an older man falling hard and having a 
>>> hard time getting up the next day.  I don't like that part of the story
>>> I conditionally approve of not being precious with your bike.  There is 
>>> a line that you get to draw, and then get to decide if you've crossed the 
>>> line you made.  It's out of my hands...
>>> I strenuously withhold comment regarding whether or not you are too old 
>>> for this kind of activity.  That tops the list of "Things that are not my 
>>> call"  
>>>
>>> Bill Lindsay
>>> El Cerrito, CA
>>> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1:16:02 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
>>> Ding! wrote:
>>>
 
 I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young guy 
 I know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a kid. 
 Like, mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud of:
 [image: image0.jpeg]

 The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We 
 live in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours. 
 Jack saw bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.

 [image: image1.jpeg]

 I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the 
 back. Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.

 “I’m down,” he said, coolly. 

 J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state of 
 filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.
 [image: image1.jpeg]

 [image: image2.jpeg]
 “It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively. 
 That ride was months ago.
 [image: image3.jpeg]

 Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a 
 winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, 
 which 
 J tells me are the best bike polo courts in the country. He routed us 
 through GR historic bike polo places along the way, like this scary space, 
 where they used to play until they were removed from the property as they 
 were a “liability.”
 [image: image0.jpeg]

 We had the usual hair-raising experiences. A guy took a stick to the 
 wheel riding up a hill and went over his bars. Our mob of 86 riders was 
 forced to suddenly veer off the road to allow the screeching ambulance to 
 roar by. We had to scramble down an embankment and lift our rigs over 
 train 
 tracks before ascending one final grassy hill to reach our courts.

 The bike polo people were waiting with speakers and microphone, alcohol 
 and other things at the ready and for the taking. I did not do the taking. 
 Revelry ensued. The bike polo matches began. There were novices and 
 experts. Lots of crashing. The bikes for this are special - they have one 
 brake, a front disc, usually, and it’s got a guard. Polo bikes have low 
 gearing and twitchy handling. Some have nets in the spokes.
 [image: image2.jpeg][image: image3.jpeg][image: image4.jpeg]

 [image: image5.jpeg]
 Pictured, some of the 86 bikes that were ridden to the courts that 
 night.
 [image: image6.jpeg]

 The Platypus attracted excessive attention by both folks who knew Riv 
 and who had never heard of it. One man said, “The more I look at this the 
 more I

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Ben R]

Yeah I gotta see the prom photos from this one!
You have a few platty suitors to take as a nice date.  Sparkle red and the
“my little pony” platty would be a great combo!  I guess then that leads me
to my next question. Could you go 80s prom??   😂

Ben R


On Tue, Sep 3, 2024 at 7:47 PM Joe Bernard  wrote:

> Leah you MUST go to Bicycle Prom. Wearing sparkly things on your Sparkle
> Pony Platy!
>
> Joe Bernard
>
> On Tuesday, September 3, 2024 at 5:27:23 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!
> wrote:
>
>> The GR people created an event created on their Facebook group. In
>> addition to the usual wild Wednesday night, there is a Saturday, wait for
>> it…
>>
>> BICYCLE PROM!
>>
>> What don’t these people think of? Put on something sparkly and ride en
>> masse to a brewery? I’m kind of dying to go. I’m NOT going, but I sorta
>> kinda maybe wish I was.
>> L
>>
>> On Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 9:36:07 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>>
>>> "when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience this lunacy
>>> simultaneously?"
>>>
>>> I'll let you know if something materializes in late September.
>>>
>>> BL
>>>
>>> On Friday, August 30, 2024 at 3:13:31 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!
>>> wrote:
>>>
 Bill, I heartily solicit and accept your approvals!

 I think the line of not being precious is also out of MY hands…I seem
 to go on these adventures with little control over the details (like, I
 have not the foggiest idea of where I am at any given time ever, so
 whatever they say I have to do) and then have to face the aftermath. I
 spent  on that curated little purple sparkler and I will probably spend
  fixing it after these GR guys get done with us.

 In fact, Bill, when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience
 this lunacy simultaneously? I bet it’s not too far from your Michigan
 whereabouts; I promise it will be worth the drive.

 Little Brother Ben, I knew you’d love the look of that Atlantis. It is
 totally up to your filthy bike standards! I still think J should clean it.
 Also, I know you would love this ride. Take a vacation!
 L
 On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 5:06:39 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:

> Leah
>
> I vigorously approve of your wanton disregard for the stern guidance
> you received from the Jargon Police Department (JPD).  Keep on Wilding!
> I disapprove of the thought of an older man falling hard and having a
> hard time getting up the next day.  I don't like that part of the story
> I conditionally approve of not being precious with your bike.  There
> is a line that you get to draw, and then get to decide if you've crossed
> the line you made.  It's out of my hands...
> I strenuously withhold comment regarding whether or not you are too
> old for this kind of activity.  That tops the list of "Things that are not
> my call"
>
> Bill Lindsay
> El Cerrito, CA
> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1:16:02 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding
> Ding! wrote:
>
>> 
>> I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young
>> guy I know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a 
>> kid.
>> Like, mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud 
>> of:
>> [image: image0.jpeg]
>>
>> The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We
>> live in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours.
>> Jack saw bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.
>>
>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>
>> I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the
>> back. Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.
>>
>> “I’m down,” he said, coolly.
>>
>> J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state of
>> filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.
>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>
>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>> “It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively.
>> That ride was months ago.
>> [image: image3.jpeg]
>>
>> Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a
>> winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, 
>> which
>> J tells me are the best bike polo courts in the country. He routed us
>> through GR historic bike polo places along the way, like this scary 
>> space,
>> where they used to play until they were removed from the property as they
>> were a “liability.”
>> [image: image0.jpeg]
>>
>> We had the usual hair-raising experiences. A guy took a stick to the
>> wheel riding up a hill and went over his bars. Our mob of 86 riders was
>> forced to suddenly veer off the road to allow the screeching ambulance to
>> roar by. We had to scramble down an embankment and lift our rigs over 
>> train
>> tracks before ascending one fina

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Joe Bernard]

Leah you MUST go to Bicycle Prom. Wearing sparkly things on your Sparkle 
Pony Platy! 

Joe Bernard 

On Tuesday, September 3, 2024 at 5:27:23 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
wrote:

> The GR people created an event created on their Facebook group. In 
> addition to the usual wild Wednesday night, there is a Saturday, wait for 
> it…
>
> BICYCLE PROM! 
>
> What don’t these people think of? Put on something sparkly and ride en 
> masse to a brewery? I’m kind of dying to go. I’m NOT going, but I sorta 
> kinda maybe wish I was.
> L 
>
> On Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 9:36:07 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>
>> "when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience this lunacy 
>> simultaneously?"
>>
>> I'll let you know if something materializes in late September.
>>
>> BL
>>
>> On Friday, August 30, 2024 at 3:13:31 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Bill, I heartily solicit and accept your approvals! 
>>>
>>> I think the line of not being precious is also out of MY hands…I seem to 
>>> go on these adventures with little control over the details (like, I have 
>>> not the foggiest idea of where I am at any given time ever, so whatever 
>>> they say I have to do) and then have to face the aftermath. I spent  on 
>>> that curated little purple sparkler and I will probably spend  fixing 
>>> it after these GR guys get done with us. 
>>>
>>> In fact, Bill, when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience 
>>> this lunacy simultaneously? I bet it’s not too far from your Michigan 
>>> whereabouts; I promise it will be worth the drive. 
>>>
>>> Little Brother Ben, I knew you’d love the look of that Atlantis. It is 
>>> totally up to your filthy bike standards! I still think J should clean it. 
>>> Also, I know you would love this ride. Take a vacation!
>>> L
>>> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 5:06:39 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>>>
 Leah

 I vigorously approve of your wanton disregard for the stern guidance 
 you received from the Jargon Police Department (JPD).  Keep on Wilding!  
 I disapprove of the thought of an older man falling hard and having a 
 hard time getting up the next day.  I don't like that part of the story
 I conditionally approve of not being precious with your bike.  There is 
 a line that you get to draw, and then get to decide if you've crossed the 
 line you made.  It's out of my hands...
 I strenuously withhold comment regarding whether or not you are too old 
 for this kind of activity.  That tops the list of "Things that are not my 
 call"  

 Bill Lindsay
 El Cerrito, CA
 On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1:16:02 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
 Ding! wrote:

> 
> I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young 
> guy I know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a 
> kid. 
> Like, mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud 
> of:
> [image: image0.jpeg]
>
> The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We 
> live in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours. 
> Jack saw bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.
>
> [image: image1.jpeg]
>
> I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the 
> back. Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.
>
> “I’m down,” he said, coolly. 
>
> J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state of 
> filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.
> [image: image1.jpeg]
>
> [image: image2.jpeg]
> “It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively. 
> That ride was months ago.
> [image: image3.jpeg]
>
> Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a 
> winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, 
> which 
> J tells me are the best bike polo courts in the country. He routed us 
> through GR historic bike polo places along the way, like this scary 
> space, 
> where they used to play until they were removed from the property as they 
> were a “liability.”
> [image: image0.jpeg]
>
> We had the usual hair-raising experiences. A guy took a stick to the 
> wheel riding up a hill and went over his bars. Our mob of 86 riders was 
> forced to suddenly veer off the road to allow the screeching ambulance to 
> roar by. We had to scramble down an embankment and lift our rigs over 
> train 
> tracks before ascending one final grassy hill to reach our courts.
>
> The bike polo people were waiting with speakers and microphone, 
> alcohol and other things at the ready and for the taking. I did not do 
> the 
> taking. Revelry ensued. The bike polo matches began. There were novices 
> and 
> experts. Lots of crashing. The bikes for this are special - they have one 
>>

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

The GR people created an event created on their Facebook group. In addition 
to the usual wild Wednesday night, there is a Saturday, wait for it…

BICYCLE PROM! 

What don’t these people think of? Put on something sparkly and ride en 
masse to a brewery? I’m kind of dying to go. I’m NOT going, but I sorta 
kinda maybe wish I was.
L 

On Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 9:36:07 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:

> "when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience this lunacy 
> simultaneously?"
>
> I'll let you know if something materializes in late September.
>
> BL
>
> On Friday, August 30, 2024 at 3:13:31 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
> wrote:
>
>> Bill, I heartily solicit and accept your approvals! 
>>
>> I think the line of not being precious is also out of MY hands…I seem to 
>> go on these adventures with little control over the details (like, I have 
>> not the foggiest idea of where I am at any given time ever, so whatever 
>> they say I have to do) and then have to face the aftermath. I spent  on 
>> that curated little purple sparkler and I will probably spend  fixing 
>> it after these GR guys get done with us. 
>>
>> In fact, Bill, when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience 
>> this lunacy simultaneously? I bet it’s not too far from your Michigan 
>> whereabouts; I promise it will be worth the drive. 
>>
>> Little Brother Ben, I knew you’d love the look of that Atlantis. It is 
>> totally up to your filthy bike standards! I still think J should clean it. 
>> Also, I know you would love this ride. Take a vacation!
>> L
>> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 5:06:39 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>>
>>> Leah
>>>
>>> I vigorously approve of your wanton disregard for the stern guidance you 
>>> received from the Jargon Police Department (JPD).  Keep on Wilding!  
>>> I disapprove of the thought of an older man falling hard and having a 
>>> hard time getting up the next day.  I don't like that part of the story
>>> I conditionally approve of not being precious with your bike.  There is 
>>> a line that you get to draw, and then get to decide if you've crossed the 
>>> line you made.  It's out of my hands...
>>> I strenuously withhold comment regarding whether or not you are too old 
>>> for this kind of activity.  That tops the list of "Things that are not my 
>>> call"  
>>>
>>> Bill Lindsay
>>> El Cerrito, CA
>>> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1:16:02 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
>>> Ding! wrote:
>>>
 
 I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young guy 
 I know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a kid. 
 Like, mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud of:
 [image: image0.jpeg]

 The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We 
 live in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours. 
 Jack saw bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.

 [image: image1.jpeg]

 I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the 
 back. Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.

 “I’m down,” he said, coolly. 

 J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state of 
 filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.
 [image: image1.jpeg]

 [image: image2.jpeg]
 “It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively. 
 That ride was months ago.
 [image: image3.jpeg]

 Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a 
 winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, 
 which 
 J tells me are the best bike polo courts in the country. He routed us 
 through GR historic bike polo places along the way, like this scary space, 
 where they used to play until they were removed from the property as they 
 were a “liability.”
 [image: image0.jpeg]

 We had the usual hair-raising experiences. A guy took a stick to the 
 wheel riding up a hill and went over his bars. Our mob of 86 riders was 
 forced to suddenly veer off the road to allow the screeching ambulance to 
 roar by. We had to scramble down an embankment and lift our rigs over 
 train 
 tracks before ascending one final grassy hill to reach our courts.

 The bike polo people were waiting with speakers and microphone, alcohol 
 and other things at the ready and for the taking. I did not do the taking. 
 Revelry ensued. The bike polo matches began. There were novices and 
 experts. Lots of crashing. The bikes for this are special - they have one 
 brake, a front disc, usually, and it’s got a guard. Polo bikes have low 
 gearing and twitchy handling. Some have nets in the spokes.
 [image: image2.jpeg][image: image3.jpeg][image: image4.jpeg]

 [image: image5.jpeg]
 Pictured, some of the 86 bikes that were ridden to the courts that 
 night.
 [image: i

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Bill Lindsay]

"when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience this lunacy 
simultaneously?"

I'll let you know if something materializes in late September.

BL

On Friday, August 30, 2024 at 3:13:31 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
wrote:

> Bill, I heartily solicit and accept your approvals! 
>
> I think the line of not being precious is also out of MY hands…I seem to 
> go on these adventures with little control over the details (like, I have 
> not the foggiest idea of where I am at any given time ever, so whatever 
> they say I have to do) and then have to face the aftermath. I spent  on 
> that curated little purple sparkler and I will probably spend  fixing 
> it after these GR guys get done with us. 
>
> In fact, Bill, when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience 
> this lunacy simultaneously? I bet it’s not too far from your Michigan 
> whereabouts; I promise it will be worth the drive. 
>
> Little Brother Ben, I knew you’d love the look of that Atlantis. It is 
> totally up to your filthy bike standards! I still think J should clean it. 
> Also, I know you would love this ride. Take a vacation!
> L
> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 5:06:39 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>
>> Leah
>>
>> I vigorously approve of your wanton disregard for the stern guidance you 
>> received from the Jargon Police Department (JPD).  Keep on Wilding!  
>> I disapprove of the thought of an older man falling hard and having a 
>> hard time getting up the next day.  I don't like that part of the story
>> I conditionally approve of not being precious with your bike.  There is a 
>> line that you get to draw, and then get to decide if you've crossed the 
>> line you made.  It's out of my hands...
>> I strenuously withhold comment regarding whether or not you are too old 
>> for this kind of activity.  That tops the list of "Things that are not my 
>> call"  
>>
>> Bill Lindsay
>> El Cerrito, CA
>> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1:16:02 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> 
>>> I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young guy 
>>> I know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a kid. 
>>> Like, mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud of:
>>> [image: image0.jpeg]
>>>
>>> The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We 
>>> live in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours. 
>>> Jack saw bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.
>>>
>>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>>
>>> I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the 
>>> back. Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.
>>>
>>> “I’m down,” he said, coolly. 
>>>
>>> J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state of 
>>> filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.
>>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>>
>>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>>> “It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively. 
>>> That ride was months ago.
>>> [image: image3.jpeg]
>>>
>>> Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a 
>>> winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, which 
>>> J tells me are the best bike polo courts in the country. He routed us 
>>> through GR historic bike polo places along the way, like this scary space, 
>>> where they used to play until they were removed from the property as they 
>>> were a “liability.”
>>> [image: image0.jpeg]
>>>
>>> We had the usual hair-raising experiences. A guy took a stick to the 
>>> wheel riding up a hill and went over his bars. Our mob of 86 riders was 
>>> forced to suddenly veer off the road to allow the screeching ambulance to 
>>> roar by. We had to scramble down an embankment and lift our rigs over train 
>>> tracks before ascending one final grassy hill to reach our courts.
>>>
>>> The bike polo people were waiting with speakers and microphone, alcohol 
>>> and other things at the ready and for the taking. I did not do the taking. 
>>> Revelry ensued. The bike polo matches began. There were novices and 
>>> experts. Lots of crashing. The bikes for this are special - they have one 
>>> brake, a front disc, usually, and it’s got a guard. Polo bikes have low 
>>> gearing and twitchy handling. Some have nets in the spokes.
>>> [image: image2.jpeg][image: image3.jpeg][image: image4.jpeg]
>>>
>>> [image: image5.jpeg]
>>> Pictured, some of the 86 bikes that were ridden to the courts that night.
>>> [image: image6.jpeg]
>>>
>>> The Platypus attracted excessive attention by both folks who knew Riv 
>>> and who had never heard of it. One man said, “The more I look at this the 
>>> more I see..this bike is CURATED. You thought about this bike when you 
>>> built it.” The words “deep custom” were bandied about. I must say that men 
>>> have been overwhelmingly fond of the tacky My Little Platy, which I did not 
>>> expect.
>>>
>>> At 11 pm, J rallied us to leave. He mentioned that he would be “shooting 
>>> from the hip” for the r

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Jay]

I love the variety of bikes, and the wild feel to the whole extravaganza. 
 I've never been on a ride like that, but I'm sure one taste and you 
wouldn't ever forget it!

On Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 7:56:02 AM UTC-4 brok...@gmail.com wrote:

> These are my kind of group rides. While we don’t get as large a turnout, 
> we occasionally have these types of “anything goes” social rides here in 
> our town.
> I’ve never, ever had fun on a traditional roadie group ride. Ever. The 
> first time I experienced a social ride like this, it was a game-changer.
>
> Brian
> Lex KY 
>
> On Aug 31, 2024, at 7:24 AM, ascpgh  wrote:
>
> What an awesome collection of bicyclists and rides! 
>
>
> Everyone has their own history, it can be read in the build of their bikes 
> (I've pointed this out before). They've all had adventures in their own 
> pursuits and defined what is "the line" for themselves on those rides. Put 
> them all together and you get those great GR event rides (and bikes),  with 
> Leah documenting them! A little planning, some patronage and some ad hoc 
> action. 
>
> It appears that the magic is a minimum of cohesion within a core group who 
> bear a breadth of experiences attracting others on who are the front end of 
> their own bell curve of riding adventures. 
>
> What is precious are the memories, the pictures and the ability to share 
> those experiences. Not the things. Precious things haven't crossed the line 
> yet nor bear record of events of excursions from the comfort zone.
>
> Andy Cheatham
> Pittsburgh
>
> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 4:16:02 PM UTC-4 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
> wrote:
>
>> 
>> I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young guy I 
>> know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a kid. Like, 
>> mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud of:
>> [image: image0.jpeg]
>>
>> The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We live 
>> in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours. Jack saw 
>> bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.
>>
>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>
>> I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the 
>> back. Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.
>>
>> “I’m down,” he said, coolly. 
>>
>> J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state of 
>> filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.
>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>
>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>> “It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively. 
>> That ride was months ago.
>> [image: image3.jpeg]
>>
>> Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a 
>> winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, which 
>> J tells me are the best bike polo courts in the country. He routed us 
>> through GR historic bike polo places along the way, like this scary space, 
>> where they used to play until they were removed from the property as they 
>> were a “liability.”
>> [image: image0.jpeg]
>>
>> We had the usual hair-raising experiences. A guy took a stick to the 
>> wheel riding up a hill and went over his bars. Our mob of 86 riders was 
>> forced to suddenly veer off the road to allow the screeching ambulance to 
>> roar by. We had to scramble down an embankment and lift our rigs over train 
>> tracks before ascending one final grassy hill to reach our courts.
>>
>> The bike polo people were waiting with speakers and microphone, alcohol 
>> and other things at the ready and for the taking. I did not do the taking. 
>> Revelry ensued. The bike polo matches began. There were novices and 
>> experts. Lots of crashing. The bikes for this are special - they have one 
>> brake, a front disc, usually, and it’s got a guard. Polo bikes have low 
>> gearing and twitchy handling. Some have nets in the spokes.
>> [image: image2.jpeg][image: image3.jpeg][image: image4.jpeg]
>>
>> [image: image5.jpeg]
>> Pictured, some of the 86 bikes that were ridden to the courts that night.
>> [image: image6.jpeg]
>>
>> The Platypus attracted excessive attention by both folks who knew Riv and 
>> who had never heard of it. One man said, “The more I look at this the more 
>> I see..this bike is CURATED. You thought about this bike when you built 
>> it.” The words “deep custom” were bandied about. I must say that men have 
>> been overwhelmingly fond of the tacky My Little Platy, which I did not 
>> expect.
>>
>> At 11 pm, J rallied us to leave. He mentioned that he would be “shooting 
>> from the hip” for the route and that it would have “a little gravel.” But I 
>> know what he really means. I warned Jack. We headed out in the dark, along 
>> the railroad tracks. Sure enough, we had to make our way along those tracks 
>> with the earth sloping on us and the “gravel” was actually rocks - like 
>> golf balls. We ended up hiking our bikes for a lot of it. In the dark. On 
>> uneven ground. An older man took a bad fall, landing splayed across t

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Brian Turner]

These are my kind of group rides. While we don’t get as large a turnout, we occasionally have these types of “anything goes” social rides here in our town.I’ve never, ever had fun on a traditional roadie group ride. Ever. The first time I experienced a social ride like this, it was a game-changer.BrianLex KY On Aug 31, 2024, at 7:24 AM, ascpgh  wrote:What an awesome collection of bicyclists and rides! Everyone has their own history, it can be read in the build of their bikes (I've pointed this out before). They've all had adventures in their own pursuits and defined what is "the line" for themselves on those rides. Put them all together and you get those great GR event rides (and bikes),  with Leah documenting them! A little planning, some patronage and some ad hoc action. It appears that the magic is a minimum of cohesion within a core group who bear a breadth of experiences attracting others on who are the front end of their own bell curve of riding adventures. What is precious are the memories, the pictures and the ability to share those experiences. Not the things. Precious things haven't crossed the line yet nor bear record of events of excursions from the comfort zone.Andy CheathamPittsburghOn Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 4:16:02 PM UTC-4 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young guy I know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a kid. Like, mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud of:The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We live in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours. Jack saw bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the back. Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.“I’m down,” he said, coolly. J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state of filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.“It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively. That ride was months ago.Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, which J tells me are the best bike polo courts in the country. He routed us through GR historic bike polo places along the way, like this scary space, where they used to play until they were removed from the property as they were a “liability.”We had the usual hair-raising experiences. A guy took a stick to the wheel riding up a hill and went over his bars. Our mob of 86 riders was forced to suddenly veer off the road to allow the screeching ambulance to roar by. We had to scramble down an embankment and lift our rigs over train tracks before ascending one final grassy hill to reach our courts.The bike polo people were waiting with speakers and microphone, alcohol and other things at the ready and for the taking. I did not do the taking. Revelry ensued. The bike polo matches began. There were novices and experts. Lots of crashing. The bikes for this are special - they have one brake, a front disc, usually, and it’s got a guard. Polo bikes have low gearing and twitchy handling. Some have nets in the spokes.Pictured, some of the 86 bikes that were ridden to the courts that night.The Platypus attracted excessive attention by both folks who knew Riv and who had never heard of it. One man said, “The more I look at this the more I see..this bike is CURATED. You thought about this bike when you built it.” The words “deep custom” were bandied about. I must say that men have been overwhelmingly fond of the tacky My Little Platy, which I did not expect.At 11 pm, J rallied us to leave. He mentioned that he would be “shooting from the hip” for the route and that it would have “a little gravel.” But I know what he really means. I warned Jack. We headed out in the dark, along the railroad tracks. Sure enough, we had to make our way along those tracks with the earth sloping on us and the “gravel” was actually rocks - like golf balls. We ended up hiking our bikes for a lot of it. In the dark. On uneven ground. An older man took a bad fall, landing splayed across the railroad tracks, still clipped in to his bike. He managed to get up but he might not be getting up out of bed tomorrow.I’m learning not to be precious on these adventures. My stuff always comes back worse than when I brought it. I found my beloved custom Oakley night riding glasses in the grass, nosepiece and one bow laying separate from the frame. One lens is irreparably scratched. My Platypus was knocked about as I hoisted it over obstacles and one fender is now rubbing, one PDX breakaway tab cracked. I’m missing a little hide on my shin from the pedal pins. I dropped the kid back at his place and got home just before 1 am. I am too old for this. I am doing it again next week.LeahOn Aug 11, 2024, at 9:40 PM, Leah Peterson  wrote:Ohh, it’s worse than you think. I have 3 (thre

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[ascpgh]

What an awesome collection of bicyclists and rides! 

Everyone has their own history, it can be read in the build of their bikes 
(I've pointed this out before). They've all had adventures in their own 
pursuits and defined what is "the line" for themselves on those rides. Put 
them all together and you get those great GR event rides (and bikes),  with 
Leah documenting them! A little planning, some patronage and some ad hoc 
action. 

It appears that the magic is a minimum of cohesion within a core group who 
bear a breadth of experiences attracting others on who are the front end of 
their own bell curve of riding adventures. 

What is precious are the memories, the pictures and the ability to share 
those experiences. Not the things. Precious things haven't crossed the line 
yet nor bear record of events of excursions from the comfort zone.

Andy Cheatham
Pittsburgh

On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 4:16:02 PM UTC-4 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
wrote:

> 
> I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young guy I 
> know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a kid. Like, 
> mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud of:
> [image: image0.jpeg]
>
> The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We live 
> in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours. Jack saw 
> bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.
>
> [image: image1.jpeg]
>
> I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the back. 
> Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.
>
> “I’m down,” he said, coolly. 
>
> J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state of 
> filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.
> [image: image1.jpeg]
>
> [image: image2.jpeg]
> “It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively. 
> That ride was months ago.
> [image: image3.jpeg]
>
> Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a 
> winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, which 
> J tells me are the best bike polo courts in the country. He routed us 
> through GR historic bike polo places along the way, like this scary space, 
> where they used to play until they were removed from the property as they 
> were a “liability.”
> [image: image0.jpeg]
>
> We had the usual hair-raising experiences. A guy took a stick to the wheel 
> riding up a hill and went over his bars. Our mob of 86 riders was forced to 
> suddenly veer off the road to allow the screeching ambulance to roar by. We 
> had to scramble down an embankment and lift our rigs over train tracks 
> before ascending one final grassy hill to reach our courts.
>
> The bike polo people were waiting with speakers and microphone, alcohol 
> and other things at the ready and for the taking. I did not do the taking. 
> Revelry ensued. The bike polo matches began. There were novices and 
> experts. Lots of crashing. The bikes for this are special - they have one 
> brake, a front disc, usually, and it’s got a guard. Polo bikes have low 
> gearing and twitchy handling. Some have nets in the spokes.
> [image: image2.jpeg][image: image3.jpeg][image: image4.jpeg]
>
> [image: image5.jpeg]
> Pictured, some of the 86 bikes that were ridden to the courts that night.
> [image: image6.jpeg]
>
> The Platypus attracted excessive attention by both folks who knew Riv and 
> who had never heard of it. One man said, “The more I look at this the more 
> I see..this bike is CURATED. You thought about this bike when you built 
> it.” The words “deep custom” were bandied about. I must say that men have 
> been overwhelmingly fond of the tacky My Little Platy, which I did not 
> expect.
>
> At 11 pm, J rallied us to leave. He mentioned that he would be “shooting 
> from the hip” for the route and that it would have “a little gravel.” But I 
> know what he really means. I warned Jack. We headed out in the dark, along 
> the railroad tracks. Sure enough, we had to make our way along those tracks 
> with the earth sloping on us and the “gravel” was actually rocks - like 
> golf balls. We ended up hiking our bikes for a lot of it. In the dark. On 
> uneven ground. An older man took a bad fall, landing splayed across the 
> railroad tracks, still clipped in to his bike. He managed to get up but he 
> might not be getting up out of bed tomorrow.
>
> I’m learning not to be precious on these adventures. My stuff always comes 
> back worse than when I brought it. I found my beloved custom Oakley night 
> riding glasses in the grass, nosepiece and one bow laying separate from the 
> frame. One lens is irreparably scratched. My Platypus was knocked about as 
> I hoisted it over obstacles and one fender is now rubbing, one PDX 
> breakaway tab cracked. I’m missing a little hide on my shin from the pedal 
> pins. 
>
> I dropped the kid back at his place and got home just before 1 am. 
>
> I am too old for this. 
>
> I am doing it again next week.
>
>

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Bill, I heartily solicit and accept your approvals! 

I think the line of not being precious is also out of MY hands…I seem to go 
on these adventures with little control over the details (like, I have not 
the foggiest idea of where I am at any given time ever, so whatever they 
say I have to do) and then have to face the aftermath. I spent  on that 
curated little purple sparkler and I will probably spend  fixing it 
after these GR guys get done with us. 

In fact, Bill, when are you going to meet me in GR so we can experience 
this lunacy simultaneously? I bet it’s not too far from your Michigan 
whereabouts; I promise it will be worth the drive. 

Little Brother Ben, I knew you’d love the look of that Atlantis. It is 
totally up to your filthy bike standards! I still think J should clean it. 
Also, I know you would love this ride. Take a vacation!
L
On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 5:06:39 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:

> Leah
>
> I vigorously approve of your wanton disregard for the stern guidance you 
> received from the Jargon Police Department (JPD).  Keep on Wilding!  
> I disapprove of the thought of an older man falling hard and having a hard 
> time getting up the next day.  I don't like that part of the story
> I conditionally approve of not being precious with your bike.  There is a 
> line that you get to draw, and then get to decide if you've crossed the 
> line you made.  It's out of my hands...
> I strenuously withhold comment regarding whether or not you are too old 
> for this kind of activity.  That tops the list of "Things that are not my 
> call"  
>
> Bill Lindsay
> El Cerrito, CA
> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1:16:02 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
> wrote:
>
>> 
>> I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young guy I 
>> know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a kid. Like, 
>> mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud of:
>> [image: image0.jpeg]
>>
>> The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We live 
>> in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours. Jack saw 
>> bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.
>>
>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>
>> I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the 
>> back. Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.
>>
>> “I’m down,” he said, coolly. 
>>
>> J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state of 
>> filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.
>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>
>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>> “It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively. 
>> That ride was months ago.
>> [image: image3.jpeg]
>>
>> Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a 
>> winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, which 
>> J tells me are the best bike polo courts in the country. He routed us 
>> through GR historic bike polo places along the way, like this scary space, 
>> where they used to play until they were removed from the property as they 
>> were a “liability.”
>> [image: image0.jpeg]
>>
>> We had the usual hair-raising experiences. A guy took a stick to the 
>> wheel riding up a hill and went over his bars. Our mob of 86 riders was 
>> forced to suddenly veer off the road to allow the screeching ambulance to 
>> roar by. We had to scramble down an embankment and lift our rigs over train 
>> tracks before ascending one final grassy hill to reach our courts.
>>
>> The bike polo people were waiting with speakers and microphone, alcohol 
>> and other things at the ready and for the taking. I did not do the taking. 
>> Revelry ensued. The bike polo matches began. There were novices and 
>> experts. Lots of crashing. The bikes for this are special - they have one 
>> brake, a front disc, usually, and it’s got a guard. Polo bikes have low 
>> gearing and twitchy handling. Some have nets in the spokes.
>> [image: image2.jpeg][image: image3.jpeg][image: image4.jpeg]
>>
>> [image: image5.jpeg]
>> Pictured, some of the 86 bikes that were ridden to the courts that night.
>> [image: image6.jpeg]
>>
>> The Platypus attracted excessive attention by both folks who knew Riv and 
>> who had never heard of it. One man said, “The more I look at this the more 
>> I see..this bike is CURATED. You thought about this bike when you built 
>> it.” The words “deep custom” were bandied about. I must say that men have 
>> been overwhelmingly fond of the tacky My Little Platy, which I did not 
>> expect.
>>
>> At 11 pm, J rallied us to leave. He mentioned that he would be “shooting 
>> from the hip” for the route and that it would have “a little gravel.” But I 
>> know what he really means. I warned Jack. We headed out in the dark, along 
>> the railroad tracks. Sure enough, we had to make our way along those tracks 
>> with the earth sloping on us and the “gravel” was actually rocks - like 
>> golf balls. We ended up hiking our bikes for a lot of it. I

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Ben R]

again another awesome ride report.  love to see a well loved and ridden 
atlantis too. 
seeing so many people wildin' out on bikes having a good time in the summer 
always brings a smile to my face.

ben "little brother" R

On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 2:06:39 PM UTC-7 Bill Lindsay wrote:

> Leah
>
> I vigorously approve of your wanton disregard for the stern guidance you 
> received from the Jargon Police Department (JPD).  Keep on Wilding!  
> I disapprove of the thought of an older man falling hard and having a hard 
> time getting up the next day.  I don't like that part of the story
> I conditionally approve of not being precious with your bike.  There is a 
> line that you get to draw, and then get to decide if you've crossed the 
> line you made.  It's out of my hands...
> I strenuously withhold comment regarding whether or not you are too old 
> for this kind of activity.  That tops the list of "Things that are not my 
> call"  
>
> Bill Lindsay
> El Cerrito, CA
> On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1:16:02 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
> wrote:
>
>> 
>> I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young guy I 
>> know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a kid. Like, 
>> mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud of:
>> [image: image0.jpeg]
>>
>> The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We live 
>> in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours. Jack saw 
>> bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.
>>
>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>
>> I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the 
>> back. Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.
>>
>> “I’m down,” he said, coolly. 
>>
>> J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state of 
>> filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.
>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>
>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>> “It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively. 
>> That ride was months ago.
>> [image: image3.jpeg]
>>
>> Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a 
>> winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, which 
>> J tells me are the best bike polo courts in the country. He routed us 
>> through GR historic bike polo places along the way, like this scary space, 
>> where they used to play until they were removed from the property as they 
>> were a “liability.”
>> [image: image0.jpeg]
>>
>> We had the usual hair-raising experiences. A guy took a stick to the 
>> wheel riding up a hill and went over his bars. Our mob of 86 riders was 
>> forced to suddenly veer off the road to allow the screeching ambulance to 
>> roar by. We had to scramble down an embankment and lift our rigs over train 
>> tracks before ascending one final grassy hill to reach our courts.
>>
>> The bike polo people were waiting with speakers and microphone, alcohol 
>> and other things at the ready and for the taking. I did not do the taking. 
>> Revelry ensued. The bike polo matches began. There were novices and 
>> experts. Lots of crashing. The bikes for this are special - they have one 
>> brake, a front disc, usually, and it’s got a guard. Polo bikes have low 
>> gearing and twitchy handling. Some have nets in the spokes.
>> [image: image2.jpeg][image: image3.jpeg][image: image4.jpeg]
>>
>> [image: image5.jpeg]
>> Pictured, some of the 86 bikes that were ridden to the courts that night.
>> [image: image6.jpeg]
>>
>> The Platypus attracted excessive attention by both folks who knew Riv and 
>> who had never heard of it. One man said, “The more I look at this the more 
>> I see..this bike is CURATED. You thought about this bike when you built 
>> it.” The words “deep custom” were bandied about. I must say that men have 
>> been overwhelmingly fond of the tacky My Little Platy, which I did not 
>> expect.
>>
>> At 11 pm, J rallied us to leave. He mentioned that he would be “shooting 
>> from the hip” for the route and that it would have “a little gravel.” But I 
>> know what he really means. I warned Jack. We headed out in the dark, along 
>> the railroad tracks. Sure enough, we had to make our way along those tracks 
>> with the earth sloping on us and the “gravel” was actually rocks - like 
>> golf balls. We ended up hiking our bikes for a lot of it. In the dark. On 
>> uneven ground. An older man took a bad fall, landing splayed across the 
>> railroad tracks, still clipped in to his bike. He managed to get up but he 
>> might not be getting up out of bed tomorrow.
>>
>> I’m learning not to be precious on these adventures. My stuff always 
>> comes back worse than when I brought it. I found my beloved custom Oakley 
>> night riding glasses in the grass, nosepiece and one bow laying separate 
>> from the frame. One lens is irreparably scratched. My Platypus was knocked 
>> about as I hoisted it over obstacles and one fender is now rubbing, one PDX 
>> breakaway tab cracked. I’m missing a l

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Bill Lindsay]

Leah

I vigorously approve of your wanton disregard for the stern guidance you 
received from the Jargon Police Department (JPD).  Keep on Wilding!  
I disapprove of the thought of an older man falling hard and having a hard 
time getting up the next day.  I don't like that part of the story
I conditionally approve of not being precious with your bike.  There is a 
line that you get to draw, and then get to decide if you've crossed the 
line you made.  It's out of my hands...
I strenuously withhold comment regarding whether or not you are too old for 
this kind of activity.  That tops the list of "Things that are not my 
call"  

Bill Lindsay
El Cerrito, CA
On Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1:16:02 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
wrote:

> 
> I went out wilding again in GR last night. This time I took a young guy I 
> know from a bike committee we served on together. He is almost a kid. Like, 
> mid 20s. I’ll call him Jack. This is his Surly, which he is proud of:
> [image: image0.jpeg]
>
> The bikes began to roll in and Jack was STOKED about all of them. We live 
> in a roadie city, and rare is it we see anyone on bikes like ours. Jack saw 
> bikes IRL he has only seen online. He was absolutely elated.
>
> [image: image1.jpeg]
>
> I mentioned that the most dangerous spots would be the front and the back. 
> Also, we’d be running any and all red lights.
>
> “I’m down,” he said, coolly. 
>
> J rolled up on his Atlantis. “All your bikes are in the same state of 
> filth and disrepair, I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.
> [image: image1.jpeg]
>
> [image: image2.jpeg]
> “It’s C&O dirt”, J said, defensively. 
> That ride was months ago.
> [image: image3.jpeg]
>
> Last night was a special event - the bike polo event. J took us on a 
> winding route through the city and ended at the new bike polo courts, which 
> J tells me are the best bike polo courts in the country. He routed us 
> through GR historic bike polo places along the way, like this scary space, 
> where they used to play until they were removed from the property as they 
> were a “liability.”
> [image: image0.jpeg]
>
> We had the usual hair-raising experiences. A guy took a stick to the wheel 
> riding up a hill and went over his bars. Our mob of 86 riders was forced to 
> suddenly veer off the road to allow the screeching ambulance to roar by. We 
> had to scramble down an embankment and lift our rigs over train tracks 
> before ascending one final grassy hill to reach our courts.
>
> The bike polo people were waiting with speakers and microphone, alcohol 
> and other things at the ready and for the taking. I did not do the taking. 
> Revelry ensued. The bike polo matches began. There were novices and 
> experts. Lots of crashing. The bikes for this are special - they have one 
> brake, a front disc, usually, and it’s got a guard. Polo bikes have low 
> gearing and twitchy handling. Some have nets in the spokes.
> [image: image2.jpeg][image: image3.jpeg][image: image4.jpeg]
>
> [image: image5.jpeg]
> Pictured, some of the 86 bikes that were ridden to the courts that night.
> [image: image6.jpeg]
>
> The Platypus attracted excessive attention by both folks who knew Riv and 
> who had never heard of it. One man said, “The more I look at this the more 
> I see..this bike is CURATED. You thought about this bike when you built 
> it.” The words “deep custom” were bandied about. I must say that men have 
> been overwhelmingly fond of the tacky My Little Platy, which I did not 
> expect.
>
> At 11 pm, J rallied us to leave. He mentioned that he would be “shooting 
> from the hip” for the route and that it would have “a little gravel.” But I 
> know what he really means. I warned Jack. We headed out in the dark, along 
> the railroad tracks. Sure enough, we had to make our way along those tracks 
> with the earth sloping on us and the “gravel” was actually rocks - like 
> golf balls. We ended up hiking our bikes for a lot of it. In the dark. On 
> uneven ground. An older man took a bad fall, landing splayed across the 
> railroad tracks, still clipped in to his bike. He managed to get up but he 
> might not be getting up out of bed tomorrow.
>
> I’m learning not to be precious on these adventures. My stuff always comes 
> back worse than when I brought it. I found my beloved custom Oakley night 
> riding glasses in the grass, nosepiece and one bow laying separate from the 
> frame. One lens is irreparably scratched. My Platypus was knocked about as 
> I hoisted it over obstacles and one fender is now rubbing, one PDX 
> breakaway tab cracked. I’m missing a little hide on my shin from the pedal 
> pins. 
>
> I dropped the kid back at his place and got home just before 1 am. 
>
> I am too old for this. 
>
> I am doing it again next week.
>
> Leah
>
>
>
> On Aug 11, 2024, at 9:40 PM, Leah Peterson  wrote:
>
> 
> Ohh, it’s worse than you think. I have 3 (three) Platypuses. The original, 
> my raspberry, which goes on club rides. My mermaid, which has Hexl

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Ben R]

Menos welcome to the group.  theres a lot of good information and a lot of 
cool set ups to drool over. also you get to read leah's ride reports.  its 
the words version of what it actually feels like to ride a riv.
if you're looking for a purple platty. Blue heron in berkley off gilman has 
a purple 55.  im guessing you have to be somewhat close if you made the 
trek out to Riv HQ. i was going to take my wife in to test ride it but im 
sure she could be swayed to get a clem.  cheers and welcome!

Ben "enabler" R

On Sunday, August 11, 2024 at 12:24:15 PM UTC-7 Menos Joven wrote:

> Thank you for the warm welcoming words Leah. I went to the mothership a 
> couple of months ago and among others, tried Clems and Platys as set up by 
> Antonio. I love your unique “rasberry?” colored Platy and now a second 
> purple Platy? Will said Platys are coming but I have my heart set on a 
> purple one which will hopefully be available later next year. Meanwhile, 
> I’ll ride what I have which are older highly geared road bikes as well as 
> mountain bikes. “Need” a Riv to ride civilized and upright. Haha. 
>
> The light within me honors the light within you!
>
> "I'd put my money on solar energy... I hope we don't have to wait until 
> oil and coal run out before we tackle that."
> -Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone, March 
> 1931
>
>
> On Fri, Aug 9, 2024 at 17:39 Chris Halasz  wrote:
>
>> It's not (just) about the bike. It's about the people you get to know and 
>> the places you get to go ... faster than walking, and slower than an 
>> automobile. Perfect! 
>>
>> Great writing piece Leah. All smiles here. 
>>
>> On Friday, August 9, 2024 at 5:29:48 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Welcome, Menos. Whether you just got a Rivendell or you are interested 
>>> in them, you’ll find a lot of helpful, kind people on the List. I look 
>>> forward to seeing you around here. Glad you liked this ride story!
>>> Leah
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>
>>> On Aug 9, 2024, at 7:38 PM, Menos Joven  wrote:
>>>
>>> Thoroughly enjoyable piece of riding writing. :) Made me feel like I 
>>> was on this adventurous romp. I’m new to this group but see there are 
>>> regular contributors to help me learn the world of Riv. Thank you.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 6:56:12 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 The sweetest little brother. Ben was an Instagram find, friends! He’s 
 still a pup but he is teaching us his ways!

 Let’s keep it fresh!


 On Aug 8, 2024, at 9:52 PM, Ben R  wrote:

 oh that means so much to me.

 to be considered along side such an amazing, strong, and ground 
 breaking group of women. it means a lot.
 i cant wait for the invite to the riv sisters group ride and to get 
 dropped by the rainbow platty. 
 maybe we can urban dictionary new words on the ride to keep it "fresh".

 Ben "little brother" R

 On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:59:00 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com 
 wrote:

> Ben, we RivSisters do love our Little Brother!
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:57:25 PM UTC-7 ben.r...@gmail.com 
> wrote:
>
>> that ride looks absolutely amazing and fun.  so happy to see you 
>> taking your self out of the comfort zone and not being afraid to try new 
>> things.
>> that dirty crust looks rad.  you already know how i feel about it its 
>> absolutely *sick.  *you cant trust a clean bike
>> but thats the beauty of bikes.  a form of self expression.  much like 
>> words, to be used however you want to express whatever you want.
>> i guess some people dont see it that way.
>>
>> leah you're a true inspiration on the bike and a wonder with words. 
>>  love reading your ride recap storys.
>>
>>
>> Ben "Wildn" R aka Ben "semi a Riv Sister" R
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:29:03 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Yeah George I read it. And Liz kind of nailed how I feel. This 
>>> is a woman posting about her joyous riding experience. I think anyone 
>>> who 
>>> has been engaging on this forum will know that Leah is not out on her 
>>> rainbow Platy, raping people in Central park and bragging about in on 
>>> the 
>>> RBW group. Can we just enjoy the ride report and leave out the 
>>> mansplaining 
>>> and dictionary definitions?
>>>
>>> And even if you Joe says he's cool with the Ralph Kramden name, it 
>>> comes across as mean spirited. And I'm too fond of my pal Joe to let 
>>> that 
>>> go unsaid. 
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:18:57 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:
>>>
 National awareness? 
 Man I hope the moderator kills this thread soon. It started out as 
 a fun joyful ride report and it’s devolved into a bunch of dudes 
 arguing 
 about wh

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[ly29]

Thank you for the warm welcoming words Leah. I went to the mothership a
couple of months ago and among others, tried Clems and Platys as set up by
Antonio. I love your unique “rasberry?” colored Platy and now a second
purple Platy? Will said Platys are coming but I have my heart set on a
purple one which will hopefully be available later next year. Meanwhile,
I’ll ride what I have which are older highly geared road bikes as well as
mountain bikes. “Need” a Riv to ride civilized and upright. Haha.

The light within me honors the light within you!

"I'd put my money on solar energy... I hope we don't have to wait until oil
and coal run out before we tackle that."
-Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone, March
1931


On Fri, Aug 9, 2024 at 17:39 Chris Halasz  wrote:

> It's not (just) about the bike. It's about the people you get to know and
> the places you get to go ... faster than walking, and slower than an
> automobile. Perfect!
>
> Great writing piece Leah. All smiles here.
>
> On Friday, August 9, 2024 at 5:29:48 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!
> wrote:
>
>> Welcome, Menos. Whether you just got a Rivendell or you are interested in
>> them, you’ll find a lot of helpful, kind people on the List. I look forward
>> to seeing you around here. Glad you liked this ride story!
>> Leah
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>
>> On Aug 9, 2024, at 7:38 PM, Menos Joven  wrote:
>>
>> Thoroughly enjoyable piece of riding writing. :) Made me feel like I was
>> on this adventurous romp. I’m new to this group but see there are regular
>> contributors to help me learn the world of Riv. Thank you.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 6:56:12 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!
>> wrote:
>>
>>> The sweetest little brother. Ben was an Instagram find, friends! He’s
>>> still a pup but he is teaching us his ways!
>>>
>>> Let’s keep it fresh!
>>>
>>>
>>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 9:52 PM, Ben R  wrote:
>>>
>>> oh that means so much to me.
>>>
>>> to be considered along side such an amazing, strong, and ground breaking
>>> group of women. it means a lot.
>>> i cant wait for the invite to the riv sisters group ride and to get
>>> dropped by the rainbow platty.
>>> maybe we can urban dictionary new words on the ride to keep it "fresh".
>>>
>>> Ben "little brother" R
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:59:00 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com
>>> wrote:
>>>
 Ben, we RivSisters do love our Little Brother!

 On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:57:25 PM UTC-7 ben.r...@gmail.com
 wrote:

> that ride looks absolutely amazing and fun.  so happy to see you
> taking your self out of the comfort zone and not being afraid to try new
> things.
> that dirty crust looks rad.  you already know how i feel about it its
> absolutely *sick.  *you cant trust a clean bike
> but thats the beauty of bikes.  a form of self expression.  much like
> words, to be used however you want to express whatever you want.
> i guess some people dont see it that way.
>
> leah you're a true inspiration on the bike and a wonder with words.
>  love reading your ride recap storys.
>
>
> Ben "Wildn" R aka Ben "semi a Riv Sister" R
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:29:03 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com
> wrote:
>
>> Yeah George I read it. And Liz kind of nailed how I feel. This is
>> a woman posting about her joyous riding experience. I think anyone who 
>> has
>> been engaging on this forum will know that Leah is not out on her rainbow
>> Platy, raping people in Central park and bragging about in on the RBW
>> group. Can we just enjoy the ride report and leave out the mansplaining 
>> and
>> dictionary definitions?
>>
>> And even if you Joe says he's cool with the Ralph Kramden name, it
>> comes across as mean spirited. And I'm too fond of my pal Joe to let that
>> go unsaid.
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:18:57 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:
>>
>>> National awareness?
>>> Man I hope the moderator kills this thread soon. It started out as a
>>> fun joyful ride report and it’s devolved into a bunch of dudes arguing
>>> about whether or not they would use a word in polite… or maybe less than
>>> polite company, considering. Now I have to go down the whole thread 
>>> just to
>>> see the fun pictures.
>>>
>>> Go look at the pictures guys, there are Rivendells! There’s
>>> anodizing! There are joyful people riding bicycles and touching grass.
>>>
>>> Liz
>>>
>>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 16:56, Patrick Moore  wrote:
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>> I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when
>>> using this term. This is how it came to national awareness:
>>>
>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_case
>>>
>>> Tragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC
>>> just ~4 months earli

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Joe Bernard]

Yes indeed, been driving for about a year and a half. You can find me on 
Route 1, starts at Walmart on 53, runs up to 20 and around that side of the 
lake to Sutter Hospital in Lakeport and back. I like being a bus driver!

Joe "all aboard!" Bernard 
Lake County CA 



On Friday, August 9, 2024 at 10:35:32 PM UTC-7 Philip Williamson wrote:

> Joe, you drive a bus? AWESOME.
>
> I missed my pre-Covid bus commute so much I bought a bus of my own… :) Sold 
> now, and I’m back on the GGT several times a week. Next week I’m going to 
> start bringing my Quickbeam and riding partway. 
>
> On Tuesdays I want to get off the bus and join our big Taco Tuesday ride, 
> but I need festive lights. 
>
> I roll through Lake County on Hwy 29/53/20 several times a month - I’ll 
> keep my eyes peeled for your bus! 
>
> Philip
> Sonoma County / Nevada County
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 2:27:56 PM UTC-7 Jay wrote:
>
>> The part about riding in the dark, the pit, the beam, I was reading on 
>> the edge of my seat wondering if it all ended in a bloody mess.  Glad it 
>> didn't ;-)
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:21:57 PM UTC-4 Joe Bernard wrote:
>>
>>> I was wilding on my bus today. Sheer mayhem!!! 💥💥💥
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:44:44 PM UTC-7 Steve wrote:
>>>
 Linguistic scholars recognize that the meanings associated with words 
 often evolve over time, with the changes being driven by culture.   Leah, 
 as far as I'm concerned, you have nudged the definition of "wilding" 
 toward 
 a new meaning.  

 I say, right on, far out and totally cool, it's time to get down and 
 dirty with some righteous WILDING !!!   
 On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 1:51:35 PM UTC-4 George Schick wrote:

> A year or two ago there was a thread involving the problems associated 
> with the placement of a long wheel based bikes on the front of urban 
> buses. 
> Joe chimed in to offer his expertise on the discussion because he is a 
> city 
> bus driver (not sure which city).  So I posted a reply intending to be 
> humorous, asking him if it would be OK if I referred to him as Ralph 
> Kramden, a character in an old 1950's comedy series in which Jackie 
> Gleason 
> played the part of a NYC bus driver in the sitcom.  He got the spirit of 
> that label right away and said it would be fine with him.  So I use it 
> whenever it seems appropriate in a blog thread. 
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:33:11 PM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding 
> Ding! wrote:
>
>> Did you just call him Ralph Kramden? I had to look that up, but seems 
>> mean-spirited. Well, you have to look at yourself in the mirror every 
>> day 
>> and live with that, George. If I’m misunderstanding , I apologize. 
>> Leah
>>
>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 1:18 PM, George Schick  wrote:
>>
>> I'm not surprised to see an affirmation from Ralph Kramden.  I was 
>> only trying to advise caution because some people may get the wrong 
>> impression by the use of that term.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:09:13 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote:
>>
>>> Leah if you want to go on a violent rampage I say party on, sister. 
>>> Who am I to judge??! 🤷
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 9:42:31 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
>>> Ding! wrote:
>>>
 That cut off. It was supposed to say, It’s the only wilding I’ve 
 ever done in my life, let me have this!

 On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:29 PM, Leah Peterson  
 wrote:

 
 Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the more 


 On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick  
 wrote:

 Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. 
 Here is the standard definition for that term:

 https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
 The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.


 On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding 
 Ding! wrote:

> I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. 
> From now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See 
> you 
> way past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be 
> misappropriating 
> it, but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.
>
> I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll 
> up. The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear 
> wheels and 
> making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. 
> We have 
> a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is 

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Philip Williamson]

Joe, you drive a bus? AWESOME.

I missed my pre-Covid bus commute so much I bought a bus of my own… :) Sold 
now, and I’m back on the GGT several times a week. Next week I’m going to 
start bringing my Quickbeam and riding partway. 

On Tuesdays I want to get off the bus and join our big Taco Tuesday ride, 
but I need festive lights. 

I roll through Lake County on Hwy 29/53/20 several times a month - I’ll 
keep my eyes peeled for your bus! 

Philip
Sonoma County / Nevada County

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 2:27:56 PM UTC-7 Jay wrote:

> The part about riding in the dark, the pit, the beam, I was reading on the 
> edge of my seat wondering if it all ended in a bloody mess.  Glad it didn't 
> ;-)
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:21:57 PM UTC-4 Joe Bernard wrote:
>
>> I was wilding on my bus today. Sheer mayhem!!! 💥💥💥
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:44:44 PM UTC-7 Steve wrote:
>>
>>> Linguistic scholars recognize that the meanings associated with words 
>>> often evolve over time, with the changes being driven by culture.   Leah, 
>>> as far as I'm concerned, you have nudged the definition of "wilding" toward 
>>> a new meaning.  
>>>
>>> I say, right on, far out and totally cool, it's time to get down and 
>>> dirty with some righteous WILDING !!!   
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 1:51:35 PM UTC-4 George Schick wrote:
>>>
 A year or two ago there was a thread involving the problems associated 
 with the placement of a long wheel based bikes on the front of urban 
 buses. 
 Joe chimed in to offer his expertise on the discussion because he is a 
 city 
 bus driver (not sure which city).  So I posted a reply intending to be 
 humorous, asking him if it would be OK if I referred to him as Ralph 
 Kramden, a character in an old 1950's comedy series in which Jackie 
 Gleason 
 played the part of a NYC bus driver in the sitcom.  He got the spirit of 
 that label right away and said it would be fine with him.  So I use it 
 whenever it seems appropriate in a blog thread. 

 On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:33:11 PM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding 
 Ding! wrote:

> Did you just call him Ralph Kramden? I had to look that up, but seems 
> mean-spirited. Well, you have to look at yourself in the mirror every day 
> and live with that, George. If I’m misunderstanding , I apologize. 
> Leah
>
> On Aug 8, 2024, at 1:18 PM, George Schick  wrote:
>
> I'm not surprised to see an affirmation from Ralph Kramden.  I was 
> only trying to advise caution because some people may get the wrong 
> impression by the use of that term.
>
>
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:09:13 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote:
>
>> Leah if you want to go on a violent rampage I say party on, sister. 
>> Who am I to judge??! 🤷
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 9:42:31 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
>> Ding! wrote:
>>
>>> That cut off. It was supposed to say, It’s the only wilding I’ve 
>>> ever done in my life, let me have this!
>>>
>>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:29 PM, Leah Peterson  
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> 
>>> Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the more 
>>>
>>>
>>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick  wrote:
>>>
>>> Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. 
>>> Here is the standard definition for that term:
>>>
>>> https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
>>> The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding 
>>> Ding! wrote:
>>>
 I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. 
 From now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See 
 you 
 way past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be 
 misappropriating 
 it, but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.

 I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll 
 up. The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear 
 wheels and 
 making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We 
 have 
 a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, 
 and he 
 brings this:

 [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
 You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and 
 that he does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear 
 since 
 he planned tonight’s route.

 Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures 
 amongst all these GR rabble rousers.
 [image: image2.jpeg]

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Joe Bernard]

It sounds completely wonderful. I want to go on one of these rides so 
much. 

On Friday, August 9, 2024 at 5:39:05 PM UTC-7 Chris Halasz wrote:

> It's not (just) about the bike. It's about the people you get to know and 
> the places you get to go ... faster than walking, and slower than an 
> automobile. Perfect! 
>
> Great writing piece Leah. All smiles here. 
>
> On Friday, August 9, 2024 at 5:29:48 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
> wrote:
>
>> Welcome, Menos. Whether you just got a Rivendell or you are interested in 
>> them, you’ll find a lot of helpful, kind people on the List. I look forward 
>> to seeing you around here. Glad you liked this ride story!
>> Leah
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Aug 9, 2024, at 7:38 PM, Menos Joven  wrote:
>>
>> Thoroughly enjoyable piece of riding writing. :) Made me feel like I was 
>> on this adventurous romp. I’m new to this group but see there are regular 
>> contributors to help me learn the world of Riv. Thank you.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 6:56:12 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> The sweetest little brother. Ben was an Instagram find, friends! He’s 
>>> still a pup but he is teaching us his ways!
>>>
>>> Let’s keep it fresh!
>>>
>>>
>>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 9:52 PM, Ben R  wrote:
>>>
>>> oh that means so much to me.
>>>
>>> to be considered along side such an amazing, strong, and ground breaking 
>>> group of women. it means a lot.
>>> i cant wait for the invite to the riv sisters group ride and to get 
>>> dropped by the rainbow platty. 
>>> maybe we can urban dictionary new words on the ride to keep it "fresh".
>>>
>>> Ben "little brother" R
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:59:00 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 Ben, we RivSisters do love our Little Brother!

 On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:57:25 PM UTC-7 ben.r...@gmail.com 
 wrote:

> that ride looks absolutely amazing and fun.  so happy to see you 
> taking your self out of the comfort zone and not being afraid to try new 
> things.
> that dirty crust looks rad.  you already know how i feel about it its 
> absolutely *sick.  *you cant trust a clean bike
> but thats the beauty of bikes.  a form of self expression.  much like 
> words, to be used however you want to express whatever you want.
> i guess some people dont see it that way.
>
> leah you're a true inspiration on the bike and a wonder with words. 
>  love reading your ride recap storys.
>
>
> Ben "Wildn" R aka Ben "semi a Riv Sister" R
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:29:03 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com 
> wrote:
>
>> Yeah George I read it. And Liz kind of nailed how I feel. This is 
>> a woman posting about her joyous riding experience. I think anyone who 
>> has 
>> been engaging on this forum will know that Leah is not out on her 
>> rainbow 
>> Platy, raping people in Central park and bragging about in on the RBW 
>> group. Can we just enjoy the ride report and leave out the mansplaining 
>> and 
>> dictionary definitions?
>>
>> And even if you Joe says he's cool with the Ralph Kramden name, it 
>> comes across as mean spirited. And I'm too fond of my pal Joe to let 
>> that 
>> go unsaid. 
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:18:57 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:
>>
>>> National awareness? 
>>> Man I hope the moderator kills this thread soon. It started out as a 
>>> fun joyful ride report and it’s devolved into a bunch of dudes arguing 
>>> about whether or not they would use a word in polite… or maybe less 
>>> than 
>>> polite company, considering. Now I have to go down the whole thread 
>>> just to 
>>> see the fun pictures.
>>>
>>> Go look at the pictures guys, there are Rivendells! There’s 
>>> anodizing! There are joyful people riding bicycles and touching grass.
>>>
>>> Liz
>>>
>>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 16:56, Patrick Moore  wrote:
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>> I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when 
>>> using this term. This is how it came to national awareness: 
>>>
>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_case
>>>
>>> Tragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC 
>>> just ~4 months earlier.
>>>
>>>
>>> -- 
>>>
>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google 
>>> Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
>>>
>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, 
>>> send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
>>> To view this discussion on the web visit 
>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgtZHOuZsmWJgghQZ-XvMWti_KoUR%3D26UMLF_%3DDvREusXQ%40mail.gmail.com
>>>  
>>> 

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Corwin Zechar]

This sounds like a circus version of Critical Mass.

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 8:10:59 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
wrote:

> I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From now 
> on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way past 
> bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it, but 
> it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.
>
> I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. The 
> wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and making 
> everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We have a 
> massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and he 
> brings this:
>
> [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
> You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he 
> does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he 
> planned tonight’s route.
>
> Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures amongst 
> all these GR rabble rousers.
> [image: image2.jpeg]
>
> It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call them 
> The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on them 
> and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off ledges and 
> drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They launch 
> their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is watching. The 
> Jumpers are wilding the hardest. 
>
> I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from The 
> Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home by 
> private vehicle, not ambulance.
>
> We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to all 
> of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 bikes 
> and riders wending through their streets. We ride through neighborhoods 
> (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand River. Everyone 
> stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the path. We get to a 
> pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke and beer drinking. I 
> drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about me. Three men come 
> to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored bits. One of them 
> is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who anodized my rims! 
>  [image: image3.jpeg]
> It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake in 
> his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle me, but he’s 
> done it.
>
> [image: image4.jpeg]
>
> Isn’t it scary how much we have in common?
> [image: image5.jpeg]
>
> At 10pm, good and dark out, we set off. Here was the description of the 
> ride: “…We‘ll head back to the Monarch via a less level and less paved 
> route, so if you’re heading back with us, bring some tires!”
>
> WHAT COULD GO WRONG.
>
> It is the black of night. We are in the middle of nowhere. There are 
> animals in the woods. We are behind a factory of some kind. The parking lot 
> is dirt and full of pot holes. Now there is no road, no buildings. We are 
> in the woods, riding over tall grass. We can see a few feet in front of us, 
> we cannot see the ground through the grass. I am praying not to land in a 
> hole. Now we are in sandy soil, with deep ruts in it. I am thanking my 
> lucky stars that I went with 48mm Gravel Kings. The group is beginning to 
> split as different people set different paces for this terrain. Now we are 
> in rocky dirt with tall grass and brush growing up through it. We are 
> forced to dismount at times, squeeze through narrow spaces. We must lift 
> our bikes up and over obstacles, hoping not to get hit from behind by other 
> riders in the dark. I wonder how many ticks we have, and if I will get my 
> first taste of poison ivy. But, I can’t worry about that now because I have 
> to make it out of here alive first.
>
> I end up at the front of my section. The riders directly behind me have no 
> lights. We are counting on me, and my headlight is pointed too far down and 
> I can’t lift it because it’s screwed tight. So we don’t have a lot of 
> forward visibility. I see something in the dark. The ground starts to drop. 
> “STOP STOP STOP! GET OFF YOUR BIKES!” I yell. Everyone behind me echoes 
> this and I turn on my iPhone flashlight for better viewing. There is a pit 
> just ahead, and an inches-wide beam we are going to have to traverse to get 
> across. I can’t believe it. 
>
> To my left is one 6-8inch wide beam that stretches across a yawning pit. 
> There is another to my right. We are high up enough that there are tree 
> branches reaching across the way. We will use both beams to move everyone 
> across. I have to lift my bike up onto the beam, step up and begin to inch 
> across. The woman behind me lets forth a stream of cuss words. I can hear 
> another woman who is protesting. We don’t have any choice but to traverse 
> that wood. I r

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Chris Halasz]

It's not (just) about the bike. It's about the people you get to know and 
the places you get to go ... faster than walking, and slower than an 
automobile. Perfect! 

Great writing piece Leah. All smiles here. 

On Friday, August 9, 2024 at 5:29:48 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
wrote:

> Welcome, Menos. Whether you just got a Rivendell or you are interested in 
> them, you’ll find a lot of helpful, kind people on the List. I look forward 
> to seeing you around here. Glad you liked this ride story!
> Leah
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Aug 9, 2024, at 7:38 PM, Menos Joven  wrote:
>
> Thoroughly enjoyable piece of riding writing. :) Made me feel like I was 
> on this adventurous romp. I’m new to this group but see there are regular 
> contributors to help me learn the world of Riv. Thank you.
>
>
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 6:56:12 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
> wrote:
>
>> The sweetest little brother. Ben was an Instagram find, friends! He’s 
>> still a pup but he is teaching us his ways!
>>
>> Let’s keep it fresh!
>>
>>
>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 9:52 PM, Ben R  wrote:
>>
>> oh that means so much to me.
>>
>> to be considered along side such an amazing, strong, and ground breaking 
>> group of women. it means a lot.
>> i cant wait for the invite to the riv sisters group ride and to get 
>> dropped by the rainbow platty. 
>> maybe we can urban dictionary new words on the ride to keep it "fresh".
>>
>> Ben "little brother" R
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:59:00 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Ben, we RivSisters do love our Little Brother!
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:57:25 PM UTC-7 ben.r...@gmail.com 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 that ride looks absolutely amazing and fun.  so happy to see you taking 
 your self out of the comfort zone and not being afraid to try new things.
 that dirty crust looks rad.  you already know how i feel about it its 
 absolutely *sick.  *you cant trust a clean bike
 but thats the beauty of bikes.  a form of self expression.  much like 
 words, to be used however you want to express whatever you want.
 i guess some people dont see it that way.

 leah you're a true inspiration on the bike and a wonder with words. 
  love reading your ride recap storys.


 Ben "Wildn" R aka Ben "semi a Riv Sister" R
 On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:29:03 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com 
 wrote:

> Yeah George I read it. And Liz kind of nailed how I feel. This is 
> a woman posting about her joyous riding experience. I think anyone who 
> has 
> been engaging on this forum will know that Leah is not out on her rainbow 
> Platy, raping people in Central park and bragging about in on the RBW 
> group. Can we just enjoy the ride report and leave out the mansplaining 
> and 
> dictionary definitions?
>
> And even if you Joe says he's cool with the Ralph Kramden name, it 
> comes across as mean spirited. And I'm too fond of my pal Joe to let that 
> go unsaid. 
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:18:57 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:
>
>> National awareness? 
>> Man I hope the moderator kills this thread soon. It started out as a 
>> fun joyful ride report and it’s devolved into a bunch of dudes arguing 
>> about whether or not they would use a word in polite… or maybe less than 
>> polite company, considering. Now I have to go down the whole thread just 
>> to 
>> see the fun pictures.
>>
>> Go look at the pictures guys, there are Rivendells! There’s 
>> anodizing! There are joyful people riding bicycles and touching grass.
>>
>> Liz
>>
>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 16:56, Patrick Moore  wrote:
>>
>> 
>>
>> I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when 
>> using this term. This is how it came to national awareness: 
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_case
>>
>> Tragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC 
>> just ~4 months earlier.
>>
>>
>> -- 
>>
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google 
>> Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
>>
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, 
>> send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
>> To view this discussion on the web visit 
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgtZHOuZsmWJgghQZ-XvMWti_KoUR%3D26UMLF_%3DDvREusXQ%40mail.gmail.com
>>  
>> 
>> .
>>
>> -- 
>>
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the 
>> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit 
>> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Leah Peterson]

Welcome, Menos. Whether you just got a Rivendell or you are interested in them, you’ll find a lot of helpful, kind people on the List. I look forward to seeing you around here. Glad you liked this ride story!LeahSent from my iPhoneOn Aug 9, 2024, at 7:38 PM, Menos Joven  wrote:Thoroughly enjoyable piece of riding writing. :) Made me feel like I was on this adventurous romp. I’m new to this group but see there are regular contributors to help me learn the world of Riv. Thank you.On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 6:56:12 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:The sweetest little brother. Ben was an Instagram find, friends! He’s still a pup but he is teaching us his ways!Let’s keep it fresh!On Aug 8, 2024, at 9:52 PM, Ben R  wrote:oh that means so much to me.to be considered along side such an amazing, strong, and ground breaking group of women. it means a lot.i cant wait for the invite to the riv sisters group ride and to get dropped by the rainbow platty. maybe we can urban dictionary new words on the ride to keep it "fresh".Ben "little brother" ROn Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:59:00 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com wrote:Ben, we RivSisters do love our Little Brother!On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:57:25 PM UTC-7 ben.r...@gmail.com wrote:that ride looks absolutely amazing and fun.  so happy to see you taking your self out of the comfort zone and not being afraid to try new things.that dirty crust looks rad.  you already know how i feel about it its absolutely sick.  you cant trust a clean bikebut thats the beauty of bikes.  a form of self _expression_.  much like words, to be used however you want to express whatever you want.i guess some people dont see it that way.leah you're a true inspiration on the bike and a wonder with words.  love reading your ride recap storys.Ben "Wildn" R aka Ben "semi a Riv Sister" ROn Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:29:03 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com wrote:Yeah George I read it. And Liz kind of nailed how I feel. This is a woman posting about her joyous riding experience. I think anyone who has been engaging on this forum will know that Leah is not out on her rainbow Platy, raping people in Central park and bragging about in on the RBW group. Can we just enjoy the ride report and leave out the mansplaining and dictionary definitions?And even if you Joe says he's cool with the Ralph Kramden name, it comes across as mean spirited. And I'm too fond of my pal Joe to let that go unsaid. On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:18:57 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:National awareness? Man I hope the moderator kills this thread soon. It started out as a fun joyful ride report and it’s devolved into a bunch of dudes arguing about whether or not they would use a word in polite… or maybe less than polite company, considering. Now I have to go down the whole thread just to see the fun pictures.Go look at the pictures guys, there are Rivendells! There’s anodizing! There are joyful people riding bicycles and touching grass.LizOn Aug 8, 2024, at 16:56, Patrick Moore  wrote:I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when using this term. This is how it came to national awareness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_caseTragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC just ~4 months earlier.



-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgtZHOuZsmWJgghQZ-XvMWti_KoUR%3D26UMLF_%3DDvREusXQ%40mail.gmail.com.




-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/cCwFnSHq_zc/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/37b3e17a-f12b-4f1f-bb53-11839b7ef63dn%40googlegroups.com.




-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/cCwFnSHq_zc/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/fa193f8f-5fc0-4726-bdd2-fad910992cd4n%40googlegroups.com.




-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit htt

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Menos Joven]

Thoroughly enjoyable piece of riding writing. :) Made me feel like I was on 
this adventurous romp. I’m new to this group but see there are regular 
contributors to help me learn the world of Riv. Thank you.

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 6:56:12 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
wrote:

> The sweetest little brother. Ben was an Instagram find, friends! He’s 
> still a pup but he is teaching us his ways!
>
> Let’s keep it fresh!
>
>
> On Aug 8, 2024, at 9:52 PM, Ben R  wrote:
>
> oh that means so much to me.
>
> to be considered along side such an amazing, strong, and ground breaking 
> group of women. it means a lot.
> i cant wait for the invite to the riv sisters group ride and to get 
> dropped by the rainbow platty. 
> maybe we can urban dictionary new words on the ride to keep it "fresh".
>
> Ben "little brother" R
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:59:00 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com 
> wrote:
>
>> Ben, we RivSisters do love our Little Brother!
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:57:25 PM UTC-7 ben.r...@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>>> that ride looks absolutely amazing and fun.  so happy to see you taking 
>>> your self out of the comfort zone and not being afraid to try new things.
>>> that dirty crust looks rad.  you already know how i feel about it its 
>>> absolutely *sick.  *you cant trust a clean bike
>>> but thats the beauty of bikes.  a form of self expression.  much like 
>>> words, to be used however you want to express whatever you want.
>>> i guess some people dont see it that way.
>>>
>>> leah you're a true inspiration on the bike and a wonder with words. 
>>>  love reading your ride recap storys.
>>>
>>>
>>> Ben "Wildn" R aka Ben "semi a Riv Sister" R
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:29:03 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 Yeah George I read it. And Liz kind of nailed how I feel. This is a 
 woman posting about her joyous riding experience. I think anyone who has 
 been engaging on this forum will know that Leah is not out on her rainbow 
 Platy, raping people in Central park and bragging about in on the RBW 
 group. Can we just enjoy the ride report and leave out the mansplaining 
 and 
 dictionary definitions?

 And even if you Joe says he's cool with the Ralph Kramden name, it 
 comes across as mean spirited. And I'm too fond of my pal Joe to let that 
 go unsaid. 

 On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:18:57 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:

> National awareness? 
> Man I hope the moderator kills this thread soon. It started out as a 
> fun joyful ride report and it’s devolved into a bunch of dudes arguing 
> about whether or not they would use a word in polite… or maybe less than 
> polite company, considering. Now I have to go down the whole thread just 
> to 
> see the fun pictures.
>
> Go look at the pictures guys, there are Rivendells! There’s anodizing! 
> There are joyful people riding bicycles and touching grass.
>
> Liz
>
> On Aug 8, 2024, at 16:56, Patrick Moore  wrote:
>
> 
>
> I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when 
> using this term. This is how it came to national awareness: 
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_case
>
> Tragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC just 
> ~4 months earlier.
>
>
> -- 
>
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google 
> Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
>
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send 
> an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion on the web visit 
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgtZHOuZsmWJgghQZ-XvMWti_KoUR%3D26UMLF_%3DDvREusXQ%40mail.gmail.com
>  
> 
> .
>
> -- 
>
> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the 
> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit 
> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/cCwFnSHq_zc/unsubscribe
> .
> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to 
> rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion on the web visit 
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/37b3e17a-f12b-4f1f-bb53-11839b7ef63dn%40googlegroups.com
>  
> 
> .
>
>

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW 
Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email 
to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on th

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Leah Peterson]

The sweetest little brother. Ben was an Instagram find, friends! He’s still a pup but he is teaching us his ways!Let’s keep it fresh!On Aug 8, 2024, at 9:52 PM, Ben R  wrote:oh that means so much to me.to be considered along side such an amazing, strong, and ground breaking group of women. it means a lot.i cant wait for the invite to the riv sisters group ride and to get dropped by the rainbow platty. maybe we can urban dictionary new words on the ride to keep it "fresh".Ben "little brother" ROn Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:59:00 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com wrote:Ben, we RivSisters do love our Little Brother!On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:57:25 PM UTC-7 ben.r...@gmail.com wrote:that ride looks absolutely amazing and fun.  so happy to see you taking your self out of the comfort zone and not being afraid to try new things.that dirty crust looks rad.  you already know how i feel about it its absolutely sick.  you cant trust a clean bikebut thats the beauty of bikes.  a form of self _expression_.  much like words, to be used however you want to express whatever you want.i guess some people dont see it that way.leah you're a true inspiration on the bike and a wonder with words.  love reading your ride recap storys.Ben "Wildn" R aka Ben "semi a Riv Sister" ROn Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:29:03 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com wrote:Yeah George I read it. And Liz kind of nailed how I feel. This is a woman posting about her joyous riding experience. I think anyone who has been engaging on this forum will know that Leah is not out on her rainbow Platy, raping people in Central park and bragging about in on the RBW group. Can we just enjoy the ride report and leave out the mansplaining and dictionary definitions?And even if you Joe says he's cool with the Ralph Kramden name, it comes across as mean spirited. And I'm too fond of my pal Joe to let that go unsaid. On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:18:57 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:National awareness? Man I hope the moderator kills this thread soon. It started out as a fun joyful ride report and it’s devolved into a bunch of dudes arguing about whether or not they would use a word in polite… or maybe less than polite company, considering. Now I have to go down the whole thread just to see the fun pictures.Go look at the pictures guys, there are Rivendells! There’s anodizing! There are joyful people riding bicycles and touching grass.LizOn Aug 8, 2024, at 16:56, Patrick Moore  wrote:I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when using this term. This is how it came to national awareness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_caseTragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC just ~4 months earlier.



-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgtZHOuZsmWJgghQZ-XvMWti_KoUR%3D26UMLF_%3DDvREusXQ%40mail.gmail.com.




-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/cCwFnSHq_zc/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/37b3e17a-f12b-4f1f-bb53-11839b7ef63dn%40googlegroups.com.




-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/1A1C8D1B-5021-4D7E-8D00-B3DABB997B7E%40gmail.com.

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Cyclofiend Jim]

I generally try to keep a pretty light hand on the tiller of this crazy 
cruise, and I'm genuinely conflicted as to how to handle this thread. 

On one hand, I'd like to lock it and delete the gruffer posts, 

While on the other hand, folks stood up for themselves in an appropriate 
and (so far) respectful manner. It seems like some points have been 
excessively reinforced and need no further embellishment (the first way out 
of a hole is to stop digging).. And some folks found terminology to be 
triggering, so I want to respect that also. 

One tenet I've mentioned probably too infrequently here is the idea that we 
are all going to express ourselves poorly from time to time, and if we can 
give one another the space to do that, it's for the benefit of all. 

If this thread devolves into personal invective, it'll get sliced up and 
locked. But if we can take a deep breath and step back, I'd rather get back 
to appreciating the _spirit_ of the original post. 

We'll see how that goes, yeah?

- Jim / list admin

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 6:40:07 PM UTC-7 Brian Campbell wrote:

> Agree with George. 
>
> While there is no ill-will intended,  as victim of wilding incident a few 
> decades ago, you are sending a message that you might not want to! 
>
> My wife's broken nose can attest to that!
>
>
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:15:18 PM UTC-4 George Schick wrote:
>
>> Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. Here is 
>> the standard definition for that term:
>>
>> https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
>> The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.
>>
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From 
>>> now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way 
>>> past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it, 
>>> but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.
>>>
>>> I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. 
>>> The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and 
>>> making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We have 
>>> a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and he 
>>> brings this:
>>>
>>> [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
>>> You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he 
>>> does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he 
>>> planned tonight’s route.
>>>
>>> Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures 
>>> amongst all these GR rabble rousers.
>>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>>>
>>> It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call 
>>> them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on 
>>> them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off ledges 
>>> and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They 
>>> launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is 
>>> watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest. 
>>>
>>> I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from The 
>>> Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home by 
>>> private vehicle, not ambulance.
>>>
>>> We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to 
>>> all of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 
>>> bikes and riders wending through their streets. We ride through 
>>> neighborhoods (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand 
>>> River. Everyone stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the 
>>> path. We get to a pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke and 
>>> beer drinking. I drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about me. 
>>> Three men come to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored 
>>> bits. One of them is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who anodized 
>>> my rims! 
>>>  [image: image3.jpeg]
>>> It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake 
>>> in his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle me, but 
>>> he’s done it.
>>>
>>> [image: image4.jpeg]
>>>
>>> Isn’t it scary how much we have in common?
>>> [image: image5.jpeg]
>>>
>>> At 10pm, good and dark out, we set off. Here was the description of the 
>>> ride: “…We‘ll head back to the Monarch via a less level and less paved 
>>> route, so if you’re heading back with us, bring some tires!”
>>>
>>> WHAT COULD GO WRONG.
>>>
>>> It is the black of night. We are in the middle of nowhere. There are 
>>> animals in the woods. We are behind a factory of some kind. The parking lot 
>>> is dirt and full of pot holes. Now there is no road, no buildings. We are 
>>> in the woods, riding ove

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Ben R]

oh that means so much to me.
to be considered along side such an amazing, strong, and ground breaking 
group of women. it means a lot.
i cant wait for the invite to the riv sisters group ride and to get dropped 
by the rainbow platty. 
maybe we can urban dictionary new words on the ride to keep it "fresh".

Ben "little brother" R

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:59:00 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com wrote:

> Ben, we RivSisters do love our Little Brother!
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:57:25 PM UTC-7 ben.r...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> that ride looks absolutely amazing and fun.  so happy to see you taking 
>> your self out of the comfort zone and not being afraid to try new things.
>> that dirty crust looks rad.  you already know how i feel about it its 
>> absolutely *sick.  *you cant trust a clean bike
>> but thats the beauty of bikes.  a form of self expression.  much like 
>> words, to be used however you want to express whatever you want.
>> i guess some people dont see it that way.
>>
>> leah you're a true inspiration on the bike and a wonder with words.  love 
>> reading your ride recap storys.
>>
>>
>> Ben "Wildn" R aka Ben "semi a Riv Sister" R
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:29:03 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Yeah George I read it. And Liz kind of nailed how I feel. This is a 
>>> woman posting about her joyous riding experience. I think anyone who has 
>>> been engaging on this forum will know that Leah is not out on her rainbow 
>>> Platy, raping people in Central park and bragging about in on the RBW 
>>> group. Can we just enjoy the ride report and leave out the mansplaining and 
>>> dictionary definitions?
>>>
>>> And even if you Joe says he's cool with the Ralph Kramden name, it comes 
>>> across as mean spirited. And I'm too fond of my pal Joe to let that go 
>>> unsaid. 
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:18:57 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:
>>>
 National awareness? 
 Man I hope the moderator kills this thread soon. It started out as a 
 fun joyful ride report and it’s devolved into a bunch of dudes arguing 
 about whether or not they would use a word in polite… or maybe less than 
 polite company, considering. Now I have to go down the whole thread just 
 to 
 see the fun pictures.

 Go look at the pictures guys, there are Rivendells! There’s anodizing! 
 There are joyful people riding bicycles and touching grass.

 Liz

 On Aug 8, 2024, at 16:56, Patrick Moore  wrote:

 

 I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when 
 using this term. This is how it came to national awareness: 

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_case

 Tragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC just 
 ~4 months earlier.


 -- 

 You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google 
 Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.

 To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send 
 an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
 To view this discussion on the web visit 
 https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgtZHOuZsmWJgghQZ-XvMWti_KoUR%3D26UMLF_%3DDvREusXQ%40mail.gmail.com
  
 
 .



-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW 
Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email 
to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/37b3e17a-f12b-4f1f-bb53-11839b7ef63dn%40googlegroups.com.

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Brian Campbell]

Agree with George. 

While there is no ill-will intended,  as victim of wilding incident a few 
decades ago, you are sending a message that you might not want to! 

My wife's broken nose can attest to that!



On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:15:18 PM UTC-4 George Schick wrote:

> Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. Here is 
> the standard definition for that term:
>
> https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
> The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.
>
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
> wrote:
>
>> I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From 
>> now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way 
>> past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it, 
>> but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.
>>
>> I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. The 
>> wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and making 
>> everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We have a 
>> massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and he 
>> brings this:
>>
>> [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
>> You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he 
>> does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he 
>> planned tonight’s route.
>>
>> Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures amongst 
>> all these GR rabble rousers.
>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>>
>> It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call 
>> them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on 
>> them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off ledges 
>> and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They 
>> launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is 
>> watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest. 
>>
>> I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from The 
>> Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home by 
>> private vehicle, not ambulance.
>>
>> We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to all 
>> of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 bikes 
>> and riders wending through their streets. We ride through neighborhoods 
>> (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand River. Everyone 
>> stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the path. We get to a 
>> pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke and beer drinking. I 
>> drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about me. Three men come 
>> to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored bits. One of them 
>> is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who anodized my rims! 
>>  [image: image3.jpeg]
>> It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake in 
>> his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle me, but he’s 
>> done it.
>>
>> [image: image4.jpeg]
>>
>> Isn’t it scary how much we have in common?
>> [image: image5.jpeg]
>>
>> At 10pm, good and dark out, we set off. Here was the description of the 
>> ride: “…We‘ll head back to the Monarch via a less level and less paved 
>> route, so if you’re heading back with us, bring some tires!”
>>
>> WHAT COULD GO WRONG.
>>
>> It is the black of night. We are in the middle of nowhere. There are 
>> animals in the woods. We are behind a factory of some kind. The parking lot 
>> is dirt and full of pot holes. Now there is no road, no buildings. We are 
>> in the woods, riding over tall grass. We can see a few feet in front of us, 
>> we cannot see the ground through the grass. I am praying not to land in a 
>> hole. Now we are in sandy soil, with deep ruts in it. I am thanking my 
>> lucky stars that I went with 48mm Gravel Kings. The group is beginning to 
>> split as different people set different paces for this terrain. Now we are 
>> in rocky dirt with tall grass and brush growing up through it. We are 
>> forced to dismount at times, squeeze through narrow spaces. We must lift 
>> our bikes up and over obstacles, hoping not to get hit from behind by other 
>> riders in the dark. I wonder how many ticks we have, and if I will get my 
>> first taste of poison ivy. But, I can’t worry about that now because I have 
>> to make it out of here alive first.
>>
>> I end up at the front of my section. The riders directly behind me have 
>> no lights. We are counting on me, and my headlight is pointed too far down 
>> and I can’t lift it because it’s screwed tight. So we don’t have a lot of 
>> forward visibility. I see something in the dark. The ground starts to drop. 
>> “STOP STOP STOP! GET OFF YOUR BIKES!” I yell. Everyone behind me echoes 
>> thi

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Doug H.]

Leah, that trek across that narrow plank sounds crazy holding a bicycle! 
The rest of it sounded fun and adventurous. I need to do more night riding. 
The little I've done was great. Riding after dark has a cool vibe. 
Doug

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 8:59:00 PM UTC-4 sarahlik...@gmail.com wrote:

> Ben, we RivSisters do love our Little Brother!
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:57:25 PM UTC-7 ben.r...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> that ride looks absolutely amazing and fun.  so happy to see you taking 
>> your self out of the comfort zone and not being afraid to try new things.
>> that dirty crust looks rad.  you already know how i feel about it its 
>> absolutely *sick.  *you cant trust a clean bike
>> but thats the beauty of bikes.  a form of self expression.  much like 
>> words, to be used however you want to express whatever you want.
>> i guess some people dont see it that way.
>>
>> leah you're a true inspiration on the bike and a wonder with words.  love 
>> reading your ride recap storys.
>>
>>
>> Ben "Wildn" R aka Ben "semi a Riv Sister" R
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:29:03 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Yeah George I read it. And Liz kind of nailed how I feel. This is a 
>>> woman posting about her joyous riding experience. I think anyone who has 
>>> been engaging on this forum will know that Leah is not out on her rainbow 
>>> Platy, raping people in Central park and bragging about in on the RBW 
>>> group. Can we just enjoy the ride report and leave out the mansplaining and 
>>> dictionary definitions?
>>>
>>> And even if you Joe says he's cool with the Ralph Kramden name, it comes 
>>> across as mean spirited. And I'm too fond of my pal Joe to let that go 
>>> unsaid. 
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:18:57 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:
>>>
 National awareness? 
 Man I hope the moderator kills this thread soon. It started out as a 
 fun joyful ride report and it’s devolved into a bunch of dudes arguing 
 about whether or not they would use a word in polite… or maybe less than 
 polite company, considering. Now I have to go down the whole thread just 
 to 
 see the fun pictures.

 Go look at the pictures guys, there are Rivendells! There’s anodizing! 
 There are joyful people riding bicycles and touching grass.

 Liz

 On Aug 8, 2024, at 16:56, Patrick Moore  wrote:

 

 I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when 
 using this term. This is how it came to national awareness: 

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_case

 Tragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC just 
 ~4 months earlier.


 -- 

 You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google 
 Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.

 To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send 
 an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
 To view this discussion on the web visit 
 https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgtZHOuZsmWJgghQZ-XvMWti_KoUR%3D26UMLF_%3DDvREusXQ%40mail.gmail.com
  
 
 .



-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW 
Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email 
to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/8909b72f-45db-438b-8173-1c5274514d3fn%40googlegroups.com.

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Sarah Carlson]

Ben, we RivSisters do love our Little Brother!

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:57:25 PM UTC-7 ben.r...@gmail.com wrote:

> that ride looks absolutely amazing and fun.  so happy to see you taking 
> your self out of the comfort zone and not being afraid to try new things.
> that dirty crust looks rad.  you already know how i feel about it its 
> absolutely *sick.  *you cant trust a clean bike
> but thats the beauty of bikes.  a form of self expression.  much like 
> words, to be used however you want to express whatever you want.
> i guess some people dont see it that way.
>
> leah you're a true inspiration on the bike and a wonder with words.  love 
> reading your ride recap storys.
>
>
> Ben "Wildn" R aka Ben "semi a Riv Sister" R
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:29:03 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com 
> wrote:
>
>> Yeah George I read it. And Liz kind of nailed how I feel. This is a 
>> woman posting about her joyous riding experience. I think anyone who has 
>> been engaging on this forum will know that Leah is not out on her rainbow 
>> Platy, raping people in Central park and bragging about in on the RBW 
>> group. Can we just enjoy the ride report and leave out the mansplaining and 
>> dictionary definitions?
>>
>> And even if you Joe says he's cool with the Ralph Kramden name, it comes 
>> across as mean spirited. And I'm too fond of my pal Joe to let that go 
>> unsaid. 
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:18:57 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:
>>
>>> National awareness? 
>>> Man I hope the moderator kills this thread soon. It started out as a fun 
>>> joyful ride report and it’s devolved into a bunch of dudes arguing about 
>>> whether or not they would use a word in polite… or maybe less than polite 
>>> company, considering. Now I have to go down the whole thread just to see 
>>> the fun pictures.
>>>
>>> Go look at the pictures guys, there are Rivendells! There’s anodizing! 
>>> There are joyful people riding bicycles and touching grass.
>>>
>>> Liz
>>>
>>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 16:56, Patrick Moore  wrote:
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>> I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when 
>>> using this term. This is how it came to national awareness: 
>>>
>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_case
>>>
>>> Tragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC just 
>>> ~4 months earlier.
>>>
>>>
>>> -- 
>>>
>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google 
>>> Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
>>>
>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send 
>>> an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
>>> To view this discussion on the web visit 
>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgtZHOuZsmWJgghQZ-XvMWti_KoUR%3D26UMLF_%3DDvREusXQ%40mail.gmail.com
>>>  
>>> 
>>> .
>>>
>>>

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW 
Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email 
to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/6616e921-bdee-475e-bf0c-ce87987564d8n%40googlegroups.com.

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Ben R]

that ride looks absolutely amazing and fun.  so happy to see you taking 
your self out of the comfort zone and not being afraid to try new things.
that dirty crust looks rad.  you already know how i feel about it its 
absolutely *sick.  *you cant trust a clean bike
but thats the beauty of bikes.  a form of self expression.  much like 
words, to be used however you want to express whatever you want.
i guess some people dont see it that way.

leah you're a true inspiration on the bike and a wonder with words.  love 
reading your ride recap storys.


Ben "Wildn" R aka Ben "semi a Riv Sister" R
On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:29:03 PM UTC-7 sarahlik...@gmail.com wrote:

> Yeah George I read it. And Liz kind of nailed how I feel. This is a 
> woman posting about her joyous riding experience. I think anyone who has 
> been engaging on this forum will know that Leah is not out on her rainbow 
> Platy, raping people in Central park and bragging about in on the RBW 
> group. Can we just enjoy the ride report and leave out the mansplaining and 
> dictionary definitions?
>
> And even if you Joe says he's cool with the Ralph Kramden name, it comes 
> across as mean spirited. And I'm too fond of my pal Joe to let that go 
> unsaid. 
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:18:57 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:
>
>> National awareness? 
>> Man I hope the moderator kills this thread soon. It started out as a fun 
>> joyful ride report and it’s devolved into a bunch of dudes arguing about 
>> whether or not they would use a word in polite… or maybe less than polite 
>> company, considering. Now I have to go down the whole thread just to see 
>> the fun pictures.
>>
>> Go look at the pictures guys, there are Rivendells! There’s anodizing! 
>> There are joyful people riding bicycles and touching grass.
>>
>> Liz
>>
>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 16:56, Patrick Moore  wrote:
>>
>> 
>>
>> I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when using 
>> this term. This is how it came to national awareness: 
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_case
>>
>> Tragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC just ~4 
>> months earlier.
>>
>>
>> -- 
>>
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 
>> "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
>>
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an 
>> email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
>> To view this discussion on the web visit 
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgtZHOuZsmWJgghQZ-XvMWti_KoUR%3D26UMLF_%3DDvREusXQ%40mail.gmail.com
>>  
>> 
>> .
>>
>>

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW 
Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email 
to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/9bacd0cf-b40e-49ac-b09a-4affd6a08494n%40googlegroups.com.

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Leah Peterson]

When a man tells me to watch my language, I’ll consider the source. Joe = Friend to RivSisters. Hate to tally up the hours he’s spent helping me solve bike problems. All that knowledge-sharing, and never been mean-spirited. If Joe said, “Hey I think you might want to rephrase that,” I probably would. George calls Joe Ralph Kramden and me Annie Oakley, and I don’t think it’s meant to build us up. Furthermore, I’ve shown myself to be of good character over my many years on this List, and I doubt any of you actually think I’m out breaking the law.So, on Wednesday Evening Rides, I’m going wilding. You aren’t going to police my language, and especially if I know you to be someone who takes pleasure in putting others back in their places. I wrote you a beautiful piece with a fresh take on the traditional “ride reports” but no one has to read it. You can go back to the FS posts and the WTB post...there are so many. Also: RivSisters. I love you so. LeahOn Aug 8, 2024, at 8:29 PM, Sarah Carlson  wrote:Yeah George I read it. And Liz kind of nailed how I feel. This is a woman posting about her joyous riding experience. I think anyone who has been engaging on this forum will know that Leah is not out on her rainbow Platy, raping people in Central park and bragging about in on the RBW group. Can we just enjoy the ride report and leave out the mansplaining and dictionary definitions?And even if you Joe says he's cool with the Ralph Kramden name, it comes across as mean spirited. And I'm too fond of my pal Joe to let that go unsaid. On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:18:57 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:National awareness? Man I hope the moderator kills this thread soon. It started out as a fun joyful ride report and it’s devolved into a bunch of dudes arguing about whether or not they would use a word in polite… or maybe less than polite company, considering. Now I have to go down the whole thread just to see the fun pictures.Go look at the pictures guys, there are Rivendells! There’s anodizing! There are joyful people riding bicycles and touching grass.LizOn Aug 8, 2024, at 16:56, Patrick Moore  wrote:I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when using this term. This is how it came to national awareness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_caseTragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC just ~4 months earlier.



-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgtZHOuZsmWJgghQZ-XvMWti_KoUR%3D26UMLF_%3DDvREusXQ%40mail.gmail.com.




-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/cCwFnSHq_zc/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/e386eeb9-dcce-43cc-a685-d97ffd05808an%40googlegroups.com.




-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/61158A5E-4FFC-41D9-9A09-A3B10829C622%40gmail.com.

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Doug H.]

Fantastic ride report on your Rivendell. Don't let the grumpy old men get 
you down. It's not worth it.
Doug

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 8:29:03 PM UTC-4 sarahlik...@gmail.com wrote:

> Yeah George I read it. And Liz kind of nailed how I feel. This is a 
> woman posting about her joyous riding experience. I think anyone who has 
> been engaging on this forum will know that Leah is not out on her rainbow 
> Platy, raping people in Central park and bragging about in on the RBW 
> group. Can we just enjoy the ride report and leave out the mansplaining and 
> dictionary definitions?
>
> And even if you Joe says he's cool with the Ralph Kramden name, it comes 
> across as mean spirited. And I'm too fond of my pal Joe to let that go 
> unsaid. 
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:18:57 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:
>
>> National awareness? 
>> Man I hope the moderator kills this thread soon. It started out as a fun 
>> joyful ride report and it’s devolved into a bunch of dudes arguing about 
>> whether or not they would use a word in polite… or maybe less than polite 
>> company, considering. Now I have to go down the whole thread just to see 
>> the fun pictures.
>>
>> Go look at the pictures guys, there are Rivendells! There’s anodizing! 
>> There are joyful people riding bicycles and touching grass.
>>
>> Liz
>>
>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 16:56, Patrick Moore  wrote:
>>
>> 
>>
>> I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when using 
>> this term. This is how it came to national awareness: 
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_case
>>
>> Tragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC just ~4 
>> months earlier.
>>
>>
>> -- 
>>
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 
>> "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
>>
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an 
>> email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
>> To view this discussion on the web visit 
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgtZHOuZsmWJgghQZ-XvMWti_KoUR%3D26UMLF_%3DDvREusXQ%40mail.gmail.com
>>  
>> 
>> .
>>
>>

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW 
Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email 
to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/56c67863-4fc5-437b-952a-01155db3f313n%40googlegroups.com.

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Sarah Carlson]

Yeah George I read it. And Liz kind of nailed how I feel. This is a 
woman posting about her joyous riding experience. I think anyone who has 
been engaging on this forum will know that Leah is not out on her rainbow 
Platy, raping people in Central park and bragging about in on the RBW 
group. Can we just enjoy the ride report and leave out the mansplaining and 
dictionary definitions?

And even if you Joe says he's cool with the Ralph Kramden name, it comes 
across as mean spirited. And I'm too fond of my pal Joe to let that go 
unsaid. 

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:18:57 PM UTC-7 Lucky wrote:

> National awareness? 
> Man I hope the moderator kills this thread soon. It started out as a fun 
> joyful ride report and it’s devolved into a bunch of dudes arguing about 
> whether or not they would use a word in polite… or maybe less than polite 
> company, considering. Now I have to go down the whole thread just to see 
> the fun pictures.
>
> Go look at the pictures guys, there are Rivendells! There’s anodizing! 
> There are joyful people riding bicycles and touching grass.
>
> Liz
>
> On Aug 8, 2024, at 16:56, Patrick Moore  wrote:
>
> 
>
> I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when using 
> this term. This is how it came to national awareness: 
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_case
>
> Tragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC just ~4 
> months earlier.
>
>
> -- 
>
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 
> "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
>
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an 
> email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion on the web visit 
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgtZHOuZsmWJgghQZ-XvMWti_KoUR%3D26UMLF_%3DDvREusXQ%40mail.gmail.com
>  
> 
> .
>
>

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW 
Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email 
to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/e386eeb9-dcce-43cc-a685-d97ffd05808an%40googlegroups.com.

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[luckyturnip]

National awareness? Man I hope the moderator kills this thread soon. It started out as a fun joyful ride report and it’s devolved into a bunch of dudes arguing about whether or not they would use a word in polite… or maybe less than polite company, considering. Now I have to go down the whole thread just to see the fun pictures.Go look at the pictures guys, there are Rivendells! There’s anodizing! There are joyful people riding bicycles and touching grass.LizOn Aug 8, 2024, at 16:56, Patrick Moore  wrote:I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when using this term. This is how it came to national awareness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_caseTragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC just ~4 months earlier.



-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgtZHOuZsmWJgghQZ-XvMWti_KoUR%3D26UMLF_%3DDvREusXQ%40mail.gmail.com.




-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/34EBCE06-29E3-4B8E-8BED-DA3C67B08999%40gmail.com.

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[George Schick]

Nope.  If you've read through the entire thread you'd see that the name 
"Ralph Kramden" simply refers to a character in a 50's sitcom who was  a 
big city bus driver, played by actor Jackie Gleason.  I've given him that 
nick name because Joe is, in fact, a big city bus driver.  It's a kind of 
witticism and Joe is aware of it and accepting of it.  OTOH, yes Joe has 
been a big supporter of many on this blog and he's to be commended for his 
enthusiasm.  The fact that "...I was not surprised..." to see Joe's 
affirmation was for that very reason, especially when it comes to things 
that Leah says or does.

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 6:52:12 PM UTC-5 sarahlik...@gmail.com wrote:

> George, I am also not surprised to see Joe chime in with an affirmation. 
> Joe has been a pretty darn enthusiastic supporter of people having joyous 
> experiences riding. He's personally given me some very useful technical 
> information and helped me perfectly dial in the gearing on my Homer. Is 
> that what Ralph Kramden means? 
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:18:44 AM UTC-7 George Schick wrote:
>
>> I'm not surprised to see an affirmation from Ralph Kramden.  I was only 
>> trying to advise caution because some people may get the wrong impression 
>> by the use of that term.
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:09:13 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote:
>>
>>> Leah if you want to go on a violent rampage I say party on, sister. Who 
>>> am I to judge??! 🤷
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 9:42:31 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 That cut off. It was supposed to say, It’s the only wilding I’ve ever 
 done in my life, let me have this!

 On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:29 PM, Leah Peterson  wrote:

 
 Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the more 


 On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick  wrote:

 Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. Here 
 is the standard definition for that term:

 https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
 The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.


 On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding 
 Ding! wrote:

> I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From 
> now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way 
> past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating 
> it, 
> but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.
>
> I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. 
> The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and 
> making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We 
> have 
> a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and 
> he 
> brings this:
>
> [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
> You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that 
> he does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he 
> planned tonight’s route.
>
> Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures 
> amongst all these GR rabble rousers.
> [image: image2.jpeg]
>
> It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call 
> them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa 
> on 
> them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off 
> ledges 
> and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They 
> launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is 
> watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest. 
>
> I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from 
> The Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home 
> by private vehicle, not ambulance.
>
> We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to 
> all of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 
> bikes and riders wending through their streets. We ride through 
> neighborhoods (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand 
> River. Everyone stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the 
> path. We get to a pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke 
> and 
> beer drinking. I drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about 
> me. 
> Three men come to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored 
> bits. One of them is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who 
> anodized 
> my rims! 
>  [image: image3.jpeg]
> It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake 
> in his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle 

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Patrick Moore]

Sorry, Central Park, not Rock Creek Park. Still, 1989.

On Thu, Aug 8, 2024 at 5:56 PM Patrick Moore  wrote:

> I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when using
> this term. This is how it came to national awareness:
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_case
>
> Tragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC just ~4
> months earlier.
>
>
>

-- 

Patrick Moore
Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum
---

Executive resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, letters, and other writing
services

---

*When thou didst not, savage, k**now thine own meaning,*

*But wouldst gabble like a** thing most brutish,*

*I endowed thy purposes w**ith words that made them known.*

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW 
Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email 
to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgvSBTeJpaN%3DyvzgJqWyg-%2BpekFvNOdvRkGginbJ8kUUxA%40mail.gmail.com.

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Patrick Moore]

I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when using
this term. This is how it came to national awareness:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_case

Tragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC just ~4
months earlier.

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW 
Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email 
to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgtZHOuZsmWJgghQZ-XvMWti_KoUR%3D26UMLF_%3DDvREusXQ%40mail.gmail.com.

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Sarah Carlson]

George, I am also not surprised to see Joe chime in with an affirmation. 
Joe has been a pretty darn enthusiastic supporter of people having joyous 
experiences riding. He's personally given me some very useful technical 
information and helped me perfectly dial in the gearing on my Homer. Is 
that what Ralph Kramden means? 

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:18:44 AM UTC-7 George Schick wrote:

> I'm not surprised to see an affirmation from Ralph Kramden.  I was only 
> trying to advise caution because some people may get the wrong impression 
> by the use of that term.
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:09:13 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote:
>
>> Leah if you want to go on a violent rampage I say party on, sister. Who 
>> am I to judge??! 🤷
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 9:42:31 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> That cut off. It was supposed to say, It’s the only wilding I’ve ever 
>>> done in my life, let me have this!
>>>
>>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:29 PM, Leah Peterson  wrote:
>>>
>>> 
>>> Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the more 
>>>
>>>
>>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick  wrote:
>>>
>>> Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. Here 
>>> is the standard definition for that term:
>>>
>>> https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
>>> The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding 
>>> Ding! wrote:
>>>
 I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From 
 now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way 
 past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it, 
 but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.

 I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. 
 The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and 
 making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We 
 have 
 a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and 
 he 
 brings this:

 [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
 You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he 
 does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he 
 planned tonight’s route.

 Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures 
 amongst all these GR rabble rousers.
 [image: image2.jpeg]

 It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call 
 them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on 
 them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off 
 ledges 
 and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They 
 launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is 
 watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest. 

 I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from 
 The Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home 
 by private vehicle, not ambulance.

 We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to 
 all of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 
 bikes and riders wending through their streets. We ride through 
 neighborhoods (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand 
 River. Everyone stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the 
 path. We get to a pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke and 
 beer drinking. I drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about 
 me. 
 Three men come to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored 
 bits. One of them is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who anodized 
 my rims! 
  [image: image3.jpeg]
 It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake 
 in his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle me, but 
 he’s done it.

 [image: image4.jpeg]

 Isn’t it scary how much we have in common?
 [image: image5.jpeg]

 At 10pm, good and dark out, we set off. Here was the description of the 
 ride: “…We‘ll head back to the Monarch via a less level and less paved 
 route, so if you’re heading back with us, bring some tires!”

 WHAT COULD GO WRONG.

 It is the black of night. We are in the middle of nowhere. There are 
 animals in the woods. We are behind a factory of some kind. The parking 
 lot 
 is dirt and full of pot holes. Now there is no road, no buildings. We are 
 in the woods, riding over tall grass. We can see a few feet in front of 
 us, 
 we cannot see the ground through the grass. I am praying not to land in a 
 

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Steve]

"...not everyone gets on board to changed definitions and meanings 
simultaneously.  Therefore, things can be taken the wrong way by some..."

George - all true.  Didn't mean it to come across as a critique of the 
points you made (though I can see how it might have). Just wanted to affirm 
Leah's delightful bit of writing.

Take care, Steve
On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:27:56 PM UTC-4 Jay wrote:

> The part about riding in the dark, the pit, the beam, I was reading on the 
> edge of my seat wondering if it all ended in a bloody mess.  Glad it didn't 
> ;-)
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:21:57 PM UTC-4 Joe Bernard wrote:
>
>> I was wilding on my bus today. Sheer mayhem!!! 💥💥💥
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:44:44 PM UTC-7 Steve wrote:
>>
>>> Linguistic scholars recognize that the meanings associated with words 
>>> often evolve over time, with the changes being driven by culture.   Leah, 
>>> as far as I'm concerned, you have nudged the definition of "wilding" toward 
>>> a new meaning.  
>>>
>>> I say, right on, far out and totally cool, it's time to get down and 
>>> dirty with some righteous WILDING !!!   
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 1:51:35 PM UTC-4 George Schick wrote:
>>>
 A year or two ago there was a thread involving the problems associated 
 with the placement of a long wheel based bikes on the front of urban 
 buses. 
 Joe chimed in to offer his expertise on the discussion because he is a 
 city 
 bus driver (not sure which city).  So I posted a reply intending to be 
 humorous, asking him if it would be OK if I referred to him as Ralph 
 Kramden, a character in an old 1950's comedy series in which Jackie 
 Gleason 
 played the part of a NYC bus driver in the sitcom.  He got the spirit of 
 that label right away and said it would be fine with him.  So I use it 
 whenever it seems appropriate in a blog thread. 

 On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:33:11 PM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding 
 Ding! wrote:

> Did you just call him Ralph Kramden? I had to look that up, but seems 
> mean-spirited. Well, you have to look at yourself in the mirror every day 
> and live with that, George. If I’m misunderstanding , I apologize. 
> Leah
>
> On Aug 8, 2024, at 1:18 PM, George Schick  wrote:
>
> I'm not surprised to see an affirmation from Ralph Kramden.  I was 
> only trying to advise caution because some people may get the wrong 
> impression by the use of that term.
>
>
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:09:13 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote:
>
>> Leah if you want to go on a violent rampage I say party on, sister. 
>> Who am I to judge??! 🤷
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 9:42:31 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
>> Ding! wrote:
>>
>>> That cut off. It was supposed to say, It’s the only wilding I’ve 
>>> ever done in my life, let me have this!
>>>
>>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:29 PM, Leah Peterson  
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> 
>>> Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the more 
>>>
>>>
>>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick  wrote:
>>>
>>> Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. 
>>> Here is the standard definition for that term:
>>>
>>> https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
>>> The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding 
>>> Ding! wrote:
>>>
 I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. 
 From now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See 
 you 
 way past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be 
 misappropriating 
 it, but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.

 I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll 
 up. The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear 
 wheels and 
 making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We 
 have 
 a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, 
 and he 
 brings this:

 [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
 You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and 
 that he does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear 
 since 
 he planned tonight’s route.

 Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures 
 amongst all these GR rabble rousers.
 [image: image2.jpeg]

 It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I 
 call them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with n

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Jay]

The part about riding in the dark, the pit, the beam, I was reading on the 
edge of my seat wondering if it all ended in a bloody mess.  Glad it didn't 
;-)

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 5:21:57 PM UTC-4 Joe Bernard wrote:

> I was wilding on my bus today. Sheer mayhem!!! 💥💥💥
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:44:44 PM UTC-7 Steve wrote:
>
>> Linguistic scholars recognize that the meanings associated with words 
>> often evolve over time, with the changes being driven by culture.   Leah, 
>> as far as I'm concerned, you have nudged the definition of "wilding" toward 
>> a new meaning.  
>>
>> I say, right on, far out and totally cool, it's time to get down and 
>> dirty with some righteous WILDING !!!   
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 1:51:35 PM UTC-4 George Schick wrote:
>>
>>> A year or two ago there was a thread involving the problems associated 
>>> with the placement of a long wheel based bikes on the front of urban buses. 
>>> Joe chimed in to offer his expertise on the discussion because he is a city 
>>> bus driver (not sure which city).  So I posted a reply intending to be 
>>> humorous, asking him if it would be OK if I referred to him as Ralph 
>>> Kramden, a character in an old 1950's comedy series in which Jackie Gleason 
>>> played the part of a NYC bus driver in the sitcom.  He got the spirit of 
>>> that label right away and said it would be fine with him.  So I use it 
>>> whenever it seems appropriate in a blog thread. 
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:33:11 PM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding 
>>> Ding! wrote:
>>>
 Did you just call him Ralph Kramden? I had to look that up, but seems 
 mean-spirited. Well, you have to look at yourself in the mirror every day 
 and live with that, George. If I’m misunderstanding , I apologize. 
 Leah

 On Aug 8, 2024, at 1:18 PM, George Schick  wrote:

 I'm not surprised to see an affirmation from Ralph Kramden.  I was 
 only trying to advise caution because some people may get the wrong 
 impression by the use of that term.



 On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:09:13 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote:

> Leah if you want to go on a violent rampage I say party on, sister. 
> Who am I to judge??! 🤷
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 9:42:31 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
> Ding! wrote:
>
>> That cut off. It was supposed to say, It’s the only wilding I’ve ever 
>> done in my life, let me have this!
>>
>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:29 PM, Leah Peterson  
>> wrote:
>>
>> 
>> Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the more 
>>
>>
>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick  wrote:
>>
>> Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. 
>> Here is the standard definition for that term:
>>
>> https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
>> The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.
>>
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding 
>> Ding! wrote:
>>
>>> I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. 
>>> From now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See 
>>> you 
>>> way past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be 
>>> misappropriating 
>>> it, but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.
>>>
>>> I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll 
>>> up. The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels 
>>> and 
>>> making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We 
>>> have 
>>> a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, 
>>> and he 
>>> brings this:
>>>
>>> [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
>>> You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that 
>>> he does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he 
>>> planned tonight’s route.
>>>
>>> Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures 
>>> amongst all these GR rabble rousers.
>>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>>>
>>> It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I 
>>> call them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like 
>>> Salsa on them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They 
>>> fly 
>>> off ledges and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to 
>>> death. 
>>> They launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is 
>>> watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest. 
>>>
>>> I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from 
>>> The Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go 
>>> home 
>>> by private vehicle

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Joe Bernard]

I was wilding on my bus today. Sheer mayhem!!! 💥💥💥

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:44:44 PM UTC-7 Steve wrote:

> Linguistic scholars recognize that the meanings associated with words 
> often evolve over time, with the changes being driven by culture.   Leah, 
> as far as I'm concerned, you have nudged the definition of "wilding" toward 
> a new meaning.  
>
> I say, right on, far out and totally cool, it's time to get down and dirty 
> with some righteous WILDING !!!   
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 1:51:35 PM UTC-4 George Schick wrote:
>
>> A year or two ago there was a thread involving the problems associated 
>> with the placement of a long wheel based bikes on the front of urban buses. 
>> Joe chimed in to offer his expertise on the discussion because he is a city 
>> bus driver (not sure which city).  So I posted a reply intending to be 
>> humorous, asking him if it would be OK if I referred to him as Ralph 
>> Kramden, a character in an old 1950's comedy series in which Jackie Gleason 
>> played the part of a NYC bus driver in the sitcom.  He got the spirit of 
>> that label right away and said it would be fine with him.  So I use it 
>> whenever it seems appropriate in a blog thread. 
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:33:11 PM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Did you just call him Ralph Kramden? I had to look that up, but seems 
>>> mean-spirited. Well, you have to look at yourself in the mirror every day 
>>> and live with that, George. If I’m misunderstanding , I apologize. 
>>> Leah
>>>
>>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 1:18 PM, George Schick  wrote:
>>>
>>> I'm not surprised to see an affirmation from Ralph Kramden.  I was only 
>>> trying to advise caution because some people may get the wrong impression 
>>> by the use of that term.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:09:13 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote:
>>>
 Leah if you want to go on a violent rampage I say party on, sister. Who 
 am I to judge??! 🤷

 On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 9:42:31 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
 Ding! wrote:

> That cut off. It was supposed to say, It’s the only wilding I’ve ever 
> done in my life, let me have this!
>
> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:29 PM, Leah Peterson  
> wrote:
>
> 
> Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the more 
>
>
> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick  wrote:
>
> Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. 
> Here is the standard definition for that term:
>
> https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
> The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.
>
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding 
> Ding! wrote:
>
>> I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. 
>> From now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See 
>> you 
>> way past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be 
>> misappropriating 
>> it, but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.
>>
>> I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. 
>> The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and 
>> making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We 
>> have 
>> a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and 
>> he 
>> brings this:
>>
>> [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
>> You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that 
>> he does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he 
>> planned tonight’s route.
>>
>> Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures 
>> amongst all these GR rabble rousers.
>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>>
>> It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call 
>> them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa 
>> on 
>> them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off 
>> ledges 
>> and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They 
>> launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is 
>> watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest. 
>>
>> I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from 
>> The Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go 
>> home 
>> by private vehicle, not ambulance.
>>
>> We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to 
>> all of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 
>> bikes and riders wending through their streets. We ride through 
>> neighborhoods (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand 
>> Rive

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[luckyturnip]

Leah, that ride sounds lit! The leader guy sounds like a total Chad and I bet the soundtracked slapped! Clearly you have the rizz of a sigma. And your bike is an absolute unit! Skibidi! On Aug 8, 2024, at 13:01, George Schick  wrote:@steve - yes, that's true.  But not everyone gets on board to changed definitions and meanings simultaneously.  Therefore, things can be taken the wrong way by some who haven't caught up with the latest and greatest blog-a-sphere use of a word or phrase.  Take "sick" for example.  Not that many years ago calling something sick would imply that it was ugly or impaired.  Now it can apparently be used to mean what used to be called "cool" or the like.Anyway a good example of a crash and burn blog thread that centered around the use and definition of the term "fred" occurred on this blog about 8 years ago and subsequently led to the departure of a frequent poster. So you can see where something can lead, not necessarily intentionally.https://groups.google.com/g/rbw-owners-bunch/c/I2rXHQqICOc/m/auRAmy3bDQAJOn Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 2:44:44 PM UTC-5 steve...@gmail.com wrote:Linguistic scholars recognize that the meanings associated with words often evolve over time, with the changes being driven by culture.   Leah, as far as I'm concerned, you have nudged the definition of "wilding" toward a new meaning.  I say, right on, far out and totally cool, it's time to get down and dirty with some righteous WILDING !!!   On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 1:51:35 PM UTC-4 George Schick wrote:A year or two ago there was a thread involving the problems associated with the placement of a long wheel based bikes on the front of urban buses. Joe chimed in to offer his expertise on the discussion because he is a city bus driver (not sure which city).  So I posted a reply intending to be humorous, asking him if it would be OK if I referred to him as Ralph Kramden, a character in an old 1950's comedy series in which Jackie Gleason played the part of a NYC bus driver in the sitcom.  He got the spirit of that label right away and said it would be fine with him.  So I use it whenever it seems appropriate in a blog thread. On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:33:11 PM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:Did you just call him Ralph Kramden? I had to look that up, but seems mean-spirited. Well, you have to look at yourself in the mirror every day and live with that, George. If I’m misunderstanding , I apologize. LeahOn Aug 8, 2024, at 1:18 PM, George Schick  wrote:I'm not surprised to see an affirmation from Ralph Kramden.  I was only trying to advise caution because some people may get the wrong impression by the use of that term.On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:09:13 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote:Leah if you want to go on a violent rampage I say party on, sister. Who am I to judge??! 🤷On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 9:42:31 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:That cut off. It was supposed to say, It’s the only wilding I’ve ever done in my life, let me have this!On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:29 PM, Leah Peterson  wrote:Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the more On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick  wrote:Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. Here is the standard definition for that term:https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it, but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We have a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and he brings this:You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he planned tonight’s route.Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures amongst all these GR rabble rousers.It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off ledges and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest. I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from The Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J,

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[George Schick]

@steve - yes, that's true.  But not everyone gets on board to changed 
definitions and meanings simultaneously.  Therefore, things can be taken 
the wrong way by some who haven't caught up with the latest and greatest 
blog-a-sphere use of a word or phrase.  Take "sick" for example.  Not that 
many years ago calling something sick would imply that it was ugly or 
impaired.  Now it can apparently be used to mean what used to be called 
"cool" or the like.
Anyway a good example of a crash and burn blog thread that centered around 
the use and definition of the term "fred" occurred on this blog about 8 
years ago and subsequently led to the departure of a frequent poster. So 
you can see where something can lead, not necessarily intentionally.
https://groups.google.com/g/rbw-owners-bunch/c/I2rXHQqICOc/m/auRAmy3bDQAJ

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 2:44:44 PM UTC-5 steve...@gmail.com wrote:

> Linguistic scholars recognize that the meanings associated with words 
> often evolve over time, with the changes being driven by culture.   Leah, 
> as far as I'm concerned, you have nudged the definition of "wilding" toward 
> a new meaning.  
>
> I say, right on, far out and totally cool, it's time to get down and dirty 
> with some righteous WILDING !!!   
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 1:51:35 PM UTC-4 George Schick wrote:
>
>> A year or two ago there was a thread involving the problems associated 
>> with the placement of a long wheel based bikes on the front of urban buses. 
>> Joe chimed in to offer his expertise on the discussion because he is a city 
>> bus driver (not sure which city).  So I posted a reply intending to be 
>> humorous, asking him if it would be OK if I referred to him as Ralph 
>> Kramden, a character in an old 1950's comedy series in which Jackie Gleason 
>> played the part of a NYC bus driver in the sitcom.  He got the spirit of 
>> that label right away and said it would be fine with him.  So I use it 
>> whenever it seems appropriate in a blog thread. 
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:33:11 PM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Did you just call him Ralph Kramden? I had to look that up, but seems 
>>> mean-spirited. Well, you have to look at yourself in the mirror every day 
>>> and live with that, George. If I’m misunderstanding , I apologize. 
>>> Leah
>>>
>>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 1:18 PM, George Schick  wrote:
>>>
>>> I'm not surprised to see an affirmation from Ralph Kramden.  I was only 
>>> trying to advise caution because some people may get the wrong impression 
>>> by the use of that term.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:09:13 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote:
>>>
 Leah if you want to go on a violent rampage I say party on, sister. Who 
 am I to judge??! 🤷

 On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 9:42:31 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding 
 Ding! wrote:

> That cut off. It was supposed to say, It’s the only wilding I’ve ever 
> done in my life, let me have this!
>
> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:29 PM, Leah Peterson  
> wrote:
>
> 
> Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the more 
>
>
> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick  wrote:
>
> Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. 
> Here is the standard definition for that term:
>
> https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
> The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.
>
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding 
> Ding! wrote:
>
>> I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. 
>> From now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See 
>> you 
>> way past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be 
>> misappropriating 
>> it, but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.
>>
>> I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. 
>> The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and 
>> making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We 
>> have 
>> a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and 
>> he 
>> brings this:
>>
>> [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
>> You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that 
>> he does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he 
>> planned tonight’s route.
>>
>> Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures 
>> amongst all these GR rabble rousers.
>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>>
>> It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call 
>> them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa 
>> on 
>> them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the s

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Steve]

Linguistic scholars recognize that the meanings associated with words often 
evolve over time, with the changes being driven by culture.   Leah, as far 
as I'm concerned, you have nudged the definition of "wilding" toward a new 
meaning.  

I say, right on, far out and totally cool, it's time to get down and dirty 
with some righteous WILDING !!!   
On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 1:51:35 PM UTC-4 George Schick wrote:

> A year or two ago there was a thread involving the problems associated 
> with the placement of a long wheel based bikes on the front of urban buses. 
> Joe chimed in to offer his expertise on the discussion because he is a city 
> bus driver (not sure which city).  So I posted a reply intending to be 
> humorous, asking him if it would be OK if I referred to him as Ralph 
> Kramden, a character in an old 1950's comedy series in which Jackie Gleason 
> played the part of a NYC bus driver in the sitcom.  He got the spirit of 
> that label right away and said it would be fine with him.  So I use it 
> whenever it seems appropriate in a blog thread. 
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:33:11 PM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
> wrote:
>
>> Did you just call him Ralph Kramden? I had to look that up, but seems 
>> mean-spirited. Well, you have to look at yourself in the mirror every day 
>> and live with that, George. If I’m misunderstanding , I apologize. 
>> Leah
>>
>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 1:18 PM, George Schick  wrote:
>>
>> I'm not surprised to see an affirmation from Ralph Kramden.  I was only 
>> trying to advise caution because some people may get the wrong impression 
>> by the use of that term.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:09:13 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote:
>>
>>> Leah if you want to go on a violent rampage I say party on, sister. Who 
>>> am I to judge??! 🤷
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 9:42:31 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 That cut off. It was supposed to say, It’s the only wilding I’ve ever 
 done in my life, let me have this!

 On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:29 PM, Leah Peterson  wrote:

 
 Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the more 


 On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick  wrote:

 Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. Here 
 is the standard definition for that term:

 https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
 The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.


 On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding 
 Ding! wrote:

> I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From 
> now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way 
> past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating 
> it, 
> but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.
>
> I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. 
> The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and 
> making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We 
> have 
> a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and 
> he 
> brings this:
>
> [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
> You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that 
> he does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he 
> planned tonight’s route.
>
> Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures 
> amongst all these GR rabble rousers.
> [image: image2.jpeg]
>
> It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call 
> them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa 
> on 
> them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off 
> ledges 
> and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They 
> launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is 
> watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest. 
>
> I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from 
> The Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home 
> by private vehicle, not ambulance.
>
> We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to 
> all of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 
> bikes and riders wending through their streets. We ride through 
> neighborhoods (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand 
> River. Everyone stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the 
> path. We get to a pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke 
> and 
> beer drinking. I drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about 
> me. 
>>

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[George Schick]

A year or two ago there was a thread involving the problems associated with 
the placement of a long wheel based bikes on the front of urban buses. Joe 
chimed in to offer his expertise on the discussion because he is a city bus 
driver (not sure which city).  So I posted a reply intending to be 
humorous, asking him if it would be OK if I referred to him as Ralph 
Kramden, a character in an old 1950's comedy series in which Jackie Gleason 
played the part of a NYC bus driver in the sitcom.  He got the spirit of 
that label right away and said it would be fine with him.  So I use it 
whenever it seems appropriate in a blog thread. 

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:33:11 PM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
wrote:

> Did you just call him Ralph Kramden? I had to look that up, but seems 
> mean-spirited. Well, you have to look at yourself in the mirror every day 
> and live with that, George. If I’m misunderstanding , I apologize. 
> Leah
>
> On Aug 8, 2024, at 1:18 PM, George Schick  wrote:
>
> I'm not surprised to see an affirmation from Ralph Kramden.  I was only 
> trying to advise caution because some people may get the wrong impression 
> by the use of that term.
>
>
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:09:13 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote:
>
>> Leah if you want to go on a violent rampage I say party on, sister. Who 
>> am I to judge??! 🤷
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 9:42:31 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> That cut off. It was supposed to say, It’s the only wilding I’ve ever 
>>> done in my life, let me have this!
>>>
>>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:29 PM, Leah Peterson  wrote:
>>>
>>> 
>>> Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the more 
>>>
>>>
>>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick  wrote:
>>>
>>> Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. Here 
>>> is the standard definition for that term:
>>>
>>> https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
>>> The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding 
>>> Ding! wrote:
>>>
 I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From 
 now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way 
 past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it, 
 but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.

 I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. 
 The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and 
 making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We 
 have 
 a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and 
 he 
 brings this:

 [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
 You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he 
 does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he 
 planned tonight’s route.

 Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures 
 amongst all these GR rabble rousers.
 [image: image2.jpeg]

 It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call 
 them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on 
 them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off 
 ledges 
 and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They 
 launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is 
 watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest. 

 I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from 
 The Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home 
 by private vehicle, not ambulance.

 We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to 
 all of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 
 bikes and riders wending through their streets. We ride through 
 neighborhoods (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand 
 River. Everyone stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the 
 path. We get to a pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke and 
 beer drinking. I drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about 
 me. 
 Three men come to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored 
 bits. One of them is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who anodized 
 my rims! 
  [image: image3.jpeg]
 It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake 
 in his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle me, but 
 he’s done it.

 [image: image4.jpeg]

 Isn’t it scary how much we have in common?
 [image: image5.jpeg]

 At 10pm, good and dark out, we set off. Here was the de

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Leah Peterson]

Did you just call him Ralph Kramden? I had to look that up, but seems mean-spirited. Well, you have to look at yourself in the mirror every day and live with that, George. If I’m misunderstanding , I apologize. LeahOn Aug 8, 2024, at 1:18 PM, George Schick  wrote:I'm not surprised to see an affirmation from Ralph Kramden.  I was only trying to advise caution because some people may get the wrong impression by the use of that term.On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:09:13 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote:Leah if you want to go on a violent rampage I say party on, sister. Who am I to judge??! 🤷On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 9:42:31 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:That cut off. It was supposed to say, It’s the only wilding I’ve ever done in my life, let me have this!On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:29 PM, Leah Peterson  wrote:Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the more On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick  wrote:Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. Here is the standard definition for that term:https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it, but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We have a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and he brings this:You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he planned tonight’s route.Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures amongst all these GR rabble rousers.It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off ledges and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest. I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from The Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home by private vehicle, not ambulance.We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to all of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 bikes and riders wending through their streets. We ride through neighborhoods (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand River. Everyone stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the path. We get to a pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke and beer drinking. I drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about me. Three men come to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored bits. One of them is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who anodized my rims!  It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake in his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle me, but he’s done it.Isn’t it scary how much we have in common?At 10pm, good and dark out, we set off. Here was the description of the ride: “…We‘ll head back to the Monarch via a less level and less paved route, so if you’re heading back with us, bring some tires!”WHAT COULD GO WRONG.It is the black of night. We are in the middle of nowhere. There are animals in the woods. We are behind a factory of some kind. The parking lot is dirt and full of pot holes. Now there is no road, no buildings. We are in the woods, riding over tall grass. We can see a few feet in front of us, we cannot see the ground through the grass. I am praying not to land in a hole. Now we are in sandy soil, with deep ruts in it. I am thanking my lucky stars that I went with 48mm Gravel Kings. The group is beginning to split as different people set different paces for this terrain. Now we are in rocky dirt with tall grass and brush growing up through it. We are forced to dismount at times, squeeze through narrow spaces. We must lift our bikes up and over obstacles, hoping not to get hit from behind by other riders in the dark. I wonder how many ticks we have, and if I will get my first taste of poison ivy. But, I can’t worry about that now because I have to make it out of here alive first.I end up at the front of my section. The riders directly behind me have no lights. We are counting on me, and my headlight is p

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[George Schick]

I'm not surprised to see an affirmation from Ralph Kramden.  I was only 
trying to advise caution because some people may get the wrong impression 
by the use of that term.

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 12:09:13 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote:

> Leah if you want to go on a violent rampage I say party on, sister. Who am 
> I to judge??! 🤷
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 9:42:31 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
> wrote:
>
>> That cut off. It was supposed to say, It’s the only wilding I’ve ever 
>> done in my life, let me have this!
>>
>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:29 PM, Leah Peterson  wrote:
>>
>> 
>> Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the more 
>>
>>
>> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick  wrote:
>>
>> Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. Here 
>> is the standard definition for that term:
>>
>> https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
>> The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.
>>
>>
>> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From 
>>> now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way 
>>> past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it, 
>>> but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.
>>>
>>> I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. 
>>> The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and 
>>> making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We have 
>>> a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and he 
>>> brings this:
>>>
>>> [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
>>> You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he 
>>> does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he 
>>> planned tonight’s route.
>>>
>>> Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures 
>>> amongst all these GR rabble rousers.
>>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>>>
>>> It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call 
>>> them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on 
>>> them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off ledges 
>>> and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They 
>>> launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is 
>>> watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest. 
>>>
>>> I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from The 
>>> Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home by 
>>> private vehicle, not ambulance.
>>>
>>> We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to 
>>> all of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 
>>> bikes and riders wending through their streets. We ride through 
>>> neighborhoods (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand 
>>> River. Everyone stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the 
>>> path. We get to a pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke and 
>>> beer drinking. I drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about me. 
>>> Three men come to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored 
>>> bits. One of them is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who anodized 
>>> my rims! 
>>>  [image: image3.jpeg]
>>> It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake 
>>> in his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle me, but 
>>> he’s done it.
>>>
>>> [image: image4.jpeg]
>>>
>>> Isn’t it scary how much we have in common?
>>> [image: image5.jpeg]
>>>
>>> At 10pm, good and dark out, we set off. Here was the description of the 
>>> ride: “…We‘ll head back to the Monarch via a less level and less paved 
>>> route, so if you’re heading back with us, bring some tires!”
>>>
>>> WHAT COULD GO WRONG.
>>>
>>> It is the black of night. We are in the middle of nowhere. There are 
>>> animals in the woods. We are behind a factory of some kind. The parking lot 
>>> is dirt and full of pot holes. Now there is no road, no buildings. We are 
>>> in the woods, riding over tall grass. We can see a few feet in front of us, 
>>> we cannot see the ground through the grass. I am praying not to land in a 
>>> hole. Now we are in sandy soil, with deep ruts in it. I am thanking my 
>>> lucky stars that I went with 48mm Gravel Kings. The group is beginning to 
>>> split as different people set different paces for this terrain. Now we are 
>>> in rocky dirt with tall grass and brush growing up through it. We are 
>>> forced to dismount at times, squeeze through narrow spaces. We must lift 
>>> our bikes up and over obstacles, hoping not to get hit from behind by other 
>>> riders in the dark. I wonder how many ticks we have, and if I will

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Joe Bernard]

Leah if you want to go on a violent rampage I say party on, sister. Who am 
I to judge??! 🤷

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 9:42:31 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
wrote:

> That cut off. It was supposed to say, It’s the only wilding I’ve ever done 
> in my life, let me have this!
>
> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:29 PM, Leah Peterson  wrote:
>
> 
> Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the more 
>
>
> On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick  wrote:
>
> Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. Here is 
> the standard definition for that term:
>
> https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
> The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.
>
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
> wrote:
>
>> I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From 
>> now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way 
>> past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it, 
>> but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.
>>
>> I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. The 
>> wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and making 
>> everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We have a 
>> massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and he 
>> brings this:
>>
>> [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
>> You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he 
>> does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he 
>> planned tonight’s route.
>>
>> Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures amongst 
>> all these GR rabble rousers.
>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>>
>> It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call 
>> them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on 
>> them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off ledges 
>> and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They 
>> launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is 
>> watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest. 
>>
>> I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from The 
>> Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home by 
>> private vehicle, not ambulance.
>>
>> We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to all 
>> of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 bikes 
>> and riders wending through their streets. We ride through neighborhoods 
>> (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand River. Everyone 
>> stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the path. We get to a 
>> pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke and beer drinking. I 
>> drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about me. Three men come 
>> to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored bits. One of them 
>> is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who anodized my rims! 
>>  [image: image3.jpeg]
>> It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake in 
>> his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle me, but he’s 
>> done it.
>>
>> [image: image4.jpeg]
>>
>> Isn’t it scary how much we have in common?
>> [image: image5.jpeg]
>>
>> At 10pm, good and dark out, we set off. Here was the description of the 
>> ride: “…We‘ll head back to the Monarch via a less level and less paved 
>> route, so if you’re heading back with us, bring some tires!”
>>
>> WHAT COULD GO WRONG.
>>
>> It is the black of night. We are in the middle of nowhere. There are 
>> animals in the woods. We are behind a factory of some kind. The parking lot 
>> is dirt and full of pot holes. Now there is no road, no buildings. We are 
>> in the woods, riding over tall grass. We can see a few feet in front of us, 
>> we cannot see the ground through the grass. I am praying not to land in a 
>> hole. Now we are in sandy soil, with deep ruts in it. I am thanking my 
>> lucky stars that I went with 48mm Gravel Kings. The group is beginning to 
>> split as different people set different paces for this terrain. Now we are 
>> in rocky dirt with tall grass and brush growing up through it. We are 
>> forced to dismount at times, squeeze through narrow spaces. We must lift 
>> our bikes up and over obstacles, hoping not to get hit from behind by other 
>> riders in the dark. I wonder how many ticks we have, and if I will get my 
>> first taste of poison ivy. But, I can’t worry about that now because I have 
>> to make it out of here alive first.
>>
>> I end up at the front of my section. The riders directly behind me have 
>> no lights. We are counting on me, and my headlight is pointed too far down 
>> and I can’t lift it because it’s screwed tight. So we don’

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Leah Peterson]

That cut off. It was supposed to say, It’s the only wilding I’ve ever done in my life, let me have this!On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:29 PM, Leah Peterson  wrote:Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the more On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick  wrote:Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. Here is the standard definition for that term:https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it, but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We have a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and he brings this:You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he planned tonight’s route.Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures amongst all these GR rabble rousers.It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off ledges and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest. I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from The Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home by private vehicle, not ambulance.We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to all of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 bikes and riders wending through their streets. We ride through neighborhoods (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand River. Everyone stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the path. We get to a pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke and beer drinking. I drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about me. Three men come to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored bits. One of them is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who anodized my rims!  It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake in his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle me, but he’s done it.Isn’t it scary how much we have in common?At 10pm, good and dark out, we set off. Here was the description of the ride: “…We‘ll head back to the Monarch via a less level and less paved route, so if you’re heading back with us, bring some tires!”WHAT COULD GO WRONG.It is the black of night. We are in the middle of nowhere. There are animals in the woods. We are behind a factory of some kind. The parking lot is dirt and full of pot holes. Now there is no road, no buildings. We are in the woods, riding over tall grass. We can see a few feet in front of us, we cannot see the ground through the grass. I am praying not to land in a hole. Now we are in sandy soil, with deep ruts in it. I am thanking my lucky stars that I went with 48mm Gravel Kings. The group is beginning to split as different people set different paces for this terrain. Now we are in rocky dirt with tall grass and brush growing up through it. We are forced to dismount at times, squeeze through narrow spaces. We must lift our bikes up and over obstacles, hoping not to get hit from behind by other riders in the dark. I wonder how many ticks we have, and if I will get my first taste of poison ivy. But, I can’t worry about that now because I have to make it out of here alive first.I end up at the front of my section. The riders directly behind me have no lights. We are counting on me, and my headlight is pointed too far down and I can’t lift it because it’s screwed tight. So we don’t have a lot of forward visibility. I see something in the dark. The ground starts to drop. “STOP STOP STOP! GET OFF YOUR BIKES!” I yell. Everyone behind me echoes this and I turn on my iPhone flashlight for better viewing. There is a pit just ahead, and an inches-wide beam we are going to have to traverse to get across. I can’t believe it. To my left is one 6-8inch wide beam that stretches across a yawning pit. There is another to my right. We are high up enough that there are tree branches reaching across the way. We will use both beams to move everyone across. I have to lift my bike up onto the beam, step up and begin to 

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Leah Peterson]

Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the funnier because I’ve never done any true wilding in my life. This is all I got!On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick  wrote:Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. Here is the standard definition for that term:https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it, but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We have a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and he brings this:You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he planned tonight’s route.Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures amongst all these GR rabble rousers.It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off ledges and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest. I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from The Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home by private vehicle, not ambulance.We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to all of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 bikes and riders wending through their streets. We ride through neighborhoods (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand River. Everyone stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the path. We get to a pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke and beer drinking. I drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about me. Three men come to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored bits. One of them is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who anodized my rims!  It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake in his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle me, but he’s done it.Isn’t it scary how much we have in common?At 10pm, good and dark out, we set off. Here was the description of the ride: “…We‘ll head back to the Monarch via a less level and less paved route, so if you’re heading back with us, bring some tires!”WHAT COULD GO WRONG.It is the black of night. We are in the middle of nowhere. There are animals in the woods. We are behind a factory of some kind. The parking lot is dirt and full of pot holes. Now there is no road, no buildings. We are in the woods, riding over tall grass. We can see a few feet in front of us, we cannot see the ground through the grass. I am praying not to land in a hole. Now we are in sandy soil, with deep ruts in it. I am thanking my lucky stars that I went with 48mm Gravel Kings. The group is beginning to split as different people set different paces for this terrain. Now we are in rocky dirt with tall grass and brush growing up through it. We are forced to dismount at times, squeeze through narrow spaces. We must lift our bikes up and over obstacles, hoping not to get hit from behind by other riders in the dark. I wonder how many ticks we have, and if I will get my first taste of poison ivy. But, I can’t worry about that now because I have to make it out of here alive first.I end up at the front of my section. The riders directly behind me have no lights. We are counting on me, and my headlight is pointed too far down and I can’t lift it because it’s screwed tight. So we don’t have a lot of forward visibility. I see something in the dark. The ground starts to drop. “STOP STOP STOP! GET OFF YOUR BIKES!” I yell. Everyone behind me echoes this and I turn on my iPhone flashlight for better viewing. There is a pit just ahead, and an inches-wide beam we are going to have to traverse to get across. I can’t believe it. To my left is one 6-8inch wide beam that stretches across a yawning pit. There is another to my right. We are high up enough that there are tree branches reaching across the way. We will use both beams to move everyone across. I have to lift my bike up onto the beam, step up and begin to inch across. The woman behind me lets forth a stream of cuss words. I can hear an

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Sally Bidleman]

Terrific, Leah!! (Both ride and write-up:) Thanks so much for taking the
time to send this our way.

Stay safe, have fun!



On Thu, Aug 8, 2024 at 8:26 AM Joe Bernard  wrote:

> Leah, I mean this in the kindest possible way. You. Are. CRAZY
>
> Joe "I wanna do this ride" Bernard
>
> On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 8:10:59 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!
> wrote:
>
>> I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From
>> now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way
>> past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it,
>> but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.
>>
>> I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. The
>> wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and making
>> everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We have a
>> massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and he
>> brings this:
>>
>> [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
>> You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he
>> does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he
>> planned tonight’s route.
>>
>> Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures amongst
>> all these GR rabble rousers.
>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>>
>> It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call
>> them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on
>> them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off ledges
>> and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They
>> launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is
>> watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest.
>>
>> I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from The
>> Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home by
>> private vehicle, not ambulance.
>>
>> We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to all
>> of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 bikes
>> and riders wending through their streets. We ride through neighborhoods
>> (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand River. Everyone
>> stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the path. We get to a
>> pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke and beer drinking. I
>> drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about me. Three men come
>> to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored bits. One of them
>> is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who anodized my rims!
>>  [image: image3.jpeg]
>> It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake in
>> his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle me, but he’s
>> done it.
>>
>> [image: image4.jpeg]
>>
>> Isn’t it scary how much we have in common?
>> [image: image5.jpeg]
>>
>> At 10pm, good and dark out, we set off. Here was the description of the
>> ride: “…We‘ll head back to the Monarch via a less level and less paved
>> route, so if you’re heading back with us, bring some tires!”
>>
>> WHAT COULD GO WRONG.
>>
>> It is the black of night. We are in the middle of nowhere. There are
>> animals in the woods. We are behind a factory of some kind. The parking lot
>> is dirt and full of pot holes. Now there is no road, no buildings. We are
>> in the woods, riding over tall grass. We can see a few feet in front of us,
>> we cannot see the ground through the grass. I am praying not to land in a
>> hole. Now we are in sandy soil, with deep ruts in it. I am thanking my
>> lucky stars that I went with 48mm Gravel Kings. The group is beginning to
>> split as different people set different paces for this terrain. Now we are
>> in rocky dirt with tall grass and brush growing up through it. We are
>> forced to dismount at times, squeeze through narrow spaces. We must lift
>> our bikes up and over obstacles, hoping not to get hit from behind by other
>> riders in the dark. I wonder how many ticks we have, and if I will get my
>> first taste of poison ivy. But, I can’t worry about that now because I have
>> to make it out of here alive first.
>>
>> I end up at the front of my section. The riders directly behind me have
>> no lights. We are counting on me, and my headlight is pointed too far down
>> and I can’t lift it because it’s screwed tight. So we don’t have a lot of
>> forward visibility. I see something in the dark. The ground starts to drop.
>> “STOP STOP STOP! GET OFF YOUR BIKES!” I yell. Everyone behind me echoes
>> this and I turn on my iPhone flashlight for better viewing. There is a pit
>> just ahead, and an inches-wide beam we are going to have to traverse to get
>> across. I can’t believe it.
>>
>> To my left is one 6-8inch wide beam that stretches across a yawning pit.
>> There is another to my right. We are high up enough that there are tree
>> branches reaching across the way. We will use both beams to 

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[George Schick]

Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. Here is 
the standard definition for that term:
https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.


On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10:10:59 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
wrote:

> I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From now 
> on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way past 
> bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it, but 
> it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.
>
> I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. The 
> wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and making 
> everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We have a 
> massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and he 
> brings this:
>
> [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
> You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he 
> does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he 
> planned tonight’s route.
>
> Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures amongst 
> all these GR rabble rousers.
> [image: image2.jpeg]
>
> It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call them 
> The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on them 
> and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off ledges and 
> drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They launch 
> their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is watching. The 
> Jumpers are wilding the hardest. 
>
> I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from The 
> Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home by 
> private vehicle, not ambulance.
>
> We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to all 
> of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 bikes 
> and riders wending through their streets. We ride through neighborhoods 
> (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand River. Everyone 
> stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the path. We get to a 
> pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke and beer drinking. I 
> drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about me. Three men come 
> to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored bits. One of them 
> is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who anodized my rims! 
>  [image: image3.jpeg]
> It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake in 
> his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle me, but he’s 
> done it.
>
> [image: image4.jpeg]
>
> Isn’t it scary how much we have in common?
> [image: image5.jpeg]
>
> At 10pm, good and dark out, we set off. Here was the description of the 
> ride: “…We‘ll head back to the Monarch via a less level and less paved 
> route, so if you’re heading back with us, bring some tires!”
>
> WHAT COULD GO WRONG.
>
> It is the black of night. We are in the middle of nowhere. There are 
> animals in the woods. We are behind a factory of some kind. The parking lot 
> is dirt and full of pot holes. Now there is no road, no buildings. We are 
> in the woods, riding over tall grass. We can see a few feet in front of us, 
> we cannot see the ground through the grass. I am praying not to land in a 
> hole. Now we are in sandy soil, with deep ruts in it. I am thanking my 
> lucky stars that I went with 48mm Gravel Kings. The group is beginning to 
> split as different people set different paces for this terrain. Now we are 
> in rocky dirt with tall grass and brush growing up through it. We are 
> forced to dismount at times, squeeze through narrow spaces. We must lift 
> our bikes up and over obstacles, hoping not to get hit from behind by other 
> riders in the dark. I wonder how many ticks we have, and if I will get my 
> first taste of poison ivy. But, I can’t worry about that now because I have 
> to make it out of here alive first.
>
> I end up at the front of my section. The riders directly behind me have no 
> lights. We are counting on me, and my headlight is pointed too far down and 
> I can’t lift it because it’s screwed tight. So we don’t have a lot of 
> forward visibility. I see something in the dark. The ground starts to drop. 
> “STOP STOP STOP! GET OFF YOUR BIKES!” I yell. Everyone behind me echoes 
> this and I turn on my iPhone flashlight for better viewing. There is a pit 
> just ahead, and an inches-wide beam we are going to have to traverse to get 
> across. I can’t believe it. 
>
> To my left is one 6-8inch wide beam that stretches across a yawning pit. 
> There is another to my right. We are high up enough that there are tree 
> branches reaching across the way. We 

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Joe Bernard]

Leah, I mean this in the kindest possible way. You. Are. CRAZY

Joe "I wanna do this ride" Bernard 

On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 8:10:59 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
wrote:

> I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From now 
> on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way past 
> bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it, but 
> it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.
>
> I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. The 
> wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and making 
> everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We have a 
> massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and he 
> brings this:
>
> [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
> You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he 
> does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he 
> planned tonight’s route.
>
> Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures amongst 
> all these GR rabble rousers.
> [image: image2.jpeg]
>
> It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call them 
> The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on them 
> and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off ledges and 
> drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They launch 
> their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is watching. The 
> Jumpers are wilding the hardest. 
>
> I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from The 
> Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home by 
> private vehicle, not ambulance.
>
> We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to all 
> of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 bikes 
> and riders wending through their streets. We ride through neighborhoods 
> (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand River. Everyone 
> stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the path. We get to a 
> pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke and beer drinking. I 
> drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about me. Three men come 
> to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored bits. One of them 
> is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who anodized my rims! 
>  [image: image3.jpeg]
> It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake in 
> his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle me, but he’s 
> done it.
>
> [image: image4.jpeg]
>
> Isn’t it scary how much we have in common?
> [image: image5.jpeg]
>
> At 10pm, good and dark out, we set off. Here was the description of the 
> ride: “…We‘ll head back to the Monarch via a less level and less paved 
> route, so if you’re heading back with us, bring some tires!”
>
> WHAT COULD GO WRONG.
>
> It is the black of night. We are in the middle of nowhere. There are 
> animals in the woods. We are behind a factory of some kind. The parking lot 
> is dirt and full of pot holes. Now there is no road, no buildings. We are 
> in the woods, riding over tall grass. We can see a few feet in front of us, 
> we cannot see the ground through the grass. I am praying not to land in a 
> hole. Now we are in sandy soil, with deep ruts in it. I am thanking my 
> lucky stars that I went with 48mm Gravel Kings. The group is beginning to 
> split as different people set different paces for this terrain. Now we are 
> in rocky dirt with tall grass and brush growing up through it. We are 
> forced to dismount at times, squeeze through narrow spaces. We must lift 
> our bikes up and over obstacles, hoping not to get hit from behind by other 
> riders in the dark. I wonder how many ticks we have, and if I will get my 
> first taste of poison ivy. But, I can’t worry about that now because I have 
> to make it out of here alive first.
>
> I end up at the front of my section. The riders directly behind me have no 
> lights. We are counting on me, and my headlight is pointed too far down and 
> I can’t lift it because it’s screwed tight. So we don’t have a lot of 
> forward visibility. I see something in the dark. The ground starts to drop. 
> “STOP STOP STOP! GET OFF YOUR BIKES!” I yell. Everyone behind me echoes 
> this and I turn on my iPhone flashlight for better viewing. There is a pit 
> just ahead, and an inches-wide beam we are going to have to traverse to get 
> across. I can’t believe it. 
>
> To my left is one 6-8inch wide beam that stretches across a yawning pit. 
> There is another to my right. We are high up enough that there are tree 
> branches reaching across the way. We will use both beams to move everyone 
> across. I have to lift my bike up onto the beam, step up and begin to inch 
> across. The woman behind me lets forth a stream of cuss words. I can hear 
> another woman who is protesting. We don’t h

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Robert Blunt]

Uh. Best ride report ever. I love how you have adapted to the SW Michigan
life.

On Thu, Aug 8, 2024 at 10:15 AM Leah Peterson 
wrote:

> Here are videos, which may or may not work here. I wish I had footage of
> the ride, but it’s too risky to film and ride in this group. You’ll have to
> imagine.
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion on the web visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/35593BF4-81AB-4598-B827-9976688E7840%40gmail.com
> 
> .
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion on the web visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/35593BF4-81AB-4598-B827-9976688E7840%40gmail.com
> 
> .
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion on the web visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/35593BF4-81AB-4598-B827-9976688E7840%40gmail.com
> 
> .
>
>
> On Aug 8, 2024, at 11:10 AM, Leah Peterson 
> wrote:
>
> 
> I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From now
> on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way past
> bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it, but
> it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.
>
> I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. The
> wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and making
> everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We have a
> massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and he
> brings this:
>
> 
> 
>
> You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he
> does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he
> planned tonight’s route.
>
> Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures amongst
> all these GR rabble rousers.
> 
>
>
> It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call them
> The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on them
> and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off ledges and
> drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They launch
> their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is watching. The
> Jumpers are wilding the hardest.
>
> I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from The
> Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home by
> private vehicle, not ambulance.
>
> We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to all
> of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 bikes
> and riders wending through their streets. We ride through neighborhoods
> (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand River. Everyone
> stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the path. We get to a
> pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke and beer drinking. I
> drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about me. Three men come
> to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored bits. One of them
> is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who anodized my rims!
>
> 
> It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake in
> his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle me, but he’s
> done it.
>
> 
>
> Isn’t it scary how much we have in common?
>
> 
>
> At 10pm, good and dark out, we set off. Here was the description of the
> ride: “…We‘ll head back to the Monarch via a less level and less paved
> route, so if you’re heading back with us, bring some tires!”
>
> WHAT COULD GO WRONG.
>
> It is the black of night. We are in the middle of nowhere. There are
> animals in the woods. We are behind a factory of some kind. The parking lot
> is dirt and full of pot holes. Now there is no road, no buildings. We are
> in the woods, riding over tall grass. We can see a few feet in front of us,
> we cannot see the ground through the grass. I am praying not to land in a
> hole. Now we are i

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Jay]

Love that your teenagers waited up for you, and that you would ground them. 
 Sounds like a fun ride!

On Friday, August 2, 2024 at 1:58:44 PM UTC-4 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
wrote:

>
> Bill, you get me. Come to the east Michigan ride and we’ll both be tipsy 
> on life in The Shire! 
>
> On Aug 2, 2024, at 12:49 PM, Bill Lindsay  wrote:
>
> 
>
> "I was stone-cold sober"
>
> I believe that she means that she didn't partake in any of the 
> party-lubricants.  Still, Leah's brand of joie de vivre will never qualify 
> in my book as stone-cold sober.  Tipsy on life is closer.  
>
> BL in EC
> P.S. APPROVE
> On Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 3:41:10 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
> wrote:
>
>> I have long wished to do the Grand Rapids Wednesday Evening Ride. My Riv 
>> buddy, J, co-leads it, and the routes are ever-changing and FUN. Maybe you 
>> storm the castle. Maybe you end up in a river. Wind up in a kickball 
>> tournament. It isn’t convenient - it’s an hour’s drive, and starts after 
>> 8pm. A ride that starts after 8!!! On a Wednesday! But those GR folks 
>> know how to do it.
>>
>>
>> Last night, I made it. Beginning in the heart of GR, we would ride a 16 
>> mi route in urban and rural landscapes. A variety of bikes were 
>> represented; cobbled-together builds, vintage bikes, bikepacking and 
>> touring bikes, fixies, hybrids, whatever those bikes are that you ride on 
>> the rear wheel, and one Platypus. Not represented: high-tech carbon 
>> fiber/time trial bikes with roadies astride them. The reason would soon 
>> become apparent.
>>
>>
>> We set off. Bikes were all over the road. “The kids”, a group of teens 
>> who ride their rear wheels set themselves up as “blockers” so we could move 
>> through intersections. The drivers seemed unbothered. J said, “Leah, I 
>> forgot to tell you we are going to blow red lights. The police prefer we do 
>> so we stay in one group.” The ride has been going for 20 years, so I guess 
>> the drivers expect this. I did as I was told, casting nervous glances over 
>> my shoulder at J.
>>
>>
>> [image: image0.jpeg]
>>
>>
>> Most of my miles come from club rides. Club rides prize order, 
>> communication, pace, predictability. This ride was a free-for-all. Jubilant 
>> and raucous. Music blared from speakers strapped to frames. People sipped 
>> beer. The scent of weed hung in the air. The Kids zipped about on one 
>> wheel. We had two crashes in the first 20 minutes. I vacillated between 
>> having fun and feeling terrified. 
>>
>>
>> One minute we were in the city, the next we were in the woods on a paved 
>> trail, bodies of water surrounding us. The sounds of the creatures in the 
>> woods were as loud as the music on the bikes. We sailed over bridges, 
>> veered off onto gravel, our giant band of bikes wending its way along the 
>> route. It was gorgeous. 
>>
>>
>> [image: image1.jpeg]
>>
>>
>> We stopped at a giant pavilion, strung with outdoor lights, and 
>> rabblerousing ensued. People laughed and visited, music played, fireflies 
>> flickered overhead. At nearly 10 pm, in the pitch black of night, they 
>> mounted their bikes, got back on the trail and planned to end at a bar.
>>
>>
>> [image: image2.jpeg]
>>
>>
>> The woods felt like they were closing in on us. Like that scene in The 
>> Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It was THRILLING, and I smiled to myself in the 
>> dark. Suddenly there was yelling at the front and SLOWING….I couldn’t make 
>> out the word at first. SKUNK!!! An actual skunk was running along the path. 
>> We dared not pass him for fear of smelling more like skunk than the weed 
>> smoke had already done to us. 
>>
>>
>> I skipped the bar; J rode me to my truck and helped me load my Platypus. 
>> The Platypus was perfect for this; chunky tires and compact size, front and 
>> rear dyno lights, resplendent in color and quite the conversation starter. 
>>
>>
>> [image: image4.jpeg]   
>>
>> I got home at midnight; my teenagers were waiting up for me. If they had 
>> walked in the door smelling like I did, I’d have grounded them on the spot.
>>  
>>
>>
>> 10/10 would do again.
>>
>>
>> Note: I was stone-cold sober, putting TWO electrolyte tabs in my water 
>> was as wild as I got. Lest you think poorly of me. 😊
>>
>> On Aug 1, 2024, at 6:18 PM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!  
>> wrote:
>>
>> People here are always posting about their “ride reports.” Something 
>> enchanting in some far away place with photos that pose the bike JUST SO…
>>
>>
>> But yesterday I went wilding and I’m going to give you a DIFFERENT kind 
>> of Ride Report. 
>>
>> In the next post, though, because you know how I do it…
>>
>> -- 
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the 
>> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit 
>> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/cCwFnSHq_zc/unsubscribe
>> .
>> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to 
>> rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Leah Peterson]

Bill, you get me. Come to the east Michigan ride and we’ll both be tipsy on life in The Shire! On Aug 2, 2024, at 12:49 PM, Bill Lindsay  wrote:"I was stone-cold sober"I believe that she means that she didn't partake in any of the party-lubricants.  Still, Leah's brand of joie de vivre will never qualify in my book as stone-cold sober.  Tipsy on life is closer.  BL in ECP.S. APPROVEOn Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 3:41:10 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:I have long wished to do the Grand Rapids Wednesday Evening Ride. My Riv buddy, J, co-leads it, and the routes are ever-changing and FUN. Maybe you storm the castle. Maybe you end up in a river. Wind up in a kickball tournament. It isn’t convenient - it’s an hour’s drive, and starts after 8pm. A ride that starts after 8!!! On a Wednesday! But those GR folks know how to do it.Last night, I made it. Beginning in the heart of GR, we would ride a 16 mi route in urban and rural landscapes. A variety of bikes were represented; cobbled-together builds, vintage bikes, bikepacking and touring bikes, fixies, hybrids, whatever those bikes are that you ride on the rear wheel, and one Platypus. Not represented: high-tech carbon fiber/time trial bikes with roadies astride them. The reason would soon become apparent.We set off. Bikes were all over the road. “The kids”, a group of teens who ride their rear wheels set themselves up as “blockers” so we could move through intersections. The drivers seemed unbothered. J said, “Leah, I forgot to tell you we are going to blow red lights. The police prefer we do so we stay in one group.” The ride has been going for 20 years, so I guess the drivers expect this. I did as I was told, casting nervous glances over my shoulder at J.Most of my miles come from club rides. Club rides prize order, communication, pace, predictability. This ride was a free-for-all. Jubilant and raucous. Music blared from speakers strapped to frames. People sipped beer. The scent of weed hung in the air. The Kids zipped about on one wheel. We had two crashes in the first 20 minutes. I vacillated between having fun and feeling terrified. One minute we were in the city, the next we were in the woods on a paved trail, bodies of water surrounding us. The sounds of the creatures in the woods were as loud as the music on the bikes. We sailed over bridges, veered off onto gravel, our giant band of bikes wending its way along the route. It was gorgeous. We stopped at a giant pavilion, strung with outdoor lights, and rabblerousing ensued. People laughed and visited, music played, fireflies flickered overhead. At nearly 10 pm, in the pitch black of night, they mounted their bikes, got back on the trail and planned to end at a bar.The woods felt like they were closing in on us. Like that scene in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It was THRILLING, and I smiled to myself in the dark. Suddenly there was yelling at the front and SLOWING….I couldn’t make out the word at first. SKUNK!!! An actual skunk was running along the path. We dared not pass him for fear of smelling more like skunk than the weed smoke had already done to us. I skipped the bar; J rode me to my truck and helped me load my Platypus. The Platypus was perfect for this; chunky tires and compact size, front and rear dyno lights, resplendent in color and quite the conversation starter.    I got home at midnight; my teenagers were waiting up for me. If they had walked in the door smelling like I did, I’d have grounded them on the spot. 10/10 would do again.Note: I was stone-cold sober, putting TWO electrolyte tabs in my water was as wild as I got. Lest you think poorly of me. 😊On Aug 1, 2024, at 6:18 PM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!  wrote:People here are always posting about their “ride reports.” Something enchanting in some far away place with photos that pose the bike JUST SO…But yesterday I went wilding and I’m going to give you a DIFFERENT kind of Ride Report. In the next post, though, because you know how I do it…



-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/cCwFnSHq_zc/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/dd01d4ec-2303-4e8e-ba92-9218776e5814n%40googlegroups.com.




-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/cCwFnSHq_zc/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/e2571fb4-9474-4b09-81a0-e6131acd84cfn%40googlegroups.com.




--

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Bill Lindsay]

"I was stone-cold sober"

I believe that she means that she didn't partake in any of the 
party-lubricants.  Still, Leah's brand of joie de vivre will never qualify 
in my book as stone-cold sober.  Tipsy on life is closer.  

BL in EC
P.S. APPROVE
On Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 3:41:10 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
wrote:

> I have long wished to do the Grand Rapids Wednesday Evening Ride. My Riv 
> buddy, J, co-leads it, and the routes are ever-changing and FUN. Maybe you 
> storm the castle. Maybe you end up in a river. Wind up in a kickball 
> tournament. It isn’t convenient - it’s an hour’s drive, and starts after 
> 8pm. A ride that starts after 8!!! On a Wednesday! But those GR folks 
> know how to do it.
>
>
> Last night, I made it. Beginning in the heart of GR, we would ride a 16 mi 
> route in urban and rural landscapes. A variety of bikes were represented; 
> cobbled-together builds, vintage bikes, bikepacking and touring bikes, 
> fixies, hybrids, whatever those bikes are that you ride on the rear wheel, 
> and one Platypus. Not represented: high-tech carbon fiber/time trial bikes 
> with roadies astride them. The reason would soon become apparent.
>
>
> We set off. Bikes were all over the road. “The kids”, a group of teens who 
> ride their rear wheels set themselves up as “blockers” so we could move 
> through intersections. The drivers seemed unbothered. J said, “Leah, I 
> forgot to tell you we are going to blow red lights. The police prefer we do 
> so we stay in one group.” The ride has been going for 20 years, so I guess 
> the drivers expect this. I did as I was told, casting nervous glances over 
> my shoulder at J.
>
>
> [image: image0.jpeg]
>
>
> Most of my miles come from club rides. Club rides prize order, 
> communication, pace, predictability. This ride was a free-for-all. Jubilant 
> and raucous. Music blared from speakers strapped to frames. People sipped 
> beer. The scent of weed hung in the air. The Kids zipped about on one 
> wheel. We had two crashes in the first 20 minutes. I vacillated between 
> having fun and feeling terrified. 
>
>
> One minute we were in the city, the next we were in the woods on a paved 
> trail, bodies of water surrounding us. The sounds of the creatures in the 
> woods were as loud as the music on the bikes. We sailed over bridges, 
> veered off onto gravel, our giant band of bikes wending its way along the 
> route. It was gorgeous. 
>
>
> [image: image1.jpeg]
>
>
> We stopped at a giant pavilion, strung with outdoor lights, and 
> rabblerousing ensued. People laughed and visited, music played, fireflies 
> flickered overhead. At nearly 10 pm, in the pitch black of night, they 
> mounted their bikes, got back on the trail and planned to end at a bar.
>
>
> [image: image2.jpeg]
>
>
> The woods felt like they were closing in on us. Like that scene in The 
> Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It was THRILLING, and I smiled to myself in the 
> dark. Suddenly there was yelling at the front and SLOWING….I couldn’t make 
> out the word at first. SKUNK!!! An actual skunk was running along the path. 
> We dared not pass him for fear of smelling more like skunk than the weed 
> smoke had already done to us. 
>
>
> I skipped the bar; J rode me to my truck and helped me load my Platypus. 
> The Platypus was perfect for this; chunky tires and compact size, front and 
> rear dyno lights, resplendent in color and quite the conversation starter. 
>
>
> [image: image4.jpeg]   
>
> I got home at midnight; my teenagers were waiting up for me. If they had 
> walked in the door smelling like I did, I’d have grounded them on the spot.
>  
>
>
> 10/10 would do again.
>
>
> Note: I was stone-cold sober, putting TWO electrolyte tabs in my water was 
> as wild as I got. Lest you think poorly of me. 😊
>
> On Aug 1, 2024, at 6:18 PM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!  
> wrote:
>
> People here are always posting about their “ride reports.” Something 
> enchanting in some far away place with photos that pose the bike JUST SO…
>
>
> But yesterday I went wilding and I’m going to give you a DIFFERENT kind of 
> Ride Report. 
>
> In the next post, though, because you know how I do it…
>
> -- 
> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the 
> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit 
> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/cCwFnSHq_zc/unsubscribe
> .
> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to 
> rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion on the web visit 
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/dd01d4ec-2303-4e8e-ba92-9218776e5814n%40googlegroups.com
>  
> 
> .
>
>

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW 
Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receivin

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Joe Bernard]

I love the "total chaos, might die in the woods tonight" vibe. I wanna do 
this ridiculous ride! 

Slightly Chaotic Joe Bernard 
Lake County CA 

On Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 3:41:10 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
wrote:

> I have long wished to do the Grand Rapids Wednesday Evening Ride. My Riv 
> buddy, J, co-leads it, and the routes are ever-changing and FUN. Maybe you 
> storm the castle. Maybe you end up in a river. Wind up in a kickball 
> tournament. It isn’t convenient - it’s an hour’s drive, and starts after 
> 8pm. A ride that starts after 8!!! On a Wednesday! But those GR folks 
> know how to do it.
>
>
> Last night, I made it. Beginning in the heart of GR, we would ride a 16 mi 
> route in urban and rural landscapes. A variety of bikes were represented; 
> cobbled-together builds, vintage bikes, bikepacking and touring bikes, 
> fixies, hybrids, whatever those bikes are that you ride on the rear wheel, 
> and one Platypus. Not represented: high-tech carbon fiber/time trial bikes 
> with roadies astride them. The reason would soon become apparent.
>
>
> We set off. Bikes were all over the road. “The kids”, a group of teens who 
> ride their rear wheels set themselves up as “blockers” so we could move 
> through intersections. The drivers seemed unbothered. J said, “Leah, I 
> forgot to tell you we are going to blow red lights. The police prefer we do 
> so we stay in one group.” The ride has been going for 20 years, so I guess 
> the drivers expect this. I did as I was told, casting nervous glances over 
> my shoulder at J.
>
>
> [image: image0.jpeg]
>
>
> Most of my miles come from club rides. Club rides prize order, 
> communication, pace, predictability. This ride was a free-for-all. Jubilant 
> and raucous. Music blared from speakers strapped to frames. People sipped 
> beer. The scent of weed hung in the air. The Kids zipped about on one 
> wheel. We had two crashes in the first 20 minutes. I vacillated between 
> having fun and feeling terrified. 
>
>
> One minute we were in the city, the next we were in the woods on a paved 
> trail, bodies of water surrounding us. The sounds of the creatures in the 
> woods were as loud as the music on the bikes. We sailed over bridges, 
> veered off onto gravel, our giant band of bikes wending its way along the 
> route. It was gorgeous. 
>
>
> [image: image1.jpeg]
>
>
> We stopped at a giant pavilion, strung with outdoor lights, and 
> rabblerousing ensued. People laughed and visited, music played, fireflies 
> flickered overhead. At nearly 10 pm, in the pitch black of night, they 
> mounted their bikes, got back on the trail and planned to end at a bar.
>
>
> [image: image2.jpeg]
>
>
> The woods felt like they were closing in on us. Like that scene in The 
> Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It was THRILLING, and I smiled to myself in the 
> dark. Suddenly there was yelling at the front and SLOWING….I couldn’t make 
> out the word at first. SKUNK!!! An actual skunk was running along the path. 
> We dared not pass him for fear of smelling more like skunk than the weed 
> smoke had already done to us. 
>
>
> I skipped the bar; J rode me to my truck and helped me load my Platypus. 
> The Platypus was perfect for this; chunky tires and compact size, front and 
> rear dyno lights, resplendent in color and quite the conversation starter. 
>
>
> [image: image4.jpeg]   
>
> I got home at midnight; my teenagers were waiting up for me. If they had 
> walked in the door smelling like I did, I’d have grounded them on the spot.
>  
>
>
> 10/10 would do again.
>
>
> Note: I was stone-cold sober, putting TWO electrolyte tabs in my water was 
> as wild as I got. Lest you think poorly of me. 😊
>
> On Aug 1, 2024, at 6:18 PM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!  
> wrote:
>
> People here are always posting about their “ride reports.” Something 
> enchanting in some far away place with photos that pose the bike JUST SO…
>
>
> But yesterday I went wilding and I’m going to give you a DIFFERENT kind of 
> Ride Report. 
>
> In the next post, though, because you know how I do it…
>
> -- 
> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the 
> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit 
> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/cCwFnSHq_zc/unsubscribe
> .
> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to 
> rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion on the web visit 
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/dd01d4ec-2303-4e8e-ba92-9218776e5814n%40googlegroups.com
>  
> 
> .
>
>

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW 
Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email 
to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discuss

Re: [RBW] A Different Kind of RR

[Doug H.]

Fantastic! I would also skip the bar and the weed but this sounds like a 
blast of a ride!
Doug

On Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 6:41:10 PM UTC-4 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
wrote:

> I have long wished to do the Grand Rapids Wednesday Evening Ride. My Riv 
> buddy, J, co-leads it, and the routes are ever-changing and FUN. Maybe you 
> storm the castle. Maybe you end up in a river. Wind up in a kickball 
> tournament. It isn’t convenient - it’s an hour’s drive, and starts after 
> 8pm. A ride that starts after 8!!! On a Wednesday! But those GR folks 
> know how to do it.
>
>
> Last night, I made it. Beginning in the heart of GR, we would ride a 16 mi 
> route in urban and rural landscapes. A variety of bikes were represented; 
> cobbled-together builds, vintage bikes, bikepacking and touring bikes, 
> fixies, hybrids, whatever those bikes are that you ride on the rear wheel, 
> and one Platypus. Not represented: high-tech carbon fiber/time trial bikes 
> with roadies astride them. The reason would soon become apparent.
>
>
> We set off. Bikes were all over the road. “The kids”, a group of teens who 
> ride their rear wheels set themselves up as “blockers” so we could move 
> through intersections. The drivers seemed unbothered. J said, “Leah, I 
> forgot to tell you we are going to blow red lights. The police prefer we do 
> so we stay in one group.” The ride has been going for 20 years, so I guess 
> the drivers expect this. I did as I was told, casting nervous glances over 
> my shoulder at J.
>
>
> [image: image0.jpeg]
>
>
> Most of my miles come from club rides. Club rides prize order, 
> communication, pace, predictability. This ride was a free-for-all. Jubilant 
> and raucous. Music blared from speakers strapped to frames. People sipped 
> beer. The scent of weed hung in the air. The Kids zipped about on one 
> wheel. We had two crashes in the first 20 minutes. I vacillated between 
> having fun and feeling terrified. 
>
>
> One minute we were in the city, the next we were in the woods on a paved 
> trail, bodies of water surrounding us. The sounds of the creatures in the 
> woods were as loud as the music on the bikes. We sailed over bridges, 
> veered off onto gravel, our giant band of bikes wending its way along the 
> route. It was gorgeous. 
>
>
> [image: image1.jpeg]
>
>
> We stopped at a giant pavilion, strung with outdoor lights, and 
> rabblerousing ensued. People laughed and visited, music played, fireflies 
> flickered overhead. At nearly 10 pm, in the pitch black of night, they 
> mounted their bikes, got back on the trail and planned to end at a bar.
>
>
> [image: image2.jpeg]
>
>
> The woods felt like they were closing in on us. Like that scene in The 
> Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It was THRILLING, and I smiled to myself in the 
> dark. Suddenly there was yelling at the front and SLOWING….I couldn’t make 
> out the word at first. SKUNK!!! An actual skunk was running along the path. 
> We dared not pass him for fear of smelling more like skunk than the weed 
> smoke had already done to us. 
>
>
> I skipped the bar; J rode me to my truck and helped me load my Platypus. 
> The Platypus was perfect for this; chunky tires and compact size, front and 
> rear dyno lights, resplendent in color and quite the conversation starter. 
>
>
> [image: image4.jpeg]   
>
> I got home at midnight; my teenagers were waiting up for me. If they had 
> walked in the door smelling like I did, I’d have grounded them on the spot.
>  
>
>
> 10/10 would do again.
>
>
> Note: I was stone-cold sober, putting TWO electrolyte tabs in my water was 
> as wild as I got. Lest you think poorly of me. 😊
>
> On Aug 1, 2024, at 6:18 PM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!  
> wrote:
>
> People here are always posting about their “ride reports.” Something 
> enchanting in some far away place with photos that pose the bike JUST SO…
>
>
> But yesterday I went wilding and I’m going to give you a DIFFERENT kind of 
> Ride Report. 
>
> In the next post, though, because you know how I do it…
>
> -- 
> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the 
> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit 
> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/cCwFnSHq_zc/unsubscribe
> .
> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to 
> rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion on the web visit 
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/dd01d4ec-2303-4e8e-ba92-9218776e5814n%40googlegroups.com
>  
> 
> .
>
>

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW 
Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email 
to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d