Combination

I did the Cargo Bike Jamboree White Trash Sprints Ride yesterday, combining two bicycle events into one and, in the process, learning an important fact: while it’s cool to participate in a parade of bikes with massive carrying capacity, it’s sort of more fun to be the one person at the scene who has the ability to handle a larger-than-average load. Not only do you feel like you’re performing a valuable public service, you also get props from folks who ride bikes fast and might otherwise find it difficult to restrain a sneer at the rate of speed at which you pedal.

Also, it was interesting to see the two different, but slightly overlapping bicycle communities: the former was populated by older, more sedate folks whose bikes mostly had gears and baskets; the latter by younger, hipper kids whose rigs didn’t even have brakes!

But the cool thing was a good time was had by all, although it would be interesting to see how badly sunburned some of the shirtless dudes hanging out on the Bridge to Nowhere were by the end of the afternoon.

I myself mostly crouched in the one small piece of shade afforded by an ambitious eucalyptus tree creeping over the ruined freeway; it was pleasant to sip a beer and watch pairs of cyclists race up the road; there was a moment of unwanted excitement when one girl flipped herself off her seat and landed hard on her backside, but she seemed to be all right, albeit a bit bruised.

I left long before things probably got really interesting in the competition; I’m sure there were some thrilling races later in the day, but by that time, I was napping in my backyard and trying to keep my dog from freaking out over all the Fourth of July explosions going off in the neighborhood.

I never made it back to the Cargo Ride as planned; still, plenty of fun combined all around.