MANHATTEN BEACH TO BRENTWOOD RIDE?
Thread started by
eddieboyinla at 09.1.08 - 5:35 pm
NEWS TO ME.
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You watching the news too Eddie? Just saw this. How come no one here knew about this? it looked like LA Wheelmen, Dock 52 or La Grange racers rather than general cyclists but still, i'd like to think we are pretty in touch with the cycling community.
stevo409.1.08 - 5:39 pm
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Don't feel bad - those clubs wouldn't know the internet from their Dura Ace Hollowtech crankset if they were trapped in it's tubes. They still use AOL for christssake.
What happened? I didn't hear about anything either.
Alex Thompson09.1.08 - 5:55 pm
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Alex,
The Spandex crowd (from the tv clip) rode from Manhattan Beach to the top of Mandeville for Cyclist and Car Awareness. And trying to get both sides to share the road and work together. They interviewed a couple of cyclists and showed the 2 guys who got hit by the Doctor.
stevo409.1.08 - 6:05 pm
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Jeez - how do they do something like this - manage to get all their people involved and:
1) I don't hear a peep
2) Box doesn't hear a peep
3) and they don't reach out to anyone else on the Westside???
#3 bothers me the most - these people are so exclusive and antisocial. One might even say elitist.
I worked on a series of stories about some construction hazards on PCH in Malibu. I was alerted to this by someone on the SMCM list forwarding an email from the LA Tri Club. So I rode out there - 46 miles roundtrip (twice) - photographed the site, published a blog entry, and contacted officials at CalTrans reminding them of their solemn pledge to ensure the safety of cyclists on PCH (after 2 deaths in 06.)
I also contacted the LA Tri club, the LA Wheelmen, and La Grange. They're the ones who are riding these dangerous (I mean really scary dangerous) sections.
Guess what I heard back?
Crickets.
Alex Thompson09.1.08 - 6:11 pm
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Ya know, I think i'll try and call Cyncergy tomorrow and Helens and find out who organized this and try to learn a little more about how/where it was advertised. I don't care what politics are going on in the bike community, its a real shame that we all aren't working together on something as serious as this.
I'll report back my findings.
stevo409.1.08 - 6:15 pm
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Guess what I heard back?
Crickets. NOW THATS FUCKIN FUNNY !!!
SEEMS THEY ALL ACT LIKE THEY 'BIKE GODS' OR SOMETHING, ONE DAY IN PASADENA ROSE BOWL,
SOME GAVE ME A DIRTY LOOK, I WAS ON MY 'BEATER' BIKE, AND LOOKED ALL OF THEM IN THE EYE, WITH MY GOOD EYE, MIND YOU.
AND ELOQUENTLY TOLD THEM ALL TO GET ON THERE KNEES AND TAKE TURNS SUCKIN MY.... ....YOU KNOW,
BOY THEY SURE TURNED 'PINK' ON ME, MY NEPHEW WAS LAUGHING ALL THE WAY UP THE HILL HOME,
FUCK YA DUDE, I SLEPT GOOD THAT NIGHT.
eddieboyinla09.1.08 - 6:18 pm
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I hear ya Eddie - some of those people are some serious elitist shitheads. I fired off this email to the clubs, CCing it to Box and some others, cause I'm so pissed:
La Grange, LA Wheelmen, LA Tri Club et al,
I'm very irritated that the competitive/athletic cycling community conducted a Mandeville Safety Awareness ride recently without reaching beyond that community.
I represent utilitarian cyclists in West LA, and I know essentially every bike activist operating here. Yet, I did not hear of this ride. How is that?
We all experience the dangers of SoCal streets. The group I represent perhaps experiences them more, as they ride almost exclusively in the urban jungle that is LA. And yet - it seems like the competitive/athletic cycling community wished we did not exist. This confounds me, as together, we have twice the numbers, hence twice the impact. Perhaps more, for when cyclists of all stripes stand behind one cause, we legitimize it, and delegitimize the opposition.
So why is it that we are not included in the event promotions? Do you not want more cyclists to attend your ride - showing the broad agreement of cyclists on issues of safety? What role do the clubs deserve in setting the agenda for bike activism when events are conducted in such an exclusive manner?
Dissappointed,
Alex Thompson
http://www.westsidebikeside.com/
http://flickr.com/photos/alexbct/
http://www.ibikeu.com/wiki/
Alex Thompson09.1.08 - 6:47 pm
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WOW, THE WAY YOU PUT REALLY MAKES THERE LEGS QUIVER, GOOD JOB.
eddieboyinla09.1.08 - 6:50 pm
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I'm sure they're not perturbed at all. But man, I do want to make them feel scared.
Alex Thompson09.1.08 - 7:15 pm
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Alex,
Nicely put however, i might have changed this one line a little:
." The group I represent perhaps experiences them more, as they ride almost exclusively in the urban jungle that is LA. "
I know what you mean but it reads a little one up-man's-ship and i would have written something about that a large percentage of our riders are commuters instead of or in addition to riding in the urban jungle (cause we all do that for the most part) but the fact that the commuters and others who ride every day in the city is different than those who are weekend racers or those who might train a couple of mornings a week.
Whatever, i'm splitting hairs.
Still, really well done.
Thanks. - i'll still make my phone calls tomorrow.
I'd love to hear what their response is.
stevo409.1.08 - 7:20 pm
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THE GREAT SWAMMIE CARSON PREDICTS "FUCK YOU",
AND THE ENVELOPE SAYS, "RIDER TO RIDAZZ"
eddieboyinla09.1.08 - 7:37 pm
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Nothing like "I'm very irritated..." as a way to begin a letter trying to UNIFY the bicycle community.
I have no doubt that they'll try even harder to reach out to us next time, now that they know what a calm, polite, drama-free and reasonable group of people we are.
And who is the WE they're supposed to be contacting?
I can't really blame them, it's not like having a bunch of additional riders violating traffic and open container laws is really going to lend credence to their position.
But Mandeville Canyon is only 6 miles from the CrankMob starting point, and it's open 24/7, so nothing says that the Ridazz can't make our presence felt in our own inimitable style.
Might be the perfect theme for the 1 year anniversary ride.
JB09.1.08 - 7:43 pm
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I can't find the part of AT's letter that was un-calm, impolite, or even particularly dramatic. Mind you, I'm just an old fashioned country lawyer, so sometimes I miss things. Could you do this ol' boy a favor and point it out to me?
PC09.1.08 - 7:49 pm
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JB - I think you're way off base. Privately conveyed social flak is a key ingredient to maintaining a degree of unity.
I emailed them. I shared my emotional reaction to get it on the table - so they know what they're dealing with. Looking here in "Getting to Yes" - the famous treatise on negotiating - this is suggested as a good thing to do.
I then went on to explain why I thought it was a bad move. That was a polite way to handle the issue, and it leaves them room to respond.
On the other hand, I could have blogged it. That is the response they deserve - ignoring a vast segment of the community like that. I may still. La Grange received awards for their "policy efforts", so it might be an interesting story. Perhaps Urban Velo or CICLE or Bicycling Magazine might be interested.
Going still further, I could go after Jay Slater of La Grange, seeing as this is the umpteenth time his club has pulled some shit like this. Plus - he is absolute obstructionist member of Bicycle Advisory Committee. That's a story that LAist would pick up.
Going further still, I could go after their sponsors. Did you know that Chevron sponsored the Brentwood Grand Prix?
And then looking further - there is essentially nothing these clubs can do to me. To them, I'm untouchable.
So, the response was pretty tame. I private conveyance of anger is an implicit offer to reconcile. So, if you get an irritated email from me, remember
I could have blogged it.
Alex Thompson09.1.08 - 7:58 pm
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PC always says it better.
PC - get a blog! (I mean it - please? You would be good.)
Alex Thompson09.1.08 - 8:00 pm
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What are your end goals?
Are your actions likely to accomplish those end goals?
JB09.1.08 - 8:07 pm
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I'll get a blog just as soon as I finish setting up my Twitter account.
PC09.1.08 - 8:08 pm
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And putting my photo as your profile picture...
stevo409.1.08 - 8:12 pm
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...and posting a picture of myself in my cycling-specific undershorts. All of those things, and then a blog.
PC09.1.08 - 8:18 pm
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AT and others,
So i've spoken to La Grange, Helens and Cynergy and none of them knew about the Safety Awareness ride up to Mandeville last weekend.
Very Strange. I'll see if i can reach Dock 52 and the Wheelmen. Clearly a breakdown in communication.
stevo409.3.08 - 11:51 am
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Shut up Knittens. Stupid fucking cat.
Anyhow, my secret sources say that is was the every two months Holiday ride, remixed. The Holiday ride is the ride on which the two cyclists were assaulted in Mandeville Canyon. Weird weird. They had press, so someone was planning something.
Alex Thompson09.3.08 - 12:02 pm
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Never heard of it. Is there a website for this Holiday ride? How can one join (and get on the inside?)
stevo409.3.08 - 12:04 pm
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the "holiday ride" is a South Bay (wheelmen) thing that happens *every* holiday (wow) and goes from MBeach, up San Vicente (or somethign) to Mandiville canyon, then back... I think it's been happening for years, and is posted as a "ride" on the (horribly out of date) South Bay Wheelmen website.
The news probably were just there waiting for the riders to show up, and then asked them questions...
e-rock09.3.08 - 12:26 pm
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@STEVO28,
Never heard of it. Is there a website for this Holiday ride? How can one join (and get on the inside?)
SIMPLEST WAY, WEAR SPANDEX !!!
AND HAVE THE BALLS TO RIDE ONLY ON MAJOR HOLIDAYZ !!!
LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
eddieboyinla09.3.08 - 1:29 pm
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Alex -
Let me get this straight: somebody had a bike ride and they didn't invite you.
So you send them a nasty letter, state that you want to scare them, and then, on top of that, you threaten that you could have blogged about it? In bold letters, no less?
If you wonder they didn't invite you, you can't be very bright. You don't sound like a very nice person.
NixonTwin09.3.08 - 1:51 pm
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Nixon Twin -
reeding skills
u duz not haz dem
Knittens09.3.08 - 1:57 pm
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Knittens -
What part am I missing?
That AT has a comically emotional and immature reaction to the fact that the spandexies held a ride without him?
That the spandexies might want to ride without "deligitimizing the opposition"?
That the spandexies might want to put as much distance as possible between them and the critical mass/crosswalk obstructing/drunken-fun-madness type of ride as possible?
Or are you suggesting there was something that AT wrote that could lead anybody to conclude that he was a nice person. I admit, my skilz aren't sufficiently honed to find that in this thread.
NixonTwin09.3.08 - 2:13 pm
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Nixon fayce
dids u haz a vacuum?
eye fenk maybe yesh
teh depf of diz situashun eludes u
Knittens09.3.08 - 2:44 pm
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oh hai
mai nayme nixonfayse
all eye care bout iz peeples fenk im nice
duz u like me?
r eye nyce?
duz u watn to pet me?
diz how eye, nixonfayse, gets fengs dun. eye is lyked by all teh peeples! den dey do waht eye wnat!
Knittens09.3.08 - 2:47 pm
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LOL, I NEVER THOUGHT ID HEAR A CAT TALK, THANK GOD I JOINED THIS WEBSITE, YOU COULD LEARN A LOT FROM A KITTY.
eddieboyinla09.3.08 - 3:51 pm
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Ridazz Roulette!