You are hereMoonlight Cruze success, pictures, and watermelon thievery.
Moonlight Cruze success, pictures, and watermelon thievery.
I'm still kinda dragging from last night so I'm gonna keep this short, but DAMN that was an awesome time last night! The pre-party at Rancho Relaxo was a good time with several kegs flowing simultaneously, a huge crowd, and lots of friendly faces in attendance. There were also bike thieves afoot, but for the most part they seemed to make themselves scarce, and nothing was fucked with.
The ride itself was AMAZING. It seemed slightly smaller than last year but I wasn't surprised with the last-minute notice and lack of flyers. It also seemed a little faster paced than usual and we skipped the first two Randalls regroup points, but the crowd was fun, there were several pretty badass stereo bikes in attendance, and a lot of the old cruiser crowd showed up and represented for the old guard. Thanks again Eric for letting us know what the deal was with the dates. Now the part you're all waiting for, the pictures:
A fellow named Anthony sent me a link to his photos on facebook at around 5:30am. Damn, talk about not wasting any time!
Doug also made the ride and shot the entire thing, all the way down to Zilker and Barton Springs for the early morning free swim. I split off from the parking garage as the lure of Ken's Doughnuts proved to be too strong, but it looks like y'all had a lot of fun.
The only thing I really heard any complaints about was the watermelon liberation at the Koenig HEB stop. A couple people were voicing their disapproval at the scene, and someone else emailed me offering to start a collection to pay for the damaged/stolen watermelons. If you feel the same way let me know and I'll put you in contact with them.
I'll give a better report later, for now it's time for a birthday.
Man, I tried to join this ride, but I got there late, then crashed my bike while trying to catch up.
My ribs hurt.
oops
Why do these rides always end up with illegal mob rules activities? Trespassing, theft, assault, sexual assault, property damage; what the fuck is wrong with people?
That ride seemed really easy to me this year. I never felt like I worked.
I've never made a pit stop before the Randall's at 35th.
That's only about 6 miles into a 20 mile ride.
I agree about the stereo bikes. Riding at night, especially in areas like Shoal Creek is so peaceful. Then that peace is shattered by a blaring stereo.
Then, at the pit stops, having a conversation and stereo bike shows up cranked to 11 and we have to shout to hear each other. We moved.
I was not comfortable with the watermelon thievery. People woudn't show up to HEB alone and start stealing watermelon. They were stealing watermelon on the back of the group. Therefore, they were stealing watermelon on my back.
Lately, the rides have seemed less like rides and more like socials.
It's a ride
If you want a social, do a pub crawl.
Then again, I was a huge fan of the old Friday night rides and we just hammered. :D
I've heard that we averaged 13mph on the ride this year. That would have been impossible in past years. This is(was) a social ride. Hence the name Cruze. Notice, it is not The Moonlight Race or The Moonlight Sprint, but the Full Moon Cruze. I have been on all but 4 of the past 27 Harvest Moonlight Rides. It sure has changed! Just a few years back, there was fun and comradery at the heart of this ride. A rider with bike trouble, had a friend or even stranger stop to help them out. This year, if you encountered bike trouble, you were left behind by the group. Many riders might have stopped to help, but feared losing the group and missing out on the entire ride. So they failed to help the downed rider, and had to push on. In past years, we have had tall bikes, low-riders, bmx, cruisers, tandems, stereo toting bikes, and anything else imaginable. How can anyone expect folks on these bikes to maintain 13mph for many miles? I miss the old ride! Lots of riding, fun ,friendship, and beautiful Austin scenery. Not criminal mischief, break-neck speeds, and people who refuse to follow the route or stop at scheduled stops. I hope we can take this ride back to its roots next year. I would also hope to maintain a ride that would make its founders proud to have started. Not an event which makes them sad to have been a part of. If you want to ride faster, maybe you should get some exercise before the Cruze, or maybe you can start a new Hammer Fest Ride.
That was my cyclecomputer, my moving average speed for the evening (which was mostly the ride, but not 100% the ride). I was carrying a stereo, but one that didn't slow me much.
I tried to stay close to the front of the back, but the ride strung out pretty far behind me. I don't doubt that many people had faster averages, but I'll bet most had slower average speeds.
When I arrived at the stops, people kept arriving for several minutes afterwards. These people probably had slower average speeds than I did.
Personally, I'd prefer the leaders slow down a bit and help keep the ride closer in, but even as it was, the slower people weren't left behind as you suggest. And riders with trouble did get help. The ride didn't stop, but individuals did. And really, if you lose the ride, it's no big deal -- you just call a friend who didn't stop, find out where he is. That wasn't an option 26 years ago. (It does require some planning, however. If you've got a cell phone, get some numbers of other riders!)
All those bike types you've mentioned are seen on the moonlight rides -- and they keep up. (And don't be thinking tandems are slow. They're often faster than the fastest single person race bikes!)
In short, I don't think it's as bad as you suggest. But there's certainly room for improvement. Make it out to all the monthly moonlight rides and get the plan worked out and people used to it, so it's all ready to go for next year!
What are the roots of the ride, as you see it?
While the ride is fresh in everyone's mind, it would be a good time to discuss likes and dislikes. Perhaps steer the cruise more towards a better general consensus.
I started a thread in this site's forum to continue this discussion.
I plan on printing maps for next year's ride. I saw a lot of people at the front turning the wrong way.
I really appreciated the traffic directors at the northern terminus steering people left. A few years ago the ride went right and I had to ride Great Northern practically alone. There was one bike a few hundred yards ahead and one a few hundred yards behind. It was a total pisser.
Actually it's called a Cruze because it used to be put on by the Austin Cruzer bike shop. None of the old guard I rode with are sad about this year; we used to hammer pretty hard BITD, too! Great ride, great fun, great people.
Speak for yourself, you weren't hauling 50lbs of loud metal-blaring stereo on your rear rack (or were you?). I thought the pace was decent. I could have hung with faster, but I wouldn't have minded a little slower (or actually stopping at one of the earlier Randalls). I like the stereo bikes, but if it's too loud or not to your liking you can always TALK TO US and let us know. Just because we're dashingly handsome, play awesome music and ride tricked-out bicycles doesn't mean we're unapproachable.
Our rides have been VERY social as of late, but then that's typically what happens when you get several hundred friends together, and then add social lubricants all night long. We typically don't want to drop 3/4 of the pack, so we keep it at a pace they can manage (or at least hang on to). You want to go fast and hard, there's a place for that too. It's oftentimes difficult to get 300+ riders to conform to your favored ride pace, but if we aren't fast enough for you feel free to speed to the front of the pack, start shouting and try to motivate the crowd.
If that doesn't work, you can always start your own big, fast-paced ride. Talk to Keith and Clif about it if you want some pointers, they seem to have pulled it off nicely with their Heavy Metal rides. Even the earlier morning Sunday Fixed Gear (or not) Ride from Posse East seems to be going strong, and they start at the weirdo biker-unfriendly hour of 8am. There definitely seems to be plenty of audience for a new fast hammer fest, open to all cyclists that can hang onto the pack. If you mail me a flyer I'll post it, and see if we can't drum up an audience.
Failing that, I guess complaining about the current rides IS easier than organizing your own.
I'm in no shape to hammer any more. :D
I still don't feel the pace this year was especially high. I usually avg about 10mph when I cruise around town and don't want to exert any effort. When I'm in a group, I tend to ride a little harder.
I prefer to be towards the front of the ride, but this year I kept ending up IN the front. That makes me think the pace this year was lower than previous years.
Does anyone have a map from previous years? I could swear that Randall's on 35th is the 1st official pit stop. I could be wrong though.
I will continue to dislike the stereo bikes. It doesn't mean I dislike you personally. I even liked most of the music I heard. I just enjoy the sound of a few hundred bikes on quiet streets more.
Rock on.
P.S. I accept your challenge to organize a ride. I declare 2am May 2nd (Saturday night/Sunday morning) to be the Pink Egg Full Moon Cruise. To be ridden in the spirit of the Annual Full Moon Cruise with the same route and carried out on an annual basis to coincide with the full moon closest to the Full Pink Moon (AKA Full Egg Moon, AKA Full Sprouting Grass Moon) :D
sounds good.
I keep thinking about building a stereo bike, too. Then, you'll have to listen to my crappy musical tastes, or outrun me.
Great. Maybe I'll build one and play only the absolute worst bar jukebox songs. :p
Achy Breaky Heart, MmmmBop, Don't Stop Believin'. Weeee!!!
...those are like three of my favorite songs.
Don't Stop Believin' is actually held in extremely high regard by many members of this crew. Don't be hating on Journey!
But you could replace it with Spice Girl's Wannabee. And since you got Billie Ray Cyrus, pretty much anything by his daughter would fit well in that playlist too. Aqua would do well. Leif Garret. That godawful Wildfire song. So much awful music, and only a few hours to play it!
Either way ... awesome idea. I'm looking forward to it!
(Side note, are you the same Chuck who was involved in starting the Courteous Mass rides a few years back?)
This ride was the first Full Moon I've missed in 17 months and I really wish I could have been there. As to the comments from those who I would deem 'haters', let me point out to you there is a far more appropriate forum than this for you to make your dissatisfaction known: that is ON THE RIDE. If you see someone doing something you don't agree with, CALL THEM OUT. Get to the front and slow people down if they're going too fast. Get to the back and get those cranks cranking if they're going too slow. Hate the whole ride? Get 15 of your friends (or 150) and form a road block and intercept us. Volunteer as HEB security if you have a problem with watermelon liberation. Ask someone to turn down her stereo or switch the tune. I've called Bob out on his semi-questionable musical stylings several times. I guarantee you'll have a better time than whinging on the internet. If you don't have the cojones to speak up, don't worry, just keep coming on these rides and sooner or later, you'll grow a pair. In the mean time, try complaining to your mom, cause here all you'll get is some assy smartass like me telling you to shut the hell up and just ride your bicycle. Staying home is not an option. FELLS FOR LIFE -- FALLEN BUT NOT FORGOTTEN...
That's me. :D
ohhhhhh it was so much fun, but I was wondering if anyone picked up a kryptonite mini ulock with a wound up cable attached to it. I think I lost it during the ride in my drunken haze.
email me at taylorpowATgmail.com
I think the only real downside to the watermelon incident is that some guy had to clean up the mess this morning. Stealing is wrong, but I'm sure a lot of those melons were flattered to be split on a curb and eaten in such a celebratory manner. And HEB definitely didn't suffer a loss. Imagine those melons rotting. Tragic. Even if a collection was left, I'm sure it would have ended up in that dude who cleaned up the lot's pocket.
I imagine that HEB was really hoping to sell those melons rather than let them rot. Yes, I suspect some would eventually rot, but most of them ought to have been sold. The melons were stolen, and that cost HEB money.
`Oh look, melons, free for the taking!' is pretty much the same as `oh look, an unlocked bike, free for the taking!'. And yes, if you left money, you're right in assuming that it's unlikely to make it in the hands of the people who should have been paid for the melons.
Quite a mess was left, but I doubt it would take one person more than an hour to clean up. It would probably be a bagger making minimum wage, so $10 or so? But I'll bet at least a hundred dollars worth of melons were taken.
If you took melons, the right thing to do should be obvious.
On the other hand, it's relatively minor thing, and HEB probably expects some of the melons to disappear -- obviously they decided that it was more cost effective to leave them outside rather than bring them in each day, and to not have somebody to guard them. So make your own decision.
... but a bunch of people did. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time!
And Bob was the serious trooper -- he made it to the springs, then did the Sunday morning ride. His last FB post said `68 miles' ...
As for complaints, people were also complaining that the ride was too fast (my cyclecomputer said a moving average of 13.1 mph - which is pretty fast for this sort of ride, especially considering all the hills) and that there were too many bike stereos and some were too loud. (I thought the stereos were awesome, but can see their point.)
There's also a report of a drunk knocking people off their bikes downtown right after the ride started. Gotta be careful -- 99% of the time, he just wants a high 5, but that other 1%, he may not mean you well.
of http://www.thyneighborsbike.com/ also went the distance. While I remembered the sunblock, somehow forgot the sunglasses. Not good for this photophobic cave dweller. Computer says 81 at 14.6.
Who wants to go watch the eRacing Stigma Criterium at 780 W 45th St - State Hospital on Labor Day Monday?