Social Cycling ATX Presents: Thursday Night Social Ride - NORTHBOUND!

Update: Keith just sent me the following notice, to go with the beer issue mentioned below:

Besides the beer, there have been concerns about our blocking the bridge with the massive amount of riders we are getting on Thursdays. We need to keep an open pathway for the other people using the bridge. I am also giving you a heads up now, that we will most likely be changing our meeting place for the ride very soon. We've grown to big to meet there at that hour. Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks for more details. I have a couple of really cool places in mind.

Make sure to keep paths free for joggers, walkers, families and the like. Don't want anyone getting arrested over what is supposed to be a charge to nab protesters, like they do with Critical Mass...

Brooks and Keith got crazy with the words late last night and posted the following to this week's Social Ride Facebook page. Sounds like we're headed north to meet up with the polo crew this time around, before cruising to an east side bar for more beer and good times:

Hey everyone. Thursday night is getting close so let me tell you what's happening on this week's Social Ride. It's all about having fun and helping out.

Most have ya'll have already heard about bike polo and our great club that we have here in town. What ya'll might not know is that they are heading cross-country to represent the ATX in several tournaments up and down the East Coast. So this week we are having a little benefit to help them out with gas and beer money for their tour.

This ride, instead of heading to Metz, we are going to their turf at Eastwoods Park. They'll be playing polo, selling their killer new t-shirts and giving us some beer. That's right, there will be a keg for us at the park. Be sure and drop a donation in the jar and you will receive, for that act of kindness, a nice refreshement. We'll hang out at the park and chill, watch and play some polo and if I can arrange it, there will be some bike jousting and footdown as well. That's right, bike jousting. It is what it sounds like. It's fun to do and watch, so get ready.

After we are done helping make a dent in their trip's expenses, we'll take a nice long cruise that will end up at East 6th Street's newest watering hole, The Iron Gate. We'll have some kegs waiting for us on their killer back patio. This place is really cool folks. You Social Cyclist of drinking age are going to have a really good time.

For everyone new to the Thursday Night Social Ride, here is how we do it. We meet at the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge at 7:30. We hang out and chill until 8ish, then we take off. We ride with traffic, not against it. In other words we stay in one lane and stop at all red lights. FOLLOW YOUR LEADER. They know what they are doing and are some super nice people. Be nice to your fellow Social Cyclist and to everyone who hosts us... especially your bartenders that are handing out the free beer at the after party.

A helmet is always a good idea, but I leave that up to you. You are responsible for your own safety. If you bring lights, a lock, an ID for the afterparty and some tip money, you'll be fine.

****SPECIAL NOTICE: Drinking beer on the bridge is technically against the law. Although you guys are a really well behaved bunch, your tallboys of whatever have not gone completely unnoticed. Like your safety, you are also responsible for your own actions. Getting a ticket and maybe even missing a social ride just might not be worth that can of shaken up beer you want to enjoy on the bridge. That said, you can make your own decision.

-Keith
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1610994666&ref=name

The cops have been hassling a lot of the groups on the bridge such as the drum circles, bums, and the late night dance party crowd. Seems like some new inhabitants of the downtown are don't actually like the downtown area and are trying to sanitize it for their personal consumption. First off, FUCK OFF YUPPIE SCUM. You bought a condo downtown, you moved into an urban environment, what the hell do you expect? Lights out at 10pm and silent nights?!? There's a place for that, it's called the suburbs. Go back to where you came from. Secondly, though I hate to say it they're right. The drinking on the bridge during daylight hours (before the ride departs) is pretty obvious. Maybe if we keep shit on the DL and brown bag it a little better, the douchebags sending in the complaints might stop being dicks about it. Get your drink on, but as with all things outside the realm of legality, please remember to break the law DISCRETELY. See you kids on the bridge.