Sunday Morning RIDE - Craigslist feud continues, bikes still ridden

Harry just sent me the latest, greatest, most up-to-date word on the weekly Sunday Morning RIDE! It sounds like the Craigslist flagging feud has continued, so continue reading to see what's happened recently:

A WET RIDE AND A MYSTERY UNRAVELLED

Apologies to those of you who may have sought in vain our regular CL post announcing last week’s Sunday morning ride. It suffered a hiatus of about 12 hours early on Friday after it was flagged for removal.

At first I briefly entertained the idea that perhaps the mention of my Mom in that post had inflamed afresh the ire of Scottie Reston, whom she flunked from 6th grade reading. The guy could definitely hold a grudge, but upon further reflection I figured that after 45 years, even Scottie was probably ready to let it go. I was left to repost the announcement with a brief explanation as to its temporary absence and to ponder who might have flagged it and why. Ultimately I assumed that the flag had originated with some unfortunate soul who spends 15 minutes every morning folding the paper back exactly like it was before he read it or who has to count backward from 100 every time he sees a green Buick.

Then, as if by magic, enlightenment was granted from no less a source than rawdax@gmail.com. You remember Rawdax, he who proclaimed us all to be douchebags and gave birth thereby to the memorable Ride o’ Douches? Well, Rawdax had the straight skinny for me. He succinctly stated as the source of the problem,

“You are NOT SELLING ANYTHING.”

DOH!!!!! So that’s the problem? Crimony, I can’t believe that I didn’t figure that out for myself! Well, then, no problem!

I still have the cross bike for sale. Yeah, for real. I’m not just saying this so that the self-appointed CL cops won’t flag my post. Look at the picture. It’s a real bike, and it’s really for sale. Drop me a line if you’re interested.

Now that I’ve met my legal obligation, I’m tellin’ ya that it’s a great time of year to be riding. Well, OK, so last week’s ride was a bit wet. Aaron and Mike both showed up on new rides, Aaron on a really sweet Salsa Cassaroll that’s set up as a single-speed freewheeler and Mike on a totally dope Litespeed roadie. Both bikes got their baptism, so to speak, when it started raining after the first ten miles. And it rained. And it rained. Nonetheless, we finished 25 with no flats and no crashes on the wet road. We even saw quite a number of other crazed souls astride two-wheelers, reveling in the precipitation.

This week’s ride will roll, as usual, from Posse East at 8:20 on Sunday morning. I’m thinking maybe a reprise of the Manor run, perhaps with some embellishments. We’ll see what the group sez.

Those of you who have ridden with us before know how we roll. For those who haven’t, please read the blah-blah below. It’s important. Really.

• Some of us are down with the fixed gear deal, but mostly we’re just about riding. Bring whatcha got and ride with us.

• Every cyclist is responsible for his or her own safety and well-being. We assume that everyone is familiar with basic rules of cycling safety and has enough hours in the saddle to feel comfortable with his or her ride. Use of helmets is optional (but highly recommended). Use of headphones, earbuds, Blue Tooth headsets or any other form of electronic distraction is discouraged. (It’s a SOCIAL ride, dammit!) All traffic laws and rules of right-of-way will be observed. Here’s the deal:

SAFETY FIRST!!!!!

If someone gets killed, it ruins the ride for everybody.

• This ride is 25-30 miles long through mostly urban and suburban areas. There will be ample opportunities to refill liquids and obtain calories.

• Ya might not need a water bottle at all this week. We do a stop somewhere around the halfway point, and the prediction for Sunday is sunny with high temperatures in the mid 70s.

• There is no SAG support on this ride. Bring a spare tube and something that will inflate it.

• The purpose of this ride is for everyone to have a good time and (we hope) to become better cyclists. We ride at a social pace, and all skill levels are welcome. This is a 25-30 mile ride over flat to moderately-rolling terrain. If this is consistent with your riding experience, or is perhaps slightly more challenging than what you’re accustomed to, you should have no problem going the distance.

And hey, Rawdax, the invite still stands. Come on out and join us. It’s time to ride.

I love this shit. If only I also loved 8am on Sunday mornings, then I'd actually check out the ride. Until then, y'all have fun tearing it up in the early hours!