A Different Kind of RR

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

People here are always posting about their “ride reports.” Something enchanting in some far away place with photos that pose the bike JUST SO…

But yesterday I went wilding and I’m going to give you a DIFFERENT kind of Ride Report. 

In the next post, though, because you know how I do it…

[Leah Peterson]

I have long wished to do the Grand Rapids Wednesday Evening Ride. My Riv buddy, J, co-leads it, and the routes are ever-changing and FUN. Maybe you storm the castle. Maybe you end up in a river. Wind up in a kickball tournament. It isn’t convenient - it’s an hour’s drive, and starts after 8pm. A ride that starts after 8!!! On a Wednesday! But those GR folks know how to do it.

Last night, I made it. Beginning in the heart of GR, we would ride a 16 mi route in urban and rural landscapes. A variety of bikes were represented; cobbled-together builds, vintage bikes, bikepacking and touring bikes, fixies, hybrids, whatever those bikes are that you ride on the rear wheel, and one Platypus. Not represented: high-tech carbon fiber/time trial bikes with roadies astride them. The reason would soon become apparent.

We set off. Bikes were all over the road. “The kids”, a group of teens who ride their rear wheels set themselves up as “blockers” so we could move through intersections. The drivers seemed unbothered. J said, “Leah, I forgot to tell you we are going to blow red lights. The police prefer we do so we stay in one group.” The ride has been going for 20 years, so I guess the drivers expect this. I did as I was told, casting nervous glances over my shoulder at J.

Most of my miles come from club rides. Club rides prize order, communication, pace, predictability. This ride was a free-for-all. Jubilant and raucous. Music blared from speakers strapped to frames. People sipped beer. The scent of weed hung in the air. The Kids zipped about on one wheel. We had two crashes in the first 20 minutes. I vacillated between having fun and feeling terrified. 

One minute we were in the city, the next we were in the woods on a paved trail, bodies of water surrounding us. The sounds of the creatures in the woods were as loud as the music on the bikes. We sailed over bridges, veered off onto gravel, our giant band of bikes wending its way along the route. It was gorgeous. 

We stopped at a giant pavilion, strung with outdoor lights, and rabblerousing ensued. People laughed and visited, music played, fireflies flickered overhead. At nearly 10 pm, in the pitch black of night, they mounted their bikes, got back on the trail and planned to end at a bar.

The woods felt like they were closing in on us. Like that scene in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It was THRILLING, and I smiled to myself in the dark. Suddenly there was yelling at the front and SLOWING….I couldn’t make out the word at first. SKUNK!!! An actual skunk was running along the path. We dared not pass him for fear of smelling more like skunk than the weed smoke had already done to us. 

I skipped the bar; J rode me to my truck and helped me load my Platypus. The Platypus was perfect for this; chunky tires and compact size, front and rear dyno lights, resplendent in color and quite the conversation starter. 

   

I got home at midnight; my teenagers were waiting up for me. If they had walked in the door smelling like I did, I’d have grounded them on the spot. 

10/10 would do again.

Note: I was stone-cold sober, putting TWO electrolyte tabs in my water was as wild as I got. Lest you think poorly of me. 😊

On Aug 1, 2024, at 6:18 PM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:

People here are always posting about their “ride reports.” Something enchanting in some far away place with photos that pose the bike JUST SO…

But yesterday I went wilding and I’m going to give you a DIFFERENT kind of Ride Report. 

In the next post, though, because you know how I do it…

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[Doug H.]

Fantastic! I would also skip the bar and the weed but this sounds like a blast of a ride!

Doug

[Joe Bernard]

I love the "total chaos, might die in the woods tonight" vibe. I wanna do this ridiculous ride! 

Slightly Chaotic Joe Bernard 

Lake County CA 

[Bill Lindsay]

"I was stone-cold sober"

I believe that she means that she didn't partake in any of the party-lubricants.  Still, Leah's brand of joie de vivre will never qualify in my book as stone-cold sober.  Tipsy on life is closer.  

BL in EC

P.S. APPROVE

On Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 3:41:10 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

[Leah Peterson]

Bill, you get me. Come to the east Michigan ride and we’ll both be tipsy on life in The Shire! 

On Aug 2, 2024, at 12:49 PM, Bill Lindsay <tape...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Jay]

Love that your teenagers waited up for you, and that you would ground them.  Sounds like a fun ride!

[Leah Peterson]

I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it, but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.

I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We have a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and he brings this:

You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he planned tonight’s route.

Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures amongst all these GR rabble rousers.

It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off ledges and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest. 

I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from The Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home by private vehicle, not ambulance.

We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to all of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 bikes and riders wending through their streets. We ride through neighborhoods (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand River. Everyone stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the path. We get to a pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke and beer drinking. I drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about me. Three men come to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored bits. One of them is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who anodized my rims! 

 

It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake in his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle me, but he’s done it.

Isn’t it scary how much we have in common?

At 10pm, good and dark out, we set off. Here was the description of the ride: “…We‘ll head back to the Monarch via a less level and less paved route, so if you’re heading back with us, bring some tires!”

WHAT COULD GO WRONG.

It is the black of night. We are in the middle of nowhere. There are animals in the woods. We are behind a factory of some kind. The parking lot is dirt and full of pot holes. Now there is no road, no buildings. We are in the woods, riding over tall grass. We can see a few feet in front of us, we cannot see the ground through the grass. I am praying not to land in a hole. Now we are in sandy soil, with deep ruts in it. I am thanking my lucky stars that I went with 48mm Gravel Kings. The group is beginning to split as different people set different paces for this terrain. Now we are in rocky dirt with tall grass and brush growing up through it. We are forced to dismount at times, squeeze through narrow spaces. We must lift our bikes up and over obstacles, hoping not to get hit from behind by other riders in the dark. I wonder how many ticks we have, and if I will get my first taste of poison ivy. But, I can’t worry about that now because I have to make it out of here alive first.

I end up at the front of my section. The riders directly behind me have no lights. We are counting on me, and my headlight is pointed too far down and I can’t lift it because it’s screwed tight. So we don’t have a lot of forward visibility. I see something in the dark. The ground starts to drop. “STOP STOP STOP! GET OFF YOUR BIKES!” I yell. Everyone behind me echoes this and I turn on my iPhone flashlight for better viewing. There is a pit just ahead, and an inches-wide beam we are going to have to traverse to get across. I can’t believe it. 

To my left is one 6-8inch wide beam that stretches across a yawning pit. There is another to my right. We are high up enough that there are tree branches reaching across the way. We will use both beams to move everyone across. I have to lift my bike up onto the beam, step up and begin to inch across. The woman behind me lets forth a stream of cuss words. I can hear another woman who is protesting. We don’t have any choice but to traverse that wood. I resign myself to it, and I lift my Platypus and balance it on the beam. Like Simone Biles! Ok, fine, not Simone Biles. Looking for security, I grab for the branches as I wheel my bike by. If my bike goes over the edge, I’ll never get it out, I think. If I go over the edge, I’m also never getting out. A man is waiting on the far side. “You can do it! You’ve got the Platypus!” he calls. And I do it. Some men coax the riders behind me over the beam and we are on our way again. 

The rest of the ride was tame in comparison. It ended at their watering hole and I pealed off for the park, where my truck was. I was nervous riding alone at 11 pm in downtown but after what I’d just survived, it didn’t seem so scary. I rode those 2 miles, wrestled the bike into the back of the Telluride, and made it home at midnight. 

I don’t know why I do these rides - I’m terrified most of the time. But I will probably go back next week. It’s a good story, if nothing else. 🙃

Leah

On Aug 3, 2024, at 12:30 PM, Jay <jason....@gmail.com> wrote:

Love that your teenagers waited up for you, and that you would ground them.  Sounds like a fun ride!

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/1be2a619-e8a0-4793-ada3-f730fdaa97e5n%40googlegroups.com.

[Leah Peterson]

Here are videos, which may or may not work here. I wish I had footage of the ride, but it’s too risky to film and ride in this group. You’ll have to imagine.

[Robert Blunt]

Uh. Best ride report ever. I love how you have adapted to the SW Michigan life.

On Thu, Aug 8, 2024 at 10:15 AM Leah Peterson <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:

Here are videos, which may or may not work here. I wish I had footage of the ride, but it’s too risky to film and ride in this group. You’ll have to imagine.

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On Aug 8, 2024, at 11:10 AM, Leah Peterson <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:



I did it again. I went to that crazy Wed night Grand Rapids ride. From now on I’m calling it “wilding.” As in, “I am going wilding! See you way past bedtime!” I think that’s a real term, I might be misappropriating it, but it sounds fantastic and suits my purposes.

I arrive at the city park a little early and watch the crowd roll up. The wheelie crowd is right on time, careening around on rear wheels and making everyone nervous. A wide variety of bikes are in attendance. We have a massive turnout, 121 riders, just awesome to behold. J is leading, and he brings this:

<image0.jpeg>

<image1.jpeg>

You can see here that cleanliness is very important to him, and that he does mostly tame rides and so we would have nothing to fear since he planned tonight’s route.

Here is my bike, demure and innocent, having its first adventures amongst all these GR rabble rousers.

<image2.jpeg>

It is 8:30pm. We set off and a new group makes its appearance. I call them The Jumpers. They have full suspension bikes with names like Salsa on them and when we go up a ramp, they ride up the stairs. They fly off ledges and drop back into the group and scare this nurse half to death. They launch their bikes and sashay through the air and hope everyone is watching. The Jumpers are wilding the hardest. 

I quickly realize that the middle-back is the place to be. Away from The Kids and The Jumpers. I want to ride by J, but I also want to go home by private vehicle, not ambulance.

We block intersections and ride through red lights; drivers submit to all of this. No honking or threatening behavior. Just tolerance for 121 bikes and riders wending through their streets. We ride through neighborhoods (only one crash!), and then along the aptly-named Grand River. Everyone stares at us, a massive clot of bikes, moving along the path. We get to a pavilion where everyone chats in a haze of pot smoke and beer drinking. I drink my usual electrolyte water; I need my wits about me. Three men come to ogle my Platypus. They are into all the custom colored bits. One of them is Velocity USA’s anodizer; here is the man who anodized my rims! 

 

<image3.jpeg>

It turns out, he is my bike twin. I am jealous of the blue metal flake in his purple paint job. I didn’t think someone could out-sparkle me, but he’s done it.

<image4.jpeg>

Isn’t it scary how much we have in common?

<image5.jpeg>

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[Joe Bernard]

Leah, I mean this in the kindest possible way. You. Are. CRAZY

Joe "I wanna do this ride" Bernard 

[Sally Bidleman]

Terrific, Leah!! (Both ride and write-up:) Thanks so much for taking the time to send this our way.

Stay safe, have fun!

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[George Schick]

Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. Here is the standard definition for that term:

https://www.google.com/search?q=wilding&oq=wilding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j46i10i131i433i512j0i10i131i433i512j46i10i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j0i512.3080j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

The Urban Dictionary is even more explicit.

[Leah Peterson]

Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the funnier because I’ve never done any true wilding in my life. This is all I got!

On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:15 PM, George Schick <bhi...@gmail.com> wrote:

Umm...I don't think I'd refer to it as a "wilding" if I were you. Here is the standard definition for that term:

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/aecedfae-d2e3-468f-94a2-e7573def0d51n%40googlegroups.com.

[Leah Peterson]

That cut off. It was supposed to say, It’s the only wilding I’ve ever done in my life, let me have this!

On Aug 8, 2024, at 12:29 PM, Leah Peterson <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:



Oh George, you just let me live! It’s all the more 

[Joe Bernard]

Leah if you want to go on a violent rampage I say party on, sister. Who am I to judge??! 🤷

[George Schick]

I'm not surprised to see an affirmation from Ralph Kramden.  I was only trying to advise caution because some people may get the wrong impression by the use of that term.

[Leah Peterson]

Did you just call him Ralph Kramden? I had to look that up, but seems mean-spirited. Well, you have to look at yourself in the mirror every day and live with that, George. If I’m misunderstanding , I apologize. 

Leah

On Aug 8, 2024, at 1:18 PM, George Schick <bhi...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm not surprised to see an affirmation from Ralph Kramden.  I was only trying to advise caution because some people may get the wrong impression by the use of that term.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/a8a9784c-d5fc-47b1-89a4-e330d82cb3dan%40googlegroups.com.

[George Schick]

A year or two ago there was a thread involving the problems associated with the placement of a long wheel based bikes on the front of urban buses. Joe chimed in to offer his expertise on the discussion because he is a city bus driver (not sure which city).  So I posted a reply intending to be humorous, asking him if it would be OK if I referred to him as Ralph Kramden, a character in an old 1950's comedy series in which Jackie Gleason played the part of a NYC bus driver in the sitcom.  He got the spirit of that label right away and said it would be fine with him.  So I use it whenever it seems appropriate in a blog thread. 

[Steve]

Linguistic scholars recognize that the meanings associated with words often evolve over time, with the changes being driven by culture.   Leah, as far as I'm concerned, you have nudged the definition of "wilding" toward a new meaning.  

I say, right on, far out and totally cool, it's time to get down and dirty with some righteous WILDING !!!   

[George Schick]

@steve - yes, that's true.  But not everyone gets on board to changed definitions and meanings simultaneously.  Therefore, things can be taken the wrong way by some who haven't caught up with the latest and greatest blog-a-sphere use of a word or phrase.  Take "sick" for example.  Not that many years ago calling something sick would imply that it was ugly or impaired.  Now it can apparently be used to mean what used to be called "cool" or the like.

Anyway a good example of a crash and burn blog thread that centered around the use and definition of the term "fred" occurred on this blog about 8 years ago and subsequently led to the departure of a frequent poster. So you can see where something can lead, not necessarily intentionally.

https://groups.google.com/g/rbw-owners-bunch/c/I2rXHQqICOc/m/auRAmy3bDQAJ

[lucky...@gmail.com]

Leah, that ride sounds lit! The leader guy sounds like a total Chad and I bet the soundtracked slapped! Clearly you have the rizz of a sigma. And your bike is an absolute unit! Skibidi! 

On Aug 8, 2024, at 13:01, George Schick <bhi...@gmail.com> wrote:

@steve - yes, that's true.  But not everyone gets on board to changed definitions and meanings simultaneously.  Therefore, things can be taken the wrong way by some who haven't caught up with the latest and greatest blog-a-sphere use of a word or phrase.  Take "sick" for example.  Not that many years ago calling something sick would imply that it was ugly or impaired.  Now it can apparently be used to mean what used to be called "cool" or the like.

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[Joe Bernard]

I was wilding on my bus today. Sheer mayhem!!! 💥💥💥

[Jay]

The part about riding in the dark, the pit, the beam, I was reading on the edge of my seat wondering if it all ended in a bloody mess.  Glad it didn't ;-)

[Steve]

"...not everyone gets on board to changed definitions and meanings simultaneously.  Therefore, things can be taken the wrong way by some..."

George - all true.  Didn't mean it to come across as a critique of the points you made (though I can see how it might have). Just wanted to affirm Leah's delightful bit of writing.

Take care, Steve

[Sarah Carlson]

George, I am also not surprised to see Joe chime in with an affirmation. Joe has been a pretty darn enthusiastic supporter of people having joyous experiences riding. He's personally given me some very useful technical information and helped me perfectly dial in the gearing on my Homer. Is that what Ralph Kramden means?

[Patrick Moore]

I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when using this term. This is how it came to national awareness: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_case

Tragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC just ~4 months earlier.

[Patrick Moore]

Sorry, Central Park, not Rock Creek Park. Still, 1989.

--

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Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

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When thou didst not, savage, know thine own meaning,

But wouldst gabble like a thing most brutish,

I endowed thy purposes with words that made them known.

[George Schick]

Nope.  If you've read through the entire thread you'd see that the name "Ralph Kramden" simply refers to a character in a 50's sitcom who was  a big city bus driver, played by actor Jackie Gleason.  I've given him that nick name because Joe is, in fact, a big city bus driver.  It's a kind of witticism and Joe is aware of it and accepting of it.  OTOH, yes Joe has been a big supporter of many on this blog and he's to be commended for his enthusiasm.  The fact that "...I was not surprised..." to see Joe's affirmation was for that very reason, especially when it comes to things that Leah says or does.

[lucky...@gmail.com]

National awareness? 

Man I hope the moderator kills this thread soon. It started out as a fun joyful ride report and it’s devolved into a bunch of dudes arguing about whether or not they would use a word in polite… or maybe less than polite company, considering. Now I have to go down the whole thread just to see the fun pictures.

Go look at the pictures guys, there are Rivendells! There’s anodizing! There are joyful people riding bicycles and touching grass.

Liz

On Aug 8, 2024, at 16:56, Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com> wrote:



I have to agree with George, that one might want to be careful when using this term. This is how it came to national awareness: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_case

Tragic for all. I was very aware of the incident, having left WDC just ~4 months earlier.

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[Sarah Carlson]

Yeah George.... I read it. And Liz kind of nailed how I feel. This is a woman posting about her joyous riding experience. I think anyone who has been engaging on this forum will know that Leah is not out on her rainbow Platy, raping people in Central park and bragging about in on the RBW group. Can we just enjoy the ride report and leave out the mansplaining and dictionary definitions?

And even if you Joe says he's cool with the Ralph Kramden name, it comes across as mean spirited. And I'm too fond of my pal Joe to let that go unsaid.

[Doug H.]

Fantastic ride report on your Rivendell. Don't let the grumpy old men get you down. It's not worth it.

Doug

[Leah Peterson]

When a man tells me to watch my language, I’ll consider the source. 

Joe = Friend to RivSisters. Hate to tally up the hours he’s spent helping me solve bike problems. All that knowledge-sharing, and never been mean-spirited. If Joe said, “Hey I think you might want to rephrase that,” I probably would. George calls Joe Ralph Kramden and me Annie Oakley, and I don’t think it’s meant to build us up. Furthermore, I’ve shown myself to be of good character over my many years on this List, and I doubt any of you actually think I’m out breaking the law.

So, on Wednesday Evening Rides, I’m going wilding. You aren’t going to police my language, and especially if I know you to be someone who takes pleasure in putting others back in their places. I wrote you a beautiful piece with a fresh take on the traditional “ride reports” but no one has to read it. You can go back to the FS posts and the WTB post...there are so many. 

Also: RivSisters. I love you so. 

Leah

On Aug 8, 2024, at 8:29 PM, Sarah Carlson <sarahlik...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Ben R]

that ride looks absolutely amazing and fun.  so happy to see you taking your self out of the comfort zone and not being afraid to try new things.

that dirty crust looks rad.  you already know how i feel about it its absolutely sick.  you cant trust a clean bike

but thats the beauty of bikes.  a form of self expression.  much like words, to be used however you want to express whatever you want.

i guess some people dont see it that way.

leah you're a true inspiration on the bike and a wonder with words.  love reading your ride recap storys.

Ben "Wildn" R aka Ben "semi a Riv Sister" R

[Sarah Carlson]

Ben, we RivSisters do love our Little Brother!

[Doug H.]

Leah, that trek across that narrow plank sounds crazy holding a bicycle! The rest of it sounded fun and adventurous. I need to do more night riding. The little I've done was great. Riding after dark has a cool vibe. 

Doug

[Brian Campbell]

Agree with George. 

While there is no ill-will intended,  as victim of wilding incident a few decades ago, you are sending a message that you might not want to! 

My wife's broken nose can attest to that!

[Ben R]

oh that means so much to me.

to be considered along side such an amazing, strong, and ground breaking group of women. it means a lot.

i cant wait for the invite to the riv sisters group ride and to get dropped by the rainbow platty. 

maybe we can urban dictionary new words on the ride to keep it "fresh".

Ben "little brother" R

[Cyclofiend Jim]

I generally try to keep a pretty light hand on the tiller of this crazy cruise, and I'm genuinely conflicted as to how to handle this thread. 

On one hand, I'd like to lock it and delete the gruffer posts, 

While on the other hand, folks stood up for themselves in an appropriate and (so far) respectful manner. It seems like some points have been excessively reinforced and need no further embellishment (the first way out of a hole is to stop digging).. And some folks found terminology to be triggering, so I want to respect that also. 

One tenet I've mentioned probably too infrequently here is the idea that we are all going to express ourselves poorly from time to time, and if we can give one another the space to do that, it's for the benefit of all. 

If this thread devolves into personal invective, it'll get sliced up and locked. But if we can take a deep breath and step back, I'd rather get back to appreciating the _spirit_ of the original post. 

We'll see how that goes, yeah?

- Jim / list admin

[Leah Peterson]

The sweetest little brother. Ben was an Instagram find, friends! He’s still a pup but he is teaching us his ways!

Let’s keep it fresh!

On Aug 8, 2024, at 9:52 PM, Ben R <ben.r...@gmail.com> wrote:

oh that means so much to me.

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[Menos Joven]

Thoroughly enjoyable piece of riding writing. :) Made me feel like I was on this adventurous romp. I’m new to this group but see there are regular contributors to help me learn the world of Riv. Thank you.

[Leah Peterson]

Welcome, Menos. Whether you just got a Rivendell or you are interested in them, you’ll find a lot of helpful, kind people on the List. I look forward to seeing you around here. Glad you liked this ride story!

Leah

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 9, 2024, at 7:38 PM, Menos Joven <les.yo...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thoroughly enjoyable piece of riding writing. :) Made me feel like I was on this adventurous romp. I’m new to this group but see there are regular contributors to help me learn the world of Riv. Thank you.

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[Chris Halasz]

It's not (just) about the bike. It's about the people you get to know and the places you get to go ... faster than walking, and slower than an automobile. Perfect! 

Great writing piece Leah. All smiles here. 

[Corwin Zechar]

This sounds like a circus version of Critical Mass.

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[Joe Bernard]

It sounds completely wonderful. I want to go on one of these rides sooooo much. 

[Philip Williamson]

Joe, you drive a bus? AWESOME.

I missed my pre-Covid bus commute so much I bought a bus of my own… :) Sold now, and I’m back on the GGT several times a week. Next week I’m going to start bringing my Quickbeam and riding partway. 

On Tuesdays I want to get off the bus and join our big Taco Tuesday ride, but I need festive lights. 

I roll through Lake County on Hwy 29/53/20 several times a month - I’ll keep my eyes peeled for your bus! 

Philip

Sonoma County / Nevada County

[Joe Bernard]

Yes indeed, been driving for about a year and a half. You can find me on Route 1, starts at Walmart on 53, runs up to 20 and around that side of the lake to Sutter Hospital in Lakeport and back. I like being a bus driver!

Joe "all aboard!" Bernard 

Lake County CA 

[ly29]

Thank you for the warm welcoming words Leah. I went to the mothership a couple of months ago and among others, tried Clems and Platys as set up by Antonio. I love your unique “rasberry?” colored Platy and now a second purple Platy? Will said Platys are coming but I have my heart set on a purple one which will hopefully be available later next year. Meanwhile, I’ll ride what I have which are older highly geared road bikes as well as mountain bikes. “Need” a Riv to ride civilized and upright. Haha. 

The light within me honors the light within you!

"I'd put my money on solar energy... I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that."
-Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone, March 1931

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[Ben R]

Menos welcome to the group.  theres a lot of good information and a lot of cool set ups to drool over. also you get to read leah's ride reports.  its the words version of what it actually feels like to ride a riv.

if you're looking for a purple platty. Blue heron in berkley off gilman has a purple 55.  im guessing you have to be somewhat close if you made the trek out to Riv HQ. i was going to take my wife in to test ride it but im sure she could be swayed to get a clem.  cheers and welcome!

Ben "enabler" R

[Leah Peterson]

Ohh, it’s worse than you think. I have 3 (three) Platypuses. The original, my raspberry, which goes on club rides. My mermaid, which has Hexlox everything and is racked and bagged so I can take it shopping and lock it up, and my purple Gravel & Travel Platy which is more compact for travel/Amtrak and has fat tires for off road stuff. I had no idea that purple build would be perfect for these Wednesday night rides, but I’ll never be able to bring anything else on that ride!

I hope you get your purple Platy and soon - Ben has a hot lead on a 55, so you should stop by that shop!

Thanks, too, for the kind words, Ben. ❤️

Leah

On Aug 11, 2024, at 3:24 PM, ly29 <les.yo...@gmail.com> wrote:



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