Tuesday Night Community Ride

Paula and I attended our first Tuesday Night Community Ride. Over 100 people were there despite the “cold.” I needed to take some pictures for bicycling.com and once again I proved my lack of nighttime photo skill.

Meet at UA’s Old Main @8:00 pm.

Go for a ride.

Unlike Critical Mass, the point of the ride isn’t to take over the streets. It’s more about building community, and I think it’s working.

See some sights.

Then join in on a game of “foot down” — ride in circles until you’re forced to put a foot down. Last person riding wins.

that’s me on the blue bike, the 3-speed “free spirit”

I was out early in both rounds of foot down. In the first I got tired of riding in circles and no one seemed to be making a move. So I started trying to hose people, which of course made me a target for those that know how to play the game.

In the second I was laughing as two guys got tangled up and wasn’t watching where I was going.

Lotsa fun.

I really did get the feeling we were a part of something special. Both Paula and I do a lot of bike “commuting” — to school, to work, the store, restaurants, to rides / runs. With all the cars out there it sometimes feels like we’re the only ones that enjoy traveling by bike. It’s nice to know that’s far from the case.