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Southbay Cruisers News Update for Oct 20th…

For those of you that are interested, here is the latest info on the Southbay Cruisers as well as some bicycle related news in Los Angeles…

CONGA CRUISERS INVADE VALLEY PARK: Creepy Cruise II Ride Recap!
(pictures and a Youtube Video are now posted on www.southbaycruisers.com)

I didn’t think we could top the Bicycle Rodeo Ride last month. But, in fact, I think we may have indeed done so.

Another cool autumn evening greeted approximately 30 Southbay Cruisers as we met at Hermosa Pier for our 2nd Annual “Creepy Cruise” on Saturday, October 18th, 2008. We saw quite an array of costumes including Jolly’s Dorothy costume, a shy and reserved Tito dressed as…well we’re not sure what, but then again we never are quite sure with Tito, and Gin Master Jean, or was it Lucille Ball? Some of us honestly couldn’t tell the difference. She was dynamite!

We met new comers Danielle(little Red Riding Hood) and Kelly in their tricked out Halloween bikes and bearing glow sticks for everyone. Come back you two we’d love to see you ride with us again! We saw Energizer Bunny Lili, her daughter and even her dog on the Cruiser ride and at the post ride barbecue. We saw Ziv, the knight, and his Home Wrecker sidekick. And we saw pirate Liliana, who brought a few friends with her as well.

We saw some old school Southbay Cruisers rejoin us including David “Electric Assisted” Dutra coming from his new home in Long Beach, and Dr. Alan took time to meet with us after a long day of mountain biking.

We headed off up Catalina Avenue, and the Esplanade to the tunes of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Oingo Boingo’s “Dead Man’s Party” and howled at the moon in unison while we cruised the Esplanade.

Eventually making our way to Valley Park in Hermosa for our post ride barbecue/bonfire event, we were met by a handful of local teenagers asking us, “Is this really what you guys do on a Saturday night?” Needless to say they joined in with us and we all had a blast!

We started off the evening with a little jump rope, witnessing the athletic skills of our new high jumping teenage friends that joined in.

We then moved on to Pinata busting where Pajama Jammer Ally, used all her mental and physical might to literally knocked the pinata off the rope with two or three swings.

After scrambling for the contents of the pinata, we became Toilet Paper Zombies. This race to toilet paper your partner, brought to us by Ninja Cat Mary and toilet paper purchased on sale at the 99 Cent Store in Hawthorne proved that you can have fun while even on a budget, as the photos illustrate. Amongst the contestants was Pajama Jammer Ally. Ally was buried alive in the sand at our last ride and this time found herself getting mumified alive.

We then moved on to Wheel Barrel racing where our new teenage friends in the park dominated. With youth on their side, they edged out all of us taking first, second, and third place. But we all had fun in the process, as the rest of us relearned what it was like to be a kid again.

Next came Bobbing for Plumbs. Not a sport for those with a weak heart. We learned that plumbs don’t float. And we saw one of our new young teenage friends dominate. Beating everyone, including all his friends in a matter of seconds. Could this become a new Southbay Cruiser Olympic sport?

The evening went on with barbecuing, a group Karaoke, Star Gazer Jeffery climbing several trees while he made Tarzan yells, Dracula attempting to fly off one of the park benches, and our first ever spontaneous Southbay Cruiser Conga dance around the park.

Yes, it was another awesome night of cruising. And we look forward to more cruising at our upcoming Roller Derby Ride III, and Super Hero Ride II !

TINA IS OUT OF THE HOSPITAL AND RECOVERING WELL!

We look forward to seeing her at some of our events soon!

CONGRATULATIONS NINJA CAT MARY: SOUTHBAY CRUISER OF THE WEEK!

Ninja Cat Mary is well known for earning her recent Southbay Cruiser World Champion Intergender Pajama Wrestling Title Belt by defeating Jeffery at a recent bonfire ride. She was also a huge contributor to this week’s “Creepy Cruise II” cruiser ride. She hauled most of the karaoke equipment, wood, and games to the ride. And in fact, she came up with alot of the ideas for the games, made some awesome hot chocolate as usual, and as well she carved us a pumpkin. Without her, this would have been just another ride.

See Ninja Cat Mary in her 15 minutes of fame on the homepage of www.southbaycruisers.com

UPCOMING RIDE: THE ROLLER DERBY RIDE III: A Night to Dis Member
Saturday, November 1st, 2008
Meets at 6:45PM/Rides at 7:00PM
Ride Starts and Ends in front of The Lighthouse Cafe at Hermosa Pier

We will meet at Hermosa Pier, then ride to watch the Angels City Derby Girls play at the Toyota Center (555 Nash St, El Segundo, CA). After the game we’ll ride back as a group. We’ve outlined a fun, bicycle friendly route to and from the game. We’ve also arranged for a Southbay Cruiser discount ticket offer for the game. Click on this link:http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/44381 (password is ‘cruisers’)to purchase tickets for $10; $5 off the regular price. I’ll also have a limited number or tickets on the day of the game that you can purchase as well for $10. Our Roller Derby rides have always been a blast! See the Southbay Cruisers Calendar page on meetup.com to RSVP and for more details.

THE SUPER HERO RIDE II
Saturday, November 15th
Meets at 7:00PM/Rides at 7:15PM
Ride Starts and Ends in front of the Lighthouse Cafe at Hermosa Pier

Time to dig up those Superman Tights and Star Wars light sabers, the Super Hero Ride II is nearly upon us! Our first Super Hero ride was a blast, and this one will be even better! Our journey will start at our usual spot in front of the Lighthouse Cafe (30 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach, CA) and will take us on a 10 mile slow to moderate paced cruiser ride through the streets and neighborhoods of the southbay.

Our Super Hero cruiser ride will end at Valley Park in Hermosa Beach (corner of Gould Ave/Valley Dr.)where we will barbecue/bonfire/karaoke and test our Super Hero skills through feats of mental and physical strength. Dare to leap tall buildings in a single bound…or maybe just a milk carton or two…come experience the Super Hero Ride II !!!

As always, if you want to eat at the post ride barbecue please remember to bring food. We will supply charcoal and firewood. You will need to bring whatever you want to eat at the ride. See the Southbay Cruisers ‘Calendar’ on meetup.com for more information and to RSVP. This will be epic!

A WORD OR TWO ABOUT BICYCLE LIGHTS AND LICENSES

With the increase in bicycle commuters in Los Angeles I think it’s entirely possible that you will see more police enforcing existing bicycle laws. I sent out an email last week about how police in downtown LA are starting to ticket bicycle riders who don’t have a license on their bicycles. This is an old law in Los Angeles, that has largely been not enforced until recently. After I sent out the message last week one person on this email list wrote me back saying that if you go to the Redondo Beach Police station during regular work hours that they will give you a free bicycle license. I haven’t verified that yet myself. And I’m really not sure if Southbay cities are going to start to enforce this law as well. I would say it’s entirely possible. If any of you learn more on this topic please let me know and I’ll share it with the group.

When it comes to bicycle lights however, the law is clear and is being enforced more by police in the Southbay. Bicycle head lights are required when you ride at night. At the recent Creepy Cruise II, I had one guy approach me who said he was recently given a ticket in Manhattan Beach for not having a bicycle headlight. I’ve seen Police in El Segundo and Redondo also pull cyclists over for not having a headlight. With that in mind, I want to remind everyone to put a headlight on your bike when you ride with us. If you don’t have a headlight you can bungee a flashlight on your handlebars. You can also place a light on your helmet. I bring a limited number of headlights and flashers to our rides that you can purchase. Please email me if you want to take advantage of buying one.

By the way, I have one spare Down Low Glow, for the ultimate in night riding side visibility protection that I loan out on rides. If you want to test one out on one of our rides please contact me before hand.

The law also requires that you have front and rear reflectors and reflectors on your pedals and tires. To learn more about lighting and reflector requirements at night, please see the “Safety” and “Prepare” sections of www.southbaycruisers.com

BICYCLE SKILLS CLASS

I saw this advertised in the LA Bike Coalition Newsletter…

WHEN:Sunday October 26th, 2008 10am-3pm (reg. 9:15am)
Saturday November 1st, 2008 9am-3pm
WHERE: Community Corp., 502 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90401
COST: Day one $15 LACBC members/$20 non-members
Day two $25 LACBC members/$30 non-members
Register: www.la-bike.org
The Road 1 course is designed to give cyclists age 16 and up the confidence and skills they need to ride in all types of city traffic situations. League of American Bicyclists certified League Cycling Instructor Ron Durgin teaches this practical ten-hour program. Day one features a comprehensive presentation on the principles of bike safety, helmet fit, and basic bicycle maintenance. On day two, attendees will develop bike-handling skills and learn essential evasive maneuvers on a vacant paved area. Participants will then apply what they have learned and receive constructive feedback that encourages safe riding techniques during a 5-6 mile road test. Day two requires a bike in good working condition and a CPSC or SNELL approved helmet.

Participants who successfully pass this course receive a Road 1 certificate.

The class fills up quickly. Please email or call Ron Durgin 424-288-1747, rdurgin@gmail.com to reserve your spot.

NEXT STEPS FOR THE BICYCLE COMMUTER ACT

This I also saw in a recent LA BIke Coalition Newsletter…

The Bicycle Commuter Act, which, as part of the federal Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, will initiate a tax-code change, beginning in January, to allow companies to give up to $20 a month to workers who pedal to work. It would be tax-free to cycling commuters, and a tax write-off for employers. Riders could use the subsidy to defray commute costs, such as bike tires or lights, helmets or rental fees for bike lockers at work.

The League of American Bicyclists and its allies are working on Capitol Hill to finalize details about how the tax benefit will be implemented. The League is taking the lead to ensure that implementation guidelines are established prior to the provision’s effective date: January 1, 2009.

To get answers to some of your questions and regular updates go to: www.bikeleague.org/news/

That is all for now.

Enjoy your week! Ride safe!

-john
www.southbaycruisers.com