Bicycling for the heck of it...MOVED TO Bike4Heck.com: December 2011

Christmas Light Bike Ride 2011 = Fun, Awkward and Uncomfortable... but Generally a Great Time and a must do in 2012

This past Sunday (Dec. 18, 2011) my wife and I were part of the SALSA’s 3^rd Annual Christmas Light Bike Ride and Competition. We decorated our rides (Sun Cruiser 3spd and Yuba Mundo V1) with Christmas goodies. My blue Yuba Mundo was all fancy with a small Christmas Tree complete with working lights. My wife put some decorations and lights on her cruiser.

The ride started at trendy yippee mecca for San Antonio, the Blue Star Art Complex on South Alamo at 5:30pm. We arrived about 4:40pm so we could get the bikes decorated. The competition was good and there were many entries (see the video below). My friend and fellow amateur astronomer Blake took 2^nd place and earned a gift card to SA Cycles. Our bikes didn’t place. One bike I really liked was the gray cruiser with the frame insert you see in the pictures but it didn’t place either. I just love it something about the tinsel streamer and those white walls just looks good.

After the judging of the bicycles and awards it was time to saddle up and move out (as we say here in Texas). We rode the short distance down South Alamo toward the famous historical landmark the Alamo! (Remember that thing??). While riding we had people honking at us and people on sidewalks cheering us on. It was strange hearing this honking as it wasn’t the usual honks of protest of the crazy loons on two wheels on a road in the 4x4 truck capital of the world, no they were honks of glee! (wow did that sound cheesy). We rolled right up into the front of the Alamo and stopped for a while.

The only part I didn’t like was that some of the peps in the group started heckling a street preacher near the Alamo and started to mock him. While I didn’t agree with his method exactly and even some of what he was saying I don’t think we should be heckling anyone. I was very put off by the comments of a few in the group. People need to realize when you are in a group of 70-80 people not everyone shares your opinion. If you don’t like the preaching… move away, simple solution!

Ok, now that that rabbit hole was run though back to the ride.... Weather was nice cool but not cold. While at the Alamo I distanced myself from the group. While away from the group I was able to get the tripod off the wide loader of the Yuba and snap a photo in front of the Alamo.

We left the Alamo and headed toward Main Plaza passing by the ever popular Majestic theater. People were arriving in limos to the Robert Earl King show that night. It was neat having people roll down the dark tented glass to say "Hey I like your bike!"

We arrived at Main Plaza for a long stop. Some got tamales; a staple of holiday food here in South Texas. Others went to the restroom while just about everyone else stood around talking.

From Main Plaza we rode toward LaVillita to take a group photo. This is where the ride got comical At first I was leading the ride… and then the group turned off behind me two blocks early..they apparently didn’t have the same route in mind as I did. At this point I need to explain there isn’t really any leaders in a mass group like this…. We move a one giant amoeba moving throughout the city… The best way to describe it is like a school of fish. No leader just everyone working together. So I did a u-turn and rejoined the group. We all rode through LaVillita without stopping and then when we realized it the group went back and collectively did a u-turn to a spot where we can take group photo. I was the only one with a tripod so I took the photo.

From there the group went through Hemisphere park and then back to Blue Star Hippy Complex (LOL!) My little clan of 7 people opted to head to Blue Star directly without the detour of Hemisphere park this was partly due to the fact that the majority of them hadn’t eaten anything for dinner. So they wanted to eat at the blue star brewery. They have good food so I wasn’t opposed to that. I at a tasty Gyro while my Yuba was locked up on the Brewery’s porch.

I really like the Blue Star so I wasn’t trying to be negative about it but this is why I called it a Hippy Mecca….After dinner while unlocking my bicycle a group of college aged kids noticed me unlocking my bike which was next to their table. One nicely dressed guy in a tux asked me “Can you do me a favor” I said sure so he proceeded and asked “Do you smoke the Buds.. You know….toke the J” I said na can’t help you there and went on my way. I laughed about it…crazy Pot Head Hippy in a tuxedo!! LOL.

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