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October 02, 2005
Pippy Joins the Freakbike Gang (Friday ride summary)
Friday night was the CCM Oktoberfest ride, were you there? Or were you square? Or were you in Lincoln Square, and did you happen to glimpse a small, stylish figure in a shiny red helmet, circulating amid the crowd astride a red chopper with a loooong fork?! To the delight of drunken boys lounging by the fountain! Who could it have been? If you saw the familiar pink messenger bag, with the button that reads KNIT TIL YOU DIE (with skulls, skein, and crossed knitting needles) you would have known. Ah yes! There is nothing like a chopper ride by moonlight on a splendid fallish evening! (Thanks Mick D., who informed me that he finds the female chopper rider to be "uber-sexy" for letting me try it out!) Well now where does it leave me? Longing for more!!! Somehow the tall bike doesn't seem as alluring, now that I've fallen off something not even that tall by tall bike standards (before the chopper I tried out Travis D.'s somewhere between tall and regular bike and concluded I have no natural tall bike skills, as I sat there on the pavement. Unscathed, but still. But maybe under different circumstances? Oh, I am loathe to give up on the tall bike dream!) and plus the male attention was, well, quite frankly overwhelming. What is it about the chopper? Is it something about the banana seat?? Don't answer that!!
Anyhow, as for the ride itself, it was a nearly perfect evening. The weather was fine, the crowd was large and included Tiffany and her bubble machine as well as at least one smart, good-looking, and sensible dawg wearing black safety goggles and riding proud in her own trailer! Dave and I rode with Rob, and I employed my new squeeky Lucky Cat for sheer joy at regular intervals.
Queso, the mop dog, was also in attendence, in regal grass-green sweater, in his royal Dogue Basquet as usual. I got to pat him this time, although he remained aloof, it was an honor. No dawg kisses though. But still.
Only once it got really ugly, on Irving Park Rd, when an impatient and drunken SUV driver attempted to plow down the middle of the crowd, but he was stopped (unfortunately not before crunching somebody's bike under the wheels of the behemoth~ rider was, by all accounts, relatively unhurt) and paid back in kind by a quick thinking, chain-wielding cyclist. Oh yes, the smash of a windshield was heard, a roar went up in the crowd. I believe my reaction was something like "yaaaaay!!! Oh shit." Police arrived in minutes and the rest of us moved on to Lincoln Square. Not sure how it ended. Of course we don't bike to cause trouble but man, that windshield smashing sound, the sight of the crackled safety glass, did my heart good, at that moment. Oh yes believe it.
Oh, now I have big plans.(and have had too much coffee, so we'll see) The bike room will be scoured for parts for the Pippy-Chopper. What shall I name it? I welcome suggestions!
Posted by at October 2, 2005 09:56 AM
Comments
Your story reminds me what a joy it is to break something and sucessfully flee from the authorities. Many an evening of my dissolute youth was spent in pusuit of such adventure. Just remember, when the luck runs out, guns will be drawn and beatings will be administered. They don't usually hit the women, though.
Posted by: Juan Jorges Jesus at October 2, 2005 11:25 AM
Ooh that sounds so satisfying.
Posted by: rob helpychalk at October 2, 2005 12:46 PM
Juan Jorges~ not to worry, this was a clear cut case of self- and other riders- defense. According to those closer to the vehicle than I, the driver's drunken and out of control state was obvious, as was his intent to mow down everything in his path. He had to be stopped. So it wasn't just gratuituous breaking of things.
As far as I know the police didn't detain any bike riders except those directly involved. Not sure what happened to the drunk driver.
Posted by: pippypippy at October 2, 2005 05:54 PM