Bike Summit LA Headrush

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Oh my GOD! What a day!

Aside from having my mind blown by meeting so many people working (not just thinking, but WORKING) on the same issues I have been plugging away on for the past few years ... aside from that, I think I had a bike-gasm looking at so many cool bikes!

There is no better occasion to check out other people's gear than a bike advocate get-together. You hang with roadies, you see road bikes. You hang with low-riders, you see low-riders.

You hang with bike advocates, you see: bakfiets, Bilenky's, Xtra cycles, touring frames as track bikes, track frames as touring bikes, mutant machines, Dutch city bikes, be-stickered monstrosities, and super clean fixies. It just doesn't stop! And the clothes - ooh, it makes me wish I had some dough to throw around on knickers. There were a few old-school spandex dudes, and a few reflective-vesties, but their numbers were low and the transportation cyclists were in effect. Praise Allah!

No offense, but I am definitely a bit of a snob now when it comes to "bike clothes". I feel like there needn't be "bike clothes" per se, just clothes you happen to be wearing when on a bicycle. Knickers and natural fibers being a huge exception, because they be lookin' good to my typically fashion-blind eye and they work really well when bicycling and trying to look like sharp.

DJ Chicken Leather, myself, and a few others tried to video and photograph everything possible - and it will all be online soon. UEPI has notes from note-takers, and there is a lot to share online with those out there in internet-land who couldn't make it the summit.

My favorite find of the day was meeting the people behind an awesome South LA group ride for kids called "City Lites". I met the founder, Mark Johnson, the president, Lottie Cleveland, and their hard-working crew at the "Bike Safety in the Inner City" workshop. I filmed the whole thing, so keep your eyes peeled for that film in the next few days.