This weekend has been a little too slow and laid back for sharing much, but maybe that's why I feel comfortable creating this new blog. Last weekend, we helped with a bike move on Saturday (that's the accompanying picture) and went on great bike trip out to Multnomah Falls (Jill's longest bike ride ever!) Both were fun and tiring, in a good way.
The main event for this weekend was last night, when we went on The Night Ride, a benefit for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. Basically, it was a couple thousand people riding around town at night, starting aroudn 9 pm. Everyone received a glow-in-the-dark necklace and Tireflys, and many others had various other lights, in addition to their bike lights. There were a couple of refreshment and entertainment stops throughout the ride, which was about 15 miles or so. It made for quite a spectacle - we had a lot of people coming out of their houses and watching us stream by, and/or cheering us on. Not all of the car drivers were too thrilled, but most of them ranged somewhere between supportive and tolerant.
The highlight for Jill and I was riding along the Columbia Slough Trail. The trail snaked along a raised bank next to the water, without any street lights. It was rather dark, except for a clear, starry sky. Jill and I were at the back of large group, with the next group far behind us, slowed down by the people at the front who were uncertainly negotiating the terrain in the dark. It was great for us to watch the long line of blinky red lights winding along the water ahead of us, as far as we could see. Then, we'd occasionally stop to look behind us, to see a similarly long, winding group of white bike lights and other blinky things stretching back to the horizon, as well as reflecting in the dark water below. It was really beautiful and wish we'd had the camera with us. Our friend Dat was out there with his camera, so maybe I'll re-post any good photos that he took.
Later, on the home stretch on N. Vancouver Avenue, there were a couple of Latino kids (one about 6 years old, the other probably 3) standing on the side of street, asking the bicyclists for their lights (they meant the glow-in-the-dark necklaces). Most bicyclists, including me, were zipping by too quickly to really register what the kid was asking for. However, once it sank in, I realized that I didn't need my glow-in-the-dark necklace any longer and he'd probably appreciate it a lot more. So, I asked Jill to stop by the side of the road for a couple of minutes (which she reluctantly did), while I made a quick U-turn back to the kid. I gave him my necklace (his little brother already had a couple) and also reached in my pannier to give him the Tireflys I'd gotten earlier. The Tireflys only worked for conventional Presta tire valves, but wouldn't fit on the Schrader valves my tires have. I think it made his night. He thanked me, and the last time I saw him he was running into his house waving the pack of Tireflys. Then we rode home. Overall, it was a lot of fun.
Today involved waking up late and getting breakfast at Genie's Cafe. Then I worked on various projects, like finishing up the photo CD packaging from our wedding for family and friends, checking out a location for a potential Pedalpalooza ride I might organize next year, updating our Flickr site, and creating this blog. And, now I'm kinda tired of writing and doing project stuff, so maybe I'll give it a rest.
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