The good folks at CICLE (one above, pumping up Carmella) led about a hundred riders on a groovy romp through Cypress Park Saturday morning. The theme - besides fun - was "Made in L.A." I went to the starting point on the Metro Gold Line, easy-peasy. After warming up on some streets and a lovely stretch along the L.A. River we stopped at Grain, a place that makes sort of artisanal, handcrafted surfboards. Even non-surfers could appreciate the quality of their boards, could feel the love that was poured into them.
Then we were off again. The CICLE leader's bike had a boom box attached so we made a lovely racket as we cruised along the neighborhoods. Cypress Park seemed a bit tough, but I'm just going by the number of huge dogs barking angrily behind fences.
Next stop was Kruegermann's pickle factory. The guy was a fourth generation pickle maker, his father having fled East Germany to come to the States. Tough going, according no the son, but the old man managed to hand make the various machines needed to cure the pickles here as they were made in Germany. Free samples and - God bless him - free bottled waters.
The last stop was SWRVE, a bike clothing store that's a cycling hipster's Nirvana. I was all set to splurge there, to shell out $25 or even $30 on a super-cool bicycle graphic tee. Alas, there was nonesuch to be found, at least in the small shop. (I should check their site.) They did have soft fabric blend tees for $40 (solid color, no graphics) and long-sleeved thermal-like shirts for $60. Knee-length bicycling pants went for $125, so skinny I'd be lucky to get my arm in the legs. I slunk out, but upon hearing a woman - let's call her Norma Rae - make an earnest speech bout how the prices only seemed high because we're not used to garment workers being paid a living wage, I slunk back in.
There were some neat bike journals and issues of peloton. There was also a copy of the photography book Paris: Women & Bicycles, which I had just received from mail order the day before. (The photographer is Gil Garcetti, former Los Angeles district attorney and father of the new mayor of Los Angeles. Hope the son is pro-bike, too!)
I was kinda grumbling to myself about how s-l-o-w the group was riding, about people half my age getting off their bikes and walking them up slight inclines. Yet when I got home I didn't even get up off the couch or the rest of the day.
Which means it was a good ride, indeed!
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