My First Spoke Card

I had a lovely bike ride this afternoon. We think there were about 30 people, some I knew; Manny and Cybele, Stephen and Alice, Spencer and Delmy (who I actually met for the first time today). Will says I rolled about 6.5 miles. I haven't rolled that far since I was a kid, and me and some friends rode the L.A. River from my neighborhood in Lynwood all the way to Cudahay.

With stops along the way today, Will shared some history, development, as well as some odd occurrences and trivia about the L.A. River. There was a rider with a bike rigged with a cart that held a child, that cart was rigged with another cart that held a PA system. The little girl being towed in the second cart was operating the iPod that controlled the soundtrack for the afternoon.

The turn-around point was the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens. With the wind in my ears I shifted gears on the hill and seeing those ahead of me signal a left turn ahead, I did the same for those in my wake. The center occupies a wonderful Spanish style dwelling with lush gardens, an artful interpretation of the river done on a garden-size scale, and a cool and shady courtyard with Spanish tiles surrounding the fountain.

This being my first "mass" ride, it was interesting to witness the attention our little group received whenever we had to roll on public streets or when we passed people by on the way. Through the little neighborhood that hugs the river someone asked as I rolled by "Where you all going?", "To the river" I said. And as we rolled under a small overpass that was the gathering spot of a few of the city's indigent, our soundtrack filling the air, they smiled and did a jig, holding up their liquor bottles in salute.