Originally Posted by
TrojanHorse
Bah, they were all riding the WRONG WAY!
I kid. From a non-involved cyclist perspective they were pretty low overhead on SART. No road hogging or bad habits on display whatsoever. It looks like it would have been a lot of fun.
I'm glad to hear that from somebody not involved, and especially someone going the other way.
I was pleasantly surprised at how well-behaved everybody was. Eons ago (1990's) I did a few organized rides, and there always seemed to be a handfull of folks that messed things up for everybody; in particular a teen-ager that was bent on making a good time sprinted through a crowd of folks on a narrow bike path... which resulted in a big crash and at least one women taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
The resulting lawsuit ended that ride forever. (Kangaroo Baggs tour in Ventura, CA).
And even when people aren't hurt, a few "road hogs" as you describe can really make a mess.
Everybody I saw at the SIKAD ride were really fun to be around, both the kids and the adults.
Several folks, both organizers and fellow-riders approached me at the SAG stops and at the luncheon afterwards just to chat (I was there by myself) which I very much appreciated... Often rides like this feel clique-ish to an outworlder like me but these folks went out of there way to be friendly and inclusive.
I'll be back next year, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Especially to folks with Significant Others or children that would like to join in the fun. The SART trail and the SIKAD hospitality are really a good match. <and there is a more-challenging Santiago Canyon route for the more powerful riders, too)
-Tom in SoCal