Living Car Free - 420, booze and bikes... ???

more than likely most people don't know where I'm coming from
that is to say, my experience as a cyclist

in brief, I'm 40
I've been car free for 6 or 7 years now
I ride about 1500 miles per month
I was turned onto the "Car Free" lifestyle at 12, when my dad got a DUI
by that point, I had already been commuting to school, the beach, etc...

over the years, I've been into The Sport of Cycling
lots of club rides
travel to places, just for the rides
these days, I ride just to ride
including sport
3 doubles for this year
a tour from Portland to Ventura
and numerous weeklong jaunts
blah blah blah

so when i go down to LA, I'm amazed at how many people are on bikes
my brothers are even now into the new "hip scene"
i once had a guy on a fixie come up along side of me, and start to lean in...
where i simply tapped the brake, let him glance by, and escorted him to the curb
i stopped the nearest Security personnel, which radio'd LAPD, which in turn had informed me that the new "bike scene" is a breeding ground for illicit activity, from dealing pot, to stolen bikes, etc...
which explained why i'd see an old Nishiki with a set of shamals, turned into a fixie
riding at night with my brothers, thru the streets, bike culture has become a kin to car culture...
that is, people still cruise
cruise down Melrose Ave, Hollywood, etc... but rather than in a car, now on bikes en masse, often a whiff of reefer lingers past...

just this month, I toured from Portland to Ventura, Ca
i spent 6 days in PDX
and was amazed at how much booze has become part of the cycling culture.
bike racks in front of bars
people bar hopping upon bikes!
there are even pedi-cabs hauling club-goers to their bar(s)/club(s) of choice.

i have to admit
i myself, on tour, a buddy from Ventura, whom I hardly really know, he'd drink 80oz of beer most nights, whereupon, suddenly i had found myself with a 40oz one night...
"dude, what am i doing? I don't drink, why am I starting now?"
i never realized i was such a prude, but i guess i am...
touring down the coast
parking lot camping to the next
state park to the next
as if it were a rolling party scene
booze and 420... i got tired of it real quick.

i'd decide to out ride the group of guys i was around, so the next day, I'd roll out 80 to 100 miles, only to jump ahead, to yet another group of intoxicated cyclists

suddenly, I had become aware of how much drugs and alcohol are part of Cycling
this blows my mind
i mean... where the heck was I when this flood started?

I know guys who do MTB rides out of their cars
and at the end of the ride they crack a beer.
sometimes a tailgate party, BBQ and beers

i can recall Team Dos XX/Barracuda
New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale?

where is team Crack?

is it enough that Pro Cycling is constantly under fire from the UCI and doping scandals?
what is happening?
i mean...
how is it different that Pros "dope"
while...
what?
we amateurs get stoned, get wasted, catch a buzz, etc...

i mean, is it really all that "cool" to run around with a Fat Tire Ale jersey?
where's the "Prop 215, I'm a cyclist and I vote" jersey?
maybe thats next
maybe from flasks in bottle cages
to bongs in stems
hemp saddles
and rolling paper dispenser handle bars
sneak a toke bar ends?

maybe a ******* inhaler?

it blows my mind to actually see people smoking a joint rolling down the road...

i mean...
what gives?

obviously, somewhere in my childhood in a van with my Vietnam Vet, Hippy dad, has me bent...
i never realized that i was such a prude...

if i'd dare to foreshadow
it would seem that "car free"
has equated to many as "DUI Free"
which is not accurate
being under the influence is still "being under the influence"
open container is still "open container"

is it enough that Pro Cycling is constantly under fire from the UCI and doping scandals?
what is happening?
i mean...
how is it different that Pros "dope"
while...
what?
we amateurs get stoned, get wasted, catch a buzz, etc...


Umm... I think they care about performance enhancing drugs. Not performance decreasing drugs.

if i'd dare to foreshadow
it would seem that "car free"
has equated to many as "DUI Free"
which is not accurate
being under the influence is still "being under the influence"
open container is still "open container"

Not in all states.

which explained why i'd see an old Nishiki with a set of shamals, turned into a fixie
riding at night with my brothers, thru the streets, bike culture has become a kin to car culture...
that is, people still cruise
cruise down Melrose Ave, Hollywood, etc... but rather than in a car, now on bikes en masse, often a whiff of reefer lingers past...

Perhaps that's why I take such deep breathes as I roll to work in the morning...
That's why the day goes so smoothly...

that's that aroma.
who knew?

Umm... I think they care about performance enhancing drugs. Not performance decreasing drugs.
thats laffs
makes me think of Dr. Johny Fever, WKRP, when the state trooper comes in and gives him beers, along with a reaction time test, which Dr. Fever gets faster as he becomes more drunk...

the more stoned my brothers are, the further they'd huck...

I ride about 1500 miles per month
.

Really? 50 miles a day every day?

Really? 50 miles a day every day?

I did that much or more on average when I was racing, and working and going to school.

We would do a 25 mile ride in the morning, go home, shower and ride the 5 miles to school. We would go to work after school, then do a 15-40 mile ride in the evening, depending on the time of year. Then race every other weekend.

Aaron:)

Asana,

I think the culture is really different in cities and coastal areas of California, compared to the rest of the world.

Here in Philly, sure, there are lots of booze drinking cyclists and a fair few pot-smokers too. But you'll also see plenty of people who don't seem to have any interest in alcohol and pot - children, college students, lawyers, wal-mart employees, computer experts, doctors...

The majority of cyclists here are under age 35 and don't have children, and many of these young folks with no children enjoy spending their evenings at bars, sure.

But the only thing that has to do with cycling is just that we're better off with drunk cyclists causing traffic accidents at 12 miles per hour than drunk drivers causing traffic accidents at 40 miles per hour!

I don't think booze and pot are a part of the cycling culture per se, as they have nothing to do with the activity directly [they sure aren't being used as performance enhancers]. It's just that cycling is becoming increasingly popular, especially among groups [young/'hip'/alternative] who are more likely to drink and smoke pot in the first place.

Nothing is wrong with cycling culture. The real question is about the drug-use culture. I, personally, don't see anything to be too alarmed about. Legalize it, and HTFU I say.

BTW, Asana, as much as I enjoy the prose-like formatting of your posts, I had you pegged as a 'smoker' for sure!

Really? 50 miles a day every day?

ya, crazy huh?
i don't own a car
after a bunch of years, i put a computer on my bike last month
i've been riding anywhere from 20-40hrs/wk for a long time

just the other day, all i did was run my usual errands, and goof off a little, and it was 45 miles by the time the day was done. and thats just goofing off

when i was in PDX, just sight seeing, and getting in a ride at the same time, each day was about 80 miles.

the miles just add up. now I actually know "why" i go thru bike parts so much.

I did that much or more on average when I was racing, and working and going to school.

We would do a 25 mile ride in the morning, go home, shower and ride the 5 miles to school. We would go to work after school, then do a 15-40 mile ride in the evening, depending on the time of year. Then race every other weekend.

Aaron:)

exactly
this is very close to my weekly routine
minus the job
which i've without for 2yrs now, altho i do need to find one again, real soon.

Weird post.

Anyway, most of it has to do with the fact that fixies are really hip right now. Many underemployed young people light in places like Portland. Pot has become very mainstream. So, the two will meet from time to time.

But, I would say that this new wave of cyclists isn't really into cycling at all. Yeah, they drink, toke, etc, but they're not out there hammering at 7am the next morning. Fixed-gear bicycles have just become another fashion accessory, particularly in PDX. A fashionable mode of transit if you have tight girl-pants, plastic shades, greasy hair, mustache, and Deerhunter T-shirt.

However, now that hipsters realize that it actually takes effort to push the pedals to get where you're going, they decided that perhaps this sport isn't for them. That's why they're into Cushmen now :) http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2009/09/backwards-and-forwards-old-socks-new.html

I don't quite see how pot fits into the equation, but I can totally understand that many of my cycle-head friends are way into good beer and good coffee. Count me in that group. Got to get psyched for a ride (coffee) then chilled out afterward (beer)!

I don't think booze and pot are a part of the cycling culture per se, as they have nothing to do with the activity directly [they sure aren't being used as performance enhancers]. It's just that cycling is becoming increasingly popular, especially among groups [young/'hip'/alternative] who are more likely to drink and smoke pot in the first place.

Nothing is wrong with cycling culture. The real question is about the drug-use culture. I, personally, don't see anything to be too alarmed about. Legalize it, and HTFU I say.

BTW, Asana, as much as I enjoy the prose-like formatting of your posts, I had you pegged as a 'smoker' for sure!

ahh... enlightenment
now i understand, or further realize
yes...
its not as much that "The Cycling Culture" per se
as much as the "intoxicated culture"
is mixing with

of course!
all these people have been out there
its just that now, they are on bikes
and by default of being on bikes...
i'm starting to see it more...

i admit
bikes have been the most consistent part of my life
all my friends ride bikes
our primary socializing time is; on the bike
everything else is secondary
truncate everything else, but time on the bike is the #1 practice
its the primary Asana

as to drugs, et al
yes, i grew up in that environment
my dad passed away this year 4/15/09
at the age of 64
from bladder cancer
from smoking for 50 years
not to mention all the drugs he'd done thru his life
he was a rebel, no doubt
after Vietnam, he quit paying taxes, no driver's license, et al
my mom left with my 4 siblings
i stayed with my dad
we lived in hotels, motels, a van, a trailer, in the parks around Ventura County
all the while i rode my bike to school to get that welfare food handout
while i was there, i figured i should play the game, and i'll be damned, i learned a few things
joined the Army, went to Ft. Ord 1/88
i went to Panama for Operation Just Cause in 89'
i was in an air assault light artillery unit
got out of the army, and landed a job delivering medication for a home care pharmacy
then became a pharmacy tech
and recently had finished 14yrs at a hospital as an Rx Tech, where i had learned the scope of Pharmacy.
i had been primarily focused on the ICU and Cardiac medication, post heart surgery stuff, etc...
i had also supported a mental health unit for the entire time... so i had become deeply intrigued with The Human Condition

all the things we do
from car crashes, falling off of cliffs, alcohol (ETOH) poisoning, oncology, hip replacements, etc etc etc...

no i dont smoke
its just all around me

i've been called a Fat Tyre Evangelist

Asana,

Sorry it made your trip less pleasant, but I guess you're going to have to get used to it, or at least learn how to ignore drunks and druggies on bikes. I still think it's better to have them on bikes rather than cars.

...
i had also supported a mental health unit for the entire time... so i had become deeply intrigued with The Human Condition

all the things we do
from car crashes, falling off of cliffs, alcohol (ETOH) poisoning, oncology, hip replacements, etc etc etc...


I work on a psych unit and I'm always boring my patients with bike talk. Whenever I ride into work on a snowy winter day, I can guarantee that at least one psychotic person will say that I am crazier than he/she is! :D

Of course, I know that it isn't crazy to keep doing something that works well, like riding a bike everywhere works for me.

Asana,

Sorry it made your trip less pleasant, but I guess you're going to have to get used to it, or at least learn how to ignore drunks and druggies on bikes. I still think it's better to have them on bikes rather than cars.

my tactic was to use my iPod, and go to bed
somehow, it seemed so strange, pointless even
to be riding a bike on tour
droning away atop black top
to what becomes parking lot camping replete with the percussion of slamming car doors
night after night
among the howling drunkards
fear not a raccoon
nor any other sensible being
but that of an onslaught of a party on wheels
and of what party is that?
where the fires are ridiculously large
the mornings groggy headed
forgo Roosevelt Elk
or even a moments silence to watch the fog...

forget looking over head, to find condors circling

Dude
you write
a lot
like
Capt Kirk
talks

Dude
you write
a lot
like
Capt Kirk
talks

I'd say he's closer to WS Merwin.



droning away atop black top
to what becomes parking lot camping replete with the percussion of slamming car doors
night after night
among the howling drunkards
fear not a raccoon
nor any other sensible being


That's a nice one... mi piace.

A certain segment of society will always seek intoxication, alcohol and THC being among the more accessible. You just stumbled into the bicycling contingent of such people.

Takes all kinds.

SJ bike PARTY
Biking is just the way they get to the party

I've never had a driver's license and I don't drink, at all. Before I would imbibe a couple times a year, maximum. I eschew all drugs with the exception of caffeine.

Not all car-free types were once drunk drivers, eh?

First, what's "420"?

DUI in itself is against the law around here, CUI (cycling under...) in itself is not. Also, no laws against open containers. I don't think your chosen mode of transportation is an indication of your drinking habits. At least not where I live.

--J

420 is the police code for marijuana, or something. The potheads use it for "420 day."

exactly
this is very close to my weekly routine
minus the job
which i've without for 2yrs now, altho i do need to find one again, real soon.

Well that explains things.

Well that explains things.

yes, 2 years ago, I quit my job of 14yrs to help with my dad whom passed away from bladder cancer, and my 90 year old grandparents.
I had money saved up, but now I'm pretty much broke.

even before that, I rode at least 20hrs/wk, since about 93'

Uh, this is something new? Let this old fart take you back on a bit of a time trip.

When? 1971-75.
Where? Erie, PA.
What? Primarily centered around the Presque Isle Bicycling Club, a rather thriving organization at the time (thanks to the bike boom), and even further centered around the hard core riding and racing regulars of the club who were definitely into sex, drugs (acid was the drug of choice), and rock and roll (primarily Bowie, Roxy Music and just about any outlet for glam rock).

I (and quite of few of my buds) would do the once a month Sunday long distance ride (normally a century) having dropped a hit of blotter. Made for a pleasant and interesting ride. The once a month Presque Isle State Park ride (the easy one, 17 mile loop absolutely flat, huge turnout each time) was a good excuse to roll a few joints and toke during the ride. As we were usually in the fast pack, our smoke didn't bother anyone else, and in those tolerant days as long as you didn't light up around someone who objected, no problem.

If we had any personal limits it was uppers (more than a bit dangerous - we all knew about the 1968 Tour) or downers (counterproductive to riding).

And this wasn't a Friday night party crowd using a bicycle rather than a car. This was a lot of the hard core cyclists of Erie, PA during that half decade. Yes, we did the mundane, serious parties on Friday or Saturday night, when we weren't at the Agora in Cleveland catching whoever was touring through the area.

Cycling is not necessarily a love of just the pure, healthy, natural, exercise and better living crowd. Some of the bunch who your parents would rather you never met loved cycling too.

420 is the police code for marijuana, or something.
Not quite.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/420_%28cannabis_culture%29

and KGB dropouts

Uh, this is something new? Let this old fart take you back on a bit of a time trip.

When? 1971-75.
Where? Erie, PA.
What? Primarily centered around the Presque Isle Bicycling Club, a rather thriving organization at the time (thanks to the bike boom), and even further centered around the hard core riding and racing regulars of the club who were definitely into sex, drugs (acid was the drug of choice), and rock and roll (primarily Bowie, Roxy Music and just about any outlet for glam rock).

I (and quite of few of my buds) would do the once a month Sunday long distance ride (normally a century) having dropped a hit of blotter. Made for a pleasant and interesting ride. The once a month Presque Isle State Park ride (the easy one, 17 mile loop absolutely flat, huge turnout each time) was a good excuse to roll a few joints and toke during the ride. As we were usually in the fast pack, our smoke didn't bother anyone else, and in those tolerant days as long as you didn't light up around someone who objected, no problem.

If we had any personal limits it was uppers (more than a bit dangerous - we all knew about the 1968 Tour) or downers (counterproductive to riding).

And this wasn't a Friday night party crowd using a bicycle rather than a car. This was a lot of the hard core cyclists of Erie, PA during that half decade. Yes, we did the mundane, serious parties on Friday or Saturday night, when we weren't at the Agora in Cleveland catching whoever was touring through the area.

Cycling is not necessarily a love of just the pure, healthy, natural, exercise and better living crowd. Some of the bunch who your parents would rather you never met loved cycling too.

very interesting
my dad, born 9/45, "turned me on" to cycling
in days past a black Ciocc, with the bars turned up

yes, I think I have forgotten this part of the world