just got off the phone with the Chicago Tribune. Very nice guy. He was very impressed with the quotes I sent him (the same list I posted above). I told him of the community of cyclists (which is where I inserted the plug for bikeforums.net and the fixers therein) and how I am not speaking for myself but as a voice of this community. I told him what you said. I told him of the beauty of riding at night. He said if I was handsome enough he'd put my mug in the paper. Little Richard ain't as pretty as me.

Bike lanes? Please. Those f'ing things are death traps. And bus lanes are usually full of buses. Give me the daggone street.

I'd like to add the anonymity of riding at night. In the daylight everyone checks out your garb or your bike or your ass or your whatnot and it becomes who you are and what you're riding, not just that you're on a bike for the sheer pleasure of riding. So the darkness strips away those pretensions and brings it back to the source - the joy of riding and being taken to a different place than you are right now.

I also like how it heightens your senses and trains you to rely on primitive senses like shades of darkness and the variety of sounds and the feel of earth/pavement beneath your wheels. Being able to tune back into those is a human pleasure that the rest of urban society will sadly never know.

Reason # 117 to love the BROOKS saddle company:

"whilst carrying the barrells well above the front wheel", enabling you to shoot from a mobile platform when cut off in the (bus, bike, car, taxi, soccermomwcellphone,)whatever lane.

I wonder what the recoil would be like while moving. It would probably throw off a trackstand pretty well...

Heck I will buy one. Someone start making them. If they would pass carry conceal i would just strap a 4 inch smith on my hip before each ride, bet your ass drivers would be more considerate.

say hello to my little fren....

One of my favorite things about riding at night is the sound of wind in your ears being the loudest thing you hear.

You should try using a higher caliber bullet.

I am the bullet.

It's been a few months, but I'm all set to meet with the Tribune tonight for an interview. Thanks for all those that posted their thoughts.

my favorite thing about riding at night:

The city looks cleaner

I like the feeling of night riding, especially on friday and saturday nights when everyone is going out and walking around. Great people watching times in SF. As stated earlier in the thread, the financial district takes on a whole new character at night, like riding through a canyon. I especially like riding through the really crowded areas like north beach, 11th street club corridor, irving street, and the mission, as well as the totally desolate places like the fi-di, sunset, gg park, and soma/south beach. Sometimes when I can't sleep on friday or saturday nights I'll go for a bike ride at 2 or 3am, very surreal.

As far as lights, in the early evening when there are a bunch of cars and ish, I'll use a rear blinky and a very strong front light. If I go riding past 12am I usually just use the rear blinky as there aren't really any cars out that late and, quite frankly, I'd rather that some of the bums don't see me coming, gives them less of a chance to ambush me (it happens).

Night riding is fun
Riding, zipping in the dark
Empty urban streets

Rode home last night around 2am after a long day at work. I really dig not having traffic downtown. Only bums and late night (weekday) partiers are out, and they're all friendly. Seattle's a pretty sexy city, and in the fog of the night with the buildings all glowing, it was pretty surreal. The space needle was extra-UFOey last night. I imagine any city at night has it's own beauty. It's a totally different feel than a 9 or 5 commute (or anywhere around those times). It's more like riding outdoors and less like riding indoors (may that just makes sense to me).

From a different perspective (mountain biking), one of my favorite rides last year was a 25 mile solo night ride at Kettle Morine late in the year when the temp was around 30F. The only thing you have while deep in single track is just you, your light, animals, and the sounds of the woods. Did you know that deer eyes glow green when reflecting HID lights? When the leaves are falling you swear that bats and birds are flying at your head. When leaves, branches, and rocks rustle under your tires you swear that someone is chasing you. But once you get past the first time gitters and accept the peace and tranquility of the single track you will go back time and time again.

Single track night riding is pure bliss.

Did you know that deer eyes glow green when reflecting HID lights? When the leaves are falling you swear that bats and birds are flying at your head. When leaves, branches, and rocks rustle under your tires you swear that someone is chasing you.

Sounds like the start of a movie.........the 'Blair Fixed Project'

Met the photographer at midnight at the Water Tower just after I slammed a half bottle of white wine; to get into character, dig. We headed south on Michigan Ave, he in his Explorer, me on the Masi, taking up the whole damn road, camera flashing like crazy, he’s shouting directions, positions, shots. We stop at Millennium Park and I empty my bag, showing him my lights, pump, lock, stuff I use to ride at night. Nice guy, I’m making him laugh, telling him how good Mayonnaise is on white bread, thinks it’s funny how I talk to cars, direct traffic, run lights. We head down to Van Buren and turn west. I was hoping the guys at Cal’s would be out, but the place was closed. We kept shooting through the Loop and stopped on La Salle right where it ends at the Board of Trade. He gets in the middle of the street and I ride circles around him: cops, taxis, people all wondering what the hell we’re doing, that flash going like mad, light bouncing off the snow-wet pavement. He showed me some of the shots from his digital camera: Mayonnaise in a tight circle with orange, red, and white light trails surrounding. Awesome. He says it’s a major story in the Transportation section and will be published for sure. Say’s he’ll send me a cd with all the shots 30 days after publication. Had such a blast I don’t care what happens now.

HI
THE PHOTOS LOOK GREAT!! The story and pictures will be in the Transportation section in Sunday's 3/20 paper. You are the lead story on the cover. Thanks for all your help.

Chicago Tribune

nice how are the misc statements and observations being integrated w/ the rest of the copy? Did you write the balance of the article?

I don't have a clue what has been written. Seems like there's two or three people working on the story, but as of today, they haven't said anything about the actual content of the article.