I just got home from the Times Up NYC Moonlight Ride and I loved it!
It occurs the first Friday night starting at 10pm of every month.
I've been trying to not-have something to do but have failed for several months now. I'm so glad we did it!
Malaika got this cape from a seller on Etsy. It's beautiful! And so is she and I had so much fun, I'm glad she didn't let me punk out and get in my bed at 8pm like I could have/would have.
If you're looking for a cape, she and I recommend this one. I'm really in a mood where I want to buy made in USA things or thrifted items. I'm trying to not-buy disposable, cheap, made in china shit clothes.
Sidenote: I asked the head designer at my company what she thought of a certain local chain in NYC and she said "Slutty garbage." Deadpan comments like that thrill me.
If you're not good at seeing in the dark- You need to get some sick lights or maybe don't do this because it was quite dark sometimes and you just had to trust that you weren't about to be bumped off your ass.
Great thing about it - It's a real treat to be able to ride on the paths in Central Park in the middle of the night. At first I felt like a rebellious schoolgirl riding on the walking paths where bicycle riding is forbidden and not to mention- rude.
But at night when no one is there it's sweet.
Our first stop happened shortly into the ride. This is Wollman rink and it's probably a good idea because I bet you a dollar it's way less popular than Rockefeller's or Bryant Park's.
I'm really glad about my outfit-
I was perfectly prepared for the temps and the terrain. There are terrain situations - wear sneakers! This is my tough-ass-bitch leather motorcycle jacket I bought over the summer from a real motorcycle supply place. It's finally cool enough to wear it. I got an American Apparel hoodie (heathered brown) to wear under it and beef it up a little.
Me and Malaika gossipped and chatted the entire ride and felt bad that we were probably bothering everyone but I hope we were OK and I hope we didn't seem too silly. We were dressed quite differently from everyone else. There was a majority of reflective safety vests, like utilitarian ones.
Overall- I loved this ride. We were dazzled almost immediately and maintained excitement and loveliness/romance about the city at night. I hope I can do it several more times and get some friends and my punk-ass playstation playing husband to do it too!
We stopped just a few times. I kind of expected more stopping, hanging out-type socializing. At this stop at the northern end of The Great Lawn, there were some astronomers who let us peep through their telescopes. That was fun and nice of them.
Suggestion: I think lights should be required or strongly recommended on this ride. (Lights are the Law anyway) -Not to light your way, but to make you visible to others. I came up real close on a slower person who had no lights in the beginning.
Safe coincidence: Only 1 person was not wearing a helmet in our group of about 20 riders.
Me at the end! I had a scarf wrapped around my head/ears to protect ears from wind.
I also had to zip my chest-plate up. The wind was cool and fierce on the way home. Sometimes the wind is pushing against me and it feels like I can't move forward and I laugh nervously in those times sometimes.
Also- I got these Ski glove at the K-Mart. Thank goodness I had them!
I rode home at almost midnight up a desolate Madison Avenue.
When I got home at Midnight I was hungry mungry! Thanks to Malaika for a very nice Friday night bike date and thanks to Time's Up for being such a nice organization. I was so happy when they got a shout-out on Rachel Maddow tonight for the generator bikes down at Occupy Wall Street.
No- I have not yet been to OWS because I'm scared the police will beat me up.
It occurs the first Friday night starting at 10pm of every month.
I've been trying to not-have something to do but have failed for several months now. I'm so glad we did it!
Malaika got this cape from a seller on Etsy. It's beautiful! And so is she and I had so much fun, I'm glad she didn't let me punk out and get in my bed at 8pm like I could have/would have.
If you're looking for a cape, she and I recommend this one. I'm really in a mood where I want to buy made in USA things or thrifted items. I'm trying to not-buy disposable, cheap, made in china shit clothes.
Sidenote: I asked the head designer at my company what she thought of a certain local chain in NYC and she said "Slutty garbage." Deadpan comments like that thrill me.
If you're not good at seeing in the dark- You need to get some sick lights or maybe don't do this because it was quite dark sometimes and you just had to trust that you weren't about to be bumped off your ass.
Great thing about it - It's a real treat to be able to ride on the paths in Central Park in the middle of the night. At first I felt like a rebellious schoolgirl riding on the walking paths where bicycle riding is forbidden and not to mention- rude.
But at night when no one is there it's sweet.
Our first stop happened shortly into the ride. This is Wollman rink and it's probably a good idea because I bet you a dollar it's way less popular than Rockefeller's or Bryant Park's.
I'm really glad about my outfit-
I was perfectly prepared for the temps and the terrain. There are terrain situations - wear sneakers! This is my tough-ass-bitch leather motorcycle jacket I bought over the summer from a real motorcycle supply place. It's finally cool enough to wear it. I got an American Apparel hoodie (heathered brown) to wear under it and beef it up a little.
Me and Malaika gossipped and chatted the entire ride and felt bad that we were probably bothering everyone but I hope we were OK and I hope we didn't seem too silly. We were dressed quite differently from everyone else. There was a majority of reflective safety vests, like utilitarian ones.
Overall- I loved this ride. We were dazzled almost immediately and maintained excitement and loveliness/romance about the city at night. I hope I can do it several more times and get some friends and my punk-ass playstation playing husband to do it too!
We stopped just a few times. I kind of expected more stopping, hanging out-type socializing. At this stop at the northern end of The Great Lawn, there were some astronomers who let us peep through their telescopes. That was fun and nice of them.
Suggestion: I think lights should be required or strongly recommended on this ride. (Lights are the Law anyway) -Not to light your way, but to make you visible to others. I came up real close on a slower person who had no lights in the beginning.
Safe coincidence: Only 1 person was not wearing a helmet in our group of about 20 riders.
Me at the end! I had a scarf wrapped around my head/ears to protect ears from wind.
I also had to zip my chest-plate up. The wind was cool and fierce on the way home. Sometimes the wind is pushing against me and it feels like I can't move forward and I laugh nervously in those times sometimes.
Also- I got these Ski glove at the K-Mart. Thank goodness I had them!
I rode home at almost midnight up a desolate Madison Avenue.
When I got home at Midnight I was hungry mungry! Thanks to Malaika for a very nice Friday night bike date and thanks to Time's Up for being such a nice organization. I was so happy when they got a shout-out on Rachel Maddow tonight for the generator bikes down at Occupy Wall Street.
No- I have not yet been to OWS because I'm scared the police will beat me up.
Looks like such fun. I would not have thought of dressing so warmly, so thanks for sharing your outfit, which I will keep in mind if I make it to a moonlight ride.
ReplyDeleteGreat pics and it sounds like a fun ride. I loved riding through CP at 5 a.m. before the century ride but i bet it would have been hella less creepy with you guys there! Glad y'all had fun. :)
ReplyDeletei was just admiring this on etsy! good to know that it actually looks like it does on the seller's page. how does she like it on the bike? i find some longer coats act like a parachute while on bike.
ReplyDeleteive been trying to get to that group ride for the loooongesttttt
ReplyDeleteGreat leather jacket!
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of bike lights since we don't have great after dark lighting in Flagstaff. I'm loving my NiteRider bike lights. They deliver great visibility, and other people can definitely see you .