MAKE IT RAIN!!!

So, another Friday comes, the day started out beautiful! Shorts and a sleeveless-t, nothings better. After the shop closed up a few of us rode out to NoHo to the Smith Bike Kitchen to say hello to the gals that work there. It was a nice ride, back roads not too hilly but burned the legs. We got there after a little search around campus, it must have looked a little odd for a pack of eight or so guys riding through the all girls campus, yelling at each other and not paying any attention to the people around us, I don't think people knew what to do when they saw us coming. Well, we find the Kitchen and introduce ourselves check out the space and start helping out with bikes. We were working outside then it began to rain. The Kitchen is no bigger than the Coop at UMass, but a little more out of the way and looks like Freddy lives there, but its a space and the girls there enjoy it. We say our goodbyes and are off to ride the 9 or so miles back to campus.


We get back, riding through some farms and nice mellow hills and some great flat sprints. It was raining pretty heavy at this point, so we jump onto the bike path ans I cruise back to my house, the path conveniently come out behind Amherst College a few doors down from my house. I take a shower, have a beer and re coop before heading out, grab a nice meal with Dorthy Mantooth and never call her again.

Well, now its raining really hard and it is Ten so time to hit the spoke, we don't get asked to move and hide under the over hang. We decide to hit one party and hang there as long as we can. its a friends house so we know it will be alright to be there all night. Route 9 in Amherst is a long stretch of strip malls and gas stations. It all starts with a big descent down a monster of a hill. We get going after our booze is picked up, the rain is still coming down hard and the roads are soaked, I forgot my rain pants and most everyone else didn't even have rain pants. Down the road we go, single file, not much talking or laughter going on like we usually do. I hang at the end of the line and look on as everyone rides on, my clothing beginning to collect the rain. I get into a rhythm, ten pedal strokes to every drop of rain from the brim of my cap. Smooth and fluid as the water around me. I just hang back, keep a mellow pace and just enjoy the hum and swish of the road. Then we get close to the house and I sprint to the front to show the group the drive way and we are there, damp and ready for a beer.

We enter and are welcomed, told the dryer was ours for the night and to toss our things in. This is nice, I grab a seat on the counter and don't really move say for another beer, or a quick dart outside.

Time to leave and we put our half dry clothes on and head back out into the cold rain night moving toward morning. We jump out onto Route 9, and jump on the bike path home. Bad idea, its dark and they mixed glass into the asphalt to lower the cost, this means a lot of flats, out comrade got one so we walked the three or so miles back with him. Well riding a bike drunk is easy, but walking one is a son of a bitch.

Next morning, wake up late and need to get to the Coop, 15 pieces of glass in my front tire, I walked, used the spare tube the day before. Just another Friday night, don't know the extent of it all until the morning.

HEY LANCE! THIS AINT THE TOUR DE FRANCE!

Another night another ride. We meet up, some are slow getting there and we aren't out and about until a little past 11. No matter the ride from my house was great, it had been raining all day and the roads were slick. We head out after a beer or two up College St. a large,steep, killer of a hill. Trough town and down through campus, there are a lot of "HEY LANCE" and "FAGS". Its fine, we were also called the "Green Hells Angles" a few times, that was kind of cool. With cool rain air and the spray from the wheel in front of you and a buzz from beer it was a nice ride. We head to out first party, just off campus, the place was packed, a band down stairs and a big mix of all sorts of people. We hang there, bumming everyone out, our friend cut a mullet the night before and made it his mission to get Red Neck wild, with a Bud heavy forties and short shorts he did just that. For the most part no one knows anyone at the party, but we manage to mingle in and talk to a few people before breaking into small groups outside. A little past midnight there are some bike cops spotted, needless to say they are sort of the carrier pigeons for the squad cars and it seemed the party was about to be swarmed. We assemble the team and head for our bike, it takes some time to get ourselves together and the bikes to be unpeeled from one another. Well it seemed we were not going fast enough for one host, and he began to yell at us, calling us a few names, but what he didn't understand is that at that time we were in a church parking lot having nothing to do with his party. Some people just want to start shit, we told him we were waiting for a friend to get his light that fell and we would be on our way. Back out into the cool air spray of April. We head further down the road to a house where we know good people live.The road there is an absolute shit storm of potholes and one of us gets a flat. This is where the night changed, we all went from being a little pissed off to realizing how fun this was. Though there was a flat we all pulled together, getting him a tube, levers, a pump wrench and getting him on the road, for a time. We get to the house and are welcome with open arms, not to many people there maybe ten and then the ten of us. Music was going and we fucking dance. Met a few people, danced and hand a good time.

Sometimes that is just how it goes on our Friday nights. No one thought we would be out, but we were, and in good numbers. We stuck together and helped each other out. Later on we went back to my house and just were loud and I don't really know if anyone said anything that made any sense other than goodbye, but it was fun and I thank you all again for these great night.

We were out, and so were the Cops.

We have started to coordinate ourselves a bit better. We all show up at 10 or a little after organize and ride out. But the bar we meet at has become uncomfortable with our presence each Friday, saying the our gathering of bikes at a bike themed bar drives business away. So be it. It is true, we are not all 21 but when that time come I am sure all of use will show up earlier and grab a beer or two from The Spoke before we head out, but this is all an issue of public verse private space and who owns the side walk. This is an issue that I have run into before in my home town of Danvers Mass.

Unusually hot October day, I have been working since 7 a.m. at Marthas Bread Basket when 12 o'clock rolls around and the high school gets out for an early release. This is great for local business because all the kids flock down and hang out for a few hours before their normal time to go home. Sure it seems like a flood of kids at times, but its is also safe to say that a business can make a few hundred dollars more than any other normal day. So, there are a few kids eating some food and having a drink in front of my store when a cop comes up and tells them to leave. Seeing this I head out and ask what the problem is, the cop tells me the old ladies are concerned with the kids in down town, well it is none of their concern who is down there and what they are doing as long as they are not starting any trouble, which they were not. So because these kids "ruined" some old ladies lunches a massive attack by the local police ensues. After the cop tells me I do not own the side walk and that no one can be on our tables and chairs regardless of them buying anything in my store he leaves. I tell the kids they have every right to sit and finish their food then leave, five minutes later one of the kids has his face smashed up against the store front and is being cuffed, for sitting and eating a sandwich, this kid was only 16. I run out and demand to know whats going on and am met with a quick,"Shut the fuck up and get inside.", well I open my big mouth and yell at him as he parades this kid through town to his cruiser. No more than 15 minutes go by and three officers come into my store and ask me to go outside, I tell them I need to punch out and go with them. "Where do you get off calling me an asshole you fuck?" "You think you own this store and the sidewalk?", these are the questions I am met with as I am asked to turn around and get cuffed for disorderly conduct, not having my rights read to me or told until the next day at the court house, what I was being arrested for. It is in my opinion and the opinion of my employer at the time that the cops were the ones causing a scene, disturbance and over all poor conduct, they don't own the side walk either. So I got 20 hours community service and my record was cleared.

From being told to leave the bar front, we head to our trusty pals house and have a few before going out. We head to an undisclosed party and are welcomed right in despite our large numbers. Its a nice time, we all chat outside and slowly become inebriated. Things are going well and we have one of the best human pyramids to date, then flash lights and navy blue uniforms. "If you don't live here get out." a deep female voice rumbles from behind a mag light. All of us drop our beers, put them away, what ever and move out, we immediately have another place to go and swiftly go. Next party we know some people and are having a good time, giving each other knuckle tattoos and mustaches with sharpies mingling and what not, then another hush is forced over the group as word of cops enters. The party down stairs is being shut down and it seems that the one we are at is next. We leave again due to cops. Now, I begin to think they have us figured out and are using us to shut down parties and if that is the case then fuck. So we head to a party way out in the more rural part of town. The ride there is super fun however, all down hill, fast but scary because its dark as a dragons cave in spots. we get to this party and are informed its an underwear party. We all get down to our briefs and hang out. I'm out of beer at this point so I help myself to one and see whats going on. Not much, ex-girlfriend there making things awkward as usual, not saying hello, shitty stuff. I head back home with a friend and we tackle the up hill ride home, grunting and cursing the whole way. But I will say we charged it hard and my legs hurt in the best way because of it.

It is sad to think that we could have been the reason a few people got arrested last night. Or that the space of sidewalks will be disputed as public or private for a time to come. Also, why a group trying to do something positive and fun may be being used for the gain of a corrupt group of men and women who forget that they were once kids, they are human beings and are on they same level as you or I and that it fucking sucks to be arrested for something so petty and inconsequential as having a good time.

A little late, but I need to take it all in.

Ten in the p.m. and the red lights come flashing from in front of the Spoke as the early birds show up to ride. I get there, as an early bird and in about fifteen minutes we are a pack of about 20, bags at the ready with beer and goods for the night, red embers hissing and glowing from cigarettes. As the group forms and addresses are put on the table for party locations we move to our friends house to put a few back and wait a bit for the hosts to be in a more inviting mood. It is hard for a group of about 20 guys (there are only 3 girls if that in the pack on any night) to just show up at a party and not get kicked out. So, we have a beer or two, a toast and jump on the bikes. Away we go, down Triangle Street to Main, 699? was the location. Triangle Street is down hill to the intersection of Main, needless to say we are all a little buzzed and the skids feel like butter, but loose chain lines and potholes make for a harsh ride, about a quarter of us lost our chains coming towards the red light. My buddy Brian wasnt so lucky, he came to the light and went OTB from the sand on the road, or something the details are still up in the air as to just how he ended up face first in the pavement.

With some cheers from the rest of us we were on our way once the light blinked green and down Main in a hurry, this road is longer and steeper than the last with a few more potholes. I think the term "Masshole" cmae about not because people from Mass are assholes, but for the abundance of potholes to screw up anything on wheels.

Well, in one piece we make it to the house, right away things look out of place. Not to many cars in the driveway and no noise coming from it either. The door opens and a small, average college guy comes to the steps.

"Who are you guys, who do you know here?" the figure askes to the group, one dude who "Knows someone" speaks for the group. I never knew what was really said untill days later, but i went up took one step in the door and turned to leave.

"To my house!"

So we end up at my house, a little place that looks like a Doll House, I live with some Hockey guys and my brother, its alright.
We are there for about 15 minutes before the guys come home with a look of anger and defeat on their faces, it was time to leave again.
Out to a house where i know a few people, most of us never make it inside and just stand at our rack of bikes telling every drunk bro the same thing abotu how our friday night works.
I dont know about the rest of the guys and girls I ride with but I get a great sense of pride everytime I have to explain my motives for riding my bike.
That party was cool, nothing all to crazy went down, from here the group split, people heading off on their own, to their girls/guys place or sticking around.
A majority of the group and I went off to a small house just about on campus. This place looked dead from the outside, and as we moved closer looked like a satanic ritual was going on on the inside. We stand outside waiting to get the okay from someone who knows someone when our connection comes out in a white hat and sun glasses and tells us all to come in and have a beer. We have a 30 handed to us and start dancing, there were only about ten kids from outside our group in this place and we swarm and take over. As we get a roaring thing going some girl crys out, "If you only know the guy in the white hat, Then LEAVE!"
Well, it sucked but we had our time and beer there so we left, stealing another 30 on the way out and heading for home.

First Things First

So, there is a group of riders, mechanics and all around bike nerds that attend The University of Massachusetts Amherst and get together every friday night to ride. I am one of them, a mechanic at the University Bike Co-Op. It is a very small student run Co-Op that helps the University and local bike community for a little to no money ethic as well as build a strong group of friends and over all bike community. This blog does not however speak for the whole group, I am a single person who is involved with this community and feel that writing about my time and adventures with these people helps to take a weight off of my mind. As well, document a part of my life that is important to me and many other people apart of this community.



Along with telling stories of the FGDT (Fixed Gear Drinking Team) I may tell some more personal stories about my life and its relation to bicycles. I may even say a few words about some things in Bike Culture around the world, who knows I am using this forum to get things out and relate them in some way to a big part of my life, bikes.