Once upon a time on a planet slightly colder than this one, we found ourselves in Los Angeles during an era when no one questioned the imperative of driving everywhere for everything due to severely limited public transportation and a nearly complete lack of cycling infrastructure.  Some of us discovered that our commute time might be more reliable by bike thanks to significantly congested car traffic. Unfortunately, the pavement had not yet seen a single strip of green paint and sharrows were so rare that most motorists didn't know what they even meant.  Thus we became reluctant gladiators on desperate cannonball runs to our destinations. Every time we saddled up to brave the hazards of crumbling infrastructure, we were acting in defiance of a status quo that trapped people in windowed cages for 20% of the day as their motors cooked off the precious ozone layer.

Perhaps it was the result of activists getting organized, or maybe it was simply the natural urge to survive that brought cyclists together across LA on group rides at all hours of the day and night.  A huge array of social rides developed organically in different regions, attended by disparate communities, but in the naughty oughties they were regularly united at large-scale rolling celebrations. Similar events took place in other urban centers like San Francisco and New York, but the attitude of the crowds in LA was uniquely optimistic.  Motorists who found themselves swarmed by throngs of blinking lights late at night were engaged with more invitation than confrontation - often enticed to get out of their cars for impromptu roadside dances.  Sometimes they were converted into participants by the promise of a fun time if they followed the ride to the next stop.

It can be hard to trace progress to any one event, person, or movement, but we like to believe that the protected bike lanes and ever-expanding light rail system, which now criss-cross the county, are somehow echoes of the positive outreach that characterized the sprawling Los Angeles bike scene around the turn of the millennium.  We strive to be an extension of that history as we develop new approaches to securing a future where more people do more things around town under their own power.

•Ride like you mean it.

•Respect bicycles as OG world-shrinkers of the pre-internet age.

•Strive to be a capable user of technology rather than relying on it for convenience.  Knowing your way around your nuts and bolts is essential.

•Never be afraid to ask for help and always be ready to offer it if you can.

•Always look out for each other because the world is everywhere but our eyes are only on one side of our heads.

•The immediate prevention or urgent treatment of an injury is the only justification for unsolicited contact.

•Your identity is your most precious possession so take care in its presentation.

•Our group's identity is its most precious possession so take care in it's representation.

As Cyclists, we have a particularly intimate relationship with stencils.  They mark our lanes, tell us where to go, label where we are, and alert others to our presence.  Stencils are responsible for a sizable portion of our safety on the road so we honor them as a creative medium.  You'll see this in our spoke cards, promotional posters, on our bike frames, and in some cases even on our human frames.

We don't have any Michelin stars (would that be ironic?) but some of us are chefs and we do get creative in the culinary medium at some of our events by incorporating fresh ingredients and inventive preparations using park barbecues and beach fire pits.

Do you have an idea for a uniquely portable recipe?  By all means, let's see (and taste) it!

Music keeps us moving on the road and maintains the vibe at stops. Whenever possible our rides feature a sound bike bumping a curated playlist that is timed out specifically for the route and the rest of the time, it's shuffling an eclectic selection spanning continents and centuries. Sometimes we get to add homegrown tunes to the selection.

People's reasons for being bikeless can vary from hardship to lack of exposure and sometimes the best way to remove barriers is to step up and get creative.

Once we've identified someone for a love bomb of the pedaled variety, we start keeping a lookout for parts to use in a one-of-a-kind ride that suits their size, use case, and style. We never simply find a bike and give it to someone without first putting love into reinventing it as a tribute to them. These bikes often sport unconventional but intentional component sets uniquely suited to the recipient's anticipated needs and the frames are usually given custom paint jobs with designs that creatively highlight their personality.

The deliveries are like surprise birthday parties where someone receives a bespoke bicycle and everyone celebrates their rebirth as a cyclist for a little while.  We don't do these projects as a way to get likes or subscribers and we ask anyone in attendance to refrain from posting images because not everyone would want their new bike blasted out in a public forum. If the recipient wants to share any pictures themself, we're happy to see it but it's not necessary. We aim to pull off at least 4 of these per year and we're usually right on track.

Los Angeles Wheelmen

Midnight Ridazz

Wolfpack Hustle

Crank M.O.B.

Pier Pressure

Sins 'n Sprockets

Different Spokes

Midnight Drag Race

Spoke 'n Art

Cubcamp

Den Dinner

Crimanimalz

One of Us

Robotz

Knittenz Cat

818 Bike Polo

Los Angelopes

Can't Sleep

MOM Ridazz

Westside Mosey

Ciclavia

Funderstorm

Renegade Ridazz

The Sprockettes

Taco Tuesdays BC

FREEDOM RIDE

WPH All City Race

LA Marathon Crash Race/Ride

Le Tour de France

Giro d'Italia

Twilight Criterium

Encino Velodrome

Bikerowave

Bike Oven

Bici Cucina

Bici Libre

LA Brakeless

Orange 20

Fausto Coppi

Eddy Merckx

Major Taylor

Sheldon Brown

Greg Lemond

Victoria Pendleton

Bob Roll

George Mount

Roadblock

J. Swift

LA Metro

Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition

Bike Culver City