"Pure Joy"

This is how one participant (riding away from the Bicycle District rest stop) described the scene in Los Angeles yesterday, as the city closed some 7 miles of its streets to car traffic, opening them to pedestrians, cyclists, and a wide variety of other wheeled contraptions. Over 100,000 people were estimated to participate in CicLAvia, which brought community, cameraderie, delicious food and yes, joy, to the people of Los Angeles and the surrounding communities.

I took the bus to San Bernardino and the Metrolink in to Los Angeles, and the train was filled with fellow cyclists. By Rancho Cucamonga, the train had reached its official bicycle capacity- and the conductor unsuccessfully tried to turn others away. By Los Angeles, there were more bikes on the car than I could count, in every conceivable location they could be stored. In LA the scene was even better- tens of thousands of cyclists flooding the streets. In intersections where cross-streets were closed to cars, it was easy to forget that the auto had ever been invented. (In the intersections where cars were permitted to cross, it was easy to observe drivers who wish the bike had never been invented.) Along the route, businesses were putting up temporary bike racks and holding specials for riders. It was truly an amazing experience- and one I highly recommend that every cyclist go experience for themselves. The next event is on July 10th- which I will sadly miss, being in New York City- and a third will be held in October. Grab the train and come ride with us!