This past Saturday night, I went on my first bike ride with the Midnight Ridazz of Los Angeles for their latest "C.R.A.N.K. Mob" ride. Mind you, I haven't gone riding on a bicycle in years and I generally avoid any events that are spelled like "ridazz" or "rydaz", but the chance to ride all over the city on a bike with hundreds of other crazy people in the wee hours of the night is something I wasn't about to pass up. And I'm glad I didn't, because it was fun as hell and somehow I wasn't even sore the next day, which is surprising since we rode roughly 22 miles (probably not a lot for cycling . Some of the highlights included passing through a parking garage, riding through the Venice canals, seeing angry motorists who didn't appreciate the traffic we caused, stopping by a Vons grocery store which resulted in the bikers creating a line that went all the way to the back of the store since only one register was open, giving a girl dressed in a tiger suit a can of cat food that I purchased in the grocery store, and literally blocking off the entire street in front of the Santa Monica pier until the cops came and broke everything up. Thanks to my friend George who has a spare mountain bike I can use for now, I'll definitely be doing this again in the future.
Since no photos can really do the event justice, here's a lil' mix of video footage that I managed to take at various points during the night. The video is quickly thrown together, but it should help give you a better idea of what it's like:
Even with the video footage it's hard to really show you just how many people were there. If any of you are in Los Angeles (or close enough that you could ride your bike there), I highly suggest joining in one of the rides. Just check out the Midnight Ridazz site for a calendar of upcoming rides. If you want to see a map of the areas we covered on this most recent ride, click here.
And while we're on the topic of bikes, we went to see The Dark Knight this weekend (like the rest of the planet) at The Dome in the Arclight theater. If there was ever a movie that warranted a big theater like that, it's definitely the latest Batman flick. Suffice to say, I absolutely loved it and can't wait to see it again. Gonna try to see it in IMAX next. I'll save my more detailed thoughts on the film for the actual Weeklies discussion thread we have going for it, but I thought you Batfans might like to see some pics from the theater where we saw it. You see, in addition to a killer screen for the movie, they had the actual Batman and Joker costumes on display along with the new Batpod (Batbike) for all to see:
Wouldn't mind having these on display in my house. Then again, I wouldn't mind having a house that had the room for all of these either.
I think the new Batsuit is partially made of Tetris blocks.
Why is there always one clown that has to be sad?
The Joker knows how to dress for success (excuse the reflections on the glass).
A nice display of all the posters before we went into the theater.
Once in the theater, they had the Batsignal projected onto the screen which was a nice way to build up our anticipation before the movie started.
Screw my Amazon Wish List... THIS is what I want for Christmas, ok? Make it happen.
And last but not least, here's some video footage of the Batpod up close so you can see some more of the details on it.
Hey Warner Bros... if you guys are looking to get rid of the Batpod, I'll be more than happy to trade in my Honda Civic for it. I'd say that's an even swap, wouldn't you?
Survey: We've got the "Midnight Ridazz" here in Los Angeles, and I remember a similar club for scooter riders back in Richmond, VA... so how about your town? Do you know of and/or participate in anything like this?
Survey #2: So who here is gonna be at the San Diego Comic-Con this week? I'll be there once again this year, wandering the floors like I always do, so be sure to keep an eye out for me (can't say for sure whether or not I'll be wearing the Pickle hat, but you guys have seen enough photos of me on this site to know what I look like anyway). I always have some stupid lil' I-Mockery freebies to giveaway for those who do manage to find me amongst all the other hordes of conventioneers. And yes, for those of you who cant attend, you can rest assured that I'll be bringing you one of the most in-depth photo galleries of the event that you'll find anywhere on the web. Speaking of which, be sure to check out my photo galleries from previous years: 2007 - 2006 - 2005.
Doctor_Who on 07/22/2008 7:52 pm
Cool Stuff~
...First?
Nick on 07/22/2008 8:06 pm
You should hand out some Pickle hats, Rog.:)
Drunken_Lemur408 on 07/22/2008 8:07 pm
Someday, I shall attend Comic-con. But untill that day, I'll have to rely on others, such as you to inform me of the wonders of Comic-Con.
Omg (Guest) on 07/22/2008 8:20 pm
I love your comic-con gallerys... like REALLY love them.
Can't wait!!
Silver on 07/22/2008 8:24 pm
About Survey #1: I am afraid there are no such event in my city like biking out there in the streets during the middle of the night, although I am pretty sure that at Mexico City they have already had their share of lousy mobs at Zócalo every time Peje arrives to say some incoherence =P
About Survey #2: Well, being here in Monterrey does not allow me to go there, but I am long for that photo galley you will post here pal.
Question: Are you able to keep a camera steady with one hand while riding a bicycle!? Should I get one hand off the handle I am pretty sure I am asking for a first-class ticket for my chin to the asphalt at high speeds.
Ken Hart (Guest) on 07/22/2008 9:24 pm
"Hey Warner Bros... if you guys are looking to get rid of the Batpod, I'll be more than happy to trade in my Honda Civic for it. I'd say that's an even swap, wouldn't you?"
Alot more even than my 97 Aerostar.
captain516 on 07/22/2008 10:14 pm
Biking at Midnight... Why didn't I think of that? I'll have to try it sometime.
Taylor Collins (Guest) on 07/22/2008 10:55 pm
I actually just arrived in San Diego today, so yeah, I'm going to be at comic-con. (Finally!)
Wow that Kicks Ass (Guest) on 07/22/2008 11:07 pm
That's amazing. I wish I could be there for the fucking bike ride through Hell. What was it like riding through Compton?
Viteh on 07/22/2008 11:35 pm
Hey Silver, maybe a ride like this could be held here at Paseo Santa Lucia. I bet it would be pretty amazing. What do you think?
Protoclown on 07/23/2008 12:36 am
I wish I was at the Comic Con again this year.
Ah well, maybe next year. DEFINITELY if you get a table for I-Mockery, I'll be there.
greenimp on 07/23/2008 2:01 am
wow, that batpod is the shizz, i think i might sit here and caress the pictures of it...
also who wouldn't hire someone who came to an interview wearing the jokers suit there?
-RoG- on 07/23/2008 4:17 am
Nick, if and when I make some custom I-Mockery pickle hats, the first thing I'll do is make them available on this web site and not just an exclusive for people who are lucky enough to attend the San Diego Comic-Con heheh.
Drunken_Lemur408, fret not! I gladly take on the duty of "Unofficial Comic-Con Photo-documenter" for those who cannot attend the event. It may take me a while to put the actual photo gallery together, but once it goes up, it'll be enough photos to last you 'til next year, guaranteed.
Silver, yeah I wouldn't recommend holding a camera and filming while riding a bike amongst hundreds of other cyclists. Fortunately, I don't let logic dictate my actions at times like that, so you guys get some interesting video footage as a result.
captain516, yeah it's really a lot o' fun... you should definitely give it a try.
Taylor Collins, cool, hope to see you at the Comic-Con. If I wear the pickle hat any of the days, it'd most likely be on Saturday. Either way, it shouldn't be too hard to find me. Hint: I'll be the guy who's NOT wearing the incredibly obscure anime costume that nobody else on this planet understands. That should narrow it down pretty well for ya.
Wow that Kicks Ass, heheh... if we actually rode our bikes through Compton, I probably wouldn't be physically able to report my experience to you. You know, being dead 'n all.
Protoclown, I wish you were coming too man. Still can't believe you of all people have never been for all 4 days of the Comic-Con yet. You'll have to come next year for sure... booth or no booth! I've tried for three years in a row now, applying earlier and earlier each time, but I still get put on the dreaded waiting list which basically is their way of saying, "[em]Oh, we're putting you on this list to give you some false hopes of getting in. But if you want to be realistic about things, there's no chance in hell you're gonna get a booth.[/em]" So yeah, I'll apply for a booth like I do every year, but don't get your hopes up. They've truly outgrown that venue.
greenimp, you have no idea how badly I wanted to hop on that thing and try taking it for a ride. I mean, it was just a little velvet rope between me and the Batpod. If that think was gassed up, there's no way they could've stopped me before I made it outta there.
Anywho, hope to see a bunch of ya at the Comic-Con! Have a good week!
Taylor Collins (Guest) on 07/23/2008 9:38 am
Great, I hope the pickle hat will help. Apparently there's supposed to be around 120,000 (!) people there. But hopefully that's over the course of 4 days.
Shane Skekel (Guest) on 07/23/2008 10:12 am
You should run into Andrew Dickman (starfieldcreations.com), Egoraptor (egoraptor.net), and the overrated Rina-chan (suzumiya-haruhi.net) and tell them about this site.
Silver on 07/23/2008 12:19 pm
Viteh: You bet it would dude, although I am afraid that lacking a bicycle is a concern, unless of course we can count on the ones they rent at Fundidora... But having one of those rides at Santa Lucía sounds cool indeed!!! Just imagine people suddenly pushing other cyclists into the water canals... That would be nasty... and hilarious =P
Flobots (Guest) on 07/23/2008 12:23 pm
I can ride my bike with no handlebars!
Relaxing Dragon on 07/23/2008 2:59 pm
I'll be at Comic-Con for part of Thursday, all of Friday, the RiffTrax Live thing on Saturday, and all of Sunday (unfortunately, I bought the tickets after the four-day passes were sold out). I should be easy to spot, I'll be either a Big Lebowski t-shirt or a Dawn of the Dead shirt (didn't have enough money to by the i-mockery shirt :'( Sorry). Oh, and something else incredibly noticeable. Probably won't recognize you if I see you (I suck with faces), but I'll keep my eye out for the pickle hat (should you wear one).
And cool Batman thing that theater had out, that's some awesome stuff. Except the poster collection, they're missing the most awesome one:
*REMOVED*
Relaxing Dragon on 07/23/2008 3:02 pm
Sincerest apologies for that link, dunno why it makes the screen exit (at least, it does for me, and I hope just for me).
Better link: CLICK HERE
Bex (Guest) on 07/23/2008 3:28 pm
Unfortunately, the planet didn't quite get to see Dark Knight last weekend, on account that it's only out in the US at the moment. It comes out in England this Friday, but I'll be in Wales then, and I doubt that they have discovered cinemas yet :(
BigMac500 on 07/23/2008 6:26 pm
Ahh yes, a good late night bicycle ride.
However, no such club of merry chum-pals exists in my town, so I venture out, alone...
And while I may not be interested in Comic-Con, I always love to see what wacky adventures you find yourself in, RoG. Can't wait to see some photos!
Trash on 07/23/2008 10:51 pm
You really, really, really need to go to the Comic-Con as El Serpento.
erikamango (Guest) on 07/23/2008 11:28 pm
I live in one of the most bike-friendly towns in the US... Portland, OR. We have midnight rides on the hottest and coldest nights of the year, bike jousting competitions, and PedalPalooza (our annual week-long bike fest) which culminates with the famous Naked Bike Ride!
Critical Mass (Guest) on 07/29/2008 4:03 pm
here in san diego and as i understand in many cities, there is a ride called critical mass. in san diego, we meet the last friday of every month at 7pm in balboa park at the fountain. i didnt go for this month's ride in july but when i went in june i heard there were almost 1000 riders. no thats not a misprint, one thousand.
I-Mockery Blabber (Guest) on 10/23/2008 4:23 am
[...] this past Saturday night, I went out for the Halloween Crank Mob ride. It was just like the other bicycle rides we've done, only a bunch of us were in costume. I [...]
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