(Credit: Aimee Brodeur)
While interest in the polar ice shelves fracturing into the sea is somewhat new, cycling is not. In fact, it’s been around long enough to have its own patron saint, Madonna del Ghisallo. Say that about your 2002 Jetta.
So, how does one transition from four wheels to two? Dorothy Le thinks she has it figured out. The 23-year-old describes herself as a “bicycle activist planner” and recently founded an organization called Safety Sirens. Le hopes to expand the cycling scene by addressing the dangers, both real and perceived, of riding a bike in L.A. “You can have fun and be safe. Being unsafe is actually holding us back,” says Le, who believes the live-fast, die-young attitude of certain cyclists is what keeps others from getting involved. “Rather than just be hip, it should actually be more mainstream,” she says.
Like all effective governments and most great cocktails, Safety Sirens consists of three parts. The first and most important aspect of the program is a bike mentorship, in which new riders pair up with someone more experienced for a few rides until they get the hang of it. “It’s a chance for new riders to ask questions they wouldn’t ask a large group of people, like, ‘How do I put my helmet on?’" Le says.
The second part of the program uses online videos to demonstrate skills that might not be intuitive for those new to riding, like putting a bike on a bus rack or planning a route across town. The final step is promoting safety on established L.A. rides, such C.R.A.N.K. Mob on the Westside and the monthly juggernaut that is Midnight Ridazz.
Nearly all of the big group rides in our vast city were cooked up by folks who spent some time at Bicycle Kitchen, a nonprofit bike workshop in East Hollywood that Le calls “the single biggest thing that made cycling hip.” Kitchen co-founder Jimmy Lizama has been around long enough to see what ingredients created the L.A. bike scene. After the Kitchen got things started, Lizama says, “Midnight Ridazz solidified the vibe, messengers locked down the style, the Web mystified the activity, and real people started making it sexier than being a hopeless asshole being stuck in traffic.” Solid, mystifying, real and sexy—it’s Hollywood decadence on two wheels. All you really need is a bike, which Le says “a lot of people have, and just don’t use because they’re not motivated.”
If you have a set of wheels that hasn't seen action in a while, take it to a shop and let them know the kind of riding you plan on doing. Mechanics (bicycle ones, at least) tend to be honest people, and if they can fix it, they will. If they point you toward a new bike, it’s probably a wise investment, so listen to the professionals.
Once astride your new rig, grab a few friends for your timid beginner rides, or consult the Safety Sirens and start pedaling. Next, pick a themed ride and have fun with it, or start commuting to work a few days a week and let the cardio and lowered fuel bills serve as rewards. Either way, we'll see you on the road, folks.
