"Sexy"
From ibikeu Wiki
Within Midnight Ridazz, Sexy is one of the most well known participants and organizers. He has an obnoxious reputation when on the microphone and in other places. He has organized a serious of political rides and is one of the original advocates for the creation of the San Fernando Valley Critical Mass. Has tried to keep the SFV-CM "ride organizer free" and encourages those who show up to make decisions about the ride.
Rides Organized
- Sing-a-long Ride
- Spoke'n Dissent
- Bike Winter Anti-War Ride
- Peace and Love No War Ride
- Arlington West Memorial Ride
- The Haunted Ride #80 created route and directed ride, under parameter set by Speedybrian
Biography
A native to California, Sexy has lived most of his life in the San Fernando Valley, with a seven year residence in the Peoples Republic of Santa Monica.
Sexy has been politically aware since he was very young. He noticed at an early age the effects of smog in his neighborhood, and on himself. In 1993, at the age of 23, he became very health and environmentally conscious, wishing to see the air in Los Angeles and especially in the San Fernando Valley change for the better. He decided at that moment that he wanted to become car-free (because auto pollution was the major cause of air pollution in L.A.), was ridiculed by friends, and did not know how to make it happen until 1999, when he got rid of his automobile and became dependent on public transportation. Shortly after that, he purchased a blue Sears 5-speed girls' bike with whitewall tires, white trim, white cable, and a basket in front. In the beginning he took the bike with him on the bus, but during the 2000 Democratic National Convention when he rode his blue Sears bike through the protests and festivities, decided to ride from Downtown Los Angeles to his home Santa Monica as his first major semi-distance ride, as the buses had been moved around from their usual stops and pickups.
Feeling like a lone bicyclist, Sexy sought out the only ride in LA that he knew of (Critical Mass), never making it on time, or getting to the start point and finding that it had been changed without his knowing it. Finally in the spring of 2005, Sexy received a zine talking about the upcoming Bike Summer Los Angeles events. Finding other riders at the Bike Summer opening party at the Santa Monica Pier, he felt like he had died and gone to heaven. Although he found many of the people from that time to be somewhat unfriendly towards him, he did find a few riders that he connected with. From that time the LA bicycle culture scene would grow more and more, Sexy discovered new people who were more friendly and happy to have found and shared in this great treasure of the Los Angeles bicycle culture. Seeing the LA bicycle culture continue to grow, he now finds happiness in not knowing every other person who shares his love. It has grown beyond what he can put his arm around.
After participating in a majority of the Bike Summer Events, Sexy was inspired to make a ride of his own. He thought that the connection between air quality and the major reason for the US war in Iraq and Afghanistan being oil dependence would be clearto those who rode bikes. When the planning meeting for Bike Winter 2006 Los Angeles came about, Sexy attended to share his idea of an antiwar protest on bicycles. He thought the idea would be embraced by all, and the ride would be a huge success. Most just looked blankly at the idea, and very few participated in the rides that he organized with the antiwar theme. He got more scorn for mixing bikes with politics than support for the idea, but he persisted, and the ride happened.
The Bike Winter Anti-War ride on January 19, 2006 went off pretty well, however, Sexy had neglected to plan any breaks. He quickly learned the ins and outs of organizing a ride, and went on to organize several more antiwar rides during 2006, including the Arlington West Memorial Ride on May 28, 2006--Memorial Day weekend--which began in Pasadena and ended at the Arlington West Memorial, a makeshift replica of the Arlington National Cemetery on the beach by the Santa Monica Pier. In early 2007, leveraging the power of the Midnight Ridazz web forum to reach interested riders, Sexy created Spoke'n Dissent. The rides always had more spoke cards than participants.
NOTE: around 1995-1996 Sexy's involvement with the Santa Monica College Vegetarian Club exposed him to many cyclists, from original participants in San Fransisco Critical Mass to those who had toured North and South America by bike. Excited to get on a bicycle, he asked his new friends what kind of bicycle he should get for himself. No answer was ever given, so he did not start riding until 1999.
