Long After Twilight Ends

The L.A.T.E. Ride on Sunday morning was interesting but I'm not sure I want to to do it again unless the organisation is a little better and I can get people to ride with me. There were about 7,500 riders starting in four waves of about 2,000 riders each depending on what your rider number was. Since mine was 1123, I started in the first wave around 1.30 am, which was a mixed blessing of sorts; starting early meant that I could set my own pace and not be slowed down by the pack and also reduced the chance of accidental collisions with other riders at crowded intersections. Unfortunately, it also meant that I was riding pretty much alone or with a small group throughout the twenty-five-mile course and didn't savour the experience that comes with riding in a large group.

Still, the route was fun and covered areas of Chicago I hadn't been through before. A part of the ride took us through Lincoln Park, Chicago's popular bar and restaurant district, where we got a lot of cheers (and occasional jeers!) from hundreds of people heading home after a Saturday night out. Immediately after that we went through a much quieter residential neighbourhoods in Lakeview and Ravenswood where there weren't too many people stirring and there were hardly any cars on the road. 
 
Throughout the ride the Chicago Police Department did an excellent job of manning major intersections, sometimes even halting oncoming traffic and waving riders through red lights, recognising that it's really frustrating for bicyclists to come to a stop at intersections. At other less important crossings we were on our own, and it is here that riding with a group would have helped, a la Critical Mass. If you're a lone rider you are forced to stop and wait for the lights to turn green again. 
 
Despite the halts and one rest stop for food and water, I made good time, paced by the other riders, who, being in the front of the pack, were relatively fast. 

Hung around for about half an hour after the ride consuming the bag breakfast, with energy bars, a banana and a milk shake, so by the time I left for the train station it was past 4 am and around sunrise at 5.30 in the morning when I finally got home. Despite sleeping the previous evening my sleep cycle was thrown completely out of whack and I slept till noon on Sunday and then again from 8 to 10 pm before I met up with some friends for a few beers! Fortunately, I slept another ten or so hours last night and today I'm back to normal after a fairly fatigued and sleepy day yesterday.
 
Next Sunday's "Ultimate Neighbourhood Ride" should be more fun, as it is early in the morning and is a much smaller affair (about six hundred participants).