Draft 2 Highlights
Last week Pure Cycles HQ played host to our second installment of Draft: a People for Bikes Meetup! Riders from all over SoCal biked in for food, drinks, and discussion with friends, advocates, industry insiders, and the folks that make the sausage at city hall. It was a great night, and we've got the pictures to prove it - let's hit the highlights!
Tacos + Beer
As always, any good meetup has to start with brews and tacos and once again Golden Road and Sandoval the taco dude came through in spades. Sandy served up hundreds of hot, little bundles of delicious, and Golden Road helped everyone wash 'em down with an assortment of beautiful brews.
And once everyone was stuffed (and maybe a bit sloshy), we passed the mic over to our first speaker to kick things off.
Road Block / Wolfpack Hustle
Don Ward a.k.a. Road Block, the founder of Wolfpack Hustle kicked us off with an interesting peek inside his organization and the good they're doing all over LA (and now, all over the rest of the country too). All it took was 5-minutes before we were all making sure our race-quals were up to date and clearing our calendars for another year of crashing the Marathon.
Seriously, though - clear your calendar for March 19th, the Marathon Crash ride is one of the best things we do every year and it's guaranteed to be a good time.
Zwift
Next up were the guys and gals who've taken over the world of virtual pedaling, Zwift! They've designed, built, and rolled out an entire digital world for you to train in. Race your friends, ride with the pros, and take part in seasonal celebration events, all from the warmth of your own living room. Sure, it's not quiiiite as good as riding the real road with the sun in your face and the wind in your hair but, if you're snowed in, it's an awesome way to still enjoy some two-wheeled action and stay in shape for the sunny season.
Pure Cycles Team
The Pure Cycles team was also out in full force. Josh helped get the whole thing organized and kept everyone pumped with his overwhelming enthusiasm, Eric repped the CS team fielding bike-specific questions and helping folks find whatever they needed around HQ, Shamane led the gang in some cycling-friendly stretches, and Jason captured the evening on his camera (dive in for even more pics of the evening).
SoCalCross
Dorothy Wong of the SoCal Prestige Series took the stage next to deliver an overview of SoCalCross and what it's like to race in the mud and muck surrounded by a few hundred rowdy, jeering friends and fans. If you haven't ridden your first cross race yet, tis the season! And trust us when we tell you it won't be your last.
LA City
Last, but not least, Naomi Iwasaki took the stage and gave everyone an update and insider perspective from the City's POV. As Mayor Garcetti's Director of Neighborhood Services it was an awesome opportunity to hear about the implementation and effect of street-level programs to improve our communities for the people that call them "home". There's something awesome about knowing the city hears the needs of its people and acts to make the desired improvements. Seriously, the engagement from LA is amazing. If your city's lagging behind, get your butt out here.
Dogs
And what good are highlights if they don't include the best and brightest part of every day, our furry friends? The dogs were out in full force and there were pets aplenty to be had!
All in all it was another amazing experience and we can't wait to do it again. We'll see you here next time.
