If you're new to St. Louis, or if you always go to bed early, you might not know that thousands of people drag their bikes downtown once a year on the Saturday closest to the full moon in August, don dorky helmets (are there any other kind?) and gracefully walk next to their bikes (or straddle their bikes awkwardly while they try to walk, jamming the seat into their butt crack) for a half mile until the herd thins, and then they ride for 17 miles around a city route chosen by St. Louis's Youth Hostel Chapter.This is their big fundraiser, and last night, these 13,000+ dorks paid $25 for the privilege of dodging wobbly youngsters and unbalanced adults for 2+ hours. You can't die without doing it at least once.
This was my 5th Ramble, and the first one to which I brought a camera. You can't see it in that picture, but about 2 yards in front of us, Steve from The Royale was sitting on his bike, wearing a white button down tailored shirt and a driving cap. Sweet.
We were a little disappointed that the route wasn't much different from last year, after we were teased with the opportunity to bike through Lafayette Square, but we dealt with it. It was exceedingly amusing to be cheered on by all the kind folks hanging out in front of their apartments on MLK, Jefferson, Tucker, and Delmar, in an area that not a single one of those white folks in dorky helmets would dare ride through after dark without 13,000 of their friends. The firefighters hung up a massive American flag between ladder trucks across the street at one point on the route. We braved Art Hill, the hill past the stinky, stinky zoo (nothing like mouth breathing through monkey crap vapors, delish), and the hill back up to Market Street from Forest Park, and still we came back for more.
For the third year in a row, we didn't go to the party afterwards, since it was nearly 3:00 a.m. and we parked on Market. No free Sliders for us. Yeah, White Castle sponsors the Ramble. Hi-Larious. But the next time they have the after party at City Museum, we are so there.
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