May DRAFT LA: Pure Fun

May 12, 2018

May DRAFT LA: Pure Fun

DRAFT is an occasional meet-up envisioned by People for Bikes as a means of bringing community together to share conversation, enjoy local craft beer and, as was the case last night, savory tacos. As have past events, the Los Angeles area DRAFT gathering was, again, hosted by Pure Cycles at their worldwide headquarters complex in Burbank.

Someone must put a little money up front since everyone in attendance is treated to two beers from Golden Road and two tacos from... (sorry now that I didn't pick up a card to give him credit). That right there is quite a lot of incentive to show up, but in the grand scheme of things the food and beverages are perks, extras that keep the ball rolling. The meeting of others from the cycling community, others with a wide range of backgrounds, and the free exchange of conversation that ensues is the real purpose: "Bicycles are a social tool. They break down barriers." From that point the proceedings get a little more formal with greetings, thank-you's, and announcements by anyone with something relevant to say; for instance last nights announcements included a call to action for the upcoming #CrashCityHall, organized by Ted Rogers of BikingInLA. Capping off the evening are short presentations by a series of speakers - last night Wendy Engelberg (founder of Girlz Gone Riding), Dave Snyder (Executive Director of the California Bicycle Coalition), and Angus Morton (former professional racer-turned filmmaker) - sharing information about their organizations, events, trends, and projects.

While I have a passing familiarity with the first two speakers and their organizations, and without taking away from the importance of their messages, I was particularly interested in the presentation by Angus Morton which included a trailer from his film Thereabouts #1, documenting a trip across Australia, made by the two racing brothers Angus and Lachlan Morton. The film looks quite interesting from numerous perspectives and, when I find a good block of time, will settle in to watch the whole thing. Check it out (as well as other trips filmed in Colorado / Utah, and Colombia) at Thereabouts.

It was good to see some familiar faces, including Zachary, CiclaValley, (and communications coordinator at LACBC), and Karen, the creator behind Bikie Girl Bloomers, and a whole lot of new faces. All in all the DRAFT LA is a terrific way to spend a Friday evening, sharing with organizers and activists, trend-setters and industry insiders, average Joe's and Josephine's, all brought together by the bike. As Angus Morton said, "bicycles are social tools."

Big thanks to People for Bikes, Pure Cycles, and everyone who came out to make it happen. Here's to looking forward to the next one. Cheers. Incidentally, most of the better photos are here, but all photos are in an album at Claremont Cyclist on Facebook. I apologize for the darkness of them (I really need to invest in a good indoor lens, and have needed to for some time).