勝利はBOYZおよび他の原料と競争する

BACK TO SCHOOL SVHUFFLE RECAP // R.I.P. FRIEND



The BACK TO SCHOOL SHUFFLE yesterday was great! To be specific - this was a school-themed alley-cat race, that was a bit more than an alley-cat. Keeping with the theme of school, each checkpoint was like a class, wherein you would answer a question - in a difficulty level of your choosing (A-C, A being the hardest) and if you got it right you'd make that grade in that class. The manifests even had little "report cards" where the checkpoint volunteers (teachers) would put your grade. Mikey was the "principle" floating from checkpoint to checkpoint on a scooter, who could, upon exchange for a provided "apple" (it was a paper apple) could change one of your grades to an A. Sort of like sucking up, i suppose.

So this race started in the big grassy lot at Robinson and Bumby. Pete from tampa and I sort of figured we'd follow eachother around (I guess he gets lost easily?) and decided which order we'd hit the checkpoints then planned out a loose route. My first impression of how the race would go was an immediate buildup of lactic acid on my muscles. I sprinted to casselberry and back the night before, then woke up a little hungover from a silly night at hoops singing (no - shouting) karaoke, then played bike polo all morning in the wacky heat. On my side, though was the victory drink luis made me earlier that day. The first checkpoint i hit was science class and the "a" question involved placing velcro names on corresponding bones on an oversized skeletal diagram. I got it pretty quick and after a sketchy curb bunnyhop to the disconnected other parking lot behind target i was on my way.

The rest of the checkpoints were pretty easy too, with the exception of english located near the lake eola amphitheater. During threats of tresspass by a park ranger who didn't like bikes there (or more legally speaking, ridden on the sidewalks there) when I saw the "a" question, an intricate descrambling puzzle, i decided i'd opt for a quicker "b" question which involved composing a haiku. Mine was stupid, but quick:

All cops are bastards
All cops are bastards, today
All cops are bastards.

A.C.A.B.!!

anyways, beyond this was a lot of riding with pete yelling words of encouragement. I was sort of the navigator and in front for a bit, but then once i was tired of the pace, he got in front and made me draft him (2" from his rear tire, no less) while still yelling "you can do it" stuff and - perhaps to mock my, now intense, fatique - sitting up and casually reading his manifest.

At a point i couldn't keep up anymore and told him to go on - we passed again as he left the P.E. checkpoint at Lake Underhill - then it was balls out to the finish - i got there after he did, but before anyone else did.

So the interesting point came up then - grades. A's were given a 5-point value, B's: 10 and so forth. So for the 5 checkpoints - straight A's would give you 25 "points" which were added to your time in minutes. I had 4 A's and a B, and pete had a D in there somewhere from social studies, which on the overall scale put me into the lead.

So after everything the results were:
1st Overall: Ryan Fromdeland (ME!!!!)
2nd Overall: Metha (orlando)
3rd Overall: Sam (st. pete)

1st back: Pete (tampa)

1st Girl Overall: Lily (tampa)
1st Girl back: Andrea (orlando)

Watch Ibikeotown.com and 407fixedgear.com for pics soon!

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On a sadder note, I recieved some terrible news that an old pedicab friend, k.c., had been killed. Apparently, he was driving and was flagged down by a woman in trouble, and when he stopped to help she and a man jumped into his car and held him at gunpoint, somehow, in all this he was shot in the head. All because some stupid bastard wanted his car. It really could've been anyone, and it was k.c., a badass ex-con with a backpiece of his family and a rehabilitated positive attitude about everything. K.C. would never even swear. If you fucked up he'd tell you it was "doo doo" or a "piece of trash" and it was all the same.

You all may have seen him on the streets of downtown orlando, black and mild hanging from his mouth, huge black guy with a shaved head and a big heart. He rode a yellow bike taxi with a stereo system blasting the smoothest R&B ever heard and singing over it all. He always did so much better than any of the rest of us. On a dead tuesday, when everyone made 20 bucks each and paid out 10 of it, he'd come back last with 150 bucks. He was determined to one day "find him a freak up in gainesville," and we all heard about it. There's no words for the pathetic shitfucker that took his life and a little of the life of his family, but if there were, i'd never stop saying them. KC will be missed.
ryan!