Wednesday was a perfect night for the West Palm Beach Freakbike Militia’s ChopperNite 31, also known as Robot Nite. It was cool without being chilly and the winds were calm.
Even better than that, everybody was in a good mood. One of the first cars I passed had a woman in it who was laughing, pointing and waving.
“Corkies” contribute to good vibes
The “corkies” who ride ahead to “cork” or block intersections also said they got good vibes from the motorists they were holding back. They’re getting better at this every ride. By dressing in reflective vests, looking semi-official and acting like they know what they’re doing, drivers assume that the ChopperNite must be some kind of officially sanctioned ride. How little they know.
Fountain area cleaner than before
TIII, the fellow on the cargo bike leading the group in the video said he and some volunteers stuck around after the main group headed out to make sure the Clematis Fountain area was cleaner than when the group arrived.
44-min ride reduced to just under 8 mins
I’m a little light on still photos this ride because I was concentrating on shooting video with one camera mounted on the bars and one mounted facing to the rear from the rack. You’ll hear me say that one shoots biker butts; the other, biker faces. Next ride I’ll try to move around more to get a larger selection of riders.
I didn’t know until I edited the film that I had captured a crash at about the two-minute mark. You can hear someone say, “She’s good!” so I hope all the rider got was a little road rash and a red face from embarrassment.
Robot Nite Photo Gallery
Click on any photo to make it larger, then click on the left or right side of the image to move through the gallery. If you’d like to see past photos and videos from other ChopperNites, follow the links on my promo page.
Thanks for the coverage Ken!
One of the reasons Choppernite is as good as it is, is it’s always getting a little better. I appreciate the excellent feedback I get from you.
I’m glad your with us.
TIII
Great page! Looksa like you guys once again had a blast!
LOL> This is just so cool. Great video Ken.
Saw you guys ride by when I was getting my haircut. Great group. You put a smile on many a face as you cruise by
You got it.
ChopperNites aren’t about racing; they aren’t about getting in anybody’s face to make a point; they’re about putting smiles on faces.
It’s a message that’s too often forgotten: riding a bike is FUN.
It also shows that bikes and cars can coexist if everybody shows a little patience.
I love it when you cruise through an intersection with bike bells ringing, bike horns beep-beeping, waving like crazy and seeing folks in their steel chariots laughing, pulling out their cameras and waving back.
You wonder how many folks go home and say, “Hey, Maude, I was sitting there getting a haircut when I saw the craziest thing.”