BicycleSPACE Kingman Island Luau Ride and Party: A Full Moon Outing

[rcannon100]

This looks fun!

QUOTE

The Full Moon will be out this week and we are excited to announce another Full Moon Outing--one of a series of rides and picnics we have been hosting this summer.
And this time, the torches are lit, the theme is set... and we're having a luau you won't soon forget! Dress code is Tacky Tourist (go ahead, show us your worst!) Put on your craziest Hawaiian shirts and shades or otherwise colorful get-ups and join us for a "Lei'd Back " Luau Ride and Party!
Upon arriving at the shop, all participants will be given flower necklaces and glow sticks. Thus outfitted, we will ride through the city happily making our way to Kingman Island, a tranquil hideaway on the Anacostia River. There we will be treated to private use of the open space to take in the casual island atmosphere and enjoy simple pleasures on a calm night.
Also at the party, we will provide drinks to help you cool off and there will be food options available for purchase from local food trucks (to be announced soon). But, you might consider bringing your own snacks and libations as well as a blanket to spread out. Do you have a rack or basket to carry things on your bike?
Please RSVP to our facebook invite and register here for the ride so that we can know how many people are coming. And, if you are willing to help set up the party or serve as a marshal along the ride route, kindly send a message to volunteer@bicyclespacedc.com.
After registering, stay tuned for final important details to be sent by email. More entertaining surprises are being arranged...
This promises to be a special event!
**Just Confirmed-- We will have a Hula Dancer from Aloha Island Revue (https://www.facebook.com/AlohaIslandRevue) performing and offering lessons. ***

[TwoWheelsDC]

Did this last year and was able to ride with some folks I knew, so it was fun. This was actually the ride that made me realize I'm not a big fan of social rides through the city though, but YMMV. My only real complaint is that the "local food trucks" turned out to be a single food truck, which I think served ice cream....so play it safe and eat before the ride!

http://app.strava.com/activities/16361745

[baiskeli]

The site says the event has already ended, which apparently means that tickets are sold out.

[FFX_Hinterlands]

The site says the event has already ended, which apparently means that tickets are sold out.

That's the link to last year's event. Here's the correct link:

http://kingmanislandluau2013-es2.eventbrite.com/?rank=3

[mello yello]

I've convinced my wife to come out to this with me. Anyone else coming? It'd be nice to meet forum members, but will be hard to pick you out.

[fuzzy]

Was it fun? I had to work & missed it

[mello yello]

It was... interesting. I didn't quite realize the logistics of riding in a group like that. It reminded me of the time I did the 5 boroughs bike tour in NYC - which was a one-time thing because of the crowds and not being able to actually ride your bike.

MPD had probably 10 or so bike officers out who rode with us... in the beginning they even helped cork intersections and waved us through, which helped a little bit with the flow of the event. There were still lots of clogs and a few very novice bicyclists who couldn't get going, which cascades pretty quickly - but they were being helped by neighbors. After probably 15 minutes of being helped by the bike officers, they got a call from their Lieutenant, and we had to stop at all the reds. They had some squad cars out along the route and kept repeating over the PA "Stop at the red lights, please!". Once that started it broke up into smaller groups of about 30 or so people, more manageable, but easier to get lost - I think our group ended up taking a route different from the one published. We should have accessed Kingman Island through the parking lots and avoided Benning Road completely, but with the route confusion at least some groups came down Benning past the parking lot curb cut, and then had to stop (there is construction / 1 lane / no curb cuts) in the street to hop onto the sidewalk. There was an incident that drew fire/rescue, but it looked like a disabled car and unrelated to the ride?

I ran into an old co-worker and an old friend, Peter Lee, who helps out at BicycleSPACE occasionally. I saw someone with a BA jersey on standing next to a tandem, but by the time I finished locking up I didn't see them anymore.

The hula dancing was pretty hot - literally... it was still upper 80s and felt like upper 90s by the time we left at 11p. Didn't stay for the fire twirling or whatever, but we had to move my sister-in-law to Va Beach the next day.