16/365: Beware of Giving Bikes & Lights to the Ladies

Since high school, I have not been big on Halloween. I went to a few parties in college, but the dressing up stopped around my sophomore year. As an adult, the most I've done is handed out candy or dressed up my wee-ones--until last year. Leave it to the biking community to pull me out of my Halloween duldrums.

Two things happened last in October 2009 to remove me from the Halloween Humbug category: CycloX and Team Rev. See, I had to come up with a costume to wear to the Halloween Bubba race because those in costume got a call-up and I could use every advantage I could get. And then Team Rev had a costume ride. I figured that since I already had masterminded my $10 costume (the cost of my knee socks and scarf!) I should be frugal and get as much use out of it as possible. In the course of those two evenings, something changed. Maybe it was the looks we got as we cruised through the streets of Webster. Maybe it was trying to figure out how to keep my pirate sword on my back as I jumped barriers. Whatever it was, I felt like a kid again.

This year my Halloween preparation started early. (Last year I waited until the Monday before the Wednesday ride to decide on what to wear). As I brainstormed ideas with Steph, it seemed that the Nadeau basement would become my Halloween headquarters, and that I would have different costumes for each event. What could be better!

Tonight was our first big event. This year Team Rev is leading a weekly night ride from the Bottleworks. We decided to pair our costume ride with the night ride and a happy hour all in one. No one can say we don't take full advantage of opportunities. At 6:45, eleven women clicked in and began to pedal. Our evening's itineray was: Maplewood Bicycles, Maplewood Firehouse, The Hub, and Straub's. (If only Big Shark was on that side of Hwy 40!)

We attracted quite a few looks as we pedaled along. After all, it isn't everyday you see a teen mom and a USAC official spinning down Manchester or Big Bend. We were slowed a bit as our soon-to-be mommy had to retrieve her smokes that kept falling from her bra strap. One of the best comments of the night came early as we hopped off our bikes at Maplewood, "Must be a Team Rev ride." Hmmm, wonder what gave us away? Stewart was quite amused by the whole scene and snapped more photos than we did. The firemen didn't quite know how to take us. Ron at the Hub traded beer for candy and the manager at Straub's didn't seem to mind being surround by 11 ladies for a quick photo op.

I couldn't decide on what photo to pick, so I thought I'd share several.

Our trailer trash mommy-to-be on her bike. I'm impressed Steph could ride with her belly. It's even more amusing when you learn that her eyes kept wanting to stick together because I used a little too much glue when putting on her lashes.

Our USAC official. We learned multiple times through the night that we could not cut the course to get to the pit and that hand ups were not allowed during this Halloween ride.

I think Ron was trying to get us DQ'd during our Hub visit. Evidence of the hand ups he handed out--Lucky Buddy-Kate took her own hand up!

Obviously I didn't take this last one, but wanted to include evidence of my costume. As Steph and I talked about what to wear for the cycloX race, I commented that I wished my mtb shoes were red like my race shoes, I would go as Dorothy. The Rev ride gave me the perfect opportunity. And with as windy as it was, I felt like we might end up in Kansas.