Saw this on Fixpert’s blog. Thanks for the laugh.

Interesting, and unexpected. If I were in the market for a car, Kia would now have my attention.

I’m changing my plans for the All City Toy Ride. Instead of riding from the Hollywood location, I’m doing the ride from Griffith Observatory. The Midnight Ridazz forum describes it thusly:

If you’re anything like me, you’re psyched for the All City Toy Ride but were thinking that, ya know, with so many meet ups all around town it is just a little TOO convenient. I mean, there are TWO separate meeting points that are within a mile of my apartment. Where is the fun in that?

Well, we here at The Passage of a Few People Through a Rather Brief Moment in Time feel your pain. And… WE’RE PROBLEM SOLVERS. And so we’ve decided to offer a solution to your problem: we’re leading a ride to the ride starting at GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY. This ride will include: 1) hills; 2) bridges and tunnels; 3) significant off-roading.

So pack a toy in your sack and come take the long, winding route with us to the All City Toy Ride this Friday! (We leave the Observatory at 8pm sharp.)

Now that’s my kind of ride.

30 Century Man from Antony Crook on Vimeo.

No, not really, but a pretty good ringer for the comic protagonist. This looks like it’s a promotional video for the clothing boutique Oi Polloi and their ‘zine The Rig Out. Nice clothes, but too rich for my blood. However, the video does make me want to ride in Norway.

It’s that time of year again. One of my favorite holiday events continue in its fifth year, the Midnight Ridazz All City Toy Ride. This Friday, Los Angeles bicyclers bearing unwrapped toys worth $5-$25 will meet up in locations across the city and join mini-rides that will all converge on the Olvera St. Gazebo in downtown for one giant mass o’ giving that then rides to an after-party. All toys will be donated to The Alliance for Children’s Rights, a local non-profit that provides free legal services and advocacy to protect the rights of impoverished and abused children and youth.

There’s currently twelve locations being organized (maybe even more). Check the Midnight Ridazz event page for a ride location near you, and RSVP on Facebook.

I’ll be there for my fourth year (missed one while I was living in Japan), joining the Hollywood ride that’s going to meet up at HelMel. Last year I loaded the Big Dummy down with gifts and decorated it with Christmas lights. This year, if I have time to throw it together by Friday, I’m thinking a cardboard sleigh on the back of the long bike is in order.

Here’s a few photos from last year:

And because I get a kick out of it every year, here’s a little PSA from the event’s first year in 2006.

Here’s a swell little print if you need a gift idea for a cyclist. These are available in limited quantities and in various sizes and prices from 20×200.

A date has been set for the next CicLAvia, April 10, 2011, with two additional dates for the year under consideration.

The original CicLAvia, held October 10 this year, was a huge success, with an estimated 100,000 participants taking to 7.5 miles of streets shut down to automobile traffic between the Bicycle District (the intersection of Heliotrope and Melrose, not this blog) to Boyle Heights. It was an inspiring event to be a part of, seeing our city lit up with so many smiles and a unified sense of community, and I can’t wait for the April installment. I’m sure local businesses will be looking forward to it as well, as shops and restaurants were packed with all the foot and bike traffic. Now if only Langer’s would make an exception to their normal operating schedule and open up for a special Sunday.

My photos from the October CicLAvia are on Flickr.