What I Learned This Year 2011 #13: Brad Evans

By / December 14, 2011 / Part of the guiding principle of what I am engaged in today began by adhering to the legendary Goethe quote: “Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, to which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.” Coupled with the gigantic turnouts on the Denver Cruiser Ride, I have become the world’s most unlikely bicycle “advocate,” an advocate for fun none-the-less. There was no expectation that we’d have this kind of riding bicycles for fun, or that it would become first child of the social-bicycling phenomenon it is now considered to be. In all reality, nor was it imagined that it would take nearly every waking moment to accomplish this feat. By the time we’d embraced the concept in its entirety, it quickly became clear that we were on to something. As an “outsider” in the bicycle industry, how could we have known that the Denver Cruiser Ride would end up at the nexus of the social-ride movement, which has taken root in communities around the globe? With this in mind, in 2008, we launched the first-of-its-kind publication, Kickstand Magazine, known to our subscribers as “The Owner’s Manual For a Freewheeling Life.” While we only had a basic understanding of the dynamics or demands of what we’d gotten ourselves into – we knew that there was something under the surface that had yet to be uncovered, and as it turns out, we’re still at the bottom of that mine, digging for the treasures buried within. The Denver Cruiser Ride’s maiden voyage was in May of 2005 – it was nothing more than an innocent decision to ride bikes every Wednesday during the summer months in Downtown Denver. This first ride, with a mere 12 friends in tow, it was part bicycle ride, part fun, and part flash mob. Today, folks from all walks of life have a story to tell about it – the good, the bad and the ugly; and the Denver Cruiser Ride has become something of a “live version of Facebook.” What has evolved from a few friends riding bikes together to thousands participating on a weekly basis was something that wasn’t originally imagined or intended. With the evolution of the Denver Cruiser Ride, it has become the “largest organized-weekly ride” of its kind. Right here in Denver, really? I’ve heard this more than 1,000 times: “Denver is the last place on earth that this should be happening.” It’s crazy, don’t you think? What causes me to grin from ear-to-ear is the notion that Denver IS host to this burgeoning social-ride movement. What continues to amaze me is that we have been able to move the CIRCLE OF DEATH’s location from one week to the next, using mostly social media and word-of-mouth; and in doing so, moving a mass of thousands (not an exaggeration) from one location to another without a full-scale, well-planned, and thought-out marketing campaign. It is just plain amazing. If you haven’t seen it, one may find it difficult to believe. Ok, with that being said, this is what I learned in this, the 2011th year of our lord: 1) It is physically impossible to please everyone all the time. This age-old adage is absolutely true. It goes without question that the bitchers will bitch – no matter how you try to reason with them. This has been the single-most frustrating part of organizing the DCR. It was this year that we took on the ‘Fuck’m, if they don’t like it’ mentality. Seriously, if people are gonna bitch about whether or not we are doing this, or that, or in a way that they don’t like – our suggestion to those that complain about it: start your own. 2) People that litter, light off fireworks and do other stupid shit are a major buzz kill. One of the best parts of the Denver Cruiser Ride has always been the aptly named “Circle of Death.” My least favorite part of this summer’s antics were the ass nuggets who seemed to think littering and lighting off mortars in the midst of several thousand people at Civic Center park was a good idea. I’m really not sure what to say about this other than that if this happens in the future, we will find you, have you arrested, and press charges against you for endangering life and limb; if we’re really lucky, if these idiots attempt it again, our only hope is that they’ll end up blowing themselves up instead. 3) Gen Y’ers are fucktards. Repeatedly hearing “don’t tell me what to do,” has brought me to this awful conclusion. Coupled with this is their attitude of entitlement – it has me with a bitter taste about the next generation. Of course this is likely a gross over-generalization; that being said, my take has always been that by being part of a group, it also means that by participating, one has to adhere to some basic rules. What I have to say to those who blatantly disregard the rules of the road: if you don’t like our code of conduct, then don’t ride with us. The Denver Cruiser Ride is NOT Critical Mass; it’s more like a movement of Critical Manners. Dig? 4) Just because you are on a bicycle doesn’t mean that one is above the law. For some reason, when the average person gets on a bike, their ability to determine the difference between good and bad behavior goes out the window. It’s baffling to recount the number of jackasses observed this past summer doing mostly stupid shit. If the DCR were not the size that it has become, they’d never consider acting this way amongst their peers. It’s as if their brains become mush and they have no sense of what is right and wrong. 5) Several thousand bicyclists out for fun – isn’t necessarily a “good” thing. There is a fine line between fun and chaos, and what we learned this year is that crowd management is akin to rocket science. With the right plan and execution, if it works, it works great. On the other hand, one has to be prepared for the pending disaster that ensues, should something go wrong. What became evident this past summer – was what had worked in the past, wasn’t going work any longer – as this event grew by leaps and bounds. 6) Thousands of people dressed in Bubble Wrap, Duct Tape & Cardboard is much more than a “fad.” Those who have participated in, observed or gotten trapped behind this roving bicycle party, will find it difficult to call this a fad. To prove the point: Every year since its inception, the Denver Cruiser Ride has doubled in size. In many ways, this is a game changer, a) because it gets people on bikes that haven’t ridden in years; b) The City of Denver has embraced this weekly happening in ways we could have never imagined. The all-time, best-overheard quote while hosting this weekly mayhem (made by someone who wasn’t part of the ride) asked inquisitively: “Why are all of these people dressed in trash?” 7) He who makes the rules must also attempt to enforce them. Our approach to the Denver Cruiser Ride has always been about it being a fun time for all. Thankfully, we haven’t had to take an iron-fisted approach in order to get people to do the right thing. And hats of to the Denver Police who have been amazingly accommodating to our weekly fun. Anyone who has a beef with the Denver cops, I welcome a debate about their willingness to embrace community policing. As for the bad press they have recently gotten for police brutality; my bet is that the bastards who have gotten beaten, deserved every whack of the billy club they got. 8) Impossible people are, yes, impossible to deal with. Need anything more be said? The primary lesson learned on this subject is to stay away from this type of person – they are soul suckers. 9) Hiding from the media is the best policy. I have been criticized on both sides of this statement – either for saying too much, or not saying enough. I spent the better part of seven years dodging coverage as best as best as possible. My philosophy with the Denver Cruiser Ride has always been “why spoil a good thing with media coverage?” This wasn’t originally launched to make anyone famous, or for that matter, rich. We love to ride bikes, and that’s what we’ve done – week in, week out. 10) What happened to the first two rules? The first two rules of the Denver Cruiser Ride were (yes, stolen from the Fight Club): 1) DON’T TALK ABOUT THE RIDE. 2) DON’T TALK ABOUT THE FUCKING RIDE. Obviously, it’s nearly impossible to not talk about the fun we have had over the past seven summers riding bikes with our friends on a beautiful Wednesday night. It became readily apparent that this fun wasn’t going to last if we didn’t embrace the change that was handed to us. Based on the number of folks who turnout on a weekly basis, it became increasingly apparent that these two “rules” were not being adhered to. Not to mention that when someone has white makeup behind their ears at work on Thursday morning, or are so hung-over that they had to take a nap under their desk during the day – it’s nearly impossible to make excuses to the boss and co-workers what happened the night before. 11) Mother Nature is unwilling to be controlled. The 2011 Denver Cruiser Ride was the RAINIEST ever. There were more rainy nights than the previous six years combined. On the surface, this could have spelled disaster; instead, it minimized the impact of the giant turnouts that we had braced ourselves for last summer. Even with the rain, or the threat of rain, we still had thousands of folks of all stripes riding bikes, in costume, for an evening of fun. What could be better than that? 12) Marketers think this shit happens for free. The truth is that I went a little nutso this summer on a few companies (who will remain nameless). They seemed to be under the impression that they could just show up without asking for permission. The DCR was never conceived as a marketing tool for this product or another. What we did in order to offset the enormous costs of hosting this free weekly party was to seek out like-minded companies/brands that understood the value of connecting with our participants; equally important to our mission, they understood that blatant marketing was NOT ACCEPTABLE to this audience. We have a great thing going, and there is/was NO WAY IN HELL that we would ruin it by allowing logos to be plastered all over the event. 13) The real “sell outs” are those that sit a cubicle – hating what they do, and waiting for the clock to strike 5pm. As with the quote noted above, doing something you love, or are passionate about – is the basic recipe for success. It’s not an easy task to pull off a 20-week party without expense. However, the event remains free for participants, and more often than not, for some this isn’t enough. Organizing the Denver Cruiser Ride is a heck of a lot of work. By design, the appearance is that all we do is “ride bikes and drink beer.” When it comes down to brass tacks, nothing could be further from the truth. I’m not sure I could imagine having a better “job” than this (ok, getting paid might not be a bad thing to want either). To those who accuse us of being “corporate sell-outs,” what I recommend instead is to focus their attention on quitting their stupid jobs, and find a way to follow their dreams too. This simple advice, taken seriously, could easily make the world a better place. And it would have the benefit of saving their friends (and me) from having to listen to their griping about how much everything sucks. 14) Growing organically is the best way to grow. This is not a reference about growing medical marijuana. Instead, it’s about the year-to-year growth of the Denver Cruiser Ride. This has been accomplished without anything that might be considered traditional marketing. We NEVER advertised it, nor was it EVER openly marketed – instead it grew by word of mouth… and it continued to grow, and grow, and grow. To the un-affiliated bystander, the impression is that this is an “overnight success.” The reality is that no good idea has ever manifested itself without determination and hard work. Going from the conceptual, to the real takes commitment, as well as giving everything one has (and then some) to bring that dream to fruition. This overnight success myth has killed a million great ideas. When all is said and done, the fact remains that if you believe in what you are doing, and one can have fun doing it, then success is the happy by-product of the effort applied. One thing to keep in mind: Anything worth pursuing is never as easy as it appears at first glance; if it were, someone else would have already done it. My closing suggestion to those thinking about doing something extraordinary: Take the leap and dream big!