I finally rode this ride 2 years ago.
Here are some observations that might be useful in planning your
participation.

-It's disappointingly easy to start in the official start with the wave,
unregistered. I would strongly suggest the marauders pick a meeting
place and then try to start in the throng with the waves, which go by
color (or pick a color and announce it on list)*
-The finish area is not much fun without a wristband
-The event in general is not much fun-- the crowd is predominantly
roof-rackers in bike clothes-- most look like they're from Naperville or
Glenn Ellyn or someplace like that
-The ride is fairly fast-- if you don't keep 15 MPH you're probably
going to get passed the entire time
-it's not a terribly friendly or talkative crowd-- if there is much in
the way of interaction, it's at the rest stop, which will be off-limits
without a wrist band.

-The route is, exactly:
<The route will take cyclists through beautiful Chicago under the stars!
You’ll begin at Buckingham Fountain. Then you’ll head south on Columbus
Drive, west on Roosevelt Road to Halsted Street, north on Halsted
through Greek Town to Milwaukee Avenue, then Elston Avenue northwest,
Pulaski Avenue north, west on Foster Avenue and then south along the
beautiful lakefront bicycle path!>


My suggestion, for the greatest likelihood of some amount of fun, would
be to meet somewhere near Foster and the Lakefront and ride the route
backwards (the text above, copied from the official site, is wrong-- the
ride goes =east= on Foster). If, at some point, you find that you've got
beyond the last riders, you can always turn around and try to catch the
tail.

Do with these suggestions as you will... I'm in the middle of an
all-consuming bathroom remodel with a looming deadline and can't give up
this sort of time.

Yours,
Howard



*crashing the actual start may be the closest thing to a thrill you have
all evening

Ryan Berg wrote:
>
>
> I’m up for it. I have no qualms about crashing a ride that charges
> volunteer course marshals. Seriously, /paying/ to /volunteer/? WTF?
>
>
>
> I’m surprised they don’t require the police to pay too.
>
>
>
> -Ryan
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> *From:* midnight_marauders@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:midnight_marauders@yahoogroups.com] *On Behalf Of *martin_hazard
> *Sent:* Friday, July 11, 2008 2:37 AM
> *To:* midnight_marauders@yahoogroups.com
> *Subject:* [Midnight Marauders] Late ride
>
>
>
> I am down to crash the ride. I will bring my trailer with a cooler if
> I can find one that will fit. Mabey a Maruders flag should be
> campaigned? I am a fucking charity ride. I am shure there will be
> plenty marauders, more than enough to make ourselves a niusance, I
> mean a presence.
> Martin
>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> do you have any plans to crash the LATE ride saturday? i haven't
> heard
>> back from anyone. i may shoot another e-mail (also addressing the
>> issue of crashing a charity ride, which may be holding some
> back?)...
>>
>> ideally at least ONE other marauder would come, so i can make signs
>> advertising us! i want to share our chicagomidnightmarauders.org
> URL,
>> and also something like, "free night rides every month!" but that
> is a
>> little excessive for ONE sign on a single bag. hmm?
>>
>> lauren
>>
>
>