And also-- you may want to join forces with the Rat Patrol :-) :
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=30171

And also-
Here's what the site says about registration demographics:

Method of Registration for McDonald's L.A.T.E. Ride 2007
Internet: 63%
In-Person Packet Pick-Ups: 17%
Night-of-ride: 12%
U.S. Mail: 8%

"Unregistered" didn't even get a percentage point! What an outrage!
Go Marauders!

Howard



hnk wrote:
> 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
>>>
>>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> ------------------------------
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