RIDGE RIDERS REUNITE

 RIDGE RIDERS REUNITE

Gloria, Kerry, Patty and Tulip, the infamous Ridge Riders of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, reunited over the weekend to attend the 2024 BC Bicycle Exhibition at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre.

The travelling experience to and from turned into a mish mash of public transit missteps going down escalators they didn’t need to go down and ones they didn’t need to go up; platforms with unclear signage; missing a crucial transfer stop and finding a good samaritan named Ping who tried to calm the worried waters giving very clear instructions that were only partially followed, creating more havoc  — and lots of laughs! The Ridge Riders truly are a perfect match for traveling adventures, and this was living proof.

The exhibition itself was huge covering every possible cycling product from e-bikes to trikes, saddle bags to locks, racks, water bottles, pumps, security gadgets, tools, lights, reflectors and, best of all — organized cycling vacation information. The gals have a lot to read and discuss in the weeks ahead.

To add even more humour to the storyline, exhibitions like this always give merchants and sales people an opportunity to give out swag. For the first hour of walking through the various passage ways, the gals were collecting water bottles, tool kits, bandaid kits, pens, pencils, magnets, and more print materials; but, ironically, nobody was giving out swag bags in which all the freebies could be stored. Two happily brought their own, but two didn’t so there was a lot of doubling up and sharing bag space, until suddenly a different section of the exhibition hall had a plethora of booths giving out  bags.

By the time the exhausted Ridge Riders left the hall, their swag bags were carrying swag bags that were carrying more swag bags, in addition to all of the other amassed freebies. Quite frankly it could have been a wonderful scene in This Hour has 22 Minutes turning a fantastic cycling and travel exhibition into a side show of the laughing power of swag!

The Ridge Rider reunion was a great way to open up the cycling season and share the cycling spirit. Let the new adventures and improv comedic experiences begin!