Cycle
“HAPPY THURSDAY!” A concerningly large group of cyclists shout at you as they pass by, swallowing up the street in Salt Lake City, Utah on any given Thursday night.
The Nine-by-Nine, or “Nine” as locals refer to it, is an underground bicycle rally that suddenly appears at the intersection of 900 East and 900 South at 9 p.m. on Thursday nights. It is outrageously fun.
No one knows exactly how the Nine came to be, but the rumor is that not too long ago a group of friendly people with bicycles started meeting at 9th and 9th to drink and bicycle around town. Although it was small at first, the Nine has become increasingly popular and will now often host up to several hundred people – all on bikes. The purpose? Bike around the beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah and have a good time.
Picture a colossal party on bikes with several hundred drunk people from all walks of life completely taking over the streets of Salt Lake City. In the summer, the energy is high and the music is loud.
One of the best parts about riding the Nine apart from fireworks and the utter chaos that you are contributing to—is seeing the city. Every week it goes somewhere different. It is an excellent way to explore the city in a fun atmosphere and to meet new people.
On the Nine, you ride for a bit, then you stop somewhere to drink and party, and then you ride somewhere else. Then you repeat these steps with a stop or two at a gas station along the way for more beer. It’s not rare to ride The Nine all night long and find yourself dazed and confused in an unfamiliar part of town wondering how on earth you got there and which way home is.
In Salt Lake City, Thursday nights are something to look forward to. I’d even go as far as to say it’s the best night of the week. For apparent reasons.
So the next time you find yourself in this beautiful city by the lake on a cool summer night with nothing better to do, grab yourself a bike. Then, ride on over to where all the ruckus is going on over on 9th and 9th. You’ll be greeted by some of the friendliest weirdos this town has to offer, and in store for a nice little bike ride. Happy Thursday!
