There were some concerns last week that Bike Kill, the Black Label Bike Club’s annual block party/festival of debauchery, might not happen this year. Officials had rejected their permit request for the usual spot in Bed-Stuy, on the dead end behind the Home Depot parking lot. At the last minute, though, the club secured a block on Gardner Street just off Flatbush in Bushwick, and man was it ON.
All the usual Bike Kill craziness was in full effect on Saturday afternoon and into the evening: insane homemade Frankenbikes, many of which were ridden to their death (the genius Tall CitiBike managed to survive, mostly).
There were many, many, many beers and other forms of adult fun: menacing costumes, food fights (FYI photographers are favorite targets), loud music, scary smash-ups, sexy people, and a tall-bike jousting tournament to end the day.
The new location worked out great, too, with only the occasional Jefftown bruncher or street-art tourist wandering into the fray. And, bonus, unlike last year when the event was shut down two hours early, not a single NYPD officer made an appearance in the four-plus hours I was there.
It’ll be interesting to see where next year’s 12th Anniversary goes down. Till then, click through the slideshow for a look at this year’s antics.