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This newsletter is on line at http://www.BikeRoute.com/MayorFestNews/3-31-03.html
A) Jim Redd to create NBG Fest web!!
B) Jeff Stephens firing up Columbus
C) Car Free David Huggins-Daines Ramping up for Indy to Columbus
D) How to Become a Rider for us this summer!
E) 2003 Relay Riders: Please fill out Ride Waiver
F) Fest exhibitor Calfee Design sez new Carbon Fiber Bent will be at Fest
G) Speed Record Holder, Fast Freddy Markham, to be at Santa Cruz NBG Bike Fest
H) Jeff Longtin of Cycological to ride St Paul to Des Moines
I) World's First Bicycle Restaurant to Welcome 5/30 Chicago riders
J) Jonathan Baty of Bikecommuter.com to put Free Cycles video online!!
K) Spontaneous meeting with Bike Church about Bike Pit
L) Santa Cruz Bike Church now open on Friday from 3 to 7 PM!!
M) UCSC Bike CoOp Likely to Help with Build a Recycled Bike at Fest
N) Terra Nova Eco Landscape to be at Fest
O) S&B to be at Fest -- take a chance at winning their bike!!
P) In case you missed it news (from 1/03):
1) Longbikes Sponsors NBG Relay Link
2) Western Pennsylvania Field Institute sets lead for Pittsburgh
3) Ro Fischer, Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy's chief aide powering away
4) Aircraft mechanic and her 13 year old daughter to ride DC to Pitt
Q) Congresman Eyes Tax Breaks for Cyclists
R) Jim Redd, the man who had the internet community in stitches last summer with these Pocket Mail
reports: <http://www.cyclechicago.org/pocketmail/displaypocketmail.php?emailid=26 &tripid=1>,
didn't tell us that he was a no limits guy. Besides the work he is astonishing web wizards, Jody
Fitch and Andrew Morton, with at NationalBicycleGreenway.com , and the Chicago Critical Mass
(CCM) movement http://chicagocriticalmass.org of which he is one of the drivers building it into
a major force to be reckoned with, and the bike restaurant (talked about below) that he has an
interest in and the killer web site he maintains for both it and the CCM as well as the excellent
web he built for Rapid Transit bike shop at <http://rapidtransitcycles.com>, Jim agreed to do the
web site for this year's August 17 Santa Cruz NBG Bike Fest! Because all of his webs are all so
clean and establish a lot of authority for the vendor or service in question, I am excited to be
able to say that he has agreed to do this for us! WoW!! If that doesn't make your head spin,
either you're not paying attention, or maybe we need to hear from you as well!!
S) Jeff 'Bubba' Stephens, (here is what we said about RAAM racer Jeff in our 3/17 newsletter
http://www.BikeRoute.com/MayorFestNews/3-17-03.html#Anchor-Just-51540) and I spoke on the phone
last week. And this guy, as well, is another dragon slayer of the highest order. As a bike season
opener (the weather has kept a lot of Columbus indoors this winter), he'll be riding in a 24 hour
race here in the next couple of weeks. And as he ramps up for that as well as for our ride from
Pittsburgh, he'll also be busy plugging the city of Columbus into our ride. Because he sees the
National Bicycle Greenway as a rallying point (better places to ride a bike) around which he can
encourage all the different cycling factions in the Columbus area to come together, he wants to
also build a rapport with the local decision makers out his way.
And talk about connected! Jeff already has friends all throughout the area giving him input on the
roads he will need to use to bike both to and from Pittsburgh (he did confirm that he's going both
ways)! As well he plans to get a bunch of his cycle friends to join him when he rides him into city
hall when he does arrive on Friday May 16. He even thinks he can locate an NBG friendly business
that will agree to serve as a staging area for all of this excitement! And yet, as testimony to the
size of this guy's heart, Jeff told me that if we don't soon get a Columbus to Pittsburgh rider he
may take that link instead.
T) 25 year old, Car Free zealot, David Huggins-Daines, is unfazed by all of the attention that Jeff
is bringing to the ride link that he also plans to do. In fact David knows this route so well
that he corrected us on the mileage for it. By bike it's not 186 miles as we had reported but 210
miles. I put he and Jeff in touch with one another and will keep you appraised of any new
developments there!
U) Far more than coding a new cutting edge web page for the nonprofit National Bicycle Greenway,
Jody Fitch keeps helping us answer questions before they get asked. Since I am so close to this
effort, it seems obvious to me that if someone wanted to be a rider, all that they would have to
do is fill out our questionnaire. But what questions will they have needed to ask before they
reached that point? How would they know what is expected of them and etc? Well Jody suggested
that I spell all of that out for rider prospects at the new site, NationalBicycleGreenway.com,
that we are building. Here is a draft that endeavors to meet this need:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Become a Rider
If you want to make history with us in shepherding the mayoral proclamations we will have collected
between Washington DC and San Francisco (example the 2002 DC Mayor's Proclamation
<http://www.bikeroute.com/DCDecreeeSm.jpg>) you should be in excellent health, self-reliant, and
have some previous bicycle touring experience. We will happily advise and assist you in selecting
appropriate gear and routing for your ride. If we accept you, the ride is free of charge and yet
since there is no sag vehicle or other on the road support (however, we can oftentimes satisfy any
Pocket Mail <http://www.pocketmail.com> requests you may have from the on-line bicycle community) ,
you will be expected to pay for your own food and lodging.
You or one person from your group (should you become a part of one) will be expected to stay in
daily contact with us with the Pocket Mailer that will be assigned to each link.
Here's how you can join us:
- Choose a relay link (avg 300 miles) at our schedule <
http://www.bikeroute.com/NationalMayorsRide >
- Read what our last year's riders did <http://www.bikeroute.com/NatRelayRide2002.html> and in
particular read Jim Redd's fun Chicago to Des Moines account
<http://www.cyclechicago.org/pocketmail/displaypocketmail.php?emailid=26 &tripid=1>
- At our schedule contact the riders you see listed there for the link you are interested in. If no
one is listed your sign up will likely prime the pump empowering others to follow suit.
- If all this looks like fun, fill out our Questionnaire
<http://www.bikeroute.com/RiderQuestionnaire.html>. Be informed that unless you request
otherwise, your application, if we accept it will become a public document, less your physical
address and phone (your e-mail will be published so prospective and accepted riders can exchange
with you), of course!!
- At which point, we will also need you to send us a photo of yourself along with the completed
waiver noted at: http://www.BikeRoute.com/NBG2000/Waiver.html . And we welcome you in advance!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
E) In addition to suggesting a lot of the content for the above, as you can see, Jody has suggested
that we language in some kind of warning text. Well once again because I am so close to the fires
we are burning here, I forgot about the Ride Waiver we had worked up for our Cycle America 2000
campaign to Washington DC <http://www.bikeroute.com/CycleAmerica2000/2000Report.html>. And we
need to get it filled out. If you are already signed up, can you please take a moment to read,
print, sign and send the form at: http://www.BikeRoute.com/NBG2000/Waiver.html .
F) One of last year's Santa Cruz NBG Bike Fest exhibitors, Calfee Design
<http://www.calfeedesign.com>, will be back bigger and more newsworthy than ever. By the time
they arrive, they will be there with the world's first production Carbon Fiber recumbent! This
incredible machine, which I will have more to say about when I get a look at it (it sounds
incredible), hopefully this week, is designed by Fast Freddy Markham, the first human to top 65
miles an hour on a bicycle and the veteran of innumerable other speed successes
G) In case it still needs to be said, Fast Freddy Markham will be at the Calfee booth on August 17
answering questions about the new two wheel rocket ship he has been the chief designer for!! And
here is a great article that our local paper did about Freddy and his daughter Tanya (also a
racer) a couple of years ago:
http://www.santa-cruz.com/archive/2001/December/08/sport/stories/01sport. htm
H) Jeff Longtin of Cycological Recumbent Bicycles <http://www.cyclogicalrecumbents.com>, sounded in
last week. And not only is his shop sponsoring the St Paul to Des Moines spur that has earned the
hands on involvement of Mr Congressional Bicycle, James Oberstar (St. Paul, Minnesota is
Oberstar's district), but Jeff tells us that he is going to ride all 242 miles as well. And he
welcomes other riders to join him. If you want to ask Jeff questions about this relay link:
[email protected]
I) As if all he is doing for the NBG is not enough as per how we opened this newsletter, Jim Redd
also felt compelled to offer free food and drink to relay riders arriving from Indianapolis. So
if you've thought about joining Jerome Hediger of Wicks Aircraft in riding from Indianapolis to
Chicago, this is one more reason to do so!
Because if you take Jim up on his offer to be fed at his restaurant, The Handlebar Bar & Grill
<http://www.handlebarchicago.com>, your spirit will also be nourished. The first of its kind, at
least that I've ever heard of, The Handlebar, is a restaurant that speaks to the needs of the hungry
cyclist on many levels. I mean have you ever been to a restaurant that, on its web, lists out bike
advocacy sites and has on its opening page the famous WWII words "True Patriots Don't Burn Oil - Do
your part!" I mean they've even got Messenger Mondays and Wednesday music nites are called
U-Lock-Rock!! Even their food offerings look appetizing as well as reasonably priced! WoW!!
J) Jonathan Baty of http://bikecommuter.com shot us an e-mail after he read about our need for a
host for the Free Cycles video that we talked about last week as per:
<http://www.BikeRoute.com/MayorFestNews/3-24-03.html#Anchor-Found-47857>. He told us he'd be
happy to host all 65 megs worth of this important story of how we can turn our old bike parts
into other people's treasure. I sent him the CD on Friday and will let you know as soon as he
gets it up!! Thank you Jonathan!!
K) Saw Charles Hannah out on the wharf on Saturday. As per this photo
<http://www.bikeroute.com/NBGPix/TrikeSignWharfTaxi.jpg>, he and I always seem to have important
exchanges out on our Municipal Pier (called a wharf for some reason). We talked about the Bike
pit idea he'd already caught wind of. And it was good that we spoke. On the casual basis that we
discussed this, he pointed out that any meeting I would be doing with anyone else would still
have to come thru him because the Bike Pit is what his Bike Church
<http://www.santacruzhub.org/bikechurchfrm.html>, does on a somewhat regular basis.
Charles reinforced the notion that because he regularly sees how building a bike with used parts can
still be a very intimidating experience for many, that in the days before the event we will have to
have kits already set up for what we suggest can then become a complete bike. There were a lot of
other things we touched on before he recommended that I get with him soon to work out more of the
details! I'll keep you posted!!
L) The Santa Cruz Bike Church <http://www.santacruzhub.org/bikechurchfrm.html> is now open on Friday
evenings. What this means is that you now can use their bike stand and tools and have access to
their wealth of used parts (they even sell often replaced bike parts at very good prices) and
experienced mechanics five days a week, Monday thru Friday from 3 to 7 PM. And you can have all
this all for 5 bux a visit or 20 bux a month or 40 a year or 100 for a lifetime. Behind the
downtown fire department and the Santa Cruz Civic, their address is 224 WALNUT. If you want to
call them to make a donation or fix your bike: (831) 425-BIKE. Or you can just drop in!!
M) Earlier in the week, I had already spoken with, Spencer Wright, one of the Co Op owners at the
UCSC Bike Co Op. And because they are interested in doing more outreach work, they are also
interested (Spencer sounded psyched) in maybe supplying us with bike stands and mechanics for the
Bike Pit! Indeed it feels like the Bike Pit is starting to collect some momentum!! Yahooo!!
N) Ken Foster, the man behind the world's first (if not only) bicycle based landscape business,
Terra Nova Eco Landscape <http://TerraNovaEcoLandscape.com>, stopped by the NBG office last week.
He had wanted info about our 2nd annual Santa Cruz NBG Bike Fest. Satisfied that last year's
event produced for him, he'll be back come August 17!!
O) Jack Baker of S&B Recumbent also tell us he'll be back! In case you missed it, we are raffling
off one of his bikes as per http://www.BikeRoute.com/MayorFestNews/3-03-03.html#Anchor-47857 at
this page:
http://www.bikeroute.com/NationalMayorsRide/S-BMalibuDrawing.html
Please, if you can, do take the time to take a chance at winning on of these kewl bikes!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
P) In case you missed it, here is news from January that preceded the more formal newsletters that
began on March 3rd. Where applicable I've updated what you see below:
1) Longbikes http://tandembike.com, the upstart recumbent and upright tandem maker from Colorado is
ramping up for an exciting 2003. Forced off to the drawing boards by a post 9-11 economy, they
have not only streamlined their production process but have so fine tuned their flagship model,
the Slipstream, that that they want everyone to know about it. And in fact, they so much want our
2003 National Mayor's Relay Ride cyclists to know about it, that they are sponsoring the Boulder
to Salt Lake City link at: http://www.bikeroute.com/NationalMayorsRide
I know, for example, having biked across the US on an under the seat steered Via long wheel base
(lwb) recumbent (no longer in production), that indeed I would have lusted for the opportunity to do
so on the Slipstream had it existed in 1986. The many tens of thousands of miles I've logged in the
lwb, under the seat steered configuration (I've also ridden innumerable miles on an Avatar, a Ryan,
and famed "Bicycling" editor, Jim Langley's homebuilt lwb) seem to be telling me that this could
very well be one of the most comfortable long distance machines on the planet.
2) The Longbikes people have signed on to a movement that is fast becoming the talk of the East
Coast. Already, thanks to the resources, excitement and expertise of the Western Pennsylvania
Field Institute http://wpfi.org, the DC to Pittsburgh relay link is fast filling up. So much so,
in fact, that Michael Sobkowiak, is already researching the service capacities for the towns
along the way. He is even thinking about assigning different nightly stops for our relay
cyclists that make this connection so that enough water, lodging and food can be made available
for all of them.
3) Fired up about Greenways, the Pittsburgh people, also with the powerful guidance of Mayor Tom
Murphy's chief aide, Ro Fischer, are even looking into a park or other large public gathering
area as a place to receive all the riders and community excitement they anticipate.
Even tho WPFI has not been on the front burner of late (they plan to return their full attention
to our ride during the month of April), Ro Fischer has still been busy. In addition to the great
editing help we are getting from her for our extremely professional web ay
NationalBicycleGreenway.com due soon to be released, she also plans to make contact with the
Normal, IL mayor who owns a bike shop that we talked about in here last week as per
<http://www.BikeRoute.com/MayorFestNews/3-24-03.html#Anchor-14210>. Because Ro, a powerhouse
filled with love, wants to out do what they did for us last year
<http://www.bikeroute.com/SCNBGFest/PittsburghRecep.html>, she wants to help us get some recumbent
bicycles out for the gala event she is planning with the WPFI people. She tells us that Pittsburgh
people don't get to see recumbents all that much and had wanted me to get her some contacts for
people out her way that ride the reclining bikes we feature at:
<http://www.bikeroute.com/Recumbents>. Well they are in for a treat. Beth Boose will be arriving
on an Easy Racer <http://www.easyracers.com> recumbent bicycle. Here is what we said about Beth
last January:
4) Beth Boose, a former aircraft mechanic and her 13 year old daughter plan to continue on across
the US after they complete the DC to Pittsburgh link. After an aborted 2001 TransAm effort that
can be found at http://www.geocities.com/gebuh, Beth just does not know the word quit.
And here now on Friday, I just heard from Beth and she said that she'll, no doubt, be there come May
2 when we leave Washington DC!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q) Earl Blumenauer Eyes Tax Breaks for Cyclists:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20030323/ap_on_go_co/ pedal_paradox&e=1
--
M A R T I N K R I E G : "Awake Again" Author Bent Since '83, Car Free Since '89, Attacking with
Love Coma, Paralysis, Clinical Death Survivor '79 & '86 TransAm Vet - Invites
you to: http://www.BikeRoute.com/SCNBGFest N A T I O N A L B I C Y C L E G R E E N W A Y
A) Jim Redd to create NBG Fest web!!
B) Jeff Stephens firing up Columbus
C) Car Free David Huggins-Daines Ramping up for Indy to Columbus
D) How to Become a Rider for us this summer!
E) 2003 Relay Riders: Please fill out Ride Waiver
F) Fest exhibitor Calfee Design sez new Carbon Fiber Bent will be at Fest
G) Speed Record Holder, Fast Freddy Markham, to be at Santa Cruz NBG Bike Fest
H) Jeff Longtin of Cycological to ride St Paul to Des Moines
I) World's First Bicycle Restaurant to Welcome 5/30 Chicago riders
J) Jonathan Baty of Bikecommuter.com to put Free Cycles video online!!
K) Spontaneous meeting with Bike Church about Bike Pit
L) Santa Cruz Bike Church now open on Friday from 3 to 7 PM!!
M) UCSC Bike CoOp Likely to Help with Build a Recycled Bike at Fest
N) Terra Nova Eco Landscape to be at Fest
O) S&B to be at Fest -- take a chance at winning their bike!!
P) In case you missed it news (from 1/03):
1) Longbikes Sponsors NBG Relay Link
2) Western Pennsylvania Field Institute sets lead for Pittsburgh
3) Ro Fischer, Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy's chief aide powering away
4) Aircraft mechanic and her 13 year old daughter to ride DC to Pitt
Q) Congresman Eyes Tax Breaks for Cyclists
R) Jim Redd, the man who had the internet community in stitches last summer with these Pocket Mail
reports: <http://www.cyclechicago.org/pocketmail/displaypocketmail.php?emailid=26 &tripid=1>,
didn't tell us that he was a no limits guy. Besides the work he is astonishing web wizards, Jody
Fitch and Andrew Morton, with at NationalBicycleGreenway.com , and the Chicago Critical Mass
(CCM) movement http://chicagocriticalmass.org of which he is one of the drivers building it into
a major force to be reckoned with, and the bike restaurant (talked about below) that he has an
interest in and the killer web site he maintains for both it and the CCM as well as the excellent
web he built for Rapid Transit bike shop at <http://rapidtransitcycles.com>, Jim agreed to do the
web site for this year's August 17 Santa Cruz NBG Bike Fest! Because all of his webs are all so
clean and establish a lot of authority for the vendor or service in question, I am excited to be
able to say that he has agreed to do this for us! WoW!! If that doesn't make your head spin,
either you're not paying attention, or maybe we need to hear from you as well!!
S) Jeff 'Bubba' Stephens, (here is what we said about RAAM racer Jeff in our 3/17 newsletter
http://www.BikeRoute.com/MayorFestNews/3-17-03.html#Anchor-Just-51540) and I spoke on the phone
last week. And this guy, as well, is another dragon slayer of the highest order. As a bike season
opener (the weather has kept a lot of Columbus indoors this winter), he'll be riding in a 24 hour
race here in the next couple of weeks. And as he ramps up for that as well as for our ride from
Pittsburgh, he'll also be busy plugging the city of Columbus into our ride. Because he sees the
National Bicycle Greenway as a rallying point (better places to ride a bike) around which he can
encourage all the different cycling factions in the Columbus area to come together, he wants to
also build a rapport with the local decision makers out his way.
And talk about connected! Jeff already has friends all throughout the area giving him input on the
roads he will need to use to bike both to and from Pittsburgh (he did confirm that he's going both
ways)! As well he plans to get a bunch of his cycle friends to join him when he rides him into city
hall when he does arrive on Friday May 16. He even thinks he can locate an NBG friendly business
that will agree to serve as a staging area for all of this excitement! And yet, as testimony to the
size of this guy's heart, Jeff told me that if we don't soon get a Columbus to Pittsburgh rider he
may take that link instead.
T) 25 year old, Car Free zealot, David Huggins-Daines, is unfazed by all of the attention that Jeff
is bringing to the ride link that he also plans to do. In fact David knows this route so well
that he corrected us on the mileage for it. By bike it's not 186 miles as we had reported but 210
miles. I put he and Jeff in touch with one another and will keep you appraised of any new
developments there!
U) Far more than coding a new cutting edge web page for the nonprofit National Bicycle Greenway,
Jody Fitch keeps helping us answer questions before they get asked. Since I am so close to this
effort, it seems obvious to me that if someone wanted to be a rider, all that they would have to
do is fill out our questionnaire. But what questions will they have needed to ask before they
reached that point? How would they know what is expected of them and etc? Well Jody suggested
that I spell all of that out for rider prospects at the new site, NationalBicycleGreenway.com,
that we are building. Here is a draft that endeavors to meet this need:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Become a Rider
If you want to make history with us in shepherding the mayoral proclamations we will have collected
between Washington DC and San Francisco (example the 2002 DC Mayor's Proclamation
<http://www.bikeroute.com/DCDecreeeSm.jpg>) you should be in excellent health, self-reliant, and
have some previous bicycle touring experience. We will happily advise and assist you in selecting
appropriate gear and routing for your ride. If we accept you, the ride is free of charge and yet
since there is no sag vehicle or other on the road support (however, we can oftentimes satisfy any
Pocket Mail <http://www.pocketmail.com> requests you may have from the on-line bicycle community) ,
you will be expected to pay for your own food and lodging.
You or one person from your group (should you become a part of one) will be expected to stay in
daily contact with us with the Pocket Mailer that will be assigned to each link.
Here's how you can join us:
- Choose a relay link (avg 300 miles) at our schedule <
http://www.bikeroute.com/NationalMayorsRide >
- Read what our last year's riders did <http://www.bikeroute.com/NatRelayRide2002.html> and in
particular read Jim Redd's fun Chicago to Des Moines account
<http://www.cyclechicago.org/pocketmail/displaypocketmail.php?emailid=26 &tripid=1>
- At our schedule contact the riders you see listed there for the link you are interested in. If no
one is listed your sign up will likely prime the pump empowering others to follow suit.
- If all this looks like fun, fill out our Questionnaire
<http://www.bikeroute.com/RiderQuestionnaire.html>. Be informed that unless you request
otherwise, your application, if we accept it will become a public document, less your physical
address and phone (your e-mail will be published so prospective and accepted riders can exchange
with you), of course!!
- At which point, we will also need you to send us a photo of yourself along with the completed
waiver noted at: http://www.BikeRoute.com/NBG2000/Waiver.html . And we welcome you in advance!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
E) In addition to suggesting a lot of the content for the above, as you can see, Jody has suggested
that we language in some kind of warning text. Well once again because I am so close to the fires
we are burning here, I forgot about the Ride Waiver we had worked up for our Cycle America 2000
campaign to Washington DC <http://www.bikeroute.com/CycleAmerica2000/2000Report.html>. And we
need to get it filled out. If you are already signed up, can you please take a moment to read,
print, sign and send the form at: http://www.BikeRoute.com/NBG2000/Waiver.html .
F) One of last year's Santa Cruz NBG Bike Fest exhibitors, Calfee Design
<http://www.calfeedesign.com>, will be back bigger and more newsworthy than ever. By the time
they arrive, they will be there with the world's first production Carbon Fiber recumbent! This
incredible machine, which I will have more to say about when I get a look at it (it sounds
incredible), hopefully this week, is designed by Fast Freddy Markham, the first human to top 65
miles an hour on a bicycle and the veteran of innumerable other speed successes
G) In case it still needs to be said, Fast Freddy Markham will be at the Calfee booth on August 17
answering questions about the new two wheel rocket ship he has been the chief designer for!! And
here is a great article that our local paper did about Freddy and his daughter Tanya (also a
racer) a couple of years ago:
http://www.santa-cruz.com/archive/2001/December/08/sport/stories/01sport. htm
H) Jeff Longtin of Cycological Recumbent Bicycles <http://www.cyclogicalrecumbents.com>, sounded in
last week. And not only is his shop sponsoring the St Paul to Des Moines spur that has earned the
hands on involvement of Mr Congressional Bicycle, James Oberstar (St. Paul, Minnesota is
Oberstar's district), but Jeff tells us that he is going to ride all 242 miles as well. And he
welcomes other riders to join him. If you want to ask Jeff questions about this relay link:
[email protected]
I) As if all he is doing for the NBG is not enough as per how we opened this newsletter, Jim Redd
also felt compelled to offer free food and drink to relay riders arriving from Indianapolis. So
if you've thought about joining Jerome Hediger of Wicks Aircraft in riding from Indianapolis to
Chicago, this is one more reason to do so!
Because if you take Jim up on his offer to be fed at his restaurant, The Handlebar Bar & Grill
<http://www.handlebarchicago.com>, your spirit will also be nourished. The first of its kind, at
least that I've ever heard of, The Handlebar, is a restaurant that speaks to the needs of the hungry
cyclist on many levels. I mean have you ever been to a restaurant that, on its web, lists out bike
advocacy sites and has on its opening page the famous WWII words "True Patriots Don't Burn Oil - Do
your part!" I mean they've even got Messenger Mondays and Wednesday music nites are called
U-Lock-Rock!! Even their food offerings look appetizing as well as reasonably priced! WoW!!
J) Jonathan Baty of http://bikecommuter.com shot us an e-mail after he read about our need for a
host for the Free Cycles video that we talked about last week as per:
<http://www.BikeRoute.com/MayorFestNews/3-24-03.html#Anchor-Found-47857>. He told us he'd be
happy to host all 65 megs worth of this important story of how we can turn our old bike parts
into other people's treasure. I sent him the CD on Friday and will let you know as soon as he
gets it up!! Thank you Jonathan!!
K) Saw Charles Hannah out on the wharf on Saturday. As per this photo
<http://www.bikeroute.com/NBGPix/TrikeSignWharfTaxi.jpg>, he and I always seem to have important
exchanges out on our Municipal Pier (called a wharf for some reason). We talked about the Bike
pit idea he'd already caught wind of. And it was good that we spoke. On the casual basis that we
discussed this, he pointed out that any meeting I would be doing with anyone else would still
have to come thru him because the Bike Pit is what his Bike Church
<http://www.santacruzhub.org/bikechurchfrm.html>, does on a somewhat regular basis.
Charles reinforced the notion that because he regularly sees how building a bike with used parts can
still be a very intimidating experience for many, that in the days before the event we will have to
have kits already set up for what we suggest can then become a complete bike. There were a lot of
other things we touched on before he recommended that I get with him soon to work out more of the
details! I'll keep you posted!!
L) The Santa Cruz Bike Church <http://www.santacruzhub.org/bikechurchfrm.html> is now open on Friday
evenings. What this means is that you now can use their bike stand and tools and have access to
their wealth of used parts (they even sell often replaced bike parts at very good prices) and
experienced mechanics five days a week, Monday thru Friday from 3 to 7 PM. And you can have all
this all for 5 bux a visit or 20 bux a month or 40 a year or 100 for a lifetime. Behind the
downtown fire department and the Santa Cruz Civic, their address is 224 WALNUT. If you want to
call them to make a donation or fix your bike: (831) 425-BIKE. Or you can just drop in!!
M) Earlier in the week, I had already spoken with, Spencer Wright, one of the Co Op owners at the
UCSC Bike Co Op. And because they are interested in doing more outreach work, they are also
interested (Spencer sounded psyched) in maybe supplying us with bike stands and mechanics for the
Bike Pit! Indeed it feels like the Bike Pit is starting to collect some momentum!! Yahooo!!
N) Ken Foster, the man behind the world's first (if not only) bicycle based landscape business,
Terra Nova Eco Landscape <http://TerraNovaEcoLandscape.com>, stopped by the NBG office last week.
He had wanted info about our 2nd annual Santa Cruz NBG Bike Fest. Satisfied that last year's
event produced for him, he'll be back come August 17!!
O) Jack Baker of S&B Recumbent also tell us he'll be back! In case you missed it, we are raffling
off one of his bikes as per http://www.BikeRoute.com/MayorFestNews/3-03-03.html#Anchor-47857 at
this page:
http://www.bikeroute.com/NationalMayorsRide/S-BMalibuDrawing.html
Please, if you can, do take the time to take a chance at winning on of these kewl bikes!
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P) In case you missed it, here is news from January that preceded the more formal newsletters that
began on March 3rd. Where applicable I've updated what you see below:
1) Longbikes http://tandembike.com, the upstart recumbent and upright tandem maker from Colorado is
ramping up for an exciting 2003. Forced off to the drawing boards by a post 9-11 economy, they
have not only streamlined their production process but have so fine tuned their flagship model,
the Slipstream, that that they want everyone to know about it. And in fact, they so much want our
2003 National Mayor's Relay Ride cyclists to know about it, that they are sponsoring the Boulder
to Salt Lake City link at: http://www.bikeroute.com/NationalMayorsRide
I know, for example, having biked across the US on an under the seat steered Via long wheel base
(lwb) recumbent (no longer in production), that indeed I would have lusted for the opportunity to do
so on the Slipstream had it existed in 1986. The many tens of thousands of miles I've logged in the
lwb, under the seat steered configuration (I've also ridden innumerable miles on an Avatar, a Ryan,
and famed "Bicycling" editor, Jim Langley's homebuilt lwb) seem to be telling me that this could
very well be one of the most comfortable long distance machines on the planet.
2) The Longbikes people have signed on to a movement that is fast becoming the talk of the East
Coast. Already, thanks to the resources, excitement and expertise of the Western Pennsylvania
Field Institute http://wpfi.org, the DC to Pittsburgh relay link is fast filling up. So much so,
in fact, that Michael Sobkowiak, is already researching the service capacities for the towns
along the way. He is even thinking about assigning different nightly stops for our relay
cyclists that make this connection so that enough water, lodging and food can be made available
for all of them.
3) Fired up about Greenways, the Pittsburgh people, also with the powerful guidance of Mayor Tom
Murphy's chief aide, Ro Fischer, are even looking into a park or other large public gathering
area as a place to receive all the riders and community excitement they anticipate.
Even tho WPFI has not been on the front burner of late (they plan to return their full attention
to our ride during the month of April), Ro Fischer has still been busy. In addition to the great
editing help we are getting from her for our extremely professional web ay
NationalBicycleGreenway.com due soon to be released, she also plans to make contact with the
Normal, IL mayor who owns a bike shop that we talked about in here last week as per
<http://www.BikeRoute.com/MayorFestNews/3-24-03.html#Anchor-14210>. Because Ro, a powerhouse
filled with love, wants to out do what they did for us last year
<http://www.bikeroute.com/SCNBGFest/PittsburghRecep.html>, she wants to help us get some recumbent
bicycles out for the gala event she is planning with the WPFI people. She tells us that Pittsburgh
people don't get to see recumbents all that much and had wanted me to get her some contacts for
people out her way that ride the reclining bikes we feature at:
<http://www.bikeroute.com/Recumbents>. Well they are in for a treat. Beth Boose will be arriving
on an Easy Racer <http://www.easyracers.com> recumbent bicycle. Here is what we said about Beth
last January:
4) Beth Boose, a former aircraft mechanic and her 13 year old daughter plan to continue on across
the US after they complete the DC to Pittsburgh link. After an aborted 2001 TransAm effort that
can be found at http://www.geocities.com/gebuh, Beth just does not know the word quit.
And here now on Friday, I just heard from Beth and she said that she'll, no doubt, be there come May
2 when we leave Washington DC!
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Q) Earl Blumenauer Eyes Tax Breaks for Cyclists:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20030323/ap_on_go_co/ pedal_paradox&e=1
--
M A R T I N K R I E G : "Awake Again" Author Bent Since '83, Car Free Since '89, Attacking with
Love Coma, Paralysis, Clinical Death Survivor '79 & '86 TransAm Vet - Invites
you to: http://www.BikeRoute.com/SCNBGFest N A T I O N A L B I C Y C L E G R E E N W A Y