Wednesday Quote. Just Don't Call it a Bike



Not this type of Challenge. Or maybe it is that type, who am I to say?
Pic via cxmagazine.com

"Challenges are what make life interesting, overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."  Unknown
It has finally come.  The time for me to start my own business.  I have often wanted to explore my entrepreneurial side.  But nothing has been so earth shattering that I thought it would change the world and be worth the time and effort that would be needed.

The whole Hamburger Cupcake thing was already taken.

Found this via Google Here

BUT...... Then I saw this!



I am pleased to announce the formation of Unicorn Velocipedes International National Manufacturing Company of Pennsylvania. As we, in the acronym heavy bicycle industry, will refer to this newly formed conglomerate UVINMCP.

This exciting venture is not to be confused with this existing product.

The Honda Unicorn sold in India

What kind of Unicorn is that any way?   It doesn't even have a horn. 

See if you type in Unicorn Bike into your search engine of choice (Mine happens to be Google like millions of other adults) you get this motorized beast.  The difference here is that we will not be producing a "Bike".  "Bike" is a four letter word and probably should be on George Carlin's list of Seven Dirty Words.  Five of these words are four letter words so to call something as glamorous as the UVINMCP creation a bike is the same thing as cursing.  

That would not be acceptable for a creation as glamorous as this rideable unicorn.  We must refer to this noble steed by its rightful name: a Bicycle. 

I have a seasoned sales representative and a credit department already in place.  Now I need to move onto the manufacturing end of this.  This prototype appears to be created out of paper mache.  Since I am blessed to live in a mythical fairy land I can source my material here...

They have to have everything I need right?

As my product reaches production phase this forum will be used solely for the purpose of lining my pockets with gold and marshmallow peeps. 

Disclaimer of Liability: With respect to No-one, neither MLBB nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, including the validity or merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of this information, apparatus, product, or unicorn bicycle, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights, or that this wonderful too good to be true product will ever be produced.

Wednesday Quote Passion

Photo most definitely courtesy of Life Magazine.
How cool is this picture of Liz Taylor at 12 years old?
The joy is written all over her face.

"I've always admitted that I'm ruled by my passions."  Elizabeth Taylor

This quote is not only timely due to the passing of Elizabeth Taylor but because passion is what compels me to overshare on this forum.  Passion for riding the bicycle.  Look at that picture at the top of the page.  That look is what every ride should bring. 

I have been uber-stoked because I had a new camera donated to me and the velorambling cause.  I used this camera to take some pictures on the group ride I took from the Bike Lane in Reston Virginia.  Unfortunately my computer chose to have a mini crash and wipe out all of these new wonderful high resolution pictures I took to share with you.  It's a shame because they were all fantastic and showed great shots of people in tight spandex riding carbon fiber miracles.  By fantastic I mean pictures taken above, behind, and over my head while breathing heavily trying to not lose the wheel in front of me.  If I lost the wheel I would surely be lost.
 
One of the advantages I get with my career is doing local group rides.  These let me see a new area, learn new routes, and meet new people.  This ride was no different.  It was the first nice weekend of the year and the turnout was big.  There were over forty people on the ride.  Adam the shop manager kept the ride together quite well.  There was the usual group who pushed it at the front but they all stopped to regroup when appropriate. 
 
It was a good group of peep's.
 

No not these peeps.  I am looking forward to seeing some of them again at Leesburg. At least I will know some of the who point and laugh.

 I was down in Virginia for the weekend watching my eldest daughter compete in what would eventually lead to a National Championship. 

The hotel I was staying in was ten miles from Bike Lane.  A quick consult of Google Maps cycling directions led me to the Washington & Old Dominion trail.  This is a very nice long continuous route out of D.C.  Virginia is in the south and of course while riding in the south on the W & OD trail you would come across these guys.....

The only reason this pic was saved was because It was loaded to my Facebook page.

 
This is normally where I would post some of my random pictures.  Since I don't have them I will just go with this. 

This Unicorn obviously hasn't been hitting the trainer through the rough winter

Stevie Wonder Saturday Classics Edition

This song is dedicated to the spring wind.  Kinda feels like Belgium out there.



And in case you were wondering... I'd rather listen to Stevie than Bob Dylan.

Wednesday Quote Albert Einstein Would Have Been a Bikes Belong Member

Every self respecting bike geek has seen this picture but it worked with today's quote.

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."   Albert Einstein

I don't know if everyone is a "genius" but we all have our strengths and weaknesses.  It's a matter of figuring them out and using the strengths to the greatest advantage and minimizing the weaknesses.  We can't be masters of everything but what we can do well we should do DAMN well.
 
As promised yesterday I am going to do a recap of the National Bike Summit.  I darn near don't have to when there is THIS out there.  Holy Cow!  Seriously?  Read that link.  Meredith Miller is fast, charming, articulate, beautiful, and extremely well written.  All things that I am not. Seriously read her update.
 
What do you think of when you think "Bicycle Advocacy"?  In my elitist bicycle mentality I think of helmet mirror's and Day-Glo vests.  I realize this may be dsiparaging to some but.... there it is.  I attended my first National Bike Summit approximatley ten years ago.  It was the second.  Frankly at that Summit there were alot of the Day-Glo vest crowd.  And thank god they were there. 
 
We all ride bikes and need the access to continue to do so on paved and unpaved surfaces.  If it werent for these die-hard helmet mirror wearing people we never would have gotten organized enough to be a force on Washington.  There were hundreds of people from all over the bicycle industry and the advocacy end of things securing money for programs so we can ride our bicycles. 
 
The first Summit I went to we talked about a few million dollars.  Big money in a personal bank account not so much when you are talking about goverment programs in all 50 states. This time we were talking about Hundreds of Millions of dollars that were being allocated to ensure access by bicycle. 
 
Most people who read this know the bicycle is more than a toy.  It is a way to get to work, a means of exercise, and a way to combat congestion in our cities, and obesity on our society among many other examples.  As I have said before the bicycle is a vehicle of change. 
 
John Burke the President of Trek Bicycles made a point in a round table discussion that really struck home with me.  Many people had stated that cycling is an inexpensive portion of the transportation funding that has far reaching effects.  This is a nice little statement and easy enough to agree with.
 
John brought it home very nicely.  He stated that the money spent for cycling friendly projects can effect a broader amount of people over an area then a single high way project can.  For example (I was paying attention in meetings)  I live in the 8th congressional district represented by Mike Fitzpatrick.  Over the last ten years there have been thirty projects that used funds from the transportation budget. 
 
These thirty projects cost $20 million dollars.  That seems like alot of money but these projects effected people throughout the entire district.  They helped with sidewalks, crosswalks, repairing canal damage, and many other things.  It is universally accepted that you could not build one on-off ramp for that amount of money.  That one off ramp would only serve one very narrow portion of the population.  So you can have thirty different projects throughout the community for less than the price of one project that only effects a very narrow portion of the population. 
 
The trip was a success and more people should attend and learn how to lobby their congressman and senators.  If they let me in they will most likely let you in as well.
 
Now Picture time.  And I would like to take this moment to thank the loyal My Life Behind Bars reader that donated a new camera to the cause.  Because of them these next pictures are possible and not from a cell phone.  Thank you.
 

Congressman Earl Blumenauer is on our side.  A true champion of of the bicycle in government.  He also "rides the ride" check the reflective leg band from his bike commute to to the Summit. 

At the Russell Senate building.  I'm guessing that is Mister Russell.

This is what you see when you look up in the Russell office building.

Yeah I had Breakfast with Bob... Casey that is.

Always impressive walking from one building to the next and you look to your right to see this.

View from an evenings dinner.

I wondered out loud what a person would do with a "Senate Preflown Flag"  The woman next to me informed me that they fly them or fold them for fallen soldiers returning to the USA.  HUMBLING.

There are 50 preflown flags per box.  That is at least 550 flags.  VERY HUMBLING.

If you ignored the earlier request to read Meredith's blog post. DO IT!

National Bike Summit

The frequency of postings here has run off the tracks a bit lately.  This actually a good thing because I am busier than a one armed paper hanger with an itchy ass.  HMMMM is that good?  Im gonna run with yes. 

The weather is turning, people are riding bicycles, I'm riding bicycles, and people are buying bicycles.  It's a good thing. 

Last time I rambled about Tim Johnsons Ride on Washington.  We partied and and had fun in Philly.  The next night I happened to be in Baltimore and went to see the riders at Twenty 20 Cycling.  Kris and his boys put on a great party.  If you find yourself in Charm City stop in and visit the shop.  They do a good job and the shop looks nice too. 

The party looked a bit like this.  Excuse the photos my camera finally gave up the ghost and these are iPhone pic's.

Richard wooing the crowd, preaching the gospel of two wheels.

Tim giving the "What did Richard say now?" symbol

The Crowd

Tim extolling the virtues of Bikes Belong while Richards hydrates.

Tomorrow...... Made it to Washington D.C.

Riding For The Rest of Us

That is what got me home Saturday

Saturday was an arm warmer and knee warmer kind of day.  Perfect for a five hour ride.  3 hours in I had to stop and refuel.  I am not normally one to sit and eat a meal mid ride but it was so nice out and the tables outside were screaming my name.  I did and it was well worth it. 

After my meal I was peacefully plodding down the road when a freight train screamed by on my left.  It was being engineered by Carrera Joe.  That skinny little man has quite an engine so I hopped on his wheel and took the express down the river.  After the river I bid him farewell and he dropped me like a bad habit.

Sunday I couldn't force myself to get in the rain and pound out a few hours even though it was warmish.  So I took a trip to Trainerville.  It wasn't the same but still kept the legs spinning.  Since Leesburg is five weeks away I need to keep steady miles on the legs, and butt.

The rain did not stop Tim Johnson and the boys on their ride from Boston to Washington D.C. to raise money for Bikes Belong.  They are ending on Tuesday at the start of the National Bike Summit.  This is an event I have attended before and will attend again this week.  We will learn about funds that are available to help fund cycling and transportation initiatives and then we will go lobby our Congressman and Senators.  Yes we are literally lobbyists on Capitol Hill. 

This method works.  Many people from the bicycle industry and advocacy groups have secured Billions (with a B) of dollars to ensure that we have places to ride. 

Tim Johnson and Richard Fries hatched this plan to ride into the summit and raise funds.  It was a last minute thing and has been highly successful.  They have raised over $25,000 so far on PledgeReg.  Richard explains that for every dollar Bikes Belong raises they can turn it into $1,800. 

Richard called me last week and said that he would be rolling through town and asked if I could find him a place to have a reception.  We could meet the riders raise a glass and have dinner with them.  I was like.... "A Party?  HELLZ YEAH I'm in"   So I contacted the good folks at  Triumph Brewery in Old City Philadelphia.  They were generous enough to donate a meeting space.  I had a flyer whipped up (Thanks LRHG) a facebook invite was created and Voila!  Insta Party.

We got 50ish people to come out in the pouring rain and hang out.  Matt from Liberty Sports Magazine, Dan from Specialized, Gary from BMC (That's me), and a few other folks donated items.  We were able to sell well over $200 in raffle tickets which according to Richard Fries math will equal $360,000 in transportation funding.  Additionally people were so generous with donating items for raffle that everyone who bought a raffle ticket was able to walk out with something.  It might have been just a waterbottle but everyone got something.

Here are some pic's from last night.

Richard Fries doing what he does.  Talking up a crowd.

Tim Johnson talking Cyclocross with Philadelphia Cyclocross School Co-founder Dave Berson

Tim Johnson almost got tackled for that Red Bull jacket (by me)

Thank you to all that came out.   I will do some tweeting from the event.  You can see my Twitter account at the bottom of the page here or play along at http://twitter.com/velorambling.

See you on Wednesday for the quote.

Wednesday Quote and..... UNICORNS!

Inspiration from a hotel hang-tag.

This is the beginning of Unicorn week.  It is like Discovery Channels Shark Week only way less masculine.

I got turned on to Despicable Me by FatMarc.  Agnes is the cutest thing in recent movie memory. 

I realize this is a bike blog but we all have interests outside of bicycles mine happen to be be prepubescent cartoon movies and unicorns.  So in other words my interests are similar to that of a 9 year old girl.  I'm OK with that.  If you haven't seen this movie you are missing out.





I'd write more but those speak for themselves.  Expect.... ITS SO FLUFFY I COULD DIE!

I will talk about bicycles on Friday.  Maybe?