Give a bike, change a life - Wheels4life.org
By brian | September 28, 2009 - 8:29 pm - Posted in Interbike 2009, Interviews

At this year’s Interbike show, I managed to get a few minutes with Hans Rey to talk about his Wheels4life.org charity.

Most people know mountain bike hall of famer Hans as a trials champion, adventure cyclist, and one of the most recognizable GT riders for over 20 years.  For those not aware, he is also the driving force behind Wheels4life,  a non-profit program with partners around the world that work very hard to provide bicycles to those that need them the most.

What many of us view as a piece of sporting equipment, fitness equipment, or hobby, is actually a life-changing tool that can break the chain of poverty in a third world country. With the simple bicycle, it’s possible to travel up to five times faster than walking, while at the same time, up to five times more cargo can be carried as well. This can mean reducing travel time to and from school, carrying more goods to market, or bringing medical supplies to more remote locations.

The whole operation itself is an extremely lean one. Because everyone is a volunteer (Hans even pays all his travel expenses out of his own pocket) 90-95% of the donations received go directly towards the purchase of bicycles. Where possible, they source the bikes locally, which reduces expenses such as freight, import duties, and various taxes. As an added bonus, this not only helps the local economy, but makes it easier to locate spares and service the bikes.

While Hans explained that they certainly appreciate cash donations, he also urges anyone with time to spare  to organize a fundraiser, volunteer their time, or even just help spread the word with posts such as this.

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Logan Peat is a dirtbag!
By brian | November 27, 2007 - 7:33 am - Posted in Interviews, Press releases

And he’s proud of it. He recently won the 2007 “Be a Dirtbag” contest, and a spot on the Drop In video series.

After five weeks of battling it out for votes against some very tough competition - talented riders Frankie Vass and Kyle Thomas, Logan came out on top as the Ultimate Dirtbag. His victory has gained him more than the Dirtbag title, he also wins Santa Cruz bikes and parts for a year, and best of all, that coveted spot on the Drop In tour bus for Season 6!

The folks at Rip Media were kind enough to send me a copy of their interview with the 19-year-old rider from Owen Sound, Ontario. He seems like he’s got his head on pretty straight, by the looks of it.

1. Tell us a bit about how you got here in the first place. When did you start riding?
Drop In was what got me started riding. After Drop In’s first season, I was really hooked. As mountain biking got more popular, I started entering competitions in 2006, and that led me to where I am today.

2. After hanging out with the Drop In crew at Whistler, what are you looking forward to most on the road?
I am looking forward to traveling to ride new locations and really looking forward to riding with the crew.

3. If you had to, would you drop out of school to go on tour?
No, I have already moved to Alberta for school. It is only a two year program and I am already half way done.

4. Any plans to slay dragons on the trip?
No. I have a girlfriend.

5. Where do you hope the bus takes you?
Wherever the bus goes will be awesome, they have never gone wrong in the past. I would love to try new locations that have not been featured on videos before.

6. Is being on a TV show gonna get you mad chicks?
I don’t know, I have never been on TV before.

7. Who was/is you biggest influence in the riding world? Do you think your riding style is reflective of him?
So many riders inspire me, but riders that are pushing the limit and bringing something new to the sport, gain all my respect. Also, I am influenced by the bmx scene, I feel my riding does reflect that.

8. What does your family make of all this biking business?
My family loves the industry just as much as I do. They have come to all my competitions and supported me from day one.

9. Are you going to pitch in on cleaning the bus, or will you request a maid?
Of course I am on board to help clean the bus, but a maid sounds great.

Here is Logan’s Video Blog acceptance speech: http://www.rip.tv/video/watch/4620/

Also, you can check out Logan’s winning video submissions :

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Cycling Solutions
By brian | October 12, 2007 - 6:23 am - Posted in Interviews

Since he’s a BikeForums.net member, I had no trouble getting hold of Allan Dunlop of Cycling Solutions, and getting the scoop on what his site is all about.

In his own words:

We specialize in cycling education, conducting courses, workshops and instructor training as well as developing course curricula and educational materials.

We teach everything from learning to ride, to advanced courses (well beyond the LAB Bike Ed levels), and have done quite a bit of work in teaching school-based courses.
This spring, we collaborated to develop the cycling element of a cycling/walking safety DVD for elementary school kids. We were contracted by the Way to Go! School program (a division of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia–the provincial automobile insurance body). The DVD is ready now and is being distributed to all the elementary schools in the province.Our latest project is a comprehensive instructor/coordinator support program. When I first started toward becoming an instructor in 2000, I found that beyond the instructor training, there was little in the way of resources I could draw on to coordinate and carry out courses. That’s one of the reasons why so few of the people certified as instructors actually continue, despite the fact that there’s a real demand for training.During the process, I developed a wide range of tools and materials that have been very useful, and I’m working at offering them to others via online subscription and/or purchase. An example is a comprehensive course cost calculator, currently an Excel spreadsheet, but now being converted to a database-driven web format. This is a great one for helping make sure a course turns a profit. In a few keystrokes I can calculate the per-person cost to charge for a course, taking into consideration venue costs, materials, number of instructors and the like. Right now I’m in the process of converting the sites to Drupal to accommodate this–what a learning curve!Until recently, I lived in Victoria, BC–quite the cycling mecca. For a number of reasons, my wife and I recently moved to San Antonio, so the scope of things has expanded somewhat.

There’s some more info on cycling stuff I’ve been involved in here: www.cyclingsolutions.ca/about.htm Cycling education is my passion, and it’s been really rewarding to take it from an interest to a full-time job.

You can reach Allan by email at info(at)cyclingsolutions.us

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The other Chris from Chris King (an interview 6 months in the making!)
By brian | June 14, 2007 - 6:43 pm - Posted in Interviews

After what seems like forever, Chris DiStefano from Chris King Cycle Group was able to take a few moments to answer my interview questions. I know, he’s no Chris King, but he did have the answers to all my questions. Here’s what went down:

Q. Chris King headsets are a “Must have” item for any bike where strength, smoothness, and durability are required. They also speak to our desire to own something precision made that is a thing of beauty, like a Swiss watch. But King Cycle Group produces more than just headsets. Tell us a bit about the rest of your line.

CD: Chris began producing headsets in 1976 and added hubs in the mid-90’s . At present, we have 15 styles of headsets in 3 sizes (soon to be 4) and 9 colors. Hubs are available in 12 styles in those same 9 color options. We also make single speed cogs in stainless steel and aluminium. Headset spacers and cassette cog lockrings are a few other King bits folks can add to their bikes these days. We do our best to have a few funky t-shirts out there and our calendar is quite popular, too. We’ve just begun to ship our Pretty and Strong series of complete built wheels and our 1.5” headset is due out soon. We make everything* right here in Portland, Oregon so we’re busy these days, for sure.
*OK, not the t-shirts but we do have those made just down the street

Q. All those products are made by a company that doesn’t just care about their bottom line; KCG also looks after the environment. I understand that a lot of thought went into not just the building, but also the processes going on inside. What went into getting set up your new digs in Oregon?

CD: Chris has developed a number of proprietary systems over the years within the framework of building construction and layout. I would imagine you can see where this is going, eh? There is not a lot about our set-up that I can share with you here.

Q. On top of that, you’ve got the Pretty and Strong special edition components, which help raise money and awareness for breast cancer research. How did that program come about?

CD: The program developed from an employee’s own family experience with breast cancer. Our first year was a limited edition headset sold only for a brief time around October, which is national breast cancer awareness month. Response was overwhelming and demand for other products was high. The program returned the following year with hubsets, again for just a few limited months of availability. Once more, it was very popular and led us to extend the color across our full range and availability is now year round. We’ve maintained a close relationship with our local Susan G Komen affiliate and have been pleased to see the positive work resulting from our program. I invite you to read the update I wrote following the recent luncheon for grantees of the funds our affiliate has raised.

http://www.chrisking.com/prettyandstrong/report2007.html

This program has grown well beyond what anyone here could have imagined a few years back. We now contribute Pretty and Strong product to a number of charity cycling events, raffles, and even teams who make breast cancer awareness their focus.

Q. You also sponsor local events to give back to the community, what’s in store for 2007?

CD: We’ll be out on the road (and dirt) doing more event support this year. Chris made his famous pancakes for the annual Alpenrose Velodrome clean-up day last month and this month he’ll be serving up fajitas at the Pioneer Century just south of Portland. Next month we’re off to the Downieville Classic in California for a weekend of food and fun. We’ll serve lemonade at the local short track MTB summer series in the same way that we do coffee for the cyclocross series later in the year. We’ll be serving the morning coffee at Cycle Oregon and then off to the Interbike trade show. The calendar flips over to 2008 and we start all over again.

Q. Now for the impossible question. In 20 words or less, tell us about “Pucks”. I doubt anyone has given them much thought. I’m willing to cut you a bit of slack on this as well, say, 50 words? Ok, how about just a brief explanation?

CD: 2 seconds of 400-ton hydraulic force recovers 98% of machining oil from waste material. We use it again. And again. (I did it in 20)

Q. Where is Chris King headed? What can we expect to see come out of KCG in the future? Any secret, or not so secret goodies still in R&D?

CD: Man, that’s a tough one. Yes, there are plenty of R&D projects in the works but none that I can share just now. This company moved two times in 5 years, (1999-2003), and that took a lot out of folks. Now, at over three years into our home here in Portland, I can say that we’re moved in, settled in, and thinking only about the things that bike riders want us to think about. The positive energy here is building each day and, yes, it’s a great place to work. There’s no shortage of things to do; a look at the suggestions we receive from our customers will tell you that.

Q. I’d like to thank you for being so generous with your time. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

CD:I apologize for taking so long to do this.

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February 14th is Valentine’s Day
By brian | February 14, 2007 - 7:01 am - Posted in Interviews

In keeping with an appropriate theme for Valentine’s Day, I’m publishing an interview with a couple that are model cyclists. Rudy and Kay have not only been married more than 50 years, but they have been a tandem team for over half that time. Rather than my usual interview format, I thought I’d just let Rudy tell us how it got started, and where it’s taken them.

Rudy: We started riding bicycles (singles) in the early 1970’s in Michigan when we were in our mid-30s with our 3 sons. Soon, doing club rides/centuries/charity events / LAW rallies, locally and in adjoining states. However, riding longer events on solo bikes, we sort of got separated due to our different abilities and we’d see each other at food/lunch stops and the end of the ride.

Solution? Tandem! Test rode our first tandem Nov. 23, 1974 - a brand new Follis (French) real 10-speed! So for our 20th wedding anniversary, Rudy surprised Kay with that shiny new tandem. Her reaction: “What are you trying to do, kill us?” Off to a rather shaky start . Not even the bike shop folks knew much about riding a l-o-n-g bike. After 3 months of steadily learning and improving, we really got our act TWOgether and were a tandem team! After about a year with the Follis we felt we could design a better fitting/handling ‘mousetrap!’ Yes, we got that rare disease called TANDEMITIS! We wanted a light/fast/maneuverable machine with the latest technology. Having a height-impaired stoker necessitated a custom design. Pilot a small 5′7″ and stoker a ’smaller- yet’ 4′10 3/4″!

Enter Matt Assenmacher, a custom frame builder that just got back from an apprenticeship with the Bob Jackson folks in England and he was eager to please. Our design was not what was then, or even now, considered ‘normal.’ We wanted a short wheelbase - 60 1/4 inches. That was achieved by having toe clip overlap (gasp!) and a bent rear seat tube and very tight rear triangle. So tight, that we had to deflate the tire to remove the wheel! We wanted male front and ladyback rear. Reynolds 531 DB single bike racing tubing, twin laterals (with bridging re-inforcements) and a then very novel ovalized boom tube. Chrome dropouts would save the lustrous glossy back paint job during wheel removals. We wanted Prugnat lugs and low-temp silver brazing instead of the usual brass. Utilized components from a new American company called Phil Wood (hubs, bottom brackets, pedals) and unheard of 36 spoke wheels front and rear. An international mix of components included Campagnolo QRs (folks were still using nutted axles on tandems), German spokes, Japanese derailleurs, Italian bars and French Mafac canti brakes and TA triple crankset. We wanted a light/fast/maneuverable tandem, and we got it! ‘Light tandems’ in the mid-70s were still near-50-lbs. machines, ours weighed in at an incredible 34 pounds. Nay Sayers predicted it would not hold up. We sold it after only 64,000 miles on the odometer. By then we tired of the Michigan winters; we used to ride if the roads were dry and 20 degrees. Why put up with that? Why not move to a warmer/drier climate? Our research showed that southern AZ had the most sunshine in the USA. Pack up and go, and change careers while we’re at it. We found that there was much misinformation out about tandems, so we started writing on the subject and holding tandem workshops at rallies. One thing led to another and soon we were doing test rides on new tandems and even riding/evaluating tandem prototypes, including the first aluminum tandem from Cannondale - 2 years before its actual introduction.

Replaced that Assenmacher with a bit longer wheelbase custom machine, built by Colin Laing, a British expatriate then living in Tucson. At stoker’s request stretched out the wheelbase to 63 1/2 inches, got rid of the tight rear triangle and had Colin institute some innovations. Like a fastback arrangement with a reinforcing gusset, a then novel adjustable stoker stem, mixed tubing (again racing bike tubing) but the down tube to be the larger diameter tandem gauge and another oval boom tube. Wanted a lugged frame and Colin asked ‘what if I do something a bit fancy?’ No problem! Wow! This tandem was a rolling work of art! Handmade curly lugs plus the builder’s initials in the head tube - it took Colin 40 hours of hand filing those ornate lugs to fit the mixed sized tubes. Chromed ‘em and part of the rear triangle. Then, from the chromed fork crown to half way down the fork blades was more chrome snake-like wending its way down. A lustrous 2-toned lavender fade paint job finished the custom twicer. This machine rode as great as it looked. A real combination of art and craftsmanship! By now we had decided that after 50-some odd thousand miles we’d design another tandem. Why just upgrade components when a whole new bike cost only a bit more?

While on a bike trip in Eugene, OR, we visited three fellows working out of a garage who did some extraordinary work on tandems. Called their outfit Co-Motion. Ordered a custom tandem from them. Switched this time from Reynolds to Tange Prestige tubing and, instead of lugs, we opted for a lugless fillet brazed frameset. Kept the same geometry as the Laing. Again chose chroming of: rear triangle and part of the fork blades. Specified a taller head tube to accommodate pilot’s now more upright riding position. A few minor braze-ons ideas were added, like under-the-boom tube spare spoke carrier and a braze-on for our mini garage door opener on the adjustable stoker stem. The glossy black paint job with lustrous gold hi-lites also featured a very subtle desert mural air brushed on the boom tube. Each tube seemed to melt into the next - perfect!
After 57,000 happy miles on this custom beauty, it was time for another update!

Our friend, Bob Davis, of Peoria, AZ had been building some great custom single bikes, utilizing carbon fiber. He is a retired aerospace engineer and this more than qualifies him to work with this non-metal material! He asked us to test/evaluate his prototype carbon fiber tandem. Whoa! Impressive! Back to the drawing board for us! Had several new ideas for Bob. The custom frameset would have a radically sloping top tube to accommodate our aging limbs; also was to have c/f lugs, with window cut-outs. Spec’d a c/f adjustable stoker stem. Bob’s reply: “nobody’s ever done that” was changed to, “sure, quite do-able.” Now, stoker Kay prefers round stoker hand rest on her bars. Yes, Bob agreed to make those too. Now about the rear rack we wanted. He reluctantly agreed to build us a one-of c/f custom rack. Proper fit, light weight, comfort and great handling is what we expected and that’s exactly what we got! In 2003 we took possession of our Zona tandem, weighing in at a svelte 26 1/2 lbs.
Currently have 13,000+ trouble free miles on this non-metal marvel. Do we need such a nice machine? ‘Need’ is not the correct word . However, we’ve got it and love it. Besides, what are we going to do, wait ’til we get older?

Have logged 100+ centuries, dozens of tandems-only rallies, including the very first Midwest Tandem Rally in 1976 in Kokomo, IN and the first Tandem Canada in 1987 in Guelph, Ontario. We’ve enjoyed an alphabet soup of events, charity rides, cross state rides and tours, supported and non-supported. We’ve done TOSRV, GLEEP, HHH, MTR, SWTR, STR, NWTR, PSTR, and even a posh B&B post-rally tour in Indiana. Heck, we’ve even ridden track in Kenosha, WI and the Major Taylor Velodrome in Indianapolis. Have ridden about 15 El Tour de Tucson events as a duo and were honored to have the 1995 Tour of the Tucson Mountains dedicated to us. Helped organize the first cross state tour of Arizona in the early 80’s from the Grand Canyon to Mexico, a 500+ mile ride with over 22,000 feet of elevation gain. We were told at that time ‘you can’t do that on a tandem!’ Did it four times. Yes, we’ve got all those gears for a good reason! Our highest mileage year was in 1986 when we pedalled 13,113 miles. After that we decided that, as grandparents, maybe there’s a few other things we should be doing! So we cut back to a more conservative 10,000 a year. Both of us survived the dreaded big “C” (breast cancer for Kay, prostate cancer for Rudy) and we credit our recovery, and continued good health, to being physically active. Now in our senior years we have nothing left to prove. No more ‘keep the nose to the front wheel’ and’ ‘no braking on the downhills’ and ‘let’s see how fast we can climb this mountain’. In the spring of 2004 we celebrated 200,000 miles of riding TWOgether . And yes, we are still happily married! We now pedal about 100 miles a week and at a slower pace and stop for coffee and a big cinnamon bun when we feel like it!

So what’s holding you two back from trying a tandem bicycle? L-o-n-g bikes are not quite as rare anymore, although not many bike shop handle them. With a bit of effort you can Google and likely find a tandem specialty dealer within a day’s driving distance. Key to tandem riding is proper fit, and *communication*! Trust us, without proper communication it’ll be hectic attempting to ride as a duo The person up front, the captain, has to communicate all he’ll be doing to the rear rider. The stoker can’t see what’s coming/happening. Stoker is not a mind reader. So tell that nice person on the back what you are doing: braking, shifting, coasting, stopping, slowing, bumps, turning etc. Set a compromise pace, suitable to the slower rider; as you progress and become more experienced, you’ll truly become a ‘tandem team’! Prices on tandems have increased just like prices on homes, cars and coffee! A nickel cup of coffee? Our first Follis tandem cost us just under $350 . Now prices for an introductory 2-seater start from ‘just under a thousand’ to $13,000 for a hi-zoot custom machine! Somewhere in between those price extremes is a tandem that’ll fit you and your budget! Heck, a new tandem is a lot cheaper than open heart surgery!

Tandeming became an integral part of our lives. We’ve written on the subject and taught the intricacies of the sport to others. It has brought the two of us even closer as a couple; it taught us to rely on each other and to work as a team. And, as a bonus, has kept us in pretty good shape!
TWOgetherness and tandeming go hand-in-hand, but beware:” Tandemitis is contagious!”.

Pedal on TWOgether!

Rudy and Kay

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