Showing posts with label bikes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bikes. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Trash to Treasure!
Crash, boom, trashed wheel, bent rim, ouch...here's how to look at that crumpled metal mess and see it repurposed as a thing of beauty! Check out http://www.bikefurniture.com/
Monday, October 20, 2008
Get a Free Bike...
...if you are a college freshman and don't bring your car to school. How cool is that? Great article in the New York Times about many colleges that are getting creative with students to eliminate over flowing student parking as well as making campus more green. Some are even giving free bikes.
Hat tip to Holly at our parent company's offices in North Carolina. She's heading up an alternative transportation day this week at their facility, too. Helping out? Our friends at Cool Breeze Cyclery.
I hear there is a prize for the most creative alternative transportation method. Last week someone told me he/she may row over....that would be different, eh?
Hat tip to Holly at our parent company's offices in North Carolina. She's heading up an alternative transportation day this week at their facility, too. Helping out? Our friends at Cool Breeze Cyclery.
I hear there is a prize for the most creative alternative transportation method. Last week someone told me he/she may row over....that would be different, eh?
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Cyclin' For Life
12th Annual Cycle for Life to benefit the Tufts Medical Center Floating Children's Cancer Center
by Rob Zuraski, Director of Engineering and NPD
Woke up at 4am Sat. morning to heavy downpours on the South Shore of Boston , along with news on the web site that the 50 mile ride was cancelled and everyone would do the 25 mile for safety reasons. I was drenched to the bone just loading up the bike and getting in my truck. Luckily by the time I was driving through Boston to the North Shore where the ride was scheduled, the rain let up and held off for the whole event. It was great to see past Kryptonite crew members and all the other riders and volunteers inspired to raise funds for this event. Thanks also to all the volunteers and police that helped man the route and the donors that supported us.
The ride started out at Devereaux Beach in Marblehead and wound up a beautiful coastal route to Singing Beach and back. Even more inspiring than the scenic route were the people I met along the way...
One woman I met had a daughter who lost her battle with cancer several years ago. This woman was back riding to support the hospital. Another guy I met passing each other a few times along the way told me at the end of the ride that he was a cancer survivor and had a huge section removed from his abdomen. Can't forget to mention he was riding a mountain bike and I was on my road bike! Even had a couple of kids along the way collecting for another cause in front of a store cheering me on and informed me that I was in 10th place (even thought it wasn't really a race!)...
One woman I met had a daughter who lost her battle with cancer several years ago. This woman was back riding to support the hospital. Another guy I met passing each other a few times along the way told me at the end of the ride that he was a cancer survivor and had a huge section removed from his abdomen. Can't forget to mention he was riding a mountain bike and I was on my road bike! Even had a couple of kids along the way collecting for another cause in front of a store cheering me on and informed me that I was in 10th place (even thought it wasn't really a race!)...
Most of the riders and volunteers that I met seemed to be directly affected by the work done by the Floating hospital (hospital workers, cancer survivors, friends and families of children touched by the wonderful program) and have inspired me to make this an annual event..
Our team: Fast Foodies raised $7,911. So far, the web site says $127,579 total was raised for the event, but they mentioned $150k tally at the end of the event - its still not to late to donate!
www.cycleforlife.com
www.floatinghospital.org
http://www.tuftsmedicalcenter.org/
Special thanks to Peter and Ellen Zane, founding family members of Kryptonite who helped organize our team and the event.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
It's a Bike....It's a Motorcycle...What?
Mr. Motorcycle is a new blog out there about....go ahead...guess...I'll wait....
Yes! It's about motorcycles and motorcycle riding and the pure love of riding. We've added Mr. Motorcycle to our blogroll because it's a fun blog to read.
A couple of days ago, Mr. Motorcycle sent us a fun link to check out because he thought it "totally fit into your biking world". He was right - check out the "1937 Peugeot bicycle fitted with a Bugatti T72A engine".
Cool, huh? Welcome to the Kryptonite Krew, Mr. Motorcycle!
Yes! It's about motorcycles and motorcycle riding and the pure love of riding. We've added Mr. Motorcycle to our blogroll because it's a fun blog to read.
A couple of days ago, Mr. Motorcycle sent us a fun link to check out because he thought it "totally fit into your biking world". He was right - check out the "1937 Peugeot bicycle fitted with a Bugatti T72A engine".
Cool, huh? Welcome to the Kryptonite Krew, Mr. Motorcycle!
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Help Trips for Kids! Vote Now!
If you haven’t heard, the Volvo for Life Awards are happening for the 6th year pretty soon. What are they? I can’t say it any better than they do on the website:
"Protecting our kids. Helping our neighbors. Saving our earth. This is what heroes do, the real-life heroes we honor each year through the Volvo for life Awards. Since 2002, Volvo has given these heroes nearly $5 million in funding and awards to help them continue their extraordinary work on behalf of their communities."
There are 4 categories (Safety, Quality, Environment and Butterfly) and multiple nominees in each category. Each winner from the Safety, Quality and Environment category wins $100,000! The Butterfly winner gets $25,000 and the grand prize winner gets the money and a Volvo for life. The breakdown is here.
Online voting has been open since November, but it closes at noon on Monday, January 7th. Why am I telling you this? Because we know one of the very cool nominees, Ms. Marilyn Price, the founder of Trips for Kids. She has been nominated in the Quality category.
I’m hoping that they don’t mind, but I’m going to past Marilyn’s nomination bio here so you’ll see why we all think she’s so worthy of this award:
As a young bicycle enthusiast in the mid-1980s, Marilyn Price often pedaled up the redwood-forested slopes of Mount Tamalpais across the Golden Gate Bridge. On one afternoon excursion, she stopped to look out over Tamalpais' sweeping view. Taking in San Francisco, its deep, blue bay, and the Pacific Ocean beyond, the mountain's panorama inspired in her a sense of so many paths not yet taken. She remembered the disadvantaged children whom she served when volunteering at St. Anthony's Dining Room in the heart of the city. It was from the mountain's view of a larger world that Marilyn's vision of Trips For Kids (TFK) began to take shape.
A single mother with two children, Marilyn began TFK on a simple hope and ten donated mountain bikes. But she persevered in her belief that getting inner-city youth bicycling outdoors would connect them with nature, provide exercise, and steer them away from trouble. The program has ensured that more than thirteen thousand disadvantaged children from the San Francisco Bay Area have experienced the natural world from the seat of a mountain bike. The program also teaches bicycle and computer repair work at the TFK warehouse. Through their apprenticeships, participants earn credits toward purchasing their own mountain bikes and computers.
The original program still brings inner city youth from San Francisco to bucolic Marin County to mountain bike the county's expansive countryside. "Many of these kids have never been out of a concrete setting," Marilyn notes, "and never hiked on a mountain, and never seen a deer." The typical outing begins at TFK's San Raphael warehouse, where the staff outfits the young riders for the trip. Next, the staff teams each youngster with a mentor - an experienced mountain biker who will accompany them for the duration of the trek. Together, the group sets out for Marin's lush terrain. Here, inner city kids ride from hidden ocean beaches up through steep coastal slopes forested in towering redwoods. "I liked being in a natural setting," one teenager says, "and I never thought I could make it up the slopes. But I did."
Twenty-one years ago, Marilyn Price rode up the high slopes of Mount Tamalpais and saw a view that inspired her. Marilyn's inspiration has, in turn, inspired hundreds of volunteers to join her cause - fifty-seven TFK chapters have since formed across the United States. Through her program, over thirty-eight thousand inner city children nationwide have explored a world once closed off to them: a place in nature far away from the confines of the street.
To learn more about Marilyn Price and her cause, and how you can make a difference, please visit: www.tripsforkids.org.
There are many great nominees, but we think Marilyn is fantastic and has brought cycling to many more kids than you can count. Go on…no signing up, just a little check mark. It’s so easy!! Vote for Marilyn and Trips for Kids! I did.
Go Marilyn!
"Protecting our kids. Helping our neighbors. Saving our earth. This is what heroes do, the real-life heroes we honor each year through the Volvo for life Awards. Since 2002, Volvo has given these heroes nearly $5 million in funding and awards to help them continue their extraordinary work on behalf of their communities."
There are 4 categories (Safety, Quality, Environment and Butterfly) and multiple nominees in each category. Each winner from the Safety, Quality and Environment category wins $100,000! The Butterfly winner gets $25,000 and the grand prize winner gets the money and a Volvo for life. The breakdown is here.
Online voting has been open since November, but it closes at noon on Monday, January 7th. Why am I telling you this? Because we know one of the very cool nominees, Ms. Marilyn Price, the founder of Trips for Kids. She has been nominated in the Quality category.
I’m hoping that they don’t mind, but I’m going to past Marilyn’s nomination bio here so you’ll see why we all think she’s so worthy of this award:
As a young bicycle enthusiast in the mid-1980s, Marilyn Price often pedaled up the redwood-forested slopes of Mount Tamalpais across the Golden Gate Bridge. On one afternoon excursion, she stopped to look out over Tamalpais' sweeping view. Taking in San Francisco, its deep, blue bay, and the Pacific Ocean beyond, the mountain's panorama inspired in her a sense of so many paths not yet taken. She remembered the disadvantaged children whom she served when volunteering at St. Anthony's Dining Room in the heart of the city. It was from the mountain's view of a larger world that Marilyn's vision of Trips For Kids (TFK) began to take shape.
A single mother with two children, Marilyn began TFK on a simple hope and ten donated mountain bikes. But she persevered in her belief that getting inner-city youth bicycling outdoors would connect them with nature, provide exercise, and steer them away from trouble. The program has ensured that more than thirteen thousand disadvantaged children from the San Francisco Bay Area have experienced the natural world from the seat of a mountain bike. The program also teaches bicycle and computer repair work at the TFK warehouse. Through their apprenticeships, participants earn credits toward purchasing their own mountain bikes and computers.
The original program still brings inner city youth from San Francisco to bucolic Marin County to mountain bike the county's expansive countryside. "Many of these kids have never been out of a concrete setting," Marilyn notes, "and never hiked on a mountain, and never seen a deer." The typical outing begins at TFK's San Raphael warehouse, where the staff outfits the young riders for the trip. Next, the staff teams each youngster with a mentor - an experienced mountain biker who will accompany them for the duration of the trek. Together, the group sets out for Marin's lush terrain. Here, inner city kids ride from hidden ocean beaches up through steep coastal slopes forested in towering redwoods. "I liked being in a natural setting," one teenager says, "and I never thought I could make it up the slopes. But I did."
Twenty-one years ago, Marilyn Price rode up the high slopes of Mount Tamalpais and saw a view that inspired her. Marilyn's inspiration has, in turn, inspired hundreds of volunteers to join her cause - fifty-seven TFK chapters have since formed across the United States. Through her program, over thirty-eight thousand inner city children nationwide have explored a world once closed off to them: a place in nature far away from the confines of the street.
To learn more about Marilyn Price and her cause, and how you can make a difference, please visit: www.tripsforkids.org.
There are many great nominees, but we think Marilyn is fantastic and has brought cycling to many more kids than you can count. Go on…no signing up, just a little check mark. It’s so easy!! Vote for Marilyn and Trips for Kids! I did.
Go Marilyn!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Hello Korea!
You can find Kryptonite security products in many different countries around the world - something like 50+ countries. That's a lot. But, we aren't in every country...yet. We're working on it!
Part of our expansion has taken us into Korea. We've just signed up two new distributors there - BikeMart is the one that is carrying some of our powersports products. Although I don't read Korean...don't speak it either...I just went to their site, found a blank box in the top right corner, assumed it was a search box, typed in "Kryptonite" and viola! There we were.
Part of our expansion has taken us into Korea. We've just signed up two new distributors there - BikeMart is the one that is carrying some of our powersports products. Although I don't read Korean...don't speak it either...I just went to their site, found a blank box in the top right corner, assumed it was a search box, typed in "Kryptonite" and viola! There we were.
It's kind of fun to see "Kryptonite" translated to Korean. And, Evolution series 4 as well.
On the bicycle side, Bikesell has come on board. I thought their site would be even easier to navigate because they have some English words on the home page, but apparently not. I think the issue is that you need a password (their dealers have them, I'm sure) before you can view things. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it (could also have something to do with the above mentioned...I don't read Korean). I'm sure it is all me, by the way.
But, I did find this page where I can see the Evolution series 4 U-lock. Cool!
We are working on getting their info on our main website, but for now, if you are in Korea (and I know some of you readers are!) and interested in getting Kryptonite, go to one of these websites and they'll be able to help you out.
Welcome to the Kryptonite team, Bikemart and Bikesell! Glad to have you both on board.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Newest "Shop" in Texas
by Craig Glab, central regional manager
Holy smokes! The newest bicycle repair shop is in Wal-Mart. I went into this brand new Texas store, which happens to be in my region, last week and ran into some folks that looked like they were scouting the new store, too. I think they might have been from a big, red competitor.
The whole store was only open for a week when I went in. The bikes ranged from kids bikes at $65 to $1,800 for adult’s bikes. It was a clean, bright store and bike shop. The bike shop was in the back corner and the signage was pretty good.
During my scouting, I snapped a couple of photos.
The whole store was only open for a week when I went in. The bikes ranged from kids bikes at $65 to $1,800 for adult’s bikes. It was a clean, bright store and bike shop. The bike shop was in the back corner and the signage was pretty good.
During my scouting, I snapped a couple of photos.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Check out the new faces on Kryptonitelock.com
So, we made a pretty significant change to the Kryptonite website this week. We changed the home page to show 4 different people and hear, in their words, why they are bonded to their lifestyle. We’d like to thank Tim Masiguy Jackson for being the official greeter to the site for so long as well as Jody Perewitz, Kate Cross and Rob Zuraski for being the illustrious first group on the site. But, when we debuted the site it was with the understanding that the group on the front would be ever changing every 6-8 weeks or so. Ok, so it’s more than 6 weeks since April, but hey, we finally got there.
We’re pumped to have this next group of folks on our site. They represent Kryptonite through either their employment here or their great partnership with us. Not to mention they are darn cool people. Here’s a little more on each of them.
The Bike Tab
Roland Burns is the co-founder/owner of R.E.Load Bags in Philly. Have you seen the exquisite custom bags that come out of there? No? Go look. Right now. I’ll wait…..Did you check out the custom stock? No? Seriously, these are some kick *ss bags. Go back…I’ll wait….
Not only does Roland create art, he’s also a blogger. Check it out – he puts up some photos of the total custom bags there. Sweet!
Ro organizes messenger races in Philly, too, and he couldn’t be nicer to work with- The Rocky races, North American Championships and a bunch others I’m sure I don’t know about. He’s a man on the move – all the time. But, he did slow down long enough to come visit the booth at Interbike where he and his friends got a sneak peek at his new page. I think it’s great that he’ll be the welcoming face to Kryptonite for the next couple of months.
The Motorcycle Tab
Jeff Clark’s from North Carolina and is the co-founder/owner of The Cycle Xchange (TCX), a custom motorcycle shop. They both build and service all kinds of custom bikes – one of which you see on the front of our website. Jeff is also the driver of the TCX/Budweiser Burnout Bike. It’s a TCX built bike that has a NASCAR back tire that they do burnouts with…and then the crew changes the tire and Jeff goes at it again. It’s kinda fun to watch. Check it out.
Not only does he put in more than a full week at The Cycle Xchange, but he’s a pretty busy guy on the weekends, too. He’s a proud dad of very active kids who are off at one sporting event or another and then on Sundays it’s all about racing. Not in front of the TV or in the stands like you and me….he’s a member of Dale Earnhardt Junior’s pit crew! He’s the guy that keeps Dale Junior fueled up during the race. You can see Jeff, Dale Junior and Brandon Bernstein together in this new video from Sturgis this year.
The Ski/Snowboard Tab
Chances are that if you have visited Perewitz Cycle Fab you’ve met Kory Souza. If you’ve brought your motorcycle in for service, he’s worked on it and ‘made it all better’, I’m sure. He’s the behind the scenes guy that gets it done. He works hard on all the motorcycles that come in, he loads and unloads the haulers going to the shows and he’s part of the road crew that makes sure all those gorgeous bikes get where they are going safely.
When he’s not in the shop, you can find Kory racing around on one of his “50s”, mini bike. I’ve seen the impromptu races in the parking lot on a slow day, which are too fun. Last year he organized an inside 50s bike race inside at a local go-kart track. All the proceeds went to the National MS Society. Kory has a heart of gold for sure.
With all this powersports action, why the ski/snowboard tab? Easy….it's hard to keep any action sports person quiet for too long. When there’s too much snow on the ground to ride motorcycles, Kory heads for New Hampshire to snowboard, of course. He's equally as passionate about that.
Specialty Tab
Eric Anastasia is truly a member of Team Kryptonite. He’s our Eastern Regional Manager and resident hiking and climbing nut. All of that gear that you see in the photo isn’t staged or borrowed; it’s all his. The guy has toys – something tells me that this isn’t all the gear either. It’s just a feeling I have. And, I’m not talking about the motorcycle either (yup, he’s got one of those, too).
If you are on the East Coast and own a bicycle or powersports shop or frequent one, chances are you'll meet Eric.
Thanks to all of these guys for participating in the fun. Now, if you haven't been over to the site, go check it out and read, in their own words, why they have an unbreakable bond to these sports.
We’re pumped to have this next group of folks on our site. They represent Kryptonite through either their employment here or their great partnership with us. Not to mention they are darn cool people. Here’s a little more on each of them.
The Bike Tab
Roland Burns is the co-founder/owner of R.E.Load Bags in Philly. Have you seen the exquisite custom bags that come out of there? No? Go look. Right now. I’ll wait…..Did you check out the custom stock? No? Seriously, these are some kick *ss bags. Go back…I’ll wait….
Roland with his custom Bilenky and one of his custom bags
Out and about in Philly
Ro organizes messenger races in Philly, too, and he couldn’t be nicer to work with- The Rocky races, North American Championships and a bunch others I’m sure I don’t know about. He’s a man on the move – all the time. But, he did slow down long enough to come visit the booth at Interbike where he and his friends got a sneak peek at his new page. I think it’s great that he’ll be the welcoming face to Kryptonite for the next couple of months.
The Motorcycle Tab
Jeff Clark’s from North Carolina and is the co-founder/owner of The Cycle Xchange (TCX), a custom motorcycle shop. They both build and service all kinds of custom bikes – one of which you see on the front of our website. Jeff is also the driver of the TCX/Budweiser Burnout Bike. It’s a TCX built bike that has a NASCAR back tire that they do burnouts with…and then the crew changes the tire and Jeff goes at it again. It’s kinda fun to watch. Check it out.
Jeff at TCX in January when I had a chance to hang out with him for a bit.
Not only does he put in more than a full week at The Cycle Xchange, but he’s a pretty busy guy on the weekends, too. He’s a proud dad of very active kids who are off at one sporting event or another and then on Sundays it’s all about racing. Not in front of the TV or in the stands like you and me….he’s a member of Dale Earnhardt Junior’s pit crew! He’s the guy that keeps Dale Junior fueled up during the race. You can see Jeff, Dale Junior and Brandon Bernstein together in this new video from Sturgis this year.
The TCX showroom. To see more, hit their MySpace page
The Ski/Snowboard Tab
Chances are that if you have visited Perewitz Cycle Fab you’ve met Kory Souza. If you’ve brought your motorcycle in for service, he’s worked on it and ‘made it all better’, I’m sure. He’s the behind the scenes guy that gets it done. He works hard on all the motorcycles that come in, he loads and unloads the haulers going to the shows and he’s part of the road crew that makes sure all those gorgeous bikes get where they are going safely.
Kory racin' to the max
When he’s not in the shop, you can find Kory racing around on one of his “50s”, mini bike. I’ve seen the impromptu races in the parking lot on a slow day, which are too fun. Last year he organized an inside 50s bike race inside at a local go-kart track. All the proceeds went to the National MS Society. Kory has a heart of gold for sure.
Getting ready to ride
With all this powersports action, why the ski/snowboard tab? Easy….it's hard to keep any action sports person quiet for too long. When there’s too much snow on the ground to ride motorcycles, Kory heads for New Hampshire to snowboard, of course. He's equally as passionate about that.
Specialty Tab
Eric Anastasia is truly a member of Team Kryptonite. He’s our Eastern Regional Manager and resident hiking and climbing nut. All of that gear that you see in the photo isn’t staged or borrowed; it’s all his. The guy has toys – something tells me that this isn’t all the gear either. It’s just a feeling I have. And, I’m not talking about the motorcycle either (yup, he’s got one of those, too).
Eric hanging out in the mountains of New Hampshire
Eric started in the marketing department here, but recently "defected" to sales. We tease him about that all the time, but it’s been a great move for him and he’s good at what he does. I think he likes traveling around the East Coast to find more places to hike and camp…just a theory.
If you are on the East Coast and own a bicycle or powersports shop or frequent one, chances are you'll meet Eric.
Thanks to all of these guys for participating in the fun. Now, if you haven't been over to the site, go check it out and read, in their own words, why they have an unbreakable bond to these sports.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
A Parent's Dilemma - Tricycle or Push Bike?
by Alison Donlan, Category Manager
It all started about a month ago when my husband, my 2 year old son and I went to my brother-in-law's for a cookout. (I should mention my brother-in-law has 3 children 3 1/2, 5 and 7.) My son, whom I will lovingly refer to as "my short friend", got out of the car and his eyes popped out of his head when he saw all of the bikes and tricycles in the driveway. He made a b-line for the largest bike (the tire about his height) and attempted to get on. While I encourage my short friend to do challenging things, I was not up for a trip to the hospital so I re-directed him to a tricycle that looked a little more his speed.
He was enjoying himself on said tricycle when his cousins appeared with bicycle helmets on, jumped on their bikes and stared riding. Crisis. "Bike hat! Bike hat," my short friend exclaimed pointing furiously to his head. Thank goodness for sister-in-laws because mine came out of the house with an extra "bike hat" for my short friend. For the remainder of the day my short friend pushed himself around on the tricycle, proudly donning his new bike hat, pink flowers and all. It was very amusing and heart warming to watch.
On the way home that night (short friend asleep with newly acquired bike hat in hand) my husband and I decided it was time to procure a tricycle - or a push bike. Dilemma. Do we buy a push bike or a tricycle? It seems like the push bike is very logical for many reasons. However, are we going to deny our short friend the childhood joy of a tricycle if we buy a push bike? Will he turn 18 and revolt against us because he didn't have a tricycle? I suppose only time will tell...
It all started about a month ago when my husband, my 2 year old son and I went to my brother-in-law's for a cookout. (I should mention my brother-in-law has 3 children 3 1/2, 5 and 7.) My son, whom I will lovingly refer to as "my short friend", got out of the car and his eyes popped out of his head when he saw all of the bikes and tricycles in the driveway. He made a b-line for the largest bike (the tire about his height) and attempted to get on. While I encourage my short friend to do challenging things, I was not up for a trip to the hospital so I re-directed him to a tricycle that looked a little more his speed.
He was enjoying himself on said tricycle when his cousins appeared with bicycle helmets on, jumped on their bikes and stared riding. Crisis. "Bike hat! Bike hat," my short friend exclaimed pointing furiously to his head. Thank goodness for sister-in-laws because mine came out of the house with an extra "bike hat" for my short friend. For the remainder of the day my short friend pushed himself around on the tricycle, proudly donning his new bike hat, pink flowers and all. It was very amusing and heart warming to watch.
On the way home that night (short friend asleep with newly acquired bike hat in hand) my husband and I decided it was time to procure a tricycle - or a push bike. Dilemma. Do we buy a push bike or a tricycle? It seems like the push bike is very logical for many reasons. However, are we going to deny our short friend the childhood joy of a tricycle if we buy a push bike? Will he turn 18 and revolt against us because he didn't have a tricycle? I suppose only time will tell...
Thursday, September 06, 2007
A Family Ride
by Don Warren, Kryptonite Category Manager
We had planned on doing a ride on the holiday weekend and my wife came up with the idea of going on the Minuteman Bikeway trail that goes from Bedford to Cambridge MA. So we gathered the 4 bikes, made sure we filled the tires with Air, wiped the cobwebs off my wife’s and mine frame. We didn’t have a rack for the 4 bikes, but its amazing what these minivans can hold and so all fit in the back with room to spare. Then we needed to find our helmets – it’s been awhile. Kids were no problem to find as we always have them ride with one no matter, but ours took a little more searching. Now we were ready. We loaded the kids into the mini-van and we were on our way. It was about a 25 minute drive to get there from our house.
We all got out our stuff and made sure we had water bottle filled because it was a warmer day. The kids had fanny packs to put their water in because their bikes are too small for water bottle brackets. My youngest daughter, Erin (5), has a 16” bike she got from Big Sis, but we added training wheels with some “bling”. My oldest, Katie, is 10 and has a 20” bike. Since the last time I watched her ride, I found I needed to raise the seat an inch! The kids do a lot of riding around our neighborhood but were on a busy street so they don’t get to do longer rides. This summer we just didn’t get a chance to do a lot of trekking out together because we are usually so busy as a family, going in different directions, like most families. Where did this summer go??
The trail is an old railway line that has been converted with very smooth pavement. Yellow stripe in the middle separated the path. It was busy that day – we met up with other cyclists and some inline skaters along the way. During the ride, we taught the kids to stay to the right and when you are passing someone you pass to the left and tell people your doing so no one gets jolted. My youngest decided at one point to just stop – but didn’t let anyone know she was going to stop. X&*#$, boy there were some fast stops behind her.
As the trail winds down there would be a few traffic lights or stop signs where the trail crosses roads, we used those as stopping points for water bottle breaks and getting our bearings. Our goal was to search for the ice cream place that used to be along the trail. This is what drove the kids, so we went through Lexington – the historic town green area where the British battle occurred so many years ago – and watched a lot of other bikers taking a break on the green with us. We thought the ice cream place was there….but it wasn’t. After a short rest we continued on towards Cambridge in search for soft serve gold.
We kept at our pace which to my surprise had seen Erin keeping up with riders that were older. Fun to see her spinning the cranks so fast while being kept upright by the outriggers – One incident to report was when Erin ran off the road one time while riding too close to the dirt edge (tricky training wheels) kinda like a Paris-Roubaix hazzard, and scraped her knee a little bit, but she got back on after a little touch-up. As we continued along Katie and I decided we were getting a little sore from our hard saddles – about 5 miles down. Mom had the nice Sport Gel seat and was doing fine. Erin still was keeping up the whole way – no need to pull her along thank goodness and not sure she would care if your saddle was to firm! Alas we got to a point in the ride that we decided that ice cream wasn’t looking like it was very close so we decided to turn around and start our journey backwards since we had to go the same distance back to the car.
Along the way we met other kids, bikes and trailers and a couple of people who had small dogs in their backpacks as they were riding. The kids enjoyed that and it made their ride a little more enjoyable when they got to pet the dogs. Back through Lexington…I realized I needed to stand up off the saddle a little bit more and crank the peddles this way so the insuing pain didn’t hurt quite as much. I know I looked forward to the ‘finish line’ aka the car but the kids didn’t seem to mind as much. They had a bit of the energizer bunny in them. We still told them we going for the gold.
Some enterprising kids had a stand along the trail where we stopped paid a buck and had 2 cups of lemonade for the kids. It was interesting to see that the entrepreneurs were even recycling the cups!
Got back to the car and the car seat never felt so comfortable; I didn’t remember the van seat being that comfy before.
On our journey back I took the opportunity from there to take the kids on a magical mystery tour and show them areas of Concord and Lincoln that were also a big part of the American revolution. We even went by Walden Pond, too.
As our prize, we found a place called Dairy Joy in Weston that gave us what we were really looking forward to – ice cream! When we got home we realized it was a lot of fun and we should do it a more often, but with saddles that are more comfortable. We’ll be doing that soon so we can get out on the trail again very soon!
We had planned on doing a ride on the holiday weekend and my wife came up with the idea of going on the Minuteman Bikeway trail that goes from Bedford to Cambridge MA. So we gathered the 4 bikes, made sure we filled the tires with Air, wiped the cobwebs off my wife’s and mine frame. We didn’t have a rack for the 4 bikes, but its amazing what these minivans can hold and so all fit in the back with room to spare. Then we needed to find our helmets – it’s been awhile. Kids were no problem to find as we always have them ride with one no matter, but ours took a little more searching. Now we were ready. We loaded the kids into the mini-van and we were on our way. It was about a 25 minute drive to get there from our house.
We all got out our stuff and made sure we had water bottle filled because it was a warmer day. The kids had fanny packs to put their water in because their bikes are too small for water bottle brackets. My youngest daughter, Erin (5), has a 16” bike she got from Big Sis, but we added training wheels with some “bling”. My oldest, Katie, is 10 and has a 20” bike. Since the last time I watched her ride, I found I needed to raise the seat an inch! The kids do a lot of riding around our neighborhood but were on a busy street so they don’t get to do longer rides. This summer we just didn’t get a chance to do a lot of trekking out together because we are usually so busy as a family, going in different directions, like most families. Where did this summer go??
The trail is an old railway line that has been converted with very smooth pavement. Yellow stripe in the middle separated the path. It was busy that day – we met up with other cyclists and some inline skaters along the way. During the ride, we taught the kids to stay to the right and when you are passing someone you pass to the left and tell people your doing so no one gets jolted. My youngest decided at one point to just stop – but didn’t let anyone know she was going to stop. X&*#$, boy there were some fast stops behind her.
As the trail winds down there would be a few traffic lights or stop signs where the trail crosses roads, we used those as stopping points for water bottle breaks and getting our bearings. Our goal was to search for the ice cream place that used to be along the trail. This is what drove the kids, so we went through Lexington – the historic town green area where the British battle occurred so many years ago – and watched a lot of other bikers taking a break on the green with us. We thought the ice cream place was there….but it wasn’t. After a short rest we continued on towards Cambridge in search for soft serve gold.
We kept at our pace which to my surprise had seen Erin keeping up with riders that were older. Fun to see her spinning the cranks so fast while being kept upright by the outriggers – One incident to report was when Erin ran off the road one time while riding too close to the dirt edge (tricky training wheels) kinda like a Paris-Roubaix hazzard, and scraped her knee a little bit, but she got back on after a little touch-up. As we continued along Katie and I decided we were getting a little sore from our hard saddles – about 5 miles down. Mom had the nice Sport Gel seat and was doing fine. Erin still was keeping up the whole way – no need to pull her along thank goodness and not sure she would care if your saddle was to firm! Alas we got to a point in the ride that we decided that ice cream wasn’t looking like it was very close so we decided to turn around and start our journey backwards since we had to go the same distance back to the car.
Along the way we met other kids, bikes and trailers and a couple of people who had small dogs in their backpacks as they were riding. The kids enjoyed that and it made their ride a little more enjoyable when they got to pet the dogs. Back through Lexington…I realized I needed to stand up off the saddle a little bit more and crank the peddles this way so the insuing pain didn’t hurt quite as much. I know I looked forward to the ‘finish line’ aka the car but the kids didn’t seem to mind as much. They had a bit of the energizer bunny in them. We still told them we going for the gold.
Some enterprising kids had a stand along the trail where we stopped paid a buck and had 2 cups of lemonade for the kids. It was interesting to see that the entrepreneurs were even recycling the cups!
Got back to the car and the car seat never felt so comfortable; I didn’t remember the van seat being that comfy before.
On our journey back I took the opportunity from there to take the kids on a magical mystery tour and show them areas of Concord and Lincoln that were also a big part of the American revolution. We even went by Walden Pond, too.
As our prize, we found a place called Dairy Joy in Weston that gave us what we were really looking forward to – ice cream! When we got home we realized it was a lot of fun and we should do it a more often, but with saddles that are more comfortable. We’ll be doing that soon so we can get out on the trail again very soon!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
A Small Town Holiday
Today Tim Clifford shares his 4th of July holiday and observations of the kids and their bikes in his town.
So I live in a small New England college town right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. On the fourth of July my wife and I, with coffee in hand, wander 100 yards up the street to the center of town to the large rotary (or round-a-bout for those of you in the UK ). There we stand with the 2,000 other “townies” to watch the parade come through. Since college is on break for the summer, the majority of bikes we see at this event are with younger children. Actually most of the bikes were parked (unlocked) and the kids were off watching the parade.
Since I’m overly protective of what’s mine, I expect everyone should be overly protective of what’s theirs, and kids should learn this at a young age. I mentioned to my wife “these bikes must have been abandoned, and obviously they are now looking for a good home.” Of course she didn’t see the humor in my remark and abruptly told me NO, like I was a dog on a choke chain.
But it got the salesman in me wondering….why don’t kids, and for that matter, a lot of adults, lock their bikes? Is it true that most people only think about theft after something of theirs has been stolen? For many people their bike is their mode of transportation and I expect there is a larger percentage of that group that locks them up. But for the recreational user I can’t imagine coming out of the Seven Eleven and finding my bike stolen. The stroll home would truly be the walk of shame. I hope kids and adults don’t take crime too lightly and realize that as much as you love your bike, someone else wants to love it just as much. Keep it locked.
So, later that night my wife I walk to the end of driveway where we can see the fireworks exploding about a quarter mile away. It’s raining a little and the show seems to be somewhat shorter than previous years. Fine by me, since standing under an umbrella being chowed by mosquitoes is not my idea of fun. Off we go, back in the house and awhile later we go to bed.
At 11:30pm we’re now asleep, only to we awaken by a loud explosion. Being overly protective of what’s mine, I shot out of bed, cat flying through the air to see what happened. The fireworks were starting again !! Hours had gone by, everyone had gone home and now they were starting again!! As I mentioned, I’m overprotective of my things and sleep is one of them. As I was tripping over the second cat heading for the phone to call the fire department and complain my wife, once again, intervened and told me not to be that guy. You know, the miserable old guy (or lady) in the neighborhood that complains about everything. With that I tried to go back to sleep with what sounded like the invasion at Normandy happening down the street.
On my way to work the next morning, one eye closed as I tried to catch up on my lost sleep, I noticed the “abandoned” bikes in the center of town were gone. I hope all went home with their original owners.
- Tim Clifford
So I live in a small New England college town right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. On the fourth of July my wife and I, with coffee in hand, wander 100 yards up the street to the center of town to the large rotary (or round-a-bout for those of you in the UK ). There we stand with the 2,000 other “townies” to watch the parade come through. Since college is on break for the summer, the majority of bikes we see at this event are with younger children. Actually most of the bikes were parked (unlocked) and the kids were off watching the parade.
Since I’m overly protective of what’s mine, I expect everyone should be overly protective of what’s theirs, and kids should learn this at a young age. I mentioned to my wife “these bikes must have been abandoned, and obviously they are now looking for a good home.” Of course she didn’t see the humor in my remark and abruptly told me NO, like I was a dog on a choke chain.
But it got the salesman in me wondering….why don’t kids, and for that matter, a lot of adults, lock their bikes? Is it true that most people only think about theft after something of theirs has been stolen? For many people their bike is their mode of transportation and I expect there is a larger percentage of that group that locks them up. But for the recreational user I can’t imagine coming out of the Seven Eleven and finding my bike stolen. The stroll home would truly be the walk of shame. I hope kids and adults don’t take crime too lightly and realize that as much as you love your bike, someone else wants to love it just as much. Keep it locked.
So, later that night my wife I walk to the end of driveway where we can see the fireworks exploding about a quarter mile away. It’s raining a little and the show seems to be somewhat shorter than previous years. Fine by me, since standing under an umbrella being chowed by mosquitoes is not my idea of fun. Off we go, back in the house and awhile later we go to bed.
At 11:30pm we’re now asleep, only to we awaken by a loud explosion. Being overly protective of what’s mine, I shot out of bed, cat flying through the air to see what happened. The fireworks were starting again !! Hours had gone by, everyone had gone home and now they were starting again!! As I mentioned, I’m overprotective of my things and sleep is one of them. As I was tripping over the second cat heading for the phone to call the fire department and complain my wife, once again, intervened and told me not to be that guy. You know, the miserable old guy (or lady) in the neighborhood that complains about everything. With that I tried to go back to sleep with what sounded like the invasion at Normandy happening down the street.
On my way to work the next morning, one eye closed as I tried to catch up on my lost sleep, I noticed the “abandoned” bikes in the center of town were gone. I hope all went home with their original owners.
- Tim Clifford
Monday, June 25, 2007
Le Tour on YouTube
I have a conflict with the Tour de France this year. I guess I did last year, too, with all the scandal and some of the comments coming out of the event organization about it all. So much so that I found myself not wanting to watch Le Tour at all. Basically, I've been sticking my head in the sand about pro cycling all spring. I haven't followed it at all. I've been focusing more on grassroots events and promotions here and how we can help communities encourage cycling. No pro stuff at all.
It works for me, until I talk with our friend Bob Roll. And then I can't help myself....I find myself asking questions about who is on the starting lists....who looks good this spring (because I haven't been watching)...and the route...and I find myself getting a little interested. I vow to myself that I'll watch a couple of nights just because it's Bob. Not for the race, but to hear what Bob and his cohorts are saying. That's all. I'm not interested. Really. I'm not.
But, I find that I can't help it. I'm counting the calendar days until the 7th. I'm reading cyclingnews.com and velonews.com every morning now. And, this morning I broke down and visited Le Tour's official website. Know what I found there? They have partnered with YouTube. There are videos - 9 so far. They show clips from past Tours. They are obviously intended to show the wonderful side of Le Tour to get people interested again after so much scandal. To remind people of the wonder of it all; why they might want to tune in again this year even with the upheaval.
It worked for me. I found myself watching the 2003 and 2004 videos and remembering it all like it was yesterday (Tyler's broken collarbone and stage win, Lance going cyclocross, great sprint finishes and mountain battles). But, there are shots there that I don't ever remember seeing before. Behind the scenes, kids and more kids, spectacular scenery, amazing camera angles, the emotion, the mountain battles and even cows. Yes, cows (watch the 2004 video).
So, yes, I will watch again this year. As much for the spectacle as for the athletic abilities displayed. I'll want to hear what Bob is saying - he'll teach me a few things and I know he'll make me laugh. But, I need to get up to speed pretty quickly, right? I haven't been following along at all. I know what I'll be doing nights for the next couple of weeks....
Who is your pick? Is it too early for all that? I think I'll go with Vinokourov. He was my pick for a podium finish last year but couldn't compete because too many members of his team were on that stupid list. Don't get me started on that, again.
So, the Tour Day France is coming. It will start in London this year and I'm not sure there is a clear cut favorite, but it will still have fabulous scenery and great mountain battles. It might just be something to watch.
It works for me, until I talk with our friend Bob Roll. And then I can't help myself....I find myself asking questions about who is on the starting lists....who looks good this spring (because I haven't been watching)...and the route...and I find myself getting a little interested. I vow to myself that I'll watch a couple of nights just because it's Bob. Not for the race, but to hear what Bob and his cohorts are saying. That's all. I'm not interested. Really. I'm not.
But, I find that I can't help it. I'm counting the calendar days until the 7th. I'm reading cyclingnews.com and velonews.com every morning now. And, this morning I broke down and visited Le Tour's official website. Know what I found there? They have partnered with YouTube. There are videos - 9 so far. They show clips from past Tours. They are obviously intended to show the wonderful side of Le Tour to get people interested again after so much scandal. To remind people of the wonder of it all; why they might want to tune in again this year even with the upheaval.
It worked for me. I found myself watching the 2003 and 2004 videos and remembering it all like it was yesterday (Tyler's broken collarbone and stage win, Lance going cyclocross, great sprint finishes and mountain battles). But, there are shots there that I don't ever remember seeing before. Behind the scenes, kids and more kids, spectacular scenery, amazing camera angles, the emotion, the mountain battles and even cows. Yes, cows (watch the 2004 video).
So, yes, I will watch again this year. As much for the spectacle as for the athletic abilities displayed. I'll want to hear what Bob is saying - he'll teach me a few things and I know he'll make me laugh. But, I need to get up to speed pretty quickly, right? I haven't been following along at all. I know what I'll be doing nights for the next couple of weeks....
Who is your pick? Is it too early for all that? I think I'll go with Vinokourov. He was my pick for a podium finish last year but couldn't compete because too many members of his team were on that stupid list. Don't get me started on that, again.
So, the Tour Day France is coming. It will start in London this year and I'm not sure there is a clear cut favorite, but it will still have fabulous scenery and great mountain battles. It might just be something to watch.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Tony Hawk Bike Line Announced
Ok, maybe that is a fantasy, but I'd like to think so. More kids on bikes is better for their health and for the environment, especially if they get hooked and continue to keep riding their bikes throughout their life.
Apparently, there will be two lines of bikes - the Tony Hawk Huckjam bikes will be in mass market stores and the Tony Hawk Signature Series will be in independent bike shops. Those of us in the bike industry will get to see all the bikes at the Interbike trade show in September. Photos will abound, I'm sure.
Congrats, Tony Hawk! I wish you great success with this new venture!
Thanks to both BikeBiz and Bicycle Retailer for pointing me to this news.
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