Even at this time of year, almost every time I go out, I see someone on a bike. I’m sure most of the ones I see simply need that bike to get wherever they are going. But still, in a way I envy them.
I’m really not much of a winter cyclist. I’m not that much of a winter outdoorsman at all. There is something about stepping out into that cold air and feeling the chill immediately sink deep into my bones that sends me back indoors as quickly as possible. The strange thing is though; I’ve learned through the years that if I dress properly, that deep chill only lasts as long as it takes to generate some body heat by becoming active. Most of the experience has come from cutting and splitting firewood. It really doesn’t take long to get warmed up doing that! Cycling is a little more difficult because you have to combat the air movement that wants to strip any generated body heat away from you. Something that stops the wind (I actually use a plastic rain jacket when I go out in the cold) is a must.
Back to the envy part. Since I don’t have to go out and ride my bike, I most often don’t in the winter. The thought of that initial cold blast of air sends me back inside to the stationary bike or rollers. Maybe a good dose of “need” would get me out there more often in the winter.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Milestones
Much as physical milestones represent the passage of miles on the road, in the more abstract form, milestones also represent the passage of events in life.
Graduation from high school, the birth of a child, marriage, a much anticipated promotion. All milestones that measure some kind of transition from one part of life to another. Then, for many people at work, there are the dreaded milestones on a schedule that represent the unrelenting workload ahead. And heaven forbid that we should start to fall behind schedule because the usual result is that we implement a set of INCH-stones so that we can be measured closer and more often. More stress; more overtime, but yet again, more opportunity for advancement.
Then, of course, there are milestones that represent personal achievements. I can remember the first time I did a half century. When I set out for a ride, my intended route was nowhere near 50 miles. My previous longest ride had been around 35 miles a couple weeks before. While on the ride, I decided to check out a road I hadn’t been on before. The road was flat; and with a slight wind at my back, before I knew it I was all the way to the thriving metropolis of Speedsville, over 25 miles from home. Still feeling strong, I turned for home and encountered the effects Zephyrus, the Greek god of wind, directly in my face. Mind you, there have been plenty of times when I’ve ridden a bike in the wind, but this was my first experience with having to pile up 5, 10, 15, 20 miles with the wind seemingly sapping every ounce of energy I had, just to get home. It seemed to take all my strength just to maintain enough forward speed to stay up. My neck began to ache and my hands began to go numb. I reached for my cell phone, seriously considering giving up and calling my wife to come rescue me but damn; no signal. I pedaled on, realizing that besides the wind, no matter where I ride from where I live, I always have to climb a hill to get back into the valley. I had 3 ways to choose to get back home. The first way was like the North Face; it was the shortest route, but I had never attempted the long steep climb before. The easiest climb was also the farthest away, it would have added at least another 5 miles to my ride and I was already in severe pain and nearing exhaustion. I chose an intermediate route, the climb of which had nearly killed me on an earlier ride. With this memory weighing on my mind, I pushed myself as hard as I could. Finally, I crested the hill just as my odometer clicked through 50 miles. Somehow the pain and discouragement left as I felt the rush of achieving what, to me, was a major milestone.
Most of the above are “significant” milestones of one type or another, but we shouldn’t forget the simpler and sometimes just as rewarding ones. For example; a seemingly insignificant event this week triggered this blog post. For the first time since the Southern Tier Bike Project website has been up, I was made aware that someone that I did not personally lead there had been found the site and was interested enough to sign up for the Newsletter.
Milestones, large or small, are what give our life pace, they measure events large and small. Savor each and every one.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Who Needs a Bike Anyhow?
When I first started this project, I was thinking of the kids. Kids who had a bike, but it just fell apart. Kids who's friends were tooling around the neighborhood on their bikes leaving them behind. Kids who went to Walmart longing to have a bike on the rack, but their parents couldn't afford the $50-$100 to get even a basic ride.
When my good friend Mary recently donated a beautiful, well maintained (though slightly dated) Trek road bike; I thought "What kid could use this?". That got me thinking about some things I have seen and the goals of the Southern Tier Bike Project.
The first thing I thought about was something I saw on a cold, slushy, miserable winter day last year. While driving down Hooper Rd in Endwell I saw a bearded, unkempt young man in a tattered coat riding down the road on a bike with a plastic Giant grocery bag dangling from the handlebars. I seriously doubt if that young man was on his bike to be "green", to make any kind of social statement or to maintain his level of fitness. That bike was his ONLY means of transportation to get to the grocery store. I want to emphasize that. For some people, a bicycle represents their means of transportation. It doesn't matter what the weather is like, if you have to go, you get on your bike.
Would Mary's sleek road bike with skinny 23c tires with no tread fulfill that kind of need? Probably not. But what about someone who could gain from the obvious health and fitness benefits of cycling, yet can't afford the $300 and up price tag to get into the sport. Should the emotional and physical well-being of a person be limited simply because they can't afford to get even an entry level bike? How many people in the Southern Tier have a need or desire to pound out endless miles across the scenic countryside, but just don't have the opportunty? Is there a budding Lance Armstrong out there who will never reach achieve their calling just because they don't have a way to get switched on? Because of Mary and the Southern Tier Bike Project, at least one person will have the opportunity to show their stuff.
Kids, transportation, fitness, you name it. There are many reasons why people "need" a bicycle. The Southern Tier Bike Project aims to put a serviceable bike into the hands of any man, woman or child who has a need, no matter what that need is. Your donations of bikes of any kind, parts or $$ to refurbish them are deeply appreciated.
When my good friend Mary recently donated a beautiful, well maintained (though slightly dated) Trek road bike; I thought "What kid could use this?". That got me thinking about some things I have seen and the goals of the Southern Tier Bike Project.
The first thing I thought about was something I saw on a cold, slushy, miserable winter day last year. While driving down Hooper Rd in Endwell I saw a bearded, unkempt young man in a tattered coat riding down the road on a bike with a plastic Giant grocery bag dangling from the handlebars. I seriously doubt if that young man was on his bike to be "green", to make any kind of social statement or to maintain his level of fitness. That bike was his ONLY means of transportation to get to the grocery store. I want to emphasize that. For some people, a bicycle represents their means of transportation. It doesn't matter what the weather is like, if you have to go, you get on your bike.
Would Mary's sleek road bike with skinny 23c tires with no tread fulfill that kind of need? Probably not. But what about someone who could gain from the obvious health and fitness benefits of cycling, yet can't afford the $300 and up price tag to get into the sport. Should the emotional and physical well-being of a person be limited simply because they can't afford to get even an entry level bike? How many people in the Southern Tier have a need or desire to pound out endless miles across the scenic countryside, but just don't have the opportunty? Is there a budding Lance Armstrong out there who will never reach achieve their calling just because they don't have a way to get switched on? Because of Mary and the Southern Tier Bike Project, at least one person will have the opportunity to show their stuff.
Kids, transportation, fitness, you name it. There are many reasons why people "need" a bicycle. The Southern Tier Bike Project aims to put a serviceable bike into the hands of any man, woman or child who has a need, no matter what that need is. Your donations of bikes of any kind, parts or $$ to refurbish them are deeply appreciated.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
A Little More About This Project
OK... After reading my initial post I can imagine some of you scratching your head and wondering what this is all about, so here's a little background.
I had been running for several years as a means to stay fit, but as my knees started to wear out about 7 or 8 years ago, I decided to try cycling. I dusted off an old mountain bike that I bought in England many years earlier and took a 2 mile ride, then a 3 mile ride, then 5, then 8. Between the hills on the country roads around Owego, the wide knobby mountain bike tires and my limited endurance, I was pretty much limited to 10 mile loops from my house. After several weeks, that got a bit boring and I wanted to go farther.
With some help and encouragement from a couple friends at work (thanks Dave and Mary), I decided to try a road bike. I captured a Cannondale R300 at a going-out-of-business sale at a shop in Binghamton. Being my first road bike, I really didn't know how to make sure it was the right size, even after taking a ride around the block before buying it. It was just so cool and the price was great; I had to have it! (I didn't even know how to work the quick release to get the front wheel off so it would fit in my trunk).
All was great until I hit my first 50 mile ride and I came back with numb hands and a stiff neck. A quick Google search convinced me that my seat position and stem length were wrong. That, my friends, is what got me started down the path of tinkering with bicycles. I managed to get that bike tweaked up and did a century (that's a 100 mile ride, for those who might not know) with no major pains except for a bit of a sore butt.
Since I got more serious about cycling, I've come to realize that, contrary to what you might think, the more you pay for a bike, the more maintenance (otherwise known as TLC) the bike needs. I've learned a lot about maintaining and repairing bikes by doing my own. As I've gotten more comfortable with it, I've even done some seasonal maintenance and repairs on some friends bikes (I work for beer by the way; just in case anyone is interested).
As my retirement approached, it occurred to me that I could put some of that experience to work and try to help some people less fortunate to me. Thus, the Southern Tier Bike Project was born.
My last day of "official" work is Tuesday October 20, 2009. With some time on my hands and some reasonable level of skill (I won't proclaim to be an "expert" yet), I've decided to try to help some people out in two major areas. First, I'll take on bikes that are just taking up space in someones garage, attic or basement. Second, I'll fix those bikes up and try to get them into the hands of people who may not be fortunate enough to be able to afford to buy one. This seems like a win, win, win situation to me. People with excess bikes get rid of them, people with a need for a bike get that need satisfied, and I have something useful to do to keep myself busy (particularly through the cold NY winter months).
Having said all that, I have no idea where this "PROJECT" will lead in the future. I purposely chose the name Southern Tier Bike Project because it does not imply that the currently stated purpose will be the purpose forever. One of the reasons I have looked forward to retirement is to be free from a pre-determined plan and schedule. I have no idea where this project will lead. It will grow, change or maybe even die. Regardless of where it goes those of us who have been involved in it will be better in some way because of it.
So come along for the ride. If you can contribute in some way, that's GREAT. If you're just interested in what we're up to, come back often and check us out. I'm hoping to cover a wide range of topics in this blog; I hope there will be something here to make your life better in some little way.
I had been running for several years as a means to stay fit, but as my knees started to wear out about 7 or 8 years ago, I decided to try cycling. I dusted off an old mountain bike that I bought in England many years earlier and took a 2 mile ride, then a 3 mile ride, then 5, then 8. Between the hills on the country roads around Owego, the wide knobby mountain bike tires and my limited endurance, I was pretty much limited to 10 mile loops from my house. After several weeks, that got a bit boring and I wanted to go farther.
With some help and encouragement from a couple friends at work (thanks Dave and Mary), I decided to try a road bike. I captured a Cannondale R300 at a going-out-of-business sale at a shop in Binghamton. Being my first road bike, I really didn't know how to make sure it was the right size, even after taking a ride around the block before buying it. It was just so cool and the price was great; I had to have it! (I didn't even know how to work the quick release to get the front wheel off so it would fit in my trunk).
All was great until I hit my first 50 mile ride and I came back with numb hands and a stiff neck. A quick Google search convinced me that my seat position and stem length were wrong. That, my friends, is what got me started down the path of tinkering with bicycles. I managed to get that bike tweaked up and did a century (that's a 100 mile ride, for those who might not know) with no major pains except for a bit of a sore butt.
Since I got more serious about cycling, I've come to realize that, contrary to what you might think, the more you pay for a bike, the more maintenance (otherwise known as TLC) the bike needs. I've learned a lot about maintaining and repairing bikes by doing my own. As I've gotten more comfortable with it, I've even done some seasonal maintenance and repairs on some friends bikes (I work for beer by the way; just in case anyone is interested).
As my retirement approached, it occurred to me that I could put some of that experience to work and try to help some people less fortunate to me. Thus, the Southern Tier Bike Project was born.
My last day of "official" work is Tuesday October 20, 2009. With some time on my hands and some reasonable level of skill (I won't proclaim to be an "expert" yet), I've decided to try to help some people out in two major areas. First, I'll take on bikes that are just taking up space in someones garage, attic or basement. Second, I'll fix those bikes up and try to get them into the hands of people who may not be fortunate enough to be able to afford to buy one. This seems like a win, win, win situation to me. People with excess bikes get rid of them, people with a need for a bike get that need satisfied, and I have something useful to do to keep myself busy (particularly through the cold NY winter months).
Having said all that, I have no idea where this "PROJECT" will lead in the future. I purposely chose the name Southern Tier Bike Project because it does not imply that the currently stated purpose will be the purpose forever. One of the reasons I have looked forward to retirement is to be free from a pre-determined plan and schedule. I have no idea where this project will lead. It will grow, change or maybe even die. Regardless of where it goes those of us who have been involved in it will be better in some way because of it.
So come along for the ride. If you can contribute in some way, that's GREAT. If you're just interested in what we're up to, come back often and check us out. I'm hoping to cover a wide range of topics in this blog; I hope there will be something here to make your life better in some little way.
Monday, October 12, 2009
We're almost live!!
With each passing day (well, maybe week or fortnight) the Southern Tier Bike Project's website is more and more complete. Today's addition is this blog.
For those of you who got here from Southern Tier Bike Project, you know what it's all about. For those who may have come by other means, please click on the link above to get up to speed on the background.
I want to start out by saying what a fun experience it has been to get this project started. It is something I have thought about for quite some time, but was never sure if I would have what it takes to get it off the ground. While there is still a long ways to go, the support and constructive feedback I have received have been tremendous; you feed my desire to continue.
So far, the total expenses for the project have been exactly $11 (domain registration) and I have exactly one donation of $11 (from a generous friend in England!) to cover this cost and meet my objective of being cash neutral. I have commitments for the first 5 bikes. As soon as I pick them up and estimate what it will take to fix them, I will get the word out on the website. If you would like to donate in advance of this, please click the following link to go directly to he secure pay pal website. As the bikes are refurbished and available for distribution, the Inventory page of the website will be updated. Come back frequently to check on our status and let us know if you know anyone in need of a free bike.
For those of you who got here from Southern Tier Bike Project, you know what it's all about. For those who may have come by other means, please click on the link above to get up to speed on the background.
I want to start out by saying what a fun experience it has been to get this project started. It is something I have thought about for quite some time, but was never sure if I would have what it takes to get it off the ground. While there is still a long ways to go, the support and constructive feedback I have received have been tremendous; you feed my desire to continue.
So far, the total expenses for the project have been exactly $11 (domain registration) and I have exactly one donation of $11 (from a generous friend in England!) to cover this cost and meet my objective of being cash neutral. I have commitments for the first 5 bikes. As soon as I pick them up and estimate what it will take to fix them, I will get the word out on the website. If you would like to donate in advance of this, please click the following link to go directly to he secure pay pal website. As the bikes are refurbished and available for distribution, the Inventory page of the website will be updated. Come back frequently to check on our status and let us know if you know anyone in need of a free bike.
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