I rarely get time to watch TV so when I got an email with the link to the Today Show story on World Bicycle Relief, I just had to pass it on. 

F.K. Day, who founded the WBR group is a featured “Hero” on this very website.   This story is touching and shows the impact that the simple and humble bicycle can have.   Maybe for us a bike is transportation but for some, it’s a lifeline. 

Click here: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/26950282#26950282

If you have an beautiful old truck that is not a gas sipper, why not paint it and use it for advertising? You have to admit, it’s eye catching. I haven’t seen that shade of green since I lived in a house that had its original 1930s bathroom.  This beaut belongs to the Trek Store of Columbus and I’m not sure if it’s a delivery truck or just for looks?  Either way, it’s a looker!

Click here to see the kewlest bike parking system ever.  It’s in Toyko…and when you view it tell me if it doesn’t remind you of the door factory in Monsters Inc!

The link below points to the blog of a Trek colleague, our Pavement Bike Manager, aka “Hootie.”  Enjoy.

http://trekbikes.typepad.com/rec_and_fitness/2008/04/ah-so.html

A regular 1world2wheel reader sent me something he wrote about a ride he experienced.   Like many of us, he attends a regular group ride and, well, you’ll have to read Paul’s short story.   The piece is called “His Last Ride” and it’s a lovely take on what one can feel on a ride.  Indeed, maybe that is why we ride? To feel things?  Whatever the case, enjoy and thanks, Paul, for sending this in.

 His last ride

6/29/07Last night was one of those times that almost didn’t happen. I almost missed it. I had left the office late, traffic was backed up and then of course the cats needed to be fed right away. The ride starts at 6pm, sharp, I’ve been late before, and I’ve always caught up but this week, after seven days of not riding; the clouds gray and pregnant along with near 100% humidity I was in no mood to play catch up. Still, I was lucky. I rode into the parking lot, up to the gaggle of riders, eleven of us tonight. Mick, the shop’s leader said that tonight was Scott’s ride. “Scott’s ride?”, I asked, why? His birthday? What was the occasion. “Its his last ride”, came the measured reply. “Yeah”, I’m moving to Boston Saturday morning so this is it for me” explained the man that until that moment I didn’t know his name. From his expression I knew this move was not what he wanted.Scott it turns out is the name of one of the men I have ridden with for two years now. Every Thursday night, from April through October. While most of us miss a week or two, not Scott. Scott’s one of those guys who tries. Really tries. If you met him, you might not guess he’s a bicyclist and yet one look at his legs and you know he’s serious, chiseled calves and shaved legs. It’s the shaved legs that give us all away. What seems to throw things off however is the extra 70 or so pounds that he carries. Yet every week he is there. Every week he is happy, full of enthusiasm, ready and always a smile. Every week we start out and every week he fades off the back of the pack within the first 10 miles. Every week its always the same, he smiles as he waves us forward telling us to go ahead and that he’ll see us at the end; and that if he has to wait too long he warns he’ll head over to the pub to get an early start on the gang. Every week he has enthusiastic compliments, he is ready, he wants it. In fact he may very well want it more than any of us.Not tonight though. Tonight was Scott’s ride. We all agreed that no matter what Scott was not going to get dropped from the pack, no matter what we would hold the pace on the route of his choosing so that tonight he would be there, the place he usually can’t be.So as we rolled out of town west, heading into the muggy summer night, the air clammy and thick with humidity we held our pace, we adjusted to a speed that would ensure that tonight there would be no waving us onward. We snaked along through the hills and fields, through the tunnels of trees, Scott taking his turn leading the pace line, falling into an artificial rhythm that carried him along his favorite roads. We twisted and turned following the roads, roads that for now I took for granted. Roads that he did too but sadly not after last night. He pedaled and we all felt the pang of regret that would visit us too if we knew this was the last time that we would complete this circuit.At one point we passed another group heading in the opposite direction, “Hey Scott, nice job!” Someone yelled as their wheels whizzed past. See he may not be the fastest yet surely he is one of the riders we can all feel good about. As the ride wore on it was obvious that the pace, despite our efforts was getting the best of him. We adjusted, waited and adjusted again. We were nearing the home stretch, if 8 miles can be called a home stretch. There was a yell from the back of the pace line, “rider coming up” he yelled as we neared one of the favored descents along the way. Its one of those magical places. The road sweeps gently to the left until it seems to fall away, down, splitting the meadow and the pond to the left. It’s a spot that as you coast down you accelerate like you’re on a roller-coaster. Tonight was Scott’s night as he plunged down the descent, giddy as he led us down the hill like a run away freight train and then part way up the next. Here he fell back, out of breath but unwavering in his commitment. How many of us can claim that; unwavering in our commitment. The final miles sped past and soon we were coming up to the last descent.Before we had left we had all agreed that we would stay together, let Scott lead us on this final thrill ride of a hill and then as the road arced and then straightened into the last straightaway. It was here, where that turn stiffens and straightens along the railroad tracks that we would sprint, we would be free to speed off and finish the night. But something strange happened.

The Go By Bike Challenge wrapped up last weekend with nearly 30,000 pledgees who committed to replace 11 million auto miles with their bike trips.  That’s remarkable! 

It’s been fun picking bike winners every day and while the “win a bike” part of the challenge is over, you are all encouraged to keep on riding and keep sending me your commute photos and tales from the two wheeled road. I have to say that one of my favorite parts of the Go By Bike Challenge was going through all the postcards.  The above photo is just some of the 5,000 or so postcard entries we received.  Yes, I looked through all of them.  Had to, actually because a lot of other people’s mail got stuck in the pile of cards.  So everyday I looked through your cards and noticed some trends:

1) Most Commonly Received Postcard

Yep, Gumby and Pokey.  I loved watching Gumby and Pokey as a kid! I received about 40 of these–far more than any other card.  Is there a Gumby and Pokey store somewhere??   I’d like to get a Pokey showercurtain. Really.

2) Olives

Yes, who’da thunk that olives are a popular postcard subject? I happen to like olives very much and these postcards made me hungry. 

3) Animals Who Want to Ride Trek Bikes

The little pig is saying “No more stinkin’ procrastination, I pledge to ride my bike!” I’d like to see a pig riding a bike.    The dog is pledging to ride 3 miles.  Or maybe it was the owner who pledged to ride and the dog would run along side??

4) Handmade Postcards

This is an interesting category; people cut up food boxes and wrote on the back, stuck a stamp on it et voila..postcard!  These came in all shapes and sizes and clearly, America is eating a lot of junk food.  I’d never heard of “little bites” but this was a popular box to use for a postcard.  I do like Skinny Cows though–it’s one habit I picked up in my racing days that I can thank my old teammate Julie for.  Thanks, Julie. I’m still hooked on Skinny Cows.

5) Exotic Places

Now here’s some cool places! Istanbul and Fjordland Sound of New Zealand.  I’ve traveled to hundreds of towns around America to race my bike but these postcards gave me a case of wanderlust.  The kind that requires a passport.

6) Cool Art

These are just two of some dozen or more postcards that were of original art.   The cubist postcard is by Jean Metzinger, in case you are wondering.  I’ve never heard of this artist so it was fun to learn a new (old) artist!

7) Cheesy Tourist Postcards

Now I know what people really buy touristy postcards for.  They send them to poor contest organizers!  For the record Trek is in Wisconsin and I got a lot of “Wiscowsin” cards.   Also received a lot of Florida cards and these flamingos cracked me up.

Alrighty, enough on the postcards. Here’s the last bunch of winners and thanks to everyone who pledged.  Keep it up–you all are fueling the Go By Bike Revolution!

August 25: Melissa Beaudry

August 26: Cary Reeves

August 27: Jennifer Pipkin   

August 28: Jeff Strawn

August 29: Edgar Arroyo

August 30: Jason Davis

August 31: Aimee McNamara

 Congratulations, all!