2013 in Review

This year has been a mixed year of good and bad. I’m looking back on my goals for the year that I posted just a little more than a year ago and I want to take this chance to reflect on the year that is passing and also set (and reset) some goals for the coming year. I hope you will humor me and my nostalgic thoughts.

The Good
I got myself a Wonderful Bicycle - Orange All City Macho Man Disc Brakes
My weight is down enough that it registers on my scale.
I managed to ride over 1000 miles this year (barely)
I made new friends and help others (old friends) explore cycling for the first time.

The not so good
Commitments this summer stopped me from riding more often than once or twice a week. According to my records I was only on my bicycle 61 days out the year. That kept me from spending the kind of time on my bike that I wanted to. Life is like that sometimes. I don’t regret it, it is what it is.

I still haven’t gotten up 18th street.

The Bad
At the Beginning of October my mother passed away and this took away from me (for this year at least) my joy of riding during fall. Fall has always been my favorite time to ride. I love the coolness of the air and the changing of the leaves. I missed that this year and my mileage shows it. I don't regret it, the time I got to spend with my Mother before she passed is something I will treasure. Even the frustrating times are something I can look back fondly on now.

So Last year around this time I posted my goals for 2013.

Ride Bike More
I think I managed to do this one even if I barely got 1000 miles in. (Check)

Fix Myself
well considering this is the first time in a long time (maybe since 2000) that I can actually weigh myself on a scale without getting an “Error” I have a new Job that I love and a great group of cycling friends. I’m calling this one a win. (Check)

Icicle Bicycle
I did this ride and truthfully it was awful. I did not enjoy it.  I did not enjoy being ditched by those “leading” the ride. I did enjoy the drinks and food afterwards with my friends. This won’t be on my list to do again. (Check)

Pedal Pittsburgh
I missed out on Pedal Pittsburgh this year. Unfortunately this ride fell during that time when I was otherwise committed. I did enjoy the first one, even if I got rained on, rode the ride alone, was cold and tired at the end, and the weather made hanging out afterwards a joke. What I saw was potential. If the weather had been better it would have been a fantastic ride. This Ride stays on the list for next year (Fail)

Ride more than 1000 Miles
I did manage to accomplish this (1016.66 miles), but it was a lot harder than I expected it to be. I just wasn't able to get and ride as much as I had planned. I realize now that a mileage goal is the wrong kind of goal for me. according to the records I only got out on the bike for 61 days out of the entire year. So for the next year my goal will be to get out and ride at least 100 days out of the year. (Check)

Write more
This is another one of those goals where I thought Quantity was more important than Quality. in 2012 I posted 57 posts here on the blog and in 2013 I posted 35 posts. So technically I failed this goal but as I look at the posts themselves I tend to think that what I posted here was of an overall higher quality. This year I am hoping to make the schedule for the blog and for the facebook page a little more regular. I’m calling this one a win. (Check)

Ride up 18th St
Nope still haven’t made it (Fail)

Go on 7 flock rides
Forgot to count how many rides I was on but I am going to call this one a win. I managed to get several of my friends to go on a flock ride for the first time. (Check)

Organize my own ride
I didn't manage to Organize my own ride. I was able to help out with several events that I found to be more important. The first was a ride called “Pedal for the Pantry” this was a grocery gathering alleycat that was a huge success.

I for one would be just as happy to help out with the next Pedal for the pantry than to try and organize a ride of my own. (Fail?)

My goals for 2014

• Ride 100 days in the next year
• Write better posts 
• Weigh less at the end of the 2014 than I do now
• Cherish my cycling friends
• Pedal Pittsburgh
• Pedal for the Pantry
• Write 5 interviews for the blog
• Write 9 reviews for the blog

Pedal for the Pantry

Saturday was the day of the Pedal for the Pantry and let say first off that I was not only humbled by the number of people showed up and participated, but Gobsmacked at the number and diversity of the people who came out.  Above is a picture I took of part of Team Fatguy heading to Polish Hill and to our second stop (Wholey's Market). There was around a hundred riders join in the fun and Team Fatguy had 14 people going out for the slow, easier ride. (Map posted below of approx route)

Create Maps or search from 80 million at MapMyRide

What really grabbed me about the Pedal for the Pantry ride was the numbers of different people. I saw your typical "Line of Sight" bike messengers, your typical "Full Kit" roadies and several people on BSO's who showed up and had a great time.  Both the longer ride and the shorter ride were modeled after and Alleycat style of race. Each ride had a manifest - A list of stores and Items that should be purchased at each store. Riders who got to all the stores and back to the endpoint of the Race first won.

My first ever Spoke Card

However it should be known that unlike many Alleycat races it was strongly suggested that all rules of the rode should be followed. Even to the point of announcing that anyone caught doing otherwise would be Disqualified.

You might be wondering how the day went, and how much food was collected by all these crazy riders?

I'm getting there.

You see it became "A thing" to tell the people working at the registers (and those waiting in line with all of us) what we were up to. I ended up talking to the guy in line in front of me about what we were doing and what a great day it had turned out to be.  As I was walking out of the store he approached me and handed me a monetary donation for the food bank.  I know I can't be the only one this happened to. The day was full of stories

The guy who walked down to the store and brought back several cases of canned goods just to get a better chance at the raffles. 

The Father and son from Erie who came down for a film festival and ended up coming along for the ride. 

The Girl who wrecked and still came in third place for the woman. 

If someone did the ride and ended up without a story they simply weren't trying.

So how did we do?

 If you're thinking that looks like a a lot of stuff to haul by bike you would be right. The final totals for the night were.

987 pounds of non-perishible food

187 pounds of non-food (diapers, laundry detergent, and bathroom tissue)

1164 pounds of donated goods gathered & delivered by bike inside of 4 hours.

-- According to the Food bank people it is a weeks worth of Groceries for 200 Families.

Again I repeat myself by saying I was Gobsmacked.

It has taken me these past couple of days to think about what I saw and try to find these words. I know that I wasn't the only one staring at all this food with tears in my eyes thinking about all the people riding all over the city collecting the food and bringing it back to make sure that the people who need it can get it. Just some quick napkin math tells me that the group rode about 2300 miles most in small groups or ones and twos.

I wanted this post to be about what a great group of cyclists we have in Pittsburgh, but the truth is we aren't anything special (at least things like this should be the norm) A need was made known and more importantly someone showed us a way to meet that need. All of us know there are people in need but we all feel overwhelmed at the idea of doing something on our own. But as a group we end up doing so much more than we ever thought we could.

I could go on to tell you about the prizes that were awarded or list the people who won prizes. Then I realized that those things don't really matter and I would like to believe (I do believe) that just as many people would show up if there were no prizes. Those who raced hard raced hard because that is just the kind of people they are. The others rode the way they do because that is just the kind of people they (we) are. 

I for one can't wait to do this again.

Interview with Paul Beaver

Pedal for the Pantry is just a handful of days away(Saturday April 6th starting at 11:30am at Forbes wall across from the Original Hotdog Shop in Oakland). As it approaches I find myself getting excited about this ride. One of the reasons that I am excited about this ride is that I had a very similar ride planned some 7 months ago. I had mad the mistake of planning my ride for the same weekend that the last gasps of the hurricane came through.

The ride was a complete washout.

I have higher hopes for Pedal for the Pantry. Another reason (and probably the best reason) is that over the last year I have gotten to know the man who organized this ride. I consider him my friend. So when I got the chance to sit down with Paul and talk to him about the ride and cycling in general I counted myself as lucky.

I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.

1. Tell me about Pedal for the Pantry and how the idea got started?

Pedal for The Pantry is a biking event and food drive bringing the cycling community together to raise awareness of a local need while having a fun afternoon riding around the city. The inspiration for the event came about after I had attended a Cranksgiving event in Philedelphia of 2012.(http://www.cranksgiving.org/) It was my first ride of this type and I had a blast. Something that really inspired me was to see the different groups of riders from coming together to support charity and have a good time embracing the event as a community. The racers, the messangers, the weekend riders, the daily commuters, all riding together and having a great time. Everyone was welcomed because it was all about the community working together.

2. What have been some of the challenges you have faced in organizing the ride?

Preparing the logistics of the ride was an interesting one. Making sure that it was long enough to have plenty of stops and provide a fun challenge. Creating route maps and the shopping mainifest wasn't too bad, as I used the requested donation list from the Greater Pgh Community Food Bank. Contacting sponsors to provide donated prizes and services.

3. What about people who can't (for whatever reason) participate in an alleycat style race?

The traditional alleycat style ride can be a bit strenuous for an average rider, those events came about as way for messengers to test their speed and knowledge of local geography. As I was discussing my event with some of my friends, someone had mentioned she would love to participate but the course was too long for her to complete in the proposed time window. I also started thinking about some of my friends from the Flock Of Cycles rides whom would love to join the event as well but would probably not complete the longer ride either. so I added a second shorter route that could incorporate the paved riverfront biking trails as this would open the event to anyone whom wanted to participate.

4. How did you go about getting sponsors for “Pedal for the Pantry”?

I actually picked up the first sponsor on the drive back from Philly. Haha. Nick Drombosky of Fiks:Reflective drove us out to the Philly event and as I was formulating things on the ride back to pgh, I got my first sponsor. For the other sponsors I knew that I would need the support of good ending location, so I reached out through friends to contact the owners of Over The Bar Cafe. Also a few of the local bike shop owners (Bob @ Iron City Bikes and Chris @ Thick Bikes) and local cycling media (Brad @ Urban Velo). Next up was basically cold-calling companies, I generated an email with a description of the event and sent it out to bike equipment companies. The initial batch of emails generated a few replies, both supportive and declines. But I kept reaching out. As the event grew, I reached out thru more friends, and some people even came on board as I was posting fliers.

5. How long have you been cycling and why did you get started?

I've been riding most of my life, I'm on my second bike since I moved to pgh in '91. My first bike was stolen off my porch around '96, and I picked up my current bike in 2002. Having spent the last decade just riding around on my own, I attended some of the events of 2012 Pedal Pgh calendar. Next I started to attend group rides, meet new people, and become engaged in the local cycling community having fun the whole time.

6. Could you give people an overview of what to expect on the day of the event?

To have fun and enjoy the day. At registration riders will be provided the basic map and shopping lists. There is no set route, only listed destinations, so the actual routing is left open to the riders as they can choose their own way around the city and which order to visit the shops. Expect to have your knowledge of local geography tested to obtain the best route. The Post ride finish event is being held at OverTheBar Cafe, there will be event day specials to thank the riders, so everyone can relax while we tabulate the prize winners.

7. If someone wanted to help out, what could they do?

The best way to help would be to show up and go on one of the rides. There will also be a food bank donation collection stationed at OTB available to anyone who's feeling generous and would like to contribute. We're working with the food bank to have a representative onsite for handling financial contributions as well.

8. What has been the most surprising thing that has come out of planning this event?

The enthusiasm of the local cycling community has shown for this event and thier desire to participate and support has really picked up as the date draws closer. While there was a similar event a few years ago, there has not been one like this for a little while. Also hearing directly from people letting me know they are interested and ready for the ride keeps me going to make it a better event.

9. What are your goals in putting on this event?

I wanted to make a fun event that raises donations for the food bank and encourages people to hop on their bikes. The biggest success I could have would be a huge pile of donations and report of 100% safe riders.

10. What advice would you give to people who are just starting out with cycling?

Ride how your comfortable and have fun. There will always be someone faster and always be someone slower, so just do your best to enjoy the ride. Take a few chances on some group rides to find people you enjoy riding with. We're rather fortunate here in pgh as we have a variety of group rides that work for many different skill levels, groups ranging from full spandex carbon fiber riders over to the opposite end of the spectrum with jeans and sweatshirt casual Flock Of Cycles rides. Go out, say hello, and have some shared experience fun.

11. What advice would you give to people who want to organize a charity event like Pedal for the Pantry?

First I recommend attending one and talking to the people whom are directly involved. Ask them some questions about how and what they did, they may be willing to pass along their advice. Engage with the charity that your event will benefit, make sure that you are planning something that suits their needs, branding and message. When in doubt, pull a Picasso ... “Good artists copy, great artists steal”. (A very extended Special thanks to Gary and CJ at Cranksgiving Philly)


EDIT (3-27-13)
After I posted a link to this interview over at the Bike PGH Message Board one of the regulars on the board asked a question.

Brybot asked:
There is one question I wished you asked: Given that it is a race through an urban area, how will the laws of the road apply to the race? I typically feel uncomfortable running lights and signs. I imagine that would put me at pretty serious disadvantage in a race like this. I know it is for a good cause, but I tend to be competitive by nature.

I thought this was a good question and was going to ask Paul, but before I could ask him he saw it and answered the question on the message board.

Paul wrote:
I wanted the ride open to everyone, so that’s why I made a second route, Same event, two rides. (if I had a clue what I was really doing, I would have limited the heck out of this.) But since I am the eternal optimist, I added the “raffle” aspect, so that anyone who rides & contributes has a chance at the prizes. (my interaction with Flock of Cycles helped shape this portion of the event.)

Do not be discouraged that if you are not super fast that you have no chance at a prize, everyone is welcome, and everyone can earn a chance to take home goodies. 

I do not encourage breaking any laws while riding. While my event is modeled after an alleycat “race”, P4TP is not your typical alleycat race, it is a Cycling Event.

END EDIT (3-27-13)

All in all this is going to be a good ride for a great cause. I will be out there with team FatGuy (if I can get a team together)  Be sure to stop by and say hi, or better yet grab your bike and tennis shoes and join my team and do a little good while having a lot of fun. If you can’t make it to the ride head out to the grocery store and pick up some canned good and take them to OTB on Saturday April 6th around 4pm.

See you there.


Links in this post
Pedal for the Pantry
Flock Of Cycles
Fiks:Reflective
Over The Bar Cafe
Iron City Bikes
Thick Bikes
Urban Velo
Cranksgiving Philly

Pedal for the Pantry

Last night I managed to get over to OTB for a bit of dinner and an adult potable (or 2) I needed to do something to life my spirits. I have ridden since the midle of Janurary and to tell the truth I'm starting to get a little twitchy. It seems my goals for the year are mocking me and all I do is work and sleep.

It is taking its toll on me. Mentally and Physically.

When I walked in a pretty girl smiled at me from behind the bar, a friend of mine was sitting at the bar, and the seat next to him was open. The gods were smiling. A snowmelt and tandem later and I could feel the tension leave my body. My friend, we will call him Paul (because that is his name) is putting together a great ride for the beginning of april. The ride is called Pedal for the Pantry and it will benifit the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. This is a ride and a cause that I am firmly behind. In my younger, married, father of four life places like the food bank made a huge difference and I don't want to imagine what that part of my life would have been like without them.

So this is more than just "A ride" to me.

I felt like I had to do something more. That still small voice inside was pushing me. As we sat and talked about everyting that needed done and all the companies that had donated prizes that still small voice nudged me again. I hate it when he does that.

"You know what you have to do." Said that voice inside. He sounded cocky but he usually does, he's usually right.

So I sponsored a prize. I'm not telling what prize I sponsored (you have to show up to the ride to find out), and Im not writing this to brag since what I did really is no big thing. I'm writing this to first off, let you know about this great chance for you to get out, have a good ride and possibly change a person's life. Secondly, I'm writing this in hopes that others will read this and decide they want to do more, to step outside of themselves. If so I would strongly encourage you to head over to the Pedal for the pantry website or the facebook page and get in touch with Paul and find out what you can do help. Somethings I can think of off the top of my head:

• Go on the ride
• Sponsor a prize (even if it is 25$ gift card)
• Donate food (more on that later)
• Spread the word

I know a lot of people who are saying "Terry I don't even own a bike, I can't go this 'RIDE THINGY'" Well that's ok because you can always bring food to the event. Here is a list of the Most needed Items. You can bring them the Over the Bar bicycle cafe 2518 east carson between 1 and 4 on the day of the event.

So step up and step outside of your comfort zone and reach out to those less fortunate.