Bias

This had been going around facebook today and when I got home from work I took a look at it.

Bias against cyclists is Rampant and unfair (Michigan Auto Law)

This is no surprise to me. I have seen it growing for the past few years. People who would never advocate hurting anyone will say the coldest most psycotic things about a cyclist that has "Made" them a few seconds late. When I hear these things I often think about offering to do the same things to their own mother, sisters, daughters.

You would be surprised how upset they get at the idea of someone saying something so cold about someone they care about. I guess turnabout isn't really fair play. Here are a few quotes from the article.

"The lawyers defending the trucking company refused to accept any responsibility for his death. They said he caused his own death, and then they said it didn’t really matter because an 83-year-old man isn’t worth very much money."

"There were many people who were quite willing to assign blame against him for just riding a bicycle. And there are many people willing to forgive clear negligence if the victim is on a bicycle."

I see this all to often. During most of my family gatherings I find myself talking to one of my relatives who will eventually bring up that he has seen someone on a bike do something illegal (run a red light, blow a stop sign) but doesn't understand what I am doing when I walk to the window and look out on the road and say "That car is speeding, and that car is speeding, and that car is speeding"When I bluntly point out that he is more than willing to break traffic laws that don't suit him but get angry when someone else does the exact same thing. You may think I'm getting a little ranty!

I am.

If this bothers you, well tough. I'm not going to pretend to understand why a person can kill another person and it is called murder or negligent homicide or manslaughter, unless the killer is in a car and the victim is on a bicycle. Then it's a 500$ fine and 3 points. Besides it was clearly the cyclist fault since he was riding on "my" road.

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.

Arts and Crafts

I did a little Arts and Crafts tonight and "Modified" a Flock of Cycles T-Shirt that I happen to have laying around. It worked OK but Im gonna look into finding a better way to do this.

The only Ride I regretted

Is the one I didn't take

This was the ride I missed for the second year in a row. The Third annual Viking Biking Ride.

The other day was a rough day for me. The good part of the day was that I got to spend part of it on my bike. The bad part of the day was the fact that I was on my bike so I could get to work to spend my day working on mandatory overtime instead of going on one of my favorite group rides. The Viking ride and Pot luck lunch.

It made for a rough day. I kept looking out out of the window, seeing the sun shine and knowing that weather, while chilly was clear and fine. My urge to be out on my bike was an actual physical need. The ride in the cold morning air from where the weekend bus dropped me off and  down the hill to the Montour trail that would take me to my work served only to whet my appetite. All day I worked as my gaze was taken, over and over again, back to where my bike stood mocking me.

Six hours, The longest six hours I have experienced. When the time finally past and I was able to get back on my bike and head back up the hill I happily rode down that morning, I did so with great joy. Until I started back up that hill.

I really don’t like hills.

Still up the hill I went, off to the bus stop and back into town. After the short ride back into town I found myself on my Big Orange Bike headed through Station Square and on my way to riverside park on the South Side. This was the day of the Third Annual Viking Biking Ride and Potluck Picnic.  I was too late for the ride but I would be in time for the Picnic. A quick stop at a Grocery Store to pick up my part of the potluck and then down to the Park.

It was my welcome that reminded me, almost painfully, why I value these people (my friends) so much. Before I was off my bike I was welcomed as a member of the tribe. Not an exclusive tribe, but as a tribe that includes everyone on two wheels. I was welcomed by people I didn’t know, by people who were simply riding through and joined the ride. These people were part of us, were part of the tribe by their very action of choosing a bike.

I missed the bike ride and that I regret. but I didn’t miss the most important part of day. That part where people I think of as friends (old and new) stood around the growing fire and marked themselves and each other as members in good standing in one group.

A group I am proud to be a member of.

Fatguy on Facebook

Just an annoucement that Fatguy has joined that facebook thing. So if you are so inclined you can "Like" me over at https://www.facebook.com/FatguyOrangeBike. Everything I post here will be cross posted over at the Facebook page but I am thinking it will be easier to comment on, and creat a more interactive conversation on the facebook page.

So I hope you will take the time to go to https://www.facebook.com/FatguyOrangeBike and click on like.

Thanks
Fatguy

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

The Ides of Flock

 Video of the March Flock of Cycles ride

My long bikefast is broken. Thank the cycling gods! Last night I headed over to Oakland to join in the fun that is the monthly Flock of Cycles Party ride (facebook link).The ride was as fun as always and I was very happy to see that there were several new people (First time Flockers) in the group. We had a good showing for a still chilly march evening which makes me wonder what the rides are going to be like when the weather gets warmer.

The ride was a laid back tour of the city (look at route here) that took us through Oakland, Bloomfield, The strip District Downtown, The Armstrong tunnels, Across the 10th st bridge and into the South side. The ride ended with food drinks and fun at OTB bicycle cafe. (When the weather gets warmer and it stays light longer, I have noticed a tendency to end the ride with a pot luck picnic in a park.)

Eventually I wished my friends a good night and hopped on my bike and headed to town, with the plan of throwing my bike on the bus and heading home. This became quite a challenge. It seems my long Bikefast had its effect on more than my mental well being as I rode slowly into town my legs complaining the whole way.

For those of you who don't know what a Flock of cycles ride is like, allow me to give you a description. First off take everything you believe about cyclists and group rides (hipsters looking down on you, Lycra clad riders trying to form a peleton, annoying cyclists blowing through stop signs) and forget it. Now imagine hanging out with friends and talking, listening to music and catching up with people you like but haven't seen in a month.

It's like that just on a bike.

The ride is slow, fun and best of all accepting. My first flock (several years ago) was an eye opening experience. I was rather fearful that I would be looked down on for being old, fat, and slow. I knew this was supposed to be an easy, everyone staying together, fun ride. I didn't believe it. I knew I was going to be the one slowing everyone down. when we got to the hill (you can't avoid all the hills in Pittsburgh no matter how you try) I was the last one up. I was so close to quitting.

But I didn't.

A couple of the people rode with me. The rest waited at the top of the hill. (I found out later that it is normal for the group to wait at the top of the hill to allow everyone to re-group.) No one looked at me like I was the one slowing them down. everyone accepted me. I've worked very hard to return that favor and accept and do what I can to help those around me.

I will be interviewing Marcel from flock of cycles in an upcoming post so be sure to keep a lookout for that.

Links in this Post
Flock of Cycles Website
Flock of Cycles  Facebook
OTB Bicycle Cafe