BikeToFeel.com

This was passed along to me by my sister.  I like it and try to follow it (although it’s very difficult  — I need to do another blog about mutual funds using these questions to guide my discussion).  Questions 2,3 and 5 fall directly in line with the purpose of this website.

 
1. Does the item bring either usefulness or beauty to my life?
2. Does it cause me to grow closer to those around me or does it bring alienation?
3. Was it made by people who were paid a fair wage?
4. Does it fall in line with my religious beliefs?
5. Does it fall in line with my beliefs about conservation?
6. Would it cause people envy?
7. Would I be devastated if it were lost, stolen or destroyed?
8. Do I have to go into debt for it?
9. Would I freely loan it out?

Our immediate family is okay, just a little shaken up. We still have many friends and family in the capital that we have not heard from. Two of the RPCVs I served with that live in the capital have contacted our Haiti Yahoo Group and are okay (You may have seen one of them — Matt Marek — on CNN with Anderson Cooper last night). The capital is almost completely destroyed.

Please contact me if you would like information on how to help.
Mason

I don’t think bike commuting helps make friends in every city or community but it sure helps here.  Using my bike almost exclusively for transportation in the city of Memphis makes me a bit of a novelty.  Given that midtown Memphis is a pretty diverse place and there are a lot of bike commuters, I’m also not hated for being one that impeeds traffic.

Almost everywhere I go, people talk to me about commuting on a bike.  I have people at intersections roll down their window, usually to ask me a question about why I’m out on a bike.  I just started at a new gym and while very few people want to talk at 6:30am, the fact that I walk in wearing a bike helmet seems to be a great conversation starter.  Sure, most conversations center around the weather for that day but at least people feel compelled to interact with me.  These situations just confirm my belief that bike commuting makes for stronger communities by stimulating people to interact with each other.

I’m never one to follow fads. I was always reasonably popular in school but never really ‘cool’. I couldn’t wear the right clothes or shoes or drive a cool car or act cool. Thus, when I started learning about the fixed gear movement, about two years ago when I moved to Memphis, I thought that seems really stupid and dangerous. Plus, even if I had a fixed gear, I wouldn’t be cool.

After a couple of friends and I attended the Bicycle Film Festival when it came to Memphis, I figured I’d give it a shot. I had an old Peugeot Monaco frame hanging in the garage which was left by the previous owner. I actually put it in the purchase agreement that the frame had to stay, I forgot about the refridgerator. Dohhhh! So, this summer when my wife and kids went to Haiti for 5 weeks, I made it my project.

I flipped the handle bars and cut them to make bull horns. Bought a set of road rims, tires, seat, seatpost, handle bar tape, chain and pedals. I re-greased the headset and replaced the bearings in the bottom bracket. I couldn’t find a seatpost to fit so I bought a 22.Xmm seatpost and shimmed the heck out of the seat tube. I also added a front brake as I am married with two children.

Peugeot Monaco Fixie

I took the first few rides pretty slow. After riding a aluminum mountain bike and city bike exclusively for almost two years, the feel of the steel frame was inspiring. While still rigid, almost no vibrations made it through to the seat our my hands. I also relish the fact that bike makes virtually no sound. I hate the hum of tires and engines which is pervasive almost anywhere there is the slightest bit of civilization. It feels good to ride something so quiet.

Probably my tenth ride on the fixie, and after a few beers, a friend and I were headed on a trek to find him a fixie frame. While trying to turn left across a busy road, I caught my left pedal on the ground. I came down sideways on the rear tire, which rolled and blew out. That sent me to the ground, hard. I skinned both elbows, my left hand, left knee and right foot (I was wearing sandals). A couple of weeks later after truing the wheel and putting on some new rubber, I discovered that I had also bent the heck out of my saddle rails and seatpost such that by looking at them you wouldn’t notice but once you got on, wow, ef-ed up. Since the seatpost was on back order, at least a month went by before I had the bike ride-able again.

I recently started working from home so I don’t need to take my mountain bike to work anymore — I had to hop curbs and navigate oft-wet grass. However, I go to a local gym, about three miles away, every morning. Since it’s not to far and the route is void of major roads, I take the fixie. While I’m still getting the hang of it and once and a while forgetting that I can’t stop pedaling, I thoroughly enjoy the bike. I look forward to mounting it every morning — don’t tell my wife. So, while I’m being a bit faddish, I have to say it’s well worth it.

PS: I can’t lock up the back wheel to slow down. I think the bend it the fork and the short run of the stem doesn’t allow me to get my weight far enough forward to take enough weight off the back wheel. Anyone had a similar issue?

I’ve been watching a lot of NFL football lately. Yeah, I know. It’s the bane of my existence. I just can’t pull myself away completely.

During my guilty pleasure, I’m forced to endure at least 45 minutes of automobile (undesirable vehicle) commercials. I’ve tried to DVR the games with no success. Thus, I sit through endless, mindless commercials about undesirable vehicles (UDVs).

I work in the medical device industry. We are ISO 13485 compliant — for the most part. No company is fully compliant. Anyway, the premise of ISO 13485 is that you must maintain a quality management system. Following its guidance leads an organization to better quality products. What most people don’t realize is that it is a customer focused standard. That’s right, you base your quality system on the needs of the customer. Sounds a bit strange but if you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. The customer wants a device that alleviates their pain, has no side effects, has little chance of complication, lasts a long time, etc.

Among other many other things, the UDV industry has lost sight of their customer….let me rephrase that, they’ve brain-washed their customer. Almost every UDV commercial you see has some claim about how technologically advanced, safe or how full efficient their UDV is. You’re constantly bombarded by these messages wherever you go. The ads are everywhere. They’re pervasive.

The UDV companies have no idea what you want. Have you ever been asked? I haven’t. They spend so much time telling you what you need, what you need becomes what they want you to need.

Case in point: Toyota Prius, version 3, 50 miles to the gallon. Great gas mileage? Wrong. Cars 50 years ago got better gas mileage — check the records. VWs were getting better gas mileage 50 years ago. So in 50 years of UDV development you’ve come full circle. Congratulations! You’ve done nothing. It’s like walking into an othopaedic surgeon’s office because you have advanced arthritis of the knee and them giving you pain pills and some crutches and saying, ‘You’re really going to enjoy this.’ You’d probably choose another Orthopod. Why are you not choosing another form of transportation? Because you do what your told. Toyota claims that their car is even the perfect meld between earth, man and machine. Really? Really? American public, are you at all evaluating any of these claims?! They’re comical. It’s like watching a cartoon.

Why am I saying anything. You’re not listening to reason. You’re not using reason. Neither are the UDV companies. Go to the tele and buy their lies hook, line and sinker. Don’t do anything positive in your community. Sit in front of the tele. Do nothing. Feel nothing. Experience nothing for yourself. You’re missing the life experience. So long. You’ve wasted your life buying someone’s lies.