Bike Relocation

I wouldn’t say I have been forced to do anything. But I have fallen to great social pressure on the home front. Among the things that cycling interrupts—job advancement, education, personal relationships—the one that seems least serious is home improvement. Yet when I mentioned that I wanted to throw up some paint and slap down new carpet in the den this year, I was overwhelmed by the response I got from friends, who significantly are cyclists themselves. I was told that much more needed to be done than the “easy” paint and carpet. I should start by finding a new place for all bikes displayed in the den. Next, I should remove the brick wood stove platform. This meant constructing mounts for 6 bikes in utility room and of course pounding and hauling bricks to remove the wood stove platform, which has served as the karaoke stage for the every-other January party.

Brian got things moving 2 weeks ago by just showing up with a 4-pound hammer to destroy the karaoke stage. It took two truckloads, two trips to the regional dump, and two days off the bike to clean up that mess. A few days later, Brian, Susan and Carol pulled a “while you were out” on me (still don’t know who got the key) and they disrupted things just enough to keep me moving on the project. They actually ripped out the blinds, exposing the den to neighbors on 2 sides. One of them did not think my old Coda stem and handlebars mounted on the wall like a conquered deer was appropriate décor. It disappeared and I later found it thrown into a bike parts box in the utility room where it seems they are suggesting I store anything connected to a bike.

Virginia Politics Part 1

We messed up, Virginia. Bike-Walk Virginia offered us a chance to design and vote on VA license plate designs. I for one sat back, believing that all artists would come forward and give us great choices. Maybe one of the Dirt Rag designs would be my new license plate. Maybe someone would etch the perfect and uncomplicated silhouette of a double disk fixed gear. Perhaps someone would get hold of a Colnogo color scheme. Maybe a watermark of the now legendary VA race Tour du Pont, the stage race that many of the American favorites in the Tour de France once raced.

The original design Bike-Walk VA unveiled prompted people to call in asking for more choices. I actually liked the original design, especially now that I see what was eventually elected. It’s a tag with a road sign and the same old “share the road” slogan. Over 100 years of bike craftsmanship and history and VA votes for a road sign. I think people would be more willing to share the road with cyclists who are creative enough to come up with an attractive license plate design.