The Corn In Our Side

The bicycle is an amazing thing.  It is, at its essence, one of the most simple machines possible, and like most simple machines, provides benefits that far exceed its complexity.  Unlike most things, the bicycle's grasp far exceeds its reach.  Like most things in this category, it is not adequately appreciated.  I think it is time we stopped and thought about this for a moment.

I try hard to not succumb to the easy arguments in life.  We should have to think about what we do, what we believe, what we buy, how we live.  But sometimes that thinking can make living harder, and that is why so many of us, even me when I am tired, avoid it.  Much of the time if you ask me why I bike I would probably tell you I enjoy it more, that I like the exercise, that it is faster and easier than driving in San Francisco.  Those are all true statements, but they are easy ones to make.  They form the ideals of most of us who chose to ride over drive.  The more thoughtful answer would be that I am tired of contributing to the suffering around me- the noise, the pollution, the forceful takeover of public space that marginalizes all those who are not in a car, the sucking up of resources that need to be used in a more thoughtful and equitable way by all the people of the world.

The more I think about these things, the more insane so many of them seem.  The list of items I find needless and destructive would not be appropriate in this forum, but one of them is very much in line with what we try to do here at the blog- the production and propagation of bio-fuel usage in the world.  The two great hopes of the transportation industry, in all its forms, are electricity and bio-fuels.  Even the American Military is looking at bio-fuel as a means of fueling its insatiable need.

It seems like such a great idea.  Using renewable crops to grow our own fuel.  Brazil is doing it in spades, and there are consequences to it most people do not want to think about.  We can not make bio-fuels out of just anything when we are talking about huge industrial quantities.  Reliable, high quality fuel requires consistent, high quality ingredients.  Currently, no matter where you go in the world, those ingredients are sugar cane and corn (along with wheat and soy and palm oil).  These used to be crops used to feed people and animals, and now the people and animals are having to compete for food with the bus fleets and old diesel vans of the world.  And it is getting worse.  Not only do these crops no longer feed people, they use up vast amounts of water, are grown with huge amounts of chemicals and they destroy the land they are grown in.

Not everyone in the world has the resources to grow enough bio-fuel for themselves.  Many countries have started buying farmland in other countries to start growing fuel crops.  The countries that are selling are poor (Rwanda, Ghana, Madagascar ...) and the countries that are buying are rich (South Korea, Saudi Arabia...).  "In response, the importing countries negotiated and in some cases leased land in other, more irrigable countries to grow grain and produce biofuels for themselves. Countries like Saudi Arabia, China and South Korea have all leased land in Africa, where the governments lease irrigable land for as little as $1 an acre.(source)"  Land needed to feed the growing population of the world is going instead to feeding our cars, our delivery trucks, our buses, and eventually, our war ships and airplanes.

So, that is what has become a huge part of why I ride my bicycle.  My life and the way I live it should not contribute to the hunger of others.  My needs are no more important than those of any one else. My share should not come to me because somewhere else in the world there are those desperate enough that they will give up theirs, or have it taken from them by those who are greedy and shortsighted enough to think their actions are justified.

This is a long post, and not quite as a light as some of you may have come to expect from me.  I think it is worth it, though.  There are a lot of links here and they will take time to read and get through.  I encourage you to do it.  I encourage you to start thinking about the choices that you are making.  Listen to the story broadcast on NPR that spurred me to write this.  Tell me what you think.  Does this make you want to ride more?  Does it make you angry enough to start making different choices?  Does it overwhelm you?

Sleepy Time

If you took my advice yesterday, then you should be following Declan's example below, today.

And yes, it is true, Declan can sleep through a parade.  Or a Bike Party.

Saturday!

Go play like a kid!



The kids know how. Just copy them.

friday fun times: snail mail edition

whatta week over here on CYLRAB!

first declan and una get new-to-them bikes, we had a bizarro joanie sighting and then ade confronted a bike thief with the help of some teenagers to get cameron his bike back. PHEW!

in much mellower news, i received a piece of snail mail from my (as of recently) former roommate. she went on a trip to her motherland of japan and also went to barcelona. who ever said we don't need the postal service is sorely mistaken.

she said this postcard reminded me of her. aww. indeed, it does look like something i would be up to here in sf if the weather was a tad warmer.



have a great weekend everyone! and keep that snail mail art alive, eh?

Foiled!!!

After many years of non-eventful bicycle life in my family, the last couple of months have been unusual.  Today was just the topper.  Cameron called to tell me his bicycle had been stolen from in front of his summer job at the State Building.

Of course he was very upset and he was looking for a ride home when he called me.  There was no point in doing the Twenty Questions bit over the phone so I got in the car and headed to Civic Center to bring him home.  Civic Center in San Francisco is the black hole to which, as some comedian used to say, every freak, weirdo, drug addict, cult member and actor would eventually be drawn.  Cameron just wanted to go home and feel sorry for himself but I wanted to look around.  It seemed a good idea to just ask some folks if they had seen anything.  It was obvious most had been there all day and Cameron's bicycle is unusual, not in the least part because it is HUGE (he is 6'5"+).

I approached a group of teens who spend the day in the area skateboarding and jumping their BMX bikes.  They see everything because no one thinks kids are paying attention.  I gave them a description of the bike and told them it was worth $150 if they found it.  One of them took me up on it.  Two of his friends kept whispering to each other, they knew something.  I had a feeling we may just be in luck.

Next we looked for a police officer. The beat cops in Civic Center know all the bike thieves.  Just as we had hailed a police car and started filing a report I got a phone call.  I almost didn't answer it but boy am I glad I did!  The boys had found the bike, two blocks away!  The officer got in his car and said he would meet us there and Cameron and I took off across UN Plaza with a fire under us.  Somehow the officer missed the spot (it turned out that even though the bicycle was in full view, it was at an odd angle from the street and its more distinguishing features were not obvious) and I wasn't willing to let Cameron's bicycle get away.  The guy sitting in front of it was obviously under the influence of something, a lot smaller than I and very much in the wrong.  He had put a seat bag and a Kryptonite cable on the bike to make it seem more legit.  He had also covered it with dirt so it would look more like him.

Much like Andre the Giant, I can be the Brute Squad if necessary.  I wanted Cameron's bicycle and I was going to get it.  So I stepped over the guy, grabbed the bicycle saddle and said

-"Thank you for watching my bicycle!".  The guy looked at me and said

-"That's my bicycle.  I bought it 9 months ago." I  leaned on the top tube and said

-"No you didn't."  I wanted to keep him talking so the cops could show up and nab him. His next statement was

- "Can you prove it is yours, lady? 'Cause I just bought it from someone."

-"Oh yes?  That would be hard because it is mine."

-"Well I am not going to argue with you.  You can have it but you have to pay me."  He started trying to pack up his bag and get up, so I pulled out my phone to start taking pictures (my good camera got slammed into the ground last week when I got caught in the train tracks on Market St) and I told him

-"No. I am just taking my bike.  You are getting nothing."  The three boys who found the bike and several people from inside the dollar store we were in front of were watching at this point so this guy was getting frightened.  He tried to grab the bike to take it back and I got in his way. I let him take his little bag off of it to slow him down, taking pictures of him the whole time so he would keep putting his hands in front of his face.  As he started to run off, Cameron got in front of him and got a shot of his face, at which point the guy pulled a knife.  Cameron let him walk off (although Cameron is blackbelt in Hapkido and well versed in knife defense and disarming people he knows the best defense is just walking away).

The only picture that kinda came out.

Of course he got away before the officer could catch up with us, BUT WE GOT CAMERON'S BICYCLE BACK!!!!! All of its parts, all of its pieces, everything. We had to buy a new lock on the way home (we are not sure how the guy broke Cameron's Bulldog U-lock in broad daylight in front of a high security State building, but he did), but that is OK with me.  I had already gone straight to the ATM to get the boys (Adam, Mateo and Isaiah) their money.  I parted with it happily as bicycles big enough for Cameron are hard to find.  The boys were thrilled to get the money.

I told them if they hang out there like that they should make a business of bicycle recovery.  They said even though they are there everyday I was the first person to ever ask them for help.  Never underestimate the power of a motivated teenager or two!  They see everything.

Hopefully Cameron learned something today about not giving in or letting things like this just happen to you.  We got lucky we found his bike, but there would have been no luck if we hadn't tried!

two for tuesday: joanie's got a twin!

spotted by chinstrap...

is Joanie day drinking sans @calitexican and sans basket?



hmmph, well, i never would miss a date to drink during the day, but mama's gotta work to pay them bills.

i love seeing a twin, but she's missing a very important thing....



also i have plastic fenders and joanie's twin has metal ones...and the twin has springy seat which helps over bumps and potholes and the like.

can't wait to see you around joanie's twin!

Pass It On

Because it is summer, it is time for the annual Passing Down Of The Bicycle.  Úna and Declan have both grown to the next bicycle level (although, Declan was forced ahead a bit prematurely).  We were fortunate to be able to provide new rides from our own stable!

Declan is temporarily riding Úna's old Specialized, now that it is no longer on loan to other kids.

The frame is a great size and the bike is solid and well geared for our rides but the hand brake problem is not resolved.  The muscles of a child's hands are just not large enough to provide the strength for repeated braking in city traffic.  When we got the bike back we discovered we had incorrectly remembered horizontal drop outs on it.  We had thought we could put a hub with a coaster brake on it.  Nope.  He also gets very frustrated with not being able to shift when stopped.  He is not old enough to anticipate gearing needs after stopping or just before hill climbing.  So, even though the bicycle is a great fit otherwise it is not a long term solution (that is being put together over this week!).

Úna has grown a whole bunch, too.  It is quite... disquieting (example below).

Much to her dismay, she has grown out of her beeeeautiful Araya mixte.

After several years of expressing hopeful love of my old mixte, the two have been joined in bikey matrimony,

As S.A.M. is the largest mixte frame Raleigh ever produced I think this will be the last time I have to relinquish one of my bicycles to my kids.  She loves everything about her new bicycle, she even got my Brooks saddle and Acorn bag.  I hesitate to say she is spoiled, but sheesh!

Thus, the torch has been passed.  Another year of family bicycles has been provided!