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The Bike Friday Team

Walter Lapchynski
Stockholder

Photo

Walter trackstanding on his fixed gear.
Bike Friday Travel Consultants

Job title

Showroom, Factory Tours & Bike Friday Expert. My specialties are fixed gears, tandems, family cycling & commuting.

Description



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BLOG
http://bikefriday.com/walterblog

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BIKES
Bike Fridays:

  1. Pocket Llama (welded by me!)
  2. Tandem Traveller Triple XL Sport
  3. Pocket Rocket Pro for my spouse
  4. Bantam for my daughter (in progress)
  5. tikit!

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BIOGRAPHY
I'm one of Bike Friday's old timers, having worked in nearly every part of the company: production, inventory, service, and now as a Professional Bicycle Travel Consultant. Pick a destination and I'll help facilitate a Bike Friday to take with you on your travels !

Can you believe I managed to earn an honors Bachelor's degree in Biology at the University of Oregon (including working in a lab for a fellow Bike Friday owner) while doing all this?

Among other accomplishments, my fixed gear Friday was the inspiration for the full-scale production of these blissfully efficient bicycles.

I live, breathe, and ride Bike Friday.

My wife Christina and I were in Hawai'i when I serendepitously rediscovered cycling. Ever since then, I have been an everyday commuter, spending part of that time as a bike messenger in Cleveland.

When I'm not riding to and from work on my fleet of personal bikes, I'm usually enjoying some family time on the tandem with our four year old daughter Sierra in tow (though she is soon due to ride in the middle!).

I wholeheartedly believe in the bicycle as a revolutionary machine and am proud to be a part of a company that allows people to use their bikes more often.

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EXPERTISE
I'm also a committed tandem addict. Anyone who hasn't had the experience but would like to try, get in touch. I've been both captain and stoker and would be happy to go riding with you and share my experience, give pointers, and add perspective. I've "trained" a few tandem teams, including a few couples, some larger families, and one with a stoker who was partially disabled.

I'm also very much into fixed gears and commute rain or shine (and though in Oregon, this usually means rain, it has at times meant snow and ice) and have spent considerable amount of time doing the latter, usually on the former. I'd be happy to give tips and answer questions about either one, though most of the questions about the fixed gear have been answered on the Fixed Friday FAQ.

Lastly, I've had plenty of experience fitting little people, both juveniles and adults to bikes that can fit them like a glove. My hope is that the new option we have produced specifically for this group, codenamed "Bantam," will also serve as a solution to fit younger kids to Bike Fridays, too. I plan on making one for my soon-to-be five year old daughter for her 2007 birthday, and hopefully that will make it clear whether or not it is truly possible. If you're like these folks and have unique sizing needs, fill out our sizing form and send it to me and I'll let you know what possibilities exist. Perhaps it will even serve as impetus to develop some new ones!

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UPDATE
June 2007: Note my schedule has changed and my extension has changed. The reason: I'm now manning the showroom. I'm focusing on continuing to develop the showroom as a real destination for our out-of-towners, and using it as a resource for the local cycling community. Come schedule an appointment for a factory tour !!! It's an unforgettable experience that will make you cherish your Bike Friday even more !!!

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SCHEDULE
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
09:00am-06:00pm
Saturday

09:00am-04:00pm

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CONTACT INFORMATION
PHONE/VOICE MAIL:
US/Canada: 1-800-777-0258 x 143
International: +1-541-687-0487 x 143
Mobile: +1-541-556-6830 (I encourage calls off-hours)

VOICE OVER INTERNET:
Gizmo: bikefridaywalter
SIPphone: 1-747-674-8129
Skype: roulez-libre

EMAIL:
walterl@bikefriday.com
bikefridaywalter@gmail.com

INSTANT MESSAGE:
Google Talk: bikefridaywalter
ICQ/AIM: bikefridaywalter
Yahoo: carsrcoffins23

INTERNET RELAY CHAT:
server: irc.irchat.tv
port: 6667
channel: #BikeFriday
nick: bikefridaywalter

I see myself as less of a sales person and more of an advisor. I have found the best solution to ordering your custom bike is to discuss completely all your requirements, needs, expectations, plans, dreams, limits, and preferences and then use that to help progress the conversation towards the options that are most applicable to you.

In this sense, I don't order your bike for you, but help you figure out which bike you want to order. I don't expect people to tell me what gear inches they want or what components they prefer (though that can help), but focus on translating the abstract into the concrete.

Fifteen to thirty minutes is all it takes to accomplish this. That being said, I happily accept phone appointments. Just email or call or text message with how you want to be contacted and when you want to be contacted and I will do everything in my power to make it happen, even if it means staying late/getting here early to handle different time zones.

I'm here to help!

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emailable link to this page:
http://bikefriday.com/walter