Tag Archives: Two’sDay

You Won’t Believe What This 80-Year-Old Did on Her Bike Friday

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EDITOR’S NOTE: It has been nearly five years since Dolores McKeough sent us this email, reminding us that it’s never too late to chase your dreams!

Hi, I got home 24 hours ago.

What a fantastic, beautiful summer. The adventure, fun, stress, friends made, country seen, and on and on.

The trip started innocently enough with friend Cathy in Tampa on April 3. It ended yesterday after I biked from Malibu where I was camping with three companions, whom I met in Big Sur, to Santa Monica where I folded my Bike Friday into it’s suitcase (after I took the wheels off since it had been serving as my trailer).

So many good things happened on this extravaganza trip including the folding experience in Santa Monica. I didn’t want to disassemble the bike on the beach, although it was a beautiful day, there was too much sand.

So, I went to the REI store where Robbie, the bike repair manager, suggested I use part of his work space. What a generous offer. I took him up on it and had the trailer wheels and attachment off in no time. I then folded the bike (taking the accessories off is the most time consuming part of the process) and put it in the suitcase (the former trailer).

The suitcase with the bike weighed in at 52 pounds at the airport (even though it was two pounds over the allowance Suncountry let it go). My duffle bag with camping stuff, clothes etc weighed in at 28 pounds. And, I had two carry-ons.

So I figure the bike plus all my stuff was about 85 pounds. That’s a lot of weight to ride across the country and partly up and down two coasts. But, I did it and feel great.

I just added it up! I think I rode about 1,000+ miles from Mt. Dora, Florida, to Williamsburg, Virginia; then 4,500 TransAm miles from Richmond, Virginia, to Florence, Oregon; then 1,100 miles from Florence to Santa Monica California.

That’s 6,600 miles on my Bike Friday with 85 pounds, from April 3  til August 29. That impresses even me.

As you know it is not simply the miles that count but the terrain, the road surface, the elevation, the weather …

It was wonderful. The picture was taken North of San Francisco. Note the long sleeves; the weather did not warm up til Santa Barbara.

Dolores

7 Steps to Buying a Bike on a Budget

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[EDITOR’S NOTE: Before opening Bike Friday in 1992, Co-Founder Alan Scholz owned and operated a few bike shops, and spent time as a national level racer.  Here are his expert tips on how to spend your money wisely when buying a bike.]

By Alan Scholz

Here are the basics I learned long ago about buying a bike on a budget, in order of importance.

1. Make sure you get a good frame in the right size. Get help making sure the frame fits your body by someone who is knowledgeable about fitting. Look for the best frame you can afford for the right type of riding you plan to do. Nothing else matters as much if you are on a budget. Everything else can be upgraded later if you are short on funds. Good designers, cyclists, and shop employees know this. It’s a good test of their basic knowledge.

2. Ride the saddle if it came with the bike just long enough to see if you can put up with it. If the bike does not come with saddle and pedals, thank the designer. That means they invested that money into the frame and wheels for you! Get a saddle that works for you — it is worth the individual focus. Price and weight are not good criteria to use to choose a saddle. You need to test ride a number of saddles and buy one  that is acceptable.

After you have been riding a while, you will be ready to trade up to a better saddle. When your butt is new to cycling, an acceptable saddle is as good as it gets. When you can ride 15-25 miles a day regularly get a nice saddle if you feel you need a different shape. Don’t believe anyone who says “this is a men’s saddle, or this is a women’s saddle.” Get one that fits and feels good. Ignore the rest.

3. If you can afford it, get a good set of wheels. After getting a frame that fits, wheels that are relatively light will give you by far the most bang for your buck.

4. If you are pushing your budget, buy cheap heavy tires. You will be replacing tires eventually, and then you can get some good tires. Wearing out tires will happen sooner than you think. That’s when you can buy better tires. You will be best served to really enjoy your bike, although frame and wheels will do the most toward that goal.

5. Next change your steel stuff out for entry level alloy if you must limit funds. Steel chainrings, brakes, seatposts, and derailleurs are a dead give away that they are sub-standard for someone who wants to be a real rider and can afford more than the minimum frame and wheels. They may work fine but they were put there to save money and they are heavy. Your motor cannot be changed. Weight matters. Used parts are often a good choice, but you need to really know parts design. Brand is not always a clear indicator. Ask a knowledgeable friend or expert consultant.

6. If your ship has come in, you can be picky but not arrogant about parts and prices. People who ”buy” into the sport usually do not become good nor happy cyclists. The most pricey and light gear will not perform for you out of the box if you have not already gained top level skills to utilize and appreciate them. From the experience in my shop days starting hundreds of folks to cycling, it takes as a minimum, three progressively better bikes as an adult to get to the top level, best for you. It doesn’t matter how much money you have.

7. Full Custom is usually not available or understandable to you until the third level of bike and thousands of miles. Small custom builders must charge 2-5 times as much as off the shelf mass produced bikes. If you do not know that they still mostly make less than minimum wages doing so, you will not appreciate their output anyway. Your best choice then is to buy an off the shelf imported bike and think you got a good deal. All small manufacturing concerns, one person to 60 people are squeezed by this math. Imports are cheaper because the factories are larger and they have the economies of scale. But they often also practice a lack of respect for good design that a small custom builder will have. Inexpensive or dear, a bike can serve you well if you take the time to choose. Take a ride with the local bike club and you will find there are far more important skills than a full wallet to keep up.

Camper Silk Feedback

 

Bike Friday’s Silk. Is it worth it?

This vibrant exchange popped up recently on a camping enthusiast site. Real talk by real people.

Eugene Bike Culture

 

Mike Cheek welds a Bike Friday frame.

Here’s a neat story about bicycle building here in Eugene, Oregon done by our local weekly newspaper.

Celebrating 80

Our friends at Adventure Cycling posted a neat story about Bike Friday owner Lou Schweickart celebrating his 80th Birthday on the Southern Tier route.

Check out his Bike Friday!

Happy Birthday, Lou!

Tribute to Graham Day

 

Graham and Margaret Day.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Graham Day passed away on April 15, 2014. According to his wife Margaret, Graham died at home, peacefully and with the whole family around him. You can leave a tribute to him in the COMMENTS section below.

The Days came to visit the Bike Friday factory in 1995 to pick up their Bike Fridays, and to check out the company. After getting a tour and meeting with Co-Founders Hanz and Alan Scholz, they promised to introduce Bike Friday to Australia.

They did exactly that, with a passion and determination unmatched in the history of our company. To date the Days are responsible for more than 300 referrals.

The Australian Bike Friday Club is one of the most dynamic, vigorous clubs in the world. Its annual Gathering [see Robbie Dow’s report below on the 2014 event] is the gold standard for the Bike Friday Community.

We hope all Bike Friday owners take a moment to share the wonderful memories of Graham and Margaret Day, and tell the tales of their incredible impact on our company.]

A tribute from Bike Friday Co-Founder Alan Scholz:

As a cycling Oregonian from the Emerald City it was my good luck and pleasure to have ridden tour with Graham Day in OZ.

We live a long way apart — Oregon to Australia — but the dynamic duo of Graham and Margaret has been an important part of my life since meeting them 19 years ago in 1995 when they visited to pick up their Bike Fridays. I hope they knew, and know, I love them.

Even though I build many travel bikes for the intrepid traveling cyclists of the world, I am pretty much of a stay at home guy. My world has felt much bigger ever since my trip to Australia. That wedge into my consciousness to include far away Australia into my world made, I feel, my life a great deal more substantial.

With the fine folks I continue to meet in that part of the world through them, I can truthfully say that Australians are some of my most favorite people.

Of the few travels I have done, one stands out in my memory above others. That was a trip to do the yearly Australian Bike Friday Club Gathering in the early part of this century. The trip in many ways was overwhelming.

But I want to say to all as I cannot to him, one of my most favorite and stand out memories was riding, talking, and being in a group with Graham. I remember one corner we waited on together out in the country somewhere. We were fixing a flat or waiting for someone to catch up, but it stuck in my mind. It was one of those moments where you say to yourself, “I enjoy this moment and this person is somehow part of enjoying it. I really like being around them. They are safe, they are gentle, and they care.”

I have carried in my heart since that tour with the fine Aussies, Graham as fine of a friend as you could have. One you do not need to confirm that he is there or has your best interest at heart. I am sure that many from his extensive family and friends will miss him. I will carry him in my heart along with the rest of that exceptional experience that he, Margaret, Bronwyn, Dave and all the others enabled.

I feel loss with his passing and send my love to Margaret and all those others that were/are part of Graham’s life. And know you feel as I do, he made our lives better.

From the Bike Friday Oregon side to the Australia Bike Friday side.

Alan Scholz

The 18th ABFC Gathering

The place to be

By Robbie Dow / Bike Friday Sales Manager

The 18th Annual Gathering of the Australian Bike Friday Club (ABFC) took place in early April 2014, and I was quite fortunate to be a part of it.

Before the trip started, I was looking forward to meeting several Australian Bike Friday owners, people I’d only talked to via phone and email. However, I was a bit worried about the group rides, as it was nearing the end of winter in Eugene, and I really wasn’t in cycling shape.

Also, while I had ridden longer rides on other bikes, my experience with my Bike Friday Silk was limited to commuting and other short rides, so I wasn’t really sure how it would hold up to the 50km and 60km group rides planned for the event. There’s only one way to find out!

I flew from Eugene to Los Angeles, and then to Sydney, a day later than originally planned due to a visa glitch. The flight to Sydney was only about half full, and I was fortunate to have a row of three seats to myself. This meant I was able to sleep for about 8 hours total, which helped make the 15 hour flight a bit more bearable.

When I arrived in Sydney, Bike Friday owner George Leindekar was kind enough to meet me at the airport and ride the commuter train with me to Central Station in Downtown Sydney. George then helped me get set up on the train to Mt. Victoria. I had two Bike Friday travelcases (one with my Bike Friday Silk, and another Silk that I brought along for the trip), a third suitcase with my personal belongings, and a backpack. I am quite thankful to George for his help, as I don’t know how I would’ve managed with all of my belongings without him.

The rain didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits

Even though I was exhausted and jet-lagged, I couldn’t stop looking out my window of the train and taking in the surroundings. The city gave way to countryside, and the train slowly worked its way up an incline through the Blue Mountains to Mt. Victoria. When I arrived at my stop, Bronwyn Laing of the ABFC picked me up, and we went over to her place for a short time before getting back in the car and driving to the town of Rylstone.

Here’s the interesting thing about the ABFC gatherings. The event originally started as a day ride, expanded to a weekend, and kept growing in size over the years. The 18th annual event spanned five days and attracted 138 attendees, mostly from Australia, but also a few people from other countries. Even still, the five days of riding weren’t enough for some, so a dozen or so riders planned pre-event rides.

I met the rest of the pre-event crew in Rylstone, and then I assembled my Bike Friday and prepared it for the next day. We had a fantastic dinner at the local pub/hotel, and I shared a room at the pub with fellow Bike Friday Silk owner, Mitsuo Tadokoro, who was visiting from Japan. The next morning I headed off on my first ride of the trip, a 55km outing to the town of Mudgee.

So many Bike Fridays!

The ride was amazing — lots of grazing land, with beautiful rolling hills. Early on I saw a wallaby in a field along the road, and there’s just nothing like seeing a wild animal as you ride past on a bike. Riding on the left side of the road took a little getting used to, but by the end of the trip it seemed fairly natural.

We stopped for lunch at a small one-room school in the town of Lue. The teacher came out of the classroom and welcomed us. She said we could use the covered outdoor tables in the school yard (it had warmed up quite a bit, so the shade was certainly appealing) for our lunch, and she even offered us tea and coffee!

After we ate, 18 or so curious and enthusiastic grade school children came outside to meet us, and next thing I knew I was answering questions about Bike Fridays and America one after the next. One of the children asked why I talked so funny. Another boy was about as tall as me, and when one of his classmates pointed out that the two of us were the same height, the boy said, “Hooray, I’m an American!”

I didn’t know what to expect on my visit to Australia, but I certainly didn’t expect to interact with a group of eager school kids. It was a real treat.

The gang

We rode some more, and eventually the rest of the pack pulled away from me as I began to lose steam. I arrived in Mudgee in last place (not that we were racing), and this is where riding on the left side of road became a bit more of a challenge for me, as there were numerous roundabouts running clockwise with quite a bit of car traffic.

Fortunately, the drivers were courteous, and I fumbled my way through the roundabouts to the campground, or as it’s known in Australia, “caravan park.” I’ve never seen so many Bike Fridays in one place at the same time, and I work for Bike Friday! I was also surprised to see so many tandems and tikits, but they performed on the long rides just as well as the other Bike Fridays.

Bike Friday folks sharing their travel stories

The next several days were a blur of riding, meeting people, answering questions, and seeing what people have done with their Bike Fridays. The day rides around Mudgee were incredibly beautiful, with more rolling hills, and a plethora of wineries and grassy fields. The Aussie Bike Friday folks were exceptionally friendly, and everybody went out of their way to make me feel quite welcome. They’re also quite passionate about their Bike Fridays.

Often, I would forget I was on the other side of the planet. But then a car would drive past on the left side of road, or I would hear people would talk with an Australian accent, and I would realize where I was. One person corrected me when we were discussing the brake levers on his Bike Friday: “It’s not ‘levers,’ it’s ‘leevers.’” So I pronounced it “leevers” for the rest of the trip.

This year, the club set aside a time for people to sign up to give presentations and share their experiences traveling on their Bike Fridays. This proved to be a really popular event, and it was fun hearing about all the places people have gone, and the unique experiences they’ve had on their Bike Fridays.

Outside the pub in Rylstone

Friday was the longest ride of the event, the “pub ride.” There was a shorter version of the long ride, but I missed the turn for that one and ended up taking the long ride, which ended up being around 70km. We met at a rural pub — the Cooyal Hotel — and I was ready to stop and relax with some lunch. It was fun to see all the Bike Fridays lined up outside, like brightly-colored, small-wheeled biker gang.

Saturday was “fancy dress day,” and several people dressed up in costumes for the day’s rides. That evening, we all gathered at the local country club for a banquet dinner. I gave a presentation about Bike Friday — who we are, what we’ve been doing, and what’s to come. This was followed by a charity auction that raised over $4,000 for Guide Dogs Victoria, an organization that provides services for vision impaired people, including assistance with tandems, so vision impaired people can ride a bike.

On Sunday, I skipped the group ride so I could focus on packing and getting ready to leave. I caught a ride to one of the area wineries where the gang had assembled for a final lunch. I was able to say goodbye to several people before I left. Unfortunately, I missed many people I would’ve like to have said goodbye to, but I guess I’ll just have to catch them next year.

I think the horses like my Silk, too

So how did the Silk do? Smooth as Silk. The Alfine 11 hub gave me a nice, wide gearing range, and the only maintenance I had to do was a brief tweak of the shifter cable. Some of the riding was on rough, bumpy gravel roads, and I was surprised at how well the bike handled the terrain. I’m considering switching from a 60t to a 55t belt ring for better hill climbing gearing, as I only really used the top end gears on steep downhill slopes. I’m also considering a lightweight Pocket Crusoe for next year’s event, which will be held in the town of Mansfield in the Australian Alps.

After the event, I had a few days before my flight left, and I’m especially thankful to Bike Friday owners David and Jenny Ingham, who were gracious enough to let me stay at their beautiful house in Manly. I was also able to do a little exploring in Manly Beach and Sydney, which proved to be a lot of fun.

The night before my flight, I was invited to an amazing dinner at a French Bistro with a dozen or so Bike Friday folks, and it was a fantastic way to close out the adventure. I am just amazed at how something as simple as a shared interest in a travel bicycle can bring together so many people to become life long friends.

It’s the magic of Bike Friday.

Stopping for lunch at the Coolyal Hotel At one of the wineries The Silk feeling at home in any hemisphere

Lifestyle commercial

[EDITOR’S NOTE: We just received this neat note from Bike Friday owners Rich and Amanda Ligato:}

Hey Bike Friday Folks,
A few weeks ago an ad agency contacted us to ask if we’d be interested in allowing them to make a vignette commercial about our early retirement for Nationwide.  They wanted to include some footage of us on an adventure, so we suggested we ride our Bike Friday’s.  They filmed it here in Southern California.  The road scene is in Earthquake Canyon near Joshua Tree and the water scene is at the Salton Sea.  They used this amazing $100K drone copter camera to get the overhead and aerial shots.
We thought you might be interested.
Happy Cycling!
Rich & Amanda Ligato
www.vwvagabonds.com

Another Haul-a-Day post

 

Here is the second great post about our soon-to-be-released Haul-a-Day.

Sweet ride on Gates

Gates recently blogged photos of a sweet Bike Friday they caught at the National Hand Built Bicycle Show in Charlotte, N.C.