Entries tagged “cycling”

Fellow Migrators,

Since we parted it's been a wonderful trip. I was having an amazing time in Chico, but I had to heed my warnings and not get sucked in too fast. I have too much to fulfill here in Santa Cruz to be trying to integrate myself in another community... for now. And I had another calling to finish off some other Karma. So I rode two hundred thirty miles in three days, up over mount Lassen at 8,511 feet, and to Headwaters in Mt. Shasta. The Outdoor school there has brought me a long way, but during my time there this month it was clear to me that I must seek out other teachers, experiences and friends and visions in this life.

While a part of me wanted to ride another 500 miles over the mountains and down the coast to my home, I was tired of touring alone. Highway 89 was nothing short of terrifying, with a 20 miles section of no change in scenery, no bike lane, and semi trucks passing at 70 mph. I missed the camaraderie we had on the ride, I missed having to stop for no particular reason, and I missed the random acts of complete ridiculousness that seemed to occur around every bend in the road. When I tour alone I wake up in the morning and can't think of anything to do other than ride 80 miles through 95 degree heat. It just wasn't quite as much fun. It was a good experience for sure, but it only enforced the notion that I cannot do this alone.

I hitched a ride back to Santa Cruz and arrived on the 17th. Since then I have built three gardens. I've gotten so much done and been so purposefully inspired that I can't even comprehend it. Massive shopping trips, cleaning, organizing, smoking, drinking, talking, thinking. Inspired by conversations I've had with all of you I'm thinking of ways to reduce my waste, to be the change I want to see in the world.

The Cabrillo College Bicycle Co-op is starting a week from today. Currently the shop consists of three donated bikes, some shelves, some tools, inner tubes and u-locks, a few stands, and a few people. I'm going to be building workbenches and organizing the space over the next week. Over the semester I'll be helping to run the shop, and teach people that YES, they CAN commute by bicycle and be happy, and that they can also repair and maintain their wonderful machines. Turning the vision and inspiration I gained during Wheeled Migration and at the conference into reality. This is quite a big commitment for me, especially on top of my heavy course load for this semester. But in doing so I will be pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone and growing in ways I never thought imaginable.

As per the title of my post, I am planning on attending Bike!Bike! (http://www.bikebike.org) from September 25th to 28th, in San Francisco. Bike!Bike! is "an annual conference of community bicycle projects from around the country (and abroad) who come together in order to explore and affirm our common values; to create networks for sharing tools, organizational structures, funny stories and new skills; to inspire and invigorate ourselves to continue the work we do in our many communities; and to meet athletic strangers." I would love to see some of you (hell, all of you) there.

I rode by the ocean in Capitola the other day, and there is still a "WM" with a heart around it in the bike lane. It certainly isn't over yet. In fact I feel like I'm just getting started.

Much Love,

-Blair

Hello everyone,

Truly, I alone will never be close to capturing what occurs on the Wheeled Migration. My language tool box has but an eye dropper to move the limitless sky into our vast ocean.
I can not do this alone.

To the riders of our first migration, ya'll came through like a storm!! And.. you're still making waves! Lives are flopping, jobs are dropping, dreams are swarming and coming to light, there is a fresh ambition among us... I hear it, moving though the streets of our town... We brought something back from the road.. I don't understand what it is, but my body knows it's there.

For the first few weeks, I wanted everyone who asked about the ride to know that I was only going to answer questions with my eyes.

My mind seems to stumble and clunk between explaining the relative truth of our tour..
Which sortta goes like: "Well, we went _____. Then there was _____, and _____ was covered with_____ then, ______ got naked and started laughing.. or crying, I couldn't tell which..."

Then there is trying to explain what it actually did to me, articulating how it has changed my life..
Which, of course is completely beyond the scope of most conversation, and really, who has the time anyway.

So my voice has been quiet, my body continues its stretching, and my heart rolls and writhes in a binge of social molasses that won't quite satisfy- for there are unspoken languages that would move it all though you... But we prefer English '08.

It is not over, it's not ever going to end now.

It's my hope that in the coming weeks I can find my reflections for the tour. It's been almost a month now, and I feel I owe a few words to the world after all it has given us recently.

There is much to say, and there is much to do.
We've heard the call, and you want another taste.. So we're patiently and purposefully tucking back in and starting to work on that next thing, and the next thing after that, and we're thinking about the next thing after that thing...

Please keep tuned to Wheeled Migration as we unpack, repair, wash, rinse, polish, and reposition ourselves.

Thank you for your support,
Ryan

To my Friends and Family,

I may be far away, but right now I feel home. I've ridden with the
wheeled migration for 250 miles from Pescadero to San Luis Obispo, and
have now followed them back to Chico to continue my journey. As the
list of people I'm sending this to grows, I realize you may wonder
what the hell I've been up to. I've moved back to Santa Cruz, and am
steadfastily continuing my education, with the goal of a degree in
Mechanical Engineering. Two weeks ago I joined a group of wild, free
spirited cyclists called Wheeled Migration
(http://www.wheeledmigration.org) and we rode our touring bikes to the
7th Annual Sustainability conference at Cal Poly. My intention was to
network with people and get a clearer direction with regards to my
future, and above all to have more fun than I thought possible.

My past bicycle tours have always been an excercise in solitude,
character building and physical challenge. On this trip I joined up
with twenty other riders whom I didn't know, and I honestly had my
doubts about how well it would go. And it's now that I wonder if I can
ever go back to the solitary masochism of my old ways. I've never
felt so at home with a group of people that I just met. Perhaps it
was the way that nobody did this ride with their ego on the line, or
the way that despite the broad range of speeds and skill levels,
nobody was left behind and nobody dragged the group down. Maybe there
is just something so special and empowering about carrying all that
you need to survive on a bicycle. Freedom from the confines of steel
and glass boxes, from air conditioning and the social norms that
govern our petroleum addicted society. Maybe it's the way that right
now in Chico I have more offers for floors, couches, beds and
backyards to stay in than I have in Santa Cruz.

The major recurring theme on this adventure so far has been that I
cannot do this alone. It seems that as I grow and mature there are
more and more things I wish to accomplish, and while I am strong and
driven I have learned that many more are stronger. I've broken down a
lot of personal barriers on this ride, and many seeds have been
planted in my fertile mind.

The Sustainability Conference was anti-climatic, if anything. In many
ways a big let down, but at the same time I still walked away with a
good set of ideas that I will grow over the next couple of weeks on
the road. After spending so much time on a bicycle with no walls
surrounding me, being back in the civilized, air conditioned,
shoe-wearing, quantified world was a terrible shock to all of our
systems. The conference was all ideas and talk of sustainability, but
did not seem sustainable in practice or execution. It was hard to
find interest in changing the policies of institutions to be more
sustainable when the people and environment that surrounded me was
not. Change in the world starts within each one of us, and I believe
that if I can make my own existence less of a burden and more of a
gift to the earth and my community, the rest will fall into place.
I've learned more about personal sustainability from my fellow riders
than from any speaker or panel at the conference. Over hills and
through headwinds, across the hundreds miles of enlightening
conversations.

Following the conference I hitched a ride in our sagwagon Myrtle back
to Chico. I've spent so much time with the Chico crew that I feel
like I'm from there, although I'm only just arriving for the first
time. Chico people, I want to drink at least one beer and go for at
least one bike ride before I go. I'll be around here, you'll find me.
I've got my bicycle and everything I need for the road with me, and I
will be rolling back to Santa Cruz.... someday.

For the next couple of weeks I'm going to be thinking about how I can
grow and strengthen my cycling community at home. How can I teach
people that cycling is a fun, enlivening and effective method of
transportation, how can I get them all on good, safe bicycles, and how
can I promote understanding between motorists and cyclists? I want us
to have conversations about how the Wheeled Migration can continue to
grow and flourish, and how we can bring it all back home.

My ever evolving plan, as it stands in this moment, is to ride to
Shasta and Headwaters Outdoor School sometime next week, and ride home
from there. Wish me luck, I'll be thinking of you...

Much love to all,

-Blair

So excited to meet up with Wheeled Migration tomorrow morning at Ocean Beach! I’ve lived on the coast all my life and never far from a bike (I think I currently own 6!), but never ridden the coast route. Though I was hoping to ride from SF to Santa Cruz, I’ll settle for the shorter distance and then hit the whole thing next time.

See you all tomorrow!!

Dearest Wheeled Migration Riders and Supporters,

Thank you for believing in the Wheeled Migration and helping to make this dream go.
As you've probably noticed, this project has evolved quite rapidly from a few meetings and the conference call we started with six months ago.

I appreciate you keeping along with me though this (seemingly) simple task of gathering students together on a tour bike tour; thank you for allowing me to take the lead on this project and to invest myself in an idea that now inspires me endlessly.

Clearly (or to me anyway) this concept is becoming very dynamic and rich with potential, your support and energy has been incredible in encouraging me further. It my hope you will each be with me though the growth of Wheeled Migration for as far as it can go.

In the coming months, you will see me taking a stronger lead in developing the Wheeled Migration project and bringing forward the potential I see within it.

Speaking on behalf of WM as an organization, we will be establishing ourselves as a nonprofit venture with the mission to celebrate bicycle culture while honoring a restoration of the self, our communities, and the environment.

And...

To seek Joy, Independence, and Justice for all...
With the bicycle.

In addition to our mission, Wheeled Migration has established a set of goals and a vision statement, after this maiden tour, our next step is to become firmly rooted by finical support and healthy partnerships that will nurture our project into the future.

As ever, your input as a rider, a sponsor, and a partner is crucial to our growth and fulfilling this emerging vision.

Thanks for you.

As ever,
Ryan

Hello Everyone,

Well I just mailed a check to Ryan so I figure I should introduce myself, cuz you know, I'm actually coming on this ride and not just thinking about it anymore. I though it would be cool to show off share my touring rig with you all, and I'm curious what everyone else is riding on, or if anyone needs any advice.

This is my Soma Double Cross. I bought the frame and built it this march and I ride it every day. If there was a fire, terrorist attack or sudden meteor shower I would not hesitate to grab this bicycle before any other of my possessions.

It's a cyclocross bike with 700x28 C Armadillo Tires, handbuilt wheels, a brooks saddle and a mixed up Shimano group. 30-39-50 in front, 11-32 in the back.

When she's not loaded down either school books or survival essentials, she rides neck and neck with carbon fiber bikes worth three times as much.

I've come a long way since I first started off, and I typically carry all my campgear, cookware, clothing and essentials. On the last tour about 70% of the food I ate was food I packed with me. I could tour on $5 a day if I needed to (The $5 is for coffee, of course).

So, what's your setup?

…and now they’ll know why…

from beau.vox.com/

Though I won't be able to complete the whole ride... I look forward to riding from San Francisco to Santa Cruz with the WM peloton. I commonly do 40 mile rides, but riding from my current home in SF to my parent's place in Santa Cruz will be so awesome... I've always wanted to ride down the Pacific Coast Highway.

See you all in a little over a month!