Bike-O Rama

It’s not that I couldn’t think of anything better to call it- I just wanted it to sound fun. It could have been a Bicycle Workshop, or a Bike Intensive or even a Two-Wheeled Tutorial. In many ways, it hopes to be all of the above, but mostly it should be fun. As with the old bugaboo of getting back in shape, enjoyment of your exercise regimen of choice is key to being able to stick with it. Riding a bike is one of those workout options which could be combined with your search for transportation alternatives. Riding a bike, like walking or running, also involves movement from point A to point B and back, but generally in a quicker fashion, due to the magic of gearing that even a single speed bike can provide.

The bicycle has a problem, though. Actually it has a number of them , but through no fault of its own. The bicycle is a kid’s toy, and has no place on the road. The bicycle hurts when you ride it, so obviously those that say it’s a kids toy were probably right. The road is a scary place to ride, because cars go by too fast. Cars, and the drivers who manipulate them, have all the rights to the roads, which of course were made just for cars. All cyclists are scofflaws and anarchists with no concern for the rules of the road and a devil-may-care attitude about their own safety and the well- being of all of those around them. Everything in this paragraph after the first two sentences and before this one is utter nonsense, although all of it combines in various real world ways to make cycling more of an effort and certainly way more dangerous than it needs to be, which is why I’m writing this article. And it’s why I’m about to make this offer.

For years I’ve been talking with Jeff at Vashon Bikes about reasons I’ve heard as to why people don’t ride more. The top two I’ve heard are that Island roads are dangerous, and that people generally don’t understand how and when to shift gears. There are some of us who feel that Vashon is one of the safest places around to ride, and that shifting is one of those second nature things. In order to pass that knowledge on and help promote biking in general, I decided to move ahead on the Vashon Bike-O-Rama, which for now will consist of four, once a month clinics at the Vashon Bike Shop- next to the post office for those uncertain of its whereabouts. The dates will be all Saturdays, and for now between the hours of noon and 2pm. At this point we are looking at June 25th, July 23rd, August 13th and September 24th. Besides being a way to become more familiar with your bike, it is also a lead up to what is being billed as a worldwide event- Moving Planet- which is being driven by the folks at 350.org. Being somewhat of a skeptic regarding one day events, it seemed to make more sense to have a number of days leading up to the big one so that bikes are not just dusted off and then re-garaged after the hoopla has died down.

At this point I don’t want to be too rigid about what each Saturday will include. Things I would like to offer are basic riding tips, rules of the road advice, basic bike maintenance (fix a flat and grease your chain and beyond) and a primer on shifting. This will be followed up with a group ride where we head out at a conversational pace and tackle some flats and a few hills to see how easy it all can be. At the moment I have commitments from five or six people from various parts of the cycling community to be on hand for help in helping. And the invitation is out there for all who are interested- kids to seniors.

Being involved in a number of challenging new learning curves at the moment myself, I know, and am constantly being reminded of the comfort in knowing, that there is someone there who can answer a question about an issue I’m faced with along the way. As stated at the beginning, I know there are questions out there about biking- here is your opportunity to get them answered so that you can see the bicycle as something more than a dust collector or as something to wedge in the crook of a tree. While helmets are a must, no one here will require you to where lycra/spandex, although we might explain why it is a part of the uniform of choice- that is of course until the price of oil skyrockets, at which point both bikes and old school wool shorts will be looking pretty good from where you’re sitting. For further info I can be contacted at pgr42@att.net.