Bikes Bring It Video Log October 2015

It's FALLL

Hey pedicab enthusiasts! I have been conducting business for several weeks now during this fall 2015 semester at Ohio University. I took a nice break over the summer, so replete it was that when I returned to my cab-driving duties I was having difficulty remembering names and faces and even destinations pertinent to my business.

But now things are in full-swing and running pretty smoothly. Those who have ridden with me before have had a chance to experience the thrills again and newcomers have had a chance to get a taste of the pedicab action for the first time.

And everywhere I ride I get mad props and respect. You love what I do. You love the bike. You love the dedication. You love the hats, the tattoo, the music and the muscles.

And for all the love you bike taxi bros and sisters have given me, I say THANK YOU! Your patronage and support is what makes this business a success. I couldn't be more grateful for all the compliments and positive vibes I get from you.

And take NOTICE that this blog has renewed its framing license for greenalp.com's LiveTracker service. The tracker works at the top of this blog page, however I noticed it fails to show in the mobile version, where it would be most useful. I believe you may be able to see the tracks using THIS LINK, but have yet to confirm whether or not it works on mobile devices. Because I have a newer phone now I can run the tracker much more liberally and not worry about draining my phone by using so many processes at once. The tracks have been set to last 18 hours, so you can view last night's pedicab run the following day and it will be erased before the next shift begins. Be sure to give me a shout out if you have tried following the live tracker and you appreciate this addition to Bikes Bring It's services.

 
In OTHER NEWS, we have a recent festival, sidecar bike sale, and an ongoing sidecar bike commission being built under UpCycle Bikes.

I brought 3 sidecars to the 17th annual Paw Paw Festival and put for sale signs on two of them while driving my mainstay the Rasta Buggy about and giving rides to some kidfolk.

None of the bikes sold at Paw Paw, but I was surprised when a week later I was called and asked about purchasing a pedicab from a resident of Delaware, Ohio, who found me through the International Bicycle Fund's list of pedicab manufacturers. Within a few days the Blue Dwarf was off and on its way to northern Ohio, so I took plenty of pictures before she went. I only drove her uptown a few times last year and saw no hopes of renting her out around here as part of the BBI fleet, so letting her go made good sense even though I will miss seeing this sexy little bike ever again.

And finally, we have a bike whose design closely mimics the infamous Rasta Buggy which is being built for the town of Somerset, Ohio, where some grant money was procured to contract me to build them a passenger pedal machine.

So thanks for reading about the latest news in Athens' greatest rickshaw provider, Bikes Bring It! See you out on the town, hopefully sometime real soon!

Springtime Fests

Hi there everybody!

I am very excited that it is springtime once again. Flowers are blooming, warm breezes are blowing, and of course, lots of college students are partying here in Athens! This is the time of year where you'll find Bikes Bring It offering services during the daylight hours, provided there is a street party happening somewhere in Athens that day. You might see me starting around 2pm and going home for a break at around 6pm, and coming back uptown for my regular shift from 12am to 3am.

I apologize to those who got my card and tried to call me during the fests. I neglected to adjust the settings on my google voice number, which only routes calls to my phone during the regular shift times. I will try to remember to fix that before heading out to the next street fest this Saturday.

Mill Fest was a hell of a good time, and good publicity for Bikes Bring It. I was featured on the front page of the Athens News, and also appeared in a short clip from the video produced by The Post. Many thanks go out to those media outlets that helped me get exposed to larger audiences than ever before.

 
At a certain point Mill Street was closed off at the intersection with College Street, forbidding me from carrying passengers down the hill. This was a bit of an inconvenience for me and cost me one fare, but I kept on at it and simply took people on a little detour to the next intersection thereafter. I had the pleasure of taking a break at 89 Mill after I was finished working for the afternoon, where the mud seemed not to care about the delineation between indoors and out, and I also met some eager fans. One even boasted to me about how he presented an essay two years ago to his public speaking class on why everyone should ride the bike taxi. I was delighted!

High Fest came the following week, and I started off by heading to the Cycle Path to upgrade the drivetrain on the Rasta Buggy. My granny gear had been sucking chain since I started riding this year, and I was simply using the middle ring instead, which meant pushing a heavy gear ratio when it came to hill climbing. Not exactly what I wanted to do for the fest located on some of the steepest grade in Athens, so we replaced the cranks, chainrings, chain, and bottom bracket. My granny gear is two teeth better than the last one, my chain is heavier duty, and the BB is sealed for years of maintenance-free usage. I felt really good having half the shop's staff out there on the street helping me install the new parts, like it was a full-service gas station or an indycar pit-stop. The difference was amazing and I left spinning my way happily up Union Street. Next I had a nice brunch on the College Green with my ever-loving partner, Sarie, and then I was off to see what kind of fares I could get before the parties died down. High Fest is not particularly well suited for pedicabbing, but I did all right.

 So this weekend it's time for the most notorious of all the Athens fests, Palmer Fest. We shall see how that one goes!

Thanks for tuning in! Bike Man out.

Looking ahead as we break in 2015

Hello, and Happy New Year! Pedicab service began halfway into January this year, and I've only missed a few nights due to weather since then. Oh, I also took a holiday on the celebration of Imbolc, which is halfway between winter solstice and spring equinox and involves jumping into an icy pond. I came out refreshed and feeling full of good intentions for the coming season. Hopefully it turns out to be a big year for Bikes Bring It. I have been looking for ways to expand my pedicab services, as well as refine what it is I already do, which is transporting human beings in the wildest and most exhilarating way possible. I would like to try to provide you, the public, with even more if I can, though. I want to be a good role model, with good advice to give people. I want to be an ally, who can give respect and support to any group that is underprivileged. Someone who stands up for others if they are being mistreated. There is one other thing, too. I also want to offer someone a job. I want to share this idiosyncratic economic opportunity that I have hit upon. I would train someone in every way I could think of to be able to provide a similar level of pedicab service for the Athens nightlife. Do you have what it takes? You might want to look into renting a pedicab from Bikes Bring It!

Spring to Fall 2014

Lots of bike stuff has been happening! Here's a bunch of words and pictures:

 In March my mate and I traveled to Columbus for Oh!o Oh!o, which was a regional planning meeting for Bike!Bike!, an international conference for bike collectives and community bike projects. We checked out the clubhouse where the Righteous Mothers build their tallbikes and I decided to plan on leading a workshop there on how to build a cargo sidecar.

Bike people looking at bike things in a bike place

In April I entered one of my pedicabs into a competition by ReUse Industries for items recycled into either functional or artistic pieces. The Widecar Junior won 2nd place in its category!

The Widecar Junior at the Reuse Competition

Between April and June I made a new pedicab. This was intended to be a easy to rent, lightweight 2-passenger sidecar that would be stable and easy to handle. The 20" workhorse is a beach cruiser with extended back and front end. The steering geometry was customized for better sidecar physics compared to a standard bicycle fork that has more trail. It was named The Blue Dwarf.

Mostly fabricated in April

The Blue Dwarf on its inaugural night in June

I also learned how to sew this year with a handed down Singer Rocketeer. I made some costumes and hats to wear pedicabbing. The sewing machine also comes in handy for tailoring seat cushions for my bikes.

Robin Hood costume worn pedicabbing the Rasta Buggy

Bowling-style shirt

Marching band style hat

Woodsman style hat

On the new sidecar with my yellow marching hat

Gettin hugs with my yellow bowling shirt

 I got my first tandem in May and ride it with my mate which is pretty awesome.

Shazzam!

This year once again I biked to the Nelsonville Music Festival and provided pedicab service outside the festival area among the parking lots, campgrounds, and sometimes the Nelsonville area. Dan contracted a rental bike for the first time and rode the Widecar Junior.

Dan and I in the bike area outside the gate

Trailer on the Rasta Buggy traveling the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway

Best campsite of the whole Fest

Bikes Bring It was contracted in June to provide service to the Perry County Art Walk. Dan and I traveled to Somerset, home of the oldest Catholic church in Ohio and we rode folks on the Rasta Buggy and the Blue Dwarf, although the Rasta Buggy was starting to have serious hub problems that I had to fix with some washers from the hardware store on the square. The mayor who found me through the Paw Paw Festival last year was very gracious in hosting us for his event.

Dan pedaling some Art Walk appreciators

We brought the Blue Dwarf, a commissioned woodbarrow, and some other bikes to Summer Solstice at Wisteria for general good times and a few tips.

Festy buggy!

The Bikes Bring It tent

A chalice of wine by the emerald tent

Squiddy, a new friend I had on my seat

The rest of the Summer I was working my other trade, carpentry, which involved doing an addition on a house from start to finish on my own.

Before, in July

After, August

Just two weeks before my 30th birthday I got a bike tread tattoo on my arm that I have been considering for a long time.

Showing off the new tat with my custom-tailored sleeveless business shirt

Then, as we geared up for Bike!Bike! 2014, I finished the frame redesign on the Bumblebee to sell it to an interested buyer in Oxford, Ohio. Columbus would be our meeting point to make the transaction, and then Bike!Bike! had a huge critical mass ride and I did that cargo sidecar workshop I had wanted to do.

The bicycle formerly known as the Bumblebee at Third Hand Bike Co-op

A test ride with me on the backseat

Riding the wheelie on my mini chopper during Critical Mass

Critical Mass, right before the cops showed up

The cargo sidecar in progress

Just add shopping cart basket

And it's done!

Ridden the next day to a protest Wendys for Fair Food

Can also be used as a place to eat food if necessary

In September I got back to pedicabbing Athens after a summer hiatus.

Wearing my new MOLLE utility belt outside Obetty's

Stylin' at BP

The Paw Paw Fest had the Blue Dwarf out at Lake Snowden this year, where I made just over my vendor and beer expenses for the weekend.

I didn't take any pictures at the Paw Paw Fest other than this one