John, 40 Years Later

Some things really can make you feel old.

I know, it isn't all about me.  At least, what I'm about to relate isn't.  But I write this blog, ostensibly about bicycling, and end up talking about myself.  Then again, what blogger doesn't talk about him/her/themself?

So here goes:  Forty years ago, John Lennon was murdered by someone who claimed --like other actual and would-be murderers and assassins--to have been inspired by Holden Caulfield (who was, not a killer, but a teenage rebel who feels disgust for almost everything in the adult world) of Catcher in the Rye.

Four decades ago? Four decades ago!  At the time, I had lived barely half that amount of time.  On the other hand, John had lived as long (having turned 40 two months earlier) when he was shot.

In an earlier post, I relayed one of his fondest memories:  of getting a bike as a kid. He rode it everywhere and didn't leave it outside at night, as other people  in his neighborhood did.  His wheels accompanied him to bed, he said.

Of course, what is better-known is someone who accompanied him to bed:

Yes, a bicycle accompanied him and Yoko during their first "Bed-In For Peace" in Amsterdam.  I don't know whether they had a bike during their second Bed-In, in Montreal, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did.

Here they are in 1972, stopping for what has long been a quintessential New York experience, but one that is disappearing.  Those iconic Sabrett's hot dog carts are being replaced by Halal food trucks and carts that serve kebabs and chicken or lamb with rice, as well trucks and carts offering other tacos, pizza and other "street foods."

(As best as I can tell, John is riding a Bottechia ten-speed and Yoko is on a Dunelt or Rudge three-speed. At least, I'm sure it's a three-speed but not a Raleigh.)

John, apparently, never gave up his love for cycling, even when he and the Beatles were touring and turning out an album or two every year.  

Tell me:  Does that look like '60's England, or what?

It certainly looks like John, expressing his kind of joy.

For Her Brother

What motivates people to do charitable work?

My guess is that one common (if not the most common) impetus is the memory of a loved one, whether a blood relative, friend or anyone else who matters to the person doing the work.

Such is the case for Kay and Craig Collier.  For the past 27 years, the Brownwood, Texas residents have been collecting bicycles and distributing them for Good Samaritan Ministries and other non-profit charities.  The need is great in their area which, in spite (or some would say because of) Camp Bowie, has lower income and higher poverty rates than average for Texas or the United States.

Kay Collier (left) with Marie Smith of Good Samaritan Ministries (Photo by Derrick Stuckly)

One of the needy could have been Kay's brother, had he not become her brother.  Her parents adopted Sidney Collier Hanks through Catholic Charities when he was six years old.  For his first Christmas with his new family, Kay's mother asked Sidney what he wanted from Santa.  "He said it didn't matter, he never gets what he wants, but he really would like to have bike," Kay recalls.  

He soon came to be known "Sid on the Bike" in the community.  "He wore out a bike, and sometimes my mom would have to get him two a year," she remembers.  He rode "everywhere," she says, continuing even after getting his driver's license at age 18.

So far, that sounds like a typical story.  That is, until you consider a handicap Sid had to overcome:  one leg was 12 inches shorter than the other.  At the time he was adopted, he was living in a group home where the foster mother made booties but not shoes.  "My mother found someone to get him shoes made that were built up and very heavy."  Still, Kay says, "he rode that bike anyway."

Phlebitis developed in Sid's shorter leg.  Finally, he needed hip surgery because the shorter leg was causing so much stretch to the normal one.  He was on the verge of being relegated to a wheelchair when he passed away, at age 28.

At that time, Kay, now a receptionist for Good Samaritan Ministries, and Craig were expecting their first daughter, whom they named Sidney.  She is now 27 years old:  the same age as the couple's bicycle charity.

Are Acorns An Energy Food?

 Are squirrels genetically programmed to play chicken with cyclists?

It sure seems as if they are.  It seems that any time I pedal through a leafy area, one of those fuzzy creatures hops and scampers as close to my wheel as it can without getting tangled in my spokes.  Then it scampers away.

That leads me to wonder:  How would a squirrel ride a bicycle?

The image is available as a T-shirt.  I think it's kinda cute. 

They Walk In Carbon

I have never owned a carbon fiber bicycle--or even a component larger than a brake lever made from the material. I've ridden CF, and can appreciate its ride qualities.  Still, I'm not ready to plunk down my hard-earned money for it.

Some folks, though, simply must have it.  But they not only don't want to spring for it; they don't have the necessary funds (or credit lines).

Well, for such consumers, there's good news:  Specialized--one of the most-recognized names in the carbon fiber bike arena--has just introduced a machine that will sell for $999 in the US (999 GBP in the UK, which, at yesterday's exchange rate, translates to $1342.91).

The news gets even better:  The wheels, as well as the frame and fork, are made from carbon fiber.  So are the handlebars and stem.

 Now to the bad news:  If you were dreaming of a spot in the Tour, Giro or Vuelta, you won't be allowed to ride it on this bike:  It weighs only 2.1 kg (4.6 pounds). The Union Cyclisme International, the sport's international governing body, doesn't allow bikes lighter than 6.8 kg (14.991 pounds) in the races it sanctions.

But your kid might be able to ride it in a Tour, Giro or Vuelta for toddlers.  That is the intended market for this machine.  One reason why it's so light is that it doesn't have cranks, pedals, chain, derailleurs, shifters or brakes.  

It's a balance bike.  Yes, a carbon fiber balance bike, called the Hotwalk.

Here's my question:  Will buying this bike turn your kid into a champion--or an uber-consumer?

Santa Cruz Bicycle Recall

I know I shouldn't make light of a bike recall--especially if the reason for it is a problem that could cause serious injury.

But--whatever this says about me--I had a little laugh when I heard that Santa Cruz Bicycles is recalling some of its aluminum frames.

Why?  According to the company, some of their aluminum frames and rear triangles have a defect that can cause them to bend or buckle.

Now, I don't want anyone to get hurt because a frame or fork buckled under him or her.  And I am glad Santa Cruz bicycles is trying to make things right for their customers.

Still, I thought it was kind of funny that frames shaped like the ones in the recall are being replaced because they might bend.

I mean, someone not familiar with the bikes wouldn't know they were bent, would they?

The bikes and frames in question were sold from June 2019 to October 2020.