The Pedaling Army Grows

A Tree makes an excellent Bike-Rack

I saw this bicycle while pedaling around today. A nice cheap efficient mode of transportation. It appears to be a Huffy Bike. Has the basket on the handelbars to carry milk, groceries, and booze. Don't drink the booze till you get home! There are even 2 tie-down stretchy cords to secure the packages in place. I noticed the the chain is extremely rusty. I'm surprised it doesnt snap off. I like to oil my chain regularly which makes it very quiet. Easy to sneek up on wild animals like deer and groundhogs. I see the bike also has shocks on the front fork. That must give smoother rides over bumps and cracks but I wonder how long the shocks really work before they wear out? I also see the bike has big knobs on the tires which can help during winter riding. I am seeing more bikes on the roads these days. It maybe due to people not being able to afford a car or more people are getting their license revoked for drunk driving. You still can get arrested for drunk bicycling so dont think that you can still get away with drinking and driving or drinking and pedalling. I can't stress this enough: Pedalers are no match vs an Automobile, so we must be as careful and as defensive as we can be and in a sober state of healthy alertness. If you think the car does not see you then stop. Give the car the right of way if you must. Your life may be saved by it. If at all possible yell, or wave your arms to get a drivers attention. It beats getting run over. This is Jimio saying - Ride Safe, Ride Defensive, Ride Free and above all Ride Happy [To Paradise]

Update on Bike Union

Here is a small story  http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2011/08/more_than_120_bikes_donated_fo.html and some pics on our towns Bike Union that helps people fix their bikes and also give bikes to those in need.  http://photos.mlive.com/citizenpatriot/2011/08/armory_bike_union_bike_roundup_12.html

Neat Little Safety Tip

This bike is ready for anything

This is the bike that the Boss of the Bike Union rides to work. I told him I ride my bike all year around and he said he did also. I can tell this bike does not have all its orginal parts. He must have taken a few old bikes that didnt run and put all the best equipment on one bike. Notice that he has 2 locks. One is a Kryptonite Lock and the other is a wire cable with a master lock. I suppose the U-Lock is for hooking up fast at a bike rack, while the cable is used for wrapping it around signs or poles or trees where no access to bike racks exist. The real interesting part of this bike is the red tape wrapped around the tubing. Im guessing that is reflective tape, and when a car approaches from a 90 degree angle on a side street, the car can see this tape very well. The spoke reflectors are suppose to warn cars of a bike just up ahead but they are not seen too well in dawn or dusk situations. This tape resolves that issue. Pedal Fun ** Pedal Safe -Jimio

Do-It-Yourself Bicycle Repair

Inside the Free Bike Repair Shop

As I was Pedaling to Paradise I found a little bit of Self-Help Heaven in the form of a Bike Union. It is located next to the Art 634 Center for the Creative Spirit. The guy who runs it says anyone can come in to repair their bike for free or help others repair their bikes or donate bikes and parts. They fix up donated bikes, then give them to agencies like Goodwill Industries and St Vincent DePaul. They have nice evening hours also: Mon 4:30-8:30  Wed 4:30-8:30 and Sat 10:00am-2:00pm. It's comforting to know there is a place I can give Betty Lou a tune-up or a major overhaul. This is Jimmio saying: Ride-Safe, Ride Fun. Seek your own little bit of Paradise while on two-wheels.