WHY?
It can't be the most comfortable way to see the world, but that didn't stop Joff Summerfield from traveling 22,000-miles on a penny-farthing.
The 40-year-old engineer visited 40 countries on his handmade bike and took in sights including the Eiffel tower in Paris and India's Taj Mahal. He even crossed the Himalayas at 17,000 ft. and made it to Everest base camp on the none too practical bicycle.
Joff says that everywhere he went people had one question for him, "WHY?"
WHY? It's obvious!!
"He's tetched, tetched in the head!"
THE 26 SPEED RECUMBENT IS STILL IN TRANSIT
My computer sits in the middle bedroom, 20 foot extension cables for my mouse, keyboard and monitor allow me to surf the web in the living room, with the '80s model, big cabinet Zenith, (w/rabbit ears), doing its background noise function in the early a.m.
I'm experiencing, first hand, how the bike craze demand has upset what used to be 2-3 day delivery times. But I'm wondering if the recumbent ordered over 10 days ago is still on that slow boat from China, which upsets the sequencing of this series.
The ears perked up about 1:45 a.m., when ABC had the above report, about the exploits of Joff Summerfield.
A few clicks, whooooola !!
"speaking of China....."
A motorized bicycle, like a "penny farthing antique bike", is an ice breaker when meeting strangers. Joff found out the same thing as I, good people are EVERYWHERE. Once you get out of your familiar territory, riding something unique, it is ALL witty conversations, fun and hospitality.
"The ride has been everything I could have ever hoped for, and more," said Joff.
"The people and places of the world have been truly wonderful, and I thank them all for the smiles, waves, laughs and generosity that has been consistently offered along the way."
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WHY DO WE BLOG? TO HOPEFULLY INFORM & ENTERTAIN (but be concise, d*mnit !)
Often the information and insight isn't in the diary, but down in the comments, to wit:kos member HOUNDDOG chimed in Part III:
I had some consulting work that took me to the Republic of China many times about 15 years ago, and I was amazed that there seemed to be more motorized bicycles than cars and they got around traffic faster.
I wondered then why we didn't see more here. Maybe, we're finally catching up.
Historically, the New World model of progress has been explorers, followed by hunters and trappers, then the innkeeper set up a tavern, with trading posts right behind. Finally came the circuit riders, traveling preachers, the missionaries. Thats basically how communities evolved.
Centers of population, where the "market" was located, were generally 30 miles apart, the distance a person could travel in one day by horseback. Towns prospered serving the farmers, miners, cowboys and loggers in their 15 mile radii, (15 x 2= 30) the local round trip limit of a mule/oxen drawn wagon. In the more arid areas, more miles were between markets, smaller hamlets would provide for a longer journey.
Breaking out of that 30 mile limit "comfort zone" is one of the first things an MBer enjoys, "exploring" for oneself, talking to strangers, while discovering the back roads. One of the keeper statements I heard, (& promptly borrowed for my own) was a recovering heart patient: "I know the roads better than the mailman".
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When MB traveling, the next destination always seems to be 30 miles away.
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Intro to MB trivia, the news article above is from the Nashville ARKANSAS News, while the mileage sign is Nashville, GEORGIA. Both have FUN future stories ! If I hadn't read the Desoto Trail sign, I couldn't know that Alabama has one of the highest densities of caves and karst features found anywhere in the world and the northern part of the state has a particularly high number. I snuck through a gap near that Santa Fe Trail sign, puttered down wagon train ruts for about 2 miles, and touched the scratched-in 1850-60's era grafitti, having Lonesome Dovey type thoughts.
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ONE MY FAVORITE CUSTOMER STORIES IS A "TOLD YOU SO!!"
Not THIS nutz story (he's a retired teacher, fergawdsake). His involves finding himself in possession of 150 Foam Frog Visors, 3 cases he got at an auction, for something like .07 cents each.
The NCAA Basketball Tourney was going on in Atlanta, so he took van and trike to the outskirts, would load up a case in the basket behind his seat, dangle his Handicapped Parking Permit clipped to this Notre Dame helmet, with a gold broom stuck out the top (think Trojan). He'd slide right through security to the front of the Omni Hotel, CNN Center and Georgia Dome, and zip, zam zoooooom,sold them for $5 bucks each!!*&*!!
He called me, "I paid for that engine in less than 2 hours total time, paid for it with Foam Friggin' Frogs".
BUT THIS ISN'T WORK
When you are riding 60 miles per hour, windows up and radio on, you are encapsulated in aerodynamic oblivion, 4 wheels on an egg. When you are riding a bicycle, which is basically a modern penny farthing, you are, deep down, dreading hills.
When Dennis (owner of GEBE) went to Bonneville Salt Flats in '04, to set the 2 cycle speed record, NPR was there (I don't know how audio links work, it's on the website). The star of the segment was one of Dennis' customers, sound clips of an overweight cigar smoking 60-something year old.
I got the back story, this guy's knack for b%llsh*tting, as he regaled the audience for half an hour, about "passing them thar Spandex People, huffin' & climbin' around the Rockies, him a' puffin' on his ceegar....". On straightaways, he'd loop back around a pack of cyclists, so he could pass them a second time. The ol' codger laughing drowns out the engine.
NPR only caught a minute or two, but I have customers the same way, bunch of Jerry Clowers on 2 wheels.
And don't laugh about that Trojan Football Helmet, another of my clowns has a Viking Helmet, & his riding buddy is looking for Texas foam-Longhorns, individuality is what this is all about.
WHY? You won't get invited to ride in Christmas Parades, can't be throwing candy and making kids point and squeal, without funny hats.
THEN AGAIN, WORK MIGHT BE BETTER
But the favorite incident was when a manager at a production plant made a statement. He came back out to the house one day so we could make an adjustment to his Crimson Red Comfort Rover. His odometer said he'd rode nearly 1,500 miles commuting 24 miles daily to work (roundtrip), and he had lost 15 pounds getting that exercise. I had also built a bike a month later for his boss.
"I used to not be able to explain it to folks, but I feel better, my marriage is better, and it improved my communications with my co-workers. My boss asked about my more optimistic outlook lately, and I told them it all was because of that bike, and that thirty minute ride into work each day. And now that he has one, he knows exactly how I feel. And we can talk about other things better now too. That thirty minutes riding into work gives us both time to think out a problem."
I had never thought about that aspect, but popped in with a "I told ya' so".