Hey guys, I'm another one who counted down the days until the next issue-- long about 1972... I even remember the articles by Fred DeLong on the custom bike shops such as Singer, Herse, and Urago Freres. Gave up on the mag several years ago. Recently started to receive complimentary copies at the office. I got to tell you that there IS some very readable/interesting/valuable stuff in the September issue. Specifically is the article on Joe Breeze. He is a 49 years old guy who was, of course a mountainbike pioneer, but his current passion is to supply bikes that are a sleeker version of the typical machines in Holland. Pull quotes: "There is nothing in human creation more beautiful, efficient or perfect than the bicycle." "...in the past 10 years, he's put less than 10,000 miles on his 1983 SAAB 900." "...50 years of highway building and the creation of sprawling suburbs where pedestrians and bike riders are locked out by viscious intersections, cul-de-sacs and a lack of sidewalks. One of the biggest results: the near extinction of kids who bike to school. In the 1960s, 60 per cent of grade-school kids walked or pedaled to class. Today, less (they really mean fewer) than 13 per cent do. The overall statistics on bike commuting are equally bleak." "People drive their bikes to the trails, it's not where my heart is."
In order for us to be respected out there, we need to have more people on bikes, otherwise we'll be a fringe group forever. I've done a lot of riding at Crested Butte over the years and lately, we've been saying things like, " is there anyone under 40 on this mountain?" What is the future?
The issue then has a wonderfully written article on riding in the wine country which should do exactly what we should all hope for: entice more people to want to ride!
Ken Wehrenberg, Hermann, MO