1. I collect and ride old bikes because I love to; because I love the environs and people where bikes and parts are found, which are invariably friendly or at least interesting; because of all the television commercials, bad news, meetings and assorted social posturing I thus escape; because, in a world where most men seem to spend their lives doing things they hate, my riding is at once an endless source of delight and an act of small rebellion; because riding makes me feel better, live longer, and lets me eat more while having fun; because bikes do not lie or cheat and cannot be bought or bribed or impressed by status, but respond only to turning the pedals; because I can take a spin on the same bike I rode when my heart was broken for the first time 25 years ago, and the bike has held up better than me; because I suspect that men go through this world only one time, and I for one don't want to waste the trip; because mercifully there are no telephones on bike rides (go on, leave the cell phone behind); because on my bike I find solitude without loneliness; because maybe one day I will find a ---------- in my size; and, finally, not because I regard riding as being so terribly important but because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant - and not nearly so much fun. (Most of this was paraphrased from Paul Voelker's thoughts on trout fishing, from "Trout Madness" [I think])
2. Intricate lug work sets up subtle wind currents and eddies that resonate in the rider's soul, refreshing him on tough rides. That's why you get more fatigued on a welded aluminum frame. The eddies are all wrong.
3. Old bikes that are rescued from recycling or trash heaps are grateful, and put extra effort in holding you up as you glide down the road. If you open your mind, you can feel them doing it.
4. I've never understood persons who oppose bike lanes, commuter routes and alternate transportation. If everyone else rides a bike or a bus, they'd have the entire automobile lanes to themselves. We both win!
5. Everyone has a role to play in life. For example, us big fat guys are great to draft on a windy day.
6. A 7 foot piece of 1x6 board, three shelf brackets, two garage wall tool brackets and a wall to lean it against and voila! Instant bike storage rack. Screw the shelf brackets upside down to the bottom of the board for feet to make it stand up, attach the tool brackets to the narrow side of the board (so it won't flex and for wall clearance) and stand it up against the wall (narrow side of the board to the wall). The six inch board stands far enough away from the wall to give room for the handlebars. A tool bracket that sticks out 4-5 inches is plenty long enough, but get ones that have a bland, non-abrasive surface to save your paint and a wide enough span so the bike won't be tippy. If you want it to look pretty, get white brackets and paint or varnish the board. If you're worried about stability, bolt the shelf brackets/feet to a sheet of plywood. Mine cost me $18, including screws, but I got pretty brackets.
7. Always be grateful for people who make a living in bicycles. Just think how much they could make if they put the same hours into selling car parts, or stocks and bonds.
Tom Adams, winter bound in Shrewsbury NJ
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