Closing the Gap.
There is a widening divide in our country. It’s been happening much longer than these last four years. Racial tensions bubbling to the surface, so-called “economic anxiety”, xenophobia and in-fighting over dwindling resources. Clearly inequality and division are repeating themes of American History. It affects all Americans, and by ripples and waves, it affects the world as well.
As the modern philosopher Drake once said,
Distance between us is not like a store, this isn’t a closable GAP.
While the Bike Industry has had a banner year, through no fault of their own, the sport of Cycling is still much the same as it has been for 50 years. All the Bike Brands are also coming to terms with their homogeneous teams and exclusionary practices, solely serving one customer-type for decades, to the detriment of everyone else. Even supposedly modern and meaningful Pro Teams had to apologize this year. Things are changing, and some people will be upset. Good. Get mad. What are you going to do about it?
I just love bikes. And I want everyone to share the joys that we take for granted. Yes, everyone. Not just rich old men on $10,000 road disc bikes.
Why Bikes Bridge?
I’ve been a life long customer of the Bike Industry, spending more than any sane human being should. I’ve probably gone through 100 bikes in the last two decades. But I’ve given away many more. You can read my friend Peter’s original Christmas Bikes story on CyclingTips. You’ll have to settle for my Cat 6 wordsmithing on this here Medium post.
I believe in bikes. I see everyone on two wheels as a friend, even if they don’t see me the same way. I wave to everyone on my rides. I slow down and ask if a rider is okay if I see them stopped on the side of the road. Every single time.
I believe every kid deserves a nice bike for Christmas. I’ve said this for years, and joked with friends that I’ll end up running a neighborhood bike shop when I retire. It stems from my own childhood, riding whatever bikes I could get, be they hand-me-downs or bikes I literally found in the garbage piles on the street. You can read a bit more about Our Why on the Bikes Bridge site.
10 Days Until Christmas
Someone must have said something about last-minute holiday shopping, and I being the jerk that I am on Twitter tweeted something snarky about it.
Then my friend Jeremy called me out on it. I guess we’re doing it again! He became one of the first major donors to the Christmas Bikes effort. I think he secretly wanted to give me a ton of work right before the holidays.
Other donors were watching it unfold on Twitter, and I know they felt good about their contributions. We all want to do something for others in this miserable year. We should all be doing something for others every year.
In the end it was about this:
Backyard Bike Shop
How do you stock up on kids bikes a week before Christmas? You hustle and get help! I spent the first few nights replying to nearly all listings for kids bikes (balance, 16", 20", 24" and small 26" bicycles) within 35 miles. A surprising amount of people never replied. A few said they didn’t care about what we were doing, and they would sell to anyone at (inflated) asking prices. A few kind souls gave us a discount, and a few angels gave us their children’s bikes outright! A good friend in San Francisco even picked up a bike for me, paid for it, and coordinated with another friend to bring it down.
Their generosity saved me a few hours and a couple hundred bucks that could be applied to lights, locks and helmets. One guy who I just met, drove up to Oakland to pick up a half-dozen kids bikes for me. He didn’t charge for delivery, and the bikes were in pretty good shape, almost ready to ride. I did get to spend more time in the Karmic Garage than usual. You won’t believe how hard it is to find a Shimano Tourney rear derailleur these days!
My daughter Mia took on this project with a full heart and a long to-do list. She took on the role of “Shop Manager” and created the customer list, the inventory management and the product merchandising efforts herself. We wanted to give these kids a proper “bike shopping” experience. The kids were so surprised when they came in to the backyard. I was so proud of my little!
The kids had a selection of bikes in their size, helmets of different styles and colors, a (mandatory) rear blinky light, and two kinds of bike locks to choose from. A few of the kids were visibly excited to ‘shop’ at our little backyard bike shop. We were outside, with only one family at a time, taking care to adhere to county and state wide recommendations for the pandemic. For a moment or two, these kids were just kids again. A few jumped on their bikes and rode right out! I think we might end up as the best Yelp reviewed LBS in Palo Alto.
Can We Do It Again?!
I still can’t believe we started Bikes Bridge way back on…
*checks notes
… the Tuesday before last. In just one week we’ve raised over $10,000 and given away more than two dozen Christmas bikes! Mia had so much fun running the “bike shop” — she insists that we continue the giveaways into 2021. As for the Bike Industry, 2020 shouldn’t be the peak of the industry’s revenues, but there’s a good chance that it was. No one knows what happens next, but I assure you it’s not selling more high-end bikes to guys like me.
Let’s get more kids on bikes, and give Cycling a chance to rebuild itself. We can all do our little bit to help close the gap. What are you doing to help?
The world needs all the love it can get these days.
Cheers,
Hong
