Too Far, too much, hah!

Good day Pedicabbies!

It has occurred to me that I haven't contributed in awhile. In perusing the latest spring commentary about 'cabbin, a few things have come to me.

Well, the time to get angry about uninsured drivers is over...for now. LETS MOVE ON!

Ding...Ding...Ding...Ding...

What is a good night of pedicabbing? For my 4 years doing this job, I have seen countless types, maneuvers, and drivers all try to figure out what it is that attracts them to the streets. I think about my experiences, and it seems that the one job that has been steady for me in the last for years is riding a pedicab! I have done it full time, part time, and seasonally, and had a foray into establishing the highest pedicab company in north america. It must be said that drivers come and go. They start and stop for a variety of reasons. Continue riding.

Why do I come back? It has to do with the kooky cycling mind that you can see on http://www.sheldonbrown.com. RIP, Sheldon.

I get out there and approach whomever I can who I think I can get into my cab. I have been turned down, rejected, and even laughed at. The secret, whether you like it or not, pedicab success comes from inside, with a crazy pair of legs, and a bit of a self-gratifying tendency to hustle. My secret: get as many rides as possible.

It doesn't matter (oh, it actually does, but for sales philosophy sake) if they pay you. It matters in the all important quotient of jealousy of other drivers. Not to distrust, but other drivers or people do not know if you are charging or willfully giving out Karma. Think about it. Truthfully, the weather, the cold, the rain, the snow, it wears a person. Just ask the Peloton of the Tour of California. If you love it, it isn't suffering, right?

Are you motivated by money? By fun? By the intoxicating and smelly downtown streets? All of the above are valid reasons.

How far? Hell, I will use the standard "If you pay me $50, I'll drive you in my car, to where you need to go." I have seen this work, and the driver collected $60. Out here, anything is possible. Everyone wants a story. Would I take someone 5 miles away? Sure. Price is crucial in this transaction.

You must negotiate price, and be ready for some heavy spinning. Do what you think you can handle. The customer will not know the difference unless they have pedicabbed before. To us, we are the few. We are cyclists, gluttons for punishment, but albeit, fit to the bone. And we can negotiate. But negotiate on price. What you do as your habits are up to you. Just don't ruin it for the rest of us.

I SAID SPINNING, NOT PETTING! Sex is a strange motivator, lets me honest. However, being invited to party, do shots, or go and hang out; it doesn't matter. It is my choice to stop. But, most sexual commentary is a part of the job. Really, I turn it down as puffery. I have yet to meet my perfect wife on the pedicab streets. Come to think about it, I have lost 3 relationships because of this job. Nothing I did, I assure you. I just happen to love bikes.

I have to say, publicly, that the urban velo article captures pedicabbery. It is more than a job. It is an extension of freedom, cycling, hard work, ear-to-the-ground socializing and a great study in human behavior. A strange mix of self-sales, bouncer, EMT, minister, bartender, cowboy, an undercover police officer, a marketing guru, and proclaimed superman. Not to mention a bit of a gambler. Trust me, superman, or woman is what being in the saddle is all about.

I propose the establishment of a pedicab cycling team. Cycling season has started. Riding a cab is some of the finest interval training one can get. Better than riding a 55X12 track bike. I am working on getting a track bike, but what beats the pedicab?

I am notorious for wanting to race whenever I get in the saddle. Anyone have any thoughts about a jersey? I think a nationwide presence of pedicab representation would be great! I have raced in Minnesota and Colorado, under the auspices of Mountain pedicab company, AKA Team Pedicab. With cycling season starting, for those interested in road racing, track racing, mountain bike, off-road triathlons, or really just the prospect of establishing a pedicab race at some point, I want a team. We are capable of such a thing.

This is what I can come up with right now. I bid the with happy cycling, and the prospect of a non-snow covered street, and non-existent slush.

Arigato.

beefsteak.

Team Pedicab, Rounds 6-7 and Awards!!!

Good Day pedicabbers!

Well, it has been a long, almost grueling season. I won't lie, I am sort of glad the SMC is over. I am glad it is over because I was tired of trying to bounce back.

The last two races were the Pennsylvania Gulch Grind and the Breck Brawl. Both were technical courses, and the bike I rode was the Santa Cruz Superlight. Components were a bit heavy, but I liked the bike.

Brook ran away with the Beginner Women's field, and at this point, my feeling is that she has all but abandoned your blogger and the greatness of the pedicab for a (GASP!) relationship...

I finished at a strong #5 of 19, right above the 12 year old kid that ran away with a couple of Sport Races. So, I didn't get a nifty picture, but I will say I did get an awesome training beanie from a raffle.

I am at a point of new training and new take on biking season. I still have to decide what kind of frame to buy, and my two beefsteak bikes in the basement will be taken to the world of fixed gear and singlespeed-dom. I think they were great bikes as it went, but I need something that is newer and can take my abuse...especially if I am crashing the damn thing. My goal is to become more comfortable on the bike and next season, take the sport men category, by at least the top 3. I also intend to be doing some triathlon training and some randonee racing. I plan on buying some skate skis and have plans to be in better shape, have a more calm mind, and do some good racing in the next year. Any coaching tips would be helpful.

Project Rwanda has taken off. Stay tuned for some real action on it in the coming months. I am planning a bike ride, to encompass some real great terrain, and hopefully bring along a pedicab for greater exposure. I have people from Denver, California, and numerous folks trying to help me with some funding. I am utilizing the Rotary Clubs in Denver, and they are dead on for this project. Keep in touch with it, and really, if you want a sweet jersey, buy one. It goes to the Rwanda national cycling team!

Broncos season has started, which will give me ample time to get my muscles in shape for winter-tri season. I have learned some things about myself, my sales ability, and my determination in a small town, ready to kill my small business. At very least, mind your Pints and Quarts. It pays off in the end. Secondly, unless someone is really driven, don't let them ride your bike. It will be a drain on you and a drain on your resources to let them do so. The pedicab job isn't about a bike nor about making money...I take that back...But it is about uniqueness, resilience, and thoughtfulness in finding ways to do something not everyone can do. I hesitate to say that bike messengers have their little go-to social group. Pedicabbers are equally strong and more personable. Besides, would you say that hauling weight on a 34-15 is much better than hauling yourself on a 52-12? We may not have it completely right, but our 34-15 is making money...at the end of every little ride.

Thanks for your support.

beefsteak.

Team Pedicab, Rounds 5-6

Our summer is coming to an end, pedicabbers. I still have another 3 weeks until transport of my little classic cab is back down to flatlands, and into the urban world of MHPC.

I decded to take on another driver. I think he lasted about 1 night. He broke even. Of all of this discussion and talk of mojo, mr...Sherpa, there has to be a way to help you. Lesson: as much as you want to have an attitude and think that just biking is all that this job is, you are mistaken. It isn't about the bike. There is a reason why this pedicab is valuable to you and I: it is so intangible, yet so tangible. No, I am not smoking anything, but truly, is there anything this machine can't do?

It is downpouring outside, so I took a break to enjoy the free internet. I knew there was a reason for my coming in. I will give it some aftermath, and soon enough I will be the king of the streets. I got stuck behind a horse-carriage today (2 horses, not just 1) and I have never felt so violated in my life. Lesson: While a beautiful animal, the horse is still a cruel trick by your creator. Maybe they think of me the same way...or my pedicab...

The Summit Mountain Challenge is kicking me. Brook (my seemingly absent team mate) is winning the beginner women class. Kudos. She, a former driver, refuses to call me to ride the pedicab. I guess biking is just more important. In the last 2 races, yours truly came in DNF or second to last place. Lesson: Sport class= sandbaggers. I am convinced I am a better rider than last year, but I still think the field isn't quite smart enough to be fast. Well, I am the prime example of inexperienced, but I feel my training must change for next year. I have 1 race left, and I intend to play the rental game. I am testing new mountain bikes, one being the Kona King, the other being a Santa Cruz Superlight. Both a bit pricey, but one will actually give me financing! Do I need a financed bike after my little incident on the lip? Probably not.

http://www.konaworld.com
http://www.santacruzmtb.com

On the pedicab-constabulary-bureaucratic-small town politics front, I had a nice town planner cross my path and give me the 3rd degree about having and possessing a bike taxi. Folks, I had a perfect place to store, clientele starting to build, and the local police even smiling. Lo and behold, goofball town-dork comes-a-rompin' into my world and tries to tell me what I am doing is illegal, and must have a permit. I threw the karma rides in, and threw in my local status, and haven't heard anything since. I do have a business license, and as it stands, it provides a service to a locale without a real taxi service (unless you count a real taxi as one that leaves you waiting for hours on end), which I happily fill the void, free of charge. For you whom have dealt with city councils and bureaucracy, I feel for you and my heart goes out. Despair not, for the tri-shaw will prevail, one of these days...

So, folks, off I go to wolf a powerbar, have a blt for some calories, and off to pull drunk people around in the rain, despite their idiotic pleas for needing exercise, in their high heels.

I hope to one day have a winter service here, specifically for the winter parking lots. After Broncos season is over, I say studded tires, special cold weathered pedicabs for those willing to brave weather hardly seen by a cab, in full. I am out of battery power. G'night.

Best to you drivers, we hope to see you on wheel!

beefsteak!

Team Pedicab, Round 3!

Good day pedicabbers.

Well, it was an interesting race, I must say. Team Pedicab had one finisher out of two. It was a grinding course, but fast and furious.

Brook finished 2nd in the Beginner Women's race. I do not know what her time was, but suffice to say she finished and finished strongly. From what I understand, she was leapfrogging the entire way and happened on the backside of the last hop. She is still a strong rider, and motivated to continue the strong performances.

http://www.mavsports.com/

Yours truly, crashed. Hard. I was 3rd in the pack from the start and got ahead of that guy I have been chasing so much. I felt like I could continue the pace, and let a couple of fast rabbits go out in front. You will see me below going head to head with my archnemesis, Henry, the bloke to the left. I am directly behind bike #141. See the sweet orange bike and the red jersey?

However, this is when it gets nasty. Still see the red jersey?

Zipping through the single track and trying to make up time, I hopped a rock. Next thing I know, I am on the ground and seeing little bluebirds and stars. I had a couple of expert women come in behind me, along with a sport man. All were either nurses or chiropractors. I didn't feel too terrible, given my adrenaline induced state, but word has it that I was unconscious and unresponsive. I dug my head into the ground a-la-faceplant, then my mouth began to pick up where my helmet left off. I wasn't face down, I was face up, which means I flipped. I always am flipping over...I got off the trail so other racers could race. I guess the course was closed because of me. I wouldn't have wanted it that way, but I vividly remember my archnemesis stopping to see if I was okay. Maybe he isn't such an enemy. An ATV arrived to extract me. I made it to my house where I had a neighbor waiting with a car. I was a bloody mess, and it actually looked like I got in a fight with 13 Marines. I had a funny mix of blood and dirt taste in my tomato loving mouth.

I went to the hospital where I had to spit out the pine needles and grit I ate in going down. It was quite painful. The Oral-maxilo-facial surgeon sewed up my detached lower lip and various tears. All said and done, there were about 75+ stiches in my face (inside my mouth and outside), and a helluva headache. I opted to stay away from the Vicodin and Percocet, requesting anything else but. They just gave me antibiotics and some nice minty mouthwash. Tylenol was the prescribed pain med. Now, I have some scars for antecdotal evidence. I get to eat my food through a straw, mostly, and make valiant attempts at not spilling. Applesauce, soft pasta, soup. But I am craving a beer and a huge pizza. Beer is on hold until I finish my antibiotics. But could go for a cold one right about now. Apparently, my tolerance for pain is legendary. Docs said they saw a trooper.

I can open my mouth and the swelling has gone down significantly. I get my stiches out Wednesday. My nights of pedicabbing are about to pick up, because I have to pay off the med bills. Folks, this is what happens when you love bikes so much- you don't quit, even though it may seem ludicrous to keep going, I love bikes, and for Pete's sake, I love pedicabs.

The Valkyries of Team Pedicab shall ride again. The 4th of July Firecracker race will be on the 4th of July, and my intent is to place highly. I believe Brook is also planning on this race. This is a 50 miler. I won't crash. I promise. The Copper Mountain Melee is set for July 11, and I know I can do that one. Mr. Henry, you will eat my dust. So, this time around is a DNF for me. Chalk it up for experience, which is never a loss.

The Homegrown is fine, but I have plans for a physical for it.

So it goes. Thanks for your support pedicab-ites.

Still yours and still a bit swollen and in pain,

beefsteak

Team Pedicab Update, Round 2!

Round 2 results are in!

Team Pedicab braved the beautiful Colorado high country on Sunday and raced with a team roster of 3 strong. With a backdrop of the mountains of the Colorado Rockies and mountains of garbage... We had Ben, our specialist in all things Tomate, Brook, our sous chef, and yours truly, the Lyco-cyclo-pene-ist. So, we had a beautiful Tour de Trash day, and the course was hardpack all the way. I raced on my trusty Tomato bike, Ben on his Ponderosa Hardtail (we need to get you a new frame, btw, 15" isn't enough of a bike) and Brook on her Kona Dawg Deluxe, the only one who took a bite of of the pack.) Whatever all of these labels mean, results came in:

Ben finished 9 of 14. Not bad for a Front Ranger. To think that there were high country people in his class and he still whooped up on them, makes it all worth it. The course was really fast, the BMX turns couldn't grind him down, and the climbs still couldn't best Mr. Martin. A long time supporter of Team Pedicab, he just recently decided to try the hand. Well done, my fine tomato loving friend, and brother. He finished in just under an hour. A 23 minute lap isn't bad. Below you'll find some sweet pics of his race.

Looks like 'he's going the distance!'

Brook was our only podium finisher, and she was whooping and hollering the whole time. She finished a strong 3rd, of a field of about 8. With a beefy downhill bike and a kick-arse downhilling stance to go with it, she may have laid the bike down once. Nothing major, but she got back on it and killed the switchbacks that gave yours truly a slight problem. Great work.

Last and least, I finished a 4th of 11. It was a tough race and the tomato performed as she should have. I still don't have names yet. Nevertheless, the only piece that irked me was that a single speeder finished 2nd in our category. Well, I guess I find that life isn't fair, and if he beat me with 2-3 minutes, I guess he deserved it. This dude (remains nameless) killed it, but the issue was that I let him go- I thought I could sit in and conquer back. Next time, I will not allow him to escape the wrath of the killer tomatoes. MUUUUAHAHHAHAH! We don't have any standings yet regarding points, which is fine. But, Team Pedicab, your Killer Tomatoes, are still a verifiable racing force.

On the training front, Team pedicab has opted to rent a cab for the summer, under the auspices of Mile High Pedicabs. We won't have a problem with those vicious climbs now that we are all trained in the real pedicab spin. We are hoping for some great storage spaces, in trade for some ski-bum's cable bill. I think it might just work.

Pictures of the race are up on this post! Enjoy!

Your favorite tomato-phile,

beefsteak

Team Pedicab, Breckenridge, Colorado

Good Day Rickshaw drivers!

The 2007 Mountain Bike season is upon us. This year, I have opted to continue my own team in the Summit Mountain Challenge Series, possibly the Winter Park Mountain Bike series, and possibly some of the Mountain States Cup Series. Consider this the first chronicle of Team Pedicab's bid for half world domination. The other half will be Big Tree. Conquered by Rickshaws...

I am racing under the Team Pedicab name, sponsored by Mountain Pedicab Company, Breckenridge, Colorado. It seems that this can be coined as the highest operating pedicab company in North America. I would like to think in the world, but I know there are rickshaws in Tibet, which start at 13,000 ft. I am taking on the sport division in the 19-29 category. At the Teva Games this year, there weren't any age categories, so my field was a whopping 63. If anyone has any ideas for a team jersey, it would be greatly appreciated. Riding in polypro or freebie shirts just doesn't look official.

I have just taken on an additional team member, a former pedicab driver in Austin, TX. My roster is now 2. Brook is racing in the beginner women categories, and came in an unofficial 2nd at the Summit Mountain race on May 30. I finished with a 3rd in the race, riding a newly built, orange, 2000 Schwinn Homegrown. I will post a pic when I get one. I do, however, need some feedback on what to call my bike. "The Construction Worker" just conjures up images of the Village People. Ewwww...

Look at results, and you will see yours truly in the top 3. Next race is a week from today, Sunday, and it takes place at the Summit County landfill, aptly named, the Tour de Trash. When you finish, your bike smells like garbage. No kidding.

http://www.mavsports.com

As of late, I have also competed in the Imperial Challenge (Winter Triathlon-type of race in April), and the Mountain Bike race for the Teva Mountain Games. Several weeks ago, I did race in the Minnesota State Championship Mountain Bike series, and finished 11 of 18, and 99 of 161 overall. Not bad for an out of state race...Some of those Norwegian bike heads are true athletes, regardless of the altitude.

http://www.mnscs.com/page/show_article/4819/3138

Today is the last day of the Teva Mountain games, and in competing yesterday, I came in a whopping 40th of 63, finishing the grueling, muddy course in about 1:40. The course was extremely muddy, due to a freakish rainstorm-gully washer right before we started. Everyone lost their numbers. Then it stopped, and then started again. I went over the bars about 3-4 times, and am discovering scratches that didn't exist yesterday. It was a very hard course, very technical, and rough. I even heard some people say they loved it. Sickos.

If there had been a dry day, I would have finished better. I am sure of it. But, I did a few slides for life, and beat the old bike up. It works fine, just a little dinged. In fact, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it out alive. Last year, I competed in the road race- time trial. I came in last. I suppose I didn't know the course this time around, but, I expected more of myself. Doing things differently, I would probably pre-ride the course. Albeit my showing was not great, but upon finishing, I would do it again in a heartbeat. Mud covered, sore, beaten, and tired, I still would do it again. It wasn't going to be a day after, but I will race again...

http://www.tevamountaingames.com

Additionally, I have posted some pictures of a couple of well known athletes, the first being Floyd Landis, the disputed Tour de France Champion, and Glen Plake, the legendary skiing mohawk. Read this article. Floyd is a former mountain biker, and with his new bionic hips, competed in the games for a team in the Ultimate Mountain Challenge race. He rode the mountain bike course and the time-trial hill climb.

http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/6879936?MSNHPHCP&GT1=10136

So, I will also possibly post my sharpshooter pics. My next big race (not including the SMC) will be the Firecracker 50, which I think I will be able to perform fairly well. This is the 50 mile epic on the 4th of July. Starts on Main Street with a Valkyrie like peloton rushing down Breckenridge's very own main street. It is pretty cool. Team Pedicab will be competing in force.

Under the WTF and Squinting category, I also took some nice photos of the Doggie Diving Competition. This has nothing to do with rickshaws. But, it is entertaining nevertheless. Your canine friends were lured up with a neat treat, then tricked into diving into a huge pool- for distance. Some would stop right at the edge and get down the stairs easily, and others would take flying leaps that would make me look weak.

For more pictures, let me know. Have a great week! Keep those pedals turning and those dogs-a-diving!