Stolen bikes (TULSA)

(If you come across any of these bikes, call your local police department first, then contact Lee at the number given. He is offering a reward for information leading to their recovery......Ed)

I have 3 bikes stolen from my garage last week. Should you see any of them
please call me at 918-232-8155. Grab them if you can.

1. Klein Reve - Yellow in color with Campy Record 10 speed, FSA triple
crankset, American Classic hubs & DT rims - Rido saddle

2. Kestrel RT700 - Gray in color with Campy Record 10 speed, FSA
triple crankset, DT 240s hubs & DT rims - Saddleco Flow saddle (mesh) -
Probably only RT700 in existence with triple crankset

3. Gary Fisher Joshua MTB - Red/yellow in color with mainly XTR
components

The 2 road bikes are completely unique, one of a kind, hand built by me from
components which should make them easy to claim. I can list every single
item on them.

All 3 bikes have Speedplay Frog peddles which may be replaced by somebody if
they're riding them now.

By the way, for those who are out of town, I live in Tulsa and I expect the
bikes to be in this area.

Thanks.Lee Griffin

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Tulsa's Community Cycling Project

(Image from Urban Tulsa Weekly)

Urban Tulsa Weekly has a very complimentary article on the Community Cycling Project. Major kudos to both Sandra Crisp and Ren Barger. Here's a excerpt:

Two Wheels to Stand On How a "bike kitchen" is helping the city's homeless get back on their feet

BY BRIAN ERVIN


Most of us have cars and, though they might not all be as sexy, sporty or as nice as the Joneses, they still afford us the independence we need to live our lives, go to work and stand on our own two feet (rising gas prices notwithstanding).

And, we tend to take that independence for granted most of the time, except when the inevitable wear and tear or a mechanical malfunction grounds us for a few days until the repair shop restores our autonomy.

For many of Tulsa's homeless, though, lack of transportation is all that stands between them and self-sufficiency.

"That's a big issue for the homeless," said Mack Haltom, associate director of Tulsa's Day Center for the Homeless, about the role of transportation in rehabilitation.

"There's plenty of work for folks, but city buses don't always get them where the jobs are," he added.

That's why Haltom and many of his colleagues sing the praises of the Tulsa Wheelmen bicycle club's Community Cycling Project.

"It meant the difference between working and not working, in many cases," said Gloria Dialectic, a Day Center caseworker.

As CCP coordinator Ren Barger explained, the program provides bicycles, including all the necessary equipment and a full day's worth of safety training, with an entire year's worth of service thrown in--all absolutely free of charge.

Prospective benefactors can contact Barger at ren@leesbikes.com.

(More)

Tulsa Tough Bicycle Giveaway....

It was lunchtime. I'd just put a peanut butter cracker in my mouth when my cellphone rang.

“Helloph?” I mumbled around the cracker.

Sandra was on the line. “Hello? Ed?”

I swallowed hard, dry cracker dust and peanut butter coating my throat and making my voice raspy. “Yeah, it's me.”

Sandra had just taken a call from Malcolm McCollam. Malcolm has a hundred surplus single speed bikes with coaster brakes that were donated for the Little 100. He wanted to know if we could do a kids class and give the bikes away to those kids who attended it and the kickoff for the Tulsa Tough. To receive a bike, a kid would have to attend both the class and the Tulsa Tough kickoff.

Currently, the plan is to offer two "Tulsa Tough BikeEd" classes on the last two Saturdays of May from 9:30AM to 2PM. At this time, it will most likely be held at the West Festival Park.

The Tulsa Tough will be held the weekend of June 2^nd and 3rd. The Tulsa Tough is both a tour and a race, with the race being the premier event of the 2007 season. The kickoff will be a ride down Riverside Drive behind a police escort at the start on Saturday. The kid's ride will loop back to the start area.

We will need experienced cyclists willing to volunteer their time assisting with the BikeEd course. Ideally, we'd like a ratio of 5 kids to each volunteer.

League of American Bicyclists instructors will be leading this program.