Saturday Musette

From Urban Tulsa:

Urban Tulsa Weekly announced their Hot 100 for 2009, and Ren Barger made the list! Here's what UTW wrote:


Adrienne Barger, founder of Community Cycling Project. Most people think of bicycles as recreation instead of transportation. Seeing the opportunities to commute effectively in Tulsa, Barger began the Community Cycling Project, which provides bicycles and other equipment to those who need some wheels.


Some quibbles - first, Ren was not the founder of the Community Cycling Project which is an outreach effort backed by the Tulsa Wheelmen. Ren is continuing the work of Sandra Crisp and she's added an important new adjunct, the Tulsa HUB which will multiply the effectiveness of the CCP. Both these capable women are to be applauded for their efforts. The HUB is Tulsa's first bicycle co-op that I'm aware of, and it will be a central part of the area's cycling culture.



I look like a convict!

Not that it's a bad thing.

Ladies perspire. Dancers glow. Big guys like me just sweat, even in cold winter weather. I wear a skullcap or a watch cap most of the time. My hair has the consistency of straw as a result. I hate it. So when it comes time for a haircut, I really get a haircut!

Photo evidence:


I'd carefully tucked back the 'wings' that form in line with my ears. They give me that oh-so-hot Bozo the Clown look. My hair starts to curl when it's this long and I get a good DA going in the back. Is it any wonder I want it cut short?



This makes for efficient cooling summer or winter. And in fact, it feels cold at first so I wore a watch cap inside the house last night.

However, there's no denying that this is a cheap, effective way to gain better aerodynamics on the bike. I'm probably 5-6 mph faster after a haircut. I could probably get another 5 or 6 if I shaved my legs, but that ain't gonna happen.

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)

Paul gets Hot!

My congratulations to both Biker Fox and Paul Tay for being named to Urban Tulsa's Hot 100 list! OK, they're listed as number 91, but at least they made the list. CycleDog wasn't even mentioned, despite my continued attempts to take over the world. I may go have a good sulk somewhere.

The Hot 100
News/Lifestyles: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 2:00:00 AM



91. Biker Fox and Paul Tay. You're weird enough to make the list, but not to earn your own slots.