Your ace reporter fell off his bike (in front of his house standing still) and broke his hip earlier this August and has been mostly house bound so has not been able to interview anyone for September’s Person of the month.
So instead, I am interviewing myself.
I grew up at a time when English racers were exotic. My gang all rode heavy weight single speed balloon tired Huffy’s and Schwinn’s. My first 10 speed was a 1962 Flandria that some kid bought and didn’t like. I was 14 years old and that candy orange beauty was my pride and joy. I kept it in my room so I could gaze on it every night before I went to sleep. I rode it everywhere.
One day I decided to ride it out Skyline Drive (in Oakland) and managed to pedal the 7 or so miles up the steep hill from my house on Park Blvd. and then swooped up and down the hills until at the end of one down hill I didn’t notice dead man’s curve and proceeded to launch myself into the front fender of an old car coming the other way. Broken ribs, a punctured lung and a bruised kidney put me in the hospital for 2 weeks and out of school for 2 months. From then until falling off my bike in front of my house, I managed to avoid killing myself or sustaining serious injury, at least on my bicycle.
Volunteering at the Bike Exchange is a major focus of my life since I retired; not being able to be there helping out is torture. I am healing as fast as possible, with tons of positive energy from all my friends, and I hope to soon be able to resume my duties: helping set up for the work days, hosting the Open Shop, and interviewing folks for the Person of the Month article.
Learn more about the superstars who keep SVBE rolling through our previous featured volunteer spotlights!