The Blog

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Support Vehicle and Trailer

Thanks again to Craigslist, we conjured up a fabulous trailer that can carry our stuff.  In addition, one of our favorite volunteers has agreed to provide the tow vehicle!    Go Green Riders!!!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

When the Power goes out and other News


During our rash of storms last week we had a number of power outages.  The longest one was during an afternoon and early evening when the girls had homework and Lucy was feeling bad (Little did we know then that the next day we would spend in the hospital waiting for her to get her appendix out!)
Watching movies on the laptop and doing homework remained possible after the batteries wore down as long as someone was willing to pedal.  It was great fun!  No noisy stinky generator and the effort to make electricity was a very tangible thing.  Here's a link to a short video.  I also got plenty of exercise that day.
Speaking of exercise, this bad weather has forced  me to abandon yet another prejudice about exercise equipment.  I've always felt that taking care of what needs taking care is the best way to get exercise, especially living out in the country where there is always plenty to do.  This weather and the anxiety about not being in very good shape forced me to break down and ask the neighbor if I could use his elaborate exercise set-up to get in shape for the ride.  He was very gracious and invited me anytime,  so now I've broken another of my own unspoken rules.
On the planning front, things are going great.  We're looking for an electric bicycle company to sponsor a third bicycle so that we can offer the people we encounter a real life option that they can go out a get.  Our recumbents are so custom that almost no one will see them as a viable option.
I have been making appointments with people all across the country who we will visit.  You can see some of the stops on our media page .  It is really fun making contact with all of the great people out there who are inspired and energized by the sustainability work they are doing.  Even Town Manager's are getting into the game because they see growing their green credentials as a way to attract good people.  Durango, CO totally gets it and is welcoming our arrival with open arms.  Not only do we add to the attraction of their vibrant biking community but the sustainability angle "greens" up their image.  

Next stop is Boulder where there is so much going on we're going to have a hard time figuring out what to choose.


What a great problem!!!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Why I'm riding - - Oliver's short podcast

Oliver talks about why The Green Riders Sustainability Tour is important to him.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Planning visits

This week has been lots of phone calls looking for sustainability heroes who we want to visit.  What a fun project!  I had a great conversation with Eric Chamberlain in Rock Port Missouri where we will stop to see the four wind turbines that provide electricity for the whole town.  Eric offered to let us charge our bikes with wind energy.   Yea!!  He gets it.
In Boulder I've been talking to the Optibike folks about their bikes and about the American ingenuity that the founder demonstrated as he developed and build the "tesla" of the electric bicycle world.
I'm still trying to find a real person to talk to in Tehachapi so that we can get an interview about the huge amount of wind energy being produced there.
I spend a lot of time chasing down the algae to biofuel project outside of Durango and finally learned that they don't do interviews or tours.  They're probably trying to hold secret their technology so all the information that they are willing to share is what's on the Solix website and the few articles that can be googled.
In Flagstaff, The Grand Canyon Trust is excited about our visit and is even willing to share our story with their members.  I've also got a call into Southwest Wind Power where I hope to land a tour and interview.
Lots to do and lots of fun doing it.