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The Bicycle Police

Late last week the Makuhari Amuse center next to Kaihim Makuhari station started to crack down on bicycles parked around the building. They put up signs, tagged all the bicycles, and stationed a guard to chase people trying to leave their bicycles in the posted areas. The next day the sidewalks were almost vacant - hardly a bicycle in sight.

I'm sure that those bicycles went somewhere. People didn't give up riding them to get to and from the train station. And it doesn't appear that the official bicycle parking lot (that charges for parking) is over-stuffed. So, where have they gone? My guess is that they are a block or two away, parked on the sidewalk next to some other building that isn't actively policing at the moment.

Brought To You By The Magic of PodCasting

During Jim Delzer's hpv trip across the US, I listened to his daily reports from the road - kind of a mini-reality real-time show. It was almost like being there, rooting for Jim every step/kick/pedal of the way.

So, how was it done? Especially on a limited, almost non-existent budget? I asked Alan Stewart (aka Mr. Kickpod) how they put it all together:

First Alan, who happens to live in Australia - literally on the opposite side of the world from Jim, setup a number in the US for Jim to call into while he was on the road. If he had access to a telephone or cell phone he could check in. No PC, modem, or other fancy technology required. Jim's calls into the US telephone network were then routed to Skype (if you don't already know what Skype is all about, then you will definitely want to check it out.)

Via Skype Jim's call was routed to Alan in Australia - almost completely free of charge since Skype leverages the internet. If Alan was available he would pick up and interview Jim. Otherwise his Skype answering machine (in software - not a physical answering machine) would take the call and record Jim's daily report.

Alan would then take the call recording and package it as a podcast, and send it out into the podcast universe via the internet and post it on his Kickbiking podcast website.  Real magic, and really cool to boot.

Coast to Coast by Kickbike and Bicycle

Jim's attempt to set a new World Record for Kickbiking across the US evolved into a hybrid Kickbike/Bicycle attempt due to extreme heat and harsh conditions in Arizona and New Mexico. Still, Jim pressed on, and early this Thursday morning will dip his feet in the Atlantic near Jacksonville, Florida.

According to the Google map directions, the total journey is about 2,400 miles (3,863 km.) and would take 1 day plus 20 hours of steady driving. What that doesn't show is the additional mileage Jim had to rack up because several of the states (California and Louisiana) don't allow hpv's on the major highways. It also doesn't show the vertical climbs and descents, nor how harsh the terrain is, though you can get a rough idea by looking at the satellite maps.

Check out Jim's World Record Attempt Website:  Power of One

Mr. Kickpod (aka Alan in the Land of Oz Down-under) has posted daily podcast interviews with Jim that are really inspiring. You can down-load them to your iPod or computer at http://www.kickbiking.com.

Guinness World Record Attempt - Kickbike Across the US - Day 7

Day 7 was even harder for Jim, and finally he had to decide how to continue across the US. You can hear it in his own words here:

JIM MAKES A TOUGH DECISION (podcast)

Guinness World Record Attempt - Kickbike Across the US - Day 6

Jim put in a 12 hour day kicking from just west of Casa Grande all the way to Tucson for a total of 87.3 miles - the highest single day mileage so far. Temperatures ranged from 95 degrees F at midnight when he started to a low of 79 degrees, then up to 110 degrees when he finished for the day in Tucson.

Check out Jim's World Record Attempt Website:  Power of One

Listen to Jim’s daily audio interview with Mr. Kickpod:  http://www.kickbiking.com.

Guinness World Record Attempt - Kickbike Across the US - Day 5

Jim’s turning into a total night owl to avoid the heat. Even so, the temperature was still 90 degrees F when he started kicking on Day 5 around 2:50 AM. He managed to kick for 65 miles and finished the day just short of Casa Grande, Arizona.

Check out Jim's World Record Attempt Website:  Power of One

Listen to Jim’s daily audio interview with Mr. Kickpod:  http://www.kickbiking.com.

Guinness World Record Attempt - Kickbike Across the US

Jim Delzer is kicking his way across the United States attempting to set a new World Record and end up in the Guinness book. He started at Mission Bay in San Diego, California a few days ago, and as of this evening (July 5th) has made it almost all the way to Gila Bend, Arizona. By car, riding on the freeways, that would be around 290 miles.

Unfortunately for Jim, California doesn't allow human powered vehicles on the freeways if there is an alternative surface route. He's had to jump on and off the freeway, and follow some pretty rough, pot-holed side roads, but he seems determined to accomplish his goal. I suspect that his accumulated mileage so far is well over 320 miles.

At the same time, he's been fighting midday temperatures of 117 degrees (F), and is starting his kicking day around 3:00 am in the morning to avoid the heat. Somehow, he's managed to report his progress daily. As a result, all of us can follow along with Jim, and lend him our moral and spiritual support. Check out Jim's World Record Attempt Website:  Power of One

Mr. Kickpod (aka Alan in the Land of Oz Down-under) has posted daily podcast interviews with Jim that are really inspiring. You can down-load them to your iPod or computer at http://www.kickbiking.com.

 

Two Very Different Sports Vehicles

Someone else's red sports car, and my red Kickbike. Long ago, and far away, I would have gone with the sports car, but now days I get the same level of enjoyment and excitement from my Kickbike - without having to worry about buying gas, oil, and upkeep.