There was a little confusion on the start time for this event, but in the end I think it worked out well for everyone. The bus didn’t arrive until after 5pm, but from 3pm to 5pm would’ve been too hot to be enjoyable anyhow. I towed the bike trailer full of Muscle Powered goodies, and Kristy and Charlie rode the tandem. We rolled up sometime after 5:30 and were greeted by the usual cast of characters.
The 2 MC Tour Bus
The first order of business was to check out the Tour Bus. I imagined the bus as sleeping/living quarters for the crew, but the whole thing was designed for people to walk through and learn. Big screen computers and many informational signs were available from the back of the bus to the front. In case you’ve missed the message of the tour in previous posts, the 2 Mile Challenge is challenging people to use their bike for trips of 2 miles and less. Clif Bar says that 40% of U.S. urban travel is 2 miles or less, so it’s pretty easy to imagine the huge savings in money and energy consumption we’d all realize if we all rode our bikes more. Not to mention the cleaner and friendlier neighborhoods we’d create. The bus and crew were here to help people accomplish this task. Getting out of your car and using your bike more IS a challenge. The world and our minds are accustomed to using the car for everything, and it’s hard to make the leap.
Inside the Bus
There were some fun urban bikes out front to check out. The crowd favorite was the stretched townie. By pedaling the bike for just a minute or so, you could generate enough power to play the stereo on the back for several minutes at a pretty high volume. Pretty amazing really. Possibly even better than something the professor on Gilligan’s Island could come up with. You couldn’t even ride that guy’s bikes.
Playing the Tunes with Human Generated Power
Shortly after 7pm we got the movie Seasons started in the Community Center theater. We had a pretty good crowd at this point, and the big theater was great for watching this film. The movie focused on the mountain bike world of BIG AIR and INSANE SPEEDS. There were no insane climbs like we saw in Off Road to Athens during bike to work week. This movie was kind of on the other end of the spectrum. It was pretty entertaining though, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.
Gears Not Gas
Another great thing about the tour is that they helped us raise money for Muscle Powered. All the movie goers dug deep in their pockets and generously donated over $160 for bicycle advocacy in Carson City! Clif Bar kicked down some very nice merchandise to help offset the pain of the big donations, and everyone went home happy. Jerseys, hats, DVDs, socks. Great stuff!
Thanks again to everyone who showed up and helped promote this event. And thanks again to Clif Bar for coming to Carson City!