Natalie Ramsland is a triathlete and bike builder in Portland, Oregon, also my niece. This is her response when I told her about Uphill Struggle.
John
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Natalie Ramsland" natalie@sweetpeabicycles.com Date: December 18, 2007 12:51:47 PM EST To: "John Lozier" jl@harpingforharmony.org Subject: Re: Hello from Portland!
Hi John -
I love the idea of the Uphill Struggle. It made me think that it might be fun to organize a ride in which there were two options: 1) get from one place to another by the shortest distance possible, elevation be damned or 2) get to the same destination taking whatever detours necessary to make the climb as gentle as possible and have stops along the way. That way you can demonstrate that biking doesn't have to be something for self-identified athletes alone. A relaxed approach can be celebrated, too.
There is a race that happens in Portland called the SS Pussycat (all women's alleycat race) which has two racing options. You can race for speed, which is, well, speedy. Or you can compete in the spirit category, and you will be doing various fun challenges along the way.
It also brings to mind the Tequila Shortcut at the Single Speed Cyclocross Championships a couple weeks back. There was a shortcut in the race course (which is done in laps) - the only catch was that if you were going to take the shortcut you had to take a shot of tequila every time you came through.
So, needless to say, I think you could have a lot of fun with this. Let me know if you need help brainstorming crazy ideas! I am full of them :)
Love, Natalie
On 12/18/07, John Lozier jl@harpingforharmony.org wrote: Hi, Natalie,
We're at 345 Virginia Avenue, Morgantown WV 26505.
I've never been very good about sending holiday cards. However, I think of you and Austin quite often. I recently took a class in Effective Cycling. You probably know about the American League of Bicyclists. Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles. A young woman in the group is a triathlete, made me think of you.
We're beginning to plan for an activity that I'm calling the "Uphill Struggle." The whole concept is "It's and Uphill Struggle to get people thinking of bicycles as a form of transportation."
Here's a blurb I shared with our Bike Board (I'm a member):
Max's Uphill Struggle is the insight of a child (Max, my 7-year-old neighbor) who first learns to ride on the flat, then downhill, then confronts (and meets) the challenge of UPHILL.
This is, of course, the challenge faced by folks of all ages when they consider biking in Morgantown.
(Incidentally, the Uphill Struggle is a metaphor for life itself, isn't it?)
The idea would be to have a sponsored bike event that involves riding uphill. Any hill could work.
On Dec 18, 2007, at 12:25 PM, Natalie Ramsland wrote:
Hi John,
I have a holiday card I want to send to you and Kitty, but I don't think I have your address since you moved. Can you send that to me?
Love, Natalie