Effective bicycle advocacy isn't something you do in the short term. It takes time. You win some, you lose some, you don't lose sight of focus nor goal. In 2000ish, Deb Hubsmith, executive director of MCBC at the time, and Richard Olken, executive director of Bikes Belong joined WTB and TAM shredders on an outing. A field trip if you will. Like all good field trips, there was a group shot:
The WTB employee on the left is smiling because he is riding a Marzocchi Z1. When you ride a Z1, everything is fun. Whatever happened to the Z1s of yore?
Where the sidewalk ends, it turns to dirt. Where the dirt ends, it turns into closed tunnel. That's exactly what they were after. Richard Olken was kindly providing input and recommendations for the Transportation Reauthorization Bill, the hope being that one day the Alto Tunnel would open to cyclists. Like any good cyclist, Olken spent some time also perusing WTB's finer bikes hanging around the shop:
Yes indeed, Mark Weir's shred sled. From bike paths to big drops, it's all about two wheels and a grin. WTB and TAM have been devoted to bicycle advocacy for quite some time, shortly before these photos, TAM and MCBC wrote the white paper describing the Safe Routes to School Program as well as Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program, based on the Delft Experiment of 1998. Later, Deb Hubsmith went on to run the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, a multi-million dollar federally funded program with inspiration and pilot programs taking place right here in our home town. Long term advocacy never rests, just like long travel bikes never disappoint, here's to bicycle futures.