We met while working together on the Board of Directors of a non-profit in Los Angeles, CA, called The Bicycle Kitchen. As professionals, we discovered we had a very good working relationship and learned to trust each other and respect our differences of opinion, never suspecting that this might lead to anything romantic.
As cyclists in LA, the group of us volunteering for The Bicycle Kitchen were drawn together by a love of the bicycle as a fantastic form of transportation as well as a healthy and fun way of life. However, we also had a lot in common in the way we felt marginalized and abused by the distracted and aggressive drivers all around us.
Everyone has a different way of dealing with hostile or clueless drivers. We shared tactics and stories. Often we would be hassled, told to get off the road or onto the sidewalk, or even just asked what the hell we thought we were doing. One of our very dear friends had a peaceful and inquisitive way of interacting with drivers; every chance he had, he would respond to questions or comments by simply asking, 'Well, where is your bicycle?'
His strategy was to remind them that they might have been cyclists once, too, even if it was when they were very young. He wanted them to remember how much fun it is to ride a bike. Or maybe he would just be reminding them that they have a nice bike sitting in their garage, and hopefully his question would inspire them to take their bike for a ride sometime.
So we named our blog in his honor, because although we are doing something that most people will never do, or believe they are just not tough or strong enough to do, we think that everyone should ride bicycles. Maybe you look at what we're doing and get jealous or imagine that you could never do this. But the truth is, if you want to, you can. You just start somewhere and things will fall into place. Where is your bicycle?
About Us:
Joshua and Ramona are country bumpkins from opposite sides of the US, who ran into each other in Los Angeles and spent their free time promoting the bicycle as the best form of transportation and the most fun available to human beings.
In May of 2010, they sold their belongings (everything), quit their jobs, moved out of LA, and started this blog; they rode their bicycles from Zurich, Switzerland via Amsterdam, Netherlands to Bergen, Norway in a round-about way dictated by good advice, good bike trails, and friends and family.
Starting in June of 2011, they went on a second bicycle tour, starting in on the west coast of Scotland, through Newcastle to Amsterdam (via ferry) and south along the North Sea Route into Belgium (Brugge, Ghent, and through the Ardennes). After a train, another train, a ferry, and an unexpectedly expensive visit to friends in Greece, they are house sitting again to refill the coffers for June of 2012.
Some people have recommended that we make available some kind of donation system, which is a really, really kind thought. So, feel free to help us along by donating via PayPal. Maybe you buy us a coffee to get us over the next pass, maybe you give towards our showers at campsites, every dollar helps, and we truly appreciate it.
Starting in June of 2011, they went on a second bicycle tour, starting in on the west coast of Scotland, through Newcastle to Amsterdam (via ferry) and south along the North Sea Route into Belgium (Brugge, Ghent, and through the Ardennes). After a train, another train, a ferry, and an unexpectedly expensive visit to friends in Greece, they are house sitting again to refill the coffers for June of 2012.
Some people have recommended that we make available some kind of donation system, which is a really, really kind thought. So, feel free to help us along by donating via PayPal. Maybe you buy us a coffee to get us over the next pass, maybe you give towards our showers at campsites, every dollar helps, and we truly appreciate it.
