Hey all! We have a new member, BikeGuitarist, who is well known in Northern California and Oregon for riding a Schwinn ten-speed bicycle while simultaneously playing a Fender Stratocaster guitar. He has done this tens of thousands of miles the past thirty years, all on the same bicycle: a 1977 Schwinn Sportabout (sort of like a cross between a Varsity and a Continental).
BikeGuitarist would really, really love to hear from any of us who may have seen him out and about. If you remember seeing BikeGuitarist, could you please let him know? Either send him a PM, or drop by his website. Either way, it would be cool if we could gather some memories.
Here's his website:
http://www.thebicyclingguitarist.net/
Fascinating! As many of you know, I grew up in San Jose, and lived briefly in Sonoma County. I don't remember seeing BG, though. I know that if I had, I would have remembered him!
He currently lives in Oregon, so if any of you see him out there, drop him a line :D .
East Hill
Ticia
05-08-08, 09:06 AM
I've never seen him, but I'll keep my eye out for him...I mean how could I miss that huh? When I lived in SoCal there was a rollerblading/guitarist. I used to surf and I saw him all the way from San Diego up to Venice Beaches at various times. Fun stuff.
LynnH
05-08-08, 11:41 AM
Keep it up BG, I'm really hoping I will get to see you!
Shifty
05-08-08, 01:27 PM
I think mixing cycling and any other hobby or distraction is a bad idea, we have enough trouble as it is getting motorist to take us serious with out this sort of thing. I guess its cute if he stays in the parking lot.
randya
05-08-08, 01:35 PM
aw, lighten up!
norsehabanero
05-08-08, 07:46 PM
not to mention if you live in sw portland you my have seen freinds of all animals, if you have then you know wont go any farther
Shifty
05-09-08, 03:41 PM
aw, lighten up!That's as light as I could get:D
BikeGuitarist
05-10-08, 06:27 PM
That's as light as I could get:D
Speaking of getting lights, I just upgraded my night riding capabilities with the latest and greatest Cateye headlight and taillight combo (http://thebicyclingguitarist.blogspot.com/2008/05/new-lights-for-my-schwinn-ten-speed.html).
FWIW Shifty, I have ridden day and night, around town and between towns, up hills in wind and in traffic many tens of thousands of miles for three decades now. I have never wrecked nor have I caused any accidents. Most of the people who I see responding to my presence, at least 99% of them, smile wave or honk encouragement. I bring SMILES to peoples' faces. Who knows but that I may have changed some lives by distracting someone from their misery sometime?
Which brings me to the original subject of this thread. I *know* that at the very least tens of thousands, and more likely HUNDREDS of thousands of people have seen me at least once over the many years and many miles I have done this. I never went out of my way to do this for publicity, just used the bicycle for everyday transportation, to and from neighboring towns to visit friends, to and from the local community college (100 miles a week that semester commuting to school along a bike trail next to Interstate 80), around campus at Sonoma State University a few years, to and from Denny's to have meals with my late mother and her senior citizen friends, around the park in the wee hours of the night...always doing this not for anyone else but for myself.
I am surprised that nobody on these forums posted any replies, because I am sure bicycle people more than anyone would note and remember such a sight... Ah well.
Peace, TBG
BikeGuitarist
05-10-08, 08:11 PM
to and from Denny's to have meals with my late mother and her senior citizen friends
Er, that didn't come out right. Actually she was alive when I went to Denny's to meet her, but she is no longer with us (since 1994).
Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's
I just got back from my first ride with the new lights set up on my bicycle. It is still light outside even now so I never did turn them on, but I WAS READY if I needed them! I will go out later once it gets good and dark.
BikeGuitarist
05-11-08, 02:30 PM
I have ridden day and night, around town and between towns, up hills in wind and in traffic many tens of thousands of miles for three decades now. I have never wrecked nor have I caused any accidents.
Why does this sound eerily familiar? Oh yes, consider the following:
"When anyone asks how I can best describe my experience in nearly 40 years at sea, I merely say, uneventful. Of course there have been winter gales, and storms and fog the like, but in all my experience, I have never been in any accident of any sort worth speaking about. ...... I never saw a wreck and never have been wrecked, nor was I ever in any predicament that threatened to end in disaster of any sort. You see, I am not very good material for a story"
-Captain Smith, Commander of Titanic
EEK! There are other coincidences too. This morning, I ROSE and put on a JACKet.
This reminds me of the story on the late Ken Kifer's web site about the bicycle Titanic (http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/humor/great.htm).
Btw, even if nobody on these forums will admit they ever saw me (yes, I know it is rather like admitting you see a pink elephant or a six-foot-tall rabbit), I am proud and pleased that both Ken Kifer and Sheldon Brown (two great bicycle advocates sadly both gone now) saw fit to link to my web site many years ago.
Namaste
East Hill
05-11-08, 03:24 PM
Poor Captain Smith!
But, the BikeGuitarist is not to be held accountable for that disaster, folks. Nor any others, unless he is guilty of a fashion faux pas :D .
Like BG, I hope everyone is treating their mothers to a pleasant day!
East Hill
alicestrong
05-11-08, 03:50 PM
Er, that didn't come out right. Actually she was alive when I went to Denny's to meet her, but she is no longer with us (since 1994).
Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's
I just got back from my first ride with the new lights set up on my bicycle. It is still light outside even now so I never did turn them on, but I WAS READY if I needed them! I will go out later once it gets good and dark.
Thanks for the Happy Mother's Day wish!
How do you like your new lights?
BikeGuitarist
05-11-08, 04:02 PM
Thanks for the Happy Mother's Day wish!
How do you like your new lights?
Fine thanks. Less chance of hitting an iceberg at night now.
BenLi
05-11-08, 04:16 PM
Now we just need someone riding around with a LP. :P
alicestrong
05-11-08, 04:33 PM
I admire riders skilled with riding "no hands", it's pretty amazing.