29 August 2011
I’m sitting in the Milwaukee airport waiting for my flight to take me back to Cleveland. Thought I’d noodle some notes about the weekend and what’s been on my mind as we approach the fall cycling season.
First thing, my computer screen is unbelievably filthy! Geez- I thought I’d cleaned it recently, but evidently that “special cleaner” we picked up at Interbike last year is mediocre at best! (Too lazy to get up and get something better to clean it though.)
So, I always wonder where ALL these people are coming from and going to when I sit at an airport. People are reading, eating, sleeping, playing games on their “electronic toys”, and especially talking on their cell phones. I can remember when none of these devices were in ready and commercial use – so, what DID we do? Talk? Read? Sleep? Eat? All of the above???
So, Madison, WI. Let’s start there: it’s a nice clean place. When there is an outdoor trash receptacle, there is also a recycling can next to it – I like that. The roads LOOK really nice – in reality, they were pretty bumpy between Madison and Milwaukee – but then, we’re used to that in NE Ohio.
Madison is a COLLEGE TOWN – and I always forget how youthful that is – for the old residents as well as the students. Having young people around makes one FEEL younger. It’s a cycling town too – and that is evident by just looking around and seeing bikes either being ridden, locked up in front of stores and restaurants, and even on the back of taxi cabs..
Which brings us to the Heartland Velo Show. I think for its first year, it was both well attended and well received. I am trying NOT to compare is to NAHBS- because it is different. The focus wasn’t totally on handmade – although there were quite a few of the Midwest builders in attendance – it was cycling – pure and simple. Over the next month or so, we will be interviewing several of the attendees on TOC.
The seminar series was very interesting – the bicycle builder’s family tree, the history of Schwinn Paramount, a comprehensive fitting workshop and even the care and feeding of your wool cycling garments – were all fairly well attended. My Sunday yoga class was FULL – we even ran out of mats.
The feeling of the show was “low key” – which I appreciated as I compare it to the frenetic pace of Interbike. Even though I went back to the hotel tired at night, I wasn’t tired AND stressed out! I will be talking more about the show on the air but wanted to state – in writing, how much I appreciate the effort that Bina Bilenky Trahan put into the event. I find her an easy person with whom to work and she “gets it done”!
So, they’re calling my flight and I’m ready to head home! Til next time… bye bye.
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