Friday Facts and Stats: Show Me the Numbers!

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller

Recently the 2014 Annual Report was published and here is a quick rundown of the numbers:

• 328 riders (eight cross country trips and one regional trip)
• 1,049,000 miles pedaled 
• $613,264 granted; the money was granted to 387 organizations
• 113 build days and 24,500 build hours completed

Bike and Roll Vision Statement: We envision future generations that are committed to a lifetime of civic engagement and inspire individuals and communities to create fair, decent housing for all Americans.

Summer Solstice

After weeks of rain, the forecast called for a sunny afternoon.  Heading out for a bike ride to celebrate the first day of summer seemed like the perfect way to celebrate.  Three years ago when I was training for my first Bike and Build ride I frequently rode the South Side Rail Trail or the Great Allegheny Passageway.  Fast forward a few years and the two trails have been connected; I can now ride from my house all the way to DC if I wanted.

The new bike (Poe) is pretty much a replication of Bernard so breaking in the bike has not been too bad.  The trails were pretty busy around the South Side, but once I headed further South things thinned out quite a bit.  The trail has not changed much and these great statues were still in Duquesne.

Before riders meet up they are required not only to complete 300 miles on their bike, but also a long 65 mile ride.  While I have weekend warrior'ed several long rides, I figured my butt and saddle can use some breaking in.  Hopefully the weather will hold over the next few weeks and I can get in as many miles as possible before Poe is boxed up and shipped West. 

Sweat Equity Completed

Before riders hit the road, not only are they responsible for hitting their fundraising goals and riding a certain number of miles, but they must also complete a minimum of ten sweat equity hours.  While some have worked on build sites, others are completely new to the affordable housing crisis.  Essentially, the volunteer commitment helps even the paying field.  Sweat equity hours are not only something for riders, but each habitat home owner must complete a certain number of hours before they are allowed to move into their home.  The number of required hours varies from chapter to chapter, but after a quick Google search (very scientific I know) it looks like it ranges from 300-450 hours. 

This week I headed out to a local build site with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh so complete my hours.  On the first day I was handed a N-95 mask so I knew I was in for some fun.  We spend the day sanding and re-mudding the walls while a couple regular volunteers framed a door.  The process was slow going, but we were able to cover the screws and fill in most of the imperfections.  I have always wanted to do some dry walling so I can halfway cross that off my to do list. 

By the time I showed up three days later a lot had already been done (tile floors installed, most of the re-mudding finished and first coats of paint applied).  Day two was filled with a little more sanding and some major painting.  While it was always great to frame houses, install floors and get my hands dirty with landscaping, after a long stretch of biking it was nice some days just to paint.  There is something very zen about edging and rolling some paint on a wall. 

Stolen picture from our final build day in Fresno

I'm slowly starting to cross off my things to do before Drift West!  The next big task is to get in some major miles on the new bike.  Now I just need the weather to dry out!  There is still plenty of time to donate.  Click here to be brought to my fundraising page. 

Bike Cartoons

Every once and a while I stumble across a great bike cartoon.  

Today BuzzFeed delivered with twelve thoughts every (urban) biker has while riding.

Want to check out the other eleven drawings?  Click here to check out Naoise Dolan's article.

Bicycle Face

While the duck face might be the bane of our generation's existence, in the 19th century, doctors warned women of the bicycle face.  The Literary Digest in 1895 notes that "over-exertion, the upright position on the wheel, and the unconscious effort to maintain one's balance tend to produce a wearied and exhausted 'bicycle face."  Women could become "flushed, but sometimes pale, often with lips more or less drawn, and the beginning of dark shadows under the eyes, and always with an expression of weariness."

It is hard to determine what brought about the first diagnosis of bicycle face, but it could be linked to the fact bicycles were seen as an instrument of feminism.  Riding bicycles changed the way women dressed, gave women more independence and was correlated with the suffrage movement. 

Thankfully no bicycle face here, just some bad selfies!  To read the whole article, click here.