RAWRbikes

by: 

Rossi

  I’m here talking with Wenzday Jane, founder of Metro Pedal Power. She has a new website anddocumentary film coming out on the 25th of April at the BSA Space in Boston. She answered all the questions I peppered her with—about cycling, running a business and even bacon.

  In many other countries, people use bikes all the time to transport goods. In America, this is a relatively “new” idea in the green movement. We've developed and used cars to get from point A to point B. So, what sparked the idea for this company?

It was definitely inspired by what’s going on in Europe with the prevalence of utilitarian cycling. Personally, I’ve always been a utilitarian cyclist, I’ve never really raced. I have always looked at a bike as a tool to get around the city efficiently. Then at some point I realized you can carry things with bikes; that’s even better!

  What year were you established?

That year was 2007.

  Were you a messenger at all?

I was not a messenger, my background is in metal fabrication.

  Can you expand on your metal fabrication experience?

When I first got involved one of the driving forces was not only riding but building. Previously, I had been working in a metal fabrication shop doing high-end architectural fixtures. That was an inspiration for me in the beginning: thinking about things from a builder’s point of view. I didn’t have experience building bicycle frames per se, except for choppers, tall bikes, stuff like that.  One of our initial ideas was to custom fabricate cargo bikes/trikes and accessories like racks and trailers, both for our own fleet and to sell to others. We have done some of that kind of work here and there but, business-wise, it would be a whole separate entity. And the delivery part ended up consuming all of my time.

  How did you get your business rolling in the beginning?

I started attending networking events. There was a festival called Alt Wheels; now it’s called Boston Green Fest and that was one of the first places we went to. I arrived with the vehicles and started meeting people and talking to people about what I do. I found some of my first clients there.

  Who was your first customer?

Petsi Pies—doing a bakery run early in the morning, bringing pies and baked goods to cafes.

  What was one of the biggest hurdles you had to get over?

Really, it’s a small business and it’s a hurdle to get through every day (laughs). I would say that my most difficult challenges are internal. They have to do with my own sense of self-worth and security. I am really grateful for how the process of starting and maintaining this business has given me changes of perspective. You know, when I was younger, I had no idea what it was like to run a business; it’s not how I imagined it would be. It’s been a tremendous learning experience. That’s one of the things that has kept me interested in it for so long: I am always learning something new. I learn better ways of relating to people, [to] myself and that’s all a part of being an effective leader.

  What’s it like being a female working in a largely male-dominated area?

Most of my work experience as an adult has been as a woman in a male-centric environments. I worked as a chef; as a metal fabricator. I’ve had many jobs in my twenties and thirties where I’ve been like “ Hey, I am the only woman working here.” I got really good at relating to men. And I also got really comfortable in that environment. I don’t have that sense of intimidation. Working in a largely male environment doesn’t feel out of place for me.

  Are all your bikes “pedal only” powered?

Everything is human-powered. We do have some trikes that have electric assist. I found that those vehicles are necessary where there are heavy loads and a lot of hills. We use bicycle trailers for longer distances such as Brookline. Coming back empty is a lot easier.    

We use electric assist for a variety of reasons. The majority of the energy is expended in starting and stopping, so the assist provides that boost to overcome inertia. The trikes top out at around 15 miles an hour, but they don't carry a lot of momentum. This is good—it keeps the drivers from coasting through lights.

  In America, sharing the road with bikes can be an annoyance for some drivers. Drivers and cyclists have many accounts of negative interaction. What are your views on road safety and culture?

I want to foster a positive relationship between bike drivers and motor vehicles. How can I ride in a way that is respectful to other road users. We want to promote bikes as ‘real vehicles’. It’s kinda similar to being the only woman in the workplace:  “ Women can do work, see?”  It’s like “ bikes actually can do work, see?”  So, we are promoting bikes as real vehicles that can do real work. We deserve respect. The way we demonstrate that is by giving respect.

  Who are the majority of your customers?  

We have three main arms of the business. CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) delivery, waste hauling for recycling and compost, and on-call parcel service.

CSA delivery is [transporting] farm share boxes to people’s homes. I love food, I love to cook. I also love keeping people connected with the source of their food. A lot of the times, people won’t commit to a CSA because they cannot get to the pick-up area in time. Our service can help people still make that change and serve as a conduit for that connection to happen. We also deliver to restaurants too, from the farms. We work with 8-10 local farms.

Back in 2010, we successfully bid in the city of Cambridge to do recycling hauling from the public areas. That has turned out be a good part of our business now. We also have a food-scrap pick up service for composting.

Then there’s general parcel delivery. We don’t get a lot of calls where people ask us to simply courier things to and fro. A lot of the deliveries are pre-scheduled like at Taza Chocolate in Somerville wholesale distribution, where they use us for local deliveries as opposed to UPS.

  What is the oddest thing you’ve had to deliver?

Most of the stuff we deliver is pretty normal. One we picked up live lobsters in a plastic bag. Another cool one was on Valentine’s Day last year. A woman made bacon roses for her boyfriend.

  Smart gal.

  You’ve established a sustainable business model for companies who want to be eco-friendly.  Do you think people have been inspired and encouraged to set up sustainable delivery infrastructures of their own?

Actually, we have provided paid consulting for many start-up bike delivery businesses in other states, like a bookstore in San Francisco.  We’ve been involved in a lot of local businesses adding pedal power to their fleets.Savenor’s Market used to hire us to do deliveries, and now they have their own bike and trailer that we fabricated here in our shop.Equal Exchange—we built two mobile vending coffee trikes for them. There is a local cheese maker—now she has her own rider and bike trailer. I could go on… there are a lot of local and national businesses that we’ve worked with in some capacity or another to get a pedal-powered vehicle into their repertoire.

Adding an alternative vehicle to a business is not simple. I mean: you can buy a van and take it to any mechanic shop for service, but with trikes and other alternative vehicles it’s difficult to find someone to provide maintenance or fix them when they need repair. So we provide that level of support for businesses that want to add pedal-power to their fleet.

We’re also trying to change the mindset about bikes. To many people, a bike is either a toy or a cheap piece of junk you keep in the basement until it’s a nice day. A lot of people don’t get it that a quality bike can cost $2,000.00 dollars or more and that bicycles need maintenance, and repair. That’s part of our mission: to not only prove that bikes are serious work vehicles but also  to add a level of prestige and professionalism.

  What surprised you the most?

I was surprised at how little I knew when I started this business (compared to what I thought I knew) and, I’m proud of how well I’ve been able to adapt to the challenges that I’ve faced time after time through the years. I was surprised at all the things I didn’t see coming - here we are six years later and we’re still here!  Wow. Even if we failed tomorrow, I still have that level of success—that’s a good surprise.

  How have you seen Boston change since you started?

When we started, I used to feel like I was the only one on the road in the wintertime. The level of cycling has increased so much. There are more bike lanes, there is more awareness from other road users [about] bikes having a place and a right to using the road. I used to hear car drivers yell “Hey, get on the sidewalk!”  I have not heard that in a long time. Some mentality has changed though there’s still way too much motorist vs. cyclist antagonism promoted by the mainstream media.

  Do you own a car?

I don’t own a car. I haven’t owned a car since 2001. But I also grew up without a car. My parents didn’t even have driver’s licenses. My dad got his license when he was 40. We were very much walking and public transportation people. It’s not abnormal for me to not have a car, it’s how I grew up. The cool thing I added was biking which is much more enjoyable and empowering than taking the bus.  

  How do you see Boston’s future for cyclists?

I would like to see more streets closed to cars. I am not anti-car at all - cars have a place and they’re necessary - our lives would be very different without them. It would be nice to recognize that they don’t belong in the city as much. I think Boston is doing just fine. Bikes have caught on, there are even people in suits riding.

  If someone is on the fence about making the investment to buy a CSA, what would you say?

I think it’s profound to make a connection to the source of your food and how it’s grown. You develop a new appreciation for it. It certainly tastes better and I think has more nutritional value. Having a CSA changes the way I cook. Sometimes it’s challenging but that can be fun. You’re given a box of vegetables and you have to imagine what to make with it. I used to play a similar game to when I was in my early 20’s I’d open the fridge and be like: “ok, we have cheese, ketchup, pasta—what can we make with this?”  I now make meals based on what was in the fridge from my CSA… I have better, healthy things and I can be really creative with my cooking.

  Don’t forget to see Wenzday this Friday at the BSA.  www.powertothepedals.org

by: 

Cindy

Women’s professional cycling has seen progress in leaps and bounds so far this year, from announcements of new or expanded women’s programs running alongside some of the biggest men’s road races in the world to a promising new turn in culture at the UCI. Today’s news that Twenty20 Cycling will sponsor equal payout for women at the prominent Belgian Koppenberg Cross race this fall was met with cheers resounding from every corner of the cycling internet.

The first equal payout in European cyclocross resulted from a partnership between superstar cyclocrosser and all-around amazing woman Helen Wyman, and American cycling company Twenty20. Wyman has seen this sponsor-backed equality model at work during her visits to New England to race cyclocross, where Vermont company ENGVT backed women’s podium payouts in many of the biggest races.

This recent step by Kris Auer and his shop, Twenty20, is cause to celebrate, no doubt, but let’s take a step back. From the amateur ranks to the most talented elite racers, we are forced to prove that we’re worth equal and fair treatment - and then are expected to applaud enthusiastically when even a fraction of what we deserve is bestowed upon us. Twenty20's own elite female racer was selected to represent Team USA at the cyclocross world championships; however, she received no financial support from the shop. The world-class athlete instead successfully crowdsourced her own trip, relying on her fans, friends, and family. In this situation, similar to many others in the US, equal payouts depend on rallying willing sponsors rather than coming from the budgets of the races themselves. In the world of road racing, women cyclists won a bid for a women’s race at the Tour de France - but this was only after the movement became a tidal wave too large to possibly ignore. In the local scene, women are tasked with drawing larger numbers to our races, frequently threatened with the cancellation of the women's field if we can't prove we deserve to race.

Pro MTBers Bryna Blanchard, @lizridesbikes, Karen Potter & Crystal Anthony awaiting final instructions at the start of last summer’s Barn Burner Root 66 race. Good luck to Crystal at CX Worlds this weekend! #tbt #RAWRbikes

by: 

Erin

  If you didn't know who Arley Kemmerer was before, her selection to the US Cyclocross World Championship team has undoubtedly piqued your curiosity. For the uninitiated: Arley's been tearing up the East Coast for a few years now, working double duty as a lawyer by day and a CX powerhouse by night. We caught up with her to ask the important pre-worlds questions.

  OMG, how do you prepare to race in the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS with only 3 weeks notice?!*

Ideally, I would have been training and cramming a bunch of work in so that leaving for a week would be okay.  But, I've actually spent the last week recovering from the flu. Glamorous.

Rumor has it you're looking for a new team next year. Do you think this Worlds team selection will help with that?

I am looking for a new team for next year. C3 was a great program to get me to where I am now, but I've outgrown the team's capacity, and am ready to make the next step in the progression of being a professional cyclocross athlete. My hope is that the Worlds team selection will boost my resume enough to land me on a team, but you never know!

What was your first reaction to finding out you were selected to the worlds team? What are you most excited about?

I was flying home from Nationals, and was still in the air when the team was selected. I raced with an illness at Nationals, and didn't have a great result, which I figured sealed my fate for not making the Worlds team this year. But as soon as I landed, I turned my phone on to look for the press release, and my phone practically blew up with messages, Twitter notifications, etc., so I figured something had to be up. I saw a Tweet about it, and was so happy I actually cried. I was still sitting on the plane (we were still taxiing), so the guy next to me must have thought somebody died or something. I didn't even care!  

Was there a particular turning point in your cyclocross career? At what point did you start to think making the Worlds team was a possibility?

My two top-15 finishes at Valkenburg and Tabor were probably the most definitive results in my career thus far. It made me feel like I could legitimately hang in the World Cup field, and that I could actually be a force in the international competition. The Worlds team was always a long-term goal, but not one I took especially seriously until the October World Cups.

Who has been the most influential person in your cycling career?

Laura Van Gilder has been a great friend and mentor to me, both on and off the bike. We train together, walk our dogs together, and hit up the occasional "wing night" together at the Van Gilder Jubilee. She has so much experience--she is a wealth of knowledge to tap into.

Favorite pre-race rap tune?

No rap tunes, all EDM!

You've been pretty outspoken about CrossFit. How do you think that's benefited your bike racing? Do you adhere to their Paleo diet as well?

I'm a huge proponent of CrossFit-style workouts in the off-season.  I find it helps most running up hills, stairs, etc.  I also think it is really important to be fit in a multi-dimensional way, rather than just being cycling fit.  I don't do the Paleo thing, it is a little too over the top for me.

What are the best and worst aspects of traveling long distances for giant races?

BIKE FEES are the worst! The second worst part is dragging all that stuff through the airport.

Best part is lying to people when they ask what is inside my bike bag.  I usually say it is some weird musical instrument (think tuba, bassoon), and always want to say “a body,” but realize that would get me apprehended pretty quickly in an airport.

You're one of a bunch of pros that comes from a ski-racing background. If you were all to put skis back on again, who do you think would win?

So, the former racers I know of are Lea Davison, Elle Anderson, and myself.  My bet would be on Elle.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?

After all, bike racing is just a hobby. - Stefan Wyman

What's your absolute favorite workout?

The kind where I get to not look at my power output.

  *Ed. note: Our original question was: “OMG WHAT IS IT LIKE HOW DO YOU EVEN PREPARE ISN'T THIS THE AWESOMEST EVER AREN'T YOU THE AWESOMEST EVERRRR?” As you can tell, we’re pumped about Cyclocross World Championships!

by: 

Fort

  In Part 1 of our interview with her, Liz Allen told us a little about her standout summer of pro mountain bike racing.she told us a little about her standout summer of pro mountain bike racing. This week, she gives RAWRbikes the inside scoop on DAS BEavER ‘Cross, a cycling event that she’s promoting. The race takes place on Sunday, December 15, and competitors can register here. (Side note:Cindy and I both raced DAS BEavER last year, and it was a blast!)

Tell us a bit about the upcoming 'cross race that you're promoting. What can riders look forward to on race day?

There’s going to be a little bit of everything at DAS BEavER ‘Cross…we’ve got a fun course that’s changed a lot over the years. We’re lucky because the park has a cool wooded area with wide trails that wind up and down hills, so there’s a lot we can utilize.  Plus, we have a really fantastic run-up with a sweet little singletrack descent. For anyone who came last year, it won’t be too different, and hopefully the sand won’t be a deterrent (we like uphill sand).  

By popular demand, we’re bringing back the toasty fire and Zach the DJ. And I know racing is about more than prizes and schwag, but who doesn’t love taking home a pair of socks or an envelope of cash after spending many months and many dollars training and racing?  So we’ve got merchandise for the top 3 of each category, but we’re really proud to show our appreciation to the ladies of the NECX scene with some sizeable cash prizes. As of right now, we’re up to a total of $700 for the women’s 1/2/3 and $250 for the 3/4. With donations in merchandise from Janeware Micro and Beaver Brook Saw Shop, we’re going ten deep with prizes for both of the women’s categories.  So now, I’d really like to see a big turnout.

How long have you been involved in promoting DAS BEavER ‘Cross?

Donnie D. of Danielson Adventure Sports (DAS) has been putting on at least one cyclocross race per year since shortly after he opened the shop. It’s been called Beer Cross and DAS Cross in the past, but we’ve had to tone down the beer a bit since we’re using a town park. I’ve helped out with some of the DAS ‘cross events over the years, but last year, I took on a lot of the promotion duties.  Of course, when I started to get grand ideas for the race (like making it a special event for the ladies), Donnie was all for it and gave me free rein to make things happen.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out as a promoter?

As for advice for someone just starting out as a promoter (like me), I recommend talking to experienced promoters, trying to stay open to constructive criticism, and getting used to shamelessly asking for help.

You were really successful in getting sponsors for the 2012 D.A.S. Beaver 'cross race, especially for the women's payout! Could you pass along some tips for other race promoters?

How to Get Sponsors 101:  1) Explain exactly what it is you’re doing.  2) Tell them why it matters to them (and why it matters to you).  3) Don’t be afraid to tell them you’d like a handout.  4) Thank them endlessly for anything they give you because they make what you do possible.  5) Thank them some more…all over the Internet. And comp their entry fee.

And before I sign out, I’d like to give another big thank you to all of the racers who came out last year or are coming out this year to race at DAS BEavER ‘Cross!  You folks are as important as any of our sponsors, and we take pride in giving you a kickass event.  

Ed. note: The photos of the elite women’s podium and elite men’s runup from last year’s DAS BEavER race were taken by Liz Allen.

by: 

Fort

  RAWRBikes recently got a chance to catch up with Liz Allen, Connecticut-based pro mountain bike racer and cyclocross race promoter! In Part 1 of the interview, Liz talks to us about her love of mountain bike racing.

  First of all, congrats on winning the Pro Women's overall title for the Root 66 series over the summer! In order to win the title, you raced against some solid local pros, including Crystal Anthony, Ellen Noble, and Mo Bruno Roy.

Thank you! The 2013 season was a blast, and it was an honor to mix it up with some of the fastest ladies in New England (actually, they’re some of the fastest in and out of the US).  We have no shortage of good local racing here in the northeast between the Root 66 series, the EFTA series, and the endurance scene. I’m super stoked to have taken the points lead for the Root 66 series (shout out to Chris and Jill [Logan] for all of their work keeping this series going).

  Can you tell us a little bit about what mountain bike season was like, and give us some of the highlights?

I did a handful of EFTA races and a couple of endurance races as well; I’m a bit of a junkie when it comes to racing so I tend to erratically cram a lot of races into the season. I’ll give you a good example of this impulsiveness. In June, I noticed there was a free weekend in my schedule, so I signed up for the Patapsco 100 on a whim. The race fell the weekend after July 4th (during a heat wave) and just a couple of weeks before XC nationals. Also, the promoters basically advertised their race as the hardest 100-miler on the planet. How could I not do it?  Out of the 90 or so people to start the race, only 13 finished, and I was one of them—definitely the number one highlight of the season.

Number two would probably be the Domnarski Farm race where Ellen Noble and I were back and forth most of the race, and I burped my tire in the last couple of miles. Rather than stopping to add air, I just kept racing. I hung with her through the end, but the semi-flat proved to be useless for a sprint finish. Regardless, it was an epic race.  

Highlight number three would have to be finishing second in the Hampshire 100. Oh, and then there’s Singlespeed-A-Palooza…fun course and really fun times.

  Tell us about what you've been up to in the meantime. We know that you're particularly busy--you're in school, you ride, and you parent! How do you balance it all out?

Balance?  Oh boy.  I don’t know that I’m all that successful at actually balancing it all out. Yeah—I’m a mom, a full-time undergrad (studying biology and English), and I work part-time. I fit the riding in wherever I can, although I have to admit, this fall has been brutal, and good rides have been few and far between. When I look back at the summer, part of my problem was trying to balance two jobs with racing, parenting, and a summer class.  I was racing regularly, but I wasn’t really training.  I won’t do that again.

Luckily, I knew better than to keep racing through the fall. I’ll be honest; it’s tough to stay focused on schoolwork while ‘cross season is in full swing and everyone else is off racing. But this semester I overloaded my schedule so that I’d have more time in the spring to train, and next fall I’ll be finishing up with only a few classes.  That means 2014 might be the year I race ‘cross and actually train for it.

  We heard a rumor that you're racing enduro! Could you tell us a bit about what's on tap for you with regard to mountain bike racing next year?

While I am flattered that someone thinks I have the downhill skills for an enduro race, I must be honest, I would thoroughly suck at it.  However, I do intend to race more of the endurance races this summer.  In fact, I’m all signed up for the Trans-sylvania Epic stage race, running the last week of May (yes, a whole week of racing). There will be more 100-milers too; I’ll be revisiting Patapsco and the Hampshire 1000.  But I’m not going to do a whole bunch of XC races this year—just the local ones (no more than an hour from home) and Singlespeed-A-Palooza (it’s pretty much the best thing ever). By the end of August, I hope to be winding down so I can switch over to cyclocross—I’m looking forward to giving it a real go next year.   

  Ed. notes: Photo for this article by Benjamin Stephens.

Configure

by: 

Fort

  Just a friendly reminder to Boston-area RAWRbikes readers to get out and vote in their local elections on Tuesday, November 5th! Though a local election doesn’t always garner widespread attention, its outcome directly affects a city’s day-to-day life, especially for cyclists.

While it’s important to lobby for cyclists’ safety at the national level, it’s through city and county governments that many positive strides first occur--including bike lane construction, bike share programs, and so on. Boston’s a great example of such changes, especially in terms of transportation infrastructure. From Hubway to Hub on Wheels, Mayor Menino’s Boston Bikes program has gotten more of the city’s citizens and visitors riding bikes, and has also helped raise overall bike awareness in the Boston area.

But the mayoral races aren’t the only reason you should vote on Tuesday. Other local elected officials also make important decisions affecting our neighborhoods, bike lanes, and crosswalks. For this reason, RAWRbikes is proud to endorse Somerville Ward 3 Alderman candidate Suzanne Bremer (pictured above with one of her fellow Somerville cyclists). RAWRbikes attended a recent meet-and-greet with Suzanne at Bloc 11 Cafe in Union Square, and spoke with her about her campaign platform. Suzanne wants to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety in the Union Square area--welcome news for those of us who ride through the area’s somewhat oddly-marked intersections on a regular basis. Those voting in Somerville Ward 3 (Union Square/Prospect Hill) can learn more about Suzanne Bremer’s campaign here.