After four years of non-stop travel and being hosted by the best strangers-turned-friends, it was exciting to be the host instead of the host-ed. Most of our friends live within 5 minutes to two hours of our front door, so we tend to repeat our favorite adventures. The thought of having to come up with ‘new material’ was a little daunting at first and let’s face it, the Kehmeier winter activities are not necessarily mainstream.
I didn’t fully understand the impact that the bicycle could have for those without access to motorized transportation until college when I spent a semester in Rwanda working for Project Rwanda, an organization that developed and distributed specially-designed cargo bikes to coffee farmers. Just seeing the sheer number of ways that people used their bikes in Rwanda was an eye opener. I saw bikes loaded down with dozens of chickens, huge stacks of jerry cans, piles of firewood, entire families. It definitely made me realize how much I had taken the bike for granted, and the potential that two wheels could have around the world.
I have to say the most surprising part of the trip however was the across-the-board openness that all of the people we filmed had towards us. We were very worried that given our short timeframe for shooting in each country (only 5 days in Zambia), we wouldn’t be able to make enough of a connection with our subjects and thus wouldn’t get the sort of intimate day-in-the-life footage that we were looking for. Wow. Couldn’t have been more wrong. I don’t know if it was just luck, but all five characters completely opened up their lives to us…
My first bike was a purple, high bar, coaster brake, banana seated beauty. My friends and I rode for hours. Then we moved, several times, and after landing in junior high (the worst time for girls!!!) with NOOOO friends, my Dad bought me a 10 speed road bike that was too big, and with handlebar brakes. Plus, we lived at the bottom of two hills, so any ride was just a ride up! Did an endo, and didn’t ride for the next 20 years!
I had a chance to catch up with Joe Kirby of Littleton, Colorado while we home this summer. I’ve known Mr. Kirby my entire life – he’s been one of my dad’s dearest friends for over 40 years. He travels on a recumbent and commutes at every opportunity.
My most memorable bike story (good) would probably be my first mini bike tour from Boulder to Steamboat. I loved being up in the mountains riding on bike roads by myself. My worst memorable moment would be breaking my collar bone on my first ride on my new racer-x. It was on a singletrack right next to the bike path in north boulder and I came around a corner too fast and lost the front wheel. It required two surgeries and sucked.
We met Brian Hann while working in Knoxville, Tennessee. He and his wife Mary Beth were great hosts and we all became friends quickly. During our short time there we realized our new bond was an example of the kind of meaningful friendships that can be created in a matter of days when you have a strong common bond (the bicycle).
When John McKinney traveled to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico to research bamboo as a sustainable housing material, he never thought he’d return to build bicycles instead.
Get ready for a fun new series on Live, Learn, Ride. We’ll be seeking out some of our bicycle people to share their favorite memories and thoughts on their two-wheeled life.
Category Archive: Bike People