Stephanie Mortier is one of Baristaville's good guys. If you've ever seen an old bike disappear from your curb before bulky waste pick up, it's most likely Mortier, picking it up for Pedals for Progress. Tomorrow, Mortier is taking one of his salvaged finds for a spin -- a 60 mile ride to be exact -- to raise funds for multiple sclerosis in the MS Bike Tour. Mortier writes...

I have been training on a 21 speed mountain bike I found last year on the curb. The large knobby tires are great on uneven terrain, but for 60 road miles (aiming for less than 5 hours), I wanted to lessen tire and wind drag. I needed slimmer tires, and a better riding position; I needed a road bike. So I said, no problem, I'll look for one on my next bulky waste Sunday cruising. And I found one on the first Sunday after bulky waste started again. I'll be riding an early 1980's 10 speed Schwinn Le Tour IV ultra-light. It is not as light as the latest aluminium models, the gear levers are on the post, not neatly in the handlebar, but what a race machine. I surpassed my top speed established on the mountain bike after the second try down Watchung Ave. I won't tell you the numbers, they could be on the outlaw side, like that morning I registered 37 mph on a police radar. And once I am done with this bike, and all the others I have picked up on Sundays, I'll bring them to the Pedals for Progress Collection (organized by the Rotary Club) on Saturday, October 29th, from 9 am to noon at the Walnut Train Station, for shipment to developing countries.

If you want to sponsor Mortier, (at press time, he was more than half way to his goal), click here. If you're ready to toss a bike, bring it down on the 29th. And -- what was the most exciting thing you've ever snagged on a bulky waste Sunday...

October 15, 2005 in Civic Virtue | Permalink