Mayor Gets Hi Wheel Escort from Berkeley to Oakland

06-21-2004, 10:06 PM

Coming off the biggest NBG week ever with our having visited 14 Mayors
and one county Supervisor in 6 days time, I am playing major catch up on
the reports these rides have all engendered. As such, then, here is what
happened on our Oakland to Berkeley Ride:

Mayor Bob beat everyone but myself to Berkeley City Hall but not before
he destroyed his rear wheel on his impromptu tour of Berkeley earlier in
the morning. According to Bob, he had gotten somewhat lost and ended up
on a freeway on ramp. And before he knew it, he was pinned between a
wall of harried morning commuters and a sewer grate. A flat tire and
massively bent wheel were the result. Well, experienced cyclist that he
is, Bob patched the tire, disengaged his brake so his wheel would turn,
and rode back into town. Luckily he found a mechanic at a bike shop,
Missing Link, who was there before hours that he was able to talk into
rebuilding his wheel so he could be at our event in time.

And despite all his troubles, Bob was still early as the rest of his
escort trickled in. Soon Curtis Bilue was there. He disappointed us
however when he said that Mayor Bates was not going to be able to send
us off. Just as we had seen in other CA cities, Berkeley was facing a
budget crisis of its own and they were busy trying to figure out who
next had to be laid off. And we were there when another staffer told
Curtis that the decision was so critical that Councilman Kriss couldn't
even break away.

All of a sudden left without a guide, being Car Free, Kriss had been
looking forward to leading us to Oakland City Hall, we had to figure out
a route. As we were doing so, Bob got Curtis's assistant to go up and
at least have Mayor Bates sign the back of his Arcata proclamation. Bob
had turned it into a petition that he had been having Mayors along the
way way sign. After we assembled for the group photo, the signature
returned and after Bob had rolled it back up and stuffed his document
into a hard cardboard tube for safe keeping, we were off.

And what a sight we were! Seven Hi Wheel bIcycles (ridden by myself,
Mike and Susie Sutton, Tara Rech, Doug Andelin and the Barron brothers,
Adam and Greg) and a Mayor on a Trek road bike coasting along as we
pedaled away. Of the two lady Hi Wheelers, Tara was even dressed in
period wear; a costume, complete with cap, that she sewed herself all
the way down to the sleeves, collar and gold buttons. After riding
wonderful traffic calmed streets, so that we could cross over the
freeway at the edge of the SF Bay, we biked over the epic
bicycle/pedestrian bridge that stands as testimony to the worth of the
human powered traveler, to the Berkeley waterfront. And then along the
Bay itself, the San Francisco skyline served as a fitting backdrop to
the wonderful feeling that accompanied this ride. On one side of us
were the calming waters of the SF Bay and on the other were car after
truck after car of impatient morning commuters. The contrast was made
even more distinct by our bikes from a time long gone by that we were
riding. While for us, time had seemed to slow down, inside I thought
that this is what this ride and the NBG are all about.. All forms of
transportation can coexist! And peacefully so. We don't need for our two
wheel efforts to be hidden on far away country back roads. We can get
the peace and meditative joy that comes from cycling right where we
live, work and play!

At the border between Oakland and Berkeley we picked up Oakland Council
woman Nancy Nadel who I had been in touch with on a cell phone. On her
trike, she guided us the rest of the way to her City Hall through a much
rebuilt Oakland from what I remember as a kid growing up there. New
shopping centers and office buildings were everywhere as we pedaled
along on lightly trafficked roads. She and Bob and I talked about
Oakland politics as we rode.

At City Hall, we were greeted by Nancy's aide, Amanda Brown-Stevens. She
had the very tasty lunch that Pasta Cusine had donated as well as the
Oakland City Proclamation. We gathered up the bikes and the riders for a
photo on the City Hall steps, Bob got his proclamation signed as
another NBG Day was complete.

Special THX to Nancy's SeniorAide, Darice Jones, for helping us to
facilitate Nancy's joining us and for suggesting Pasta Cuisine as an
eatery that Faye Saunders could call and ask for a food donation. Yahoo
Faye!! Simon Bryce, one of Mayor Jerry Brown's Senior aides also helped
me navigate the City Hall waters. His knowledge was both indispensable
and formidable. WoW Simon! And without Mike Sutton and Greg Barron the
show stopping, traffic calming Hi Wheel show of force we made would not
have been possible. U guys are Great!!

Wow whatta ride and THX for all of U who made this grand day possible!!