Bad day

Ever had one of those days when nothing goes right, you just want to crawl back into bed and wait until tomorrow arrives? That was my day yesterday. What is with the incompetence of so-called professionals? I mean, they charge an exorbitant amount of money for their services and then give attitude when you ask that they do their job properly and efficiently. Really!

“Quality” of service seems to mean nothing to a lot of people in business. So, dealing with incompetents started off my Monday and it didn’t get any better as the day went on. I was so frustrated . Poor Brad had to listen to my gripes. A homemade sundae did help improve my mood a bit, followed by a long walk with the dog. Helped clear my head.

We were watching a movie when I noticed someone riding a bicycle along the street then suddenly dropped the bike on the ground and sat in a field. She was sobbing. After 10 minutes of watching her sitting in that field talking on a cell phone and crying, I walked over and sat with her for awhile. She was having a bad day, too. Nothing was going right. Everything sucked. I knew that feeling of hopelessness and despair.

It was well after midnight so the bad Monday was officially over.

“It’s another day. Maybe today will be better than yesterday for both of us,” I said.

I wheeled her bike into the back of our truck and drove her home. Couldn’t leave her sitting there by herself. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep until she was safe at home.

Two strangers who both had an incredibly bad day shared a few laughs and hugs on the side of a street on a quiet Tuesday morning. And, after nearly a week of dealing with crap, incompetence and the stupidity of the world, I finally had a good sleep.

Cheers, friends

Builders Gallery tops 600 submissions, bamboo bicycles, Terminator chopper forks done!

More gallery entries were uploaded yesterday. Twelve new submissions: choppers, trikes, quad, crazy bike, tall bike and a long wheel base recumbent. Below are a few highlights of some of the awesome projects created by Atomic Zombie krew members:



This chopper is called the Easy Moe created by Maurice Cormier of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.



This sleek long wheel base recumbent with underseat steering was built by Earl Randolph of Oregon.



And, this is the second quadcycle by Jim Brown of North Carolina. Be sure to check out all of the cool rides in the Builders Gallery. There are now over 600 submissions and more to be added every couple of weeks. Keep up the great work, everybody!

I found an interesting article recently about bamboo bicycles to be exported from Uganda to California. It's an interesting project and may be the next wave of future bike designs.

Bicycles made of bamboo heading to California

A new project in northern Uganda will soon start exporting bicycles made out of bamboo to California. The African Ellipsi Project, a church based organization, is finalizing plans to build a factory in Gulu town to make the bicycles known as Bamboosero.

“One frame of these bicycles goes for $500 in California,” Sally Baynton, the executive director of the project told journalists on Wednesday at the Gulu Bible Centre where a sample of the bicycles are being made.

She said six sample bicycles would be ready by the end of next week.

“These bicycles are in Ghana and Zambia. We shall make the bicycles in large quantities and ship them to California where there is ready market,” she said, adding that the bicycles would be sold cheaply to the locals.

Baynton said the bicycles would assist the farmers to transport their agricultural produce to the markets for sale. According to Baynton, the bamboos are cut into small pieces and then treated for five months to make them strong and water proof before being joined with sisal threads and gum.

“They are cheaper, stronger and more environmentally friendly than the ordinary bicycles,” she said.

Baynton is being assisted on the project by her husband, Barr and a colleague, Deo Chate. She added that they also plan to start bamboo farms in the north to ensure that there is constant supply of raw material.

According to her, the Bamboosero bicycles will be made under the Gulu Hope Project and the proceeds from the sales would be used to drill boreholes, support education and other development activities in the region. Baynton said the pupils of Antonia school in Texas have partnered with Palyec village in Patiko sub-county in Gulu district where they are building a school and drilling boreholes.

The district speaker, Martin Ojara, pledged that the district authorities would provide land for the bamboo farm.

“This is just the beginning. We want to prove to the world that Gulu can be the heart of creativity despite the suffering we faced during the LRA insurgency.”

Source: http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/16/683920

Work on the Terminator Chopper is progressing very well, with the front forks welded and ground, waiting for the main body work to begin. Brad's been putting alot of time into this project, but the results will be well worth the effort. He expects to have it finished in the next couple of weeks. Looking pretty awesome so far!

Cheers, friends.

June newsletter is online

The June 2009 Atomic Zombie newsletter is now online, and it's growing every month. This month's features include:

* Family bike build
* Garage news
* Arcturus Camper Motorhome
* Gallery profiles
* Crank It Up
* Bicycle friendly states
* Montreal public bicycle system
* Portland's Pedalpalooza
* Western Australia's Munda Biddi Trail
* Builder feedback
* Events and recipes

http://www.atomiczombie.com/newsletter/june-2009.pdf

Submit your story ideas, events, recipes, and bike builders tips to KoolKat by the 20th of each month. Log onto the Builders Forum to contact KK.

Builders gallery updates, Terminator Chopper, Arcturus Human and Solar Powered Motorhome

After days of rain, hail and wind, the sun has finally come out in full force. Let's hope it sticks around for awhile. Not good weather for bike riding. My poor DeltaRunner Trike is still sitting in the garage awaiting its maiden voyage this year. The forecast looks good all weekend, though, so who knows. Maybe take my camera and go for a ride along the limited recreation trails we have around here.

The thing that sucks the most is you get into the groove, enjoying the scenery and fresh air, then suddenly the trail ends and you're faced with four lanes of traffic. Um, did no one think ahead before designing the trail system? Methinks not. There are supposedly plans to extend the system, but I'm not holding my breath.

Most cyclists here refuse to ride on the road, preferring to take the sidewalks whenever possible. Although there's a by-law against this, you have to weigh the consequences, breaking the by-law vs. risking your life by riding on the road. Let's face it, with today's distractions, traffic congestion, and road construction, drivers have enough trouble getting from point A to point B, let alone pay attention to the road and cyclists. I'm not sure if this summer I will be converted to a sidewalk cyclist or not.

In the meantime, the Builders Gallery was updated this week with 17 new entries choppers, quads, trikes, tandems, trailers, long wheel base recumbents, electrics and fun bikes. Below are a few newest additions to the Atomic Zombie family. Check out all of the amazing builds at http://www.atomiczombie.com/gallery.htm .

We were very impressed to see this OverKill style chopper built by Dan of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Another cool project was submitted by Mike of El Paso, Texas, who uses his bike daily for work, so he built a practical trailer to haul his work equipment.

And, this StreetFighter style quadcycle by Ron of Michigan:

Work continues on the Terminator Chopper, as well as Arcturus. Still working on the Arcturus web site. It is taking longer than expected. This weekend will be devoted to the Terminator Chopper build, though. And, stay tuned for the June newsletter, which will be online next week.

Have a safe long weekend to our friends in the USA as you celebrate Memorial Day on Monday the 25th. See you back here safe and sound.

Cheers, friends.