You Only Exist To Be Replaced.

Graeme Obree is attempting to ride a bicycle at 100 miles per hour. Often referred as “The Flying Scotsman,” Obree has broken the World Hour Record and individual pursuit at the World Championships twice each. Obree has broken these records on bicycles created by his own means - famously using ball bearings from a washing machine. Interesting enough, the world was not ready for Obree’s ingenuity and the UCI - International Cycling Union - stripped him of his victories.

In a recent interview Obree quotes Irish author Jonathan Swift, “when a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him.”

Late last year Obree announced that he would attempt the Human Powered Land-Speed Record. Obree decided to pursue the record the best way he knew how - on a bicycle. In spite of a world not ready for Obree, the Flying Scotsman will always pursue meaningful endeavors.

Eilif Knutson is an artist, farmer, bicycle mechanic, and all around good human. Eilif has been one of KVIBE’s most dedicated volunteers. He is also the person behind KVIBE’s logo revision, an original piece of hand-drawn artwork. A limited supply of stickers were made to be unveiled at The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul but were overshadowed by other activities of the day. New KVIBE stickers are currently available to be earned, please visit the warehouse during normal operational hours to claim one.

Coincidentally, Eilif will be stationed at a checkpoint for the "Fool's Errand" alleycat race. Hosted by our friends at The Kickstand, the race occurs April 1, 2012 at 1:30PM. Meetup is at Makiki District Park, with bike polo to follow shortly afterwards. Go pursue something meaningful, ride a bicycle.

But This One Is An Original.

The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul was a grand success. As no program is an island, KVIBE was extremely fortunate to have partner organizations and community members involved in the event. There were three KVIBE volunteers on deck - Larry Victorino, Eilif Knutson, and Mark John Mangayayam - to ensure participants’ bicycles were functional and to assist as leaders of The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul.

Secondly, kudos to Cycle Manoa. Cycle Manoa is sometimes referred to as “KVIBE for big kids,” but that is not entirely true. Cycle Manoa is comprised of UH Manoa students with a passion for cycling, mechanics, and pedestrian/bicycling advocacy. Members of Cycle Manoa have been regularly volunteering themselves on Saturdays to teach Kalihi youth the mysteries of bicycles. The organization’s participation at The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul was appreciated.

Gratitude to the UH Manoa Nursing students who handed out free helmets to youth. Further recognition to the ladies who also rode in the group ride.

Thank you Farrington High School educators Jonathan Lott and Jeffrey Ideta for encouraging their students to participate. Additional thank yous to Jeffrey for lending a consistent hand at KVIBE. Thank you Kalakaua Middle School educators Geoff Jones and John Hamilton.

Thank you HNL Bike Polo members for waking up early to ride bicycles. The original response by the group in reference to the start time was, “what is 7AM?”

Thank you Kokua Kalihi Valley for being a supportive non-profit that sustains programs such as KVIBE and Ho’oulu ‘Aina. The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul would not have occurred without the encouragement of the organization. Thank you Ho’oulu ‘Aina for hosting Third Saturday community work days and having KVIBE be a part of such a grand monthly event.

Thank you to our sponsors: Clif Bar, Terrible One BMX, Metrofiets, Fresh Cafe, Hawaii State Department of Health, and McCully Bicycle. McCully Bicycle’s complete one-gear bicycle grand prize went to a very deserving youth who was rendered speechless upon delivery. Please support our sponsors as they support KVIBE.

Finally, thank you to all the adults who came out to ride with the youth. Thank you to all the youth who woke up tremendously early (on a Saturday) to ride bicycles and work on the land. Without each of you The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul would not have been as successful as it was. There is a entire album of photos from The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul, please consider viewing if it finds you well. Afterwards, go ride a bicycle.

Last Known Surroundings.

The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul | March 17, 2012 | Kalihi Valley Instructional Bike Exchange.photo by Colin Cross of Hawaii Race Photos.

Nature Of The Experiment.

The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul will occur on March 17, 2012. As it is now spring, it will be the first group bicycle ride hosted by KVIBE this year. The leisurely group bicycle ride will start at the warehouse and travel to Kokua Kalihi Valley’s Nature Preserve, Ho'oulu 'Aina. From there, participants will work on the land and learn about the mysteries of Kalihi Valley.

Everyone is encouraged to participate. Please note that any participant under eighteen years of age is required to have legal guardian consent forms. As it is a group bicycle ride, participants of all ages must wear a helmet. Courtesy of the efforts of the UH Manoa Nursing students, Queens Medical Center has made one hundred helmets avaliable to the youth free of charge. To obtain helmets and/or sign up for The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul, please visit KVIBE during normal operational hours.

KVIBE is also extremely proud to announce that the program will release a new logo. Designed and hand-drawn by Eilif Knutson, the new logo will coincide with the launching of mobile KVIBE. Coincidentally, Eilif is also the artist of The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul’s poster.

McCully Bicycle will be sponsoring a complete PureFix one-gear bicycle. The bicycle will be raffled to youth participants who complete the group ride and work intelligently at KKV’s Nature Preserve. Other incentives include gifts from Clif Bar, Terrible One BMX, Fresh Cafe, and the Department of Health. Our sponsors are extremely generous folk and KVIBE is appreciative of their kind gestures.

If you have a bicycle that has been collecting dust in storage, get it outdoors! Neither bicycles nor humans are meant to live stagnant lives. Ride with us at The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul.

The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul | March 17, 2012 | 1638 Kamehameha IV Road

Stay Alive, Ride a (Cargo) Bicycle.

The perfect car was invented nearly two-hundred years ago...it’s called a bicycle. Modern transportation has thus far been marred by decadent luxuries. A human riding a bicycle in a rainstorm understands the environment. A human driving an automobile in a rainstorm understands air conditioning and satellite radio.

KVIBE is proud to welcome a Metrofiets cargo bicycle to its stable. Metrofiets is a small domestic company situated in Portland, Oregon. All parts of the cargo bicycle are hand-made in Oregon and has the capacity to ferry loads up to four hundred pounds. Approximately nine feet long, the Metrofiets cargo bicycle makes for a lasting impression.

Portland’s Splendid Cycles is a small bicycle shop that only stocks cargo bicycles; the shop's quirky motto is “One Less Truck.” True to form, KVIBE’s Metrofiets cargo bicycle will serve as a mobile workstation - no automobile necessary. Funded by the Hawaii State Department of Health’s Healthy Hawaii Initiative, KVIBE’s mobile workstation will be an extension of its brick-and-mortar warehouse.

The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul will launch KVIBE’s mobile workstation. The event will be hosted on March 17, 2012 at 7AM. Everyone is welcome to participate in the group bicycle ride to Kokua Kalihi Valley’s Nature Preserve (approximately two miles from the warehouse). Parental consent forms are required for ALL participants under eighteen years of age.

Additionally, The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul will mark the distribution of one hundred free helmets to youth. All youth are encouraged to claim a free helmet - courtesy of the UH Manoa Nursing students and Queen’s Medical Center - via parental consent forms. All consent forms are available at KVIBE during normal operational hours.

KVIBE’s mobile workstation will provide bicycle mechanics, safety, and advocacy for better pedestrian and/or bicycling infrastructure. The cargo bicycle will soon visit neighborhood public schools and community centers that welcome its presence. Please consider riding alongside mobile KVIBE at The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul.

The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul | March 17, 2012 | Ride a (Cargo) Bicycle

It's Time To Go and Define Your Destination.

Every Saturday, KVIBE’s brick-and-mortar warehouse is open for a busy five hours. Five hours of wrenching, learning, and somewhat controlled chaos. This past Saturday was interesting, as many of KVIBE’s friends came out to lend a hand. Cycle Manoa’s Nathan Domier and Rebekah Phillips, McCully Bicycle/Cambio-Core’s Greg Wessel, and UH Manoa Nursing student Molly Ashkenas rode from various whereabouts to arrive at the KVIBE warehouse.

Upon arriving, Jeff Ideta of The Flat Tire and KVIBE volunteer Larry Victorino were on hand to greet the commuting cyclists. The office was filled with even more bicycles via additions from KVIBE volunteers Eilif Knutson and Mark John Mangayayam. It was apparent that everyone was amongst friends.

One donated Sachs chain, numerous pinched fingers, and a few cargo bicycle rides later, KVIBE closed its doors for the afternoon. As the youth mingled outwards, the conversation shifted towards the upcoming weeks. In conjunction with the UH Manoa Nursing program and Queens Medical Center, KVIBE will be providing up to one hundred helmets to Kalihi youth. To launch KVIBE’s mobile workshop, there will be a group bicycle ride to Kokua Kalihi Valley’s Nature Preserve, Ho'oulu 'Aina.

Entitled “The Great Kalihi Cargo Haul,” the group bicycle ride will occur on March 17th. All youth wishing to participate must acquire parental consent. Parental consent forms are available at KVIBE anytime during operational hours. More information to follow soon, but please feel free to friend KVIBE for behind-the-scenes particulars. In the meantime, Ride a Bicycle.