Articles

“ELECTRIC CAR SAVES THE DAY” (Wednesday, October 27, 2010)

Sun, October 31, 2010 1 Comment by tomweis

When Kevin pulled up to the driveway, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Was expecting something small like a Nissan Leaf. Instead, I was looking at a cross between a silver DeLorean (complete with gull wings) and the Batmobile.

Kevin’s the Team Leader of Illuminati Motor Works, and this was “Seven,” the electric car he and six other team members had spent the past three years building to compete for a $5 million prize at the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE competition. In June, their homemade, 4 seat, 3155 pound electric vehicle achieved 182 MPGe on a 134-mile run at Michigan International Speedway. Talk about American ingenuity.

So we loaded up the trike, picked up team member, George, and hit the road for Champaign. “Seven” gets 200 miles on a single charge (twice the range of the much-touted Tesla), and I’m happy to report successfully transported 3 adults, a rocket trike, and a trailer 100+ miles to Champaign. This is likely a world record, as none of us has ever heard of an electric car accomplishing such a feat. Whoever thinks electric cars lack for power just needs to ride in one. To demonstrate, Kevin peeled rubber as we headed down the road.

In Champaign, we met up with Matt Childress, who had arranged for our electric vehicles to be displayed on campus as part of University of Illinois’ Sustainability Week. He drove me to campus in his two-seated, fully-electric bike called the TWIKE.

While there, did an interview with Local ABC News affiliate WICD15, which ran a nice piece on their 10:00 news:

http://www.wicd15.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/vid_3271.shtml

Also did an interview local CBS affiliate WCIA3 news:

http://illinoishomepage.net/fulltext?nxd_id=188726

Then did an interview with Celeste Quinn of Illinois Public Media local NPR affiliate WILL, “A Journey to Promote Green Energy.”

http://will.illinois.edu/news/story/weisafmag1027/

Here WILL provides a close-up tour of the rocket trike’s features:

http://will.uiuc.edu/media/gbiker/index.html

Then rolled downtown and popped into WPGU’s studio.  You can hear the full interview here:

http://the217.com/articles/view/tom_weis_rally_leader_biking_across_america_stops_through_wpgu

Then talked to the Daily Illini:

http://www.dailyillini.com/node/44869

Ended the day by riding around the beautiful campus quad before heading back to Matt’s house to join his family and friends for dinner, where we schemed on ways to mainstream the electric vehicle market.

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“TORNADO WARNINGS & 80 MPH WIND GUSTS” (Tuesday, October 26, 2010)

Sun, October 31, 2010 No Comments by tomweis

As I was preparing to head out this morning for Champaign, via Clinton, got a call from Terri warning me about extreme weather. The news was reporting wind gusts of up to 80 mph for the region (several semis had already been knocked over) and tornado warnings and watches were in effect. No way I was going to chance that and risk shooting through the air like a real rocket. Very disappointed, though, as I had really wanted to present on a panel tomorrow at the University of Illinois’ Sustainability Week. So emailed my regrets and got to work updating my website from my room with a view of a coal plant.

Matt Childress, however, was determined to get me there, and started scheming with colleagues on how to transport me to Champaign in a way that would maintain the integrity of my ride. Turns out one of the other panel speakers lives in Springfield and owns an electric car, which he is offering to use to tow me and my trike over to the university in the morning. What a great analogy for moving forward as a nation: by working together and being creative, we can always find a way.

Sarah Phillips Eccles and her 6-month old daughter Ursula from next door stopped by to offer me breakfast(!). She and her husband Randy had been working the local radio stations on my behalf, which led to a couple of interviews, including with Springfield-based WTAX. Sarah later dropped off some homemade cookies, and shared with me a heartfelt blog she wrote (below). Thanks for everything, guys!

http://www.lifeflipping.net/2010/10/future-is-here.html

Got a call tonight from Matt’s buddy, Kevin Smith, asking about the dimensions of my trike, so he could rig up a special trailer for it (a project that kept him up until 2am). Just before calling it a night, saw an AP article from my friend Paul Alexander on today’s “massive windstorm,” saying “the unusual system mesmerized meteorologists because of its size and because it had barometric pressure similar to a Category 3 hurricane, but with much less destructive power.” Really glad I hunkered down through that. It meant not being able to swing by the Clinton nuclear power plant, which I had hoped to profile tomorrow, but there should be others.

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“PERSONAL APPEAL TO THE PRESIDENT” (Monday, October 25, 2010)

Tue, October 26, 2010 2 Comments by tomweis

Tom and Terri both work early, so I had the house to myself (along with their 3 cats and a dog) to get some work done. Spent the morning uploading videos to the website and reviewing President Obama’s speech announcing his run for president. Then headed into the city to find the Old Capitol building. The plan for the day was to shoot a video for the President, see what kind of media coverage I could generate, and make my way east towards Clinton, IL. Got to the Capitol grounds and found the precise location where the President gave his speech, but the grounds were closed. So filmed the video outside the gate (as best I could, with so many people coming up and asking about the trike), making a heartfelt appeal to the President to follow through on the bold and inspiring proclamations he issued in his announcement speech. In case you’re wondering, that little figure over my right shoulder is a balloon Harley Rider Tom & Terri left on my trike this morning.

Later made some media calls. The Illinois Times came out to do an interview and take some shots of the trike.

http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-7927-rocket-trike-stops-in-springfield.html

Also did an interview with local ABC New affiliate WICS. By then, it was getting almost too late to ride, so called Terri and asked if she and Tom would mind a house guest for one more night. Not a problem. Figured I should see Lincoln’s home, since it was just down the street, so rode over there for a quick walk around. Tarried a little too long, though, as the light was already starting to fade.

This meant racing several long miles down city streets as the sky darkened with no back light (it had fallen off as I hurriedly left the house this morning), not totally sure of where I was going and needing to get there fast. Not fun, but I’m thankful for all the drivers who managed to see me and gave me some space on the side of the road. The biggest irony was how happy I was to see those tall smokestacks on the horizon, as it meant I was close to “home.” Was dark when I finally rolled into the driveway, safe and sound. No more night riding, if I can help it.

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“HALFWAY THERE: PEDALING UNDER THE ST. LOUIS ARCH” (Friday, October 22, 2010)

Tue, October 26, 2010 1 Comment by tomweis

Enjoyed riding through St. Louis this morning. Plenty of back streets to use and traffic not too bad. Got downtown and stopped by the St. Louis Dispatch. All the beat reporters were out on assignment, so pedaled over to the local NBC News affiliate to try my luck there. One security guard wouldn’t let my trike onto the terrace and another practically kicked me out of the lobby (he said network staff would never talk to someone off the street). Went outside and called the news desk upstairs, then spent the better part of the next hour filming a piece for the network. Don’t listen to people who tell you what can’t be done.

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=223105

http://www.ksdk.com/life/community/gallerypublic.aspx?plckGalleryID=0426722b-712a-4350-8ab9-862c5829651f

Pedaled down to the gateway arch, which was a thrill. Was welcomed there in style by the lovely Rachel Drochter and Angelina Giannas, who were waiting on a wedding party.

Also want to thank Debbie & Steve for the pics.

Then took the trike under the arch for the ceremonial passage to the east, but had to “Fred Flintsone” my way across, as the chain had come off.

Later found my way to the bike the path, saw a beautiful three-dimensional mural that I had to film, backed my trike off the path to get a better angle and the chain made a loud pop and broke.

As I got out to survey the damage, a guy camping nearby casually walked up to me to ask if I needed some help. That guy is Tom Reese, who is riding (mopeding, actually) with his dog, Daisy, from Spokane, WA and has been in St. Louis for about a week. Tom had not only special tools on his trailer to repair the chain, but spare chain links as well (and used to work at a bike store). About 30 minutes later, I’m back on the path heading north, but not before getting a personal tour of the wall mural from Tom. Thank you so much, friend.

Tom had mentioned a homeless “tent city” right up the path, so when I got there, I pulled in to check it out. A couple of guys walked up to me to check out the trike and told me I was at “Hope City.” What a great name, given the challenges they’re facing. In the fading light, I met “DJ,” who made a powerful appeal for jobs in America to help people get back on their feet. Is it just me, or are others just as outraged to have homeless people living in tent cities in America with no jobs, while wealthy special interests block a green industrial revolution and all the jobs it will create?

By then, it was starting to get dark, so I pulled off the trail into a grove of trees, on the banks of the Mississippi River. Was too tired to unpack everything and put up the tent, so just tossed my bag on the ground. Mistake, as awoke a few hours later to sprinkles. Got up and was preparing to ride in the rain, but it stopped, so grabbed a couple more hours’ sleep. Thanks to fellow biker Curt Gilker for the bike-friendly directions through St. Louis, through which I pedaled a total of 26 miles today.

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“NEGOTIATING CITY STREETS” (Thursday, October 14, 2010)

Mon, October 18, 2010 No Comments by Tom

Said goodbye to Marci and Joe, and pedaled out of town towards Hwy. 24. First time I had an issue with the windshield fogging up (foggy morning). Despite the early hour, decided to call Natalya Lowther, who had earlier offered me a tour of her organic farm. She answered the phone and was happy to see me, so I pedaled down the road for a quick tour of the Pinwheel Farm. How inspiring to see someone living a simple and happy life, making her living from the land in a way that respects the earth. After saying goodbye, it was back on the road towards Kansas City. Saw several hawks along the way.

Kansas City was my first major city of the trip. Spent the bulk of the day negotiating through it. Did a phone interview with CNN.com pedaling through a construction zone.

Also stopped by the Prescott Passive House, designed and built by the University of Kansas School of Architecture and Urban Planning. Their unique green project is seeking to reduce building energy consumption for heating and cooling by 90% in a way that is affordable to someone earning 80% or less of the area’s median income. Great stuff.

The local Fox News affiliate WDAF met me here for an interview:

http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-story-renewable-energy-ride-weis-101810,0,3356294.story

Then made my way south and east through the city streets, with lots of excited shouts and whistles about the trike. I’m astounded by the level of media interest in my journey, and the rocket trike, considering I’m operating with no real media support. If I’m generating this kind of coverage on a simple cold call or visit, I can only imagine what kind of press coverage this ride would receive with a supported media outreach effort.

Was advised at the convenience store to take Highway 71 south out of the city. Bad idea. Too dangerous and too many hazards (like drainage grates) on the shoulder. Exit ramps, speeding cars, and rocket trikes do not mix. Eventually pulled off and took Prospect Avenue, which parallels the highway. Much nicer, plus I got to actually engage with people, it being a neighborhood. Lots of shouts and thumbs up on the trike. Pulled over at one point to talk to ask for directions, and a crowd gathered. What a fun interaction. Really wish I had more time to spend in the inner cities.

Eventually made it to the eastern edge of town and was aiming for a campground some miles down the road, but the sun had already set over the horizon, the road was dicey (no shoulder, with lots of hills and curves) and I was running out of light. Then I saw a large complex called Unity Village, and thinking it might be related to Unity Church in Boulder, rolled down the driveway to check it out. Turns out it’s the national headquarters for Unity Church and they had an affordable motel room, which sounded good to me right about then. What I didn’t know was the Unity Village Hotel & Conference Center is one of the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified hotels in the country, so I’m hoping to get a tour before I leave.

Pedaled 70 miles today, although not a lot of progress east. Right knee’s acting up again and the toothache I’ve been dealing with since the first night is starting to flare up, but not a lot I can do about either. Managing pain is just part of the trip.

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“BIKE-HAPPY LAWRENCE” (Friday, October 8, 2010)

Tue, October 12, 2010 No Comments by Tom

Began the day with a talk to 250 KU college students. Was escorted to campus by State Senator Marci Francisco, who joined me on her bike (she meant roughly 20,000 undergraduate students).

Good reception to the “100% by 2020” message, followed by some stimulating one-on-one conversations. Hugs I received by a couple of the students afterwards were priceless.

Then an interview with Channel 6 TV:

http://www2.ljworld.com/videos/sets/2010/oct/09/colorado-man-cycling-across-country/

Here’s the story from the Lawrence Journal:

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/oct/08/colorado-man-riding-renewable-energy-powered-tricy/

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/oct/08/colorado-man-riding-renewable-energy-powered-tricy/?print

After that, pedaled over to the campus news office for an interview with Kansan.com:

http://www.kansan.com/news/2010/oct/10/tricycle-riding-petitioner-talks-wescoe/

http://www.kansan.com/videos/2010/oct/08/1512/

Afterwards rode down to the Sunflower bike shop to show off the trike, where I was told the staff would appreciate it (they did). On the way, was treated to lunch by Craig, who runs a sidewalk food stand – thanks, brother! Got second lunch at nearby Local Burger (the name says it all), where I had a stimulating conversation with the owner, Hilary Brown. I think she’s really onto something with her healthy, local burger joint, so keep your eyes on Local Burger.

Overheard one of Hilary’s customers, Dave Yates, talking about coal plants, and after learning he was a local sustainability leader, decided to interviewed him as well.

Later in the day, rode 6 miles with the KU Bike Club on one of their standard afternoon rides.

One of the students, Jeff Miller, shared some profound observations the importance of communal engagement.

Then rode to the outskirts of town for a pot luck put on by the student group, Environs, but that turned into a wild goose chase. Eventually abandoned the effort and rode back into town before it got too dark to ride. Ran into Brian (who I had met at Marci and Joe’s the night before) on his bike on the way back into town, who was up for a couple cold, local microbrews at Free State Brewing Company.

It’s hard to picture someone as bubbly and upbeat as Marci operating in a formal setting like a state legislature. She must really liven that place up. I learned tonight she not only bikes everywhere, but is such an avid recycler, she stops to pick up cans she sees along the road (and even recycles staples)! I can tell you from personal experience I had trouble finding a single garbage can in her home. Now that’s walking the talk.

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“THE CAPITOL DOME” (Wednesday, October 6, 2010)

Tue, October 12, 2010 No Comments by Tom

Kicked off the day with an interview with local ABC affiliate KTKA TV near campus:

http://www.ktka.com/news/2010/oct/06/man-riding-across-country-bring-message-congress/

Then swung by Big Poppi Bicycle Co. to pick up some supplies (thanks for the free chain lube!). Then pedaled over to campus for an interview with the Kansas State Collegian:

http://www.kstatecollegian.com/mobile/news/activist-pedals-for-green-revolution-1.2358207

After that, packed up my gear and was escorted out of town by Zack Pistora on his bike. I want to give a shout out to Zack, Kevin, Eric, Dave, Alex, Shane, Kristen and Bryce for making me feel so welcome during my brief stay in Manhattan. Hope to see you guys in Boulder during Thanksgiving for the CU-KSU game.

On the road to Topeka, dropped into the offices of The Wamego Times and St. Marys Star for more interviews and photos of the trike.

http://www.thesmstar.com/view_article.aspx?id=1039

Also saw one the largest coal plants in the country (over 2000 MW) in the distance riding through the Kansas countryside.  The sight of those three giant smokestacks spewing toxic pollutants into the air was a sobering reminder of how big a job we have ahead of us.

Finally rolled into Topeka (for a total of 60 miles on the day), but after being severely rattled for several miles through a section of Hwy. 24 being repaved, I learned that the campground I was looking for was nowhere near my current location, with the sun already setting on the horizon, so instead of risking another flat tire, I decided to grab my first hotel room of the trip.

After a quick shower, I was picked up by Republican State Representative Vern Swanson (a friend of State Rep. Elaine Bowers), who along with his wife, Susie, treated me to dinner downtown. After an enjoyable conversation over dinner, I was graciously offered a tour of the Capitol Building, which ended up becoming a very special tour, indeed, when the night guard, whose love of the historic building was contagious, proceeded to show us all the amazing things about the rotunda that most people never get to see. I learned a lot about Kansas’ fascinating populist history. Then it was back to the motel, for some badly needed Zs.

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“FUELED BY STUDENT ENERGY“ (Tuesday, October 5, 2010)

Tue, October 12, 2010 No Comments by Tom

Kicked the day off with a 7:00am talk at the Concordia Optimists Club. Must remember to get some caffeine in my system before doing early morning talks. Next up was an 8:00am talk to the Chamber of Commerce, both generously lined up by Republican State Representative Elaine Bowers. Was very impressed with the turnout, and deep level of engagement, at both events. Afterwards, did a radio interview with Joe Jindra at Concordia radio station KNCK. To listen, click on the “7:00 Report” at the link below (the interview start at 3:20 and ends at 6:14):

http://www.radiop1.com/mediacenter.aspx?stationid=11&

Then pedaled 20 or so miles to Clay Center, where I experienced one of the highlights of the trip. Rolled the bike up to the front of Lincoln Elementary School for some shots by the Clay Center Dispatch, then the entire second grade class (nearly 100 children) streamed out the doors and surrounded the rocket trike. I told them what I was doing and why (for them) and we had a really fun 30-minute Q & A session. My heart melted when afterwards one little girl hugged my leg and looked up at me with a huge smile of gratitude on her face. That fueled me for the rest of the day.

Knocked out a little over 50 more miles to Manhattan, for a total of 78 miles on the day. More hawk sightings today, with fuzzy caterpillars replacing beetles on the shoulder. On the way, did an interview with the Salina Journal:

http://www.saljournal.com/news/story/tom-weis-trike-journey-10510

Found my way to the KSU campus and “Aggieville,” where I want to give a shout out to Tex at Radinas coffee shop for the mocha on the house, and to Austin Graham (Bruce and Michelle’s son), for offering me a couch to sleep on.

Ruth Douglas Miller , Director of the Kansas Wind Application Center, had generously called a number of media outlets for me and had put me in touch with Zack Pistora, president of KSU’s Students for Environmental Action (SEA). More synchronicity: they just happened to be having their organizational meeting tonight, so Zack invited me to speak. Ruth, her son and the foreign exchange student they were hosting walked me over to where the SEA meeting was taking place, where I rolled the trike into the meeting room and spoke for about 45 minutes. KSU is rocking it. That’s the biggest meeting of student environmental activists I’ve ever seen. The energy I received from the students I spoke with afterwards (like Shelley Fritz) almost defies description and will help fuel me the rest of the way to DC.

Afterwards, knocked back a few drinks with my new KSU buddies at the Purple Pig (thanks, Bryce, for the killer marg), where we had some incredibly inspired conversations on the power of embracing life’s positive potential. Crashed at their pad after Kevin, Zack and I stayed up until 2:00am working on a tracking map for my website, but ended up not sleeping a wink (too much racing through my head), so got out of bed at 7:00 and worked some more on my blog.

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“PRAIRIE DOGS & CURIOUS COWS” (Thursday, September 30, 2010)

Tue, October 12, 2010 No Comments by Tom

Slept under a beautiful Cottonwood tree and woke up feeling more refreshed than I’ve felt the whole trip. The campsite was so peaceful, I decided to take the morning off and take my time getting out of there. Visited the Prairie Dog colony on my way out of the park, but was surprised by its size. It was smaller than most prairie dog colonies scattered throughout Boulder.

Finally hit the road a about a quarter till noon, rolling into Norton 30 minutes later. Grabbed some lunch at a local diner and stopped by the Norton Telegraph for an interview and shot of the trike.

http://www.nwkansas.com/NCTwebpages/pdf%20pages%20-%20all/nt%20pages%2Fpdfs%202010/nt%20pages%2F10%20Oct/Week%201/Friday%2010-1/02%2010-1-10%20Social.pdf

Later rolled down Main Street in Prairie View, and then Stuttgart, on my way to Phillipsburg, where the Advocate took a shot of the trike and did a quick interview.

Met my first fellow recumbent bike rider today, as I was leaving Phillipsburg. Told me he was a bear hunter and kept in shape for hunting season by riding (he finds the recumbent more comfortable than a regular bike). When I told him my route east, he suggested a more bike friendly route, which worked out well, so thanks, Bill!

On this trip, I have pedaled by more cows interested in my yellow rocket trike than you can shake a stick at. I really think cows have gotten a bad rap, because you can’t be both curious and dumb. More often than not, the cows I come upon stop what they’re doing, look at me, and continue watching me long after I’ve passed. Same with most horses I’ve come across on this trek (some have even eagerly run up to the fence for a closer look). I guess they’re just bored with cars and trucks (having seen so many of them over the years) and are trying to figure out what this yellow, futuristic-looking thing riding past them is. I’ve even had cows and bulls as far as hundreds of yards away look up and check out the trike. It’s really quite something and happens all the time.

Rolled down the main streets of Agra and Kensington on my way to Smith Center, where I again arrived just as the sun had set and it was starting to get dark. On the way, had two cars pull over ahead of me to get photos of the trike. The driver of the second, Judy, was kind enough to tell me where I could camp for free in town, which is where I’m writing this now, snuggled into my cozy tent. More hawk sightings today. Logged 72 miles, for a total of 500 miles ridden so far (about 20% of the way there).

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“CROSSWINDS & PAIN” (Wednesday, September 29, 2010)

Tue, October 12, 2010 No Comments by Tom

Gusting crosswinds all day made for slow going, especially up the numerous hills that characterize western Kansas.

Late in the morning, the pain in my right knee got so bad I decided it was time to kick in the electric-assist motor for the bigger hills, and I’m glad I did, because the day was full of them. Getting a little electric assist on the tougher hills took a lot of strain off the knee and made the pedaling more bearable. We’ll see how it feels tomorrow. Today was another good media day. Rolled down Main Street in Atwood and did an interview with the Rawlins County Square Deal:

Rolled up to country music radio station KFNF off Hwy. 36 and did an interview there before heading to Oberlin for a stop at the Oberlin Herald where the office cat runs the show.

Interesting how the last few days I was constantly dodging grasshoppers in the shoulder. Today there were almost none (due to the wind, I suppose), but lots of black beetles negotiating their way across the treacherous (to them) asphalt strip. Did my best not to add to their troubles. More hawk sightings today.

Didn’t want to spend tonight in another town square, so took a calculated risk and pushed for the turn-off to Prairie Dog State Park, hoping I could make it before the sun went down and it got too dangerous to ride. Was a tough slog at the end of an already long day (8 hours of riding for a total of 82 miles on the day), but only missed my mark by 15 minutes. Wouldn’t have wanted to ride on that shoulder five minutes longer, though. Finally rolled into Prairie Dog State Park just as it was getting dark and the mosquitos were getting active.

They have a beautiful campground nestled next to a reservoir, with free showers and not too many people this time of year. Looking forward to seeing the dogs in the morning.

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