[TheThinkTank] onemillionbicycles.org is real, not a scam, based in portland, oregon and ready to answer ?s

[Joe Kurmaskie]

Hi Everyone - Joe Metal Cowboy Kurmaskie, founder and brain trust  
behind onemillionbicycles.org. I'm a lifelong pedal pusher,  
journalist, activist, "bestselling" author of the bicycling travel  
memoirs Metal Cowboy, Riding Outside The Lines and Momentum Is Your  
Friend (Mud, Sweat and Gears will be released in October) The best  
description of my writing came from USA Today - "David Sedaris  
trapped in the body of Lance Armstrong" Ha. I responded with "Either  
David got himself a trainer or Lance has let himself go to hell."  
But  I drew the line when called  "A modern day Mark Twain on two  
wheels" Cleveland Plain Deal. Come on now, if that's the case them  
somewhere a riverboat captain weeps.

Enough about me, to the issue at hand, onemillionbicycles.org Yes, we  
are throwing the woodstock of  bicycles, a one day 300 coast to coast  
of rallies at which 1,000,000 riders create 1,000,000 new ones. We  
are trying to create a national movement, help get more bicycles out   
of those garages, especially from folks that wouldn't normally know  
about or connect with bike collectives  etc otherwise.  Glad to find  
and connect with this list serv.

We are going to kick some two wheeled butt with this project. I'm  
happy to answer specific questions and logistics especially how it  
covers tune ups of these bikes, safety checks and education, but in a  
nutshell,  on August 9th 2009 one million of us who currently ride  
bicycles will ask for a massive increase in state and federal funding  
for bicycle education infrastructure, and enforcement. that's the  
rally goal. The bike giveaway goal is very one to one - each person  
pledges either to get a bike from their garage, collection, etc and  
pledge it to a specific person in their community That, or get a  
friend, family member, coworker, who doesn't currently ride or has  
not pedaled in many moons to come join the rally and bring a bike for  
themselves. The idea is to keep all the bikes local - philly riders  
give bikes to philly pledgers etc.  the $5 registration fee and 75  
percent of all funds we raise from other sources  go to safety check  
and rehab bikes in their communities at collectives, bike shops etc.   
We are hiring national rally and bike giveaway coordinators to help  
coordinate. And an army of intern, volunteers  awesome folks like  
yourselves

That's where many of you guys come in - please email us,  join the  
revolution by registering, let us answer any questions and then  get  
involved as a participating collective  and let us send you pledgers  
and pledges to check bikes in your zip-code. We also need groups to  
join up and sponsor local rallies.


  The rallies are a new model compared to things like the million man  
march and washington rallies to stop vietnam and Iraq war etc. That  
model puts  all these resources into play to bring one million people  
to DC -  we wanted a low carbon footprint but big media exposure and   
we wanted to put riders in the backyards of every congressmen in  
america - this way they can't pretend that those people at a DC rally  
aren't their constituents. It also allows for total media market  
saturation on one weekend, local, regional and national. These  
rallies will have music,  speakers, booths,  the big pledge  moment,  
performances, rides,  photo contests,  etc.

more info at these links:

http://bikeportland.org/2008/04/17/a-national-movement-for-a-million- 
new-riders-begins-in-portland/#more-7044

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wCz68vaNJw

Thanks Joe Kurmaskie
onemillionbicycles.org
metalcowboy.com
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