In the spring of 2006, we sent a then unknowing but exceedingly kind and capable Jim Hale on a journey. We gave him a VW bus, a map and some very simple instructions: go see as many bike shops as you can and tell them what we are up to.

Jim hit the road, barnstorming shops across the country. His plan was to stop just long enough to say hi, talk about our environmental initiatives, leave off some product samples and wave goodbye. Unfortunately, it didn’t go that way.

Day after day we would get a call from Jim apologizing that he was behind schedule. You see, one shop manager enjoyed the discussion and invited Jim for lunch. Then another would ask Jim to stay and go on the Tuesday night ride. So he did. The next day was, well, more of the same.

What we learned through Jim’s string of apologetic phone calls and agenda wrecking visits was that shop employees, owners, and their customers have a lot in common, and it seems that giving a damn is near the center of it. Cyclists and bike retailers are at worst accidental environmentalists and near militant tree huggers at best.

Well that that first trip now seems like a long time ago. Jim has been joined on the road this year by Damian in the western US and Jochen in Central Europe. All three love vans are bio-diesel fed, wind power offset beauties. All three carry the same message, delivered in a bag: Do what you can when you can for the planet, and we will too. Together we’ll change things through cycling.

So look for the hippie van coming to your town where ever you are. If we can’t get there this season, give me a call and we’ll get you started on our mission with a free love bag of your own.

Yours in Cycling,

Christopher Zigmont