King of Bhutan, Naked Cyclists and Baby Boomers

King of Bhutan, Naked Cyclists and Baby Boomers

November 13, 2014

The New Boom in Cycling

At g4 we have been associated with cycling since the early ‘80s and our unscientific observations and research suggests that recreational cycling is actually enjoying a comeback. Annual bike sales may remain flat but the level of activity appears to be way up if we use the number of complaining drivers on the road as a measure.

We saw a recent quote from the League of American Bicyclists that from 2000 to 2011, the numbers of people that are bicycle commuting in large Bicycle Friendly Cities (BFC) increased 80 percent.

An increasing number of cities are making accommodations for bikes.  Bicycling Magazine actually rates the top 50 cities in the U.S. and at least 26 cities have active bike sharing programs according to Wikipedia. Philadelphia, where we work on the Parx Casino Philly Classic Bicycle Race, was rated one of the top five BFCs and this emphasis has become a priority for the current city administration.

In recent years we have seen a significant increase in the numbers and types of bike related activities that are available also tells a different story.

We did a quick Google search for grand fondos, cycling sportives, biking tours and biking adventures reveals events throughout the year across the US as well as Europe and other locations as remote and exotic as Bhutan where they hold an event billed as the world’s hardest mountain race.

A recent article in the NY Times mentions that the King of Bhutan is a mountain bike enthusiast. And because he is king he always wins the event.

Events for cyclists range in length, difficulty and number of days to appeal to every type of rider from the casual to the serious amateur or retired professional who may be looking for a challenge or measure their performance against others.

These events can serve multiple purposes from just recreational to raising funds for charities.  Many times an event will have commercial aspects like showcasing cycling industry products or promoting tourism for a locale. Some even have a political message like the International Naked Bike rides to "deliver a vision of a cleaner, safer, body-positive world” although looking at some of the photos from the rides may call this message into question.

The ageing baby boomer population is now entering retirement and they have money and time to spend, are more active and want to maintain their physical fitness and perhaps recapture their youth.  And many of them are turning to cycling.

Among consumers in general there has also been a shift from buying things to doing things and having meaningful experiences.

All of this makes us excited about the prospects for cycling in the coming years.

Until next time,

The g’s Alice and Robin

Thoughts from YSC Tour de Pink East Coast - 2014

YSC TdP riders roll out

November 5, 2014

g4 Productions was started nine years ago as a woman owned and managed company. As we move into our tenth year, we wanted to take a look back at where we have been and where we are going, with a series of blogs starting with the 2014 YSC Tour de - Pink East Coast.

YSC Tour de Pink was our first event.  We feel fortunate to be associated with such a wonderful organization that provides resources and support for young women diagnosed with breast cancer. We are also proud of how we were able to help the event grow from what started as an event with eight riders, to events on both coasts with hundreds of riders, generating approximately a million dollars in contributions.

Our goals are always safety, scenery and suitability, while meeting client stated objectives regarding location, timing, etc.  We strive to do this in a way that goes well beyond the mere professional relationship of client and service provider.

The event this year started in Fraser, Pa finishing at the Assateague National Seashore in Maryland, covering 240 miles over the traditional three days.

We recently reached out to several people with different perspectives for comments about their experience at the YSC Tour de Pink.  All of them have been involved for multiple years.

“Well Run Event and Compelling Stories”

Terri Shade got involved because several people close to her had breast cancer, and her partner Chris Shinners, who provides moto support, spoke about how it is great experience, while being great way to get involved and support the YSC organization. This was Terri’s fifth year. She has done other organized rides, and appreciated how well things run each year for YSC Tour de Pink. What is most meaningful to her is hearing the many survivor stories over the course of the three days, and the personal relationships she has developed over the years.

“Best Day on My Bike Ever”

Mike Kolodziejski has been a personal friend, and worked with us in various support roles over the years.  Five years ago, Mike’s wife Kathy passed way after battling breast cancer, and Mike rode YSC Tour de Pink in her honor for two years before becoming a ride marshal for the event for the last three years.

Mike has been riding and racing his bike for 32 years. He said on the century ride he was with a group of four other riders whose lives were touched by cancer. The time spent with them over the long day getting to know each other, and sharing their stories was an extremely moving and emotional experience for Mike and that this was the best day on his bike ever!

“I Didn’t Know if I Would Ever Be Back”

Laurie Yori has participated in the YSC Tour de Pink every year since 2008. She told us that that year she had her second breast cancer diagnosis in August and had just completed three weeks of chemo a week before the event. On day-two, Laurie had a mechanical problem with about 15 of the 85 miles to Trenton remaining, and it was getting late in the day. The support crew had suggested that she consider getting in the van for the rest of trip. That clearly was not an option for Laurie. 

The g4 staff are always impressed with the level of determination demonstrated by these women, many of whom are not athletes, and many are still feeling the negative effects of their illness and treatment. But it wasn’t until we spoke to Laurie this year and got her perspective on this.  She said, “I was determined to do this because I didn’t know if I would ever be back.”

Laurie also shared with us that coming to the event each year feels like a reunion with the other survivors and participants, but also with the g4 staff, and she shared this story. “My parents always try to come to the event and be there at the rest stops and the finish to cheer me on. This year I was determined to complete my first century (100 miles) on day two but when I got to the finish they were nowhere to be seen (my cycling must be improving because they expected me an hour later). The first person to greet me, give me a hug and congratulate me was John Chaki from g4.”

Laurie appreciates the personal relationships, and the fact that they keep going during the year, using social media to share information and get together for training.

“The Most Important Weekend of My Whole Year”

If you have ever spent any time with John, he will tell you that since he started working on the YSC Tour de Pink as the ride director, it has become the most important weekend in his whole year. This shows in the attention to detail that John has throughout the whole year when planning the initial course, making sure that it will be a safe and fun ride, completing the test ride and writing a summary, as well as providing tips on preparation,training and safety for the participants. And this year, at least according to John’s unofficial survey, at least twenty-three people completed their first century ride.

Over the course of the next several months we will be sharing stories about other events, past and future, as well as high lighting our partner relationships and spotlights on the many people that have helped make us the organization we are today.

Until next time,
Alice & Robin, the gs