Hi friends, it is officially the end of summer break and I am ending my 12-week stretch as your unemployed friend putting in huge rides on a random Tuesday morning. I’m back to the classroom for Year 10 in public education, this being year 6 with Eugene 4J at Kelly Middle School. I’m happy to get an all new batch of eager kiddos to put up with Mr. Faris’s rambling bike stories about math and stuff. I am grateful to the school district for recognizing me in their recent Parent and Educator newsletters as well as their social channels. Click here to read the classroom spin on my sicko summer adventure as told by Christian Hill, 4J Communications Coordinator.
As a final act of summer shenanigans, I followed through on my questionable decision to conquer the GEARs Blackberry bRamble on a Peacehealth Rides bike share. Of the 8 of us on the course on the 65 lb behemoths, I was the only one foolish in my division to opt for all 102 miles and 5,400 feet of climbing. It’s always a joy to hit my favorite roads in the coastal foothills, even passing my childhood home on Sheffler Road in Elmira on a beautiful, sunny Sunday morning. Cascade Health, one of my awesome community partners, was well represented on the course with their sleek, new kit and their table at the finish line celebration. Ask me about how Team Cascade can help you level up with services like physical therapy and diabetes and nutrition education.
One more thing— I must be doing something right around here because people are asking this sicko to come talk about bikes in public forums. Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 15th, I will be the special guest of Better Eugene-Springfield Transportation (BEST) at their Third Tuesday Happy Hour. Join us at Gratitude Brewing in Eugene (540 E 8th Ave) from 5-7pm as I present about the good and bad of the Pacific Coast Highway bike route and how similar systems can get us to and from school safely.
That’s it for now. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to explore Eugene’s extensive bike network with me. Please keep your eyes open for kiddos on their way back to school and look out for common conflict areas with bikes, striped in green around town. And if you feel so inclined to help me fund future ultra-endurance projects and community transportation advocacy, consider becoming one of my ongoing supporters with a Certified Sicko or Ultra-Sicko membership. Check out my page for more details!