Who Rides this Bike?

            As we look at the bike in its entirety, we can tell that it is a road/racing bike. It has thin tires which allows it to move faster as there are less contact points with the ground. The drooping mustache handlebar allows the rider to lean over to be more aerodynamic. The rider can move his/her center of gravity closer to the ground. The high speed of the gears also indicates that the rider has the ability to move at faster speeds without doing much work. The condition of the bike indicates that the bike is old and well-worn in. The bike is also blue and is adult sized.

            Well, what kind of person would ride this bike?

            We can begin to make an assumption that the rider might want to get places fast. It is completely logical that the bike is designed to move fast on road surfaces. The design of the bike shows this. Let us now take into account the fact that the bike is old and worn. Maybe the rider has received this bike as a hammy down or has had the bike for a long time. This means that the rider is either old and maybe has some emotional attachment to such an item, or the rider is young and the young rider was looking for a cheap bike. Regardless, the bike still moves fast because of its design. The condition of the bike also indicates that the bike was not taken well care of. It is most likely that the rider is young with a hammy down bike because it appears this bike was decommissioned in its lifetime. Taking into account the size of the bike, we can infer that the rider is a young adult. Because of the poor condition of the bike, it appears the young adult wanted a cheap ride. We can take this inference to be a young college student. Why would he have a bike? To get around on a larger college campus. These are all assumptions about the current rider based on details observed on the bike. We analyzed “logos” in this post.

**Disclaimer: I wrote this post without the observation of seeing this bike on a college campus already included.

What is this bike?

• The rust of on the bike may indicate the bike stays outdoors mostly and is not well maintained. 
•  Is the bike left outside often?
• Are all bikes on a college campus like this?
• Because of the bikes age, was it left alone for a while?
• What does this say about biker culture on a college campus?
• Thin tires and mustache handlebar indicate a road bike, a bike that likes to travel at faster speeds.
• 10-speed bike indicates it is an older model. Bikes today are usually 21 or 24-speed.
• Size of bike indicates it is for an adult.
• Bike still functions properly, indicates it is used.
• Rubber tires indicate standard material. The person who rides this bike may not spend a lot of money on the bike itself.
• Brakes indicate the user wants to stop riding occasionally.
• Blue colored frame.
• Is this the rider’s favorite color?
• Is the manufacture’s color blue?

The bike that I ride... a description

            Any person, place, or thing always has some kind of backbone. For humans, it is our spine. For a place, it is the ground beneath. For the object I am talking about, it is its frame. With a blue coat of paint, it is the oldest part of the bike that I ride. Signs of age and wear can be shown in the rusting that exists around all of the moving parts. The frame starts in the center triangularly-shaped and balanced on single vertex. It is not exactly a triangle, but the metal rod on the front side is so small relative to the rest of the rods that it looks just like one. The rods are no bigger than 2 inches in diameter. Sitting on the bike seat, I see the handlebar is connected to the top and two prongs are projected forward and down to connect the wheel. The seat I am sitting on is connected and tightened to the frame with a bolt. Two more prongs project backwards and downwards to connect the rear wheel. At the base of this triangle is a set of pedals that and project off to the left and the right. I can easily touch my feet to the ground, let alone the pedals.

            As I look at the front and the back, there are two circular shaped wheels connected to the frame. The wheels on the bike are black, thin tread rubber. The tread runs in a series of straight lines that are imprinted around the entire wheel. The tire is no more than an inch from left to right and is inflated with air. This rubber itself is not directly connected to the frame. It runs around the outside of a metal wheel which cradles the rubber. The metal wheel is connected to the frame by a series of metallic silver spokes that meet at the center of the wheel. A cylinder, about the size of a hand formed into a fist, connects the wheel to the frame. The front wheel is free to rotate and the rear wheel is connected to the pedals.

            Right in front of me is the handlebar. On this particular bike, it is wrapped in white grip tape. The metal bar is shaped like a drooping mustache. You can either hold on to the bike near where it meets the frame, or you can lean over and grab it at the end of the drooping mustache. If you pull on one side of the bar, the wheel in front of you rotates. The bar and this wheel are connected through the front part of the frame. The frame does not rotate itself. I can also grip two metallic levers on either side of the bar. If I look at the lever, I notice a wire running from one to the front and from the other to the rear. They connect to a set of calipers that are less than half an inch away from the metal part of the wheels. When I pull on these levers, the calipers clinch and stop rotation of the wheel. At the point where the handlebar meets the frame, there are two more metallic levers. Two more wires run from these levers. One lever towards the pedals and one to the rear. These are connected to the driving mechanism, to a set of gears. As I move the lever back and forth, I notice that a chain connecting the gears shifts from larger gears to smaller gears and vice-versa. The other lever works does the same thing on the rear set of gears

            Below me is the seat. It is also triangular shaped and pointed forwards. It has a soft cloth surface and is filled with a firm foam. Towards the front is the point that presses against your crotch. The back half supports the middle of your rump, but does not seat the whole rump. It is slightly uncomfortable, but matches the sleekness of the bike. The seat is at the top of the rod that is bolted to the frame.

            The pedals are on either side of the bike. The pedals are metal matrices. They are connected on the side of the matrix to ‘L’ shaped rods that are opposite of each other. The rods are connected to the base of the frame and are connected to the driving mechanism. The driving mechanism is made of a series of gears and flywheels as well as a chain. Mentioned earlier, this chain connects the series of gears in the back to the series of gears in the front. All of these parts have rusted over the years and the chain has been stretched.  As I press the pedals in the forward direction on the petals, I notice that the bike starts to move as the rear wheel is connected to the driving mechanism. If I pedal backwards, the pedals are free to rotate and the rear wheel is not affected.

            The bike has the ability to move fast. With thin tires, a handlebar mustache and a light frame, it has the ability to get places it needs to in a short amount of time. The bike cannot handle off-roading very well, but it masters the road. A vehicle solely based on man-power. A great invention.

Musical Mastery

           Watching a band concert is one thing, conducting a band is another, but performing with a band is something truly special. For a short period of time, I was banded together with a group of fantastic musicians. We do not call ourselves band members or band-geeks, but we call each other family. It is one culture that has made a great impact on me as well as everyone else that took part. The whole performing with the band thing is not just the act of performing on a stage to an audience, but to the audience of ourselves in everyday life.

            The first sight reading of a piece is always rough. Mistakes are made, parts are not played, and people get lost. The melody is almost impossible to decipher and the harmony is played by the people that do not even have it in their part. A disaster is the simplest way to put it. After a week, things start to improve. People have gone home and have somewhat practiced their parts. People begin to have the motivation to improve for the better of the group. The mentality of if one person does not perform their part well, it falls on the responsibility of the rest of the group.

            When week two rolls around, melodies are becoming more defiant. Harmonies are starting to develop from their core, but are missing in some important spots. People are able to listen to each other instead of gluing their eye balls to the stands in front of them. It’s always my favorite part in band when I first hear my part line up with some other cool part in a completely different section. The first time you hear that, you know that things are coming together. You can look at that section or section member and give them a we’re-the-boss type of look.

            More practice has been achieved in week three. Harmonies are prominent and melodies are played with more confidence. Intonation is still an issue, but most, if not all the notes are being produced. The piece is starting to sound like it is supposed to. Ears are pleased. It is at this time that you begin to hear things you have not heard in the piece before. Confidence in the second and third parts brings out little frills and harmonies that the piece would be boring without. You begin to get attached to the piece. At this time, you are seeing a group of high school students transform into the talented musicians an audience sees at the concert.

            The final week rolls around and the conductor is cramming to get every single last detail out of the composition before the concert. The composer’s intent and the music that exists off the page comes to life. As one participates in the playing of a piece, once can see colors and auras fill the room from one end to another. Brilliant, vibrant, cascading rays of light of all colors clash from one instrument to the next. When a piece truly comes together, the band is united by these colors and it is felt.

Music is one of the few things that can evoke emotion out of anyone despite what language they speak, what background they have, and who they think they are. At the concert, a piece that is felt by the members of the family on stage is felt by the audience and creates a family in itself. You are not one person on the stage, but you are part of a bigger picture. Listening to every little thing, there comes a point where you know the music better than what’s written on the page. It is truly something special.