Why Social Networks Work

Social networks make wonderful things like the following possible.

A friend from Chicago, Brandon, had a weekend trip to Portland. He wanted to borrow a fixed gear bike while here for the full Portland experience. He tweeted that he was looking for a place to rent a bike. I then tweeted that I was looking to borrow a bike for him to borrow while he was in Portland. Within a short period of time, David Haines, offered up his bike.

This is a testament to the value of social networks. It is also a testament to how wonderful Portland is that I could procure a bike so quickly. It was a generous offer by David as he made it easy and totally low-key.

And in the process of picking up the bike, I met Emiliano Jordan who, aside from being a great guy, answered all my son's questions and allowed him to pick up all the shiney and pricey things at the shop.

The above photo is of the front wheel with a head nod to David's twitter icon and alter-ego: BikeRanger.

I had never ridden a fixed gear bike so when Brandon was done, I took it out for a spin. The bike was fast and the forward momentum was unexpectedly strong. Intellectually I knew that the wheels would keep moving forward. However, it was still a shock on how well and how much forward those wheels rolled.

The benefit of a fixed gear (or single speed) is the low maintenance and simplicity. The bike was also incredibly light. This would make a great commuter or around towner bike.