Trek World!

Momona pano
Originally uploaded by brendan61

I love the panorama capability of my G10 and photoshop. Here is a three shot view from the Hilton Hotel in Madison, WI, overlooking Lake Momona and the Momona terrace convention center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. I am here for a couple of days at "Trek World" the annual dealer show put on by Trek to showcase their new products and get us pumped up for the next season. It is tough to get pumped up for the next year because we are still pretty caught up in this year! But I won't lie and say that I am not looking forward to leaving 2009 behind us.

Trek is a great company and they make, arguably, some of the best products in the bike industry. But what I really love about Trek is the amount of resources they spend on bicycle advocacy. This year we were lucky to attend a fundraiser/thank you party for Congressman Jim Oberstar from Minnesota who is considered the father of the modern bicycle advocacy movement. Congressman Oberstar was the first elected official who had the vision to understand that bicycles could be an important mode of transportation in our country. He understood early on that bicycles are an efficient, environmentally sound, and healthy way for folks to get from point A to point B. Since the early 90's Congressman Oberstar, along with Earl Blumenauer from Oregon, has been a key supporter of legislation that has funded cycling and pedestrian transportation enhancements as part of our national transportation plan.

These events never fail to inspire me to keep trying to move the bicycle agenda forward. I will have to increase my efforts back at home and push to make Denville the first bicycle friendly community in New Jersey. John Burke, the president of Trek Bicycle and also a rabid dog advocate, displayed a map of the many League of American Bicyclist designated towns and cities that applied for and earned ratings. The number increase from 2003 to 2009 was dramatic but what stood out to me on the map was the big blank spot between Delaware and Rhode Island that had no stars. Pretty embarrassing for New Jersey. Anyway, at the Bike Summit in Washington for the past few years, we have been talking about a summit for New Jersey. I think it's time to make it happen. If you live in New Jersey, count on hearing from me in the coming weeks to get your help. In the meantime, if you have a bike, ride it. If you don't have a bike, get one. And then ride it!

Peace!