Alex Pope

Ian Fillinger has been a BC Randonneur member since 2008, when he completed his first Super Randonneur series and the Rocky 1200. This year, he is tackling something a little bit bigger: he will be competing in Race Across America in order to raise money for MS research.

Ian’s wife Michelle is the reason he is facing this challenge: Michelle Fillinger was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis eight years ago. His goal is to raise $250,000 towards MS research and beat MS.

In the video, Ian’s coach John Tilley says “He could be the first rookie to win RAAM”. The finish line that Ian and Michelle are looking for, though, isn’t in Annapolis at the end of RAAM – it is in the results of the MS research that Ian is raising money for.

You can visit Ian’s web site at http://www.raceacrossamerica.ca/ to get more information and make a donation to the MS Society.

Last year, I learned about WarmShowers.org when I was reading about Ed Schum’s cycle trip across Canada. WarmShowers.org puts touring cyclists in contact with people who are willing to host them on their travels. I signed up on the web site last year and this is how Jonathan Chung was able to find us.

Jonathan contacted us by e-mail last week to see if it we would be able to give him a place to stay for one night and, of course, we said yes.

He is from Taiwan and is touring through North America by bicycle. He has already cycled through much of the United States and is starting on his trip through Canada. You can learn more about his adventures on his blog (if you aren’t fluent in Chinese, you can use Google’s translation service).

For more on the earlier portion of his trip, check out his previous blog — he had to start a new one when the first one ran out of space (Google’s translation service will work on this one as well).

The kids enjoyed hearing about his adventures and looking at his maps showing where he had been and where he was going. And they were excited to discover where Taiwan was on the Globe.

Jonathan’s next stop is at another WarmShowers.org host in Chilliwack. He is planning to follow the Trans-Canada Trail as far as Banff.

An interesting comment on different cyclists: Jonathan was amazed when Barb told him how far I cycled in a day when participating in Randonneur events; while I looked at his bags in our front hall and commented “You carry ALL that on your bike?” (see photo above with his fully loaded bike).

PS. An update on Ed Schum: This year he is cycling through Europe.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke passed away today at his home in Colombo, Sri Lanka at the age of 90.

I grew up reading many of his science fiction novels and short stories and am a big fan of “2001: A Space Odyssey” (both the book and the movie).

Arthur C. Clarke formulated the “three laws of prediction”:

1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

The third “law” has stuck in my mind.  I am reminded of this law when I use the term “automagically” which I often use to describe some computer software that I need to write when I have not yet determined which process I will use to solve the problem.

Arthur recorded the following video message this past December just prior to his 90th birthday.

Roger Street passed away on February 25, 2003 of a heart attack while out cycling.  He was an active member of BC Randonneurs and served as the club Treasurer from 1998 to 2001. The last Sunday in February a number of BC Randonneurs get together for an 80km ride in Roger’s Memory.  I participated in that ride today. 

Last year when I participated in the ride, my fitness level was better as I had been doing more riding over the Winter so I rode from home, completed the ride, and rode back home for a total of 180km.  I wasn’t that ambitious this year and drove to the ride start (which was at Bean Brothers – Kerrisdale on West 41st).  There was an excellent turnout this year — the good weather helps.

We cycled out to Richmond, to Iona Beach (where we took the obligatory group photo), the long way around to Steveston for a lunch stop, and then a meandering route via the side-streets of Richmond before returning to Bean Brothers.

I have posted a number of photos of the ride on Flickr and the route is also viewable on MotionBased.com.

Sam Whittingham of Naked Bikes participated in the North American Handmade Bicycle Show this year.  He has a writeup on the event on his web site.

The bike he was displaying received three awards at the event: President Walker’s Choice, People’s Choice, and Best in Show.  In addition, the bike was purchased by a well-known individual.  Check Sam’s writeup to find out who.

Check out the video of his bike at the show…

For those that don’t know Sam, he is a local bike builder located on Quadra Island.  He is well known in the local cycling community for building quality bicycles.  He also happens to be a multiple HPV (Human Powered Vehicle) record holder.  There is more information about this on the International Human Powered Vehicle Association web site.