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BOW MAR SOUTH NEWS NOVEMBER 2012 Page 3 On a beautiful Sunday in September, BMS resident and bicycle mechanic, Mark Swatek, de- cided to ride his bike to work for the first time. Yes, he is a bicycle enthusiast and runs his own bike shop at his home; but since starting work at Creekside Bikes in Parker last July, the opportunity hadn't yet arisen. The story actually begins as he was riding back home along the Platte River Bike Trail . Just South of Bowles, he came across a young couple who was stranded because of bike problems. Mark stopped to find out what happened. The couple turned out to be world travelers, Mykal Bentley (an Aussie) and Nico van Leeu- wen (who is Dutch). Their plan is to "cycle on self-made bamboo bicycles through the Americas, visit- ing and promoting as many sustainable alternatives to our current energy rich lifestyle as (they) can possibly visit," explains their website http://chaingethecycle.org/ . (Note* "chain" as in bike chain with a "ge" added on...) Nico & Mykal began their journey in June of this year in Austra- lia with the intent to visit permaculture projects, transition towns and eco vil- lages, including DIY initiatives and bicycle co-operatives along the way. On their blog, they are documenting, discussing and sharing with the world all they learn, teach and discover. "Mykal and Nico are on a journey to learn from the people and places they meet, and share what they learn." they wrote on their blog. As fate would have it, this was their lucky day when they happened to meet Mark Swatek at just the right time. Nico and Mykal's bikes were loaded down for their cross country trip and Nico's handmade bamboo bicycle had broken down with a bent derailleur, bent wheel, and a couple of other issues.. Mykal desperately asked Mark if he knew where he could get a derailleur at 6:00pm on a Sun- day, most likely knowing that no shop would be open at that time. Mark should have worn his super-hero cape that day because he informed them he had just what they needed at his home bike repair shop, Tule Lake Cycles! So he called his wife, Laura, who picked up Nico and her bike while Mykal and Mark rode home through Wynetka Ponds. Over the next few hours, Mark rebuilt the wheel, fixed the derailleur hanger, installed a new derailleur and cable, extended the chain, adjusted the shifting and learned all about their adven- tures and the building of the bamboo bike . Mykal and Nico built the bamboo bike from a combina- tion of metal bike parts they salvaged in Haiti and bamboo that came from a permaculture paradise known as Jasper Hall in Aus- tralia which is home to over 111 growing species of Bamboo. As it was getting late, Mark and Laura offered their new friends dinner and a room for the night. Which they gratefully accepted. The next morning, after good conversation, good food and a good night's sleep, Nico and Mykal continued their journey to their next destination- Taos, New Mexico. But in order to get there, they would be traveling almost 300 miles, climbing over 20,000 feet, and hauling 50 to 80 pounds of gear each. BMS Resident Rescues World Travelers It’s a Small World (after all) l to r: Nico, Mark Swatek and Mykal. The World Travelers are on their way again, thanks to Mark! Continued on Page 4…. -Sherman Brothers for Walt Disney
