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Bikes
Become a Shareholder
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Institute Mission
Promote the Teaching and Learning of Metallurgical Arts
Produce Odd Bikes
Have Fun While Engaged in the Above!
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Share Holder Profiles
Community members become Share Holders by donating unused bikes, usable scrap metal or tools. We are grateful to each one of our contributors and all of them have a story. Here are three that stand out.
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Jean Manwaring
Jean Manwaring told us a story from when as a youngster she had her first big riding adventure with girlfriends in Bar Harbor, Maine. The story had those wonderful elements of the freedom of bicycles and budding independence of teenage girls.
She let me know that she had two fine old “English Racers” (upright, internal hub 3 speeds) that she was not using and wanted to donate. Jean and her late husband would ride them to a wooded park on the shore where they would cook up supper on a camp stove and watch the sunset. As she was walking one of the bikes to the truck, I saw the years drop off and the memories flood in. Jean stood there for a moment, hands on the grips and said, “This feels pretty good.”
A few days later, when she got her stock certificate, Jean told me she wanted to be at the Institute when I cut the bikes up!
Here’s to the always forward looking Jean Manwaring! She is definitely game to try MIG welding.
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Jean and her brother, Jack, getting their wheel on!
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Peter Beeson – Institute Patron
From his rapid fire dispensing of positive bon mots, to his astounding physical transformation from bystander to athlete, Peter is an inspiration to everyone he meets.
The man moves so fast you have to catch him on the fly. In 2001 he took up cycling for his health:
- On his third year of riding, he qualified for Paris Brest Paris (745 miles in 90 hours) in one year.
- He helped grow Seattle International Randonneurs (ultra long distance cyclists) into one of the top clubs in the world.
- In the summer of 2007, Peter both qualified for The Race Across America (by riding across the US in 17 days) and completed Paris Brest Paris!
- In 2008 Peter is attacking the world of marathon running. He has also become a spin class instructor at a local gym.
This list does not even go into the lives he touches.
When I ended up in the emergency room after a crash, Peter was the first person I called. He dropped everything and spent the entire day acting as my advocate at the hospital.
Peter and his father were incredibly generous with donations when the institute was getting off the ground. All of us owe him an incredible debt of gratitude. Peter, thank you very much.
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Peter in the mountains of Majorca, Spain, warming his finger IN his coffee. "Achtung!" shout the Germans.
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Tom Blume
Rhubarb Tom is a neighbor of ours who got his rubric by his generosity with the aforementioned crop. He unfailingly friendly and has a sense of humor that tilts the ledger to the quirky side.
Tom gets the nod for being the first 50 year old who GOT the squirrel bike. I had a pair of them out for the block party. Tom walked up, plopped down and in 30 seconds was cutting cookies and laughing uproariously.
Tom now borrows Cargo Cult to deliver more old and used bikes, he’s in danger of moving over to the Regulars section!
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Tom delivers an old bike and shows off his mad ratchet strap skills!
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