A Journey by Bike – Coasting – At age 11 – A Journey by Bike – Coasting – At age 11, after my Lego rack and pinion steering system, my mother exclaimed: “Joey, you should be an engineer when you grow up!” I probably didn’t even know what an engineer was back then, but my high school teachers echoed my mom’s advice years later. At Servite High School in Anaheim, I excelled at math and science. Not to brag, but I did naturally well in these subjects without even trying ve… http://ow.ly/322hMY
A Journey by Bike – Coasting – At age 11, after my Lego rack and pinion steering system, my mother exclaimed: “Joey, you should be an engineer when you grow up!” I probably didn’t even know what an engineer was back then, but my high school teachers echoed my mom’s advice years later. At Servite High School in Anaheim, I excelled at math and science. Not to brag, but I did naturally well in these subjects without even trying very hard. That was to be my downfall later, … http://ow.ly/31ZFZ5
At age 11, after my Lego rack and pinion steering system, my mother exclaimed: “Joey, you should be an engineer when you grow up!” I probably didn’t even know what an engineer was back then, but my high school teachers echoed my mom’s advice years later.
At Servite High School in Anaheim, I excelled at math and science. Not to brag, but I did naturally well in these subjects without even trying very hard. That was to be my downfall later, but for now I was happily coasting through high school… sort of like I coasted down the 5 Freeway overpass before my big accident. I followed my teachers’ advice and applied to various engineering programs, before selecting UC Irvine. I would ride my trusty bike to a hospital in town, from which I could catch the UCI shuttle to campus. No safety helmet, just the wind in my hair and a dream of becoming an engineer. Little did I know I couldn’t coast through life forever.
My easy ride came to an abrupt end when I saw my grades at the end of first couple of quarters at UC Irvine. The easy A’s I received in high school had morphed into C’s and D’s in Physics and Calculus. I hadn’t applied myself, and was shocked at how much more difficult the college level courses were. I was at a crossroads in 1983…. Engineering no longer seemed a given, and I was also having doubts about that career. My fellow students seemed obsessed with making money, and there was so much of greater value, spiritual value that they were missing. That was where I felt drawn to focus my efforts. To my and my parents’ surprise, I was feeling a call to the priesthood.
Halfway through sophomore year, I was living in the Irvine Meadows West student housing trailer park in a 25 foot camper trailer and riding my bike to and from school and the beach. My heart was not in my studies, and I already applied to seminary. I spent my free time at the university’s fencing club and working at KUCI 88.9 FM as a college DJ. It was the midnight to 3 a.m. shift, playing progressive rock, and later the quiet Sunday afternoon shift playing Celtic music. I was adrift, waiting for the next bend in the road.
Sometimes, you can’t see what lies ahead on your path… in biking or in life.
A Journey by Bike… a love of problem sol – A Journey by Bike… a love of problem sol – A Journey by Bike… a love of problem solving – So, I have a lot of bike memories – mostly good, one horrific. Who cares? Why would that alone make me want to spend over ten years working on a gearless bicycle invention? Well, along with the bike memories, I also have always had an interest in problem solving. My wife might call it an obsession, but I digress… From as far back as I can … http://ow.ly/31X6TG
A Journey by Bike… a love of problem sol – A Journey by Bike… a love of problem solving – So, I have a lot of bike memories – mostly good, one horrific. Who cares? Why would that alone make me want to spend over ten years working on a gearless bicycle invention? Well, along with the bike memories, I also have always had an interest in problem solving. My wife might call it an obsession, but I digress… From as far back as I can remember, which is about age 5, I loved to … http://ow.ly/31Umbm
A Journey by Bike… a love of problem solving – So, I have a lot of bike memories – mostly good, one horrific. Who cares? Why would that alone make me want to spend over ten years working on a gearless bicycle invention? Well, along with the bike memories, I also have always had an interest in problem solving. My wife might call it an obsession, but I digress… From as far back as I can remember, which is about age 5, I loved to take things apart and put them back togethe… http://ow.ly/31RwaH
So, I have a lot of bike memories – mostly good, one horrific. Who cares? Why would that alone make me want to spend over ten years working on a gearless bicycle invention?
Well, along with the bike memories, I also have always had an interest in problem solving. My wife might call it an obsession, but I digress…
From as far back as I can remember, which is about age 5, I loved to take things apart and put them back together. My favorite toy was Legos. Legos in 1970 were just blocks and pieces that could be formed together into almost anything. There were no kits that turned into castles or Tolkien landscapes or spaceships. (Cue “Everything is Awesome” song!)
At the tender age of 11, I decided to make rack and pinion steering for my Lego car. Why? Because I saw a diagram of rack and pinion steering in an automobile magazine and thought, “I can do that!” I did do it, and it actually worked! I must have had the most sophisticated Lego car in all of Orange County, CA… if not the entire country. My mother was quite impressed and said I should be an engineer when I grew up.
Another adolescent project of mine was a steering system for my younger sister, Bridget’s, Boogie Board. I thought the Board would be so much better with steering! Bridget was not convinced. I carefully drew up my design on graph paper (remember that?) with pencil. This was before every home had a computer and way before AutoCAD. It was just me with my trusty ruler, graphite, and paper. Bridget never let me actually make the steering system, much less attach it to her Boogie Board, but I still think it was a great idea!
Do you like to solve problems? Are there any projects you’ve completed that you’re really proud of, even years later? What would you invent if you could?
A Journey by Bike… Work in Progress – This is where the magic happens. It’s also where the laundry happens! And where our cats have their bowls. Yes, the Vectr laboratory is my laundry room. This week, I have been making refinements to the working model, using the new five-gear segment version, in order to make an updated video that better demonstrates how Vectr works. Throughout this process, I have been working with simple tools and materials. The goal is to show proo… http://ow.ly/31PW0D
This is where the magic happens. It’s also where the laundry happens! And where our cats have their bowls. Yes, the Vectr laboratory is my laundry room.
This week, I have been making refinements to the working model, using the new five-gear segment version, in order to make an updated video that better demonstrates how Vectr works. Throughout this process, I have been working with simple tools and materials. The goal is to show proof of concept and make sure the design works well, before investing in an actual prototype that can be tested and then (hopefully) manufactured.
It’s been a painstaking process, but we’re almost ready for the next video. And, oh, it’s time to switch the laundry, too!
A Journey by Bike – Danger Ahead – Have – A Journey by Bike – Danger Ahead – Have – A Journey by Bike – Danger Ahead – Have you ever had an accident on a bike? Riding a bike can put the rider in a uniquely vulnerable position, especially in heavy traffic. Even today, many motorists do not respect cyclists’ rights on the road; some are even directly hostile. I had my own run in with a car at the age of fifteen. As I did regularly during high school, I was riding back hom… http://ow.ly/31OkTn
VECTr - Variably Expanding Chain Transmission 
