ninety-four; Francois, Mountain Bike

“It’s a book called the Bible, you may have herd of it, it’s written by God,”
He’s referencing the copy of Gideon’s in his chest pocket.
He’s not a Christian,
He’s just a well-read socialist, as was Christ.
The book is for research on a story he’s writing about Job’s wife,
“She really got the short end of the stick, on the whole sin thin thing.”
It’s been a little while since art-school, but he’s finding time to sculpt and animate.
He talks about media with realistic insight that’s rather prophetic for a guy who’s still publishes words on paper.

ninety-three; Lorenc, Black Commuter with Fenders

In Switzerland, children spend two weeks of every school year on a ski trip as part of their physical education,
They learn Swiss, German, French and English,
They fall in love on vacation, and travel to America, bouncing around the most elite Economic Universities in the world.
They study the most interesting Global Political Economic crisses in the past 100 years in the eye of the storm.
They settle on Berkeley for the weather…
Or at least he did.

ninety-two; Ewa, Bike

She’s wanted in her mother country of Poland for,
“Playing and dancing the streets, much like a child.”
Secretive, she only says what is asked of her;
She is in America to do some reading, she’s here indefinitely and if we are going to talk, it can only be about bikes.
She tells me about Polish critical mass, about laying down Astroturf and kiddy-pools in the middle of intersections,
She speaks of the ridiculous lengths the government went to in order to cover up a DIY bike lane painted by renegade cyclists.
She tells me all this and nothing more.

ninety-one; Kevin, Mountain Bike

Smiling over a postgame slice of veggie-laden pizza, he subtly discloses his ambitions for his MBA,
“I plan on going into renewable energy.
I want to change the world.”
He’s aware of the cost of his time here, but unlike many, he turns it to fodder, utilizing all his resources (be it international, elite-level business model competitions, or a soccer field and a nightcap at the campus bar).
His passion seems clean burning and sustainable,
His Teammates and a few Girls dressed for the mid-week holiday pull him into the bar.
A true gentleman, he bids me to join in.

ninety; Alex, GT Mountain Bike

There are those who drift through college, with a rough idea of a job doing something kind of enjoyable after wondering a while in the post collegiate glow….
… not his story.
Didn’t finish high school?
Not a problem, once he plotted it out;
Major in Macro Economics, do a semester at Cambridge Senior year,
Post graduation; go directly into the importing and exporting of calcium carbonate from Guatemala.
There are skeletons in everyone’s past, he decided to burry his.
All his math classes are old school pencil, paper and brainpower.
I guess you’d say he has a ruff sketch.

eighty-nine; Nick, Cannondale Mountain Bike

In Romania, while in the Peace Corps, he helped polish the character of a small town until it shown bright enough to attract the lightning-bug buzz of international tourism.
Now he’s driven by his passion for history (initially he wanted to teach it) to guide tours across the world.
He acknowledges the potential exploitation of indigenous culture,
“Its an inevitability of a global village,” he tells me,
“It’s about the intentions of those involved.”
His, clearly, are pure.
He’s studying for the GRE, and though he doesn’t know what he wants to do, he’s definitely capable of finding his way.

eighty-eight; Brad, Black Fixie, (with hand brake)

Though, “not a breeder,” going to a wedding tonight without his wife still feels awkward.
He’s old school L.A.
We reminisce like seniors over the old neighborhood, global warming and high school harassment.
He’s traded the vernacular of “dude” for and “hella,” only goes back home for family and tattoos.
Playing percussion in experimental bands and roasting coffee, he can’t remember why he moved here, but he certainly does fit.
Imbued with thoughtfulness, he apologizes for not having a pump to lend me, and yells after someone who drops their sweater.
“This BART drivers pretty considerate, don’t you think?”