Davis Bike Collective

Contagious Love Experiment

Last Updated on Sunday, 01 November 2009 19:39 Written by Admin Saturday, 31 October 2009 09:01

Howdy folks!

Wednesday November 4th we will have two special visitors at the Bike Forth that have been bicycling around the country sharing their personal stories about their experiences in the military and Iraq.  These two men will boost your hope level with their upbeat and positive message and report on situations where they've both "been there-done that". Having served three tours in Iraq between them, these guys know the situation; and they have answers for your questions!

Contagious Love Experiment

Iraq War Vets, Josh Stieber and Conor Curran, Biking Cross Country

On a Personal Mission of Peace

Hear the Amazing Story of Their Journey &

How Their War Experiences Spurred This Effort

Wednesday November 4th, 7:30PM

FREE

Two Young Veterans Walk and Bike Across the Country with a Message of Peace

Armed with only backpacks containing essentials and items to document their journey, Josh Stieber and John Conor Curran are on the move.

The Iraq War veterans are traveling across the country on foot and bicycles, spreading a message of peace on what they call the “Contagious Love Experiment.”

A soldier turned conscientious objector, Stieber, 21, decided that if he believed war created more problems than it solved, that he would journey to learn about, promote, and invest his "war-money" to peaceful alternatives. Stieber says one of his inspirations is "a guy who said 'give away your wealth to those in need and love everybody".

This is a very different view of what religion means than when Stieber, a Gaithersburg , Maryland native, with the backing of his conservative church, enlisted in the army as an infantryman based on his religious beliefs.

“My view of strength and duty was that I was right, everyone else had it wrong and one way or another people needed to be forced into what I believed -- religion, democracy, etc., and that would make the world a better place. Listening to other perspectives” says Stieber "was what I considered to be weak".

After a 14-month tour in Iraq , Stieber became a conscientious objector.

“When it got to the point to where our strategy seemed like we were trying to out-intimidate the supposed terrorists, I realized that forcing someone to agree with you at the point of a gun doesn't change much, when that force is gone, nothing has changed. What does matter is the internal condition which can be guided by love just as easily as fear.” says Stieber.

Stieber started the cross-country journey in Gaithersburg, Maryland on May 28, 2009 , and will be stopping in Davis, California onWednesday, November 4th, 2009 . On his journey, Stieber is attending speaking engagements and visiting a number charities whose objectives he admires and donating to them the money he was paid in Iraq . To date, Stieber has walked from his home in Maryland to Boston to Cincinnati before begining on foot, visited seven charities, spoken at dozens of venues and encountered the kindness of countless strangers for food, shelter, and wisdom.

“When it is culturally encouraged to be the most recognized, own the nicest stuff, and to beware of somebody possibly doing better than you, it has been extremely refreshing to meet so many people who consider others as important as themselves and have a strong faith in common humanity” says Stieber.

But the journey has not been without contention.

"Some people say that this trip is just me working off my guilt or something and that I simply don't understand how the world works. Most people say it respectfully, but there has been some criticisms stated harsher.” says Stieber.

Traveling with Stieber is Curran, a Perrysburg, Ohio resident and former Marine. Also a veteran of the Iraq War, Curran, 25, served two tours in Iraq before his 2008 discharge. Now a peace activist, Curran felt to join Stieber after learning about the project.

“In this new generation of warfare against an insurgency, time is our enemy’s primary weapon,” says Curran. “The only way to fight back against a weapon like time is with peace, understanding, and an active dialogue. If we continue to fight an insurgency with violence and the U.S. military machine of force, our resources will be devastatingly depleted, while having created a wake of enemies in the process.”

Curran joined Stieber in Toledo, Ohio and is accompanying him on the remainder of the journey. The men plan to reach San Francisco by the beginning of November.

For more information go to http://contagiousloveexperiment.wordpress.com/

Sponsored by the Davis Bike Collective.

In Alaska they ride uphill both ways, in the snow.

Last Updated on Thursday, 22 October 2009 21:24 Written by Angel York Thursday, 22 October 2009 10:23

In Anchorage, each year they have to review the following things:

-Commercial studded tires
-Home-made studded tires
-Navigation on dark, snowy streets.
-Visibility
-Proper layering techniques
-Fabric selection
-Vapor barriers (for the _really_ cold rides)
-Lubricants
-Frozen hubs
-Bike Storage (how not to have your rims freeze)

I'd just like to point out that in addition to not really having to worry about hills, we also don't have to worry about installing studs on our tires, or frozen hubs.  Woot! It's sunny and flat, so go ride! 
See you this Saturday at Bike Forth at 6pm for a lovely pre-film fest ride.

DAVIS BICYCLES! Film Festival 2009

Last Updated on Monday, 19 October 2009 16:05 Written by Admin Monday, 19 October 2009 11:56

Saturday, October 24th, 7:00 pm

Davis High School Brunelle Theater (the "IPAB"):

$5-$10 donation

Proceeds to help fund the Steve Larsen Memorial Plaza project with great bike racks at the entrance to the new DHS Stadium.

10 reasons to reserve tickets NOW:

10. UC Davis Fixie rap by Birdstrike Theater should be banned 9. break our record of 220 cool bike people attendees from last year  8. all proceeds benefit the Steve Larsen Memorial Plaza (w/ great bike parking) at new DHS Stadium  7. festival so hip it has a Facebook page, visit and invite others  6. find out if a Coop butcher will win the heart of a vegan using their shared love for bikes  5. family friendly, with some attitude  4. learn how the UC Davis cycling team became national champs  3. beautiful video of biking in Amsterdam and Copenhagen  2.5 DB gives the masses what they want: Kinetic Sculpture races!  2. eight local films, 22 total, 1:40 hrs of great stuff; ..... and  1. DB! is peddling Davis forward, so give us some love.

What to do:

-- Reserve tickets with an e-mail to  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; $5-10 suggested donation in support of the Steve Larsen Memorial Bike Plaza project at the DHS Stadium Entrance.

-- Send this e-mail to cyclists of all kinds (and/or do the Facebook thing for us), this is our chance to expose many to bike culture and issues relevant to bike advocacy in Davis

-- Volunteer to help with a  short note to  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Winterize your bike and more!

Last Updated on Friday, 16 October 2009 10:30 Written by Sarah McCullough Friday, 16 October 2009 10:28

Kid's Bike Rodeo

Open Shop Hours & New Workshops in the works

WTF! Women-Trans-Femme night!