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Mayors' Ride Bios - Jeff Reser
 Which Relay link do you want to ride?
Preferred leg of relay: Any in Eastern US through Nebraska (but
I'll
take any).
Preferred distance:
200-300 miles
How you found us:
Fortunately, you found me. I began receiving NBG emails at the
office.
Why you want to do this ride?
I strongly believe in making lifestyle decisions around
environmentalism. We can choose where we live in proximity with where
we
work so that, over the course of our lives, we cause less damage. I
often
commuted to college classes and later to work via bicycle--here in
Cincinnati and for the years that I lived in Manhattan. If not, I use
public transportation. My last resort is our car--and realistically,
there
are times when it is necessary but I keep it to a minimum. Most days,
I
don't even see the car. As an artist, I want to make people more
aware of
the ability individuals can have to influence mass social trends. The
decisions we make for ourselves should be imagined as part of a mega
trend
and that millions will do the same, per my former professor Gary
Gaffney,
at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.
Your touring/cycling experience:
* 1997-Frankfort to Aschaffenburg, Germany via touring-rigged
Bontrager Race Lite; train to Marktredvitz; bike to Cheb, Karlovy Vary
(Karlsbad) and Prague, Czech Republic; Prague to Karlestien and back;
train
to Cheb; bike to Marktredvitz; train to Koblenz, Germany; bike to
Frankfort
along the Rhine River.
*
Hundreds of weekend or day trips in the Catskills, Connecticut,
New
Jersey, Long Island, Ohio, Georgia, Florida and Kentucky.
* Brian Head in Utah, off road via bike
* Completed "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" off-road trail near Lake Tahoe
and
via road from town back up mountains to beginning.
7 years of regional and national sport level MTB racing and
training
on the countless off-road trails in West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan,
Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, and Georgia.
* Raced "The Iceman Cometh" at Traverse City, MI (twice: 27 miles
point to point through the woods in 4+ inches of snow); 24 Hours of
Canaan MTB relay at Davis, WV (have helmet lighting systems).
National NORBA Races completed: Mt. Snow Vermont; Traverse
City,
MI (twice); Park City, Utah; Mammoth Mountain, CA; Helen, GA (twice);
Red
Wing, Minnesota; Seven Springs, PA; AMBA race at Snow Shoe, VW
Tell us about your bike.
* Bontrager Race Lite MTB tricked out for racing - American
Classic
hubs - Bebop pedals, etc. I took this one to Prague.
This bike has been outfitted with Jandd rear panniers for
touring.
Plenty of room for gear, water for 100 miles (not that I'd want to
carry
that much) communication devices, a mojo and a tent.
* GT Full suspension MTB tricked out for racing - American
Classic
hubs - Bebop pedals, etc.
* Trek late 1980s classic rigged road bike with Rolf wheels and
Bebop
pedals
* Original Tomac hard-tail frame -unbuilt to date
+Full support of Reser Bicycle Outfitters, my younger brother's
bike
shop (potentially one of his ripped and stylish Colnago bikes to use if
I
am especially kind to him this holiday season)
Describe your training regimen.
Currently, I commute to work and sometimes take the long way home
(over hills). Earlier when training for competition, I would ride six
to
ten miles per day off-road, which is like 30-50 miles on the pavement.
I
have some training secrets which I won't mention here. Of course, if
selected for the NBG relay, I would bump up the training a notch or
two.
Three hours of MTB racing each Sunday was pretty good training in
itself.
For nerve training, I went everywhere via bicycle in Manhattan. Try
schooling like a fish at top speed with all those cabs in the middle of
Seventh Avenue on a daily basis--road hazards included. ( On second
thought, don't do that!) When training, I ride night or day, in
temperatures from 95 to 10 degrees F, in mud, sun, rain, mud, snow,
frozen
mud, sleet, creek beds, frozen creek beds, tall grass, briars, . . .
did I
mention mud? Often seen training on the road from midnight to 2:am
just to
get in a few extra miles and escape summer heat.
How many miles do your ride a year?
It varies and I really never counted. I was too busy having fun.
Let's
guess, . . . currently about 1800. Before marriage it was about 3500
or so
both on and off road. What is that like, maybe 14000 road miles? A
lot of
GU and Powerbars, anyway.
Are you car free or Interested.
I lived for years after college in Manhattan without a car. I
really
respect those who choose to live that way-especially the Amish for
living a
very admirable lifestyle in general! Be aware that some of our oil
companies are busy using missionaries to trick indigenous peoples to
allow
the companies to poison their land and children--just to keep up with
our
national demand. (See the documentary film, "Trinkets and Beads" on
WORLD
LINK TV) I look for ways to offset fuel needs. I will NOT buy a
Hummer or
other large SUV! I look forward to fuels such as hydrogen. I drive way
less than probably 90% of all Americans, by choice. I prefer sailing
and
canoeing to motor boating.
How are you making time for this?
I would use my available vacation days from the office.
How many miles do you plan to ride in 2003?
I could easily log
1200
miles for no special reason, without even trying. If selected as a
rider,
I would increase that figure dramatically in training for the event. If
I
decided to resume MTB racing this year, I would rack up substantial
miles
every week.
What are your fears about doing this ride?
The usual whacked-out and self-righteous motorists or oil company
henchmen reading NBG reports and hunting me down during the ride?
Really,
I'm not afraid. I am confident in my preparations and that I would
make
the dates set. Preparations regarding gear should prevent any possible
mechanical reasons for not finishing (in MTB racing we are always self
sufficient). Physical problems such as leg burn are less probable as I
am
certain to include the proper nutrients in my diet.
Do you have any special skills?
Tenacity (a trait), writing,
photography, endurance riding are among my skills. My photos have been
published in several bicycle magazines.
Do you have any helpful friends for us?
My brother Jason (23) has a Bicycle shop. Others, I will surely
inform
you of as I make the time to identify them.
Affiliated bike club eMails:
KYMBA (Kentucky Mountain Bike
Association) general mailing list. See KyMBA.org Adventure Cycling
What other activities do you do?
I advocate for, design and build mountain bike trails in public
parks.
I promote environmentalism and consult for officials in city planning
relating to a number of social areas.
I was a chapter president for KyMBA for two terms and a delegate
to
the region-wide club.
Enjoyment: studying and playing Brasilian / west African rhythms,
sailing, fly fishing, painting, inventing, photography, architecture,
sociology, anthropology, history, my brasilian wife and our son, . . .
Your age: 41
Your occupation:
Graphic Designer, Production Director,
Brand/Identity
and Communications Design Consultant
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 | Restaurants, lodging and other support services will spring up along the Greenway, creating new jobs, and the structures that support these services will be designed to enhance the natural character of the Greenway. On some parts of the Greenway network, young people can find summer work transporting elderly and disabled people on bike taxis. Here, a bike shuttle service will also be available for transporting items that are inconvenient to be carried on a bicycle. |
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