The Explanation Is Simple.

“Humans were meant to ride bicycles, or else we could never accomplish the feat. Scientists cannot explain how a bicycle stays upright. There are too many forces and variables. We can shoot a metal can across our solar system but there are not enough mathematical formulas to explain how a six-year-old child rides a bike. The explanation is simple. We already know how to ride bikes. We just need to remember it.

We never stop remembering how to ride a bike. When you become older and slower you can sometimes go faster than ever if you use everything you know about riding a bike.

It is always sweet for that reason, but never like the first time. Remember that first time. Remember how to ride. And remember, of course, how true it really is that we never forget how to ride a bicycle.” - Bill Strickland, editor-at-large of Bicycling magazine.

KVIBE will be open on Saturday, November 26th and resumes normal operational hours the following week. Take a moment to spend some time with family and friends this week. Please consider writing a brief passage about what bicycling means to you at the first ever Bicycle Poetry Contest, occurring via the facebook page. Headwinds!

The Poet is The Priest of The Invisible.

“When we see the messengers on that bike, that's just trust and balance. They just say, 'I'm coming at it. I don't care if the cars are going to swerve.' It's beautiful watching them on their bicycles. But we do that in our relationships. It's the same bike. We are continuing relationships through trust and balance." - Nikki Giovanni, Distinguished Professor of English at Virginia Tech and author of Bicycles Love Poems.

The written language is beautiful. The capacity to convey human emotions and sentiments through written word cements humans as intelligent creatures. For as long as the written word has existed, there has been poetry. Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning.

With a bicycle, a person may seek to venture outwards of their surroundings. With each new terrain, an appreciation of nervous beauty awaits. Discoveries make for the grandest of poems.

KVIBE is now hosting its first ever Bicycle Poetry Contest. All entries must be submitted via the KVIBE facebook page (box located at the lower left hand corner of this blog) and users may vote for their favorite(s) there. Top three bicycle poems will be posted on this blog. For more details, please visit the KVIBE facebook page.

"wind pushes into me, I am a sail for the wrong, direction - HEADWIND."

A Door Is Always Open If It Isn't Closed.

A bicycle is only a bicycle if a human operates it. Otherwise it is a triangular piece of steel, wheels, and other nifty bits. A bicycle’s nifty bits are simple to a seasoned cyclist but confusing to a novice. KVIBE aims to bridge the gap by providing the youth of Kalihi with the skills necessary to upkeep their own bicycles.

Twelve-year-old Harmony Sprain came to KVIBE to learn about bicycles. A recent transplant to Kalihi Valley, Harmony attends Dole Middle School. Faced with the onerous task of walking up and down the valley to get to school, Harmony approached the program to see if she could acquire a bicycle to expedite her commute.

On a Saturday afternoon Harmony learned how to release pedals, handlebars, change a tire and tube, and service several nifty bits of a bicycle. With the help of KVIBE volunteer Sergio Garzon, Harmony was given a hands-on tutorial of all the nuances for a bicycle to function. By the end of the day Harmony rode off on her bicycle with a plethora of bicycle knowledge.

Harmony’s bicycle was courtesy of a generous donation by an adult. Without generous contributions by the community, it would be difficult for KVIBE to provide bicycle education to Kalihi’s youth. Please consider donating to the program if it finds you well. Ride a Bicycle.