Greetings readers. I haven't posted in awhile but the reason is simple. I have been having one of my 'Design Funk Phases' and have spent many hours over the last several weeks re sketching as many designs as possible from my 'Rough Sketch' book onto my large pad. I had an awesome vision just a few days ago while struggling with what form I wanted my 'Buffalo Soldier' design to take. The vision was for a series of bicycles to be known as 'I' Bike'. Oh my!!!!! 'I'Bike is a process that incorporates the latest shock spring systems on mountain bikes and combines funk, simplicity, and 'Bling' decor into 'I' which stands for 'Intelligent'.
I am not talking about designing an actual mountain bike because the truth is that I really only focus on junior, youth and adult cruisers, Mountain bikes simply do not 'Float my Boat.' Large nubby tires, all the gadgets such as gear shifts, brake lines, unemotional themes and crappy bike names go against the principle reason why I design. That principle is simplicity * urban lifestyle + natural design ability = 'FUNK!' The 'I' Series has the thought process of the original Star Trek Series which is "To go, where no other bike Designer has gone before." As I said earlier in this article, I have been busy also re sketching most of my original designs. They say that Mozart never had to erase any of his sheet music while writing it because it was perfect and not in need of revising. Well folks, I can't claim that kind of genius with what I do!
One thing I am very conscious of is trying to make any of my designs 'Too Perfect' by re sketching them over and over and over again. What I have found out during this process is that if I find myself doing this, it is only because of 2 reasons. #1- There was no inspiration for the design to begin with. When I am truly inspired and not just doing 'Busy Work', the whole thing comes together in an 1 hour to 1 1\2 hours max. That includes everything from the rear wheel to the head badge, there is no 2nd guessing. #2- It is just a crappy design. Not because their was not any inspiration, but because my concept, at its' root was wrong.
A counter argument to what I just said could go like this "If something is going to be great, alot of work HAS to go into it." I agree with that mostly, but remember this one thing, "Inspiration never has to be worked on, it just comes when it will and stays as long as it chooses." (That quote came from me!)
I was recently in a local Wal-Mart and I saw a dirt bike design that is known by the name Hoop-D(See attached Picture). I will not say who manufactured it but I had to laugh! The design was marginal but it proves what I have been communicating to all of you on this blog. Manufacturers are missing the point. I believe that calling this bicycle a Hoop-D was their attempt at 'Being Cool'. What they have to understand is that when they attach an Urban Slang term to their bicycles, the least that they can do is not only know the word's true meaning, but understand the impact on the consumers thought process! Manufacturers, Hoop-D means "Piece of crap!" Sorry for the swear word but there was no other way to communicate this. A person uses the word Hoop-D (at least where I come from) to express dissatisfaction with what they are riding or driving.
A Hoop-D is usually on it's last leg, about to break down and get this, any person who calls what they ride or drive this term will exchange it in a minute when something better comes along. I have over 100 designs and I must say that Hoop-D is one name I will never use on any of my products! Nobody sets out to drive or ride a Hoop-D, it is just something that life throws at them because they can't do any better. That word promotes under achievement in my opinion. The great thing is that one of the reasons I started this blog was not to criticize but to clear up such seemingly small things that could have a huge impact on the Urban Consumer and the way they view bicycle design.
Manufacturers, email me or comment on my page and I can give you some urban terms that will not only be cool, but very relative to your Urban Consumers. I have already used 100 such terms on my designs! Instead of Hoop-D, why not name your design 'Woom-Tee' which is short in urban areas for 'Woom-Tee-Woomp'. This expression is used in urban areas to mean the same thing Jerry Seinfeld means when he says 'Yada-Yada'. Both these terms are slang for etc,etc. Come on yall!?
A Hoop-D is usually on it's last leg, about to break down and get this, any person who calls what they ride or drive this term will exchange it in a minute when something better comes along. I have over 100 designs and I must say that Hoop-D is one name I will never use on any of my products! Nobody sets out to drive or ride a Hoop-D, it is just something that life throws at them because they can't do any better. That word promotes under achievement in my opinion. The great thing is that one of the reasons I started this blog was not to criticize but to clear up such seemingly small things that could have a huge impact on the Urban Consumer and the way they view bicycle design.
Manufacturers, email me or comment on my page and I can give you some urban terms that will not only be cool, but very relative to your Urban Consumers. I have already used 100 such terms on my designs! Instead of Hoop-D, why not name your design 'Woom-Tee' which is short in urban areas for 'Woom-Tee-Woomp'. This expression is used in urban areas to mean the same thing Jerry Seinfeld means when he says 'Yada-Yada'. Both these terms are slang for etc,etc. Come on yall!?
I recently received and email from a VERY HOT bicycle company called 3gbikes.com. Please visit there website because out of all the bicycles I have seen, 3G is closer to 'The Funk' than any of their nearest competitors. Gary Silva sent me this design which is named in honor of Marshall 'Major' Taylor. He said 'Check out our latest design' and invited me to give feedback so I am assuming he works at 3G. My feedback is this. From an aesthetic standpoint, it could definitely be more 'Urban' and with just a few tweaks, it could be funky! Nevertheless,this design is what I mean when I use the word 'Provolution' which is bringing the best of the past forward to the present and carrying that ideal into the future. This bicycle hearkens back to the late 1800's and early 1900's when there were no gear shifts and racers rode single speed bicycles in races.
I also made the suggestion to Gary to include some sort of collateral material with this bicycle educating the masses on who Major Taylor was and his contributions to the sport of Bicycle Racing. This design is very nice, elegant, but yet simple. The Head badge is an exercise in 'Funk' and to top it all off, this design doesn't have alot of 'Clutter' on it. Gear shifts, hand brakes, wiring, derailleur and many other gadgets that ad clutter, but not alot of funk.
What if 3G is the company who has the 'Mojo' to take 'Funked Out' design to the market place? I believe that they absolutely can if they just sit back, close their eyes and imagine what is it that can capture the minds of the 100.2 million people of color in this country!
Yes, chopper style bicycles can do it, but not in their present form. Yes Beach Cruisers can do it, but not doing it like everyone else does it. Yes dirt bikes can do it, but not using the industry standard thought process of design. Urban Youth don't just want something to ride, they want something that will make all of their friends sit up, take notice, and say 'Dang, that bike is ignorant kid!' Remember, it is all about the Floss.
Thanks Gary, Kudos 3G for bringing 'Provolution' to the market place and readers, please visit 3G at http://www.3gbikes.com/
Update:
After further investigation I have found out that Gary Silva isn't merely a designer at 3G but is the owner! I also saw that they have a series of designs that are called 'Chopper Lite'. I must say that 'I saw the funk at 3G and it is good.' While the designs on their home page are marginal, please go to their 'Press' page of the website and check out their Chopper Lite Series-WOW. 3G also has a 'Stepper' series and it is different and innovative. I am wondering why Silva doesn't show case these new designs on their home page somewhere. Silva has been in the bicycle game alot longer than me so I am sure he has his reasons.
I saw a movie about the 1st black race car champion driver a few years back that starred Richard Pryor called 'Greased Lightning'. It is the story of America's 1st black race car champion Wendell Scott. This was recently brought back to my attention by an advertisement for this same movie that is to come on TV-One this Saturday. I brushed up up my history of this great sports hero by doing a little research and again, this man and his story fits neatly into what I am doing with the Marshall Taylor Project. Scott was the 1st, and only African-American then and only, to date to accomplish this great feat! He won dozens of races during long and storied career and one NASCAR Event and finished in the top ten an amazing 147 times. This feat was so admirable because he was always working on a very tight budget, didn't have the best pit crews and numerous other challenges because no one really wanted to sponsor a black Race Car driver.
Like Marshall 'Major' Taylor, he had to contend with racism but he overcame the odds. Like Taylor, one of his wins was snatched from him by the judges awarding the win to one of his well known white rivals during an event. NASCAR did do the right thing a few days later by reversing the decision of the judges after irrefutable evidence of Scott's win. Scott, like Taylor many years before him had to overcome the many obstacles that went along with being the 1st and only black in a major sport to compete. There were racers who wanted him to fail at every turn and even conspired to bring about his failure but he kept on pushing and experienced great success as a stock car driver!
Pioneering blacks in American sports were men of vision and one thing they all shared in common was a love for their chosen sport and the will to succeed despite incredible odds. I marvel at the likes of Tiger Woods, Major Taylor, Wendell Scott, Jack Johnson, Arthur Ashe and others were true visionaries within the black community. After you read this, I want all of you to take a moment to reflect and research the careers of some of the African-American community's greatest and least talked about sports heroes. Without them, the groundwork for the mega sports stars of today would never have been laid and more importantly, the can do attitude of an entire community may never have existed! PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW FOR MORE OF SCOTT'S STORY.
http://www.legendsofnascar.com/Wendell_Scott.htm
Like Marshall 'Major' Taylor, he had to contend with racism but he overcame the odds. Like Taylor, one of his wins was snatched from him by the judges awarding the win to one of his well known white rivals during an event. NASCAR did do the right thing a few days later by reversing the decision of the judges after irrefutable evidence of Scott's win. Scott, like Taylor many years before him had to overcome the many obstacles that went along with being the 1st and only black in a major sport to compete. There were racers who wanted him to fail at every turn and even conspired to bring about his failure but he kept on pushing and experienced great success as a stock car driver!
Pioneering blacks in American sports were men of vision and one thing they all shared in common was a love for their chosen sport and the will to succeed despite incredible odds. I marvel at the likes of Tiger Woods, Major Taylor, Wendell Scott, Jack Johnson, Arthur Ashe and others were true visionaries within the black community. After you read this, I want all of you to take a moment to reflect and research the careers of some of the African-American community's greatest and least talked about sports heroes. Without them, the groundwork for the mega sports stars of today would never have been laid and more importantly, the can do attitude of an entire community may never have existed! PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW FOR MORE OF SCOTT'S STORY.
http://www.legendsofnascar.com/Wendell_Scott.htm
On last night I watched a movie that detailed the life of Rock Star Jimi Hendrix who was big in the 1960's rock scene. Unfortunately, as is the case with to many famous rock stars in the past 40 years, he died of by smothering himself in a drug induced sleep. He said something in the movie very profound. That statement was "Fame and happiness don't seem to be the same thing, I'm missing something." Jimi seemed to be what we would refer to as eccentric. His thought process had him on a whole other level than most of the rock stars of his time and he was named the #1 Guitar player in a list of top 100 of all time.
Because Jimi was doing something very different than any other African-American artist at the time, he was the subject of much ridicule from many blacks. He was called a 'Sell-Out' and many other negative things because of his style. I can never tell any of you how much this type of labeling infuriates me! I won't go into that because that particular issue isn't relevant to this blog, but what I will say is that all of you may not fit into the nice little box that those people around you try and put you in. To you I say, be like who God made you to be (God didn't make any of yall to be drug addicts and don't bother with the 'Weed is from the Earth argument). It may be an eccentric, you may do some things that others will find strange and ultimately ridicule you for. Do not be discouraged, be encouraged with the thought of, "Wow, I am a pioneer!" Although Marshall Taylor was idolized in his day by many blacks, there were those that thought he 'Didn't know his place' much like Jimi Hendrix.
Again, I was fascinated by the fashions that Jimi wore and was known for, in his honor, I am working on a design with psychedelic colors and various materials for a high fashion look. I may even design some rims with funked out colors instead of staying within the chrome arena. My project is coming along with the recopy of all of my designs on a large sketchpad. Unfortunately, some of my early designs won't be recopied and I am just going to put them in a vault because after giving it a 2nd look, I realize that those particular designs just aren't as funky as I originally thought. I have just finished drawing all my handle bar 'Samples' and Rim design samples and next up are the sprocket and pedal samples. I am so excited today because as I keep sketching, I again realize how many years I have missed out on because unlike Jimi, I listened to the crowd and tried to fit in. Don't be like me!
Because Jimi was doing something very different than any other African-American artist at the time, he was the subject of much ridicule from many blacks. He was called a 'Sell-Out' and many other negative things because of his style. I can never tell any of you how much this type of labeling infuriates me! I won't go into that because that particular issue isn't relevant to this blog, but what I will say is that all of you may not fit into the nice little box that those people around you try and put you in. To you I say, be like who God made you to be (God didn't make any of yall to be drug addicts and don't bother with the 'Weed is from the Earth argument). It may be an eccentric, you may do some things that others will find strange and ultimately ridicule you for. Do not be discouraged, be encouraged with the thought of, "Wow, I am a pioneer!" Although Marshall Taylor was idolized in his day by many blacks, there were those that thought he 'Didn't know his place' much like Jimi Hendrix.
Again, I was fascinated by the fashions that Jimi wore and was known for, in his honor, I am working on a design with psychedelic colors and various materials for a high fashion look. I may even design some rims with funked out colors instead of staying within the chrome arena. My project is coming along with the recopy of all of my designs on a large sketchpad. Unfortunately, some of my early designs won't be recopied and I am just going to put them in a vault because after giving it a 2nd look, I realize that those particular designs just aren't as funky as I originally thought. I have just finished drawing all my handle bar 'Samples' and Rim design samples and next up are the sprocket and pedal samples. I am so excited today because as I keep sketching, I again realize how many years I have missed out on because unlike Jimi, I listened to the crowd and tried to fit in. Don't be like me!
I was recently meditating on the sheer magnitude of what it is I envision doing with this project. What an enormous burden to resurrect such a great icon from yester year as Marshall 'Major' Taylor. The burden of resurrecting a legacy of a forgotten sports hero should be handled very delicately and not rushed into without thinking of all the ramifications. I have personally read the Autobiography written by Major Taylor himself and the biography written by Andrew Ritchie withmajthe help of Taylor's daughter, Sydney (named after Sydney, Australia where Taylor was treated with the utmost respect and color wasn't an issue) in 1988.
Taylor's Autobiography, written with his own pen, presents a man that had many struggles on the Bicycle Race Track because of his race. Although the book, titled 'The Fastest Bicycle Racer in the World', was poorly written, through the pages of his book, I found him to be a very dignified man whose ceaseless focus was to overcome all obstacles thrown in his way regardless of the personal cost to him. He rarely spoke of his family or how his post racing days affected his outlook on life. A broader more objective look was given to Taylor by Andrew Ritchie in his 1988 Biography of Taylor called "The Extraordinary Career of a Champion Bicycle Racer." After alot of research that stretched from the United States to France and Australia, interviews with Taylor's only child, Sydney, I gained much more appreciation for Taylor than I derived from his own writings. Taylor's writings, while a few struggles with other riders were mentioned, painted a very rosy picture of his career while Ritchie's writings gave much more detail.
What I found of particular interest in Ritchie's book that Taylor never addressed was around 1907-1910 when Taylor's career was winding down and he no longer was the best of the best (age started to catch up with him) how he struggled and felt incredibly insecure about not making as much in prize money as he used to and his worries (indicated in letters to his wife Daisy) about wanting to buy his wife nice things but he could no longer do so because he wasn't winning as much as he had just 4 years earlier. After his 2nd retirement from racing in 1910, he really struggled to adapt because he was no longer traveling the world and was forced to be at home with his family. He started getting depressed and would isolate himself, within his house, from his wife and daughter.
I said all of that to say this, my project of presenting Marshall Taylor to the world is going to present the man as dignified, driven, a pioneer, and as the greatest African-American sports hero of all-time. Taylor did something no other African-American in the history of the world had done, become a World Champion Bicycle racer which was an all white sport at the time, he integrated a major sports team (bicycle racing) at a time when integrating anything in this country was unheard of! Marshall Taylor Bicycles is going to do what no other bicycle company has done, that is to totally capture the inner-city consumer through bicycle design and decor that speaks directly to their culture. It will be done with the class and dignity that personified the man, Marshall 'Major' Taylor.
Wikipedia.com is on online encyclopedia that can give you a lot of information on various topics that range from Celebrities to animals. Pretty much anything you want to know about whatever you want to know can be found there with a simple search. During one of my “Think Tank” moments online, I went to the site and typed in the Name Marshall Major Taylor and the Greatest Bicycle Sprint champion of all time pops up! What makes Wikipedia really cool is that anybody anywhere can edit almost anyone’s information at any time. Correct information isn’t something that necessarily has to be present for you to edit. I went to Taylor’s page and did something that is really cool.
There is a place on the bottom where you can ad sites and\or links to drive traffic anywhere you want it to go. I put this blog address as the 3rd link on Taylor’s page! Anyone who goes to the bottom of his biography will see this blog address. If you type in any famous person’s name in Google, Wikipedia is always in the top 5 or 6 search results which makes this a very cool promotional tool (although Wikipedia discourages promoting anything on their site).
My end in mind here is to drive traffic to my blog and to begin a discussion about the truly enormous contributions of this forgotten American Sports hero. Taylor did things in bicycle racing that had never been done, all the while defending himself against racism in a white dominated sport. His hunger and passion for Bicycle Racing made him THE biggest draw in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s worldwide. He was the Michael Jordan of his day. A Champion many times over all over the world, received product endorsements, integrated a once segregated sport and was the wealthiest athlete of his time!
Part of my vision for Marshall Taylor Bicycles is to not only bring recognition to Major Taylor, but to bring worldwide recognition to all of the forgotten athletes of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Athletes like George Dixon, the 1st African-American boxing champion in the world who captured the Bantam Weight boxing title in 1898. When my bicycle company gets to a place where we have product in stores, a small booklet of these athletes and their contributions will be packaged with the bicycle as an educational tool to bring the recognition that is deserved to these forgotten athletes. The world needs to hear and honor these once great athletes because what we all have to remember is that they laid the groundwork for success in athletics for the athletes today. Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Evander Holyfield and others. Recognize that without people like Taylor, there would be no Shaq or Kobe.
To better understand exactly what he did, let us take Tiger Woods as an example. As was professional cycle racing in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, golf is and was a white dominated sport.
Tiger Woods came on the scene in about 1997 and did things that not only had no other black golfer did, he did things no golfer, period, had done. Taylor’s career and Tiger Woods career have many parallels. Along with the passing on of The Green Jacket at The Masters, the winner of this prestigious golf tournament is allowed to pick what will be served at the banquet after the tournament is over, a once famous golfer named Fuzzy Zeller said about Tiger “There won’t be any watermelon and fried chicken served at The Masters. Tiger has suffered racism as the lone representative at the top of his sport. Major Taylor suffered such insults and much worse! He beat a guy so bad in a race one time that the guy choked him into unconsciousness; he couldn’t stay at hotels like everyone else either. Yet, he pushed on. Let us all learn from the life of Major Taylor and strive against incredible odds to complete the task in which you feel you were born to complete!
There is a place on the bottom where you can ad sites and\or links to drive traffic anywhere you want it to go. I put this blog address as the 3rd link on Taylor’s page! Anyone who goes to the bottom of his biography will see this blog address. If you type in any famous person’s name in Google, Wikipedia is always in the top 5 or 6 search results which makes this a very cool promotional tool (although Wikipedia discourages promoting anything on their site).
My end in mind here is to drive traffic to my blog and to begin a discussion about the truly enormous contributions of this forgotten American Sports hero. Taylor did things in bicycle racing that had never been done, all the while defending himself against racism in a white dominated sport. His hunger and passion for Bicycle Racing made him THE biggest draw in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s worldwide. He was the Michael Jordan of his day. A Champion many times over all over the world, received product endorsements, integrated a once segregated sport and was the wealthiest athlete of his time!
Part of my vision for Marshall Taylor Bicycles is to not only bring recognition to Major Taylor, but to bring worldwide recognition to all of the forgotten athletes of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Athletes like George Dixon, the 1st African-American boxing champion in the world who captured the Bantam Weight boxing title in 1898. When my bicycle company gets to a place where we have product in stores, a small booklet of these athletes and their contributions will be packaged with the bicycle as an educational tool to bring the recognition that is deserved to these forgotten athletes. The world needs to hear and honor these once great athletes because what we all have to remember is that they laid the groundwork for success in athletics for the athletes today. Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Evander Holyfield and others. Recognize that without people like Taylor, there would be no Shaq or Kobe.
To better understand exactly what he did, let us take Tiger Woods as an example. As was professional cycle racing in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, golf is and was a white dominated sport.
Tiger Woods came on the scene in about 1997 and did things that not only had no other black golfer did, he did things no golfer, period, had done. Taylor’s career and Tiger Woods career have many parallels. Along with the passing on of The Green Jacket at The Masters, the winner of this prestigious golf tournament is allowed to pick what will be served at the banquet after the tournament is over, a once famous golfer named Fuzzy Zeller said about Tiger “There won’t be any watermelon and fried chicken served at The Masters. Tiger has suffered racism as the lone representative at the top of his sport. Major Taylor suffered such insults and much worse! He beat a guy so bad in a race one time that the guy choked him into unconsciousness; he couldn’t stay at hotels like everyone else either. Yet, he pushed on. Let us all learn from the life of Major Taylor and strive against incredible odds to complete the task in which you feel you were born to complete!
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