Consumer protection gone crazy

A strange state of affairs has arisen because of the passing of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. (CPSIA) The act limits the amount of lead content in products intended for use by children under 12 years old.

This act has now left manufacturers of children’s bicycles facing a huge problem, because certain parts of kids bicycles do not comply with the less than 300 parts lead per million that the new law requires.

Where is the lead content in a bicycle you may ask? It had me puzzled. It is in the brass used in the tire’s Schrader valve. Apparently the new regulations will also limit the industry's use of recycled steel and aluminum; both of which may or may not at some time or other be contaminated with lead.

The Bicycle Product Suppliers Association(BPSA) an organization that looks after the interests of bicycle manufacturers, applied for exemption from this requirement with the Consumer Product Safety Council. (CPSA) The CPSA is responsible for enforcing this legislation.

Exemption was denied, but a temporary two year stay on enforcement was granted, to give the bicycle industry time to find an answer to this problem. Not a real problem, just one of bureaucratic making. The reasons given for denial by the CPSC was, and I quote:

We are compelled to deny the petition because the language of the statute does not give us the flexibility to do otherwise, even though our staff does not believe that lead exposure from using bicycles and related products presents a risk that they would recommend the Commission regulate.

The risk assessment methods traditionally used by the Commission in evaluating exposure to lead are no longer available to us under the CPSIA.

The BPSA was able to put forward scientific proof that a child riding a bicycle would be exposed to less lead than drinking regular tap water, or eating certain perfectly legal candy. No matter, the law it appears is inflexible, and it with take another Act of Congress to reverse it.

Also emphasized by the BPSA, that bike resellers such as Thrift Stores can’t comply with the new law because all used bikes have brass components. Dream Bikes, a Trek-sponsored nonprofit in Madison, faces the same problem.

It takes bikes away from the least privileged, and complicates the situation where a child outgrows a bike and the bike is sold or donated.

In the mean time the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association is facing extreme financial hardship. They have already spent their entire yearly budget of $100,000 in legal fees fighting not only this, but the ongoing New Jersey Quick Release ban.

Another prime example of our government in trying to protect us from ourselves, and in doing so creating more problems than they solve. And those of us from previous generations are left to wonder how we even made it thus far without all this protection

More reading on the subject in The Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. Also in these articles Overlawyered, and Bikes and Kids

Book Review: Ignore Everybody

I became a fan of Hugh MacLeod about two years ago when I stumbled on his website gapingvoid.com.

For those of you not familiar with MacLeod he is a cartoonist who draws cartoons on the back of business cards.

If you think that is a strange medium, it is, but it is original, and that has been part of Hugh’s key to success.

Hugh is definitely an inspiration to me, his success is self made, and he has undeniably paid his dues.

I was fortunate enough to get a pre-release copy of his book, (Release today.) Ignore Everybody: And 39 other Keys to Creativity. It is a must read for any artist, be they writer, musician, whatever.

For that matter anyone with a dream or idea, even a seemingly stupid idea like drawing cartoons on the back of business cards. Any budding entrepreneur starting a new business should read this book.

The title of the book Ignore Everybody is not meant to be taken literally; what it really means is ignore your critics. The naysayers who think you can’t possibly succeed. Here is an example of Hugh’s advice:

If your business plan depends on suddenly being “discovered” by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.

I sure could’ve used this advice as a teen. I used to walk around the streets of London carrying a guitar, thinking someone would discover me. I never even learned to play the thing properly, because I could tell Elvis didn’t really play, he had back up musicians.

Keep your day job

I know this is sound advice, for many years I had a day job and built frames in my spare time. Poverty not only sucks big time, it forces you to sell yourself short.

Hugh tells a story of how he was offered a book deal some years ago. He read over the contract, made some changes, and sent it back; he never heard from the publisher again.

The fact was Hugh MacLeod worked for an ad agency and had a good paying day job; he didn’t need the book deal on any terms. Now he has this book published by the Penguin Group; his patience was rewarded.

The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do from what you are not.

I can definitely relate to this. When I was struggling to get my business going in 1982/83 in Southern California, and was building custom frames; often a potential customer would come to me with frame specs or a drawing and ask, “Can you build me a frame like this?”

My answer was, “I can, but I won’t.” The reason was I knew a frame built to those specs would not handle as well as it should. The customer would not be happy and probably sell it; then there would be a bad handling bike out there with my name on it. My reputation as a curmudgeon enhanced my reputation as a framebuilder.

The best way to get approval is not to need it.

Again sound advice, like the last two quotes it is about sticking with what you believe in, and not compromising or selling out.

Remain Frugal

Good advice indeed for the artist or small businessman. Save for the lean times, because they will follow the abundant times as sure as night follows day.

Start Blogging

Use the Internet, although you make no money from blogging, it is free or relatively inexpensive, and you slowly build a following. Hugh MacLeod started his blog in 2001; gapingvoid now gets 2 million hits a month. He has a large enough following that he can sell limited edition poster size prints of his cartoons.

Ignore Everybody actually started out as a series of blog posts. The book is funny, Hugh’s cartoons are hilarious, and it is a step by step account of how someone can take a simple idea and see it through to fruition with determination and hard work.

Released in the US today June 11th, Ignore Everybody can be bought from Amazon.com, or from your local book store. In the UK it can be pre-ordered from W.H.Smiths, release there is not until 20th July

Hinault vs. Armstrong

Five times Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault (Pictured left.) was recently answering questions at a presentation in Montereau.

Hinault's comments were published in Velo-News, and he had this to say about Lance Armstrong’s chances in the Tour de France:

"I hope he will not be there. Is he afraid of France? Nobody forced him to come; he only has to stay at home. He cannot win the Tour. I hope Contador gives him a beating."

Lance immediately fired off a response on Twitter.

"What a wanker. Five Tour de France wins doesn't buy you any common sense."

This counter attack by Armstrong brought him support from some quarters, but also a large amount of criticism. Many said that Hinault was entitled to his opinion and didn’t deserve to be labeled a “Wanker” (Loser.) for expressing it.

My feelings were Bernard Hinault has always been known for speaking his mind, often in a negative manner. Lance Armstrong would have gained more respect by not following his lead.

A better approach might have been to say something like, “Bernard Hinault does not think I have a chance in the TDF.” Placed a link to the article, and left it at that.

Lance Armstrong fans would have immediately rallied to his defense, and at the same time his critics could not have faulted him. It would have been a win win for Lance.

Hinault has won the Tour five times, but Armstrong won it seven. Lance does not have to defend his abilities as a cyclist to anyone, even Bernard Hinault. But Lance Armstrong does not do himself any favors by referring to another former world class athlete as a “Wanker.”

There is a lesson to be learned here and one that I should pay attention to; I have not been above ranting here when I have felt I was criticized unfairly.

Ever since human kind learned to communicate with speech, man has opened his mouth and put his foot in it.

With today’s technology, email, blogs and Twitter, we can now put our foot in it globally. We all need to think before we hit send.

Old bike designs die hard

In my previous post I wrote how the High-wheeler or Ordinary bike influenced riding habits well into the next century. It also influenced frame design into the 1950s and 1960s.

If you look at the top picture you can see, due to the simplistic design of these old bikes, there was a limitation where the rider could be placed. I have drawn in red the three points of contact; the saddle, pedals, and handlebars.

With the steering almost vertical, the handlebars are directly above the pedals. If you can imagine on a modern bike if the handlebars were directly above the bottom bracket, they would be about where the nose of your saddle is.

So you can appreciate that if this were the situation, the rider would have to sit much further back. This was the case on the old ordinary bikes the riders were sitting much further back than we do today.

People do not like change, and as I mentioned in my last piece the cycling enthusiast did not take to the new fangled “Safety” bicycle immediately. It was necessary for those designing the new machine to place the rider in a position he was familiar with.

In the next picture I have drawn a safety bicycle superimposed on the ordinary. I left the saddle, pedals, and handlebars exactly where they were on the high-wheeler. By placing a front and rear wheels in the only logical place, and connecting all the dots, you can see we have a close approximation of a early safety bicycle.

This theory is confirmed by the photos below, showing two riders in almost identical positions; one on an ordinary and one on a “Rover,” the first safety bike.

The next picture below is of Ottavio Bottecchia's bike; an Automoto that he rode to victory in the 1925 Tour de France. In 25 or 30 years the handlebars have been moved forward and lowered, but the saddle position in relation to the pedals has remained as it was on the ordinary. The seat angle is about 68 degrees.

The picture below is of Louison Bobet’s French made Stella that he rode to his 1954 Tour de France win. The angles have become slightly steeper and the fork rake is shortened. However, look at where the nose of the saddle is in relation to the bottom bracket.

This was the way bikes were designed when I started racing in 1952. I was always told by my elders that I had to sit back in order to pedal efficiently. In time I questioned this because I am somewhat short in stature, and found when making maximum effort, I would slide forward and end up sitting on the nose of the saddle.

Studying photos of other riders I could see many had the same problem, this is what started me experimenting with frame design. Initially I was just looking to improve my own performance.

The problem has always been that in general, people who race bikes do not build them, and people who build bikes do not race them. And no one ever questions why certain aspects of design are the way they are.

The Language of the Internet

I am growing to hate the language of the Internet; I swear if I hear that I need to “Monetize” my website one more time, I will run screaming, (Possibly naked.) down my street.

I was being highly facetious when I posted the following on Twitter.

“My cat is licking its arse; how can I monetize my cat licking its arse?” Within less than a minute the answer came back. “Teach your cat to lick other arses.”

I thought that was priceless.

I like Twitter, it is a wonderful way to contact a lot of people in a fairly short time. Hopefully bringing more people to read articles here.

Of course, there an awful lot of people on Twitter pimping their services. Fortunately the great thing about this particular social group, you can "Unfollow" or "Block" someone with a simple click.

The Internet World has suddenly become laden with people bestowing grandiose titles on themselves, like “Internet Marketing Guru.” To me “Guru” is not a title you take up, it is one bestowed on you by others.

Since the economy turned sour, there is more spam on the Internet than a 1970s High School Cafeteria. People telling us we can make thousands of dollars from our computers.

Get real, if we could all make money sitting at home on our computers, the recession would be over; everyone would have an income.

Another way to look at it; if I found a way to make a million dollars, why would I spend time and money sending out spam emails telling others how they can do the same, and charging them money to let them in on my little secret?

Pretty obvious when you think about it, the way to make millions is to find some poor, desperate, down on his luck sucker and sell him some useless pyramid, or ponzi scheme, or some useless software program that promises to make him money.

Damn it, if I can’t help someone, I am sure as hell not going to rob them of what little money they do have. These people put out fake blogs telling how they a making a lot of money, or how they used some supplement to lose weight.

In many ways Internet users have grown to trust blogs, because they are usually written by ordinary folks, who have nothing to sell. The scammers are tricky; they will link their useless scheme to Google or some other trusted name.

The sad thing is when I do a Google search to find out if an offer is genuine; it brings up all the fake blogs telling how people are making money doing this; thus making it appear genuine.

Google Money Master is a good example, it looked good until I found this one buried on the second page.Why is Google not on top of this? Scammers are using their name to rip people off.

What triggered my suspicion about Google Money Master was that Google spends time and money fighting spam. I asked myself why they would send out a spam email promoting this product.

The old adage of “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” has never been more appropriate than it is now. Please don’t become a victim, don’t give out your credit or debit card number out to pay shipping on a free offer, only to find out they later charged $78 for the so called “Free” product a month or so down the road.

"Companies will pay you hundreds of dollars to sell their product as an Affiliate Marketer” (Another Internet Buzzword.) Companies will pay a commission for making sales, but how easy will it be to sell big ticket items to make the high commissions. Chances are you will make pennies, and the person giving you the leads will make the big bucks.

I placed advertising on this page last week, in an attempt to “Monetize” my blog. It made the page look crappy, and I made 97cents for the week.

That’s why you don’t see advertising here now apart from my own book, and even so that is linked to Amazon and Barnes & Noble’s, two trusted names.

I have not been immune to Internet hype entirely. When I joined Twitter about two or three months ago, I thought I had hit on a wonderful idea to promote my book. I believed all the talk that Twitter was this huge money making machine.

My plan was simple, I would give away free copies of my book, and people would Tweet about it, creating this tremendous buzz. (Or maybe a Tumultuous Twittering.)

I quickly found I may as well tried to give away a rabid pit bull, as a free book. Looking back who can blame people for being sceptical, with the free Acai Berry scams, etc. etc.

I soon realized Twitter is just another social network, its creators never really pretended otherwise. It was the so called Internet experts who made us believe it was this huge money machine. Like any social situation, people have to like you or they won’t socialize with you.

There is nothing wrong with a person promoting themselves or their business on Twitter; I have found some very interesting people, and some useful information and services there.

But please engage me in a little small talk, let me get to know you, before you ask me to jump in bed with you. Even if it is only a virtual bed, at least buy me virtual dinner.

The only sure way you can make money, at home, on a computer is by supplying a genuine service that someone is willing to pay for. In other words, freelance work or a job. Or by creating something people need or want.

While I may not be an Internet Marketing Expert, I did run a successful business in California during the 1980s. It was successful because I produced a quality product, and I promoted that product and myself.

The language and the method of promotion may have changed but it will still be those who portray an image of integrity who will gain respect and come out on top