NewsArticleBody
What Does John Borchardt Do On a Friday? Shoot TV ads in bullrings with Orson Wells as a neighbor!
AS A broadcast producer for a large advertising agency in Minneapolis, travel is a big part of my job. While many of our commercials are shot in Hollywood and New York, many are not. I’ve been fortunate to see a good part of the world.
As an avid cyclist all my life, riding while out on production was always a problem. Hauling my road bike around was difficult, time consuming, and expensive. I read a short article about this new bike company in Eugene, OR called Green Gear Cycling, and their amazing little high quality, custom built bikes. The best part? They were designed to fit into a standard suitcase. I did some research, made a couple phone calls, and a few weeks later had my own New World Tourist. It was July of 1994.
Since then I’ve put over 20,000 miles on my bike-in-a-box; worn out and replaced the wheels, derailleurs, many chains, all the gears, and even the case. But I’ve never had a structural or mechanical problem on the road. This is one durable machine. There have been a couple modifications over the years, including an oversized chain ring and V- brakes, which are now available on newer models. I’ve thought about trading it in for a new bike Friday, but just can’t justify parting with such a fun, dependable and important travel partner that I know so well. It’s as comfortable as old shoes.
The design of this bike makes it very manoeuvrable. Perfect for navigating the streets of New York City. Yet the gearing of this bike makes it plenty fast on the way up to Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway. Weather on the dirt roads of Johannesburg, South Africa or the cobblestone streets of London, this bike handles any terrain as well.
It’s a great way to get around the set when we’re filming, and an even better way to get away from the action when we’re done. I get looks and I get smiles, but what I really enjoy getting is “Wow” after someone’s taken a test ride. Riding on Friday is the best day of the week.
The attached picture was taken in the center of the bullring in Rhonda, Spain. We were on location in this bullring shooting a commercial for an insurance company. The spot required a real matador, but no animals. The famous actor Orson Wells owned a villa in Rhonda, and his cremated remains were sprinkled in the center of this historic arena ...
Write to John Borchardt: J2904 at aol dot com Arden Hills, MN
John gets a nice new Bike Friday Headbadge for his old faithful for submitting this What Do You Do On A Friday? story. Send yours to bfclubs at bikefriday dot com
RELATED LINKS
Classic Friday - an oldie but a goldie!