We visited the legendary Jack Castor's home/museum last Sunday. And wow,
what a day. I had the fortune of getting a ride with Jack Nadeau over
the Coast Range hills that separate Half Moon Bay from Palo Alto, CA and
the SF Bay Area where I live. A long time Wheelman from back in the
early 70's, Jack made me forget about the fact that I was in a car (I
don't own one and rarely get in them) with his fascinating tales about
the hey day that the Wheelmen once enjoyed here in Northern CA. He also
talked about how big a part Jerry Grulkey once played in not only
getting him into HiWheels but in making sure many people knew about them
here in the West. What's more is the fact that Jack, now in his 60's,
is still riding the same tire that Jerry put on for him back when he was
a student at San Jose State 40 years ago!
By the time we got to Jack's place, Randy Mitchell was already there.
They were riding the velocipede and the ingo that Jack was demonstrating
for the San Jose Mercury News photographer who had heard we were going
be there and had come by to take pictures. Randy, also a long time
Wheelman, is a professor at San Jose State and still does work as a
professional stuntman; work that includes falling off buildings, bar
room brawls and other dangerous physical activities.
The other two bike zealots that were there were Tom Kabat and Matin
Gillis. Matin makes dome tents and the famous Grip Clip that keeps the
NBG Busycle safely covered and protected from the elements - see both
at Shelter Systems below. While Tom reinvents bicycles at
Woodenbikes.com, yes he even has his own design for a HiWheel bike that
makes use of a two by four. You can see that "machine" as his site below.
Once everyone had tried their hand at riding the world's fist bicycle,
the velocipede, a bike in which both wheels are the same size but you
pedal the front instead of the back, Jack led us down the small hill
from his house, trough a eucalyptus grove to the ocean's edge. From
there we biked on a smooth, flat path for a couple of miles into the
quaint town of Half Moon Bay. Our first stop was lunch. The sun shined
bright as we ate in the picnic gardens at the San Benito House in
downtown Half Moon Bay at 356 Main St. A sandwich shop, it was so
popular that 15 to 20 people were backed out the door the whole time we
were there.
The food was superb. The conversation was filled with stories and
laughter.
Soon Jack took us on a downtown tour of his small ocean side town of
16,000 people. Five or six blocks long, restaurants and art galleries
made up the bulk of the shops that lined the streets along our way. We
even went by the two cell jail house that has been long inactive.
As for the bikes themselves, I rode the 1887 Columbia Expert that Jack
crossed the US on in 44 days in 1984. Randy rode Jack's Edlee 53"
reproduction racer that weighs in at 28 pounds and Jack himself was
also on an Edlee. Jack Nadeau, Matin, Tom, all "played it safe" on
conventional bikes.
We got back to Jack's house and toured room after jam packed room filled
with antique bicycles and memorabilia. Tom Kabat's wife calls Tom's
bike collection 'Boyland' because there are so many junk bikes one can
use to reinvent the wheel. With wood. Using that as a reference point,
one would have to call Jack's home 'Bicycle Heaven' because the story
that every one of Jack's machines told reminded us an era when the
bicycle was the undisputed king of not only the road but people's
imaginations. It was then that the way had been long ago paved for
almost every two wheel innovation we see today.
WoW and Jack lives in and amongst such glory. This as he graciously
opened up his home for all of us to enjoy!!
See the photo essay at
http://www.nationalbicyclegreenway.com/gallery/JackCastorVisit
Learn more about the humble giant Jack is at:
http://www.bikeroute.com/HiWheelers
Shelter Systems http://shelter-systems.com
Busycle http://www.bikeroute.com/BusycleWestCoast
Wooden Bikes http://woodenbikes.com
Perfect love drives out fear - John 4:18
Martin Krieg "Awake Again" Author
2008 w/"How America Can Bike & Grow Rich"
http://www.bikeroute.com/HBGR
'79 & '86 TransAmerica Bike Rides
Coma, Paralysis, Clinical Death Survivor
NBG Founding Director, HiWheel Cyclist