Arkel Co-Sponsors Biking/Advocacy Book Event At World's Biggest Bookstore (Portland, Or)

Joe "Metal Cowboy" Kurmaskie has been a journalist for 25 years and a performer since just after he came out of the womb. He's been a contributing writer to Bicycling Magazine, Details, Men's Journal and Prevention Magazine. He worked as an editor for an AP newspaper, before becoming and author and entertainer (mostly so he could sleep in late.) His bestselling books: Mud, Sweat and Gears, Metal Cowboy, Riding Outside The Lines, Momentum Is Your Friend and You Might Be A Cyclist If… have not been banned by the conservative right… yet. His work has appeared in Details, USA Today and The SF Chronicle. He reviews books for The Oregonian and is a educator for Literary Arts Inc and as a writer in residence at Portland State University. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife Beth and his four boys, Quinn and Lorenzo, Matteo and Sawyer. They attempt, without much success, to grow webbed feet during the "wet" season.

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Powell's City of Book hosted a standing room only event to kick off the new year. Portland being the No. 1 bike community in the USA, that event showcased Cadence Press author and alternative transportation pioneer Mia Birk - Mia offered up a lively slide show, and advocacy discussion and Q&A centered around her new book Joyride: Pedaling Toward a healthier Planet ( which you can order directly from our website) Joyride is a wonderful, triumphant story of how one person can turn a city into a biking mecca. It's a blueprint for creating scalable, bike friendly places all over the world, without being a dry, wonky read - it's funny and personable and in paperback so cyclists won't weigh down their Arkel bags.

It was a room packed with cyclists and supporters, including many Arkel dealer bike shops - notably River City Bicycles and The Bike Gallery. Arkel raffled off one of our Shopper Bags and gave promotional coupons for our website to everyone in attendance. Come out to a future Arkel sponsored event in your area - we'll post them on the website - and get great bike related programs/shows, chances to win our products and our our special website promotions- not to mention meet a bunch of other great cyclists.

Joyride's publisher is none other than our own Joe Metal Cowboy Kurmaskie - Arkel spokesman for more than a decade and evangelic supporter of Arkel. He'll be roaming the country in 2011, hosting events and getting our name and products out to the world. Look for him, or at the very least, you've been warned.