the wilcox family cyclists - Spokes Magazine

ON
COVER
THE
The Wilcox family of Olney, MD ranks cycling as their favorite
activity. Photo by Neil Sandler.
page 4
$4 A GALLON GAS. In a couple of years you’ll be wishing
it was that cheap.
My dad owned a gas station and I grew up pumping
the stuff. (Trust me when I tell you the leaded gasoline
smells sweeter than today’s unleaded. My wife
Sonja says my growing up sniffing gas explains a lot
about my personality.)
I remember how distraught everyone was when it hit
$1 a gallon in the late 1960s. But in the scheme of
things $4 gas is still really cheap.
Around the time gas hit a buck, my parents sold our
house and moved into an apartment. My sister Linda
and I had gone away to college. (Let that be a warning
to those of you young’uns getting ready to move
out of the family home. Sometimes, there’s no going
home.).
My dad boasted of the killing he was making selling
the three bedroom, one bathroom family Cape Cod.
He only paid $12,000 for it, and sold it for $32,000.
It was my dad’s best year in business (he had an Esso
station, and I still have the huge plastic oval Esso sign
hanging in our basement). He made almost $25,000
that year. Now, keep in mind, good ole Abe Sandler
worked seven days a week, and Sandler family vacations
were a long weekend in Atlantic City (some
years dad headed home early cause things weren’t
being run the way he liked).
RECUMBENT =
Comfort
PEOPLE ASK US
WHO RIDES RECUMBENTS?
We tell them avid cyclists
overcoming discomfort from a physical
condition, people coming back to cycling
for exercise who want more comfort,
and people that like to be different.
We welcome them all and try to help
them find the recumbent that
will get them out riding.
We’re fighting “oil addiction” with
human powered transportation.
Join the fight – park your car and
ride your bike.
bikes@vienna, LLC
128A Church St, NW Vienna, VA 22180
703-938-8900
www.bikesatvienna.com
COME TO OUR WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION
ABOUT OUR UNUSUAL PRODUCTS AND
CLICK USED BIKES FOR PHOTOS,
DESCRIPTIONS, AND PRICES OF
OUR PRE-OWNED BIKES.
So let’s make some comparisons. A house like my parents'
in our old neighborhood just sold for $170,000,
over five times what my folks sold their place for when
gas was a buck. A hard working, independent business
man today should earn at least $100,000 to $125,000 a
year, five times what my dad earned back then.
So what’s the big deal about $4 gas? To be on par, it
should be five bucks a gallon, not four.
Last night I took the family to a tiny local carnival for
kiddie rides, a couple of hot dogs and chicken platters.
It was over 60 bucks. When we went to the good
ole Allentown Fair—15 bucks covered the
whole night.
$4 gas. What’s the big deal?
Folks are just beginning to think about changing
their habits when it comes to gas consumption.
Now $10 a gallon gas. That will be something. If you
think your local bike shop is busy now, wait until it
hits $10 a gallon. Trust me, it’s not very far away. I can
smell it coming.
Happy Trails,
Neil Sandler
Editor & Publisher
TANDEMS =
Sharing
WHY RIDE A TANDEM?
It’s sharing the fun and experience with
a partner, a child, a parent, or a friend.
Sharing exercise, sharing adventure,
sharing the joy of accomplishment, and
creating a shared memory.
We sell and rent tandems because we’ve
shared these things and found that bicycling
can be even more fun when it is shared.
We’re fighting “oil addiction” with
human powered transportation.
Join the fight – park your car and
ride your bike.
bikes@vienna, LLC
128A Church St, NW Vienna, VA 22180
703-938-8900
www.bikesatvienna.com
COME TO OUR WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION
ABOUT OUR UNUSUAL PRODUCTS AND
CLICK USED BIKES FOR PHOTOS,
DESCRIPTIONS, AND PRICES OF
OUR PRE-OWNED BIKES.
Touring • Racing • Off-Road
Recreation • Triathlon • Commuting
SPOKES is published monthly eight times a year — monthly March
through September, plus one winter issue. It is available free of charge at
most area bicycle stores, fitness centers and related sporting establishments
throughout Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and parts
of Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia.
Circulation: 30,000. Copyright© 2008 SPOKES.
All rights reserved. No reprinting without the publisher’s written permission.
Opinions expressed and facts presented are attributed to the respective
authors and not SPOKES. Editorial and photographic submissions are
welcome. Material can only be returned if it is accompanied by a selfaddressed,
stamped envelope. The publisher reserves the right to refuse
any advertising which may be inappropriate to the magazine’s purpose.
Editorial and Advertising Office:
SPOKES
5911 Jefferson Boulevard
Frederick, MD 21703
Phone/Fax: (301) 371-5309
e-mail: spokesmag@comcast.net
JULY 2008
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Neil W. Sandler
CALENDAR EDITOR
Sonja P. Sandler
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Studio 22
www.studio20two.com
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