Paying it Forward: The Po Campo Loop Pannier Winner!

Image source here

Voting for the Paying it Forward give away has officially wrapped up, and I am pleased to announce the winner. With the most popular story and receiving the most votes, Nanda is the winner of the Po Campo loop pannier. Congratulations, Nanda!! I will be in contact with you shortly to get shipping information so you can begin using your pannier as soon as possible.

To each of the participants, thank you so much for playing along and sharing your wonderful stories of both helping out others in need, and of those people who helped you out when you were in need. It was a treat to be able to read each of your stories.

A Quick Reminder - Paying it Forward Contest

Just a quick reminder that there are only a couple of days left to vote for your favorite entry in the Po Campo Paying it Forward giveaway. If you haven't already taken the time to vote, please do so here, and feel free to ask your friends to make their choice as well.

Thanks for playing along, and I'm looking forward to sending this off very soon!

Voting Time! Paying it Forward Po Campo Giveaway

UPDATE: I have been informed that some Internet Explorer users are unable to see the poll listed in this post. There are five entries up for vote, so if you do not see the poll, please feel free to leave your vote in comments and it will still be counted. The choices are:  Cecily, Leila, Amy, Michele and Nanda (three stories listed here, and two as prior posts). You are free to vote anonymously as well. Thanks.
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It's time to vote for your favorite entry in the Paying it Forward Po Campo giveaway! Because I couldn't decide among these entries, I've decided to leave it up to the voting public (or I suppose, visitors to the blog). You can vote for more than one entry, should you choose. If you haven't already, please take the time to read each of the stories (none are long, and each were quite concise in their tale, so it's a quick read). Voting will be counted through Saturday, August 20, 2011 - so spread the word and definitely vote for your favorite story.


Cecily's story:

"Last summer, I was riding home on the slight uphill to my apartment. I was merrily granny gearing along when I came upon some shattered glass. As I swerved to try to avoid it, my chain came off the chain ring.


Now, being a newbie, I was having a devil of a time trying to get the chain back on. Lots and lots of cyclists passed me by, but one guy who was on a road bike, in head to toe lycra, stopped to help me put my chain back on.


It was such a small thing, but it was meaningful, especially when you consider about ten other cyclists rode right past me, even though it was obvious I needed help."


Leila's story:
"A few months ago, I decided to take a little bike ride around my neighborhood. I hopped on my vintage 60s CCM Catalina only to find the front tire was totally flat. So I grabbed another bike and hit the road. Unfortunately my hem had torn and wrapped itself around my pedal arm, causing it to seize. I braked and tried to get off the bike but my foot was stuck and I ended up falling, really un-elegantly into the gutter. I wasn't hurt (unless you count pride!), but a car driver stopped and helped me get back on and made sure the traffic wasn't going to hit me while I was down. I thought it was a really nice gesture."


Amy's story:
"Last week, I got clipped by a car making a right turn into a parking garage. The car's rear end pushed me into a large traffic cone. It was my first time making physical contact with a car. In my shock, I didn't scream or hit the car. IT also happened at a relatively slow speed and when the car contacted my handlebars and my front brake arm (nto to mention my own arm!) there was a metallic clang of metal on metal. I instinctively turned my handlebars in the direction of the car and ended up pushed against a traffic cone. The car intended to continue without stopping, if it wasn't for another driver coming out of the garage who witnessed the accident. He proceeded to scream at her: "Hey you just hit that girl! [pause] You should at least say you're sorry." I only heard his side of the story since he was yelling. She didn't get out of her car or even roll down the window to apologize. When it became clear that she wasn't going to apologize, the other driver threw up his hands in exasperation: "Just go then!" He asked me several times if I was okay before we both took off on our separate ways. I really appreciated his help even though I wasn't injured and my bike wasn't damaged. I was in complete disbelief at getting swiped like that. I was so shaky when I got to my destination that a waiter there asked if I was alright. I would like to think the other driver thought she hit a traffic cone, but she had to pass me to make the right turn and didn't bother to check if she hit me. This was a case of a good driver/bad driver."


Thank you so much to all the participants! It's been fun to read your stories, and I look forward to sending off a lovely and functional pannier to one of you in the near future. Have a great week, and don't forget to vote.

Paying it Forward: Nanda's Entry

The Paying it Forward Po Campo giveaway is still in progress, and it's time to share another entry. Today's story comes from Nanda who shares an account that includes positives from both another cyclist and a driver of a horse trailer!

"I’ve been asking my awesome husband to tell this story all week, but he’s been too busy, so I am telling it for him…

Every Wednesday evening the local cycling kids host a popular, informal race ride on rural roads outside of our town, and the Husband participates each week. I usually take this time to do my own (albeit slower) ride, but with my ride ending at the same location as the race ride – when I time it right we finish a few minutes of each other and we can ride home together.

Two weeks ago, as I was riding up the very last hill on the way to the town limits and finish, one of his teammates rode up next to me to let me know that the Husband broke a spoke and would need a ride – this Teammate had abandoned the race and then chased me for 15 miles just to help out the Husband – giving up the chance to get any kind of gloating rights for the next week. We worked together to get up the hill at a somewhat faster speed then I would have been able to do on my own, and he stuck with me even when the racing group caught up to pass. I rode home, grabbed the keys to the truck and returned to pick up the Husband, arriving just in time to see him pull up as the VIP passenger of a horse trailer – these Equestrians had picked up the Husband from the side of a rural road and driven him in straw-bed comfort for almost 20 miles, just to safely return him and his bicycle to town limits.

Now, I ride my bike for work and for play, and have many interactions with cyclists and drivers in the course of any given week – and it was hard to pick which story to tell – a few weeks ago, a driver offered me a quart of Gatorade on a 90 degree day; last year, a pick-up truck stopped to help me out when another truck ran me off the road, but I like that both a cyclist and driver helped the Husband get home safely when he was in a bind many miles from home.

I've attached 2 pictures as well, one of my husband on an issue-free race ride and one of two of our bicycles parked at a street festival we once accidentally ran into while riding together and we stopped for street-festival food (yum)."  -Nanda

If you've been wanting and/or waiting to enter the Po Campo giveaway, you still have time to enter until Sunday, August 7 at midnight PST. Please see here for details, and e-mail your entry to endlessvelolove{at}gmail{dot}com no later than the date/time above.

Paying it Forward: Michele's Entry

The "Paying it Forward" Po Campo giveaway is still in progress (you can enter up until Sunday, August 7, 2011 at midnight PST - see here for details), but I thought perhaps a little bit of inspiration might be needed for others to share their stories. Odds are really good for winning at the moment, so take a chance and send yours on in.  Here is Michele's entry:

"I’m relatively new to the mountain biking world, but I’ve been seriously riding road bikes since 2001.  I think about all the people who helped get me where I am today and am very grateful! I couldn’t have done it without them.  On my first few rides, nice folk would sacrifice their own training goals to make sure I was ok if I couldn’t keep up.  They taught me the rules of the road and were encouraging during long rides when my legs were cramping and I couldn’t go any further.  I always made it home with their help.  Once I switched to mountain biking (after moving from Memphis to Atlanta), I was SO slow on the trails, tentative with roots, rocks, and log piles….but it was those awesome people who waited patiently for me that made me the rider I am today.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m no pro racer, but I enjoy racing my mountain bike and I surprise myself when I learn new tricks and defeat that previously impossible climb.

In turn, I’ve helped a lot of new riders out!  I’ve sacrificed my ride to go slow and show them which lines are better, I’ve taught them tricks to get over obstacles both physically and mentally.  On tough rides, I always carry extra food to give to those who are bonking and I make sure I have flat repair kits and other tools.  Just yesterday, I shared 20oz of precious water with a rider who ran out in the middle of nowhere—we still had at least an hour to ride.  I don’t expect anything in return, it just makes me happy when someone accomplishes something big with tips I shared with them.  Isn’t that what life’s about?" - Michele, Atlanta, GA

Thanks so much for sharing your story, Michele! As someone who has just recently tried mountain biking for the first time, I can appreciate this story tremendously.  

Do you have your own paying it forward story? If so, send your tale and/or photos to endlessvelolove{at}gmail{dot}com.

Happy Friday! Po Campo "Paying it Forward" Give-Away

Happy Friday! I hope all are enjoying a gorgeous day.  I always love a good give-away - but who doesn't? Today, is the start of a little contest I'm calling the "Paying it Forward" give-away. I've been fortunate on many occasions to have a stranger help me out, and I do my best to pay it forward when the time is appropriate. Maybe I'm feeling a little generous, or maybe it's just the thought of all the nice things people do every day without expecting anything in return, but I'm having a little contest of my own. The prize for the winner is a new Po Campo Loop Pannier in Chartreuse Poppy. Here are the details concerning the contest. If you would like to participate, please send in your story (including photos, if possible) to endlessvelolove {at} gmail {dot} com (please remove spaces and substitute the appropriate punctuation). Those who choose to enter should select one of the following categories...

Please tell readers and myself about a time when...

1) Another cyclist helped you out and expected nothing in return; OR

2) You helped out another cyclist and expected nothing in return; OR

3) You had a positive interaction with a driver while you were on your bicycle; OR

4) Rather than sharing a story (for those who aren't wordy), simply send in a photo that you think exemplifies what it is to be a courteous cyclist.

Depending on the number of entries received, I may select the winner myself, or post the stories (and photos) here on Endless Velo Love, and ask readers to vote for their favorite. If there are a large number of entries, I may choose finalists and post those, rather than posting every entry. As for any additional rules or stipulations, here they are:

1) You must reside (and have a mailing address) within the United States or Canada to win.

2) Anyone male, female, etc, may enter (I am limiting this to humans though - sorry dogs, cats, and other animals).

3) Participants may only enter one time, so choose your best story or photo.

4) By entering, you are granting permission for me to post your story online and utilize any photos sent.

5) Any taxes, etc for reporting purposes are the responsibility of the winner.

6) I reserve the right to add stipulations, should the need arise as the contest progresses.

7) Shipping will be paid by Endless Velo Love.

8) The contest is open from July 29 - August 7, 2011 at midnight Pacific Standard Time. Winner will be announced before August 21, 2011.

If you're interested in the specifics about this pannier, there was a great review posted online at Lovely Bicycle, some beautiful photos at This Girl's Bike, and information can also be found on the Po Campo website. I'm super excited to be able to give this Loop Pannier away to someone, and even more excited to hear stories and see photos from others. Please help spread the word! In the mean time, here are some photos.

*Please note: This contest is not sponsored by Po Campo or any other retailer or online source. It's simply a fun way to do something nice for another cyclist.