The world's tallest bicycle, in Cuba, needs a few chains...
 

The builder and owner of this bicycle, which is 10 meters tall, needs some chains so he can finish and ride the bike and gain a Guinness World Record.

See the video dated Sept 15th, 2016, at:
A Cuban man built the world's tallest bike, but can't get it in the Guinness Book of World Records ? Quartz

I assume he needs the wider old size of chains.

I have no idea how to contact him. :-(

Cheers,

Chris Green.

Did Canada Go Along with the US Embargo of Cuba?

No actual photos of the tall bike?

How much is he planning to ride it? I'd think he should be able to splice together used chains for the cost of scrap metal.

I'm the only one to think that frame will flex a looooooooot?

No, there were never the same kind of travel restrictions. In fact when Easterners needed to go to Cuba for things like the Pan Am games, they'd fly to Montreal to catch flights to Havana.

The other major North American gateway to Cuba was Cancun MX, from which there were a decent number of daily flights.

If I knew what he needed and could find a way to get them to him cheaply I could probably solve his problem.

Edit: I just emailed the writer offering to help, and await information. Maybe we can make this happen.

No, we didn't. It has always been fairly easy for Canadians to visit Cuba, and to some extent for "more privileged"... or luckier... Cubans to come here.

Count me in on that, FBinNY. I can chip in some money, if not much else at this time.

I have decided one of my 'next year' goals is to get into good enough shape and ride across Cuba. :-)

Add: Puerto Rico would be a great bike touring spot as well. I'll save that for later... :-)

Chris Green.

I already have his contact info, and will reach out to him through a Spanish speaking cycling friend in Mexico, to find out what he needs, then we can figure out the logistics. Depending on the timing, I might be able to recruit a burro (we don't call them mules in this context) to take the chains from Cancun to him in Cuba, or at least to someone in Havana, then he can work it out from there.

As I have more info and specifics, I'll keep this thread updated.

How did the embargo affect international companies? For example, I think AMC used to have a big Canadian factory.

I can't answer that.

I want to point out that a person on a Facebook mountain biking group turned me onto the Cuban Mountain Biking Club page 2 days ago. Check it out at:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008839487936

A warning about the choice of audio tracks for the videos this group posts: Trash Grunge music in English. I was expecting some hip Cuban music.
Nope.
You might want to turn the volume down on the vids if you're not a fan of it... and keep in mind it can take them 2+ hours to upload a video onto the net...

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008839487936

Do all Cubans like to ride really tall bikes like that, or just him?

he builds them, but only Cuban giants ride them.

If he builds one tall enough, he could ride it across the ocean 90 miles to Florida and not get his feet wet.

How is this project coming along? Tall azz bike hope he got it into the book,,,,,

It seems that it's moving. A small group is in touch with Felix, and were waiting on him to tell us what his needs are. Once we know that, we're all set to provide it to him for free. We even know people going to Cuba, and can deliver, though he might have to get to Havana to pick the stuff up. (that's still up in the air).

For some reason I thought Felix was in Havana... Where does he live?

I don't really know. I believe that he at least lives near Havana, if not in the city. We haven't gotten to discussing delivery arrangements. He's still making up his list of needs.

One step at a time.

Unfortunately, My Spanish is limited, so I'm communicating with him through a friend in Merida, MX.

A Cuban Mountain Biking club -perhaps the only one?- posts on the International Mountain Biking Facebook page as Sancti Spiritus Mtb, named after the city the club calls home:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2209...78240900271186

Sanctu Spiritus Mtb's FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php...487936&fref=nf

People in the IMBA page have been collecting bike tools and parts for this group. I'm not sure how they are getting this stuff to them...

Anyhow, if you happen to get there, there's an open invitation from them to ride the trails around their city... :-)

I like it , they have a good riding trails and mountains complete with vipers,,,, wonder if they get any tourist guests to ride with them I'd go,,,,

They did have an open invitation to mtn bikers to join them on the IMBA FB page a few weeks ago. So you might want to pick up a decent back pack... :-)
One guy who went down there last year or this spring took a second hand mtn bike with him to ride when he toured about the country. End to end, I think... At the end of the trip he simply gave the bike to a very surprised passer-by, someone who turned out to be a good rider. :-) I suspect it would cost more to air-ship a bike home to the USA or Canada than it costs...

Add: Tomorrow, (if I remember) , I'll contact the Canadian Embassy in Cuba to see if they can help facilitate deliveries of stuff to our colleagues. :-)



CJHG.

Yeah I went to their page,, I'm in New Orleans and I think there are going to be flights to Cuba from here ,,,,

I'm a licensed scaffolder and anything over 3 meters must have hand rails, over 6 meters is the death zone. I hope he doesn't drop it :twitchy:

Well Ol Fidel finally kicked the bucket,,,, wonder if things are gonna change for these guys,,,,maybe make things easier,

It will change, somewhat slowly at first: the ideal "evolution" would be that individual Cubans retain a lot of control over who and what they allow into the nation from outside.... [Add: I mean keep out the GMO sellers and makers... or certain herbicide and pesticide companies like Monsatan...]

On this Tall Bike topic, I just learned return airfare from Vancouver to Havana is a measly $560.31 CAD from one air carrier... add in air and landing taxes, and whatever else, of course.... It's a 5 or 6 hour nonstop flight...
I don't have a passport (yet) but would like to go down there if possible and if my health gets better instead of worse... :-(

I'm looking forward to having "real" coca cola, and a Cuban cigar... even if I did quit smoking 13 months ago... (Cuban cigars in Cuba don't count... my drummer and his wife went to Cuba and brought us all back some decent cigars...and neither of them smoke, and rest of the band (other than me) didn't smoke then... )

Some folks have sent needed supplies down to the Cuban Mountain Biking Club in that interior town. Spiritu Sanctu??
Apparently they are part of group arranging for an upcoming competition in the mountains nearby and have been laying out the route for a 2 day race...

What else?
1: when you get to Cuba you can rent a car: I learned this from my niece (a bikepacking tourer, etc..)
2: Barring renting a car, you can fly between towns on the local airline, or take a train between some of the cities..
3: One commenter somewhere recommended having a good supply of wet wipes with you at all times... that individual commenter might have hit some pretty seedy places... or maybe he/she is OCD about germs. Happens.
Anyhow, that last bit is for you to decide...


Cheers,

Straw_Cat