Bach by Bike: Beebe in Carmel-by-the-Sea

The Bach Festival website states that Carey Beebe “is probably the most traveled and best known  Australian harpsichord maker.”   What it doesn’t mention is that Carey’s travels here are typically by bicycle.

I asked Carey to tell me more about his bicycling in Carmel-by-the-Sea, and he graciously obliged:

Above, in 2006.   “The bike is a Specialized Hardrock Sport,” Carey wrote me, “and I’ve done so many miles each summer, since the bike was new in 2006, that this year [2011] the guys at Aquarian Bicycles had to put new tyres (semi-slick) on it.”

Below, in 2011.  On July 20, Carey had just had “a perfect ride over the hill to tune the harpsichord” at the historic San Carlos Cathedral, a Bach Festival venue.

“This is my thirteenth summer in Carmel specifically for the Bach Festival.”  There’s a page on Carey’s site where he talks about what he does here:

http://www.hpschd.nu/prj/cbf/cbf.html

Bike needs a tune-up? Tune-up needs a biker!

Carey is a world-renowned technician whose services are in constant demand, and his expertise is essential to the Carmel Bach Festival performers.  “The bike is my official Bach Festival vehicle, so I use it to spin around town from venue to venue, keeping all the early keyboards in tune for the various rehearsals and performances.

“The bike is much quicker, convenient, and much more fun for me than a car.” 

Carey clearly knows from experience what widespread research bears out:  Most trips of three to five miles or less are faster by bike than by car!

Watch Carey in action

Doug Mueller, Production Manager at the Carmel Bach Festival, made a short experimental documentary on Carey. Here is the page on Doug’s website that has a preview and a bit about the project. A major part of the film is Carey riding around Carmel:

http://www.douglasmueller.net/intermezzo1/index.html

Read about Carey Beebe at the Bach Fest website and on Wikipedia.

Learn more about the Carmel Bach Festival.

Follow Carey’s travels on Twitter:  @hpschdnu

* * * * *

As do many other Santa Cruz County residents, Rich likes biking from Santa Cruz to Monterey.   He had done so by early afternoon, July 29; but he still had more miles to pedal before reaching Carmel, where he was meeting his wife at the Bach Festival.  Darn! No time to stop for pastries at Parker-Lusseau.  Now that he knows Parker Lusseau–and nearly 200 other places in Monterey County give discounts to cyclists–Rich has another reason to bike down soon!

Rich, an assistant principal at a Santa Cruz County school, caught my eye when I noticed his Ortllieb bags and suspected he was biking a distance.  His bike is a Soma “double-cross” out of San Francisco, suggested to Rich by his friend Mike.

* * * * *

A few tips on bicycling Carmel

Want to avoid traffic/parking snarls in Carmel?  Even if you don’t bike for transportation as much as Carey, you’ll still benefit by those trips you do by bike, or even a bike-and-ride!

Didn’t BYOB (bring your own bike)?  Bicycle rentals are now available at Bay Bikes in the Barnyard at the mouth of Carmel Valley (call ahead for availability–or reserve online).

Bay and their neighbor,  Carmel Bicycle, provide bicycle sales and service too, including plenty of accessories.  Carmel Bicycle is located in Carmel Rancho II, adjacent to the Barnyard (note windmill landmark).

The mouth of the valley has a short section of new Class I bike path parallel to Highway 1,  making it much easier for cyclists to travel between Carmel Valley Road and Rio Road.  Checking out that new bike path is a great reason to swing by Carmel Bicycle or Bay Bikes, as well as visiting HER Helmet Thursdays spots in the neighborhood!

The Barnyard is a bit short on bicycle parking for now.  Meanwhile, Carmel Bicycle is happy to share their bicycle rack–shown below–with cyclists who are dining, shopping, and doing other business in the neighborhood.

Carmel’s HER Helmet Thursdays spots

The village of Carmel-by-the Sea, the mouth of Carmel Valley, and Carmel Valley Village all have HER Helmet Thursdays participants, meaning males and females get discounts on Thursdays just because they ride a bike.

Locate them on the clickable map or in the quick reference guide; click here.

Who else bikes in Carmel?

Check out these cute little cyclists, growing up street-wise in Carmel-by-the-Sea.