Please feel free to email us anything you would like to see
added here!
When I heard of Gardner’s passing, I went numb. Sandra
placed a call to me at work to tell me the news and I felt
such immediate sadness. For Sandra…, for the company
they both worked so hard together to create and for our ‘bent
community. I felt a weakening despair for having lost a dear-friend.
After Sandra’s call, I immediately called my mom. She’s
always there for me, but today, we were there for each other.
I wept and choked out fragmented thoughts. We tried to decide
what the Winter Edition should be, having just 4 days until
our deadline. Should the Winter Edition be a “special”
one, filled with thoughts and remembrances to memorialize
how Gardner’s work affected us and our recumbent community
or should we forge ahead with the magazine we had already
about finished? The best thing at that moment was to do nothing
and wait for the tremors to settle. Later on, I asked myself,
“What Would Gardner Do?”
I believe Gardner would have told me, “You Go Wo!”
After visiting the Easy Racers Forum to read the post Sandra
told me she was sending out, I realized her decision was that
Easy Racers would of course carry on! What this confirmed
to me was, the ERRC would go forward as planned.
Having heard the news at work, I found it impossible to concentrate
and left the office. On my way home, I wondered what would
be the best way for me to honor Gardner’s memory and
it came to me in such a flash. I believe the greatest approach
possible, would be to continue to pedal. So, to all ERRC readers,
I recommend that you go out and ride – even if it’s
around your block. We can all continue Gardner’s work
of spreading the recumbent bug and at the same time honor
him and his accomplishments by doing the one thing he so enjoyed
us all doing… riding recumbents.
Sandra’s e-mails to me have always end with “Happy
Trails”, however, in her Easy Racers post, she closed
by saying, “be good to one another.” Such an uncomplicated
message, that we sometimes forget. I believe Gardner and Sandra
have always had this as a motto and it followed through to
their business dealings at Easy Racers. It’s obvious
to me that the success Easy Racers has had over the years
(and continues to have) was because they conveyed this message
to everyone they came in contact with. We were all treated
like family and friends, not potential or repeat customers.
Today I mourn the departure of my friend and my feelings go
out to Sandra and her family. It is a very distressing day,
but I know Gardner would shake his head at me and kindly exclaim,
“You Go Wo!” As I strive to come to terms with
my feelings, my promise is, not to let Gardner’s vision
down. He wouldn’t accept anything less than a “Happy
Trail.”
Wo
__________________
Laurie "Wo" Smith
Editor, ERRC Magazine
http://www.geocities.com/e_r_r_c
My condolences to his family and friends.
He truly was a great man!
Best,
Frank
Sincere condolences to the Martin and EasyRacers families
from everyone here at the Hostel Shoppe. Gardner will be deeply
missed by anyone who ever had the pleasure of meeting him.
Erich Hartman
Hostel Shoppe
Gardner was a giant not only in the recumbent community;
he was a giant of a person. To everyone who had the privilege
of knowing him, he was a friend. He was gentle and kind, and
would talk about recumbents for hours on end. One of the reasons
that Easy Racer owners are so devoted to their bikes is because
of their love for Gardner. We will miss him beyond what words
can possibly express. We are profoundly grateful for the extraordinary
gift that he was. John
It is indeed a sad day for recumbency. Gardner Martin was
a special man with an incredible vision for the future of
bicycles. He and his company have done so much. He will be
missed.
Our condolences to the Martin and Easy Racers families.
Bob, Marilyn, Amy & Daniel Bryant
Recumbent Cyclist News
Gardner was that strange mix of friend and competitor. He
would tell you his mind, encourage, share information, and
inspire. He was about promoting recumbents first, then his
own buisness. The end result was a wealth of inspiration for
many, and the catalyzing of an entire industry. He made a
difference in many lives, his designs will most likely continue
this wonderful legacy. My thoughts are with his family and
company, wishing you the comfort of knowing a man of a life
well lived.-RJS
Today is a sad day. In 1999 Gardner showed me his plant,
his products and shared his wisdom. He also advised me what
to do, what to pursue and what the pitfalls were. Put that
in context now, he did all of that, knowing that the only
reason I was there was to learn how to become a manufacturer.
I asked him, I want to start making trikes, can you show me
your plant? He answered, sure stop by... He spent hours with
me. I was not buying anything, quite the opposite I was about
to become a manufacturer. That did not seem to bother him
and he treated me just as a younger person with a project.
What stayed with me was this incredible respect for someone
a lot more experienced and knowledgeable. A menthor feeling.
Every time he met me he would say, Paulo come here let me
tell you what I think you should do and would start talking.
I would be quite and listening and trying to learn a bit from
him. In other words, he was bigger than life. At the Outddor
Demo I asked Gabe where was Gardner, Gabe seemed a bit shaken
so I did not ask any further.
It is a sad day.
Paulo Camasmie
Big Cat HPV
Since my earliest childhood I've been a stutterer. For that
reason I've spent the better part of my adult life privately
practicing public speaking and learning to express myself
on paper. My public speaking ability is still very limited
so I will write what I feel.
This has been a tough couple of twelve (12) months. Here
in the Midwest we've lost a couple of folks whose lives touched
ours via recumbency. What is so very strange about these losses
is that I am certain had we not shared a common passion for
an odd looking bicycle none of us would have met socially.
Bill Even and Bill Murphy were quiet men in their own ways.
One was a newspaper editor the other designed hearing aids.
One was a lover of well-equipped recumbent bicycles and the
other honed his skills as a fabricator of fairings and other
items used in the production of the WISIL Missile and other
subsequent bikes.
When folks die suddenly as did both of these gentlemen it
is a shock to your "system". It serves as a means
of focusing your intentions on what counts most. Discussions
of which tire and chain brands are best seem to pale in comparison
with the gravity of life and health issues themselves. At
least for a moment...
Then before you know it you're once again enthralled in hot
stove topics about the upcoming riding and racing season.
I guess it will ever be thus... Gardner Martin might have
wanted it that way, too.
I "discovered" recumbents a dozen years ago when
I laid eyes for the first time on what later turned out to
be an Infinity recumbent weaving in and out of stalled traffic
on a downhill stretch near my home. By the time the light
had changed to green and the traffic begun to move the bike
was already safely at home on the Illinois Prairie Path (IPP)
going west or east I could not tell. The year was probably
1991 or 1992.
A few months later I met the same gentleman riding the same
bike as I walked my dog Skipper (aka Beezodog) along the IPP
adjacent to Hoffman Park. He graciously stopped and chatted
about this wonderful bicycle. He told me where it was made
and how much fun it was to ride. I was delighted but failed
to write any of this down. I figured it would take a quick
trip to my LBS to unravel the mystery of how to get one of
these for myself.
Neither shop in town was able to help and one was a bit hostile
about my inquiry. I had stumbled upon a new subculture and
had not idea of its extent or direction. Almost a year later
I came across a USENET forum on recumbents and devoured each
message as if it were manna from heaven. I wrote and phoned
all the manufacturers I could asking for any information they
might send to help me learn more about these wonderful bikes.
One of my inquiries was to a company called Easy Racers.
Luke answered the telephone and chatted for a good while telling
me about their bikes and what they cost and how they rode
and handled. He even sent me a tape made by the guy that started
the company. A fellow named Gardner Martin. The voice on that
tape was of his spouse Sandra Simms-Martin. I learned to recognize
her voice so well that years later when I was attending HPVA
races in Indianapolis it was very easy to pick her out of
the crowd by sound alone.
Nearly one-hundred (100) viewings later and I still never
tire of viewing the tape, watching Luke ride into work, listening
to the late Don Gray talk about his journey into recumbency
and hearing of the exploits of Fast "Freddy" Markham.
Some of the same footage is in the new tape but I still prefer
the old one.
On several occasions I got a chance to call Easy Racers to
ask what I am certain was the umpteenth instance of the same
question that Gardner had fielded too many times to count.
But the question was new to me so he was patient in answering
and left me with food for thought.
Over time Easy Racer bikes evolved in a direction I found
very welcome. I kept looking at these bikes hoping that I
could one day take the plunge. I read every article in Recumbent
Cyclist News that came and learned about the latest trends
in recumbency. Of course one had to pierce the layer of rants
about chains, forks, fenders and tires to get to the heart
of what was really meaningful. But in the end it always boiled
down to test rides and ponderings.
I learned some things about Easy Racers which upon reflection
are mind boggling. Gardner actually sold the plans for his
bikes. I've even got PDF versions of these plans which would
have allowed just about anyone to build a bike that meant
no sale for Gardner. Amazing when you think about it. We live
in a world where companies routinely sue one another because
of some patent infringement of one sort or another and here's
a guy selling plans to his product and losing whole bike sales.
Again, amazing!
You can't be in the recumbent world for very long and not
know that Easy Racers fans exemplify the true meaning of that
word, fan as in FANATIC. They love the bikes, love the builder
and his spouse and hold high the writers and publishers who
promote the product. Kinda creeped me out initially, until
I finally bought an Easy Racer bike and then had my own Damascus
Experience.
I love the bike and have gained profound respect for the
man who built, tested, designed and refined this bike. It's
the first bike I've ever owned that really fit me. Now I know
what all the hoopla has been about. A great product and while
possessed of a machinists cache grows on you, hose clamps
and all.
We'll miss Gardner as much for his personableness as his
vision. Long after those who were fortunate enough to meet
him have forgotten little things about him they once knew
it will be the bikes he made that will last. They will be
discovered by the next generation of riders who will no doubt
purchase my bikes at an estate auction upon my demise.
Let's hope that what they glean from their new holdings will
be a love of cycling that transcends Lycra and clipless pedals.
And gets to the profound joy that being on the open road with
your bicycle brings. Let's hope that future editions of cycling
magazines are less focused on equipment rants and instead
centered on how wonderful it is to have reached midlife and
rediscovered that same feeling you had on your Schwinn Phantom
when you raced up and down the sidewalks of your neighborhood
with Ernie Banks rookie year baseball cards flapping in the
spokes.
Let's hope that the focus of the next generation is less
on how many roadies they were able to stealthfully hunt down
and pass and instead on how many youngsters have turned to
cycling and indeed recumbency as a way to cope with the stresses
of life that will no doubt face countless numbers of teenagers
yet to breech the horizon.
For FOGs (Fat Old Geezers) like myself I thank Gardner for
allowing me to ride along under my own power with my wife
Connie by my side and do so for hundreds of miles in a day
and thousands per year all the while never forgetting how
to play. I think Gardner would have liked that.
__________________
--
Eric Vann
www.beezodogsplace.com
Back about 1991, a Popular Mechanix magazine came across
my desk at U.S. News & World Report with an article in
it about recumbents, specifically Easy Racers. I was fascinated
by the idea and immediately called. A guy named Gardner answered
and explained what the bikes were and that he sold both bikes
and plans. I sent in $35 for a set of plans, persuaded a neighbor
with a torch to help me, and we soon had a running homebuilt
TourEasy on the road. That was it. In no time I'd signed for
a welding class, bought a computer-aided design program, an
air compressor, and a torch, and I was on my way to a new
and different life. Eight years later I retired and launched
Barcroft Cycles. Gardner was the catalyst. Without him, I
never would have gotten started. Later, when I got to know
him some, I realized what a fabulous person he was. We'll
miss him -- a lot.
Bill Cook
Barcroft Cycles
Falls Church, VA
I don't even know what to say... I think a lot of us knew
it was coming but it doesn't make it any easier.
Gardner was always there for us since the very beginning.
He never treated me like a small-timer or anything like that.
I also never heard him utter one sour word about any of his
cometitors or their products. He just let his bikes stand
on their own merit. As a journalist you really can't ask for
more than that.
I only met Gardner in person a handful of times but we spoke
on the phone quite often and I'm glad that I got to know him
so well before he passed and I'm very to have called a friend.
I will miss him every time I hop on my Fold-Rush.
Freddy Markham and I will be posting something on the front
page soon.
__________________
Bryan J. Ball
Managing Editor
'BentRider Online
All I can say is that I feel very lucky to have met Gardner
over two years ago when he came down to Florida for Thanksgiving.
It was his birthday and several bent riders met over at Regis
Hampton's bikeshop off the Withlacoochie Trail. We took off
on our bikes towards the town of Inverness where we had lunch
together. Well when it came time to pay our checks, Gardner
very graciously picked up the entire bill! How much cooler
can a guy get It was HIS birthday and yet he treated us all.
Riding back to Regis's shop was a most pleasant experience.
I spent close to half or more of the return trip riding next
to Gardner talking about bents and other interesting topics.
He was and still is a true gentleman.
Godspeed to you Gardner as you head off to ride in a better
place.
Edward Wong
Orlando, FL
These days, one must fly-but where to?
without wings, without an airplane, fly-without a doubt:
the footsteps have passed on, to no avail:
they didn't move the pedals of the Easy Racer along.
At every instant, one must fly-like
eagles, like houseflies, like days:
must conquer the rings of Saturn
and build new carillons there.
Shoes and pathways are no longer enough,
the earth is no use anymore to the wanderer:
the roots have already crossed through the night,
and you will appear on another planet,
stubbornly transient,
transformed in the end into poppies.......
rand
Like many others, I only got to meet the man once. My wife
and I dropped in at the old chicken coop a few years back.
We were treated warmly, and much kindness. It was clear that
Gardner loved what he was doing with his life, and that he
was able to share that love with anyone who was interested.
We should all take that lesson to heart. Much love to Gardner,
and to those who he held close.
Warren Bowman
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most of us hope that when we leave this life, there will
be just a few more than our family that will notice we have
gone. It is difficult to imagine the thousands of lives that
have been touched by Gardner Martin, or the many thousands
who will be in the future because of his love and passion
for recumbents.
There is a reason to be of good cheer, because of what Gardner
has left us. It goes so far beyond the recumbent. It was just
the vehicle in the truest sense, that brought joy to so many
lives, encouragement to so many builders, passion to writers
and riders around this world. Our vocubulary is not rich enough
with expressions to describe all that he gave us. If he were
to read this, it's just possible he might reply, "I was
just trying to get you on one."
"Thank You" seems so inadequate, yet it may be
all he would have wanted to hear by the accounts of so many
who knew him.
There was a man who once said, "When you hear that I
have died, it will be a rumor, for I will never be more alive
than at that very moment!" His name was Dwight L. Moody.
Gardner certainly lives in the hearts of all those who knew
him, and knew of him. Our prayers to his family.
alanj1
Every moment on my Tour Easy has been a blast.
Thanks, Gardner, for this abundance of physical an spiritual
pleasure.
david boise ID
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'll miss Gardner. He was always a helpful soul to me. I
called him up when I built my first recumbent to help me understand
how much rake and trail I should use. He was a great teacher.
I admired him so much because he had a very clear understanding
of his craft and he was very willing to share his knowledge
and wisdom with anyone who asked. He was a great character
of great character.
Gardner carried the flag for the High-end speed bikes. Put
on a good race and he was sure to show. He was a little ticked
at me for not inviting him to the first Battle Mountain event.
I'm glad that he had Battle Mountain in his final years. He
really loved going out there.
Gardner lives on.
Sean Costin
That's how Gardner was every time I dealt with him with our
little publishing projects.
Many business people wouldn't get why they'd want to get
involved with diverse media like my projects, but Gardner
always said "Let's do it!" before I even finished
explaining. He'd come up with extra ideas, too.
It's a rare person who is ahead in all areas: design, manufacturing,
business and marketing. And who stays so friendly and relaxed!
And who kept making everything work out well! I suspect he
didn't think of those things as different areas, like some
kind of executive type. I got the feeling that he started
from bike culture and friendliness, then added a big dose
of getting things done, then let things play out naturally
from there. He seemed to keep it simple.
His people and staff picked up on his style and kept passing
it along. They were always helpful beyond the call of duty.
That's why they'll keep Gardner's legacy rolling.
I never met Gardner, but I feel like we were friends from
our phone chats, and from his loyal follow-thru.
Darn, I wish I had stopped by Freedom when we drove near
there last summer. I was going to... So: if you get the chance
to see those you want to see: do it! You might not get another...
Best wishes, Gardner---to you and your family and to your
big family, Jeff Potter
As a parent of two grade school kids, I am always amazed
at how children want so much to fit in, to be "normal".
As an adult, I constantly reminded that people who make a
difference in this world are usually anything but normal.
And they all seem to have one thing in common; they have a
passion for what they do and could care less about appearances.
I can't imagine what people thought of Gardner all those years
ago when he rolled out his first marvelous two-wheeled contraption.
I am amazed by Gardner's vision, his design genius, and his
gumption.
I didn't know Gardner personally but I will remember him
from the video that came with my Tour Easy last year. He struck
me as a cross between Gyro Gearloose and Neil Young, tooling
around the Easy Racers parking lot on that weird looking bike.
After two years of tooling around on my Tour Easy, I rarely
think about what I look like. I am too busy enjoying the ride.
I am trying to pass on my love of bike riding to my kids.
Gardner's passing reminds me to pass on something more important.
To succeed in life, find out what you have a passion for and
go do it.
How lucky Gardner was to have a passion in life. How lucky
we were that he shared it with all of us.
My condolences to Sandra, the Martin family, and all who
were lucky enough to know Gardner personally.
Rootchopper
This is the first time I have ever written an entry with
tears in my eyes. Gardner was a fellow with such a love of
life and love for people in general that regardless of his
bicycles, it is a loss for all. It's not the way I would like
to end a vacation.
Gardner, you are missed greatly.
Hey Guy and Gals:
Gardner meant more to recumbents and the the HPV world than
anyone else.
the man has always helped people world wide with whatever
needs that is needed.
i met him in person back in the late 70's or early 80's at
the Milwaukee mile stock car track for the N.A. championships.
he will be missed, but not forgotten.
May God Bless him
Earl
I think this sums up how I feel about the man ...
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points
out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds
could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man
in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood,
who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the
great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who
at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring
greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold
and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat."
Teddy Roosevelt
------------------
Gardner did so much to help the sport and business of recumbents.
I remember when he showed up for our San Diego racers with
one of his daughters in a fully faired Easy Racers. It was
GREAT to see that.
I think I'll honor him by taking a nice long ride.
William Volk
Encinitas, CA
Can it be that Gardner is gone?
So full of life when I saw him last at the Portland HPV races
as he demonstrated his version of the Manuped.
A man who lived life transparently and with passion, his
example fired my own passion for creating better bicycles
and for that I will always be grateful.
My thoughts are with all of you who feel the loss of a great
man.
Paul
Why am I so affected by the news of Gardner’s death?
I never met him; though, I felt I knew him. I have seen him
in pictures and videos; read his comments in periodicals and
online. I talked with people who did know him. Somewhere,
in the back of my mind I assumed that someday, I would make
a pilgrimage to Freedom. Gardner would be there and we would
talk like old friends with a common interest. It will not
be.
How does one say farewell to someone never met? Words from
an Irish blessing come to mind:
Gardner,
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
__________________
C.E. Lear
Battlement Mesa, CO
[Tour Easy]
[Easy Sport]
Gardner:
An innovator and pioneer, of course, but how will I remember
him?
As a gentleman.
__________________
Dick Thornton
White Gold Rush
Bakersfield, CA
Dear Sandra,
Yesterday, Dave Larrington told me Gardner had died. I'm writing
to express my sadness, and to share what little I can of yours.
I don't make claims to have been close to him. I first met
him at Yreka and have got to know him a little the last 4
years at Battle Mountain.
He was one of the founders of our tribe. I would describe
the tribe as international, intelligent, free thinking and
generous. We pit our intelligence and our bodies against physics.
My membership of the tribe over the last 18 years has been
one of the best things in my life.
In great sadness - Jonathan Woolrich
It was my pleasure and good fortune to meet Gardner at the
International Human Powered Speed Championships in Indianapolis
in
1983. I had been following the news from earlier IHPSC's in
California
and was delighted that several companies were now building
and selling
recumbent bicycles, and the 1983 IHPSC was the first time
such an event
was held within easy driving distance of my home in Michigan.
I test
rode several different bikes, but fell in love with Gardner's
Tour Easy
design. It was comfortable, easy to balance, and the racing
results
revealed its speed potential and practicality on the road.
As a result, in the Spring of 1984, I purchased my Tour Easy
and began
20 years and some 25,000 miles of "testing" it for
commuting, solo and
club recreational riding, loaded touring, and racing at the
annual
Michigan HPV Rally. It is no exaggeration to say that this
inspired
creation by Gardner is the reason I have been able to continue
cycling
as an enjoyable activity since that time, when my previously
beloved
ten-speed upright became too uncomfortable for all but short
rides. I
expect that the trusty old Tour Easy and my delightful new
Fold-Rush
will keep me cycling for many years to come.
It is hard to imagine the future evolution of HPV design
in Gardner's
absence. Gardner, more than anyone else I know, did it all.
He had a
passion for pushing the envelope to set new records, but also
a keen
sense of what was needed for a practical HPV for everyday
use in
traffic and for touring. Although I did not see Gardner often,
I am
grateful that I was able to see him occasionally over the
years at
several of the IHPSC's, on one occasion at the "chicken
coop," and
twice in the last two years at the new factory, where my wife
and I
test rode and got measured for new bikes. I am very pleased
to hear
that his Easy Racers business will continue as his ongoing
legacy to
HPV development.
My deepest sympathy goes to Sandra and Gabe and his other
family and
friends.
Bill Frey
Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
When I heard that Gardner had pedaled into the afterlife
I immediately envisioned him being called by God to begin
working on the most amazing bicycle -- lighter than air, effortless
to pedal, faster than the speed of light -- so that He and
Gardner, and all of us, will be able to enjoy truly heavenly
cycling in the great hereafter.
Jim Langley
*There are so many comments, I know I missed some, please
just email us here at easyracers with anything you would like
added to this page.
|
