Graham and Margaret Day.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Graham Day passed away on April 15, 2014. According to his wife Margaret, Graham died at home, peacefully and with the whole family around him. You can leave a tribute to him in the COMMENTS section below.
The Days came to visit the Bike Friday factory in 1995 to pick up their Bike Fridays, and to check out the company. After getting a tour and meeting with Co-Founders Hanz and Alan Scholz, they promised to introduce Bike Friday to Australia.
They did exactly that, with a passion and determination unmatched in the history of our company. To date the Days are responsible for more than 300 referrals.
The Australian Bike Friday Club is one of the most dynamic, vigorous clubs in the world. Its annual Gathering [see Robbie Dow’s report below on the 2014 event] is the gold standard for the Bike Friday Community.
We hope all Bike Friday owners take a moment to share the wonderful memories of Graham and Margaret Day, and tell the tales of their incredible impact on our company.]
A tribute from Bike Friday Co-Founder Alan Scholz:
As a cycling Oregonian from the Emerald City it was my good luck and pleasure to have ridden tour with Graham Day in OZ.
We live a long way apart — Oregon to Australia — but the dynamic duo of Graham and Margaret has been an important part of my life since meeting them 19 years ago in 1995 when they visited to pick up their Bike Fridays. I hope they knew, and know, I love them.
Even though I build many travel bikes for the intrepid traveling cyclists of the world, I am pretty much of a stay at home guy. My world has felt much bigger ever since my trip to Australia. That wedge into my consciousness to include far away Australia into my world made, I feel, my life a great deal more substantial.
With the fine folks I continue to meet in that part of the world through them, I can truthfully say that Australians are some of my most favorite people.
Of the few travels I have done, one stands out in my memory above others. That was a trip to do the yearly Australian Bike Friday Club Gathering in the early part of this century. The trip in many ways was overwhelming.
But I want to say to all as I cannot to him, one of my most favorite and stand out memories was riding, talking, and being in a group with Graham. I remember one corner we waited on together out in the country somewhere. We were fixing a flat or waiting for someone to catch up, but it stuck in my mind. It was one of those moments where you say to yourself, “I enjoy this moment and this person is somehow part of enjoying it. I really like being around them. They are safe, they are gentle, and they care.”
I have carried in my heart since that tour with the fine Aussies, Graham as fine of a friend as you could have. One you do not need to confirm that he is there or has your best interest at heart. I am sure that many from his extensive family and friends will miss him. I will carry him in my heart along with the rest of that exceptional experience that he, Margaret, Bronwyn, Dave and all the others enabled.
I feel loss with his passing and send my love to Margaret and all those others that were/are part of Graham’s life. And know you feel as I do, he made our lives better.
From the Bike Friday Oregon side to the Australia Bike Friday side.
Alan Scholz
One Response
May I please pass my respects and my condolences and thoughts and prayers to Margaret
on the passing of her husband and best friend.
I have not been in touch with Margaret for a while but remember her fondly. Tell her
I still hope to get that Bike Friday !
Regards, Steve Giles, Brisbane, Aust.