We recently sat down with Emily Willis, Bike Mechanic of Band of Bicycles and our Australian map maker, Troll, to talk love, life, and bikes.
Vness: Good morning
B. Willis: Morning
Troll: Meh
B. Willis: Thank you for having me.
Vness: The pleasure is mine. The first thing I’d like to clear up for the general public is the origin of your name Baby. Baby is not your birth name correct?
B. Willis: Correct. It’s a name that has evolved. I don’t know where the seed came from, but now, today, it is a widespread name that is used by people that I come in contact with, and it’s used when people are referring to me when talking to one another.
Vness: Yes yes I see. It’s also been said that you are in some peoples’ phones as Dr Baby Willis. Thoughts?
B.Willis: Dr. Baby Willis, yes. I did not get my PHD per se, however some individuals refer to me as a Doctor because of my exceptional skills, ahem, at identifying the ailments of bicycles and then therefore, if you will, fixing or healing the ailments of the rider’s vehicle, which is their bike, if you will.
Vness: Ah yes I see. Can you you please, Doctor, describe to us your earliest memory of being on a bicycle, or being with a bicycle, or seeing a bicycle. Bicycle.
B. Willis: My earliest memory was me riding on the baby seat that was attached to what was my parents bike. I remember being terrified as I was strapped into that baby seat while riding down some bike path in New York City.
Vness: Do you feel like you need to overcome that fear and that’s why today you are leading a life of bicycles?
B.Willis: That’s exactly where the inspiration for leading a life of bicycles came from.
Vness: Is that what you think about every day when you go fix bikes.
B.Willis: Definitely up there. every day. yeah.
awkward pause
Vness: What is your 5 year bike fantasy?
B.Willis: That’s a really good question. I would like to spray as many bikes gold as possible and ride as many mini tall bikes as humanly possible and build lots of wheels and have a bike gang and take over the streets.
Vness: If you had all the freak bike knowledge that the universe holds what would you make?
B.Willis: I would create a bike that lots of people could ride on together.
Vness: ooo ooo. How many?!
B.Willis: I don’t even know, 15 to 20 people perhaps? Maybe up to 30 people.
Vness: Ha! Now that’s a critical mass.
B. Willis: (forced laughter)
Right…. right….
I’d like to make a bike that many could ride together and perhaps together create enormous speed like a bicycle bus, if you will.
Vness: Hellstothemuthafingyes
B.Willis: We could start out with a 4 person tandem like bike with an overhead to protect us from rain or sunshine.
Vness: Why don’t we have a bicycle car.
B.Willis: Yeah that’s what I want.
Vness and B.Willis in unison: I want a bicycle car!
Troll: jinx
B.Willis: Yo I we’re gonna take that sh*t to the streets and be like yo guess what this ain’t no car! I don’t have to have insurance muthafucka!
Vness: I think you would.
B.Willis: No.
Vness: oh.
B.Willis: Not in my world.
( V was just told, son)
Vness: Well thank you so much. Troll do you have anything to add or any questions you would look to ask the Doctor?
Troll: grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrah rrrrahrrrr
Vness: Thanks for joining us at Member Minutes.
B.Willis: Thank you so much for having me. This was my pleasure.
