Keith Krehbiel: Born to be Wild
After his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, Keith Krehbiel, emeritus professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, was persuaded to quit driving five years ago. He began biking the mile-and-a-half distance from his home to campus, where he still conducts research most days. Before long, problems with his balance made biking difficult, including a fall that resulted in a broken rib.
Keith started walking to campus instead. When walking became increasingly difficult, his wife, Amy, drove him. Missing his autonomy, Keith realized he needed to find a new solution to commute and get around campus.
The solution came in the form of a recumbent tricycle—a three-wheel electric bike with a laid-back seat designed for adults. Compared to traditional bicycles, recumbent trikes can be a good option for seniors, offering enhanced stability, comfort, and accessibility, especially for folks with balance issues.
After contemplating the purchase for over a year, Keith headed to Sacramento to test-ride some trikes. He loved the utilitarian Catrike Villager model. It features a 17-inch seat that allows riders to get in and out easily and feels like a comfy chair on wheels. Now, all that was left for Keith was to choose a color.
“Most of the alternatives were boring–black, red, blue,” said Keith. Despite ribbing from Amy that the chartreuse was “too wild” for his personality, Keith opted to go green.
Keith loves his eye-catching “eon green” trike, which offers excellent visibility. You can spot Keith easily on the road around campus. He also appreciates its sustainable attributes. “It’s great to cut down on gas consumption and help alleviate congestion on campus.”
Keith can also take advantage of Stanford’s award-winning bike program, which includes secure bike cage parking, ten bike repair stations around campus, free in-person bike skills classes, and a library of past webinars with tips on everything from how to fix a flat to how to map a bike route.
Best of all, Keith says commuting via trike is an instant mood booster. “It’s easy to ride; I don’t fall or have balance problems. It’s a lot of fun.”
Maybe Keith was born to be wild after all.
Professor Krehbiel: Born to Be Wild on the Amendment Rider
Thanks to Stanford PhD candidate Kasey Rhee, GSB Emeritus Professor Keith Krehbiel (who shared his Parkinson’s story last month) has a name for his trike: Amendment Rider. As Professor Krehbiel explains, “A rider is a legislative term for a non-germane (i.e., of dubious relevance) bill (of dubious merit) attached via amendment to a ‘must-pass’ bill (typically appropriations), because the rider lacks sufficient support to pass as a stand-alone measure.”
Join Stanford’s Pedal Together in May!
Keith encourages everyone to consider biking or participating in May’s Pedal Together. “In Palo Alto, there’s no excuse for not riding bikes, and even if you live outside Palo Alto, I recommend you join in!”
