Ipromise, at some point in time I’m going to stop writing about how impressed I am at the number of issues we’ve put out. And I realize a dozen isn’t a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. But, for two guys working day jobs it’s kind of a big deal. I’m sure a lot of you can understand the kind of effort it takes to be successful at something in your “spare time.” Artists, musicians, bike racers, activists—you know what it’s like to dedicate your life to your interests, and what a struggle it can be to keep up with work, family, friends and relationships.

Some time ago, one of my illustration teachers gave a lecture about why artists need to play in order to stay creative. His point was, even if you enjoy what you do, it’s human nature to get burned out. This applies to everyone, from craftsmen to scholars, and entertainers to athletes.

During this issue’s deadline, Brad and I were definitely feeling the pressure. With the stress of travel and a multitude of day-to-day distractions, it was just about all we could do to put our noses to the grindstone. As fate would have it, Pittsburgh got a weekend of unseasonably warm February weather. Brad had the good sense to suggest we shut the computers down and play bike polo all weekend. Not only did we have fun, I’m certain that blowing off a little steam helped us make a better magazine.

Urban Velo issue #12, March 2009. Dead tree print run: 5000 copies. Issue #11 online readership: 40,000+