Even though I strongly disagree with this lifestyle choice, exercise is a very effective way to stay in good health. While most people see exercising as a chore necessary to feel good throughout the day or as a way to lose/maintain weight, some people go above and beyond and embrace this as more than a hobby, transforming this into their identity. One form of exercise that people seem to go all out for is bicycling. You know someone is really into cycling if they have a bike that cost more than your computer, multiple spandex outfits solely for riding and are under the impression that they’re a car. However, these people could only be called hobbyists in comparison to experimental avant-garde artist George Castonzo.

While Castonzo had been producing quality work that the experimental avant-garde scene was loving, he fell into a deep depression at some point in 2002 and almost completely vanished from the movement. In an interview with Experimental Avant-garde Monthly, Castonzo cited that his depression had stemmed from his inability to experience the miracle of child birth. About three years had passed and Castonzo seemed to be making no progress towards a happier life, when he found inspiration from consecutive seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. He instantly idolized Armstrong as he accepted his final award, and Castonzo decided to take up biking as a regular form of exercise. After a month Castonzo was mentally and physically better than ever, as well as earning a respect for cycling as more than just exercise, leading to his return in the experimental avant-garde world with a fresh view as “Lance Jr.”

Everything for Lance Jr. had been going fantastic for about 7 years, constantly churning out innovative works and riding 5 miles daily. However, once he found out that his idol had been using enhancement drugs, he felt betrayed. Many of his friends, once they heard the news, assumed Lance Jr. would fall back into his depressive state, but he proved them wrong. Instead of moping around that his hero had been a fraud the entire time, he decided to become his own hero and took bike’s rights into his own hands, along with changing his name to “Two Wheels.” One associate pointed out how stupid that sounded and quickly changed it to “BiWheel.”

As an activist for bicycle rights, BiWheel would go around his city to eliminate the abuse of bikes, such as those left outside in the hot, dry sun while someone enjoys their post-workout meal. He started his activism calmly, simply leaving sticky notes with a kindly worded message when this occurred, but once he saw someone ride down the street with three sticky notes on their seat, he knew more drastic measures were necessary and decided to use his art as a platform. BiWheel shared the two wheeled pain with the world in many forms, his most popular piece being Locked Up: A Few Minutes To Life.

Though many were fond of his activist works, nearly everybody saw this as satire and refused to take him seriously. This is when BiWheel began to take more aggressive actions, carrying bolt cutters wherever he went and freeing any chained up bicycle he could find. Sadly, the police did not appreciate his efforts, as he is currently serving five years in a maximum security prison.