The Angry Owner Blog

The Tour of Utah is in the books. I have no idea who won….had patients and customers scheduled during the spectator times, and the trib hasn’t updated its coverage. Very happy Rock Racing was here. Props to Larry H Miller (a car guy) for making it happen. I’m sure it cost a lot of money, and to be honest, I don’t know what he gets out of it. Just like a bike shop! Just kidding dear friends. Actually, this week and the weekend was a great balance between work and play. Got to work a little bit and then do some riding and consulting in the afternoons…including another shuttled crest trail run on Saturday. Super nice. Nothing sells a bike like riding a tough section and then saying “I suck, its the 7 inches of travel on this bike that allowed me to ride that difficult section no problem” “We accept cash, checks or major credit cards”.
On the crest trail, I saw some carbon bikes go down. Man that makes me nervous. Super light, super nice ride, but man, seeing carbon tumble down rocks makes we wonder about micro fracture leading to macro failure.
SSWC’s this weekend. I think they are ready.

Sometimes, the only ride you get is to and from work…on your 20 year old cross bike. Hey, its better than no ride at all. 8-8 today baby. I did have a little nap from 5-6pm thrown in there. Been a long time since thats been required. You’d all be proud of me. Did a bunch of orders all by myself today. Isn’t that scary - when the owner actually calls in stuff? I can tell off the bat when I call places like Chrome and Fox and they say ‘Dr. Jon - so good to hear your voice, don’t you want your wife Kim to make the order today?” because they know I’ll mess it up. Oh well, damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead.
You all may think I have certain brand likes and dislikes…and I do. Cannondale has its goods and bads. One thing that drives me nuts about leftys is that you have to take the brake off (yeah, there is kind of a quick release bolt thing on the caliper mount) to get the wheel off. It is a plush, light fork. But here’s Bo sucking it before our ride.


That would be Bo with a candy jock strap after the ride. Don’t worry, it wasn’t a G String.

First, props to Ryan P for representing in Leadville….and sending me a pic to prove it. I know Jeff K was there, looking sexy too and pulling Lance Armstrong around like a bitch.

Also, Sunday was my show on mainstreet. Folk music for the masses. Here is how I got there…


Lastly, Big thanks for White Pine Touring for helping to sponsor Bo’s little Bachelor party/ride to the crest trail. You bet your ass I took the shops Knolly Delirium T. Today, Lance, Tim and I rode the crest again (those gentlemen on singlespeeds since I am soft and fragile). and I took the Moots Cinco. Now, both of these steeds are great bikes. All I will say is that I rode everything on Sunday on the Knolly…in a fucking thunderstorm with a puckered sphincter, and today, I rode what I usually ride and walk what I usually walk. The pain of MoFo hill is the same at 3mph on a 38lb bike or at 6mph on a 26lb bike. Really. Anyway, get the right tool for the job bitches.

Pictures for those of you who care.
Great day. Custom build at the shop today. Things have been busy this summer. Usually, people do their customs in the spring and I do mostly repair and upgrades in the late summer - but this year we’re booked out with custom showings and builds until October. Thats okay, if Kim and I like you, we’ll still fix your bike - thats how we pay the bills and make paychecks. And I swear that I will take a picture of that custom I did today, because yes, it is that cool - brought my camera and everything today and then forgot….just wanted to go ride DH after the work was done.
Got to drill out a bolt today on a repair bike. Boy, its been years since I’ve had to do that.
Then a great DH day. The Knolly Delirium T was great. Our Moab 24 hr plan has been modified. I think instead of paying the entry money, a bunch of shop/team people will just go down and ride. I’ve never been to the Hazzard County trail up in the mountains, but I hear its great….and Kim has agreed to shuttle us. Doesn’t that sound just grand. And we could also do a little Fruita riding. I mean, I’ve only done the race course about six billion times and the thought of night riding sounds about as fun as a funeral. Am I crazy?

First off, props to my man Gary. Cyclist extraordinaire, owner of more than one Moots. Yes, thats right - a sure sign of cycling style. Taking the family to Whistler. Downhilling his brains out. 40 lb bicycles. Pads. Top shelf. Took a little digger at the bottom of the gondola, back at the pub - no problems. This is what I call quality. This is what I expect from all of you.

Man, I need to get to Whistler…and Melrose Australia, And Germany, And Italy, And the Basque region, And Belgium. Man, too bad I own a bike shop - how will I pay for this all? Oh well, maybe I’ll raise the price of crowns. Just kidding citizens.
Speaking of trips, My sexy man Patrick sparked my interest in the 24 hrs of Moab. I’d link it if I weren’t at a level 4 buzz so google it if you wish. Its a granny gear production. I think the shop is going to enter in a team. ‘just for fun’ of course. And I think I”m bringing the Delirium T…bitches. www.knollybikes.com
Also, props to my man Butch for getting married this weekend.

Its almost time to reorder downtube stickers….I thought of this one..but maybe I’ll stick to the standard Dharma Wheels stuff.
Hey, I ask a lot of advice from business owners both in my town and abroad about how to run a business. Talked to a buddy of mine who owns a big time operation (can’t give details because he’s a local and I want to respect privacy).
The topic of expansion has been on my mind. The condo space is available for rent next door to me $3400/month or $600,000 out the door with a huge HOA fee.
How does that sound. Anybody wanna open up Dharma Wheels Cyclery II next door?
Basically, after a little business talk, the idea of expansion has lost its luster. Loose the personal service, loose the soul, loose the intimateness of the shop. Increase the overhead, the investment and lastly, how many bikes would I have to sell to cover a $600,000 mortage (or shitty rent payment?). Lastly, my man told me. ‘hey, you have a great business model that people support. Why mess that up?”. Anyway, thanks for the good advice. I sometimes get lost in the part numbers, spoke lengths and backorders.

So thanks to all who make the shop fun, profitable and super cool. Wait until Sun/Mon or Tues when I post the pics of the custom Moots that is getting built tomorrow. Yeah, its THAT dope.

We are booked for the SSWC’s 2008. Get the fuck ready.

I’d like to thank all the patients and shop people that made this week great. If i had more time, I’d go into detail.
Repair of the week….New…lets say mass produced frame. The Race Face BB is WAY tight goin’ in. As in, am I stripping this thing? What to do? We may have a lot of exotic tools at the shop (chris king hub bearing service tool, axleless truing stand, bendix cone wrenches, campy alignment tools, all the sram and fox shock stuff, etc), but what I have never purchased for the shop was a BB facer/chaser. Well, when you sell Moots and Knolly, the frames never need a chase. Yeah, an On One may need one now and then, but hey, those crazy cats are pretty busy over there in the UK and I’ve never had a problem. So, what does a man do who runs a custom shop when his mechanic says, hey, I can’t get this bottom bracket in? Well, I freak out a little…saying, ’shit, this person is paying top dollar for a custom build and I get to tell them that there frame is roasted and BB cross-threaded? We took a steel BB, threaded it in 5 times. Picture me there, whipping my junior mechanic with a mule headstall. ‘FASTER’ I shout. ‘Put your back into it’. The bottom bracket goes in, out, in, out, in , out , in out…….And den……………….the race face BB slides in….like throwing a hotdog down a hallway. Yeah, we’ve got the BB tap on order from BTI. That 45 min span in the pain cave earned my man a shot of tequila, a 8% beer, and a pat on the back from one crusty owner with calloused hands. Thats the kind of people we have at the shop bitches, people who sweat over your bikes.

I know, you people like photos. So here…

The single speed world champioship 2008 is near. In Napa. Not to sound like an asshole, but Kim and I are thinking about making the trip. Of course, the only hotel left is $400/night (more expensive than interbike), but hey, the shop had a great summer so far (thank you everybody) and our overhead is super low compared to the rest of the industry.
I learned about terms like ‘fixed costs’ ‘overhead’ ‘getting fucked by Trek’ from the oldn’ days. Seems like a thousand years ago.
Talked to Troy today (www.otesports.com). He may be up here for the OR, the Outdoor Retailer Show. I, myself, have never been - though it IS in SLC. The reason. I don’t really care about the rest of the outdoor world. I know I may be shooting myself in the foot a little, but I don’t see myself expanding to include Yoga Pants and Reef flip flops in my store - of course I never thought I’d have a retail sales floor at the shop. All that stuff is great, but not my market. Maybe I’m stupid, but its so much fun doing the custom build thing (from $800 steel single to $10,000 Moots) and service/repair I don’t think I want to change a thing. Human nature. Am I lazy? My friend Mike once sad ‘innovate or die’. I love that slogan. We’re working on shop signs for the inside today that add more ’soul’ to the shop. One of the perks of going to the OR is that you get sweet deals on stuff. That’s all behind me too. Oh yeah, I rode the shops Knolly today, but I could care less about keeping up with the joneses (unless it that sexy man Jason Jones, whom I”ll never keep up with going downhill) but the industry for me is about getting people to enjoy cycling. If that means the industry is a knitting circle, I’d pick up my yarn and go to town. Let the 25 year old shop rats who are only doing this for a couple of years do the EP’s and stuff. I’ll stick to my 1980 salsa cross bike and the Kimstress will stick to her One One Inbred with the dent in the top tube…bitches.

So much has happened this week. And I meant to write earlier.
We’ve changed over my 2000 desktop computer with cathode ray monitor for a slim laptop, wireless modem, the works. Why? Well honestly, I have this little business plan that says DON’T SPEND IT BEFORE YOU MAKE IT…and also I”ve been spending all of the shops income right back at the shop buying inventory and stock. Being conservative has served me well at the shop and at the office.
Speaking of the office/shop (its like a mullet…business up front - party in the back) for all you bitches who think Kim and I don’t work, we put in 70 hrs this week including a 9am-7:30pm day on Friday. But who’s complaining.
Hey, my band is back together. The Sons Of Lee Marvin is back. Really just a formation. There are many sons all over this great country, but Damian and I are set to rock main street Aug 10th. There will be tears, shouts of joy, and bras thrown on stage. Then I will go get drunk at the alamo.
Repair of the day yesterday. What would you do? Super nice dude comes in with a (brand omitted) and says, ‘yo, one of my rear brake pads is worn a ton, and the pad has rubbed the rotor since day one. Nobody has been able to fix it though I’ve had it at a shop across town several times.” What do you think? Pulling the caliper revealed facing marks from a park tool indented on the caliper mount. A good effort, but facing the bolt holes without grinding down the whole mounting plate doesn’t do a lick of good since the caliper mounting plate sits flush with the frame mounting area. Its like trying to dig a hole by taking out plugs and leaving the surface unchanged. Oh well, after 15 minutes of a hand file (let me tell you, I have no interest in frame building), that shit was tight. Should we blame the shop - fuck no - you do what you can to the best of your ability…and certainly, no ill or damage had been done to the frame. It is nice to make a loyal customer by fixing a somewhat complex issue. Hows that? Its been a while since I”ve brought a repair to the blog. Maybe you wanna get me started on why I”m going to start charging $20/wheel for installing Stans - and no, I will never show anybody my technique - not even my own mechanics.
Anyway, lets talk about the tour. Carlos….total class. Total sauce too. I loved his finish. It brought tears to my eyes….such effort. I pray for Carlos that the vampires don’t come tonight and test him +. That would truly suck.
Big thanks to Jason Jones for not killing me today. Took out the Knolly and rode things I never thought possible. Super Fun. Really, one of the most fun days I’ve had on the bicycle. And its funny, I was totally padded up, mouthguard in. Jason wore a sleeveless T. God I suck.
You know what, It was a total blast. I even rode a little teeter-totter. I’m passing on the Flying Dog tomorrow and going back to DV. Maybe I’ll wear my full face.
Alright, here’s a pic from Wed’s race. Top shelf to Tim, who rocks and actually knows songs by the Germs, X and Black Flag.

Yes dear friends, I could care less about the politics of the tour. Really. Doesn’t matter to me if people dope or not….actually, they all do. I’ve said it a thousand times. If I could have doped to get into med school/dental school you bet your sweet ass I would have done it and found a way to pay for it. Seriously. People at the shop and at the office ask me all the time “how could they do that”. Well, when you make $10,000/year as a pro racer and there are a thousand people in line to take your place if you slip up, the stakes are pretty high. You do what you gotta do…or you turn the other way when the doctor says ‘this is a vitamin shot’. You do. Cyclists have a rancher/farmer mentality. And so do I. If it fails….you fail. You kill yourself. Seriously. Suicide rates among ranchers/farmers are higher than dentists….which are actually lower than the national average. Dentists and other doctors usually tend to turn to substance abuse, which is easier and happier. I’m happy right now. When a rancher looses the farm, they fail personally. When a technology company goes under, the CFO says ‘ha, well there’s a way it doesn’t work”….and they try something new. Well I’m a farmer, and an optimist…so fuck you all.
Stage 15 on Sunday was epic. Monumental efforts. Simon, Schleck, good lord. Shit’s on.
That may even be enough for me to rise and shine early to catch the live broadcast tomorrow.
Just to give you something to laugh at. I”ve seen the Obey the Giant on the sidewalk in SLC, but WTF?