The Angry Owner

A surprise storm showed up today. More than a foot of snow in the driveway. Its nice. Got out there and got my nordic on yesterday….yes friends, day #2…..The first day of downhill skiing might be tomorrow. At least I found my DV pass….
I’ve also ridden the rollers exactly once this season…I plan to again after this weblog entry…so that will make two. With my improved health, I’ve also shot poorly at the range all weekend….but thats cool

I’d like to thank our former Moots Rep, David, for this pic from Steamboat’s Winter Carnival.

In MN, the Coaster Brake Catastrophe happened. All I can tell you is that Hurl and Gene were there.

I am also suspicious that Pugsley World Championships happened. I’m waiting for naked pictures of Sov running through the fire.
Until then I”ll have to suffice with intelligent stuff like this.

In Shop news, orders flowing in like the salmon of San Juan Capistrano. Ibis SLR’s are in stock. Turners are In Stock. I’m taking orders for Moots MX Divide’s. Yes.
The Landscaping crew has finished the work on the outside of the shop….and here is how it looks….







Enjoy the pictures…and if you are a local person, think about the St. George weekend March 3rd.

After a little time being “less than ideal”

Feels like I”m getting back on the right track around here.

And by back on track I mean awesome.

No, more awesome.

Perhaps you didn’t hear me, I mean more awesome.

Thats what I’m talking about.
In bicycle news, fat is the new black.

And thats cool. I can attest to riding my pugsley this summer on dirt for the first time and it was wonderful. I know it may seem hard to believe, but producing any level of production is difficult for any bicycle fabricator – so seeing fat tire bikes stretched to 4 seasons of riding gives me hope that more will be sold. And as a shop owner, I’m hoping to see more forecasting done by the consumer for these specialty bikes. One of the goals that I have for my customers is to forcast when they will need their next new bike….gone are the days when fabricating a bike was simple and you could go to the shop (or online store if you live in Park City) and just buy one off the shelf. For complex items, lead time is a must.
Did you wrap your head around that or do you need another stupid cartoon?

In Single Speed Off Road Bicycle news, SSAZ happened.

And Chewy was there…

I’d also like to show off the stuporbowl winners bag.

Speaking of Race News, the Old Pueblo is in two weeks. I’ll be in the Mojave getting drunk and looking for Gram Parsons’ ashes.

For those of you keeping track of the shop, here is a picture of the progress on Dharma Wheels South…

Well, it was a beautiful weekend in Park City (and down south) and as luck would have it, I stayed indoors to put the finishing touches on my recovery.
It was difficult to stay indoors, but, there was no shortage of bike work to do….and let me tell you, its never an unwanted thing to go in to build up an RSL.

It was exciting, our stickers came in….what a strange feeling it was to order another 500 stickers…..500 bikes in 7 years….man, when I placed the first order, I didn’t know if I’d be in business to sell through the 500 stickers.

By the way, if you took delivery of a bike around Christmas time till last month and I didn’t sticker up your downtube, please let me know where to send a sticker to….thanks.
In funny opinionated news, I’d like to offer a racers rant about cross bikes with disc brakes….which I love by the way…..but can since I don’t race.

I can’t even start a rant about disc brakes on cross bikes because it’s so stupid I don’t even know where to begin
1. The bike will be heavier regardless. Light bikes accelerate quicker.
2. The extra weight will be in the rotor which adds to rotating mass which is even worse.
3. It won’t help with mud clearance because the last time I checked the bike still has a bunch crap around the bottom bracket.
4. Most cross courses are generally flat so the amount of time you actually spend on the brakes is minimal.
5. You can bomb whatever descent you want with disc or rim brakes but you still on have 33mm of rubber keeping the bike upright.
6.You’ll always be limited by traction.
6a. Do you (can you) late brake a file tread?
6b. I’d rather be fast on 90% of the track than fast on 10% of it.
7. People can’t bleed their mtb brakes. Let’s try to do it around bar tape and lever hoods
8. I’ll throw you a bone here. Pad wear.
I think I’m tapped out. It’s just getting stupid, like disc brakes.
After hearing an individual from Gates touting the benefits of a belt drive choose ‘and you don’t even have to lube it’ as one of their main supporting arguments of their ‘technology’, nothing the bicycle industry comes with in order to make money off of suckers will surprise me.
Stuporbowl happened….I’m still waiting for the “proper” race report…until then, look at this.

Still a bit pinned down today with a bad cold…

I do feel a little better…and I”ll actually be able to perhaps work on the website, plan the March trip and do some build kit estimates from home today.
It would certainly be more fun to be out there in the snow…

And truth be told, I wouldn’t mind going into the shop today to work (especially if I had a lacing station)

Maybe I’ll pen a little note…

Jesus, that soldier looks like he’s 12 years old…
Or perhaps I’ll ponder my very existence…

Hey, the landscaping crew is working hard at Dharma Wheels South…check it out….

I can count on no hands the number of sick days I have taken at the office and shop since it opened 7 years ago…..This is one of them. Big thanks to the staff and the Notorius K.I.M for pulling through the day without my presence. As I stare down from the high point of middle age I realize “you gotta know when to hold em’, know when to fold em’.” I expect I’ll be back at the helm tomorrow and fully recovered by the weekend for some bike service and skiing….hopefully not in that order.
Before further adue, here is by far the best picture from the cross world championships…

Also, the best TP dispenser I’ve ever seen….at casa DD.

Also, a cute cat.

I’m not sure what I’ll be up to this weekend as far as socialness…

Maybe I’ll watch some TV?

Maybe it’ll snow?

Right?

I guess your right….maybe I”ll work on some projects?

Or get another mustache tattoo?

Because you know what they say about the location of a tattoo don’t you?

Its kinda what they say about beards and bike mechanics.

And back to bicycle news, there are a few VERY important things that I simply must share with you.
1. The RAGBRAI route has been announced. Holy Fucking Jesus! It has…

As far as my own participation goes….I’m right smack dab in the middle on the fence. The start city IS near an airport…but not Omaha.
2. I will tell you what IS near Omaha and happening this weekend with Zeke (in the above picture)….

3. In MN, of course, it is Stuporbowl weekend. And the weather looks downright balmy.

Go there….race….or get drunk….Say hi to Gene and Hurl…or not.
4. Lastly, Dan (campagnolo tech man and believe it or not, DH suspension extraordinaire), is leaking campagnolos new electric gruppo. I”ll bet its nice.

Thats it for me…its time to shave, shower and go back to bed.

To start this week, I”d like to include a link to “dual businesses” that are far less than my own…
HERE
Wasn’t that lovely….Now take a look at this.

Big thanks to Capt. Andy for this…

I know that you can feel the magic.
Big thanks to White Pine Touring and SRAM for hosting Bikedance last Thursday. Well done for those of you who braved the storm to ride up to the bar.

Kudos to Ben, who wins “best costume”

And to me, for best smile.

In outdoor pursuit news, you’ll all be impressed, I waxed up many pairs of skis and headed out to the Nordic center on Saturday for a rather lovely skate ski experience. This was followed up on Sunday by a quite nice snow bike event.

When it comes to pug riding, I’m about as easy going as they get. I don’t really go off trail, dont head up into the Uintas, dont like to break trail, and I don’t ever push the limits on float. Yesterday I did. Riding home from the gun range, the stretch from 248 to the dump road is always last to get “Ginsu-ed”…that would be the nickname for the groomer pulled by the sled. Its always softest, and needs the most time to get packed down by the grooming and use. So I tried the Capt. Chris technique….Roll on, air down your tires to 8psi, and see. You’d all be amazed….the bike, with guns and me floated over postholes created by the filthy, shitting, badly behaved, unleashed dogs on the trail. Truely. It was great.

Thanks to everybody for a very nice birthday. Really, you are all very kind.

Of course, the email box was full of funny pictures…

And there were many Book of Faces greetings….

And pictures of midgets with machine guns…

There were gift ideas…

More gift ideas.

And photos of things from MN.

There were endorsements…

Parodys…

New band ideas…

And dreams…

There were mottos…

Reminders…

And funny things…

From Portland, there was Satire.

From LA, there was info.

And from the great midwest, words of wisdom….

So, thank you. And remember local people, Bikedance…..tomorrow 5:30, white pine touring.

And if you didn’t see your picture you sent me here, its because I thought it was fucking stupid.

Sundance is in town.
And it snowed.
Yippie.
I had to work most of the day Friday and Saturday…and some on Sunday to get the shop caught up…but I don’t mind.

I’d like to thank my neighbors, the Millers, for an amazing BBQ yesterday. Simply the finest St. Louis style short ribs I have ever had. Big thanks to Tim C for the sauces, Doug and Noel for the wine, and everybody for the BBQ.

In all honesty, I tried to make it to Sundance by attending a Neil Young Slamdance movie. As the snow fell outside, I made the decision to just pass on the movie and finish the shop work. I’ve said this before, but one of the great things about SRAM brakes are that the barbs are threaded…for easy installation.
.

In other Sundance nooze, Bikedance will be Thursday….starting out at White PIne Touring at 5:30.

I’ll leave you with that. Duty calls.

Growing up in Detroit, two holidays that I have become quite aware of and celebrate are Kwanzaa and MLK day. Kwanzaa is nice because it kind of extends the holiday season where people are nicer than usual, and while MLK used to be a great reason to get loaded on a Sunday after skiing all day in Canada….its more of a day where I give thanks to good people in the world….like Dr. King. You should too.

I know its the google logo….but I still like it.

Alright, you know what comes next? We talk about the weather. Down south, another 60 degree weekend full of trail riding and good times. I’d like to thank my wife, the notorious K.I.M., for turning the old front door in the “parlor” into a coat hanging area….and also hanging our familys’ antique guns.

I was a lot of help during this project. Here is me doing what I do best…

In my everso slight defense, I did sell some goods over the weekend as well as get the store room organized….which is basically mounting a broom hanging pinch-clip on the wall.

Up north, snow is in the forecast. Some today, then a bunch of storms lining up for Sundance. Yippie…hopefully after work on Thursday I”ll be scraping the storage wax off my nordic and tele skies.

I”d like to take this time to show you all Stevil’s link HERE……which highlights a bicycle company that I love. Ventana. Just go to the link.

Thats all I got. People sometimes ask me how I now celebrate MLK day…..I actually simply go to work. Lots of people have the day off, they can get their teeth fixed (the shop is always closed on Mondays), and hopefully the world becomes 0.0000001% a better place.

I start looking at the weather forecasts when we get back from riding down south….and then follow them all week. Some people look at parody porn….I watch the weather.

For years, I have said that really the only reason I have cable is for the radar on the weather channel…then the interwebs came along and now I can get it on the phone….but cable now has Pawn Stars, Hotshots and cycling events….all of which I can Tivo.
So, near 60 degree weather and no snow up here makes me yearn for the desert.

For you shop rats out there, enjoy this…

DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar
stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer
across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set
in the corner where nothing could get to it.
WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the
workbench with the speed of light . Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned
calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, ‘Oh sh–!’
SKIL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.
PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of
blood-blisters.
BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up
jobs into major refinishing jobs.
HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle…
It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more
you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.
VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If
nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding
heat to the palm of your hand.
OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects
in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub
out of which you want to remove a bearing race.
TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood
projectiles for testing wall integrity.
HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you
have installed your new brake shoes , trapping the jack handle firmly under the
bumper.
BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good
aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after
you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.
TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of
everything you forgot to disconnect.
PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for
opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but
can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.
STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans.. Sometimes used to convert
common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.
PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you
needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.
HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short.
HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a
kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we
are trying to hit.
UTILITY KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons
delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats,
vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks,
and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but
only while in use.
SON-OF-A-BITCH TOOL: (A personal favorite!) Any handy tool that you grab and
throw across the garage while yelling ‘Son of a BITCH!’ at the top of your
lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.

In cycling news, Team captain Carman and I met yesterday and are planning a little weekend of adventure in St. George that corresponds with the Desert Rampage mountain bike type race. So the weekend date is March 3rd….and to be honest, we are also thinking about returning April 7th for the cactus hugger.

I’d like to conclude this post with a rather excellent picture sent in by Sir John Bon Benson of Flagstaff Mutant days, bass player for the Shindaggers….and owner of a large tired bicycle that is fun to ride on dirt or snow.