The Angry Owner Blog

Big thanks to the NORBA people in town. Let me take this opportunity to apologize for not being more ‘around’ to the industry people. The shop (and the office) has been super busy and part of my little ‘business model’ (doesn’t that sound impressive) means that service comes before my social schedule: I need to make sure the repairs get done and the customers needs get met so that the bills get paid and paychecks made - and with the race in town..there was plenty of service and paying customers.
So, the only ride I got today was to and from the shop….and of course a little pump track action. We tried out the new attachment for the UHaul – see pic below. Not that I’ll bring all my repairs to and from the shop like this – but for some of my oldest customers I’ll do it…this is also one way to transport your bike to the trail…if you just can’t make it to the trail on your mountain bike.
And let me just say how much of a pain in the ass the Stans system is. Yes, you may hate that I say that and go somewhere else….but here’s the rub. You mount your tire…put the shit in there, roll it around and spend 5 min inflating the system and ‘doing the hokey pokey’ rolling the whale spunk around to fill in the gaps. What a pain in the ass. How about running a fucking tube? In the time it takes to mount one Stans tire, I could change 5.
The best part…..it only lasts 5-7 months. And I have seen some fucking meltdowns on the trail of people trying to pry out a gummed up stans valve to replace it with a real tube.
Oh well, that shit sells like Kleenex….I just ordered more from BTI.

Picked up a new line. Knollybikes.com. Yes, the real deal is here. Noel was fun to talk to. We’ve actually met in Fruita (where else?) and it was a funny night where everybody was talking to my buddy Pete…and wondering where I was at 10pm on a party night. Well dear friends, I was sleeping in my bag as the DeAnza ride was the week before and I did the whole thing. Yikes.
Well, it was a magic experience talking to Noel. The kind of thing where I say, hey check us out before you do business with us. And then on the phone, as he’s going through the website I hear “yes…..oh yes……..no way…….yes……..oh my……..yes indeed……..fuck yeah!”. Yeah, I pretty much knew we’d make it happen after then. So, Knolly bikes baby. They fit our business model. High quality, high durability, performance, reputation, price, value. Perfect for the world’s greatest custom shop…..bitches (tim always likes when I put ‘bitches’ in there….as a matter of fact he states that it isn’t a real angry owner blog unless bitches is in there).
Even my wife loves the knollys…..need I say more.
Well I ‘ll say the NORBA is in town. Its great, racing is fun, and there are a lot of fast people in town. But I didn’t see a lick of it….I worked at the shop today. And thats cool. A ride happened also and the Moots Cinco seemed to be a dream come true. Tomorrow? more riding but I fear I won’t be near the NORBA scene. Its great that some of the companies roll out to be part of it. Fox, Magura, Yeti, Kenda, etc……fantastic showing….but racers don’t shop during races. They shop during the off season….at my shop. Thats cool, it’ll make great pics for the dirt rags. Maybe more tomorrow.

First and foremost (should there be an ‘e’ in there?), Here is the U haul. An On One Inbred 29er built as a 69er with 2.5 tires. Yes, we took it to the bar on Fri and the market today. It rocks. But you can see for youself….bitches.

Big thanks to Tim and Chris for a great ride today. After such a long ride yesterday, the ride today was fun but man, my legs felt like two water balloons. But the day was excellent…even though I got a flat. And since my ’spare’ tube has been in my pack for about 2 years, you bet that it had a little tool perf on it. So, yes, on the way home, I’m getting soft. Made it though. Thanks to the spirits. I’ll tip a 40 for you.

Many thanks to those who made the Ride and Smile ride possible. Let me tell you all about it.
This is the kind of shit you love.
Well, after working a 70 hour work week, we got to work more on our day off on Fri. Not to worry - I’m not a pussy. We got the beer chillin’, tent up, xtracycle On One (named the U haul) built. And baby…..’Shits On”.
Head to White Pine at 4. Ride is suppose to leave at 4:20. Would you expect any less from your dark lord? we wait around until 4:45…because IMBA was about 1/2 hour late…Sorry to those who were pissed that we didn’t stay until 5….duty calls. So, we roll up to the shop with the xtracycle with the cooler full of beer and my viking hat on. Sorry to not have a pic to upload, check the imba.org site…maybe they have one. This is suppose to be the beginner ride. And the easiest ride on the schedule. I can make it so. Down the rail trail 4 miles to the shop. Beer stop at the shop. Round valley ride to follow. I decided to take the Uhaul for the whole trip. Bad Ass. There was a IMBA ride that saw us rolling down the trail, viking helmet in the lead and cooler with a few beers left. These guys were drooling at the mouth for those road sodas. Anyway, super fun to those who made the ride…And yes, it was easy.
Well, after the ride, we decide to roll up with the UHaul to the Alamo (No Name Saloon). Let me tell you, nothing says ‘buy me shots’ like showing up to the local alcoholics bar wearing a viking hat. And in town, there was the ‘taste of mainstreet’ or something where a big long table was set up down mainstreet and people got to eat on the street. Wanna hear whats funny - they thought I was part of the entertainment. Retards. So, back at the alamo, I’m not turning down the shots that are lining up at the bar. I’m getting more shots bought for me than a topless stripper at a college sports bar. What I love is that none of the demons (that would be the drunks hanging around the bar) even batted an eye. Ha!.
Then, we attempted to leave old town, but as we were crossing the street, Maurice from Dirt Rag finds us. Oh god - we HAVE to take him to O Shucks and have a beer. Yes, more fuel for the bonfire raging in my head. Finally it really is time to roll home. So, thank god for 8 inch rotors as I plowed down main street then the rail trail. Back at the ranch, all I could say was jeez I’m wasted and how much water can I drink before I pass out. I set the alarm for 4am for the Solstace ride.
So the alarm goes off and I feel like shit. But I do get myself up because I do want to ride. Yes, water in the pack, sunscree, toothbrush for later, jacket for the morning. And off to White Pine I go. Yes, people want to talk but all I can think of is how I just want to go to sleep and ride out my aching head. No time for that kind of talk, Off we go. Spiro, up we go. Once again, I was not my usual talkative self. Sucking down water helped. One of the things I love about the solstace ride is that you choose your own adventure. The crowd went right on the mid mountain trail. Matt and I went left. Always a pleasure to ride with Matty and we never have enough time to hang. Excellent morning for a ride. Now, for the IMBA summit in town, there are some out of town friends that are here. Some of these fine fellows (no names mentioned - I know you’ll be reading this blog) were staying in SLC so starting off at 5am - not an option. So, we meet up at 9 at the house. Kudos to Kim who had us styled out with banana/walnut/chocolate chip pancakes. Yum. Excellent ride through old town and over to Deer Valley. Then a ride down DeVo and up little stick. Getting rather warm out. Spin Cycle is one of my favorite trails. Then Dos Dedos (two fingers) and skid row. We attempted to do a beer stop, but the group was more into just continuing the ride. Dinner at Nacho Mamas (big thanks Liza). At dinner, the legs tighten up, the head starts to feel hollow. But what a great ride. It was there I kinda decided that my day was done. 62 miles. So, big thanks to Jeffrey for a great ride. So nice to ride with friends I don’t always get to ride with. Awesome conditions and super fun. And yes, I’m going to ride for a few hours tomorrow….with a sore ass.

This is one for you shop people or you bicycle travel people…Today we got to wrestle in the shop. And I don’t mean the kind of WWF action with the Hulkster, Jimmy “superfly’ Sanuka or George ‘The Animal’ Harris. I mean 62cm custom S and S bike into a S and S case. In my 15 years in the bicycle industry, I have actually never ‘done’ an S and S bike. For those of you that need lessons, just google S and S couplers and you will see the fabricator and the details.
Pros - the thing fit…as in fit into a case that you could pack in the overhead of a plane. Really. Seriously. Had to let the air out of the tires to get it to squeeze into the case.
Con - had to take off both brakes, HS (not the cups), stem, replacable hanger, der to get it to fit. But it did. NO room for error. And at this level, you should have a professional shop do your assembly. Which is still cheaper than flying with a traditional bike case.
The IMBA summit is in town. So welcome. Join us for our Ride and Smlie ride on Friday at 4pm, starting at White Pine Touring.

After Wed’s snow, it has finally become nice out. Let me say top shelf to the folks who rode Princess Di, the most under-rated trail in Park City with me on Sat. It of course, was super nice. Today was also a super fun riding day. Big thanks to the mtb crew for making it fun despite the snow crossings. Hopefully this weather will keep up and burn off the snow.
Happy fathers day to all you fathers out there.
Welcome to all you IMBA people in town. The trails mid and high still have snow, but the weather will sure be nice!
I’ll think up more interesting stuff tomorrow or Tues.

Check this out here. What poeple don’t understand is that when you’re a pro cyclist, you get nothing. You don’t get to sit around and drink beer after work like normal people do. You don’t get to eat ice cream like normal people do. You train, you race, you wonder who will be taking your place on the team next year if you don’t have the stats. Really, sex and blow are the only things to look forward to…other than the thrill of victory.
Anyway, rolling with Tom

Did you have a good Saturday? Ours was a little cold here. I heard that the Deer Valley race went off well. There was a dusting of snow all around and the cold skies didn’t look - oh how shall we say - inviting. Saturday was National Trails Day. Big thanks to all who showed up and to those who organized the day. Our contribution was to get the Princess Di trail pimped out. And we did. For those of you who have never done any trail maintenance, let me explain something…becaue I was a person who for years an years never did anything to the trails I rode. I was always training or riding or just didn’t have time. When you actually put your effort into the trail, it makes you appreciate it more. Its the same with bicycles. Back in high school, my parents bought me my first real mountain bike…a Trek 830. Well, lets just say that the 1999 moots I bought myself is still with me and has that new bike shine. See? Do some work on your local trail system and you’ll appreciate it more when you ride.
And don’t forget to Ride and Smile my dear friends.

This was also pride weekend. Why do I mention this? Because we all are/know/work with/race with/have to interact with people in the GLBT community. And because Pride events are a great way for me to support things like the Indian Walk In clinic, the Utah Aids Foundation and Friends of Animals. I’d link all those sites if I had time. Hey, I bought a bumper sticker for the shop that says “I don’t care if you’re straight as long as you act gay in public”. I love it. For those of you out there who are nervous around gay people, go to one of these. But go early….things fall apart and turn wild as the day goes on. See the Beer truck and the flag? The music is great, the food is great, there is beer everywhere, great people watching, friendly poeple. Speaking of friendly people….here is a neat story.
The old shop I used to manage was in business from 1932-2000. In about 1999, a nice lady brought in two Raleigh cruisers that her grand parents bought in 1934 AND HAD NEVER RIDDEN. The orig. sales tags were still on the bikes. Sweet, but what do you do with two perfect collectors bikes that have been stored indoors for 70 years? This neat fella had been hanging out at the shop for about a year and all the mechanics were completely blown away by his knowledge of BSA, Sturmey Archer and Brooks. He had been to England to see the factories/plants/etc. He even let me copy his history of Sturmey Archer book to photo copy since it was not available in the states. One day I asked him what his plans were for the day/week/month/etc. He said that he had a bear outing. This guy was kinda bear like…beard, big dude, looks kinda manly and such. I assumed that it was a mountain man type thing with lots of crotch scratching, beer drinking, porno watching, etc. My buddy said…”well, its kinda a retreat where large hairy men who like other large hairy men get to hang out and party”. I was tickled pink. He brought me photos (all of them in good taste you sikco-s) of the last gathering. I was fired up for this guy. I said “right on! that looks cool!”. The smile on his face was really warm and heartfelt. So, THAT dude got the bikes all the mecanics decided. Not to sap it up, but I also had a lot of fun conversations from the HIV/AID patients I used to treat at the U when I was a resident. They’re almost all dead now so for christ’s sake, always use a condom and get fucking tested.

This next photo is great. When I was a kit in Detroit, every Thanksgiving my father would take my brother and I to the parade. My favorite group was the briefcase brigade…they’d dance in 3 piece suits and briefcases. It was funny. These guys are funnier…

And of course with the acceptence of alternative ways to live, comes alternative ways to get from A to B.

Big thanks to SLUG and all the cyclists who made the scene. And BIG thanks to the tallbikes. Those rule. All I could say when my shop people asked about those was “falling off a tallbike is a longer fall than falling off a draft horse….jesus”.

At the shop, we get a magazine that focuses on human powered transporation. It is called Momentum. They had a huge article on Mellow Johnny’s….that would be Lances shop.
The article was nice. 35 employees full time, TDF shit hanging from the walls. I was inspired.
This week, I went through some old T shirt boxes. You see, for the past 15 years in the bicycle industry, companies never gave me bicycles, or helmets, or jerseys because I was kinda fast. And the only real things of value I own are the shop tools (which now the shop owns) and my Moots from 2000. Well, I guess just the frame is from that era. What I do have that has so many memories are the T shirts I’ve collected from my past days. A Salsa shirt that says “if it ain’t magic its worfless”…A gold toothed salsa man playing a slot machine from interbike’s first run in vegas. A tour of the gila shirt from back in the day when I could go uphill with speed. A Cars R Coffins shirt that would make Hurl (Thomas) proud. Tons of T shirts now displayed on the walls of the shop with tacks. I’ll take history and style any day over a shop that can pay to put up neon signs, time trial bikes and pay 35 employees to sit around on their asses. Hey, today, the owner made all the service calls. bitches.

This is the kind of post you’ve been waiting for.
But first, tip the 40oz to the amigos in Mexico. Drunk driver slamming into a peloton. The crowd watching the race was lynching him when the federalies showed up. I’d say let him hang.
Ohhhhhh, its 6pm….the teeth are fixed….the bikes are fixed. The sky is grey. This is the coldest stretch of weather in 35 years…or so the news says. But you know what….I feel like riding a bicycle. I’m tired. Kim had to go to Mexico today. We had emergencies. Reps stopped by. I had a small 1/2 sandwich for lunch and some greens. So, wolfing down 2 cliff bars and throwing one in the jersey pocket, I put the team kit on and rode off toward Princess Di. It kicked ass. The rain stayed away and it was a little cold but it was fun. National trail day is Saturday and we are going to pimp that trail out. On the way back to the office/shop all I could think was how good of an idea that was. And I rode my bicycle. My 2000 Moots Rigor hardtail with V Brakes. Yeah, it was excellent and just as exciting as the first ride. Thanks Moots.
Then I got home and realized how hungry I was. Tomorrow, going in on my day off to cut a crown and fix a bunch of bikes. I’m also hanging a bunch of ‘industry’ shirts around the champagne room (thats where all the ti frames are). It looks nice.