Monkey on My Back

Actually it's a fat
extra fingered cat
named Ruby....

But the figurative monkey
could be the snow storms
or my lack of motivation
or maybe my general laziness.

I dunno.

All I know is I'm surrounded by bikes
in various states of dis-assembly.
The motivation to get out and ride
is not helped by the blankets
of slippery stuff outside.

I must be part bear
since hibernation seems so logical.
The daydreams that help pass time
used to be filled with parts lists,
road trip plans,
and race dates.

Now that time has been hijacked
by schemes to build a motorcycle,
while I grow my ass in front of the
Dumb Box.

The Fat Bastard had sat patiently
at the shop, waiting for the decisive
ride to determine where to cut the
steerer.

The Beer Buddy lays scattered across
the work bench. The hardest part still
not completed: picking out the color.

Green with envy!

The Fat Bastard is wrapping up!
Next week may provide some time
to go through it.
But as of today,
it's a rider!

Quests:

Seriously psyched on this: WTF
or Whisky Tango Foxtrot from Van Dessel.
A couple guys rock the Country Bob for single speed,
and I like the downtube on the older model,
and the arched top tube on the newer model.
So I thought I'ld look around their site,
and I don't know how I missed this:

Actually,
I know how I missed it.
I haven't seriously purchased or looked at a magazine
for a year or so.

It's something I've been working on for a while,
kind of like a 'self-improvement' thing.
I'll save that for another post.

But the Whiskky Tango Foxtrot?
Awesome!
Bright 1984 Haro Master green? Favorite!
And arched top tube? Sweet!
But even better is the split at the end of the top tube!
Back in, ohhhh that 94-98' time frame
I had a KHS Fleetwood.

It needed a little longer top tube,
but it was years ahead of it's time!
But I just didn't appreciate it, so I sold it
(and all of my mountain bikes and tools)
when we bought the house.

(sigh)

I even really, REALLY, miss the mountain bikes.
In such a small town,
I figured I'ld see someone on one,
and offer to by it back. But nothing.
Anyways.... it's easy to get rambling on that one too!

But the WTF could easily be a monster cross,
or a 29er.
Better put it on the back burner for now!

it's NOT parkour!

TRIALS!
plus some bmx skills.

Makes you want to set up another bike,
any reason to have another bike, right?

Well worth the time though!

Under your shop floor

Does your local shop have a basement?
Probably didn't even think about it.
Maybe it's filled to the rafters with old bikes
and parts.

Or new bikes in boxes,
waiting for a new home.
Or maybe...
there's odd sounds.
And you notice a mechanic or two are missing...





A quick little session while bolting together
The Fat Bastard.

The Fat Bastard:

Projects:

'It' has morphed into
The Fat Bastard.

Way ahead of schedule!
Just sorting out the gearing,
and spacing.

Waiting for bars,
and wrap up the brakes.

Then back to the first project:
The Beer Buddy.

The Details

The sweetness,
in the details.

The bridge details,
beefy dropouts,
spring loaded screws,
and
rack mounts
on the inside of the stays.

Lil Bastard (project two)

A rolling mock-up,
as I sort out all of the 'little stuff'.

Another One...

Another weekend storm.
Gallery show tonight.
And what looks to be,
a messy commute home.

Shop Dayz

Today was a productive day.
In the sense of sorting out projects.

I need to continually remind myself,
it'll be a few months of winter.

A self-imposed deadline of March
or April
or May.

Sno-B-Gone

For new years I was given the
great gift of Sno-B-Gone!

For the New Years,
turn up the temp to a blistery 39,
and watch the white stuff creep away.

Now if I could get a can of:
Instant Spring!
Wait, that's rain.
How about a Box-o-Fall?

Ten Inches

Insert your punchline here__________.

I'm not a stranger to storms.
Denver has them.
Salt Lake has them.

Two feet won't even close businesses.
But give the northeast a couple inches,
and there's almost a panic.

No milk or water at the grocery stores.
Everyone is in a hurry to get home
before the snow falls.

And then....
nothing.
Just snow.

Snow Days

Yeah,
I rode in it.

And it wasn't so fun.

I don't think any change of tires
would've helped.

I guess you could say it was great
practice for sand & mud bike handling.
But that's it.

For the Dogs

May 2011 be as ridiculous
as Bella and her fancy top hat!

As everyone prepares their
lists for World Domination in
goodness and
self improvement,
I'll willingly taking the back seat.

Trying to find humor
in the mundane of every day.