Does anyone remember the old guy who used to ride his weird bike up and down the coast. The bike was a Trek OCLV and painted Pink, White and Yellow. He always wore knee guards....

I haven't seen that dude in years.

Do you people watch? I do. I frequently sit at the coffee shop and watch the world passing me. The professionals, the weirdos, the surfers, the high schoolers, the homeless.... About 5 months ago I started noticing this strange old guy everyday between 5:30 and 6:00. He walks down the side walk to the newspaper stands and checks the machine for change. He has a method so it's not spontaneous, then he walks across the street and checks the ones down the block and walks back.

Does he make any money doing this? Is he OCD? Has he lost his job and now is trying to recoup some of the loss? Is he trying to escape his nagging wife?

These are some of the scenarios I and my fellow "regulars" have come up with. One day I will get a photo of the chap.


Couple bikes rolling out the shop this week. A Cannondale System6 Team, a Cannondale Six13 Team and a Serotta Legend Ti. Business is starting to pickup finally.

Got back from the 12 hrs of Temecula

I kept my perfect record for Solo Tech Support, Razzberry won his race! He cranked out 9 laps! This was his first attempt at endurance Mountain Biking, he handled it like he was a seasoned professional. Congrats John!

My buddy Brendan was at the race showing off his new frames as well as teching for his wife Mary. He had two of his frames at the race, The Fifty Five (29" front, 26" rear ((29+26=55) and The Trauco (29er all day bike).

Fifty Five
Trauco

Brendan's niche is Aluminum. He is one of he few small guys* out there that do custom** Aluminum frames. For his first attempt on his own brand the frames have plenty of new touches (custom sliding dropouts, bent TT, gusseted DT, etc.) and great welds. The few frames I have seen have been raw but, I can't wait to see one with color. That Trauco might be the perfect addition to my fleet although I don't know what The brothers will say.

*Custom AL framebuilders:
SyCip
Ahrens
Action Frame
Strong Frames

**Custom sizing, tubing thickness, setup, etc.

"No heat

"No heat

You know it's cold when:

a) Your feet are so cold that when you step into the hot shower you scream because you're feet are burning from the shock.

b) Whenever you are in your apartment you are in long sleeves, pants, socks, and have a huge blanket wrapped around you.

c) You are wearing a super-padded bra, tank top, and long-sleeved shirt and you can still see your nips.

d) All of the above."
Taken from jennystopmakingmecookies.blogspot.com

I resemble this....except for c).....sometimes.

Can somebody pinch me? I think I am having a nightmare.

It was 36 degree's at my house on Saturday morning. Did I wake up to ride my bike, not even close. Instead I stayed in bed until 8:30 and then bundled up and went out for a coffee. Imagine my surprise when I saw some roadies out on 101. Crazy.

I have been trying to overcome a "cold" for the past two weeks. It's not the normal "cold", it drains my energy and gives me a headache. It's Bull"S".

I am pretty sure it doesn't help that my cottage (and when I say cottage I mean step above shanty) doesn't have a working heater. Well it might work but, every time I turn it on it smells like it's going to burn the house down. I would rather sit on my sofa in my sleeping bag than burn the place down. Although it might help me clean the place up....Nope sleeping bag is better.

Links for today;

I am wrenching for a few Solo racers this weekend in Temecula.
12 hours of Temecula

Part of my new Race Gear are my Carhartt Double front jeans.
Carhartt Workwear

Another new piece of Race Gear are my IronClad gloves.
Ironclad Performance Gear


Checkout the ala MasiGuy blog list at the bottom of the page. Do you have any blogs that you read regularly that aren't on this list? Let me know and I will add them.

Happy Birthday to the Chicken Sympathizer!


CS invited a group of ruffians down to his neck of the woods for a (hopefully annual) rolling bar crawl. Yes, that means bikes. The party started at Adams Avenue Bikes with pizza, beer and snacks. A good base of carbs to soak up the tasty beverages that followed.

I picked up Mister Smooth at the Smooth lair (*ladies beware* he is called Smooth for a reason). Fortunate for me I am a dude and it was easy to escape. We made it down to AA around 5:45pm. The place was already packed. A mix of AA coworkers, B&L former coworkers and misc others. I think we rolled out around 6:30 although my memory is a tad foggy. Jumping in to traffic on Adams Ave, we turned onto 30th which led to the first event of the evening. Boy Band (wrench at B&L) somehow was involved in a BB driveby. Luckily he was only shot in the leg but, still it could have been tragic. The Kaiser tried to chase down the vehicle but it got away (If you are in the North Park area on bike watch out for a dark green Blazer or Explorer).

The party regrouped at the first "Stop", Bluefoot Bar & Lounge. Boy Band showed off his "Welcome to North Park" temporary tattoo on his thigh. I started the evening off with a nice refreshing Jack & Coke, the only way to drink Tennessee swill....I mean whiskey, water it down with Coke. Please comment when I get your names wrong (The two times I met these guys I has slightly intoxicated) Nick and Everett pulled out some pretzels which were a perfect addition. Five minute warning is sounded and we're off.

(most of my evening looked like this, dark and blurry)

Around the corner and through the woods to grandmothers house......Sorry. Where was I? That is one of the issues, I am a North County guy. I am not familar with the area at all except I kind of know where the Livewire is. We took a few rights, then some lefts and we were there, The Red Fox Room. This place oozes old school. When I say old I mean Old. The average age was 75. That's not the only thing old, Senor Large was telling me that the wood in the place was shipped over from England. They had a live jazz band playing last night. I ordered a Captain & Coke. Mister Smooth claimed he didn't know what that was so he ordered a Pinot Noir.....What? Pinot in this place? The perfect drink would be an old fashioned but by the time we arrived there I had drained my flask and feeling no pain. Let's get back to the Pinot....what? Not to mention he ordered a salad and garlic bread....granted he raced earlier that day (Storm the Beach Cyclocross race) and got 2nd in the Cat 1/2/3 race but a Pinot? and he is wondering why the ladies weren't all over him..... The next big event happened when the singer came over to our section and asked whose Birthday it was. He unfortunately thought CS was a female because he sang "I only have eyes for you" (originally by The Flamingos). CS was quite embarassed, priceless. Two minute warning was sounded and we rolled down the hill to the Livewire.

I have been to the Livewire many times. It is our meeting spot for the annual "Midnight Madness" ride. Dark, usually loud and packed are words I could use to describe the Livewire. Last night the patrons were more interested in watching the Simpsons than listening to "the best jukebox in San Diego". I noticed they had a fresh bottle of Knob Creek so I ordered two Knob & Cokes (notice the theme?). I originally had planned to drain both but, when I saw them being poured into two normal sized pint glasses I decided I should pawn one off onto CS. He was visably scared. I killed mine within 20 minutes or so and noticed his still full.....You guessed it! I took one for the team and knocked it back.

(No this isn't the Paris Hilton video. This is the view from the bar. From L to R GiJoe, Miss Chicken Sympathizer, Senor Large and Chris).

This photo is for the AA guys Use this one for your own pleasure.....

Two minutes and we were rolling back to the shop. Waiting for us back at the shop were some ice cold Tecate's which ironically sobered me up not to mention I think I sweated most of the toxins out.

To CS, you are a great friend, one of the nicest guys around (besides me of course), the best cyclist I have ever known and humble to boot. I'll never forget all our adventures including Whistler, Idyllwild and Tucson. Welcome to the 30ish club.

Back from the Holidays.....

I do feel refreshed and effervescent. SG gave the lot of us the Xmas week off. So I proceeded to drink more Mocha's, think about work less, pretend to clean up the shop (aka my dining room) and drink more spirits.

I did ride a fair amount, not as much as I should have, but I road 6 of the 10 days I was off. Unfortunately I had to go in for a couple hours to finish my inventory and it looks like I will be counting more this week.

Dainty, the beard and I went for cheese steaks tonight. I don't care what sporkmag has to say about the place, Philly's Best in Oceanside has the tastiest steaks this side of the Mississippi. Makes me feel like I am in Philly again.

So here is the gossip overheard.....
The beard is growing the beard again ( much to his other halfs distaste), Dainty will collapse under emotional stress very soon, The beard secretly owns a car and is married in China, Dainty is going to sell every Kelly he owns and buy more Masi (Masi's? Masis'?), The beard will be retiring from 24 hour races this year and G is perfect in every way.

It's great being perfect, I tell ya.It's an oldie but a goodie. The 24 hours on the old pueblo (where this photo was taken) is coming up fast. My manager (I didn't even know I had one until he made my decision, not to race, for me) has signed me up to wrench for John Razberry (aka Jensipoo), Tofu Smith and his SS team, yay.

I have a new race kit that I will be showcasing at Pueblo. I haven't hammered out all the specs but, I will post my setup and after the race, my impressions and what I need to change.

Links

Samsung BlackJack
Keen Footwear
Pactimo Sportswear
Honey Stinger
Masiguy

Socks:
I love Bike Porn
iTunes:
Cake, "No Phone"
In the stand:
DeRosa Ti

Nothing to say yet but, I did find this bitchin picture of a SyCip frame....
Oh, I also added "The Onion" to the blog. You can listen to all the current "Onion" news reports.

Endura Hummvee Knickers

I ordered a pair last week and they arrived Friday afternoon. Sunday I was scheduled for a long slow ride (rain or shine), the perfect test for the Hummvee's. Let's look at the spec's first.

At first glance they look like "Long" baggies, which I guess they are. Unlike baggies these things have more panels, more pockets, more vents and a removeable liner. The liner has a decent looking pad similar to the Squadra or Voler pad, six panels and multiple snaps around the waist to attach to the outer short. The outer short has Six pockets (That I have found). One on the left just above the knee that has 2 vents. Two pockets on either side that are approximately six inches deep. Two front pockets with zippers, that reminds me the zipper pulls are textured. Why is that so inportant? When it's a blustery SoCal day out, my numb fingers have difficulty opening pockets to get my keys or iPod. There is also a zippered pocket just above the right knee. On the left side there is a swivel hook, I assume it's for your keys but I like keeping my keys safely inside the pocket. The bottom of the legs have a velcro closure that allows you to adjust the leg openings.

My ride started at my house and went down the coast to Del Mar. At first it felt weird wearing baggies on the road, then I realized I am weird. The legs didn't bunch at my knees, the liner provided plenty of padding and it didn't move around. I wasn't overheating like I normally do with knee warmers. The vents behind the knees and thighs provided enough comfort, I think the real test will be when it's a little warmer.

So far I am really happy with them. The quality is top notch. I might have to order a jersey and some gloves to test as well. I will try them out on the trail this weekend but, I can't imagine they will be any different. I got 52 miles in them today with no chafing.

So Wednesday, on my scheduled weekly night ride, I took out the Double Dribble. I hadn't really riden it since I built up the Super Unleaded 29er, so what better time to discuss the pro's and con's.

No this isn't like other reviews where they build two identical bikes (one 26" and one 29"). It also won't be a biased, one sided fluff review either. I enjoy both bikes, I love my 26" SS as well. In fact if I didn't they probably wouldn't be in my stable. The fashion today on review forums (mbtr.com, ridemonkey.com, etc.) is that one discipline is the only choice. Some SSer's think gears are stupid, Some 29er's think 26" wheels are retarded, etc.


Double Dribble- September 2002




This was my second SyCip. I had my dream SS but, I wanted a bike that would be comfortable day after day if I were on an MTB trip or wanted to ride a technical trail (like Noble Canyon). Noble is doable on my SS but, if I want to be able to walk the next day I need an FS.
Most of my friends balked at my decision to get another SyCip. My reasoning was I loved my SS. The ride quality, the attention to detail, perfect sizing were all factors.

I ordered my DD in the 4" configuration since this is an XC bike. I built it up with (new at the time) 2003 XTR components, a Fox F100RLC fork and a selection of gourmet parts including King wheels.

The bike is really well balanced. Even though the front triangle is made of Reynolds steel the bike is relatively light at 26.5 pounds. The shifters took awhile to get used to (Dual Control), the rest of the build worked flawlessly.

Enter December 2006-
The bike still rides really well. The components show some wear but, all in all the bike still rides like it was new. It has been on 3 week long MTB trips including this year when Vanilla aka Todd rode it up in Flagstaff.



Getting back on a 26er took a few minutes to adjust. As soon as I settled in it was like we were best friends again. The steering was quick and precise. The suspension soaked up anything and everything I threw at it. The bike flew downhill like it was on rails. Where have I been all this time?

Super Unleaded 29er- February 2006



Most of you know it as Big Pinky (pink hubs, headset and misc accents would tell you why). BP is my fifth SyCip. I wanted another hardtail and I heard Jeremy SyCip was welding Ti now. So why not order up a Ti hardtail? The more I talked to friends, the more I realized I wanted to try a 29er. So I killed two birds with one stone, a Ti 29er hardtail. By this time there wasn't any wonder who would make my frame, I'll have Jeremy make my frames until either he or I quit.



The biggest decision with the build was the fork. The choices in forks, although more than originally, was weak. White Brothers, Rock Shox, Marzocchi and Maverick were the main contenders. In the end the Maverick made the most sense to me. 90mm of travel, 3.5 pounds, locks out to 50mm (to lower the front end while climbing) and the gourmet factor. I am all about gourmet. For components I wanted to try out the latest in SRAM offerings, XO. I spec's the bike with XO shifters/ rear derailleur, XTR cranks/ cassette/ front derailleur and Hope brakes.

This bike turned out to be really light! Just a tad over 24 pounds for a 29er is pretty light. The detail of the frame is stunning. I talked to Jeremy at Sea Otter he mentoned that this was the first Ti 29er he has built. I really hadn't ridden a 29er before I ordered this bike, other than rolling around the parking lot or test riding after a build. So I didn't really know what to expect other than what I read on the internet.

The bike climbs like a banshee, flows through ruts and is lightening fast on the flats. It does feel quite weird when you first climb on. You feel like you are hovering above the bike. Like driving a bigfoot truck. The steering is also slower. You have to learn to lean into the turns and use your body weight to control the bike.


The two bikes have their own purposes, their own strengths and their own ride characteristics. I am not going to stop riding my 26er's just because the 29er is more well rounded. I am not going to sell the SS because I like gears. Don't hate the other guy because he doesn't share your opinion.


Links you should check out;
Endura Clothing I need to order some of this stuff, looks clean and purpose built.
Samsung BlackJack It's on my Santa wish list
Crank Brothers The shizzle as far as pedals go
DuMonde Tech Smells like Caca but, works awesome


Socks on my feet:
Box Crew

iTunes:
Lou Reed "Sweet Jane"

Bike in the stand:
Cannondale Rush

Here is a poem we can call live by....

Devil Duckie, when you float, It's like I'm bathing in a flaming moat! Devil Duckie, you're my very best friend, Hooray!

Devil Duckie you're so swell, You guide me on the path to hell, Devil Duckie, I'm awfully dirty- Devil Duckie you're a dirty birdy- Devil Duckie, i am awfully dirty today.

Thank you.

This is another reason I don't race cross. Not that there will ever be these conditions here in SoCal, never the less.

Under that mud there is a Salsa Las Cruces, on the Las Cruces there are some ProBikeSupport.com decals. I am nationwide baby!

While One Eyed Clyde heads to Kansas City for a cyclocross race, I am heading to the kitchen cabinet for some Tylenol Sinus medicine. I, along with many San Diegans, have a bad headache from the dry conditions out here right now. My body aches, I am sleepy all the time and I have a headache that could kill a horse. Good Times. No I am not riding my bike this evening, heck I might not be able to ride this weekend if this keeps up.

Adams Avenue Bikes has a good thing going down there. Granted the shop is in a funky part of town but, the selection of party-goers was unique to say the least. From the normal Bike Geek crowd (Other shop employee's and Manufacturer employee's, etc.) to the customers that make the shop "special". Dudes with handlebar moustaches, dudes with bicolored dyed hair, rockabilly chicks, an assortment of kids, etc.

Good Times. At midnight there was some GP action, if I tell you what that means in this forum I would be forced to silence you.

3 kegs of Ballast Point beer were sacrificed last night and the crowd were forced to drink bottled...Not pretty. The BEST moment of the evening was when Jens (John Rasberry) was antiqued* while using the restroom. Although the antiquers name escapes me, Jens sought revenge. In some strange luck Timmy (MasiGuy) and the antiquer were in tight quarters together. Supposedly using the restroom but, let me tell you when yours truly was in that same restroom is was quite tight by myself much less with an overgrown MasiGuy. Jens in his first attempt at antiquing scored a 2 fer 1.

*Antiqued; to be antiqued....
To be covered in Baby powder by surprise. Powder can be thrown onto victim while sleeping or blown by compressed air under door of bathroom (as the case may be). Powder can be in Baby form, Koolaid, powdered sugar, cocaine, or baking soda.


Technorati Profile

Happy Turkey day people! And if you are reading this,turn off the computer and go help in the kitchen!

I am off to the Inland Empire for turkey with my sister and her family. I feel a little lethargic and hoarse right now. I got home this morning around 3:30. I went with the SockPeople to the Rolling Stones concert last night at Dodger Stadium. What a blast! A review will be posted when I can remember how to post pictures from my phone....

iTunes:
Rolling Stones "She Was Hot"

Socks:
2007 Royale GT (Black)

Bike in the stand:
SyCip Diesel SS

Should be a good time as usual.

The man, the myth the legend......Jeremy SyCip hard at work.

Good God it's been a long time...

Between stress at SG, oodles of wheels needing work and keeping up with my riding, the blog has suffered.

Bike Update: The Double Dribble is currently being pieced back together. The Fox fork needs some luvin but, other than that it looks good.

I rode today. 40 miles on the 29er, what was I thinking? Although that bike is a blast to ride, it was not built for the road. I ran my errands via bike rather than my car (Bank, library, grocery, coffee, bike shop, etc).

Tomorrow's ride looks bleak since I can hear it raining outside right now. MTB will probably be out of the question but, possibly a quick road ride.


Bike in the stand:
2000 S-Works hardtail

Socks:
SyCip Tall Woolies

iTunes:
Latyrx "The Album"

Call me a sissy but, ...........(Not out loud Jackhole).....This ash in the air is doing nothing for my riding. I rode this evening after work and I was coughing up a lung. I think my Saturday ride is out until this air clears up or the Santa Ana winds die down.

So looks like tomorrow is catch-up day. I promised I would do an "Art Project" for a friend's birthday present (need to finish it), I have a bike that is squeaky (I have to find the noise), I have a wheel I need to finish and a House that literally needs to be flushed. Big day....

Maybe I'll ride Sunday (maybe being the operative word).

I almost forgot!

iTunes:
The Shins, "New Slang"

Bike in the stand:
Reynolds Stratus DV clincher wheel

Socks:
SyCip Team wool crews

Good God it's been a long time.

Let's see lot's of wheelbuilding, bike repairs, riding, bbq's and work have kept me from updating this thing. I recently received some products that I need to review. I got a new helmet from Spiuk, a steel frame from Masi and some Royale GT's from SockGuy (go figure). The frame isn't built up yet so no reviews of that but, I have ridden with the helmet for over a week now.

Spiuk Nexion:
The Nexion has a novel system for fastening called COMPACTFIX, with millimetric adjustment.
It comes with an insect-repellant anti-allergic treated net and a system to prevent the loss of the helmet in the event of a fall.

It weighs 290 grams and is available in 11 colors apart from the colors of the official helmets of the Illes Balears (UCI Pro Tour) and KAIKU (Continental) teams.

Each helmet comes with a detachable visor.


At first glance the helmet looks a lot like a Bell mid-range model but, when you pick it up and really look at it you realize the difference. 290 grams is very close to the weight of the Uber expensive Giro Atmos. The interior net system is strange when you first put the helmet on, when you think about it actually is a great idea. Not only to block bugs and foreign objects but when you need to clean the pads, you won't have to worry about losing one. They are attached together via netting!
The best feature is the design of the "CompactFix" system. It has bowed out arms to allow your sunglasses to slide under. So many times I have slide my Oakley's under the strap and caused a nasty headache. I also like the padded chin cushion on the strap (also available on the Catlike helmets, ironically also made in Spain).

On bike review coming soon.