Metal Guru #2

More photos of the process (Day 3). Top Tube, Seat Tube and Down tubes are all mitered...

Metal Guru #1...

I'm in the process of learning the art of bicycle frame building from Carl Schlemowitz, the man behind the face of Vicious Cycles. You won't be seeing posts about any Pirate Rides or Night Racing for the next few weeks, but rather a goldmine of frame building porn. Enjoy!

Velo +...

There's a new bike shop in town, Velo +. Head on over and talk to Vincent Rodriguez, the shops owner. Grab a cup of java (FREE - made with Vincent's own custom-roasted beans) and chat-it-up about all things cycling. Did I hear you say Mexican Coke? Hell yeah, he has it! 

For those seeking a small-town feel, a destination style bike shop (and soon to be coffee shop) - this is THE place to be. Don't head to Velo + expecting anything corporate or glamorous. The shop is a grassroots, local small shop it it's beginning phases, a work in progress, sporting brands a little off the radar such as Masi, Twin Six, Kona, Linus, Velo Orange, Surly, Haro, Motobecame, All City and others that I cannot pull from my pea-brain memory. 

Vincent also builds custom Fillet Brazed and Lugged steel frames (VBR Bicycles) and is psyched to share the knowledge. 

I want to personally wish Vincent and his crew all the best of luck in bringing this cool concept to life! 

You can click HERE to view the Velo + website. 

The shop is located in Old Town Lenexa, the same parking lot as Jerry's Bait Shack - 13440 Sante Fe Trial Dr.

SSUSA 2013...

Most of you, loyal readers of all things Single Speed, would be short-changing yourself if you don't show up at this event. This is what I live for. Hope to see you there!

This could be your's.

Ninja Skills...

Rode at BuRP last night with a good crew - T-Donn, The Manimal, The Silent Killer, MaxiThad, BillyVanilly and Speeding Jesus. PostalJeff was with us, and then he wasn't. We waited and even backtracked, never finding hint nor hair - only a text minutes later that he'd bailed. WTF!? Fear is a powerful thing kids...

I thought I'd be witnessing Cuntwat crashing his new Jones, but rather, it was I that could not stay rubber-side-down. Had a great time even though I was hurting (knee) and crashing all over the place. Seriously, I was hitting the dirt every 15 minutes or so. I'm pretty sure the air pressure in my fork was low. I went OTB like *36 times, at least. Not a scratch to anything but my ego. I called it a few minutes early to drown my sorrows at the local dive bar whilst surrounding myself with beautiful waitresses' (and the Taco Tuesday crew). 

That new section of trail that is in-the-works - it's a sight to behold. It would appear that the Trail Hermits aren't the only ones in town who can do some sweet rock-work. Seriously great work fellas! 

Beware the bees nested in deadfall on Oxbow, outbound past the yellow gate at the soccer fields!

(please note - *some of the photos used on this blog are found freely on the interweb. I'd give credit if I knew who owned them. If you're looking at your own photo, thanks in advance for the use!)

Jones'n...

Prepare for RAIN. Princes Boner Ghost got a new bike. We consumed far too many adult beverages in order to get it all built-up for tonight's Pirate Ride. 3" of rubber up front housed by a Truss Fork, mounted on Rabbit Hole rims laced to Paul Hubs. 2.5" of rubber in the rear, same wheel build - rolling single speed with a White Industries freewheel. Pretty slick toy. 

We will see just how this baby rolls over earth later today, and you know I will be writing a full report on the first good crash..

Be Careful Bro...

The following is a brief account of last nights solo shenanigans by the man, the mystery - El Blanco Miguel (a.k.a. WhiteMike). 

El Blanco posted this photo on FB in the early evening hours...his new fatty build, shortly after reaching out to the crew with the following text message "Swope Anyone?". 

There were zero replies.

A few hours later I received a text with the following photo(s) stating "I think I'm concussed". 

Then a ti-raid of group messaging filled with Pulitzer prize winning quotes such as; "Went to Swope by myself and earned a concussion. The downside is, all my teeth are loose and I can't feel my face. The upside is, I get to buy a new helmet", "Jethro and I ride a singlespeed mule to all the Donkey Shows", "Helmet is crushed and I have another stinky pinky on the other hand". 

Classic shiz from the mouth of a "concussed" man if I do say so myself..

Handleballs replied most casually with one of El Blanco's original lines - "Be Careful Bro", which is always stated during rides with El Blanco just prior to the most gnar of catastrophic events. Some of which have been caught on tape.

El Blanco is still alive as of this a.m., thanks to the TLC of one fair maiden. Long Live White Mike!

There is no moral to this story. Go ride. Cheers!

Midnight Oil...

Last night we resurrected the weekly Pirate Night Ride. I'd been on-the-couch for so damn long nursing injuries that I was in dire need of some saddle time - something to really kick me in-the-balls and rid my belly of the layers of barley I've procured since the DK200.

It was a late-ass start. We headed out after dark on a school night for what ended up being three+ hours of dirt-loving good times. Handleballs, Captain Cuntwat, The Silent Killer and I mounted our steeds and booked-it out to our rogue loop - all things not totally legal (roughly translated as " lets ride the shit out of everything we see").

Miles of smiles, a couple of sidewall punctures (fixed via plugs), more ticks than the Pope has boy-toys and spider webs galore is what we experience in the darkness. trails were ripping fast, dry and dusty. 

We were saturated due to the *300% humidity which Handleballs kept whining about - mainly due to his recent OTB yard-sale as we were in the midst of *45 foot tall, tick infested grass which sent him into a paranoid state for hours. 

Our new "oiled look" must have really impressed the 15 high school girls that we put-on a stunt-show for, as comments like "Birthday Sex Party" rang from their bubble-gum lips. We surmounted the fire-tower for some dry-time in the howling wind, some 100 feet off the ground. Conditions were otherwise comparable to standing in front of a elephant-sized hair-dryer. 

Back at the Lair, we consumed post-ride, ice-cold barley-pops and did some research on whether-or-not a 3.8" tire would, in fact fit in a Niner carbon fork. The jury is still out...

Un-Plugged...

I've been off-the-grid for the past two weeks. No computer and I turned off my phone. I was in Colorado enjoying being outdoors all day every day and not being at my phuking job. Serious fun folks - time away from the city, visiting friends, climbing rocks, riding bikes, drinking booze and enjoying the legalities of Colorado's open mind policies. A true testament to what living free is finally becoming.  

Burnsey and the Black Belt Duo

My injuries are feeling much better since changing my tampon and shaking the sand outta my vagina. Though the air was thin and the gravel loose - I succeeded in riding some fun, local trail in both Salida and Lyons. The Kona and I were as one, flowing over stone and dirt like Evil Knievel over *368 cars. Good times.

Fab Five...

Silent...

After 23 days off the bike, resting a few injuries, I was finally able to attempt a ride on some of the cities best singletrack with the P-ride crew. For some odd reason we all agreed to bring out the meat - the fat bike parade. There were four of us; WhiteMike, Cuntwat, The Silent Killer and Burnsey. 

Flat Numro *36

Our first objective; Wagon trail, which consists of some super technical rock step-ups, boulder ride-overs and requires mad skill to do w/o dabbing. I was marginally successful at said obstacles, but hey, I've been on the couch watching reruns of Gilligan's Island for the past month.

Shit started to go wrong right out of the gates. Between my injuries, the *236% humidity, swarms of blood sucking ticks and general vagitis, at least half us were nothing but whining bitch-ass-bitches. Did I mention our FIVE flats? Yeah, that was a real fun time.

Playing Fat Chicken

Cuntwat