197: NAHBS 2010 — Day1, Spoiler Alert

Tomorrow the door will open and hundreds of thousands of people will quite literally pour through the doors to see what is new in the handmade bicycle world. Richmond is a pretty strange place. Very run down at the moment, and when we asked Chris Distefano, who is originally from Richmond, what happened to here the only thing he could say is "America happened to Richmond." So, take that for what you will.

The day started out as any day at a convention might. With loads to be unpacked and a few large crates placed throughout the hall. I would say that it is a real challenge to stand out in way of display. The real reason, because it takes a lot of effort to put together a booth, to make it something different than just another booth with a few bikes in it. Which is why I added "overall booth design" to the Embro Awards. Oh, wait did I forget to tell you about this?

Hopefully no one takes this as an attack (because I know that things can get sensitive around here) because it is really just my attempt to get some content for the next issue. There are awards that are given out at the show, but after I had so much fun at the end of the year with the Embro Awards I thought that it might be a good idea to carry it over this way.

So, there are two way to participate with this.

1) Show up at the show and fill out on of these cards. Do a little voting and then hand it back in to see who gets the award.

2) If you cannot be at the show. Take a look at the card above. I would send you one, but that might take a little too long. Then, as you are perusing the interwebs and all the photos that will be coming out in the next couple days, send me an email with your choices (jeremyddunn@gmail.com). That way your vote will still be counted. Fair enough?

I am going to do some little photos and profiles of the winners and I am also going to photograph some of the cards, so hopefully we get something interesting back from this. Or we might get kicked out of the show forever and ever again. But, I really hope not.

Also, if you are going to stop by the booth you can also pick up one of these little beauties. Put this guy together to highlight the racing team. On the front is a photo by Chris Milliman that is the inside front cover of Volume5. The back has a great Museeuw quote that Molly and I uncovered at the Flanders museum last year.


Alright, enough about that, actually I think we might be coming back to that a little more throughout the weekend. But I actually got a few sneak peeks for you from the show. I do not really know where to start, so I will just kind of go for it here.

There are some pretty cool things that I am psyched about. And maybe even a few things that I am confused about as well. Things like, where did those shifters come from (they are in the Igleheart Booth) and why do I not do more things with a cordless drill? But the thing that confused me the most this evening was when Nate from Signal Cycles put a spoon in his nose. That was weird.

196: PBS - Lazer Helmets - JC

Just because everyone is out in Richmond, does not mean that things are not happening on the homefront. Ever wondered what Portland Bicycle Studio was all about? How about wanting to have Molly Cameron autograph the latest copy of CX Magazine? All of this can be yours and more next Monday night. And I am really hoping to get a one on one demo of the new winter helmet cover by Lazer. That thing looks sah-weet. I think.

There will also be some Ridley bikes on hand. Including, I'm told my Embrocation Racing Ridley X-Fire (however you want to say that is fine.) Take a look here if you are wondering what I am talking about.


Went riding with Molly last weekend and captured a few photos of this wild beast out of her normal PBS kit, but rest assured, it is still her. Josh Creem is responsible for the CycloSportif kit, but unfortunately the Waffle Coming out of the pocket (my favorite) is no longer available. Only the classy Belgian inspired one. If you have not seen Josh before, or smelled his delicious waffles wafting over the cross courses around the NW keep an eye out for him this summer. He is also a pretty damn good spinter and what one might call a "crit monster." And then, as soon as the weather starts to bite again he will be back behind the waffle maker.



Now, I know that what you were expecting today was the start of some NAHBS coverage and that is all well and good. But you will have to wait until tomorrow when I go under cover to get some of the set up of all the glorious booths. Now sleep.

195: Hashtag NAHBS

Mary Arida took these Polaroids of Perri Mertens at Gloucester a couple years ago. It features in the new issue that, allegedly, if all goes according to planned, will be done in the next couple of days for the NAHBS. Mary also works at NYC Velo, which, if you have not been there, is pretty much the coolest shop in NYC. And while you are there, you should say hi to Mary because she is pretty much the coolest mechanic in the coolest shop in NYC. Just sayin.

Perri and I have/had (till I moved out here) been racing together for a while now. She was part of the original crew with Harris Cyclery and as well, my ride to almost every race that I did in my first few years of racing cyclocross. She has also been the design behind a lot of what shaped Embrocation, not only the Harris kits but also the jumping off of what was the Embrocation site. So, I have Perri to thank for a lot of things.

But, that is not why I was thinking about Perri this past weekend. I was thinking about Perri this past weekend because my feet felt like they were melting off.

I do not know how it happened. Maybe when I was in the shower some of the Mad Alchemy washed down and over my feet? (I was trying out the Cinnamon one - HOT) The potent embrolient (as Ben Lieberson calls it) could have stuck to my sensitive average sized clod hoppers possibly? It is definitely possible because later in the day, while I was lounging around under the sheets thinking about how amazing it would be if I could actually drift off into a nap instead of thinking about the #NAHBS— I started to feel my feet burning....


Backup a Few Years.

Perri and I are sitting in her vehicle. There have been a couple of them but they were always sporty, and to my knowledge always VW's. Could be wrong about that. In any case, we had just done a few practice laps on the Sterling Cyclocross Course. It was freezing, let me tell you. Fresh snow had neatly blanketed the entirety of the course overnight.

As Perri and I contemplated our race clothing choices in the car she turned over a brand new Speedstick shaped aplicator of Greyhound Juice. "You ever used this stuff?" My response I am sure was muffled, as any cyclist knows, you never want to be in a situation where a new subject is broached and you are not an expert on it. "No, I have used the Sixtufit stuff, but not that."

"Do you think it would work on our feet. Mine are freezing." And then we proceeded to smear the stuff all over our feet. Well, she smeared it on hers and I on mine, but you probably figured that much. The funny thing is that nothing happened. Nothing happened so much that as we returned to the car much later, after her Elite Women's Race we both commented on the fact that nothing had happened. Or maybe, and the details are a little foggy at this point, nothing happened so much that we forgot about it entirely.

Until we were about fifty miles down the road.

"I think we need to stop, my legs and feet are on fire. We need to figure a way to get this stuff off." We could not, needless to say, figure a way to get the greasy stuff off.

I guess, without getting too deep, that is kind how all of this has been. Just kind of rub it on and go. Hope for the best and maybe not burn your face off. Either way, I am excited for the new issue and to see some bikes this week. More previews to follow as I take off for the NAHBS tomorrow morning.

194: Rad Dad.

It is 1:21 am. And I just had to tell you something. I am thinking that NAHBS is going to be awesome this year. I know, I know, I say this every year. But I have to say that I was not as psyched about it until right now. At 1:22 I got psyched about it.

Head down, focus on forward. Yeah, that is all well and good up until a certain point. Then, you just have to sit back and roll with it. Or something to that effect. I think my dad said that once. Its better to be lucky than to be good. But go ahead and make your own luck. That's fair right?

Happy Birthday Day Dad and Grandpa (same day, weird?)

I know it is a day early (it's the 18th), but I just wanted to get it out there.

While I was home (where is home anyway these days?) I shot some photos of my dad's workshop. This is applicable for a couple reasons. One of them is because it is about to be my dads birthday. And another is because he has always had a rad workshop. Rad Dad. Rad Workshop.

Sometimes it was robots, sometimes it was just computers with no robots, sometimes it was photo emulsifiers, woodshop was always there as well. Small engines was another class that he taught. Lots of books, lots of manuals, lots of knowledge. How does one person keep all that knowledge straight in their brain? I'll never know.

Maybe it is by keeping such a tight Workshop?

One thing is certain that you will gleam from these photos. My father is a sporting man. And I like that. (and the fly swatter does say Join our "Swat" team.)

193: More Riding and Rouleur #16.

Did some more riding on Sunday which was fun. Just so that you know, when Joe says "easy" what that translates to is "probably not as easy as you might think." The light was crazy as well, maybe something to do with the moisture? Although, I profess, I am not much of a meteorologist. Or maybe, and this is probably closer to the truth. Maybe Saint Valentine was watching over us. Yeah, probably not that one either, since they are not even sure he is a Saint.

Big ups to Adrian and Steven who were 2nd and 3rd respectively this weekend. Oh and KV who was something like 12th in the Men's Pro field at the Cherry Pie Classic. Amazing. AO pulled off the second even though there were, and I quote him here: "A lot of antsy dudes trying to get away early." Way to hold on and then stick em at the end.

Also did some important reading this weekend that I really thought you should know about.

Rouleur #16

I think that the newest issue of Rouleur might be my favorite so far. Sure, I might be biased because I wrote a piece for the issue on last years Tour of California (which started on Valentines day none the less.) But that aside, everything about the issue is amazing. And I have not even finished reading the issue. Which means I will try not to gush, but if you get a chance to pick this one up do so (if for no other reason than they have been selling out - and one on ebay for $122.00).

In all seriousness. The Lichtenstein tribute that Richard Mitchelson does to the cover is the best break from the ordinary that R could have done. They handed it over to an artist. Rouleur has never done wrong by us with their wraparound covers and as soon as I saw this one I knew that Zed would be featured and my bossom grew with excitement. Can they do that?


The article that I read the other night was about the Shimano corporation. Part One anyway. Photos by Taz Darling are amazing to say the least. Which they normally are when you are dealing with Taz... Now, where normally we would see the broad expanse of what might be Flanders or a Queen Stage of the Tour de France is now replaced with the electric wires and steel girders. A golden mystical Tarrentino box opening to highlight their Shimano signage.

And the (almost) about face that Guy Andrews does in his introduction to Shimano is worth it alone. To think that someone could go from dyed in the wool Campag fan to — not only considering, but visiting and paying hommage to the legandary parts manufacturer is great. And at the same time instills a great confidence in me that at some point we really are all going to get along.

From there we move into Team Z (Zed) and I have yet to read this piece but it looks amazing especially the small touch of the "Z" everywhere. I have one of the Team Z bikes, was the first bike I really did a few races on. Stored away, ready for me to fall into that old school Dura Ace group. Also, it has an Italian BB which is odd.


The aforementioned Mitchelson illustrations. He does a great job with details. Notice the Sunglasses and the pony. And I'm not talking about a regular Pony here, I'm talking a Millar pony. Something that, as well with his Oakley choices has unfortunately gone the way of the Buffalo. Sorry guys.



Also, in one of the largest photo segments I have ever seen in Rouleur — Dan Sharp pays tribute to the Tour of California. I wrote the piece associated with it, but I do not know that anyone could pay tribute to a race as well as his photographs do. I was just a fly on the wall and Dan's photos represent much more than that perspective. Plus he got a cool shot of Tim Johnson climbing and Mancebo's winning day in the rain. The whole section looks good and is also sepperated from the other articles by its paper stock, which, I'm not going to lie gives me a 'paper stock boner' in the sense that I would just love to have these options. Just the option to use different paper stocks would be AMAZING....

(ps, I'm thinking that it might be Guy's secret little jab at American Cyclists that he always puts that ad - below - with the guy having plastic bags over his feet - next to us Americans. But we don't all wear plastic bags on our feet Guy. FYI.)


And the final installment is about another topic that I have no shame in loving - food. Pretty much one of the reasons that I like to ride my bike. Because I really, really like to eat. Willy Balmat is a Chef to the stars you might say. He is currently the Team Chef for Cervelo Test Team (hi guys) but has also done a stint with Mr. Armstrong and maybe a few other teams as well.

I am ashamed to say that I did not finish the article entirely before falling asleep with the book on my chest (how cute is that) but I will peruse and report back. And speaking of sleep.

192: Out Riding.

Here are some shots from riding around here the last few days. It does not suck to ride in February. Even if you get wet once in a while. Speaking of riding around check out this site The Blue and Red . His shots from riding around are much nicer (and more arty) than mine for certain. Did a nice little montage of his riding shots in the new EmbroV5. Are you keeping track of all the hints I've provided this week?

I know that Saturday looks like it was more standing around than anything, but we really did ride for almost four hours. Up, then down. Then back up. And then down some more. And then loads of coffee. Which was good. Does everyone not start their day with a quad americano? Why do people look at me weird when I order that?

Also, since we are talking about hints, Dan Sharp is seen riding here (with his Mapei hat sticking out of his back pocket) he also shot some photos for the new issue of Ira Ryan and Tony Periera's Workshops. And Slate can be seen here riding his Ira Ryan "West Hills" style bike. Good stuff.

Friday

Saturday