Mooseknuckler Cycling Alliance

just wanted to let you know my award-winning film, KLUNKERZ, will be shown at 9:30 PM at the Easy Street Cafe during the IMBA World Summit.  KLUNKERZ is my first film, and I’m very honored that the legends of cycling have graciously allowed me to tell their story. The film will screen Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night on the outdoor patio at the Easy Street Cafe in downtown Park City. The film has changed significantly since it first screened in Park City at X-Dance back in January of 2007. There’s tons of new historic footage and photos, new narration, new soundtrack, etc.  It’s definitely not your typical ‘bike porn’, it’s more of a homespun tale about a group of characters who inadvertently created a pastime for the masses, a multi-billion dollar industry, and an Olympic event. KLUNKERZ has received rave reviews from both the cycling and mainstream press (see below) and is now available on DVD. If you’re interested in carrying the film at your store, please contact VAS Entertainment (www.vasentertainment.com) for more information. I would imagine you might sell a few during the IMBA World Summit.  Don’t forget to visit www.klunkerz.com for more information on the film and the folks who brought you the mountain bike. Thanks for your support and I hope to see  you out on the trails.

I just want to say I’m proud. I’m proud that my little sis is the newest Mooseknuckler out there. (more…)

If you haven’t had a chance yet, check out the June issue of Cycling Utah. Lance and Cole of Fixed Gear Hero fame have a write up in there somewhere. Last time I checked the .pdf wasn’t available on the website but you should be able to snag a copy for free in any self respecting bike shop in this state. Of course, next time you see the two of them make sure you stoke their egos….

Out.

Would you like to know more about the principle of the new Truvativ Hammerschmidt function?

Go here, http://www.mel.tugraz.at/lehre/elearning/pg1/pg1.swf How is your command of the German language?

1930s Sturmey Archer technology inside your BB shell!! Revolutionary!

This however, will be a cool application for an” all mountain” bike, and will eliminate the front derailleur and some pedal induced undesirables on single pivot bikes. Feasibility in weight efficiency and cost yet to be determined. This is nothing totally new, there is another front bottom bracket shifting system that is a 2 speed from the Swiss manufacturer Schlumpf at a cost of about $500 http://schlumpf.ch/md_engl.htm (more…)

I was given permission from Lukas to post/vent/rant on this particular blog and I decided to break ‘er in with this video supplied by the local Raleigh rep:

Click Here

I ran across this while reading my favorite Latin American paper, El Mercurio. The story is worth a read and a good shake of an angry fist at the car gods for their ability to make us all act insane.

For the story in English, click here.

Ride more. Drive Less.

I pulled up next to a car at a light on my way home from work. I was on my bike. My breath was floating through the air in big white tufts. I had only ridden a block and a half and my hands already hurt through my winter gloves with the aching of cold hands. My beard was frozen. The little crystals hanging from the hair formed from the moisture in my white breath being exhaled from my warm interior. It was just after six. I had my lights on so cars could see me without any problem and I was waiting to get going, mostly I was just trying not to freeze the little flesh on my back side I refer to as my ass. (more…)

Well, I’ve owned my Niner now for almost six months, time to move on.

I’ve been itching lately for something new for my bike, but as a singlespeed it is tough to upgrade when I already have the parts pick that I want. My Niner has not let me down as of yet and I hope it never does, but I think it is time for the Knuckler to reach the pinnacle of Bike Snobdum and purchase a custom built bike. Yes, that’s right my children custom built, as in, I’m going to commit to owning this bike for the rest of my life. No, buy and I’ll sell it in a few months if I don’t like it. I’m going to get this shit dialed and have it till the Knuckler stops pedaling which will coincide precisely with my death. (more…)

I’m gettin’ stoked for the races this weekend. First off, they were a lot of fun last time so I figure they will be a lot of fun this time. It’s my logic. Don’t worry about it. Second, I just made the switch to the track bike I originally wanted but wasn’t available. In my humble, yes Mr. Gurr, humble opinion, these are the best track bikes you can buy right off the floor of a bike shop. And we just received a shipment. I popped off the wheels and replaced them with my Phil Woods and swapped out the cranks. I’m ready for this weekend. I’m taking the cup, hands down. Even if I have to cheat my name is going on the cup.
Life goes on. Ride it on a bike.

I realize the hypocrisy of my position in life. I work in retail. I sell things everyday to make a living. Being anti-capitalist this puts my in a rather distinct place. I hate the concept of my job but I love what I do. I love what I do because I get to be around the greatest invention humanity has ever come up with, the bicycle. Plus I get to be a part of a community of people that are trying to better their surroundings and themselves. And of course, I get to bring happiness to people because I get to fix their broken down love-machines. But this is about Paul…

Paul is one of our own. I don’t feel right calling him a customer because the relationship he has with the shop is more than a dollar and cents type of a deal. I get to see Paul almost every day.

I first met Paul about two years ago, in passing. My first impression of him was much like a lot of people who come to see my boss, Jeff Keller. They don’t seem to care much about the rest of us and I am better off not getting involved. I felt this way about Paul until about four months ago. He came in looking for Keller and started talking bikes. Up to this point I had no idea he even owned a bicycle. I had never seen him with one. He started talking about old Masi’s and the new fix gear trend that we all love to hate. Paul didn’t just talk about old bikes, he knew old bikes.

Paul is from Boston. He has more stories than a bar on a Saturday night and is more than willing to share. From what we can gather, he is better connected than any crack dealer and he has no problem dropping names. Now I say “from what we can gather” for a couple of reasons. First, Paul likes to talk and likes to tell stories. Second, we have no proof of said affiliations beyond that of his own assurance.

Paul loves old Masi bikes. He talks almost exclusively of them, especially those made before the master moved to California and sold part of the company. In regular Paul fashion, he has claimed to own anywhere from 50 to 100 different bikes over the years and he says he has many of those in his possession. Which begs the question, why haven’t I ever seen him with a bike? I started to give Paul shit about a month ago for said reason. Also, I wanted to see the bikes and I wanted to know if he was legit or not.

Saturday morning, I’m in the shop just after opening. It’s cold. There isn’t alot going on. I’m at the back computer checking email and doing the stuff I do in the morning. The bell rings and I look up to see who it is. No one seems to be coming through the door. The bell rings again and I can tell someone is having trouble getting through the door. This is typical when someone tries to bring a bike in with them. The bell rings again and then I see the giant front wheel of a Penny Farthing pop into the store. Then Paul comes gandering in behind it. It was obvious I had just been trumped. I could no longer give him shit because he just walked through my front door with a bike that was well over 100 years old. I walked up to help him out and we placed the Penny Farthing in the shop. He then proceeded back out of the shop and told me to come check out his Masi.

We walked out into the cold to the back of his truck and there it was, a Masi Nuova Strada complete and hand made in Italy. He was excited to say the least. This was a new addition to his collection and it had just arrived. We brought it in and hung it in the stand as the newest ornament for the shop. We awed and oh-ed for a while. And then Paul spent the rest of the day cleaning and tuning his bike. He was the personfication of the cliche, “as happy as a kid on Christmas morning.”

And all of that to tell you why I love my job. Bicycles can change the world, but most importantly they make people happy. Working in the shop allows me to be part of that connection, to be part of the community of people out there to change something, to make things better for all of us. Yeah, I sell stuff and that is Capitalism, but much more importantly I get to meet people and connect with them, all because of bikes.

Life goes on. Ride it on a bike.

P.S. I will post pictures of both the Penny Farthing that now resides in our shop and Paul and his Masi as soon as I get Photoshop working. Until then…