It’s My Day

That’s cute, but 21 was a long time ago in a galaxy far far away...


Even though I turned another year older today, I’m not taking the day off from the blog. I actually like writing this stuff every day, and that’s why I’m still here. That being said, I’ll make this one short and sweet. I don’t have a whole lot to talk about anyway.


I’m hoping to go for a birthday night mountain bike ride or something, but I’m not sure if I will. Usually we go out to dinner so I can partake in mass quantities of food and drink, but since this is a weeknight we’ll probably just do it tomorrow evening. I’m really not sure what Little Miss Sunshine and Lunchbox have planned for me, so I guess I’ll have to play it by ear.


I know you came here to be entertained, and I owe you at least that much. There’s no need for me to go on and on about how old I am or how many presents I think I might get, so I’ll give you something else. Here’s a video that I “borrowed” from my friends over at Cane Creek Cycling Components. It features their Double Barrel shock and some sweet riding in Western North Carolina.






If that’s not enough for you, then here are a couple of hillbilly fellers with their take on a classic 80’s song.





Yeah, I know you liked that. It gave me a good chuckle. See y’all tomorrow.

There Is No “I” In Team

But, there’s a “me.” What does this mean? It means that I have news for you. Recently I was contacted about becoming a member of a prestigious cycling team. No, not one of those doped up roadie teams that ride in the Tour de France. As if. Nope, I’m talking about a mountain bike team. Wait, don’t I already have a team? Well yeah, but this is better. The “team” here at B-43 is basically a group of friends and family that have the unfortunate distinction of being associated with my crap and nonsense. Maybe I should give you the history of the B-43 name (and drag out the announcement.) Here goes.


Back in my skateboarding youth, we always talked about the coincidence number, 43. It has always been associated with bad luck much like the number 13 is to most normal people. We weren’t normal though, so we had our own “special” number. Basically, that stupid number would pop up anywhere and everywhere, and it was usually a bad omen. Most people were unaware of this phenomenon until we informed them about it. Shortly after they were introduced to the coincidence number, they started seeing it too. Over the years, it has been spread to college campuses, military installations, and other places all over the world. I’m not saying that we originated it, but the small town in Florida where we all grew up was pretty much disconnected from the rest of the world during the time we started seeing the coincidence number. Have I lost you yet? Good.


Years later, the number was still affecting our daily lives. We decided to embrace it and try to turn it into something positive. Back when Lunchbox was about 4 years old, we found this super cool skateboarding spot across from his preschool. Mr. Shepherd and I would skate there almost every day. One day while taking a break, a cool breeze blew this little piece of cardboard our way. We picked it up, and noticed that it had the letter B inside a circle. We had never seen this before, but we thought it was pretty cool. From that moment on, that sweet skateboarding location became known as The B Spot. Shortly thereafter, we started writing B-43 on our skateboards. I put together a skateboard video a few years ago, and came up with the B-43 logo you see above for the opening credits. B-43 had begun, and we had no idea where we would end up.


Once I started getting into racing mountain bikes, I borrowed the B-43 name and logo from our skateboarding adventures. It was a way of life at this point, so it just fit. The “B” never really stood for anything, but I guess in retrospect it could have stood for Board (as in skateboard, in case I lost you again.) I still ride skateboards, but I guess the “B” now stands for Bike, if it should stand for anything at all. That’s pretty much the story, and it actually ties in quite nicely to my uh, announcement. You ready? Good.



Ladies and Gentlemen, I will be riding for someone new for the 2011 season:




Yes, I will be representing the fine folks at Bike29 for my racing adventures next season. They were gracious enough to pick me for the team, even though I still own a bike with smaller wheels. My 29er, The Big O, is the only bike I race these days though. I’m really happy that I’ve been selected for the Bike29 Team, and I look forward to flying the B29 colors. I’m not sure how I made the cut, but I am humbled by it. Maybe George really digs his “Genital Non-Displaying Device” (made by B-43’s own Little Miss Sunshine) or it’s possible that Dicky put in a good word for me. Yeah, that’s it.


Actually, I think my cat pulled a few strings to get me on the team:




What is Bike29, you ask? Well, it’s an online store dedicated to 29” wheeled bikes. It is the best place on the whole Internets for big wheeled bikes and accessories. They’re not just on the Internets though. There’s actually a real shop, located in Waterbury, Vermont, and it is operated by real people. And you thought alien robots invented the 29er, huh? Oh yeah, they have a really cool blog you should check out too.


If you need anything for your 29er (you do ride one, right?), then head on over to their site and buy something. Lots of somethings. If you don’t ride a 29er, then why not get your first one from Bike29?

A Ride With The Kids

Sunday was yet another Tarheel Trailblazers Kids Ride at Sherman Branch. This could be the last one of the year (depending on the weather), so it was nice to get out and ride. Winter in fast approaching, but you wouldn’t know it that day. It was 70 degrees and sunny. Lunchbox was there to lead it, as usual:



Yep, he’s riding on my small-wheeled squishy bike. His bike is still in the shop, so he had to use my “loaner.” Although it’s a size XL (21”) frame, he looks a little big for it. I guess if you’re 6’ 1” at 14 years old you would look too big for anything. I think it may be time to get him on a 29er. We shall see.


Anyway, we didn’t have a huge turnout, but there were enough kids. In fact, our “usual” crowd was there. We headed out on the trail with Lunchbox in the lead, and everyone was tearing up the singletrack. Of course we stopped at the first jump, and the kids took turns hitting it. This is one of their favorites, and it showed:




Lunchbox has been taking some flying lessons, I see.






Even the Dirty Party Cycle got in on the action with his new 29er.



Since this group is the “usual” one, they had plenty of experience on the trail. So, we all moved along at a pretty good pace. That meant that I didn’t get too many opportunities to snap photos, but I did get out the camera during one relatively flat section.





When it was all over, we settled in at the picnic table for some refreshments. I know the kids like the ride, but they sure seem to like the cookies just as much:



Thanks to the help of one of our adult riders (thanks Jeanie!), I even got in one of the pictures:



Of course, it was another great ride. These kids rides are my favorite part of this mountain biking thing I do, and I’m happy to get them out on the trail. I hope we can squeeze in a few more before Old Man Winter comes along this year. The kids (or maybe the parents) don’t like riding in the cold, so we’ll end up putting these rides on hiatus when it gets cold outside.


After we all said our goodbyes, The Dirty Party Cycle, Luncbox, and I took another lap. I had to get some mileage in, and I think Lunchbox was really digging my bike anyway. Maybe I should have let him ride my big-wheeled bike. Nah, he’ll have to get his own. I guess I should start looking, huh? Christmas is just around the corner, so maybe he should ask Santa for one. At least it will keep him from trying to steal my bikes.

Thank You Kindly

Even though this isn’t a music blog, I thought I’d still talk about what I did Saturday night. I mentioned on Friday that I was going to see The Cult with some friends. After having a nice dinner at East Boulevard Bar and Grill, we arrived at the venue a little before the doors opened.



We eventually got inside and found our way to the stage. This was my first show at The Fillmore, and I was pretty impressed at the facility. It was pretty nice inside, and had these cool chandeliers everywhere:



The stage was all set:



We waited for a while for the opening act to come out (since we got in there so early.) I decided to make a quick trip to the restroom before the show started, so I made my way through the crowd in search of the facilities. When I finished up and started to wash my hands, I heard some really loud music. I guess the show had started. I hurried back through the herd of people and found the rest of our group. Then, I turned my attention to the stage:



The opening band was called The Black Ryder. They are from Australia, and The Cult was kind enough to let them tag along for their tour. Normally I wouldn’t be interested in seeing some band struggle through their career since I was there to see an “established” band, but there was something different about this group. The music was pretty good, but the lead singer caught my eye:



The picture is pretty shitty, I know. Maybe it was the lighting or the fact that her voice was really nice, but she was a babe. I was digging the music, but my attention kept being drawn back to her. After looking around the room, I noticed that all of the men in the audience were staring at her with love in their eyes. Maybe it was the alcohol that was flowing freely, but it seemed like everyone was taken with this young lady. It was kind of like this:



The music wasn’t my favorite style, but it’s probably worth another listen. I found some stuff on You Tube, but I actually preferred hearing them live. After they played their set, we were left waiting for the main attraction:



It seemed like it took forever to get everything setup for The Cult, and some people were getting impatient (myself included.) I started looking around the room, and aside from the piss-drunk people in the crowd that you would see at any show I saw this guy:


He would be so ready if a racquetball game broke out during the show.

After what seemed like forever, The Cult took the stage. The energy was high, and they did not disappoint. They played most of their hits, including Fire Woman, Love Removal Machine, She Sells Sanctuary, and others. They even played my favorite song, New York City (which made my night.) The place was rockin’, and I didn’t want it to end.



Ian Astbury was such a gracious performer too. After every song, he said, “Thank you. Thank you kindly.”



Billy Duffy didn’t disappoint either, as he was tearing up the guitar. After being around the music scene so long, you could tell that these guys still enjoyed playing shows for their fans. My love for The Cult started way back in my teeneage skateboarding days, and I’m glad I finally got to see them live. Thanks to my friends Jason and Jess for joining Little Miss Sunshine and I for a fun evening. I gotta get out more often. Back to bike stuff tomorrow.

Random Activities

In this week’s final installment of the blog, I’m all over the place. I’ve got some catching up to do. Since yesterday was all about beer, I won’t mention it anymore on today’s post (although I’m sure to have plenty this weekend.) I have lots of stuff on the calendar, but I guess I can start with an update.


A couple of days ago I took Lunchbox’s broken bike to the shop for warranty purposes. First, I called the folks over at Diamondback Bicycles as soon as they were in the office (they are a few hours behind us over there in Washington State.) I spoke to a very helpful gentleman about our plight, and he explained to me what would happen. Normally, that part of the frame isn’t covered under warranty (something about moving parts and whatnot), but he did say I would have other options if they wouldn’t replace it for free. First, if available, they would offer a discount on a new rear triangle for his bike. If they didn’t stock it any longer, then they would offer up a comparable frame for a significant discount off of the regular price. He said to take it to an authorized dealer to have them go through the process.


I originally intended to take the broken bike over to Ride-A-Bike Bicycle Shoppe in Lincolnton, but I decided not to. While they did give me great service when I broke my frame, I wouldn’t have been able to get there during the week from work. I still love those guys though. Anyway, the folks at Diamondback suggested I take it to Performance Bicycle here in Charlotte, and insisted that they would be fully capable of dealing with the warranty. I go in that shop every once in a while for random parts (it’s really close to where I work), so at least I was familiar with them. Since they are a new Diamondback dealer though, I was a little worried.


I dropped the bike off and spoke to the guys in there, and they assured me that they would get on it as soon as possible. About an hour later, they called and left a message that Diamondback would indeed honor the warranty, and that I could expect to have the rear triangle replaced for free (not including labor for the assembly.) I was pretty happy, and so was Lunchbox. I should see the new and improved bike in about a week. I can’t wait.


While I was in their shop, I picked this up on the cheap:


Damn, my photos keep turning sideways.


The singlespeed chain I got with the rest of my parts was not in great condition (although everything else was), so I needed a chain. Now if I could only get off of my ass and just do the damn conversion I would be all set. Maybe I’ll find time this weekend. Or, maybe not.


Tomorrow night, Little Miss Sunshine and I are meeting up with my pals from Cane Creek Cycling Components to go see a little show. Yes my friends, I’m actually doing something other than riding my bike this weekend. We’ll be going to see The Cult here in Charlotte. They are one of my favorite bands, and I have never seen them live (I don’t get out much.) My love for them goes way back to my teenage skateboarding days, when I saw an ad for one of their albums in Thrasher Magazine. The rest is history. While I enjoy all types of music, The Cult is tops on my list. Maybe I’ll come back with a report on them or something. Lucky you. Here’s a video in case you live under a rock and have never heard them before:





Sunday, I’ll actually be out on the bike again. It’s time for another one of our Tarheel Trailblazers Kids Rides. We’ll be taking the little ones for a ride on the trail at Sherman Branch, and I’m looking forward to it. Maybe after the Kids Ride I’ll go out for a few laps on my own just to get some miles in. Since Lunchbox won’t have his bike back in time for the ride, he’ll be borrowing my small-wheeled bike:





It’s not like it gets a whole lot of use anyway. Hell, I let The Chili Man use it the last time we went out to ride. I’m all about the 29er now, so the small, squishy bike has been getting less and less love (it doesn’t help that the damn thing threw me off of it and damaged my body the last time I rode it either.)


Anyway, that’s it for today. Of course I’ll be back next week. Where the hell else would I be? Oh yeah, maybe I’ll have an important announcement for y’all. Maybe not. Tune in to find out.

Beer Is Beer, Right?

What’s in the bag? Well, since I haven’t been able to ride as much as I’d like to lately, I decided that I would try something different. If you’ve been around here for a while, then you might know that I like beer. Well, not just any beer, but good beer. I don’t drink the cheap stuff, which keeps me from getting hammered every time I wanna pop open a few cold ones. Some might say that I’m sort of a beer snob, and I’m okay with that. I’ve been thinking lately that I would try something different, and hopefully justify the fact that I usually spend good money for good beer.


I don’t drink the cheap stuff, even if someone else is buying. I would rather not drink a beer than drink something shitty, especially one that comes in a can. In a vain attempt to see how the other half lives, I bought the crappiest beer I could find for a taste test (to see if I was even capable of drinking horrible beer.) I opened the bag and took out its contents:





Yeah, that’s a Miller Lite. All I needed was a NASCRAP t-shirt and I would be all set. Most of the good beer I drink is of the hoppy variety, so I figured that the “triple hops brewed” contents of that aluminum can would be tolerable. Yeah I know, it's shaped like a bottle, but it's still just a can. I poured the beer in my favorite Cane Creek pint glass, and took a look.





Well, at least it looked like beer. I don’t even drink good beer without a glass, so there was no way in hell that I would drink this concoction straight out of the can. I know, this in an experiment, but I have to draw the line somewhere. Anyway, I put my nose up to the glass to take a sniff, and I was uh, underwhelmed. Instead of smelling like hoppy goodness, it smelled like a stale bar (now I know where that smell comes from at least.) There was absolutely no sign of hops at all, but I continued the test (for blogging’s sake.)



I took put the glass up to my lips and took a small sip. The taste resembled beer, but that’s where the comparison stops. I took another larger sip, and I was utterly disgusted. “Who the hell drinks this shit?” I said out loud. Since I was talking to myself, I got no response. I took another gulp, hoping that it would get better. It didn’t. That shit tasted like stale, slightly beer-flavored water, and I was not pleased. The only thing left to do was this:





Yuck. I am usually not one to pour out beer, but this was an exception. I thought for a moment how I would get that awful taste out of my mouth. For a second I considered running over to the liquor shelf and chugging a bottle of Jack Daniel’s, but I didn’t want to make myself sick. Back when I was in my 20’s I would drink anything that had alcohol in it just to get tore up. Now that I drink for pleasure, I had to be civilized about it. I grabbed the best beer I had in the fridge:





Yeah, that’s better. A little Dogfish Head 90 Minute India Pale Ale. More hops than you could shake a stick at, especially if one were so inclined to shake sticks at beer. I could no longer taste the crap that was in that shitty aluminum can, and I was happy. Lesson learned.



Being somewhat of a beer snob can be difficult sometimes, but it’s well worth it. I thought that by drinking some mass-marketed beer substitute that I would have more appreciation for the finer beers in life, but it turns out that I didn’t need to do that. I’ll stick to what I like, and save the crappy stuff for the uninformed consumer.



What, an entire blog post about beer? Yup. No bicycle stuff today? Nope. Will I be back tomorrow with some bicycle crap and nonsense? Well, I’ll answer that question with another question:



Does a bear shit in the woods?





Yes. Yes it does.

Feeling Sour

Yeah, I’m not in the greatest of moods. This whole time change shit combined with the upcoming winter season has me a little on the edge. Since I’m not a paid, professional cyclist (it would be hilarious if I was), I have to work a regular job like most people. The problem is now that the time has changed, I don’t get home until dark. That severely cuts into my riding time. I know, I could just ride at night, but it’s hard to get motivated when it’s not bright and sunny outside. I really love riding at night, so it’s looking like that might be my only alternative for weekday fun. I guess I just want to have my cake and eat it too. Wait, that’s a stupid saying. If I had my cake, of course I would eat it. I like cake.





Anyway, I guess this would leave me with more time for projects around the shop. I still have the pending singlespeed conversion on my 29er, but I haven’t gotten around to doing it. It’s not really a hard task, but I guess I’m waiting for the right moment to do it. I’ve been telling myself that since I’ve been injured I should just take it easy for a while. Losing all of my gears would not constitute taking it easy in my book. The whole reason behind me trying out the singlespeed thing would be to make my bike riding more of a challenge, but I’ve been able to do that just fine without getting rid of the gears.



Singlespeed riding would be more difficult, so I figured this would be good “training.” However, since I haven’t been able to ride as much as I’d like to the challenge has been just trying to get in any kind of decent miles at all. I’m getting out of shape a lot faster than I thought I would, so I’m not sure if I should do the conversion right now. One could argue that I would be able to work harder without gears on my bike (and get back into decent riding shape), but I’m afraid that in my current condition I would end up hating it. Hell, I may end up hating it no matter what.



I have a plan (as far as singlespeeding.) Since I’m only doing it for training, the idea is to keep it temporary. I may end up liking it though, and that’s fine. I’m hoping to ride my big wheels with one gear all winter, and then put the gears back on when the “season” starts again. Some of these singlespeed guys are monsters, and there’s no way I could compete with them. What the hell am I saying, I don’t compete anyway.



I guess what I’m trying to do here is motivate myself. The start of the season is a while from now, and most likely (for me) will be the Winter Short Track Series. My first “big” race is the 6 Hours of Warrior Creek, and I’m looking forward to it. Too bad it’s in April, because I’m having a hard time waiting that long. I have to find something else in the meantime. Right now, my “To Do” list isn’t looking too good:






I really have to get back to doing something though. I hope I don’t have to spend too much time on that goddamn X-Bike at the gym like I did last year. That didn’t do shit for my training, so I’d like to avoid it if at all possible. I can’t really do much else at the gym until my rib is fully healed, so if I want to ride that may be all I can get. I damn sure don’t want to be out on the road bike in the dark. Maybe I’ll sign up for a few 5K races or something. Anything to keep me from gaining the obligatory 10 pounds of winter weight. And no, I’m not gonna quit drinking beer either. That’s crazy talk right there. I like beer more than cake.