Friday and Saturday musings...

Hey folks,

Well Friday did not go as planned, but all turned out well. I spent the majority of the morning cleaning up from the hectic, previous week. There is something very calming about getting the shop all redded up, every tool in it's place, and just being able to move through without distraction.

Jason called and was having a few issues finishing up his build. I offered to meet him on the road, take the bike, and finish up everything so he could ride in the evening after completing some trail work for the upcoming Groovy series race Saturday evening.

A little wrenching, some polish, and the afternoon had passed me by. Jason's bike came out pretty spiffy. I should feel a little guilty, but I don't... you see, I took the bike for a quick spin just to see how it felt ;)

I did stay on the pavement though, so the dirt initiation was still Jay's to have.

Jay did want me to insure y'all that the mallet pedals were NOT staying on the build...he's got way more class and style than that :)

White Industry hubs are just a class act...beautiful finish and styling at a very affordable price. If you'd like those on a custom build, I'd be glad to lace them up for ya.

I do love scallop drop outs, those smooth transitions are just sooo sexy.

A neat chainline shot...

a matching luv handle is just a bit of lushness that I can't deny having a weak spot for :)

The complete build, all saucy and ready for action. Gotta give a nod towards the Brooks saddle, super sweet touch for style and comfort.

Saturday I hit the shop early to work on some odds and ends before the family woke up. Got some typical business items taken care of and then did something fun for me. For years I've been welding on a square wave welder using consistent amperage and working technique to produce my weld beads. Working with the Ti Luv handles, I began to see the potential positive aspects of using a Pulse weld bead. Now, I always considered pulsed welding kinda like cheating, as you can develop smooth welds without the years of practice and refinement. These are the cosmetic "beauty welds" you see on almost all Ti frames. Perhaps the old school curmudgeon in me has kept me from moving forward and using the new equipment. Welding up the Ti Luvs, I do see the opportunity to run longer beads with less overall heat input into the piece, so I pulled the trigger on a pulse board for my welder.

The board took literally 10 minutes to install and I've got to admit, was a lot of fun to work with. The welding was a cinch to pick up, the details in setting up the timing to my typical pace.

I'm going to weld up one more set of Ti Luv's this week using the pulser to just see how it flows.

The better news is that the Ti Luvs ride really well. Still stiff enough to handle the stress of single speed battering but with a very noticeable absorption of trail chatter and fatigue resistance. I'll make the final decision on making these a regular product this week.

Saturday night dawned another Groovy race series event. 70 plus racers showed up in a raging downpour to battle it out in less than ideal conditions. A lot of fun was had, however, as mountain biking lends it's self to success under demoralizing conditions.

Just prior to the heavens opening up, the spirits remained high despite the rain delay.

I got to expand my job description as a builder to include fixing up broken bodies as well. John, one of my riders, had a HARD fall on the wet rock drops at an all out pace. He was running 30 seconds behind the Expert leader on his single speed when the course bit back. He ended up with a full thickness laceration on his right elbow about 2 cm long. We bandaged him up, ate pizza, drank a few beers, enjoyed the bonfire and fireworks, then headed down to the shop where we stitched him up. A little anesthetic, a LOT of scrubbing and a bit of skin/fat trimming, and three quick sutures and he was ready for some more action. Would have taken a few shots for you but the camera has not been autoclaved for sterile environments ;)

Hope everyone had a good weekend, catch y'all tomorrow,

rody