Donkelope Bikes Blog

2012-01-19T23:05:00.001-08:00

This is just an extension of the last post. Happy Birthday Rastus!!!

2012-01-19T22:38:00.000-08:00

Ahh, cx season is finally over for me. It was a good one. I'll try and catch up since last posting. Thriller Cross was awesome! Lots of people dressed up for the occasion. There were 2 shortcuts. One was a beer/push-up, and the next was a skinny. Both provided plenty of entertainment, as well as shaved significant time from the lap. Then a party at donkelope world hq followed that night. A fire, winter brew, brats, and The Cup was put to good use that evening! Speaking of cups, there was a little friendly competition at the MFG and SCX series between single speed teams this year. The teams were HODALA!(the team I'm on), Alki-Rubicon, and Stanley. The "prize" was the losing team had to wash the winning team's bikes. In bikinis. The other losing team had to serve us beers. It was great. Next up was the last race in the Cascade Cross series, and everyone's fave, Chiller Cross! This year, two of us B'ham crossers had an idea. Tim(BFF Cycling) and I thought a flyover would be awesome. A couple more beers and slices of pizza, and we were motivated. Plus Ryan said he would help pay for a hefty portion of it. We had bigger plans on how it was going to look, but time was an issue. Even with transporting issues, we managed to get it finished. Just in time. Riding it was rad! A big thanks to Tim, Ryan, and everyone who helped set that beast up. I'd like to end this post with a huge birthday wish to my sidekick and best buddy ever, Rastus. Love you Bubba.

2011-12-16T09:19:00.000-08:00

It's been cx mania! The SCX finale in Monroe was super good, and muddy. One of the few muddy races this season(check pic). Then we had WA State CX Champs in Arlington. I was a bit skeptical at first considering how flat it is by the airport. But the crew built an awesome course that was challenging. HODALA! took the whole SS podium! Next up was the USGP in Bend. The SS race started way too early, it was damn chilly. Even though it was dry, it was a fun course. Good times in Oregon. Tomorrow is Thriller Cross, a Cascade Series Race. Ryan has put a lot of effort into this race. It's going to be sweet. So head over to Civic Field, and cheer on your favorite zombie, I mean racer!

2011-11-26T21:19:00.000-08:00

SSCXWC was rad! San Francisco is a great town to go hang out, and ride your bike around. The qualifier was a fun ride, and the race course on sunday was super good. Thanks to all of the rain throughout the weekend. My team is awesome! Lots going on in the shop right now. Repairs, refurbishes, and builds. Here are some pics of Randy's almost dead pinarello. The dt and lug were cracked. So this thing is basically getting a new front end. The cages are for Stanley brand flasks. I hauled a bunch to SF to match up with the SSCXWC dino flasks. But someone must've been eating too much weaksauce, cuz there weren't any flasks available! $35 if you're into that sort of biking.

2011-11-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of Freehub is out. There's a little builder bio on donkelope bikes. Thanks Brandon! Cross season is in full swing, despite our abnormally nice weather. Great for spectating, but more mud would be nice. Went to Fort Collins for the USGP in early oct. That is a fun town! The racing was pretty fun, hilly, but fun. One more tooth on the cog would've been nice. SSCXWC is just around the corner. Pretty much the whole team is heading down for that event.

2011-09-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

It's fall, and there's lots of bike stuff going down. My favorite season. Cross season has started strong, although too early for me. Starcrossed was fun. Not as many spectators at Issaquah as there were at Marymoor, but all who showed up had a great time. Oregon Manifest was last weekend. What a stressful week leading into that. No matter how early I think I start my project, it comes down to the very last minute. The weekend went well with awesome weather, lots of cool bikes, and great people that build them. There are pics of the event all over the web, so surf it up! My entry had a sidecar that I built to haul Raz around. We were definitely one of the crowd favorites. The bike performed awesome. The sidecar needs a couple of tweaks. And my front bag worked stellar. Thanks to Martina a Swift Ind in Seattle. Now back to the work that has been waiting for me. And getting ready for cx season!

2011-08-28T22:27:00.000-07:00

The tough road rides just keep coming! The Mount Baker Hill Climb is the weekend of september 10-11. Come support a great ride up the mountain! Great scenery and no traffic. They shut the road down until noon that day.

2011-08-25T22:48:00.000-07:00

August has been busy! Working on a builder bio for Freehub Magazine, the Rapha Gentlemen's Race NW, and all of bike work. I haven't been bored. Look for the 3rd issue of Freehub to be on the shelves mid october. I had some great help doing that. Thanks to Augustine and Tim! The Rapha Gentlemen's Race was a 6 person TTT. The course was 130 miles of pavement, gravel and 10000+feet of climbing. It was also in the mid 90's. It was a brutal day in the saddle. But we had a great team, all on matching donkelopes, with nice kits from Randi Jo Fabrications. We looked better than we did in the race. Only 4 of us were able to finish the entire ride. Congrats to the teams that rode it all intact. Not an easy task. 28 teams started, but only 7 completed. The 2011 Oregon Manifest is just around the corner, september 23-24. Working away on that build that features an out of the ordinary attachment. I will try to post pics and progress. Even though it feels like summer just got started here, cross season is approaching. At least I have some decent form from all of the riding to get ready for the RGR.

2011-07-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

Whew, it's been too long. Busy summer. I use summer sarcastically. The only summer I've been around, was for SSUSA in Colorado, and a short trip to Wisco. SSUSA was a hoot. It was a very relaxing trip, hanging with good friends. With a nice race in the middle of it all. I'm thinkin' I'll head back to the Fort this fall for a USGP race. Yesterday, Rusty Scott and I headed over to Raleigh's Midsummer's Night Cross Race. It was a great time. Although not mentally ready for cross yet, there was a very bumpy, but fun and fast course. And plenty of food and beer. Yeah. Donkelope bikes has been invited to the Rapha Gentlemen's Race this august. Looking forward to that. The team will be suited up in custom jerseys on a fleet of donkelope road racers. Summer is about half over, and it doesn't even feel like the warm weather has started.

2011-05-18T21:01:00.001-07:00

The weather has really turned up this week. I think everyone is taking it in. Speaking of taking it in...this friday is Bike to Work Day! And the place to be is at the Hub Community Bike shop. Live music, pancake feed, good people, and great times. C'mon down, get some cakes, and enjoy your ride!

2011-05-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

Still waiting for some sunshine. That big bright sphere hasn't come out to play very often around here. It's been awhile since a post. Lots going on; bike refurbish project, house work, trying to ride when it's decent, and the norm bike builds. The Taint Tuff 2 went down a few weekends ago. It's basically a big birthday ride for me and my freind Nat. Massive turnout, 34 or 35 starters, but only 13 completed the entire ride. Great times, check these pics for evidence. Parental discretion is advised!

2011-04-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

I think spring is finally here. Let's hope. I'm sure all of the locals know what's going on with a little place we like to ride our mt bikes, Galbraith. That place needs everyone's support! We have to keep pressure on to save that gem of a trail system. Check out Preserve Galbraith, WhIMPs, for more info and how to help. And if you're from out of town and wanting to ride there, it's currently still open, but being logged in areas. Ask one of the bikeshops in town what trails are useable/rideable.
Next weekend is the Taint Tuff II, Taint Misbehavin'! It's a little b-day celebration ride for Nat and I. Last year there were 25 riders, about 50mi of mtbing, a little rain, lots of mud, 2 beer stops(1 with bacon), a bourbon stop, and an after ride party. Everybody suffered, yet all were wearing smiles. Speaking of wearing something, this year Nat has decided to have a theme. People need to rock a mustache and some denim. Word

2011-04-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

Well, the time is here. The King and Queen of the Classics. The Tour of Flanders is this weekend, with Paris-Roubaix next. My favorite races of the year. And to celebrate, tomorrow is the 3rd year of the Ronde von Whatcom. 90mi with 5800' elevation gain, and a new, long section of pavé! It rained all day here, and it will probably rain off and on tomorrow. So come on down to Mount Bakery, have some breakfast, and get ready for an adventure, Belgian style.

2011-03-29T22:51:00.000-07:00

Cherry blossoms, warmer air, excellent racing, it must finally be spring! Both Milan-San Remo and E3 Harelbeke were great races. Should make for an awesome Ronde van Vlaanderen. And again in the spirit of the greatest one day race, the Ronde von Whatcom is going down this saturday. Leaving from Mt Bakery at 10am. The course this year is very similar to last year's. With the addition of another "pavé" section. 90mi with approx 5700' vertical gain. Hope to see you there!
photo cred Graham Watson

2011-03-15T22:07:00.001-07:00

The weather this weekend was terrible, but we still had a good time at the Seattle Bike Expo. There was good interest in the bikes I had on display, and sold some donkelope merch. Saturday featured a fashion show with models using a donkelope, Bike Snob NYC was there to read from his book, and plenty of bike stuff to keep just about everyone happy. Axel Merckx was there too. Of course saturday night was the night to go and hang out with people I don't see too often or at all. After having dinner and some beers with Eben, Bike Snob, we went to the Go Means Go party. Eventually we wanted to go somewhere else, and had quite the crew to go with! Rickshaw Bags, Momentum, and the San Fran bike show were ready to have a good time. Besides the night life, I met some new friends and made some great connections for bike projects. The one I'm excited about is a custom bike bag maker in Seattle, Swift Industries. Jason and Martina make some sweet bags. Check out the bag on my commuter, cruising around town. It's big, made of waxed canvas, and looks fantastic. A great weekend in Seattle.

2011-03-10T21:57:00.000-08:00

Tonight was Ladies Night at Kulshan Cycles. Lots of people showed up for the raffles, cookies, and refreshments. I was there with a little set up along side Erin w/Red Boots Designs. Erin made the latest batch of donkelope tees and hoodies. It was a good time meeting new faces and talking to familiar ones. Heading down to Seattle tomorrow for the Seattle Bike Expo. Swing in and say "hi".

2011-01-09T22:33:00.000-08:00

The cold and snow is back in Bellingham. But the cx race at Cornwall Park yesterday was awesome. Great turnout, great course, and lots of mud! Thanks Ryan and all of the volunteers for putting on the last Cascade Cross Series event for the season. On thursday the 13, I'll be at the Everybody Bike monthly slide show. There's usually a travel aspect to the night. It will be like a show and tell thing for Donkelope Bikes. Check out the details, and come on over to the ReStore.

2011-01-06T09:02:00.000-08:00

Well, it's a new year. Hopefully 2010 treated everyone well. I ended the year on a good run of long rides. Which was nice, but doesn't get me ready for a 45min burst of intensity that is cross. The last race in the Cascade Cross Series is this saturday, the 8th. The venue is Cornwall Park, right in town. So no excuses to not show up for this event. There will be plenty of mud, cheering, and fun. So come on down and support this local race. And here are some pics of the winter solstice ride. It was a beautiful night. We did our riding before the "festivities". Which made the ride down the mountain quite enjoyable.

2010-12-29T18:27:00.000-08:00

Day 7 of challenge. After yesterday's lame coming up short, I managed to get a nice ride in today. It was snowing this morning, but eventually, the clouds broke apart for some sunshine to come through. Just rode through the north part of the county. Lots of dairy and berry farms. In fact, Whatcom county is the nations leading raspberry grower. Mmm. Finished the ride off with a couple of short, but steepish climbs. And rode into town with an amazing sunset. Clouds make for spectacular ones. Might not ride tomorrow. Instead, head up the mountain to play in the snow with some friends. In case I don't ride, 541.4km in the books. Thanks Rapha for the boost in motivation to get out. A purpose like this to ride makes me do long rides that I usually don't, or use that kind of time for a long day on the mtb. So I want to find new ways, or roads I haven't traveled much. Or getting some friends to do a big ride. Like the xmas day ride. That's something I've wanted to do for a bit, but never made time. It all came together on probably the worst day logistically to do it. Nothing open, very limited ferry times, very small window of daylight. That was a ride I'll never forget. Thanks again, and hopefully I can keep this going through the winter and into spring.

2010-12-28T19:06:00.000-08:00

Day 6 of challenge. Check out the front of the cleat. Yesterday's damage! New cleats on, good to go! 2 rides today. One just around Bellingham on the greenway trails with Rastus. It's one of his favorite loops. Probably because we end up in Whatcom Falls Park, where there is plenty of water. Without Raz, I can get a pretty good ride in on these trails this time of year. You just have to do it in the morning when hardly anyone is out. In the summer? Forget it. People everywhere. It's still a nice place to ride. I always ride through there on my way to mtb at Galbraith. After Raz was done in the water, and I repaired my first flat of the challenge, we came back to the house, dropped him off, changed bikes, and was on my way again. Decided to stay north of town, mainly because I've been riding all the good stuff to the south. Plus I had an appointment at 4pm. Trying to seal the 500 deal today. But after a detour on Marine Dr from flooding, I ended up changing the route, and came up 12km short! If only I had a computer on my bike. Oh well, tomorrow. Cause I'm not putting a computer on my bike. 488km down, 12km to go.

2010-12-27T17:22:00.000-08:00

Day 5 of challenge. Weather was a bit wetter, and much cooler. I think the freezing level is down around 450m. The snow was very visible. Decided to go out and explore some more around Camp 2 Rd. It was unsuccessful. Lots of steep, muddy, unpaved road, that ended up at a cel tower. It didn't connect with the trail I wanted to. Maybe it's not meant to be. So we(Joey and I) headed back to the lake, and went in where I knew it would hook up with the trail, and eventually Camp 2 Rd. Much better. The ride got cut a bit short because of the time wasted exploring new possibilities. After a stop to restock snacks, we went over to Barrel Springs Rd, and on to Wood Rd, which is unpaved. Out to Chuckanut, and back to Bellingham. No more Chuckanut for the rest of this challenge! It's a great road, but I'll be able to do it blindfolded soon. The maps are split again due to them not showing some sections of unpaved road. Even Wood Rd, which isn't that bad of a road. Map 1, map 2, map 3. A little bit of a letdown not being able to find a connector to where I want to go. That, and I broke a cleat walking through the mud and rocks. Luckily, I have stock of those. 409.6km down, 90.4km to go.

2010-12-26T20:30:00.000-08:00

Day 4 of the challenge. Took it easy today after yesterday's awesome ride. Just ran errands, and spun my legs around town. 20km worth. 330km down, 170 to go. I've attached Ryan's description of the xmas ride. Enjoy.

mastering Mount Constitution from Bellingham in one day
by Ryan Rickerts on Sunday, December 26, 2010 at 7:18pm
This Christmas Day ride was actually the idea of Greg Heath, as part of his effort to click 500km in 7 days. It's not easy to average 40+ miles per day for a week, so why not knock off a big chunk at once? How about 125 miles? Seems reasonable, doesn't it? Good thing I didn't ask anyone before I left.

This would actually be the furthest I've ever ridden. Add to that challenge, I have not been doing long distance road riding during cyclocross season (even though I should have). Might as well throw another barrier to entry: a 2400' foot mountain, mostly gained over 4 miles, halfway through the ride and a LONG way from home.

It is certainly not the first time this ridiculous notion has entered my brain. I've actually attempted this ride twice before (once with Celeo, then again with Zach Guy and Andrew Leese). Weather has traditionally conspired against me, but the big hurdle has been catching ferries and beating nightfall. The axe usually falls trying to leave Orcas Island, missing a ferry and having no lights to ride home. However, when Greg (a man known for conquering epic challenges such as the Leadville 100 and the Cascade Cream Puff) proposed it for Christmas Day, 2010 felt like the year I would be gifted with victory. Just to get myself in the spirit of overcoming the insurmountable, I watched LotR Return of the King on Christmas Eve. If Frodo & Sam can do it...

We took care of the daylight problem by just facing it right off the bat - we left Bellingham at 5:00 am sharp with headlights on the whole way to Anacortes. Still, it was a bit of a team time trial to catch the 7:40 ferry, or the gig was up before it really started. The gusty winds out of the SE were a tough start to the day. A big highlight was hitting the Padilla Bay dike trail in the dark with virtually no one on it (although I did take a spill over a curb at the entrance I didn't spot). This twisty, gravel trail is perfectly flat and really feels like a Roubaix course on a road bike. Then, riding west, we had some favorable tailwinds and reached Anacortes by 7:00 am with just another 4 miles to reach the boat. Phase 1 complete, and in record time. These are good omens.

However, the next challenge was definitely looming larger. After an hour of sitting, we had to fire up the legs again, ride 18 miles, bag Constitution, and return all within 3 hours in order to catch the noon ferry back, or wait FIVE HOURS for the next one. Failing this could be logistically suicidal. Not only is the ferry terminal on Orcas devoid of much shelter, it's Christmas Day and NOTHING is open! I packed enough food to get through the whole ride without any stores, but not enough to camp out half a day.

The feeling of riding on Christmas day was indeed special. Except for a few folks shuffling off merrily to their family gatherings, the world was quiet (which is why I ride during major American holidays - like the Superbowl, but with less drunks). The ferry unloading on Orcas in the morning had five cars on it. FIVE CARS! Compare this to a typical summer tour on the island. Fewer ferry runs, fewer cars, fewer opportunities for rest, comfort, or rescue. What more do you want in a Saturday epic?

With the tail wind continuing as we rode north to Eastsound, then fighting us as we climbed up to the base of our main obstacle, we reached Moran State Park in one hour. The pressure was on to go big or go home. There is a stout little 400' climb to the park facilities at Cascade Lake, and I had a slight reason to be concerned. We just passed the 55 mile mark. What if that's all I had in me? I had done a pretty solid gym workout at Trailhead Athletics on Thursday evening, with this ride not yet on my radar, including 80 walking lunges with a pair of 30 lb. dumbbells in my hands, and that much weight was starting to seem pretty stupid. I was already feeling the strain. I did a calf stretch at the campground bathroom and my hamstrings started cramping. Now I was going to climb 2000' more. I was beginning to feel the water tickle my chin, so to speak.

It did not require but a 1/2 mile of climbing to realize I was going to severely struggle through this part. Good thing the road is so beautiful. We saw 3 cars in total, and unlike the last April when I rode it with Jacob and Kendra (just from the ferry) and the summit was socked in, the views today would be clear. These are all good motivators, as well as having a friend waiting at the top, and not falling short when my chance at success was at hand.

With much more difficulty than usual, I made it to the old sandstone tower at the summit. Greg was already getting chilly from taking in the sights, so my celebration was brief. Just enough time to marvel at the expansive beauty of the San Juan Islands and the Chuckanuts, with glimpses of the larger mountain ranges beyond. Of course, we could also spot our home base down below, just beyond Lummi Island and the Lummi peninsula, but it was still a long ways around to get there. The time was now 10:30 am.

With plenty of pine needles, mossy patches and wet sections sprinkled along the road, and the guardrails on tight switchbacks scarcely protecting us from spilling down large cliffs, getting off this mountain quickly is also a high stakes endeavor. Luckily, I'm actually much better at going downhill on my road bike than going up. On most technical, high-speed descents, I'm usually letting loose for a fast stretch then slowing down to make sure my companions made it through. Greg was right on my wheel the whole way. We hit the first hill heading back out of the park in no time, but my legs had something to say about it. NO THANK YOU!!

From this point on in the ride, every hill would be a demonstration of will, focus, and breathing & relaxation exercises. And there were many. Orcas is a hilly place. Chuckanut Drive awaited us near Bellingham. If the strong winds that carried us into Anacortes were holding pace & direction from the morning, I feared I would not make it.

We rode through Eastsound without much thought of respite, but there was ONE restaurant open. Oh, so tempting, but we rolled on by. The clock on the last building in town read 11:00. Could this be right? We had one hour to catch the ferry, which was indeed comforting, but we still rode as if our lives depended on it. Anything could happen in 8.5 miles: flats, mechanicals, severe cramping, bonking. We had a headwind, but nothing devastating. We powered over the last two ghastly bumps between us and the ferry terminal, and dropped in at 11:30.

Now we could relax a bit. The ferry was stopping at Shaw Island on the way to Anacortes, so we had almost 2 hours of forced rest. Surprisingly, the cafeteria on the boat was open for business, but nothing hot from the kitchen. Mostly packaged junk food. I opted for a bag of popcorn, hoping the salt would alleviate this troubling cramping issue. Add a little tabasco to keep the circulation up. Yum!

My jersey & jacket combined gave me six pockets. In the morning, I left with 5 bars, 2 gel packets, a PB&J, sliced pork tenderloin, nuts & cranberries. The space that was rapidly freeing up as I burned through the calories I filled with leg warmers, arm warmers, a base layer, and my light. It was getting nice out!

We rolled into Anacortes again about 1:30 pm. The Safeway was open. The sun was shining. The winds were not what they were that morning. We were going to be okay. Greg stocked up on some chocolate, and I got a Gatorade. Other than that, a vending machine juice, the popcorn, and some faucet water, I'd like to say I did the ride unsupported. Well, Greg's draft was a significant source of support.

We hit the newly repaired trail that crosses Fidalgo Bay to the Shell refinery. Families were out walking now enjoying the afternoon together, so we had a few more obstacles in our path. Hwy 20 was tough with a wind out of the SE, but we didn't have much eastward ground to cover. I would say the ride felt quite pleasant at this point, except my left knee had been bugging me all day from a cleat alignment issue on my other winter shoes, and my sweaty clammy clothes. All I really wanted for Christmas now was a hot shower!

Back on the Padilla Bay trail, I wanted to put the hammer down like Thor Hushovd but the masses of strolling elders didn't look too kindly upon it. Where are your Flanderian fans when you need them? Mostly tail winds carried us into Edison, off the grinding chip seal and onto the smooth blacktop of Hwy 11.

With both relief and trepidation, we could see the final obstacle before us. Chuckanut Drive has some punchy hills, and at 100+ miles into the ride, is quite intimidating. What would my legs have to say now? "All done, Papa" or "F*ck you, b@stard." ??? Mainly, they just said, over and over "I really want you to stop making me turn in circles."

Luckily, I have covered this ground countless times, and often at the end of ridiculously long & difficult rides (such as Mt Erie to La Conner the back way with Ecker and company). I know every rise, how long, and how steep. I know my least favorite hills are the last three after Larabee State Park. That is so close to home, however, that I know I can suffer through them. Yes, it will hurt. Just don't bonk.

Greg and I powered wheel to wheel over the last hill leading into Fairhaven (unfairly, since he pulled a LOT more) and descended into cooling temperatures and fading sunlight. We rolled through the incredibly sleepy downtown Bellingham by 4pm and felt both exhausted and fantastic. The only remaining problem (as before) is that nothing is open, and my house has no food! After a long, hot soak for my stiff neck under the shower faucet, Greg served us up some vegetarian tacos and delicious keg beer, and the buzz of post-epic success set in. We both realized that was one for the books!

If you have made it this far, you deserve to know a bit more background on this story. This was the first year my daughter (going on 4 years old) is old enough to imagine who Santa is and really feel the anticipatation of Christmas morning. However, it would also be her first she would spend without her dad around. We did have a wonderful "first downhill ski" together on Christmas Eve, but she was on the road by 6pm to be with grandparents in Idaho. Preparing myself for and leaving on a 5 am ride seemed like the best way to switch my focus and do something positive with the time, and it worked out marvelously. It truly did feel like a gift of a ride.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and may you be inspired to surmount your own greatest obstacle in 2011! If the opportunity presents itself, ask. I may join you.

2010-12-26T00:23:00.000-08:00

What a day! We were treated to great weather, except for the headwind. This is the 3rd day of the challenge. Ryan and I headed out at 5am. The reason for early departure was because the ferries were running a limited, holiday schedule. So we were somewhat under the gun to make sure we didn't miss the boat and have to wait 5+ hours 'til the next one. The map is split up into 3 sections. 1st, Bellingham to Anacortes ferry terminal. 2nd, from the Orcas ferry terminal, up to the top of the mountain, and back to the terminal by noon. The 3rd map shows how we got back to Bellingham from Anacortes. Big day today, 191.2km. Now it's 310km down, 190km to go.

2010-12-24T17:04:00.001-08:00

Day 2 of the challenge. Again, the ride started in the rain, only to ride into dry skies. Not sunny, just not raining. And it was warm today. Around 50F. I'll get some friends on some of these rides soon to take better pics. This ride was more of a Ronde recon ride. Scoping out possible unpaved roads to use in the 2011 Ronde van Whatcom. This Camp 2 Rd is great. And there's a few ways to enter/exit. So it will be good, as long as there isn't a super late snowfall. The map is in 2 sections, because I don't know how to do it otherwise. Part 1, part 2. 119km down, 381km to go! Tomorrow will be a big day. There shouldn't be much traffic to contend with. So I'm looking forward to doing nothing but riding for x-mas!

2010-12-23T13:06:00.000-08:00

This is the start of posts of daily rides that I'm doing. Rapha is doing a little contest to get people out riding around the holidays. Winning stuff can be good motivation, plus we've been having alright weather. Of course it wasn't today. Started in the rain, but that's how it's going to be more often than not. Plus, it will get me ready for the Ronde van Whatcom! Oh well, this ride just goes down, around Lake Samish to Barrel Springs Rd. Then onto Colony, and back up Chuckanut. 60km down, 440km to go.

2010-12-20T22:16:00.000-08:00

Busy days. Frame repairs, builds, it's all good. Plus, plenty of great riding. Erik and Craig's birthday ride was dec 12. Over 50 miles, riding at Galbraith, Lake Padden, Blanchard, and the Chuckanuts. I know it's hard to look past the Old Milwaukee, but the view was pretty good on the lookout over Samish Bay. And a couple of pics of a dropout fit up. Ready for fire! And me and Raz went for a very nice ride sunday. A little dusting of snow, but the trails in the trees were sweet. Happy shortest day of the year!

2010-12-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

Here's some pics of the finished version of the bike in the previous post. Well, almost finished. Still needs some fender adust and bar tape. It's hard to see the color, which is a metallic black cherry with extra sparkle in the clear.

2010-12-07T14:01:00.000-08:00

USGPs in Portland are in the history books. A great weekend of racing cross, and all that goes along with that. PIR is such a great race venue. It's close to town, usually a good course for the racers, and a great place to spectate. There are tons of great photos out there. Try this, this, or this.
Here are some pics of the latest bike to role over to the painter. It's a touring frame/fork that has an eccentric bb to run an 11 spd hub. The frame also has S & S couplers for breaking the bike down for traveling.
Also coming soon from everybody bike; a presentation featuring a slideshow of riding in Europe and a little show & tell by me. So come on by.

2010-11-28T19:25:00.000-08:00

Cross pretty much rules. Everyone that went to the SCX finale in Monroe knows that. Great muddy course, free beer, free food, awesome. A good prep for next weekend's USGPs in Portland. Which should be off the hook. A great way to finish off a thanksgiving weekend. My favorite holiday. People are already talking about SSCXWC in San Fran, and Nationals in Wisco 2012. It could possibly be -20F. Epic.

2010-11-16T10:54:00.000-08:00

It's been a good cross season. Lots of mud, and racing. I went out to Mass. to visit and check out the scene. Great scene, lots of spectators, free beer(very good beer). Not enough mud though. People were actually running file tread tires. Unfortunately, I was the only person on a single speed. I actually couldn't believe it. The 3's class were filled both days, so I decided to race in the masters 1,2,3. I think it's pretty much 1's who aren't winning against the younger crowd anymore. So I got shelled. But I had fun. This past weekend was a Cascade Cross Series @ Sedro Woolley. Not as epic conditions as last year, but soft and wet. Sunday was the MFG finale @ Woodland Park. Super rad venue, lots of slippery goo. Then a series season ending party at Brouwers! Here's a little something to do this weekend. Meet at the Hub, and raise some loot for the food bank. You get to ride/race your bike, hang with friends, and help out the community.

2010-10-26T22:33:00.000-07:00

Whew! SSCXWC is in the history books. What a weekend. "Too much of everything is just enough!" Too much riding, too much drinking, too much mud, too much laughing. Awesome event. If you weren't there, you should wish you would've been. There are plenty of little vids, and lots of pics popping up. So check em out, and get ready to go to San Fran next year. I just thougt I would share/steal this pic of Wendy Simms on the podium with gold bikini, and her giant check for a custom frame. Congrats!

2010-10-20T22:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a year in the making. SSCXWC 2010 is this weekend! If you're not registered to race, you should be checkin' out the awesome spectacle of this cross race/party. A weekend full of outrageous fun, mixed with some mayhem. One bad ass lady is gonna walk away from the madness with a new tattoo and a "check". So, all you ss racer girls have a lot to race for. Glory, ink, and a custom bike!

2010-09-23T23:21:00.000-07:00

Early cross season has begun. Starcrossed was last weekend, what a fun race! This saturday is the Killer Cross Race here in Bellingham. It's been pretty rainy, so it should be good. Next weekend, we're doing something a bit different. Donkelope bikes will be a venue for the Downtown Art Walk. Swing on by and check out some bikes, where they're built, and some artwork by Kelly Hoekema. There will also be a sort of renegade, cross race in the neighborhood. Single speed only.

2010-08-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

Last night was the 2nd edition of the Bellingham Bike In. Beer garden, bands, yummy snacks, some short films, and lots of bikes! The show and shine had some great vintage bikes this year. I was one of the judges, and it was hard to pick a winner. Thanks to everyone that came by the donkelope booth to say hi and chat. Thanks to Vince from Mt Bakery. Good times!

2010-08-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, me and Raz went for a ride on friday. It was primo weather, and the trails were in sweet shape. It was a great ride until we got back to the trailhead. No Tail Wagon! Some d-bag stole Raz's trailer. Who the hell does that? I could go on and on, bitching about this. But I'll spare everyone that. So be on the lookout for somebody trying to unload a Burley doggie trailer. Thanks.

2010-07-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

It's the last weekend of le Tour. So come on down to Mt. Bakery for some road racing action, along with yummy pastries and prize giveaways. Here are some pics from vacation time. Someday, I'll own a real camera. But for now, it's video with still shots. Yellowstone is sweet. Haven't been there for a long ass time. Went on a great ride there.

2010-07-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

It's July!! TdF time! A quick note to all in the area, Mt Bakery is showing the race daily, starting at 5:30am. The 6th will be an awesome stage in Belgium and N. France, over the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix! It's really gonna shake things up. Donkelope Bikes will be there with a little prize giveaway to the person who picks the winner of the day(or the highest finisher)!! So be there.

2010-06-16T23:32:00.001-07:00

A Labor of Love: Greg Heath- Bicycle Builder from Narayan Mahon on Vimeo.

2010-06-16T23:23:00.000-07:00

Well, it's kinda summer here. Some days. It's been a busy spring. So I'm taking off for a couple weeks in search of nicer weather, and stellar road riding. ON WISCONSIN! Where roads are plentiful, but traffic isn't. And where the beer flows way more freely than most places. So if you're trying to get ahold of someone around here, there may be a bit of delay. I will check in with the world wide web occasionally. Here's a little interview that was part of a project Narayan Mahon did for the South Seattle Community College. It was a photo exhibit of various craftspeople in the northwest. Very cool, and well done.

2010-05-12T23:25:00.000-07:00

It's May. That means summer could be right around the corner, Ski to Sea is this month, it's bike to work day this month, and I'm another year older. So I better get my ass in shape! That way, I can eat lots of pancakes at the Hub. yeah

2010-05-09T22:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! Gotta give props to the ones that brought us all into this world. It was a glorious sunday here in B'ham. Almost perfect trail conditions. Out for a 3 hour ride. Which doesn't feel that long after rides like the Ronde and the Taint Tuff. Speaking of Taint Tuff, that was an awesome day. The weather held out pretty good. The trails were damn muddy though. We had about 25 riders with, most of em were on single speeds. With 2 beer stops, and a bourbon stop, everyone was hurtin', but happy! Here are some pics of the day. Thanks to all the riders that came out, and to everyone that helped get the party, and the food going. This will be an annual event. Word.

2010-04-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's almost been a month since the last post. I guess I've been busy. Where to start, the Ronde van Whatcom was awesome this year. Great crew, classics style weather(rain, sun, hail, wind), and a good party afterwards. It was a good chunk of the western washington SS Cross gang. Kinda funny, since we were all on geared road bikes. Thanks to everyone that showed up. If you can see one BMX vid this year, see the Bone Deth movie. It's off the hook in all respects. There was a video premier at the Pickford for Refresh. Very local BMX vid of shredders. Great job. This weekend is the "Taint Tuff". It's Nat's idea of a way to celebrate a birthday, and mountain biking. The ride starts and ends @ donkelope HQ at 10am saturday May 1st. It will be mostly SSers. I expect the ride to last 6 hours. That includes lots mayhem in between the biking. Big party to follow. Hell yeah.

2010-04-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Bike Expo was good. Much better venue this year. The antics after the show were entertaining to say the least. Thanks to everyone who stopped by, when I was actually there, to say Hi. Last weekend, Joe from Traitor, put on some gold sprints at the cabin tavern. Everybody was really into it, and were having a blast. Thanks Joe!! This weekend is one of the best races ever, the Tour of Flanders. In it's honor, there is a ride saturday the 3rd. We're leaving from Mt Bakery at 10 am. So come on down, eat a waffle, and head out on a 90 mile ride with about 13 Flanders style climbs.

2010-03-12T00:12:00.000-08:00

The Seattle Bike Expo is this weekend. Cruise on down, check out some bikes, eat some chocolate, and talk bikes. We've got some new tees, with a new design. I was supposed to have some Shaun Deller hats, but the embroiders are slackers. Sorry. They'll probably show up on monday. Go figure.

2010-02-23T20:14:00.000-08:00

the rain is back. but the temps are still mild. sunday was beautiful, and the ride was rad. semi big ride up to galbraith, then down to lake samish. headed up sick joke, across the ridge, and down hush hush. 8 riders, 7 single speeders. sweet. this thursday everybody bike is putting on a slide show type event at the REI store. i'll be there showing off a couple of bikes, and talking for about 15 minutes. since REI is involved, everybody bike couldn't list the framebuilders doing there thing at these events. so i'll be wingin' it. come on by and say "howdy".

2010-02-11T21:15:00.000-08:00

this is kinda funny. the custom frame builders get their ideas taken, and turned into lower cost, made in taiwan bikes for the masses. some say it's a form of flattery. i guess it is, in a "that's a sweet bike, we're going to change a couple of things, and make thousands of 'em. people will love our huge budget, and what we can do with it" kind of way. (donkelope photo courtesy of Phil Booth, Road Bike Action)

2010-01-21T22:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Rastus!! my little riding buddy is 11, and still rockin'. we've been having excellent weather/conditions for riding lately. not so good for snow sports though. we'll probably pay for this awesome weather in may and june when it will rain every day! thanks to Ryan for putting on the Cascade Cross series here in b'ham. rad courses, and good conditions for each race. lots of mud, but the skies were dry. the series finale was last saturday. good turnout for a race in january.

2010-01-13T23:35:00.000-08:00

well, here's the first post to the new year. nothing too crazy so far. except we're getting a mild winter. not so good for the mountain, but freakin' rad for bike riding! yea! here are some pics to share. the bike is not new, at all. but the super neato fenders are. they are all wood fenders, handmade here in bellingham by tom anderson. fashionable as well as functional. these fenders are round. the ones on the tandem are a selection of birch, cherry, ash, and a layer of bamboo, which every fender has for strength. they are beautiful, and make any bike look great. there are tons of options of color/wood type. if you're interested, contact me and i can point you in the right direction.
this saturday is race #3 in the cascade cross series. chilly cross will be at cornwall park in b'ham. fun course, and there will be mud! i don't think we'll have snow that day though.

2009-12-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

if you're reading this, you probably tried to go to the web site. the blog will be the new site. we're making some changes around here. on the web anyway. so stay tuned for more action. this is a good time for this kind of thing. the weather has turned horrible here. more soon, g

2009-12-11T17:24:00.000-08:00

OREGON MANIFEST CONSTRUCTOR’S DESIGN CHALLENGE from oregon manifest on Vimeo.

The folks at the Oregon Manifest posted this video of the constructors challenge. It's super cool! You can even see Raz in it. That dog is a super star.

2009-12-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

i've been in austin, texass for the last few days. it feels like i'm still in washington though. minus the mountains. cool and rainy. what the hell? how am i supposed to shred the bmx in this weather? well, i went to the ramp ranch yesterday. super bmx friendly indoor park. fun. but i can tell i haven't ridden since before the sswc in durango. rusty and sketchy. go pack go!!

2009-11-16T20:40:00.000-08:00

it's been damn wet around here lately. lots of good mud racing. the one downside to spectacular cross conditions is loads of double wash laundry, and bike maintenance. sscxwc was completely off the hook. epic weekend. we had a rental house for a large portion of the washington/hodala crew. needless to say, no deposit was returned. lots of rain, mud, beer, bikes, and mayhem. if you weren't there, you really missed out. off camber, muddy downhills, a pond to ride through, stripper shortcut, thunderdome, a sabbath cover band called "rat salad", and a metal rock out with this cat nick and his freakin' sweet long bike w/sound system!! hell yeah, now i'm motivated to build something like that. oh, and the washington crew brought the sscxwc 2010 to seattle!! so start makin' plans now. it'll be good. this past weekend was the last mfg series race at woodland park. right in seattle. killer course and turnout. then an after party at brouwer's. one of my fave drinking establishments. man fall rules.

2009-11-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

it's finally here, sscxwc!! should be an unbelievable time. flag...check, cowbell...check, brews...check, bike...check. ready for some cross action. if you're not going, you are definitely missing out. but there will be lots of internet jive keeping everyone up to date with the carnage. i will also be picking up the oregon manifest bike i built/raced for that event. it's the last weekend of the celebration. so now everyone up here can check it out. next weekend is a cross double header north of seattle. saturday there's a race at squalicom park. new venue, so it should be good. then sunday is a scx series race in sedro woolley. so come on out and make some noise at some good events in our backyard.

2009-10-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

fall really is here, finally. lots of wetness = good cross conditions. wednesday night was cross practice at lake padden. perfect conditions, lots of wet mud, no water in the sky. there was a good turnout, and everyone looked like they were having a fun time playing in the mud. saturday there is a race at civic field. so go there and get muddy, or cheer on the racers. other news, sscxwc is on the horizon. guaranteed good times! plus, where will it be next year? seattle? CROSSing my fingers for that(c'mon sally). though it would be nice to check out a different scene. at the same time, it's hard to leave the northwest cross scene. we've got the weather, and the crowds! fu manchu has a new album out, and is playing at neumos sat night in seattle. and is one of the best live bands. i've had my tix for weeks. hell yeah!! i don't believe i've posted these shots. this is moe's 29er. moe owns kulshan cycles downtown, and is tall. that is a big bike.

2009-10-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

whew! it's been a crazy last couple of months. where to start? we've had some really awesome weather around here lately. too bad i've been too busy to really enjoy it. the mt baker hill climb was a great time, again. fantastic weather, and the fact that no one was really trying to break the record, made for a sweet ride up to artist point. of course the ride down with no cars is what it's all about. for me anyway. three days after that, we loaded up to go to durango, for sswc 09. wow, the local crew did a hell of a job puting on a rad event. too much fun to list. you should've been there, for real. they had a little handmade bike show(the pics are the ride i brought to the party), group rides in and around durango, lots of parties with yummy brews, and the weather held out. the race course was brutal. and left me with a couple of injuries i won't soon forget. good times. back to washington to get ready for the oregon manifest. what a project that was. i didn't get as much on the bike as i would've liked to. but it turned out good, and everybody seemed to like it. instead of me ranting on about it, check the link. lots of coverage by bikeportland.org. and the only photos of the bike at the moment. the judges liked it enough to have it displayed with 11 other bikes at the union for 6 weeks! sweet. the race was hard as hell, but spectacular. i rode half of the race with tony pereira, who won the constructor's challenge. congrats tony! you'll be pimpin' in that suit. thanks to rapha, chris king, and everyone else who helped on that event. it's now cross season full on. so that's what i'll be up to. looking forward to sscxwc. oh yeah. i love fall.

2009-08-14T23:28:00.000-07:00

tonight was the Bike In at the Pickford outdoor cinema. there was a beer garden, mt bakery, bike trivia for free stuff, and a show & shine contest. there were some cool rides to look at. an old peugeot tandem was very nice. jill entered the "jill", and ended up with the award for "best of show"! that was exciting. you know you're in a good place when people get together to close down a street downtown to show an animated bike movie on a huge screen. lots and lots of bikes and people. in not so exciting news, i received my box of goodies from king for the manifest bike. i think the UPS gorillas got a bit to rough with the package. if you look closely, you can see a dent in the hub shell. that means i have to wait that much longer to get that wheel built. oh well.

2009-07-05T23:15:00.001-07:00

whew, it's been awhile. we had a sweet june around here. last year it was cool and rainy. pretty much the opposite this time around. the trails have been dry and fast!! here are some pics of a 29er fork. i'll get some more pics soon. there are 2 frames and 3 forks at the painter. happy birthday america! nothing like celebrating our independence by buying tons and tons of imported fireworks from china. anyway, the padden mountain pedal is next weekend. this race is part of the indie series. great course and atmosphere, so come on over! word.

2009-05-30T17:01:00.000-07:00

what sweet weather we've been getting lately. it's hard to stay indoors. raz, the spoiled brat, just acquired a new toy. the "tail wagon" is his new chariot. he is getting along in years. he still rips the trails like a sum bitch, but on the way home he starts to slow it down. he is still getting used to it. he isn't jumping out, so that's a good thing. it's good to have my fav ridin' buddy back on the trail.

2009-05-25T22:55:00.000-07:00

hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. i sure did. i learned that memorial day started way back in 1865 or so. civil war time. i thought it was a newer day than that. friday night the Melvins played at the showbox in seattle. it was f'n unbelieveable. man they are loud. the plaved all of houdini. plus tons of other heavy shit. sunday was the ski to sea race here in b'ham. it's a relay race. check the link if you're unfamiliar. it's one of the biggest things to happen in this town. i did the road leg for a really fun team. i hurt like i rode super hard. but i only bested my time by one minute from last year. oh well, maybe next year. watched the race, and my team through the mtb/kayak transition. then eventually, off to the after party. i guess there were 3 different teams there. live bands, half barrel of boundary bay esb, lots of food, and lots of laughs. went out on the mtbs today. the weather was beautiful all weekend. the reason i live here. days like those. thank vets for doing what you did.

2009-05-17T22:26:00.000-07:00

the warm weather is hanging out a bit more and more. I like it. we went over to orcas to ride mt constitution, before the may 15th trail closure to bikes for the season. rode onto the ferry, then rode to moran state park. that's a haul on a ss. great day, and sweet ride. the ride back to the ferry was overly long. we were in the saddle approx 6 1/2 hours. when we were cresting the last little incline before you ride down to the ferry, i heard the horn blow. we then ride around the corner to see the ferry 100 ft off the dock. "we missed it by that?!" so we went into the little market to get some grub, and brew. when i see a ferry pull in. i finally look at the time and realize we didn't miss our ferry at all. sweet! it was a nice boat ride with snacks and all back to anacortes.

2009-05-15T05:38:00.000-07:00

it's bike to work day! head down to the hub community bike shop for some pancakes and celebration this morning. have a good ride!

2009-05-04T22:06:00.000-07:00

hope everyone had a good star wars day!! may the force be with us all.

2009-05-03T18:42:00.000-07:00

well, this is the 100th blogpost. too bad there's nothing too crazy to report. except the oregon manifest registration is up. that will be a good time. already looking forward to that, and cross season in oregon. but there is a lot of summer to enjoy first. 29ers are the hot item these days. stay tuned for pics of these big wheeled frames. shown are frameparts before anything happens, a bad pic of a headtube badge just after brazing, and raz in bed with jill. he's so photogenic

2009-04-19T14:31:00.000-07:00

the cherry blossoms are starting to fall off. it must finally be spring!joe, craig and i went for 5 1/2 hour single speed ride yesterday. they're getting ready for the cream puff. i guess i'm down with the pain as well. sweet ride though. started from the house, and headed up to galbraith for a bit. then down to samish way toward the lake. then up and up and up to blanchard on british army trail. that climb freakin' hurts. but the downhill makes it all worth it. then over to sick joke. there is nothing funny about that monster. along chuckanut mountain to hush hush. we rode the rail trails through fairhaven for a cool down. and to enjoy a rad afternoon. we finally made it back to the house, and started to think about food. craig wanted to ride the tandem downtown. joe said he was up for it, so off we went. raz came with, so i was going slow on the sidewalks. but the tandem was doing hot laps around the boulevards on railroad st. funny shit. here's the latest commuter ride. the little rack is mainly designed for loading on a bus, and not having fenders, brakes, get crushed. late, g

2009-04-07T20:55:00.000-07:00

it must be nice out. i haven't updated this for a bit. well, saturday was a ride i tried to organize,"Ronde van Whatcom". some people were ill, and the rest must have been afraid. craig came up from seattle. that was enough reason for me to go. we started off at the meeting place, Mt Bakery. of course we had waffles. then headed out for the Ronde. the route ended up being really good. not too much traffic, lots of little steep climbs, and beautiful weather. i tried to design the route without a lot of 40mph+ zones. it took us about 5 1/2 hours to complete. then a little party to celebrate with frites and westmalle trippel!! woke up sunday to see stijn devolder crush everyone at the Tour of Flanders, again. what a badass.

2009-03-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

i can't believe we actually came home. it was incredibly nice down in cali. we ended up going to calistoga to waste some time, and look for a place to ride. upper 70's and sunny. boggs mountain is where we ended up riding. great place. state forest with lots of single track. it's the north end of the napa valley. very beautiful. then our last stop of the trip, ashland, or. sweet single track, great brewery, and an awesome skatepark. here's a list of stuff from the trip.

three fave rides:
1. tamarancho
2. boggs mountain
3. ashland watershed

three fave stops:
1. ashland, or
2. chico, ca
3. fairfax, ca

three fave brews:
1. sierra nevada chico ipa
2. standing stone double ipa
3. rogue barley wine

three not so cool things:
1. northwest traffic(worse than cali)
2. hailstorm at mt shasta
3. redding, ca

three very cool things:
1. riding almost everyday we were gone
2. chillin with james in monterey
3. no one getting hurt(especially raz)

so that's it. back to work. frames to pick up from the painter, bikes to assemble, and get ready for the ronde van whatcom this coming saturday. see you at mt bakery. g

2009-03-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

we're now in the bay area. lots of traffic. but lots of beautiful scenery. very good mountain biking as well. we went up to tamarancho boy scout camp to ride. the signs say " bikes must stay on single track". sweet! raz was with so we only were out for a couple of hours. but one could link these trails up with some Marin County Open Space trails for a longer ride. views of the bay and all. good stuff. there's also a pic of a local at fort ord close to salinas. the salinas valley is very good for farming. so monterey and the area are into the "buy local" attitude. so it's nice to go out to eat, and get some fresh, local produce.

2009-03-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

made it to the salt water. left chico and headed south to monterey. a little note: if you want to look like a local in chico, wear a sierra nevada hoody, and ride a balloon tire cruiser. anyway, monterey is nice. beautiful coast, moderate temps, fresh fish, and some decent riding. nothing too technical, but when it's 70 and sunny, i'm not gonna complain! there has been more interest in donkelope frames, so i might be damn busy when we get back. that's a good thing!

2009-03-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

me, jill, & raz are on the road to sunny california. trying to escape the rain, see some friends, and do some riding. we stopped into rainy peak cyclery, in cottage grove, or. just to say hello, and say hi to gus, but he wasn't at the shop that day. maybe next time. it took three days into our road trip to find some nice weather. and after a crazy hail storm coming into lake shasta, we found some sunshine in chico, home of sierra nevada! we rode the bidwell park trails today. kind of a city park. a huge city park. pretty damn rocky double track, but the single track was great. we rewarded ourselves with dinner at the brewery. yummy! chico is a great town. very bike friendly. most of the people ride beach cruisers around town. it's totally flat, in town. so that makes for some easy commuting by bike.

2009-03-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

i did some surfing, and got some emails about the seattle show. it will be completely indoors next year. which is a relief. it will probably be super nice out next year, we can only hope. donkelope bikes has been well represented so far. check out dirt rag's gallery, and road bike action did a nice piece on the show. sweet pics. leave for cali day after tomorrow, can't wait.

2009-03-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

well, another bike show in the books. the seattle bike expo was a good time. a very diverse group of people showed up to check stuff out. we had good feedback at our booth. the weather was absolutely horrible. wet, snow, and high wind speeds. which might not seem like a big deal for a show that's inside. but half of the exhibitors were in tents. so it kind of sucked that way. we had tent supports running through the middle of the booth space. there also were garbage cans at our booth to collect water running off the tent. but you can't control the weather. and after a beautiful friday, who would've expected the weather to change so much. saw some bike friends, and made some new ones. dirt rag and road bike action stopped by and shot some pics of the bikes! that would be sweet to see a donkelope in a magazine like those. keep your fingers crossed. all in all it was a pretty good weekend. we also have a new tee.

2009-03-14T07:34:00.002-07:00

seattle bike expo today at magnuson park. yesterday was awesome, but i guess that couldn't last. oh well, we shall see how many people brave the weather to check out some bike stuff. stop by and say hi. and grab some chocolate! if not, get out and ride to be ready for the Ronde van Whatcom.

2009-03-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

what unbelievable weather we had today. i am not down with it. oh well. it does make me think of being in belgium last spring for some of the classics. we're in the early stages of planning a fun ride on april 4th. the same weekend as the tour of flanders. the most awesome one day race! so this ride will be in that style. climbs,in and out of town, and maybe some bad weather to make it authentic. so mark your calendars. should be a good time. flyer will be posted in the next couple of days. feel free to email or what have you for more info. in other bike happenings, this coming weekend is the seattle bike expo. donkelope bikes will be there to spread the word. so stop on by and say "what up?"

2009-02-27T07:26:00.000-08:00

as i sit here, in our recent snowy bullshit, i am watching last week's clone wars and eating pancakes. getting ready for tonight's new episode. anyone, whose anyone, is in indianpolis getting ready for the masses at the North American Handmade Bike Show. Don Walker & co organize one hell of a show. wish i was there this year. it's such a great scene/ crowd to be hangin' with. i hope everybody has a good show, and a fun weekend. check out urban velo for lots of coverage.

2009-02-14T19:44:00.000-08:00

whew, it's been awhile since last post. not tons happening. enjoying some dry weather for riding. planning trips for the upcoming year. that's always fun. building some frames. all good stuff. something that's not so good happened last week. our friends brandon & di had to put their long time companion down. timber was awesome. he was 14, pretty darn good for a dog that big. he was having some health issues though. he had stopped eating, and that's when they decided he has done plenty of living, and enough suffering. a very sad time. but lots of good memories. you will be missed.

2009-02-06T15:08:00.000-08:00

this whole stimulus shit is just that. just give the people back their money, and let them "fix" the economy. here's another non progressive douchebag spending our tax dollars. more on why i think that.

happy birthday buddy!

2009-01-25T00:19:00.001-08:00

well, the wampa made it happen. made it into the 2009 sswc. they even posted my entry, freakin' sweet! should be a blast. i raced the first one in minneapolis. that was awesome. cold, but awesome. cold for the month of may anyway. went to see bruce hornsby tonight at the skagit casino. weird venue. although the theater(?) was nice. good tunes. there were 2 shows, so we went to both. he only repeated one song! we've had some crazy weather around here this winter. i guess the cold = no rain. which means decent mtbing for january. me & raz went out for a few hours today. granted, the same ride in the summer should be about 2 hours. hopefully. something to work toward. since i seem to be bouncing all over this post, it was rastus 10th birthday this week. so we celebrated with a nice night ride. i wish i could see that well without lights. it was very eerie on the mountain that night. the fog rolled in low. once you got up to some elevation, you couldn't see any city lights. some spots kinda glowed, but that was it. no moon light, and tons of stars in a clear sky. it was cool. that's enough of this randomness. oh yeah, we finally have a new president.

2009-01-17T17:01:00.000-08:00

there must be lots of events and races going on this year. entry forms are due already for a bunch of shit. the test of metal registration is over. the cascade cream puff is under way. and the 2009 sswc in durango is due by the 23rd. it's not even the end of january yet. crazy. well here's my entry form for the sswc. oh yeah.

2009-01-15T23:18:00.000-08:00

just received the latest issue of my favorite reason to check the mailbox. digbmx. this issue is " the trails issue". reading and looking at it, makes you wish it was nice and warm out. but it's not. if you love to ride on dirt, or catch some air, go get this mag. it will put some sun in your winter.

2009-01-04T19:20:00.000-08:00

happy new year everyone! it's exciting to see what will happen with a new regime. i guess it can't get worse. right? anyway, piss poor gov't or not, 2008 was a pretty damn good year. showed bikes at the North American Handmade Bike Show. that was an experience that was intimidating and motivating. took a little bike trip to Belgium to ride and watch Tour of Flanders, Ghent-Wevelgem, and Paris-Roubaix. fucking sweet! a little time off to go to the motherland, wisconsin, and hang with family and friends. another awesome bike event; the Oregon Manifest. what a blast that weekend was. shortly after, was the SSCXWC in portland. probably the most fun i've ever had racing my bike. a day for the history books, election day 2008. wow, i still can't believe all of the positive energy in the air that night, and beyond. a thanksgiving day spent on the bike in missoula, mt. good food, good friends, good times! then the weather turned to shit, it was jesus birthday, and here we are. what a year. i hope 2009 doesn't dissapoint. here's a pic of the latest to go out the door. joe's 29er. look out for this rig on the indie series this season. late, g

2008-12-30T18:35:00.000-08:00

it's been awhile since the last post. too busy shoveling snow. but that shit is about gone. yeah! i like it on the mountain, but not in town. people around here can't deal. or shouldn't. at least the packers won their last game of the season. against the worst team in nfl history. from nfc championship game to no playoffs in one season. lame. not too much going on. waiting for a new year. actually, i'm not waiting for anything. looking at a new location for donkelope bikes headquarters. we'll see how that goes. i have a vision of what i'd like it too be, and not sure if this spot can do that. we'll keep everyone posted about that development. i just read something cool on the urban velo page. they have valet bike parking for the inaugural event in a few weeks. someone will watch your bike while you get your politics on. no lock needed! very cool. the pics are little in town ride on jesus birthday. i guess i'll have to do a "year end wrap up" sometime soon. until then, have a good new year. g

2008-12-20T08:40:00.000-08:00

it's full on winter here. most people around here can't/won't operate in this weather. not too much new around here. some pics of a track frame/fork/stem ready for paint. then the velodrome! sent in the registration form for the Seattle Int'l Bike Expo in march 2009. seems like it will be a good event. metallica has a new video out for "all nighmare long". my fave song on the new album. pretty crazy video. i guess when you have that much loot, you can make wild vids like that. plus, metallica guitar hero. how sweet is that? i hope i find someone that gets that. that's about it, just riding around on snow packed streets. pretty darn fun with raz in tow.

2008-12-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

yo, the weather is cool but dry. good for street riding. although, when you land, the coolness in the air makes 20 inch tires filled to 75psi feel like something fred flintstone would run. maybe i'm just getting along in years. that's what i get for riding a "kids" bike. metallica and the sword fucking ruled. i would've enjoyed a slightly different set list from 'tallica. but they ripped. i like the new album, i like it a lot. i just wish they would've played some different older songs. oh well, when it comes to seattle, on a monday night, maybe not enough spirit. i shoulda cruised up to vancouver the next night. they played some good shit there. plus to see the sword again would be awesome. hopefully, they'll come back around and play a smaller venue. pure metal!

2008-11-30T20:00:00.000-08:00

ahh, another thanksgiving in the books. it's pretty much my favorite "holiday". hope everyone had a good one. there is a lot to be thankful for: air to breathe, delicious beers to swill, and awesome farmers that grow food to eat. we headed to missoula, mt for the weekend. missoula is a rad town. the weather was damn nice there. nice enough to load up some backpacks and a couple of bike trailers, and head out to the woods for a feast by a fire. we had a turkey filled with stuffing, taters, salmon, roasted carrots & beets, lots of beer, 3 dogs, 5 people, 3 donkelopes, some sunshine, and a little dusting of snow on the trail. it was a blast. i wish i would have as much fun watching the packers. but they just can't quite get it done this year. the last 3 games have been decided by 4 or less points. lame. i will put all that behind me because tommorrow is metallica and the sword. fuckin' a. stoked! late, g

2008-11-14T11:03:00.000-08:00

mmm, beer. had to cook up a yeast starter for the next brew. malt makes the house smell yummy. joe's 29'er is coming along. it should be pretty sweet lookin'. the pic above is from last sunday at the sscxwc in portland. i would race as many races possible, if they were all that fun. what's going on here is me bailing out. the barriers were just far enough apart to bunnyhop. in this pic, i made it over the first, but didn't feel like i could do both. so i ejected. it was fun. this happened twice. but i did manage to bunnyhop both on a lap. what a great shot(photo by Janet Hill). There are tons of photos out there, and videos of the start. cxmagazine has some good coverage. that's it, late, g.

2008-11-10T21:55:00.000-08:00

just got done cleaning the mud off of the bike. yesterday was f'in rad. sswccx in portland. sweet course, awesome crowd, drum core, free beer. i think it was the most fun i've had at a race. i don't know where i ended up in the results. it was crazy. people in costume, people in speedos, people in bikinis, and one person on a pony bike. hell yeah. i'll be there next year. thanks to everyone that had something to do with that race. portland is sweet. i'm sure there will be more vids of the race coming on all week. if you weren't there, check them out. the pic above is not new. i finally got the camera back. that was at the cross crusade race during the oregon manifest weekend. now if the damn packers could pull off a close win. late, g

2008-11-06T16:22:00.000-08:00

whew, what a week!! tuesday was pretty exciting. it reminded me of being in wisco when the packers won the super bowl. people outside marching, hootin', & hollerin'. very cool. i am impressed america. but like the man said, "it's going to be a long road, and a steep climb." everybody needs to do their part to make this the country it could be. sacrifices. late, g

2008-11-04T19:16:00.000-08:00

hopefully, everyone got off their blister to vote today. if not, i don't want to hear about how bad shit is from you. the snow is starting to fall. at least in the foothills. snow level is supposed to drop down to 2500 ft. i'm thinking it will be a sloppy mess this weekend in portland. of course it will be, i actually pre-registered for the race. i should be getting the camera back this weekend. it will be nice to have something other than black and white to post. a bit more work, then out to watch some results. late, g

2008-10-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

it's a little late for a weekend report, oh well. saturday was Belly Cross right here in b'ham at Cornwall Park. the weather was sweet, the course was super fun, and a good time was had by all. all but the frisbee golfers. it's only one day out of the year. thanks. the pack had the week off, so nothing on the football front. except the titans won. which means they're still undefeated. we'll see on sunday. hopefully a rested, and healed packer team can hand them their first loss of the season. tonight was another rad fall night. me and raz headed up to galbraith for a little twilight/night ride. the trails are fast as can be right now. that's it for now. g

2008-10-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

what a nice day up here in the corner. too bad i was working all day. then had to take a test. but a very nice night to go for a night ride. with the lights all charged up, raz and i headed out for a short loop on galbraith. soggy buy good. it always feels 10 degrees warmer up there. the donkelope email may be down for a couple of days. so if you want to send a message, be patient, and keep trying. thanks, g

2008-10-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

ahh, lazy sunday. it was a good day to get caught up on some shit around the homestead. the shop was in serious disarray after the week before the show. listened to the packers kick the colts ass today. just like they did last week against the seahawks. oh yeah. should've went to the bar so i could watch it. but i'd rather listen to the hometown announcers on the radio. good stuff. i'm sure many people in the bmx world heard about mike aitken's situation. if not, he has serious head trauma from a bad crash. go to www.5050bmx.com and read about mike, watch a little retrospective, and if you can, donate to his family. pro riders can't get insurance because they're "too high risk". no shit, that's what insurance is for. mikey has been a very influential rider to many shredders. his video parts are off the hook.

oregon manifest II

2008-10-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

so before i get started talking more about the show, there is something else i want to mention. this week is the community food drive for the food bank in whatcom county. if you can, please donate. there are people who really need it to eat.
back to the show. saturday came early. up late street riding. it is portland after all. there was a much bigger crowd saturday. everyone liked jill's new ride. especially the ladies. the coolest thing i saw that day was a t shirt that had a picture of a hummer on it. then in the same font, was "dummer". it was sweet. good interest in the bikes. we shall see though. all of us, and our shit, had to be out of the building by 10pm. break down was much easier/quicker with kevin there. that night was a party/roller races "sponsored" by rapha. some clothing co. so we head over, only to find out it cost $10 to get in. i asked "what about exhibitors?". $10 to get in. so we turned around and went street riding again. real nice sponsorship. sunday was a cross crusade series race. in case you don't know, portland's cross scene is big. we, the builders, were supposed to build up a cross bike to display at the race. then ride a builder's lap. then put them back on display. the weather was rad, so the bikes weren't too muddy or anything. i also raced the c class. man, cross is fun. that was my first experience, but not the last. back into town for some sunny bmxing. there is tons of good stuff to ride in that town. every sunday night is zoo bomb. a portland tradition. we grabbed helmets and lights, and went to the meeting spot. once everyone else was there, the small bikes were unlocked, and handed out. we rode our bmx. over to the train, and up to the zoo. it's kind of a gathering/party. beers, smokes, laughter. "10 minutes!" it's basically a group ride that bombs down to the train station. get back on the train, head up for another run. we did this about 4 times, until an extended hang out session at the very top. which meant a lot of uphill pedaling after the train ride. at around 1:45, we bombed what is known as k2. long and fast into downtown. wow, what a weekend. here are some more pics. the camera ended up with kevin, and is in salem. so there will be more pics once that thing gets here. g

2008-10-15T06:16:00.000-07:00

lots of last minute scrambling was happening all week leading up to the oregon manifest. i was working on bikes on thursday morning, before i left to portland. austin and co. wanted people to put some effort into their booth design. there were some pretty good set ups to be seen. so thursday was setup day. which took a little while to unload everything, and put it together. of course it had to rain at this point. tried to go to bed at a decent time thur night, but still doing some photo stuff for the booth kept me up late. again. friday was the first day of the show. i rode there from the place i was staying. i can't believe how many bikers there are in that town. it's awesome! not a huge turnout as far as the crowd goes. kevin was going to come up and hang/help out the rest of the weekend. but didn't show up until i was at the party that night. at a place downtown that does the ads for nike. a very cool, big, artsy scene. there bikes locked up everywhere. it was a chore to find a spot. free beer was flowing. the filmed by bike movies were being shown in this cool auditorium in that office building. some of the films were great. unfortunately, i can't remember the names of the ones i liked. but if you ever get a chance to see these, do it. gotta go, more later. g

2008-10-13T17:24:00.000-07:00

wow, what a weekend!! portland is the shit! we had a great time at the oregon manifest. big thanks to austin, et al, for setting up, and putting on a sweet event. of course there were some rad bikes there. the show was set up in a very cool venue. it was laid back and nice to walk around and b.s. with all of the other exhibitors. there is lots to talk about, but i'm road tired, and i have to go teach. so i'll do a better show/weekend review starting tommorrow. now that the show is over, i'll have some time. here's a pic of the booth. oh yeah, go pack go!!!!!

2008-10-02T22:57:00.000-07:00

the Oregon Manifest is next weekend...already. still have a mountain of stuff to do. i think it's going to be a good time. i'm excited. Ayleen, from blog.ORbike.com, recently contacted me about an interview for the upcoming show. of course i said yes. and now her version of the interview is on their webpage. i believe they update it everyday so i'll be old news tommorrow. but it turned out sweet. so check it out. late, g

go pack go!!

2008-09-25T23:12:00.000-07:00

wow, it's been awhile. the packers got wupped by the damn cowboys. not cool. not cool at all. the d needs to get healthy, and rogers needs to get rid of the ball sooner. other new things that are happening are me listening to "Death Magnetic" as much as possible. that shit is good. tickets are already in hand. the Sword and Metallica, the same night!? fuck yeah! it's late, and i'm tired. more soon. for real. g

2008-09-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

what a glorious day in b'ham! my hands got tired of filing and sanding some lugs. so me and raz cruised out for a ride. today was pretty much perfect up there. the dirt was primo, the temps were nice, and you could almost smell fall getting closer. if it could only be like this everyday. just have to hit it when it is. new caps and cycling hats are finally back from the embroider snail shop. too bad the camera is in costa rica with jill right now. when i find a way, i'll post some pics. the mt baker hill climb is tommorrow. looks like the weather will be as rad as last year. if i wasn't so outta shape, i'd head up. but the day job is taking up too much frame time. and with the show coming, that takes up some of the ride time. but that's ok. tommorrow will be a good day to mtb. g

2008-09-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

it feels like summer is ending. dark earlier, too much rain, football is starting. pretty nice weekend though. kevin came up from salem to do what he does, machine. so i can fit and weld tubes together. joe also came up from seattle to hang and ride and drink beer. good times. went for a sweet four hour ride saturday. now it's back to the grindstone. getting ready for the oregon manifest. too busy for much more right now. late, g

2008-08-21T22:41:00.000-07:00

finally, pictures. sorry about the weak blogging. been very busy lately. trying to get some goods together for the oregon manifest. we'll hopefully be taking a couple of completes, and a couple of frames. stay tuned for more on that. went to wisconsin last weekend to hang with family and friends. very nice weather for august there. did some wakeboarding, golfing?, grilling, beer drinking, mtb racing, and went to the science museum in st paul to check out the star wars exhibit. freakin' sweet!! all kinds of cool paraphernalia and props from all six movies. the race was good. as good as racing after a night of big time partying can go. it was a wisconsin endurance series race. i did the wussy 3 hr course. there was also a 6 and a 12. great trails in la crosse. thanks erik and co. for putting it all together. it's getting late, and bmx is supposed to be on the olympics tonight. late, G

2008-08-13T22:45:00.000-07:00

man, i've been a slacker with this thing lately. i've also been slackin' on posting photos. lots going on. sent in the registration for the oregon manifest handmade bike show. an event much smaller than nahmbs, but it's in portland, so it should be a good time. so now i have made myself extra busy by committing to that. but also very motivated. everyone now knows, even people in the int'l space station, about brett favre and the drama during summer training. i can't believe he's not going to wear green and gold. i do respect the packers decision to move forward with the team they were planning on having this season. i just wish brett would've stayed retired. oh well, i'm going to wisconsin tommorrow morning to grieve. actually, i'm going to hang with family and friends. get loose. and do a mountain bike race in la crosse. should be fun. more soon. g