Attention:
We will be closed this Friday and Saturday (Feb. 26 and 27th) in addition to our regular closed days of Sunday and Monday.
In other words, we will be closed Friday February 26th through Monday March 1st, Reopening on Tuesday March 2nd at 10 AM.
There, now you can't come by on Friday, acting all surprised and stuff. It's on the interweb, so you know it's true.
So, now that I have your attention, I bet you are wondering why we are closing this time? Well, we've got a construction project going on this weekend. We've been talking about it for quite some time now, and it's finally happening. The meat and potatoes of it consists of a large shelf above our slat-wall, and a new storage area and wall in the back of the shop.
It's going to be a big chunk of work, but it's going to be sweet when we are finished.
Fortunately we were smart enough to outsource for this project, rather than undertake it ourselves. Unfortunately, we still have to dismantle the majority of the shop to prepare it for construction, and then reassemble the shop when construction is finished. So we will be open this Thursday, but we will be pulling the shop apart while we are open. And the following Tuesday, we will be open for business, but the store is guaranteed to be a big mess.
So, if you were thinking about dropping a bike off for service, it would probably be best just to hold onto the bike for this week. We will be happy to make an appointment for you though. We will be scheduling a couple of repairs for the end of next week (March 5th and 6th), and into the following week (March 9th through 13th) during the next few days.
As always, thanks for your patience with our relentlessly weird hours and closures. I hope that our newly beautified store will make it all worthwhile for everyone.
The Beer Test
I think this video has been around for a while....
So tomorrow evening, I'm thinking we conduct the same test on Danny, but with a beer. Of course there's no shortage of beer around the shop, so maybe we can get 2 really special beers. Or maybe the whole thing would be better with food. Like a breakfast burrito test in the morning, except the first burrito has to be small enough that it will certainly not be completely satisfying. Hmmm, there's a lot of potential here.
So tomorrow evening, I'm thinking we conduct the same test on Danny, but with a beer. Of course there's no shortage of beer around the shop, so maybe we can get 2 really special beers. Or maybe the whole thing would be better with food. Like a breakfast burrito test in the morning, except the first burrito has to be small enough that it will certainly not be completely satisfying. Hmmm, there's a lot of potential here.
One more weekend of racing down the drain....
Well, we're back in the shop after another weekend of shutting down and racing bikes.
Danny and I finished 7th in the mens Duo at 24 Hours of Old Pueblo. One place lower than last year. Didn't quite perform as well as we had hoped. At around 8:30 or 9 in the morning, we were both completely cooked and called it quits. At that time we were comfortably sitting in 3rd place. Unfortunately, the allure of standing on the podium wasn't quite strong enough to overcome the pain from some serious saddle sores that developed on lap eight, in case you were wondering.
The success story of the weekend was Bikeworks' racer Scott Spangler, and his 2nd place finish in the men Duo.
That's him on the left, with his hand 14 feet up in the air. After months of talking trash back and forth, Scott showed us up, putting in ten laps, while his partner got 9.
To peruse all the lap times and results, check here:
24 Hours of Old Pueblo Results Page
The race itself went pretty smooth. We avoided any mechanicals or wrecks this year. I almost hit a cow, which was a new one for me.
Tony's race report was very succinct. It turns out, not riding downhill bikes for several months is poor preparation for a downhill race. On the positive side, he is now properly motivated to get trained and prepped for the upcoming season.
Furthermore, he has registered for Dawn 'til Dusk in April, so he's got his first ever XC race to get ready for.
The positive side of Danny and I quitting the race early was that we were able to pack up, rest up, and get out of the race venue by 12:30. We caffeinated and made the entire drive back to Abq, rolling into town at about 8pm, much to the delight of our wives.
On the way out of town, we were gassing up at a Circle K in Oracle, the closest town to the race venue. While waiting for the worlds slowest gas pump to fill the tank, we were entertained by a gaggle of local Harley riding biker types. I looked over at one guy just in time to watch him completely drop his bike on it's side, from about 1 mph, sending both he and his wife tumbling to the ground. He jumped up immediately (impressively quick for an older, very over weight guy) to try and lift his hog and investigate the damage. Two other guys came running to his aide. Eventually, once the bike had been put upright, one of the helpers happened to look over and notice that the guy's wife was still laying on the ground, waving for help up. He went over and helped her up, she limped around a little, but it seemed she was okay. The husband had still not even looked over to check on his wife at this point, but was on his knees inspecting any damage to his ride.
Danny and I sat in our car watching in amazement. Happy Valentines day honey!
Just as we were laughing about the whole scene, we heard a sudden spraying and splashing sound. Turns out, not only had I found the slowest gas pump in America, I found one that does not automatically shut off. Gas was every where. Awesome.
Well, that's about it. If anybody has any cool pics from the race you want to share, please send em my way, over to bikeworksabq@gmail.com I didn't really take any photos the entire weekend.
Danny and I finished 7th in the mens Duo at 24 Hours of Old Pueblo. One place lower than last year. Didn't quite perform as well as we had hoped. At around 8:30 or 9 in the morning, we were both completely cooked and called it quits. At that time we were comfortably sitting in 3rd place. Unfortunately, the allure of standing on the podium wasn't quite strong enough to overcome the pain from some serious saddle sores that developed on lap eight, in case you were wondering.
The success story of the weekend was Bikeworks' racer Scott Spangler, and his 2nd place finish in the men Duo.
That's him on the left, with his hand 14 feet up in the air. After months of talking trash back and forth, Scott showed us up, putting in ten laps, while his partner got 9.
To peruse all the lap times and results, check here:
24 Hours of Old Pueblo Results Page
The race itself went pretty smooth. We avoided any mechanicals or wrecks this year. I almost hit a cow, which was a new one for me.
Tony's race report was very succinct. It turns out, not riding downhill bikes for several months is poor preparation for a downhill race. On the positive side, he is now properly motivated to get trained and prepped for the upcoming season.
Furthermore, he has registered for Dawn 'til Dusk in April, so he's got his first ever XC race to get ready for.
The positive side of Danny and I quitting the race early was that we were able to pack up, rest up, and get out of the race venue by 12:30. We caffeinated and made the entire drive back to Abq, rolling into town at about 8pm, much to the delight of our wives.
On the way out of town, we were gassing up at a Circle K in Oracle, the closest town to the race venue. While waiting for the worlds slowest gas pump to fill the tank, we were entertained by a gaggle of local Harley riding biker types. I looked over at one guy just in time to watch him completely drop his bike on it's side, from about 1 mph, sending both he and his wife tumbling to the ground. He jumped up immediately (impressively quick for an older, very over weight guy) to try and lift his hog and investigate the damage. Two other guys came running to his aide. Eventually, once the bike had been put upright, one of the helpers happened to look over and notice that the guy's wife was still laying on the ground, waving for help up. He went over and helped her up, she limped around a little, but it seemed she was okay. The husband had still not even looked over to check on his wife at this point, but was on his knees inspecting any damage to his ride.
Danny and I sat in our car watching in amazement. Happy Valentines day honey!
Just as we were laughing about the whole scene, we heard a sudden spraying and splashing sound. Turns out, not only had I found the slowest gas pump in America, I found one that does not automatically shut off. Gas was every where. Awesome.
Well, that's about it. If anybody has any cool pics from the race you want to share, please send em my way, over to bikeworksabq@gmail.com I didn't really take any photos the entire weekend.
A present for Richaround, Marble Brewery's Double IPA, and other things too
This goes out to Richaround:
Richaround made the mistake of mentioning that he brain-dj'd himself at 4am yesterday with the Shaun The Sheep theme song (i.e. it was stuck in his head and he couldn't fall back asleep). I feel it is my obligation as his friend to take advantage of this information, and attempt to get it repeatedly stuck in his head as often as possible.
Never expose your weaknesses in the bikeshop, they will be exploited. Bwah ha ha ha!
In Beer news, our empty keg situation has been remedied in the form of a keg of Marble's Double IPA. Consensus has been good so far. It is definitely a strong beer. I am personally surprised that it is as light and crisp as it is, considering that it is a "double" IPA. My first thought was that it reminded me of Il Vicino's Wet Mountain IPA, a beer with which I am extremely familiar. I might be completely wrong here, but I'm guessing they are both using a common strain of hops, perhaps Cascade hops, giving them both that extremely hoppy and slightly citrus-y distinction.
Like our previous keg, this one seems to be a bit of a sleeper. It's listed at about 9% ABV, but you wouldn't guess it after one sip. After two pints though, you might believe it.
In other beer news, I learned about a local beer blog which I became enamored, and then grew angry with, all within a few hours.
The site is www.abqbeergeek.com
It is a local guy keeping tabs on Albuquerque's beer scene, something which I can definitely appreciate. He's calling crappy sneakers "bobo's", which I know Danny can appreciate. He's catching Sunflower Market in severely marking up beer to create the appearance of sale prices while still over charging, which I appreciate knowing about as well.
Just when I have bookmarked the site, I come across some unwarranted cyclist bashing:
I also have a problem with the "Fat Tire" bicycle. I don't like those super heavy, junky looking old-style bikes, and people who ride them look like dumbasses. They could possibly be at top of the list of idiotic looking bike riders, surpassing people on tandem bikes and people dressed for the Tour De France. Ever see a whole family on a bicycle for four, complete with the little yellow trailer with the youngest kid attached to the back? Ever wanted to unlatch the trailer as they ride by? Later, Aidan! And what's with the full cycling regalia (sponsor jersey, padded spandex, aerodynamic helmet, etc.) these people wear? You are riding past a strip mall on Eubank Blvd., not through a mountain pass in the Pyreness.
Bummer that the dude wants to kill cyclists' kids riding in bike trailers. I was considering sending him a note to let him know that we'll be getting another keg of Gordons on the way soon, and that we'll be giving it away for free (as far as we know, you can't get Gordon's on tap anywhere else in the city). It's not even a funny rant about cyclist, it's just a little bit contrived. And I'm gonna guess when he said "tandem" he meant "recumbent".
It must be tiring when something as simple as a person wearing lycra makes you angry.
Well, I've been off the bike for 2 weeks now due to a sore back. I'm not really convinced I'm going to be up and running for Old Pueblo any more. Two weeks down, not much improvement on the back, and just five days left to get feeling better. I'll still go out either way, worst case scenario is that Marc takes my place on the 2 man team with Danny. Then I'll go out on my own possibly, see how many laps I'm good for. Maybe it'll be fine. Or maybe one lap will kill me, and then I'll have no choice but to drink heavily for the next 22.5 hours.
I guess I kind of win either way. Hmmm, maybe I need a bigger cooler for this trip...
Richaround made the mistake of mentioning that he brain-dj'd himself at 4am yesterday with the Shaun The Sheep theme song (i.e. it was stuck in his head and he couldn't fall back asleep). I feel it is my obligation as his friend to take advantage of this information, and attempt to get it repeatedly stuck in his head as often as possible.
Never expose your weaknesses in the bikeshop, they will be exploited. Bwah ha ha ha!
In Beer news, our empty keg situation has been remedied in the form of a keg of Marble's Double IPA. Consensus has been good so far. It is definitely a strong beer. I am personally surprised that it is as light and crisp as it is, considering that it is a "double" IPA. My first thought was that it reminded me of Il Vicino's Wet Mountain IPA, a beer with which I am extremely familiar. I might be completely wrong here, but I'm guessing they are both using a common strain of hops, perhaps Cascade hops, giving them both that extremely hoppy and slightly citrus-y distinction.
Like our previous keg, this one seems to be a bit of a sleeper. It's listed at about 9% ABV, but you wouldn't guess it after one sip. After two pints though, you might believe it.
In other beer news, I learned about a local beer blog which I became enamored, and then grew angry with, all within a few hours.
The site is www.abqbeergeek.com
It is a local guy keeping tabs on Albuquerque's beer scene, something which I can definitely appreciate. He's calling crappy sneakers "bobo's", which I know Danny can appreciate. He's catching Sunflower Market in severely marking up beer to create the appearance of sale prices while still over charging, which I appreciate knowing about as well.
Just when I have bookmarked the site, I come across some unwarranted cyclist bashing:
I also have a problem with the "Fat Tire" bicycle. I don't like those super heavy, junky looking old-style bikes, and people who ride them look like dumbasses. They could possibly be at top of the list of idiotic looking bike riders, surpassing people on tandem bikes and people dressed for the Tour De France. Ever see a whole family on a bicycle for four, complete with the little yellow trailer with the youngest kid attached to the back? Ever wanted to unlatch the trailer as they ride by? Later, Aidan! And what's with the full cycling regalia (sponsor jersey, padded spandex, aerodynamic helmet, etc.) these people wear? You are riding past a strip mall on Eubank Blvd., not through a mountain pass in the Pyreness.
Bummer that the dude wants to kill cyclists' kids riding in bike trailers. I was considering sending him a note to let him know that we'll be getting another keg of Gordons on the way soon, and that we'll be giving it away for free (as far as we know, you can't get Gordon's on tap anywhere else in the city). It's not even a funny rant about cyclist, it's just a little bit contrived. And I'm gonna guess when he said "tandem" he meant "recumbent".
It must be tiring when something as simple as a person wearing lycra makes you angry.
Well, I've been off the bike for 2 weeks now due to a sore back. I'm not really convinced I'm going to be up and running for Old Pueblo any more. Two weeks down, not much improvement on the back, and just five days left to get feeling better. I'll still go out either way, worst case scenario is that Marc takes my place on the 2 man team with Danny. Then I'll go out on my own possibly, see how many laps I'm good for. Maybe it'll be fine. Or maybe one lap will kill me, and then I'll have no choice but to drink heavily for the next 22.5 hours.
I guess I kind of win either way. Hmmm, maybe I need a bigger cooler for this trip...
Random Old Pic
I'm not sure where Paul dug this up from:
Dang. That was from the first FOO ride, when we were trying to keep trails from getting closed out at Otero. We all rode out to the fire tower and hung some banner and took a pic.
Paul wanted to know how old the pic was. I'm gonna say 2002, or 2003.
This was shortly before I got as cold as I have ever been in my life. We got caught in a wicked hail storm right as we left the fire tower, rode down the canyon hub deep in a river filled with hail, got hypothermia. Danny got a flat and wanted to leave the bike in a tree and run for it.
Good times.
Dang. That was from the first FOO ride, when we were trying to keep trails from getting closed out at Otero. We all rode out to the fire tower and hung some banner and took a pic.
Paul wanted to know how old the pic was. I'm gonna say 2002, or 2003.
This was shortly before I got as cold as I have ever been in my life. We got caught in a wicked hail storm right as we left the fire tower, rode down the canyon hub deep in a river filled with hail, got hypothermia. Danny got a flat and wanted to leave the bike in a tree and run for it.
Good times.
