Bikeworks by Appointment and Next Day Repairs
Hello Dear Readers,
We would like to take a few minutes to tell you about some new services we are introducing at Bikeworks.
Firstly, with the introduction of our 4th mechanic, Wesleyton "Wes" Wambolderton, we have drastically sped up our turn around time on repairs. In almost all cases we are able to offer same day or next day service on repairs. In the case that parts need to be ordered, we have 2 or 3 parts orders showing up each week, so quite often the repair can still be completed in just 3 or 4 days.
We are quite proud of this, as we have all worked in shops that would fall 1 to 2 weeks behind in repairs for the whole summer. We understand how important riding is to our customers, especially during the best riding weather of the year, and our goal is to keep you on your bike, not keep your bike hostage in our shop.
Secondly, we recognize that we don't have the most convenient hours for many of our customers. And we know that many of you have to put in a special effort to make it to our shop during our normal hours. So we are now going to offer extended hours by appointment, as well as possible pickup and delivery of bicycles by appointment.
We are going to ease into this idea of appointments and deliveries slowly, to see how realistic it is for us. We all have wives (or girlfriends) and children, and quite busy schedules during the few hours we aren't at work. But, for example, if it would be a whole lot more convenient to drop your bike off at 8am on your way to work, don't hesitate to ask. And if you are scrambling to get across town by 6pm to pick up your ride, don't stress out about it, just call us. Likely we can stick around a while, or just take your bike to your house for you.
We recognize that many of our customers go out of their way to shop local, and support a small business. The flip side is that as small business owners we will go out of our way to take care of our customers, with service that you would never expect from a large chain.
Obviously this will all be within reason, i.e. we are not going to drive to Rio Rancho to deliver a flat repair. And there will be occasions when all 4 of us have obligations and we just can't possibly take your bike to you. But in general, please just ask if we can accommodate, and we will make it happen.
Basically, we just wanted to say thank you to all our customers, and to let you know that we understand tight schedules, and Saturday morning rides that may be the highlight of your week, and we are trying our hardest to keep you riding this summer.
Thanks for reading!
Race Review: 2013 Dawn 'til Dusk...
We decided that this year we should close up shop and attend the Dawn 'til Dusk 12 Hour race, in nearby Gallup, in style. We were most excited about the re-scheduling of the race from mid April to mid May, when the weather would be so much warmer and more predictable. So we officially announced that we would be closing for the weekend as of 4-ish o-clock on Friday, not to return until Tuesday at the crack of 10am, as normal.
True to style, we decided to add last minute projects to our "getting out of town" to-do list, and Friday afternoon found Danny frantically building a bike rack for our little Bikeworks race trailer. Meanwhile, I was waiting for new tires to be installed and aligned on the van that we were borrowing for the weekend. Meanwhile, quite a few of our customers were frantically picking up their bikes on the way to the race as well. Sometimes it seems that getting out of town is an impossible task, but in the end it all works out, and our shop was closed, our little trailer was loaded, our loaner van was ready, and off we went.
Our little bike rack trailer mod allowed us to carry significantly more cargo, in addition to 6 bikes, and was made completely made from scrap wood found lying around my house. Here we see Danny taking a step back and admiring his handy-work.
A few hours after departure found us wandering around Gallup, sort of lost, for the dozenth time, but eventually we found the packet pickup in a sports bar in downtown. We grabbed our number plates, and decided to stay for dinner. We were pleasantly surprised to find that they had Stone IPA on tap, and that the chicken fajitas were more than satisfactory.
We were off to a good start, and as usual, we were taking things very seriously.
Arriving to the camp site at dusk, we find that a perfect space has been saved for us by our "bros", and we promptly set up some camp chairs and got to a few more beers and some BS'ing while the sun went down.
Amongst our fellow racers in the Bikeworks crew camp was Papa Lucero, who was kind enough to build a "Bikeworks First Aid Kit" as a result of our mishaps at our last 12 Hour race.
The kit included a poop shovel for me, a barf bucket for Danny, some anti-diarrhea medicine, pepto-bismol, and or course some Spongebob bandaids for good measure. Fortunately, none of these items were made use of this time, but the kit has a permanent home in the Bikeworks race trailer, as it is just a matter of time.
We generally kept it mellow Friday night since many in our crew had some fairly ambitious aspirations for the day to come. Saturday morning I awoke at Dawn, surprisingly not hung-over, staring out at an awesome sunrise.
After years of waking up to sub-freezing, super windy, and blizzard conditions at this race, I knew that this year we were finally going to have a good time.
I was drawn out of my sleeping bag to discover why everyone was laughing. Turns out, watching Paul "Taco Truck" Trotman emerge from a child's tent much shorter across than he is tall, is quite amusing.
Then the bike race happened. For the next 12 hours, give or take, things generally looked like this...
However, a short time later, Alex ran out of time with 9 laps completed, and showed us all what a proper salt-brow looks like...
and set about our business. Unfortunately for you, Dear Reader, I have decided that we shall not be posting any photos of any drinking shenanigans that may or may not have taken place, as undoubtedly somebody involved will be running for office someday and then this evidence of stupidity will be used against him. So, if you want to see us getting stupid, you will just have to join us next month for the 24 Hours of Enchanted Forest.
That's all I got for this story. I apologize that it is not nearly as entertaining as our last endeavor. Unfortunately, everything just went smoothly, and that makes for a boring story. If any readers have a good story from the race they would like to share, please send it to me at bikeworksabq@gmail.com and I'll post it up.
Thanks for reading!
True to style, we decided to add last minute projects to our "getting out of town" to-do list, and Friday afternoon found Danny frantically building a bike rack for our little Bikeworks race trailer. Meanwhile, I was waiting for new tires to be installed and aligned on the van that we were borrowing for the weekend. Meanwhile, quite a few of our customers were frantically picking up their bikes on the way to the race as well. Sometimes it seems that getting out of town is an impossible task, but in the end it all works out, and our shop was closed, our little trailer was loaded, our loaner van was ready, and off we went.
Our little bike rack trailer mod allowed us to carry significantly more cargo, in addition to 6 bikes, and was made completely made from scrap wood found lying around my house. Here we see Danny taking a step back and admiring his handy-work.
A few hours after departure found us wandering around Gallup, sort of lost, for the dozenth time, but eventually we found the packet pickup in a sports bar in downtown. We grabbed our number plates, and decided to stay for dinner. We were pleasantly surprised to find that they had Stone IPA on tap, and that the chicken fajitas were more than satisfactory.
(Danny, thanking the heavens for pre-race fajitas and Stone IPA in Gallup)
We were off to a good start, and as usual, we were taking things very seriously.
Arriving to the camp site at dusk, we find that a perfect space has been saved for us by our "bros", and we promptly set up some camp chairs and got to a few more beers and some BS'ing while the sun went down.
Amongst our fellow racers in the Bikeworks crew camp was Papa Lucero, who was kind enough to build a "Bikeworks First Aid Kit" as a result of our mishaps at our last 12 Hour race.
The kit included a poop shovel for me, a barf bucket for Danny, some anti-diarrhea medicine, pepto-bismol, and or course some Spongebob bandaids for good measure. Fortunately, none of these items were made use of this time, but the kit has a permanent home in the Bikeworks race trailer, as it is just a matter of time.
We generally kept it mellow Friday night since many in our crew had some fairly ambitious aspirations for the day to come. Saturday morning I awoke at Dawn, surprisingly not hung-over, staring out at an awesome sunrise.
After years of waking up to sub-freezing, super windy, and blizzard conditions at this race, I knew that this year we were finally going to have a good time.
I was drawn out of my sleeping bag to discover why everyone was laughing. Turns out, watching Paul "Taco Truck" Trotman emerge from a child's tent much shorter across than he is tall, is quite amusing.
Then the bike race happened. For the next 12 hours, give or take, things generally looked like this...
(A bunch of dudes wearing matching stretchy outfits stood around in between laps.)
Many of our friends and cohorts put in impressive performances. For example, Alex Leonard took 3rd in the Solo Geared with 9 laps, while Taco Truck, Chuckles, and Matt all completed 7 laps, and Taco Truck's laps were fast enough for 5th place. Matt managed to beat Danny, which I believe was his main goal, by a whole lap. However, I heard that Danny managed to come from behind and pass Matt during each of his 6 completed laps, which he found most entertaining. Our buddy Dan Foster got on the podium for Mens Masters SS Solo with 8 laps, and Bikeworks Amigo Jason OConner also did 8 SS laps for a 4th place finish, I believe.
Another Bikeworks Amigo and Scalo Veloce team member Greg Foster put in 10 SS laps, but only 9 made it in before time was up. He made it on the podium nonetheless.
We even had some ladies out there in our jerseys this time, with Sara and Sean racing a co-ed duo. It was Sean's first XC race, and he rode the course like it was a DH track, and reportedly crashed no less than 6 times. And last but not least Maggie put in 5 laps in the Women's geared Solo for a top 10 finish.
We had dozens of other friends and cohorts out there rocking our jerseys and making us look good. Too many to remember right now, so sorry for anybody I have left out, and thanks for representing!
Another Bikeworks Amigo and Scalo Veloce team member Greg Foster put in 10 SS laps, but only 9 made it in before time was up. He made it on the podium nonetheless.
We even had some ladies out there in our jerseys this time, with Sara and Sean racing a co-ed duo. It was Sean's first XC race, and he rode the course like it was a DH track, and reportedly crashed no less than 6 times. And last but not least Maggie put in 5 laps in the Women's geared Solo for a top 10 finish.
We had dozens of other friends and cohorts out there rocking our jerseys and making us look good. Too many to remember right now, so sorry for anybody I have left out, and thanks for representing!
Wes and I raced the Duo Singlespeed category, and finished solidly in second place. There was just 2 teams in that category, which is precisely why we made a last minute change into the duo SS race. The other team beat the pants off us, and were seriously fast and were seriously racing, but we are proud of our "win" nonetheless, and I will display my trophy prominently in my home.
After 7 furious laps Taco Truck finally called it quits, gave in, and joined me for a crappy beer. I thought the salt buildup on his brow was remarkable...
However, a short time later, Alex ran out of time with 9 laps completed, and showed us all what a proper salt-brow looks like...
Having completed our first goal of riding mountain bikes for a long time, we moved on to objective number 2... drinking unreasonable amounts of cheap beer in the quest to become Wizards.
If you are not familiar with the drinking game of Wizard Staff, basically the game is to drink canned beer, and your empty beers are duct taped in a "staff" below your current beer. Once your "Wizard Staff" is as tall as you, you have become a Wizard, which theoretically comes with the chance to make up rules, etc.
So, we started with a giant cooler completely full of beer...
(I have wanted to fill this cooler with nothing but beer since the day I bought it.)
and set about our business. Unfortunately for you, Dear Reader, I have decided that we shall not be posting any photos of any drinking shenanigans that may or may not have taken place, as undoubtedly somebody involved will be running for office someday and then this evidence of stupidity will be used against him. So, if you want to see us getting stupid, you will just have to join us next month for the 24 Hours of Enchanted Forest.
That's all I got for this story. I apologize that it is not nearly as entertaining as our last endeavor. Unfortunately, everything just went smoothly, and that makes for a boring story. If any readers have a good story from the race they would like to share, please send it to me at bikeworksabq@gmail.com and I'll post it up.
Thanks for reading!
Closed Saturday 5/18!
Dear Friends and Enemies,
We will be closing at 4pm on Friday, May 17 and closed all day Saturday May 18th.
We are closing so that we can go race Dawn 'til Dusk, a 12 Hour mountain bike race in Gallup.
Check it out...
http://www.ziarides.com/events/dawn-til-dusk/
We hope to see you there!
Thanks
We will be closing at 4pm on Friday, May 17 and closed all day Saturday May 18th.
We are closing so that we can go race Dawn 'til Dusk, a 12 Hour mountain bike race in Gallup.
Check it out...
http://www.ziarides.com/events/dawn-til-dusk/
We hope to see you there!
Thanks
.jpeg){kind=link}
