SSWC '09

Holy shit. Pretty lame summary but it's pretty accurate for what went down in Durango, Colo., for the 2009 Single Speed World Championships. I got there a week early to visit with friends before the 1000+ people showed up for the "race." I got to ride at least once every day and sometimes went for round two, to soak it all in and ride the trails I am most fond of ... and, of course, to bond with the beautiful people whom are into the same cultural ideologies I so adore and adhere to. Hell, we are our own culture, as cliche as that may sound. It was perhaps, the best week I have had in a good decade, if not more. I will write more when I have the time but for now I just want to express my guttural feelings of love ... for cycling, for art, music, life, camaraderie, and unity. For it was a people, united in the same cause, the same goal, the same feeling that we crave in our mundane life of work, sleep and other things that get in the way of true passion and pleasure that made it so great. To see so many people make the event happen was nothing short of extraordinary. It gives me hope in humanity.

The Vintage Pew Joe Post

Out of my annoyance with people trying to sell bikes for much more than they are worth, I created a Craigslist post to see what kind of replies I would receive. Though most people understood the post was completely cynical, a few believed I was actually serious. Here are some of the responses I got in my inbox...

First, the ones who got it:

"hahahah, i love it! seriously, fuck all these d-bags who try to sell overpriced pieces of junk and label them as vintage or original. keep fighting the good fight!"

"How are the tires?"

"REALLY? Call me about this bike!"

"Love it !! Is the bottom bracket french thread or english, you know those are impossible to replace once they go :)"

And those who didn't:

"Bro, I can score one like that for $300 just about anytime on CL."

"Hello, Do you have any more pictures of the rest of the bike?"

...And my favorite response from someone who clearly did not get it:

"Sir of Ms,

This bike is litteral garbage. If you think this bike would be a good fixer-upper someone would have to replace every last part of this bike before it worked. I thought maybe you weren't sure so id let you know. Good luck with the scuba diving."

Maybe he's right?