Large Fella on a Bike

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The mind boggles...

42 & A Plan

Well I turned 42 a couple days ago...

The upside: great friends and a fantastic family.  Everyone conspired to MAKE me enjoy the fucker of a day.  So I did.  Chloe made me a beautiful card which rocks.  Amy surprised me with a Francis Francis X1  espresso machine [Paul, did I mention that we're back on the Black Nectar??], a couple DVD's I'd been wanting [The Big Lebowski, Keith Jarrett: The Art of the Improviser and This Is Spinal Tap] as well as the beautiful David Herlihy book, Bicycle: The History  [which even though I'm just past the intro, is killing and fantastic!!].  Chloe & Amy made me a wonderful dinner and we hung out and ate cake too... all great stuff.

A neighbor bought me a very nice bottle of Pinot Grigio as an unexpected gift, very nice.

If that wasn't enough... Bob Brown emailed me and said, "Go to my BLOG  and have a Look-See around".  I did, and boy was I happy!!  He has finished Amy's lug set for her soon-to-be-done custom [hopefully in time for her B-Day?!] and I must say... the lugs are just stunning.  He did an amazing job [as always] and I cannot wait for her to see these when everything is finished up.

Dig these...

This is a dragonfly that extends out from the upper head lug onto the top tube.

Same lug again... just beautiful-so delicate with the wings wrapping around the tube.

This is the bottom head lug with a beautiful French Papillon with a heart underneath.

More detail of the French Papillon... Amy's going to smile a lot when she sees these.

Upper head lug again... side detail showing an 8th note done in my hand & carved by Bob beautifully as well as meticulously.

Bob has such a special thing going with his skills, artistry & personality, I feel like he is on the edge of some major recognition.  His colleagues already know how deeply talented he is as is shown in their respect & regard for him but too, the custom-buying public is quickly getting hip to him as well, and I, for one, am really glad and excited for him.  He deserves every last bit of recognition he gets... the Talented always do.

Ok, now on to the downside of my B-Day: 42 seems old, sounds old.  For fucks sake, I can REMEMBER hitting 20 and thinking I owned the damn world... where did the years go??  If anyone finds the last 22 years please email me and send them the hell back.  Thanks.

So next up is something I've been thinking about...

We-the 3 of us-have been really lax about riding lately and that's some shit that must stop, so I have come up with a plan.  In 2 days Amy's vacation time from work kicks in and she has 7 days off [yee-haw!] and what I was thinking was this...

Start riding-the 3 of us that is-on that first day and continue to ride the rest of those 7 days as well... but here's where it gets interesting... keep riding!  Novel huh?  No, seriously though... keep riding-even if it's just a short ride BUT at least one ride per day until the end of 2005.  I have studded tires and I can get some for Amy's ride easily enough too.  Make that our personal goal... instead of weight per se, or "x" amount of miles, blah, blah... "a ride everyday for the remainder of '05"!

It sounds very reasonable, do-able... it's not like saying, "Ok, we ride 45 miles per day... " or anything too over-achieving.  Just right.

Yeah, just right.  Sounds great.

On the Cusp of Fordy-Too?

How the hell does this happen?  Someone explain this to me, please??  One day your shit is peaking toward greatness, and then bending the Bell Curve to its extremes... and then, like John fucking Wayne watching the sunset from the saddle of a bent-back horse named Ol' Stumpy, it seems fading and almost over.

It's a cruel, cruel joke this time stuff.  Like some great black hole that just keeps sucking you further in, and further down.

I'm going to be 42 years old tomorrow and my body feels like it's gonna be 102 but yet my mind feels like it's 22.

I want to get on my skateboard, pop on my old Sony Walkman and listen to Coltrane's "A Love Supreme", smoke some bud, cruise down to the Pizza Villa, have a slice with peppers while scoping chicks with my buddies.

Instead, I'll have a great day with my wife and daughter-eat too much and drink even more... need Pepto, Zantac and an Alka-Seltzer before tucking into bed.

I guess it isn't so bad.  Adapt or Fade Out...

FBQ #19 Don Walker

When not building bikes, Walker oversees something near and dear to his heart: the North American Hand Made Bicycle Show ... a show which he started in 2005 to showcase the work of frame builders living & working within the USA.

With a particular passion for building track cycles, Walker will build the customer nearly anything they desire.  This is Don Walker in his own words...

1.   How old are you?

38

2.   Where were you born?

Sacramento, California

3.   What's your earliest memory of a bicycle or something bicycle related?

Learning to ride on the family's "hand-me-down" Columbia girls bike... and promptly wiping out because I didn't know how to stop.

4.   What was your first cycle?

Other than the hand-me-down, it was a boy's bike called "The Dill Pickle" because of its green color.

5.   How about first "high-end" cycle?

I started off on a Windsor Carrera Sport, but would hardly consider that high end.  My Holdsworth road bike must fit that description.

6.   Did (does) your family (parents, siblings, etc) ride also?

My brother started riding before I did, and then quit before I started racing.

7.   Did you like to tinker with bikes back then?

Oh man... that's a haunting question... I can't tell you how many times I regreased my BB or headset after getting caught in the rain.  I just needed an excuse to rip it apart and clean & pack it again.

8.   Did you ever work in a Bike Shop... if so, where/how long?

I worked in a couple of Sacramento bike shops as a junior, maybe a year and then only one when I had to support a family.  That didn't last long...

9.   Have you ever done any organized racing?

Yes, I started on the road like most other Juniors in NorCal, but the group of friends I met in the Bay Area got me hooked on Track.

10.   How about cyclo-touring?

When I first started riding it was metric centuries.

11.   What job(s) did you have before frame building and also-do you have any other job currently besides frame building?

I am an aircraft mechanic by trade.  That has pretty much been what I have done my entire adult life.  There were periods of odd jobs, like when I worked for a small phone company installing business phone systems.  I worked one time as a telemarketer, remember this... "Hello Mr. Cutshall, I have a very exciting offer for you and your family"?

12.   When did you start building?

In 1991

13.   Who would you say is your greatest influence in designing & frame building?

Wow, I hadn't really thought of this.  For design it would have to be Track racers.  They need super high performance frames.  As for the frame building end of it, I would say Al Wanta.  He mentored me when I first started out.

14.  Did you apprentice... if so, with who?

I apprenticed with the Paterek Manual.

15.   What's your idea of the "perfect cycle" regardless if you built it or not? 

A bike that blends with the rider.  How it fits, performs and feels so natural to the person riding it: that it helps them free their mind to win a race.

16.   Shooting a guess... how many frames would you say you've built?

I think in the 300's somewhere.

17.   Any cycles out there that you secretly wished, "Darn, I wish I'd built that!"?

Oh yeah!  Glenn Erickson had one in the early '90s that was all polished lugs carved in the shape of stars and the paintjob looked like the night sky.  It was the most incredible frame I had ever seen.

18.   Your idea of the perfect client?

A client that can tell me what they want in a frame and they pay with cash...  ;)

19.   What defines a nightmare client in your experience? 

Any client who tries to change their design AFTER the bike has been built and never addressed their "issue" prior to that... oh, and one that calls several times a week to check on the progress of their frame.

20.   Any words of advice to up & coming frame builders? 

You can do it, if you keep your day job.  If you quit your day job, get used to Top Ramen and rice.  Chili Mac isn't too bad either.

21.   What do you find most funny or peculiar (in a kind way-not brutal) about the cycle-buying public... what don't they get or aren't they seeing?

People thinking that the BEST bike is the lightest bike... weight weenies.

22.   What do you think of mass-produced bikes (without naming names)?

They are fine as transportation, but I wouldn't ride one.

23.   What cycle don't you have anymore that you wished you did?

My Holdsworth.  I made the mistake of selling it way back when.

24.   What cycle do you currently ride most, even if it wasn't built by you?

I bought a cheap aluminum frame to see how many rides it would take before I broke it.  I am up to 4 rides.

25.   When did you last ride your bike and for how far?

Last fall, 35 miles.

26.   What's your idea of the perfect ride? 

75 degrees, partly cloudy, no wind on ANY track.

27.   Could you ever see yourself being Car Free... just using mass-transportation and your bike to get around?

If I lived in a major city, like downtown, I could probably get away with it but living in Texas,  where its so spread out, it just isn't a reality for me.

28.   Why do you think so many folks have romanticized bicycles & bicycling?

It's one of the first things you learn to do when growing up, it takes you back to your childhood.

29.   Any (other) passions or hobbies in your life? 

My kids, Lesley (my Fiance) and my Black Labs, Jake and Elwood.  I take them to the lake for playing fetch with a frisbee.  The pursuit of  the "perfect" roast beef sandwich is another passion... so far, its Togo's in California.  I brewed my own beer for a while... but the frame building takes up all of my time right now.   I love music and used to play in a band one-upon-a-time.  My neighbor has a 24 track studio, so I get to jam a little with him.

30.   If you could say one thing to Lance Armstrong what would it be?

Lance, ditch that carbon stuff and lets go after Merckx's Hour Record.  You and me, Bud.

31.   In a pinch... McDonalds or Burger King?

Never in a pinch, I will eat either depending on my tastebuds at the time... well, my kids tastebuds anyhow.

32.   What kind of shampoo did you last use?

I forgot... I am bald and what little hair I have gets shaved off once a week.

33.   Favorite libation: wine, beer or fire water? 

Ahhhhh, now we get to the good stuff... I am partial to Red Hook ESB, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and almost anything by Sacramento Brewing Company but in particular their India Pale Ale and Scotch Ale.

34.   Even though there seems to be a real tradition to it-what do you think of folks who spend more time setting up their cycle with just the right color saddle, bar tape, bags, hoods, etc than actually riding or at least commenting on the ride?

Bicycle riding isn't style points, and you should have seen what my bike looked like as a junior.  I am surprised I had anything that matched.

35.   Did you go to college... if so, what was your major?

It was a short-lived 2 semesters.

36.   Your favorite music while working (if any)? 

Lately I have been really getting into vintage REM, Catherine Wheel, Captain Sensible, Grandaddy, Flaming Lips (only Yoshimi battles the Pink Robots, what a masterpiece!), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, New Model Army and a band appropriately named "Ride".  Pretty much any music that's off the beaten path.  Alternative, Punk, Blues, Indie, Lo-Fi, etc... that's the stuff I like.

37.   If you had it to do all over again... would you be building cycles?

I did it all over again!  My shop was burglarized in 95.  I had to rebuild over 6 or 7 years to start up again.  This is my passion, my choice of occupation.

38.   What's your favorite lunch food during a work day in the shop?

Oh no, I have to admit Chili Mac and Top Ramen here, huh?   Just kidding... it's probably a roast beef sandwich, but there's this little Mexican place in town that makes a phenomenal fajita chicken burrito.

39.   When it's all said & done-what kind of legacy will you hope to have left behind? 

He was a great friend and helped a lot of riders realize their full potential.

40.   How can folks get in touch with you to order a custom cycle?

Don Walker
PO BOX 2392
Hewitt, TX  76643
254.733.9014
www.donwalkercycles.com 
[email protected]

N.O., Bush, Tents & Cycles

Just watched my daily morning dose of depressing shit live from Atlantis [formerly known as New Orleans] and was struck by a few things.

1.  Bush walking across the White House lawn to do his little press conference before boarding the chopper that took him to Andrews to catch the Air Force One flight to the Gulf Coast.  Before speaking and while watching him walk I was taken with 2 thoughts... He looks like his wife just fed him a breakfast of S'More flavored Pop Tarts, a bowl of Fruit Loops and a nice big glass of Tang.  And, why does he always walk like he has a sizeable hunk of shite wedged sideways in his butt-chasm when things appear tragic?

2.  $100.00 says he got on that chopper and pulled out a GameBoy and started playing some Super Mario Brothers.

3.  Why doesn't he offer up HIS ranch in neighboring Crawford, Texas as a "Tent City" for folks who can't get into the AstroDome... have the Army put up tents and a Porto-John for every 10 tents, fence the area in with make-shift fencing and have the military keep the peace.  Come on, like it's really possible to keep finding Enorma-Domes for all these folks?  Plus, what the fuck will happen when the white male Republicans start having their football schedule messed with... shit will get ugly then, real ugly.

4.  Bush and his wife [whatever her name is] can serve folks food and clean the shitters out daily at his ranch PLUS he gets his much-needed vacation time.  Penance baby... penance.

5.  And every morning Bush's darling daughters can conduct basic schooling classes for all the youngsters who have no schools to attend anymore... while in the evenings they can serve double duty by appearing over in the "Grand Tent" [a kind of huge meeting-hall style tent] doing pole & lap-dancing for the "adults".

Okay, onto other news... New Orleans is burning.  At this point my entire stance on looting has done a 180 degree swivel.  I say, "Fucking take it all baby!".  I can fully understand the rage, frustration and everything else these citizens must be experiencing.  Once again, out govt. has let us down.  Of course those Homeland Security boys have done a swell job that gives me supreme confidence when the next terrorist attack comes down on NYC... after all, they had a weeks notice for an act of nature in the form of Katrina [by the way... does all this mean "Katrina & The Waves" are gonna get a new record deal and a comeback tour?  Jesus, that's when I pack up the wife and daughter and move to Northern Alaska] can you even begin to imagine their response time if something happened with NO notice??. 
Alas though... who to blame but the peckerstains [and yes, you know who YOU are] who voted Bush in for another term.  I just keep remembering that headline that ran in a British paper the day after our elections, "How Can insert huge number of Americans People Be So Dumb?" with a photo of Bush.  We made our bed... time for a nice, long nappy.

I don't agree with shooting at aid givers, rescuers or the police... outside of that though... pillage the fucker.  Strip it bare and leave it raw.

Am I the ONLY one who sees the ONLY possible housing solution for all the refugees is going to be Tent Cities?  Given the choice between sleeping next to tons of strangers who fart, burp, whatever for the next 3 months [it'll be much longer than that trust me]... I'd opt for a tent, outside, in the warmer-than-north-south, with me, my wife and our daughter, sharing a Porto-John with a few others all in the great outdoors.  That would be heaven compared to being trapped in a stadium.  Way bester!

Last thing...

MSNBC reporter to the tv camera: "It's really horrible here.  I mean horrible.  Just earlier today I saw a man riding a bicycle to get some water.  I spoke to him and he said he had no gas for his car so he rode his bike instead.  As he pedaled away [pause inserted here for emotional depth I suppose... Reporter 101 Studies?] he mentioned that he had, to ride 7 miles back home."

We have upon us, a very sad & unfortunate event that at the same time could be THE wake-up call we need as a nation to look at something OTHER than cars for transport, i.e. the lowly bicycle, and even the douche bag reporters can't see it to save their asses.

I'm not sure what's more depressing in all honesty... watching the footage of the Gulf Coast or the minute to minute realization that everyone I watch on television is a brain dead corn niblet in need of Chad Everett, some conducting ointment and 2 paddles?

Clear!

Sheesh...

I just realized... it's September 1st!!  I know technically it's still Summer BUT in my little undereducated mind September 1st means Fall.

Oh, that and my birthday too [which is the 22nd in case you're thinking, "Now what the hell can I get that guy... for everything he's done for the world, what... no, HOW can I possibly begin repaying him?].

Ahhh, Fall: school, leaves, football, big-surly-sporto's-with-bad-hair-and-worse-taste-in-clothes, skoal rings on levi back pockets, homecoming, getting high behind the school stadium, getting some tail on band trips in the back of a darkened school bus, going for long rides on your bike while carrying 4 magnums full of cheap red wine...

jesus, I'm getting foggy-eyed.

Some Music

I have a page up on my website that offers up 4 tunes to listen to if you'd be interested.

Go Here  & read all about it while you listen.

Enjoy it [or not]...