I told you I'm not dead...

See! Here I am! Though certainly heavier than I'd like to be for this time of year, I am at least alive... and on a bike.

We were working on photos for our upcoming catalog and got out today with our Creative Director- Pete Demos- and myself to snap the one remaining photo we needed. The above picture is not that picture... but it's still kinda fun.

Special thanks to Twin 6 for supplying us with clothing for the catalog again, and thanks for making the shorts with very robust strength seams... I'm normally an XL bib, so the LG bibs were straining a little under the pressure, but they made it!

Tim

Calling all Minneapolis Masi owners!

Next week, May 18th to 22nd, I'll be in Minneapolis with our Creative Director- Pete Demos- working on photo and video projects for our next catalog and other marketing needs. If you're a Masi owner and you're in the Minneapolis/ St. Paul area and would like to possibly be in the catalog or other photos used for the website, ads and other marketing areas let us know. Shoot me an email (address located in my blog profile info) or leave a comment here.

It doesn't matter what era Masi you have or what model- we're looking to simply add as much Masi love to the catalog and other areas as we possibly can.

We'd love to see you and your Masi if you're around during that time... so mark your calendar!

Tim
(Updated; Oh yeah- I need cool locating ideas as well, so email them to me if you have any good suggestions. Better yet- if you can email simple photos, that would be even more awesomer!)

That was good...

Today was the catalog photoshoot to get some good lifestyle/ image photos with a new bike in the line. The model was one of my very good friends and it went really well. I am very happy with how the photos came out and look forward to seeing one in the catalog... which is due to the printer ASAP.

Pete Demos and I headed out of the office and into downtown a little early, around 3:00, so we could get to our spot and scope out a few places and use the good daylight. Paul joined us downtown and we set up and shot in a couple different spots and got some really great pictures. It was put together, as always, at the last second, but the end result was really great. Somehow, Pete always manages to get "the" shot. Never fails.

Once I am able to get the pitcures off the camera and uploaded (I am at folks house for the week), I will share a few of my "behind the scenes" shots.

Tomorrow is my visit to the ortho. I am praying I get the pin out of my thumb and that the x-rays of my knee and elbow look good. I have to get x-rays of my neck done as well, for the neurologist, so I'll be glowing in the dark when I'm done. But hopefully glowing without a pin. Think I'm gonna save the pin- maye make a necklace pendant out of it or something else cool... dunno yet. More than anything- hoping to get the ok to remove the knee brace and begin riding my trainer to start rehab'ing the knee... a boy can dream, right?

More soon... including some Tour prognostications.

Tim

Woo-hoo!

After weeks of beating my head against my computer... I have finally finished writing the copy for our Fall catalog. The copy is nowhere near as pretty as the bikes, but I can live with that.

YEAH!

Tim

My mind is spinning!

It's a nutty time to be in the bike business these days... at least it is for me and my cohorts at Masi/ Haro...

Most of you have not even seen the newest bikes we have produced and many models have not even been shipped to us yet. However, my product manager (Wayne Doran) and I have already wrapped up all of the Spring '08 bikes and now I am working on creating that new catalog (and it seems like the ink is still wet on the current one). Now I have to wrap up selecting new colors and finish spec (like within the next week or so) for all of the new Fall '08 bikes. No wonder I always feel dizzy and disoriented (I thought it was all the hits to the head I've taken...)

I leave in a couple weeks, January 5th, for the next trip to Taiwan. I also made the decision today that I'll be back in Taiwan for the Taipei show in March... which means I'll either be in Taiwan for my birthday (March 18th) or on a flight back, most likely. I'm going to Taipei, rather than returning to Germany for Eurobike. As amazing as that show is and as much I really want to be there, I am still unable to sell into Europe. That means that my trip to Germany is solely as a spectator doing research. Now, it was worth going this year, but if I am only going to do research and find ideas/ inspiration, then I think I should go to Italy next year instead and keep going to different markets. Plus, our distributor in Canada (Norco) is having some good success with our newest bikes and it makes much more sense for me to travel to Montreal again and go back to the Canadian version of Interbike- Expo Cycle. Besides, I really do love Montreal and was sad that I didn't go this year. Norco is a great company and they have been very good for Masi in Canada, so I really want to return to Montreal and help them as much as I can with the brand there. Since the dates for Eurobike and Expo Cycle are so close, I had to make the painful choice to return to Montreal (but I'm taking my bike again and riding up the Mont and along the river once more).

Oy, I'm feeling jetlagged and dizzy just thinking about it all... I gotta go lay down.

Tim

New Masi Catalog Now Online!

The new Fall 2007 Masi catalog is now available for download in PDF format on the company website. It's danged purdy... if I must say so myself... and I do!

Tim

(PS- the website will be getting a face lift in the coming weeks as well.)