First and most importantly; Chuck Cowan and his wife Stephanie, owners of Behind Bars in Minneapolis, just had their first child at 12:46 last night! No details yet, other than that the new little Cowan (and future Masi rider) is finally here. Once Chuck is able to send more details, I will update. So all of you folks in Minneapolis really need to go to Behind Bars and buy more bikes, any bikes, so Chuck and Stephanie can keep this little bundle of joy in good cycling gear.
Secondly, due to constant spamming in the comments of posts, I have added a word verification for comment posting. Sorry for this little extra layer, but I want to keep this place spam-free. Now, real Spam, I am all for. Scalloped potatoes with Spam. Fried Spam sandwiches. Spam omelettes... all very good stuff.
Tim
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
More of the same...
Today I got to spend time stripping some bikes for parts so we can have bikes to test ride in Las Vegas during Interbike. I didn't get crushed under any parts of our tradeshow booth, which is convenient, but my day was still largely tradeshow related. The show doesn't even start until the week of 9/26 and we are in full-blown frantic mode trying to get all the eggs counted and placed in their baskets. Needless to say, this is not the glamorous and fun part of the job (not that playing with bikes isn't fun).
Speaking of getting crushed by a tradeshow booth, my hand is still too sore to be able to grip a handlebar, so racing is out this evening. I was looking forward to it, but I can't really hold onto the bars. And my back hurts. And my feet hurt. And I want a beer... AND... this is the worst part... my bosses are in Germany for Eurobike, sitting by the lake eating fresh strudel and drinking delicious German beer... in GERMANY! Where's the justice? I better get something better than a t-shirt and some lederhosen.
I am actually jealous of the fact that our Senior Product Manager is getting to see those prototype SRAM road components before me. The suspense is killing me! I can not wait to see those things and find out how it all works and just get the story about them. I know; I'm a bike geek.
Well, back to my non-strudel, non-lake view, non-German beer in Germany life...
Tim
Speaking of getting crushed by a tradeshow booth, my hand is still too sore to be able to grip a handlebar, so racing is out this evening. I was looking forward to it, but I can't really hold onto the bars. And my back hurts. And my feet hurt. And I want a beer... AND... this is the worst part... my bosses are in Germany for Eurobike, sitting by the lake eating fresh strudel and drinking delicious German beer... in GERMANY! Where's the justice? I better get something better than a t-shirt and some lederhosen.
I am actually jealous of the fact that our Senior Product Manager is getting to see those prototype SRAM road components before me. The suspense is killing me! I can not wait to see those things and find out how it all works and just get the story about them. I know; I'm a bike geek.
Well, back to my non-strudel, non-lake view, non-German beer in Germany life...
Tim
Monday, August 29, 2005
I'm sore...
I spent nearly the entire day today in the hot and dusty warehouse emptying out large wooden crates of tradeshow booth crap. I even had a large column dropped on me and now I'm sore from head to toe! My left hand is wrecked where the corner of this column smashed my hand against the floor. So now I feel like whining about it to you, the innocent reader. We have to empty out all of our wooden booth crates so they can get picked up and repaired before we pack it all back in and head off for Las Vegas and Interbike. If I am really lucky, the crates will come back while I am in Canada and I won't be responsible for cramming all the junk back in. I can only hope...
Jonathan Maus over at Just Riding Along is trying to put together something of an informal discussion group during Interbike to discuss all things blogging related. If you are a retailer or manufacturer and will be attending the show, this discussion group could be a great way to share ideas about blogging or learn about blogging if you are curious about how to get started. Jonathan will have more information and details later, but if you are interested, it should prove to be a valuable discussion and resource for information. I will be trying to attend if other obligations do not conflict with the date and time. I know there is a lot more I can learn and hope to do exactly that. So keep your eyes open for more details about this unofficial "conference".
Tim
Jonathan Maus over at Just Riding Along is trying to put together something of an informal discussion group during Interbike to discuss all things blogging related. If you are a retailer or manufacturer and will be attending the show, this discussion group could be a great way to share ideas about blogging or learn about blogging if you are curious about how to get started. Jonathan will have more information and details later, but if you are interested, it should prove to be a valuable discussion and resource for information. I will be trying to attend if other obligations do not conflict with the date and time. I know there is a lot more I can learn and hope to do exactly that. So keep your eyes open for more details about this unofficial "conference".
Tim
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Hey retailers! Yeah, I'm talking to you...
Retailers; I have a question for you, actually a series of questions. There has been a lot of recent discussion about model year introductions becoming earlier and earlier in the year and negatively impacting the retail landscape. The most recent issue of BRaIN covers the topic in the State of Retail section of the issue. What are your thoughts on this issue?
I know that a lot of you read this blog and I get numerous emails each week from many of you, so let me know what you feel about the issue of early model introductions. Is it good for your business or bad? Is it good for the industry as a whole or bad? Do you even care so long as you get product on your floor to sell?
You can post a comment here or you can email me directly at tjackson@masibikes.com.
Consumers; what do think about the issue? Is the push for "latest and greatest" good or bad for you? I've heard complaints from some consumers that they can't find product in stock because the local retailer isn't stocking any of the "current" product because the "new" product will be available in few a months and they don't want to be "stuck" with unwanted "old" products. Is this something you have noticed? Please share your thoughts as well.
Tim
I know that a lot of you read this blog and I get numerous emails each week from many of you, so let me know what you feel about the issue of early model introductions. Is it good for your business or bad? Is it good for the industry as a whole or bad? Do you even care so long as you get product on your floor to sell?
You can post a comment here or you can email me directly at tjackson@masibikes.com.
Consumers; what do think about the issue? Is the push for "latest and greatest" good or bad for you? I've heard complaints from some consumers that they can't find product in stock because the local retailer isn't stocking any of the "current" product because the "new" product will be available in few a months and they don't want to be "stuck" with unwanted "old" products. Is this something you have noticed? Please share your thoughts as well.
Tim
Friday, August 26, 2005
The more things change, the more they stay the same...
What is funny about this to me is that Pabst Blue Ribbon is about as "American" a beer as you can possibly find. To see it in Chinese is one of the funniest images I can think of. Our global travel gnome, Wayne Doran, just brought it back from a recent trip to China.
There's funny and then there's hi-larious!
Tim
Thursday, August 25, 2005
SRAM entering road market? Things could get very interesting...
By now, many of you (I am sure) have seen the first spy shots of the prototype SRAM road shifters. Word is that the new road group is going to be ready for release in "calendar year 2006". This group is to include shifters (very, very similar in appearance to Shimano STI... hmmm...) , front and rear derailleurs, a 10 speed cassette and chain, brake set, bottom bracket and crankset (TruVativ?). This is supposed to be a pro level component group for high end use.
Now, this is big news to me. Why, well, as a Product Manager for a bike brand, it gives me another option for road parts, which is always good. Also, it creates more "pressure" for Shimano to keep up the efforts in development that they have made over the years. More competition is good for all of us and could even result in better pricing as well as better products. Don't get me wrong, I love Shimano. I love Campagnolo too (and keep waiting for that box of Record parts to just show up on my desk after a lunch ride). However, I really like a lot of the SRAM family of parts and think they could do some cool things in the road market. I haven't personally seen any of these new prototype parts (though if they want to send me some I will gladly test them... if you're reading this SRAM guys), but I have a feeling they are doing some pretty cool stuff. The shifter issue was the biggest hurdle, I am sure, and then brakes. Now they will allegedly have both.
To me, this is really exciting news. I am really looking forward to seeing and touching these new parts. From what I saw, the shifters look very similar to the Shimano shifters and not as pretty as the Campy shifters (but really, what is that pretty). The proof is going to be in how well they work. So far, I have not heard anything about how they work, though they were ridden at the USPro criterium championships. I haven't heard of anything not working. I've never had a SRAM component that I didn't like over the years, so this could be a really good thing.
Shimano is likely very, very aware of these developments (well, I know they are) and probably has some concerns about what this will all mean- ie; patent infringement issues. Campagnolo probably isn't too worried, just because their products (here in the US at least) tend to appeal to a different consumer than Shimano products. I think these SRAM components would pose the biggest threat to Shimano.
Maybe it is just me, but this could prove to be some of the biggest news in road componentry of the past few years. I eagerly await the chance to see, touch, use these new parts and find out if the long wait has been worthwhile (hey SRAM, I'm talking to you). People have been saying for years and years that somebody was going to come along and develop a complete road group. Is this going to be it or are we looking at another Mavic Zap/ Tektronic component group that fades into obscurity?
I am very curious.
Tim
Now, this is big news to me. Why, well, as a Product Manager for a bike brand, it gives me another option for road parts, which is always good. Also, it creates more "pressure" for Shimano to keep up the efforts in development that they have made over the years. More competition is good for all of us and could even result in better pricing as well as better products. Don't get me wrong, I love Shimano. I love Campagnolo too (and keep waiting for that box of Record parts to just show up on my desk after a lunch ride). However, I really like a lot of the SRAM family of parts and think they could do some cool things in the road market. I haven't personally seen any of these new prototype parts (though if they want to send me some I will gladly test them... if you're reading this SRAM guys), but I have a feeling they are doing some pretty cool stuff. The shifter issue was the biggest hurdle, I am sure, and then brakes. Now they will allegedly have both.
To me, this is really exciting news. I am really looking forward to seeing and touching these new parts. From what I saw, the shifters look very similar to the Shimano shifters and not as pretty as the Campy shifters (but really, what is that pretty). The proof is going to be in how well they work. So far, I have not heard anything about how they work, though they were ridden at the USPro criterium championships. I haven't heard of anything not working. I've never had a SRAM component that I didn't like over the years, so this could be a really good thing.
Shimano is likely very, very aware of these developments (well, I know they are) and probably has some concerns about what this will all mean- ie; patent infringement issues. Campagnolo probably isn't too worried, just because their products (here in the US at least) tend to appeal to a different consumer than Shimano products. I think these SRAM components would pose the biggest threat to Shimano.
Maybe it is just me, but this could prove to be some of the biggest news in road componentry of the past few years. I eagerly await the chance to see, touch, use these new parts and find out if the long wait has been worthwhile (hey SRAM, I'm talking to you). People have been saying for years and years that somebody was going to come along and develop a complete road group. Is this going to be it or are we looking at another Mavic Zap/ Tektronic component group that fades into obscurity?
I am very curious.
Tim
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Night at home...
Since I didn't race, I got to have a beer and watch Shrek 2 (not The Incredibles this time) with my daughter. Not the same as leaning hard into a banked turn and sprinting for the finish line, but all in all a damned good evening still. I can't wait for her to get a little older though, so I can watch Breaking Away or Triplets of Belleville with her instead. Don't get me wrong, I like a good Disney/Pixar movie just as much as any other parent without a choice, but I am looking forward to cramming her head full of cycling imagery. She already thinks that all cyclists are either me or my best friend. She screams her little head off any time she comes to the track to watch me race too. My son is deeply involved with basketball at the moment, so his track racing is on hold for now, but he used to be really into it with me and took to the track like a fish to water.
The image below is courtesy of my boss' brother,
The image below is courtesy of my boss' brother,
© Scott R. Varley
Why am I thirsty now?
Tim
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Nope... can't do it.
It's official- my legs are crap right now. No racing tonight. What's the point when I'm just dead-legged right now? I'll skip the racing tonight, especially since it is Endurance night, and just let the legs start to come back around. Maybe by next week they will start to feel better. Just two weeks ago they felt pretty good and now they just stink!
Oh well, I guess I'll just go home and watch The Incredibles (again) with my daughter and have a beer.
Tim
Oh well, I guess I'll just go home and watch The Incredibles (again) with my daughter and have a beer.
Tim
I just love this stuff...
A blast from the past; Benotto Celo tape. I always loved this stuff and it is fairly hard to find now that it isn't being made anymore. I found a bunch on eBay and bought it from a guy in Mexico. This tape was always my favorite. Wrapped on the carbon bars, it sure looks great. Before I get blasted about this; yes, I know the tape isn't perfectly even on both sides and that the bar looks like it isn't centered in the stem. The clamp area of the bar, reinforced with a titanium mesh, is off center. The bar is center in the stem, it just doesn't look it. Also, since I haven't wrapped with this tape in nearly 20 years, I'm a little out of practice. The next bar will look better.
This the old GDR (German Democratic Republic) National Team tape. The black stripe is hidden under the rest of the tape, except for in a few places. I also got solid grey, solid yellow, solid white, the Polish National Team (rd/yl/rd) and another GDR roll. Ain't it pretty stuff? So shiny, so glossy, so slippery when wet if you don't have gloves on. It sure looks gorgeous though.
Now I just have to decide which bike gets the tape next... decisions, decisions...
Tim
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