The week’s curtain is falling.

Here we are at yet another week’s end (or if your one of those of us without a job, another day in which to debate whether or not it’s time to change our socks.)
Before we get into anything, I have an offer unlike any I have made before. To satisfy my own life long desires, I am prepared to make a very special offer. As I have reported here before, the parent company of Denver’s Casa Bonita restaurant has filed for bankruptcy protection. This could very well mean that this beloved institution (made famous to the world in an episode of South Park) could very well not be long for the world.

The offer I am prepared to make is this- If anyone can document a jump from the cliffs (click that link if you don’t know of which I speak), just to the right of the main diving platform into the lagoon, (from this area, specifically);

-I am prepared to give the person in question one of everything from the AHTBM store, plus whatever other fancy little doodads I can milk out of anyone who is willing to up the ante. Hell, I’ll even reimburse you for your crappy meal.
My team of lawyers insist that I mention if you choose to partake in this offer and you are incarcerated, or injured, or die as a result, I am in no way financially, emotionally, socially or legally responsible. You are a grown up capable of making your own decisions. All I am plying you with is about $200.00 worth of crappy merch. By attempting to do this, the participant takes full responsibility for the outcome, as well as all of the glory.

Of course high definition video documentation is preferable, but I understand beggars can’t be choosers. Mull this over in your heads, and then somebody please make me proud.

As we move into business of another sort, it occurred to me that after Wednesday’s post that I plum forgot to mention a couple other items that the USPS has recently dropped into my lap.

From Michael at New Belgium I first got an email asking me if I would be open to trying a new beer that they are making called ‘Shift’;

I was reluctant of his offer, as I am fairly specific in my tastes, and no offense to Michael or the tireless (no pun intended) efforts of the brew masters at New Belgium, but can’t stomach their Fat Tire Ale. He assured me that their new Shift brew would be more to my liking.

However the timing of the delivery was in sync with my recent return from Minneapolis West and a very necessary drying out period. After the Handbuilt Show weekend and my trip to Portland East, my body was in desperate need of a rest from the drink. The last thing I have a hankering for is anything even remotely resembling beer, but when my thirst returns, and I suspect it will with a vengeance, I have a stash of the good stuff and will offer a proper review of it then.

Speaking of New Belgium’s Fat Tire Ale, an individual who really does love the stuff is none other than Mr. Bruce Gordon. Besides having a taste for the heavier sorts of beers, long ago he had a vision of a road styled bicycle on which one could find rad in the dirt. He called his brain fart the ‘Rock and Road’, which in more contemporary times has been simply referred to as a monster cross;

(Clearly not the same kind of monster cross.)

Several years ago Captain Sportypants from Soulcraft Bicycles got ahold of me and asked “if you could have any sort of bicycle, what would it be?” Only having a vague memory of Bruce’s Rock and Road I concluded that I would like to have a fat tired cross bike. One that would be comfortable on roads of both the paved and dirt variety, but would be equally at home on technical single track. It was then that the Dirtbomb was born (though it was really just a variation of the Salsa cross bikes he used to build.)

Anyway, he asked what size tire I would be running, which at the time was the Ritchey Zed 42s. It was only after I took delivery of the bike that I came to find that Ritchey had stopped production, and any 45s that were available were slightly too wide for the rear chain stays. This resulted in somewhat fruitless searches for the illusive Zed, or just throwing in some 38s and calling it good.

It was just three days ago when The Captain came over holding a set of Bruce’s very recently re-issued Rock and Road tires which according to the BG blog should be available for mass consumption soonish;



Over 100 grams lighter than the originals, and coming in at about 43, these found a happy home on my Dirtbomb and will assuredly lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil, amen.

If some skins such as these might strike your fancy, flood Bruce’s email with inquiries, because if there is anything I know he likes, it’s answering emails.

Moving on with the topic of stuff… Back when I was in the throes of my move from Santa Cruz, a kindly fellow named Evan Baird sent me two bottles of tire sealant being manufactured and distributed by San Francisco’s Merry Sales called Blue Seal;

Now clearly I have yet to inject the goods into any of my tires (or tyres, if you wish) but only because I haven’t gotten around to it. Sometimes there are comic books to read and other times there are naps to take.

Primarily it’s because I never gets flats due to my overwhelming finesse on a bike and also because when I ride I travel upon the wings of angels.

I can also say with confidence that it’s because all of my priorities are out of order, that is with the exception of when it comes to sock changing day.

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19 Responses to “The week’s curtain is falling.”

  1. dicky April 6, 2012 at 5:57 am #

    Mulletmania Machine.

  2. Ben April 6, 2012 at 7:11 am #

    Can’t help it. I’ve not had the (dis)pleasure of experiencing Casa Bonita, but just in case I decide to take you up on your challenge I don’t want to screw it up. So just where is the borrom that I am not supposed to wander down to?

    • Stevil April 6, 2012 at 8:08 am #

      The lagoon’s edge. Like, don’t go right to the edge of the water and jump in. That’s cheating.

      • Ben April 6, 2012 at 8:24 am #

        At the borrom?

        • Stevil April 6, 2012 at 1:08 pm #

          My photoshop skills know no bounds.

          • Ben April 6, 2012 at 1:19 pm #

            It’s ok buddy. You make up for in so many other ways.

  3. Malcolm April 6, 2012 at 8:28 am #

    Really tempted to make a trip to Casa Bonita, havn’t been there in ~15 years…

  4. Mollie April 6, 2012 at 8:34 am #

    Every time I went with my Girl Scout troop to Casa Bonita as a kid, I remember puking that same night… I’m sure it was just the excitement of the divers in their Speedos, not the food?

  5. East Bay Ed April 6, 2012 at 9:37 am #

    Jesus Christ that’s a big cross.

  6. trama April 6, 2012 at 9:52 am #

    The only thing Bruce loves more than the e-mailing, are the walk-ins who chat for 3.75 hrs and leave empty handed

  7. Leeroy J April 6, 2012 at 12:51 pm #

    The giant cross pictured above is in Effingham, Illinois and is known throughout the land as the Effing Cross. While it looks quite natty in its pinstripes in this shot, in person it’s quite obvious that it’s covered in aluminum warehouse roofing.

    It’s right by I-57, and the road curves a little so that for like a mile beforehand it looks like you’re headed right for the base of the rig. I drove past it several times a year for three years before I got to see it get hit by lightning. Scameron was riding shotgun, and he just looks at me and goes, “I think I just saw God. And He’s PISSED.”

  8. pedalman April 6, 2012 at 2:18 pm #

    I’ll throw a triple lindy for one of those sweet beer coozie’s.

  9. Jim April 6, 2012 at 3:11 pm #

    Hows about a hat and coozie for blowing enchilada chunks in Black Barts Cave?

  10. Nived April 6, 2012 at 5:00 pm #

    The cliff jump so many good memories then a whole bunch of bad ones.. What a weird Spot..

  11. dflbrad April 6, 2012 at 11:46 pm #

    fuck Merry Sales…… really, fuck them…

  12. One Eyed z April 7, 2012 at 8:38 am #

    I could make good use of those tires. And a Dirtbomb to put them on.

  13. Bruce Gordon May 12, 2012 at 7:09 am #

    Yo Stevil
    Did you ever ride the Rock ‘n Road tires???
    What did you think???
    Inquiring Minds want to know!!
    Regards,
    Bruce Gordon

    • Stevil May 12, 2012 at 7:12 am #

      I did and I have and I continue to do so. I will get some kind of write up on them in the coming days.