The mail bag’s a total drag?

No, today I can almost totally promise it won’t be.


As is the standard mode of operation around here, any time I leave town to engage in some form of highjinkery or another, the correspondences pile up, and this last weekend was certainly no exception. Before too much daylight burns, let’s get down to business.

First up, from Ken I got a profoundly sad bit of news, to which his response is nothing short of humbling, and touching and the whole shibang;

“Stevil.

Not to be a big fat bummer, but a good friend of ours and many things this-a-way, not excluding riding Midwest dirt (which is some of the best in the world btw), passed away suddenly a couple of weeks back. Why would I bring us down with such somber news? Well because he was an all around kicka$$ guy who would want us all to continue on doing what we do, but with a pinch % two or three more of kindness and goodwill to one another and this great green blue rock on which we reside.

Annnnnd I’d like to plug a benefit on behalf of his surviors, wife + 3 childrens.

Alright then.
Ken from Iowa

Seeing Mark’s friends celebrate his existence, rather than mourn his loss, must speak volumes about who he was a person, and I genuinely appreciate Ken’s reminder.

Now what better way to celebrate Mark’s existence in my own way, than to post the following clip from Jeremy, that one commenter noted was “the most important video on Youtube

It’s bits of documentation like that, which will save the world.

Then Lucho from Cycling Inquisition sent in one single image that could be of any male human being born between the years 1968 and 1974;

Speaking of which, but not really at all, Matt sent an email proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has no fear when it comes to emailing a total stranger;

“Dear Black Market guy,

Due to my profession, I travel a lot. This leads to not the healthiest of diet. Subsequently, after a recent meal at the Sizzler in Bakersfield, I contracted a horrible intestinal flu/bug/something. This caused very uncomfortable diarrhea for a nightmarish week. Upon my first solid excretment I was so over joyed I exclaimed: “All Hail The Bowel Movement!!”

I attribute this to your subliminal ways.

Just wanted to share.
Rubber side downs and horns up.\m/ \m/

Mr.King”

When you get correspondences like that, you know you’ve arrived.

In news almost totally related to bikes and bike stuff, newly hired AHTBM correspondent, J.Trasher recently partook in an event in the sunny environs of Southern California which I have missed three years running. (Well, that’s not entirely true. It didn’t happen last year, so it would be four years that I’ve missed it), and I have no good excuse as to why. It kills me a little bit more every year when I see the resulting carnage;


Two things I love are women dressed like Evel Knievel, and over imbibeing. My ass is black and blue from my own kicking of it for missing this. For year five, I surely won’t make the same mistake.

And speaking of dirtbag bike events, Jeff from All City as well as Bike Jerks has his own brand of no-good-doery brewing in just two days’ time;

Portland Eastians, you know what to do.

Then, while we’re on the topic of outlaw cross races, my dear friends from the Bay Area’s dfL team will soon be celebrating the eighteenth year of their own;

Eeeeeewwww, that’s sexist.

You’d better post a passive/aggressive Tweet about it, dick.

So as per the standard, don’t bother emailing me to ask what the schedule is. If you’re resourceful, you’ll figure it out.

From other parts of North Cal., Frank sent some information regarding the kick off of a series of events, as well as this nonsense happening in the Golden State’s capital;

“If you’ve adequately recovered from your trip to Portland East, come check this out this weekend;

Otherwise see you at Inter/Underbike.”

So much chaos, so little time.

As we continue on, from Neil and his Cedar Cycling imprint, I got the following email regarding a throw down in this space occurring tonight;

“I’ve spent the last couple months building, painting and sweating Standard & Strange, my retail store into existence. It’s finally opening next Friday and I’d love for you to come to the opening party in Oakland’s Temescal Alley.

On September 7, we’ll be part of Oakland’s First Friday Art Walk, when galleries and stores stay open late for a great block party. There’s awesome food nearby (Burma Superstar, Pizzaiolo, Bar Lata tapas) and delicious sorbet and ice cream at SCREAM and Tara’s.

So, here’s the details:

Friday, September 7 from 6:00pm – 10:00pm
Standard & Strange
484A 49th Street
Oakland, CA 94609

Google map link (we’re in the second alley on the left side of 49th street)

Closest BART stations: Rockridge and Macarthur”

I went by there last week and peeked in the window. The place was a total disaster and they had a Smurf piñata hanging from the rack. That is definately a sign of progress.

Lastly, while we’re on the topic of the Bay Area, Zach from the slayers of the Specialized Bicycles dragon emailed me with a Kickstarter request. Normally, I don’t post Kickstarter pages, but anybody who snuffed Specialized’s flame in court deserves every tip of the hat I can offer;

“Hey Stevil,

A lot of us at Volagi love to ride our road bikes wherever we damn well please,whether it’s on terrible roads, dirt paths, gravel, salt flats, whatever.

We’ve designed a kick ass bike that does all of that exceptionally well, and has the good looks to back it up, and maybe best of all – it’s steel.
Through a series of circumstances we need some help getting the Viaje off the ground so we are trying our hand at KickStarter.

Inside there are some great deals on what will be an awesome bike.
If you could pass this along, we promise not to accuse you of trying to keep women out of cycling. Promise.
Thanks and keep up the good work.

Zach”

If you recall, I featured this bike after I’d returned from Dealer Camp;

If I’ve made any point abundantly clear over the last year, it’s that I’m skeptical of disk brakes with skinny tires, but that aside, I’m pretty excited to see this bike come to production for a number of reasons, not the least of which is because they said they’d let me borrow one.

Say what you will about her, but I suspect Divine would approve.

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8 Responses to “The mail bag’s a total drag?”

  1. dick September 7, 2012 at 5:59 am #

    Damn it, my tweeter’s broke. How am I gonna tweet out “Make me a sandwich, female person” to the whole world?

  2. Jen Dial September 7, 2012 at 7:33 am #

    So glad to see Divine make her way into cycling culture. Finally! Assuming AHTBM is actually cycling culture and not tennis culture…

    • Swobo September 7, 2012 at 1:47 pm #

      Us too. Someone should name a bike after her. him.

  3. reverend dick September 7, 2012 at 7:44 am #

    I don’t understand how the twitter works.

  4. sinnfein September 7, 2012 at 7:54 am #

    Based upon the living room art work proudly displayed over the right shoulder of lil’ Gene Simmons, I’m thinking it would have been fun to party with his parents.

  5. Nived September 7, 2012 at 2:34 pm #

    I fell lost Hellingham has disassapeared,, what will I do on fridays now?

    • Stevil September 7, 2012 at 3:18 pm #

      He said he was going to reassemble it on Tumblr. Fear not.

      • Nived September 7, 2012 at 6:20 pm #

        Ahhh much better