Carpe Diem


I think that’s Latin for ‘look like an asshole today, because you might not get the chance tomorrow‘.

And that’s exactly what I’m going to do today.

Remember this post when I talked about the Strawfoot easter egg hunt thing?

Well it’s already started. Portland went down Monday;

Paul Component Engineering’s was yesterday;

And mine is today!

Keep your eyes peeled to the AHTBM Instantgrahams for details throughout today, or you can just roll around to various bars until you see this bike locked up;

I won’t be very far away.

Relating to this image, and also to the IGs, it was upon the completion of it that I penned a short ode on that particular platform which I will share again with you here;

I think Rick figured he built this bike for me fifteen years ago. In that time I’ve broken it twice, folded one fork in the middle of a group descent, taking about four people around me down like a bunch of fucking bowling pins. I crashed one time at such a speed that it was as if God Herself threw my ragged carcass across the earth like a Chinese star. I crashed off a cliff a year ago December and opened my leg on a culvert coupler, shooting my bike over the edge, which then required the responding firemen to rappel into the abyss to retrieve it. I rode it home in tears and with a broken heart after putting our big Maine Coon Vinnie to sleep, I’ve raced it, adventured on it, mobbed on it, and abused it within an inch of both of our lives…

Truly we’ve been thick as thieves, and I’ve long said if given the choice, I’d give up all my other bikes before losing a grasp on this one. Today has been a sweet walk down memory lane as I went about reassembling it, and as I turned the final bolt, it was by cosmic chance that the song which happened to be playing was The Burden Brothers’ ‘You’re So God Damn Beautiful’. The time to begin crashing my face off on it again begins today.

My pretty baby around ten years ago;

-and then circa 2004 or so?;

All of it’s true, none of it’s not.

If by chance you might be curious as to what’s going on with the bottom headset cup, that’s a neoprene gasket that my old pal Jake gifted me off his old cross bike in 1998;

At this stage in the game, it offers no benefit whatsoever, but as it says in The Bible, everybody got ‘they own kind of mojo;

And I guess kinda speaking of mojo, but not really, but kinda, I would like to make the announcement that the AHTBM trucker hat is back in stock, except this time, it’s not in black. If you wanted one of those, and didn’t order one when they were available, you’re right out of luck.

But if you’d like a hat in the slightly more dashing charcoal, I have you covered;

Both literally and figuratively, it would seem.

Being one who is dizzyingly particular about the kind of hat I wear, these numbers have checked all the boxes.

I’d also like to note that I wore my old one to the point where the salt stains had salt stains, and though my wife begs to differ, I claim it still didn’t stink.

If that doesn’t stand as a testimonial you can take to the bank, I don’t know what would.

Moving on, and closing out with a tiny bit more bikecycle related mishmash- Have any of you in this here readership come to learn of this new trend in mountain biking called ‘singlespeeding?

As hard as it is to believe, apparently Bike Radar just did.

To their point, I offer a counterpoint from the August 1994 issue of California Bicyclist;

After posting the BR article to the AHTBM Facebook page, one comment shone through like a beacon in a foggy night;

That might just be the stupidest thing I’ve ever read on Bike Radar, which is kind of like saying, “this might just be the worst 3-bean salad I’ve ever had at Sizzler.

Why, I do believe the topic can now finally be put to rest.

That is until Bike Radar comes through with their next trail blazing piece- ‘29ers. Whats the deal with those?

At least until then, we’ll still be on the cutting edge of non-obselecense with our one gears, wagon-wheelers, or better yet, the combination of toe shoes and flipflops.

Spread this like it's sick

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5 Responses to “Carpe Diem”

  1. Eric April 12, 2017 at 6:34 am #

    Once again the fuck-wits over at Bike Radar have outdone themselves…. truly a literary masterpiece. Kinda like the ones I leave in my toilet bowl each and every morning.

    You’re Hunter is looking pretty drop dead sexy these days. Have you seriously been rocking it for 15 years? Way commendable! I got the man to make me an MTB couple years ago — hands down nicest frame I’ve owned.

  2. Hurl Von Balthazaar April 12, 2017 at 7:24 am #

    sounds like that bike radar piece was written by that dude from sony…

    • Stevil April 12, 2017 at 7:41 am #

      Ha! I knew you were gonna say that.

  3. tsp April 12, 2017 at 9:42 am #

    Can you put spd cleats on those toe shoes? Or are they made for simple strap and clips? You’ll have a problem using those shoe-feet on your Hunter ifn you no got spd cleats. Or straps. That bike was made for straps anyways. Stay old school, not no school at all.

  4. DoubleDeed April 12, 2017 at 11:52 am #

    Holy shit that Bike Radar / Steve Williams article was painful to read; apparently not as painful as riding a SS, as he believes.

    “…despite many SS bikes combining the ability to be in the wrong gear almost all the time with an inability to soak up bumps…” Um, has this guy ever ridden a SS?

    As for me: Nope, I’ve never had fun on a SS ride over the many years gone by, with all of those guys and gals who were with me – also on a SS – complete with big, dirty, shit eating grins spread across their faces the whole time. Nope, never.