This is a bicycle and bicycle related site, dammit.

That said, maybe we could take the rare opportunity to engage in an objective, and one sided expression of a piece of hardware often times referred to as a ‘review’.
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This little fellow looks like he’d be totally into it.


I don’t often times write reviews, as my opinion about something is just that, and could vary wildly from say, Oh.. I don’t know.. The option of someone else.
Just because I like or dislike something doesn’t mean jack, and nor should it, because nine times out of ten I don’t even trust what I say.
Now that we’re on the same page, I wanted to take the opportunity to write a few words about the All City Nature Boy which I took delivery of last year. I figured since I had spent a fair amount of time with the thing, perhaps only now would I be able to present an accurate view of its strengths and/or weaknesses.
As I said when I initially took possession of the bike, I was committed to not liking it. Not for any reason in particular mind you, but rather just because I’m a Virgo and am quite used to not liking new things.
After having assembled it, and swapping out a few stock parts for my own, I had her running, and from the very moment we got on dirt together, I was consistently surprised at how much I genuinely liked this bike;
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In the year that I’ve had it, I’ve ruined a few races, and spent countless hours on front roads, back roads and the trails that connect them, and I have not a single criticism to offer.
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That is with the exception of the electric green paint which still kinda makes me nauseous and I have a squeaky seal on the stock BB which no amount of tricks will alleviate, both of which are easily remedied with a blast cabinet, and a UN-72.
Anyway, the bike is as stable and as comfortable at my beloved Hunter, and I suppose if I were to offer any gripes aside from those previously mentioned is that it’s a pretty stout machine, which folks particularly concerned with weight might raise an eyebrow about. Personally, I’ve never had a light bike, so it matters to me very little.
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If that is a concern, as I mentioned last March, they have the new-ish (Trans-Am) inspired Nature Boy made with booshie (Bourgeoisie) Columbus Zona tubing bringing the frameset down to four and a half pounds. I may or may not have one of these in my hands at some point, which would be sweet, though certainly wouldn’t make any difference in my abysmal ability to race it.
So take it from me, or ignore what I say. I was, and continue to be pleasantly surprised by my Nature Boy, as well as the stream of really cool stuff that keeps pumping out of the All City machine.
In news of the mail bag, Newt sent me the following photo with the request to do some sort of relevant Photoshop work on it;
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Photo by Loch Miwa
With the spare 90 seconds I had to burn that day, I turned out a response that was suitably crappy;
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Yes, I know the keg looks small, but it’s only because Newt is huge.
Digging deeper into the mail bag, I get a cryptic correspondence from Colorado’s Front Range, where apparently there are at least a few people who don’t take cyclocross seriously;
“Stevil,
Here is the flyer for crazy cross #2;
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Denver/ Wookie Ridge will soon see the light. All are invited. All are expected to have fun. Undergroundishish.
Joe Dirt “

They had me at “no Boulderites” and “give some cash to the homeless guy.”
Hi-larious stuff.
Continuing on.. Last Friday saw the opening of the Brian Vernor curated North Cal. Cyclocross art show at San Francisco’s Rapha store. I won’t lie and say that I had tremendously high hopes for this event being noteworthy;
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Of course there were some incredibly talented individuals involved, but worse case scenario I figured a corner of us would stand around, brown bagging it while an army of highly polished dandies milled about discussing what things were like back in the day.
As it turns out, it was a truly magical (yeah, I said magical) evening filled with faces, some of which I hadn’t seen for a decade. A number of people were in attendance who at one point in my life I would see at least a few times a month, but due to varying life developments, our path crossings happened with less and less frequency. On this night however, it was as if a time machine had opened up and spit us all into 1997, with the exception that some of us were grayer and fatter and more weathered (not PAB though. He’s got the non-aging Asian gene) than we were before (and by ‘older, fatter, and grayer’, I’m not directly referring to Big Steve P. He’s just older and grayer);
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As far as the artwork went, it was a deftly curated cross section of newer and older and in-between figures and samples from and relating to the Bay Area cross scene over the last 30 years.
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Brian Vernor
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Pamela Palma
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Jeff Hantman
Of the assorted group shows I’ve been involved with, and as generally repelled by ‘bike art’ as I am, I am genuinely honored to have been included in this, and should you find yourself in the neighborhood in the next month or so, stick your head in and take a look for yourself.
From this point, I’ll bounce to a different one which I’ve previously broached, but one that has a clock ticking on it, so I will do it again.
I’m currently taking orders for the 2011 AHTBM kits;
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*Not to size*
Despite what the lone image on the Voler order module looks like, I have a full array of products listed here, all of which are awesome.
Please note, I’m not taking orders through my store, but rather through the Voler site so as to save me from any more ulcers, gray hair which would then fall out, or mis-shipments, of which I am particularly adept.
I thank you for your time and consideration on this matter.
In closing, you all no doubt remember Sticker Guy Pete’s Rocktocycle, the following video of which features The Juvinals (sic);

In a similar fit of insanity, some kids on the other side of the planet have upped the ante;

While I think both of these examples of ingenuity are pretty damn cool, I also realize that it’s just my opinion, and as we covered at the top of today’s post, one that really isn’t worth all that much anyway.
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11 Responses to “This is a bicycle and bicycle related site, dammit.”

  1. Brij Lunine October 5, 2011 at 8:44 am #

    I see how you roll; variously. Funky fresh my friend.

  2. newtron October 5, 2011 at 8:46 am #

    I Lurve you, Stevil

  3. defriend October 5, 2011 at 8:56 am #

    Where did all the UN-72 units go? I could use a spare (or two).

  4. Ghost Rider October 5, 2011 at 12:02 pm #

    Do my eyes deceive me, or is that a Caramba “double barrel” crankset on your Nature Boy?

  5. Stevil October 5, 2011 at 12:07 pm #

    Watch yourself GR. Your experience is showing.

  6. Dave Lee October 5, 2011 at 12:43 pm #

    I’d play on a motorcycle stage too if I’d stolen Vinnie Stigma’s guitar.

  7. Tom October 5, 2011 at 12:45 pm #

    97, Dam!! No wife, kids, house, Living on snowboards and racing mt bikes. Wasnt even considered a drunk back then!

  8. badler October 5, 2011 at 1:01 pm #

    The kits look cool. I know that I’m slow on the draw, but where can I figure out the color of the kit (is that grey or white?) and what the text says? Do I have to sign-up at Voler to see closer details?
    Thanks.

  9. Stevil October 5, 2011 at 1:11 pm #

    Thanks. I have a few more detailed images here. The kits are grey, the text in the neck says “My 100% not giving a shit beats your 8% faster” and like last year’s kits, the text across the pockets reads “I’d rather be forgotten than remembered for giving in”.

  10. Andrew October 5, 2011 at 8:36 pm #

    The kits look awesome. I’ll be wasting some taxpayer money on them next time the Army pays me. I look forward to being able to ruin races and maintain my solid mid pack placing in style this season.

  11. Ben October 6, 2011 at 7:04 am #

    Know what would really seal the deal on your Nature Boy? The rainbow anodized Double Barrels. Take your mind right off of the green paint. It’s always a surefire remedy to something kinda ugly to put something truly hideous on it to draw your gaze away from the rest. Just a thought.