34x18

Friday, July 03, 2009

Heimmat

from on top of the Breitenberg (yes there is some singletrack up there...)
We are finally getting into the groove in sued-bayern, our new heimmat. The riding has been sporadic with running a business, a 21 month old, and what ever else life has to throw at you, but luckily I squeeze some in here and there. Prior to our first riding clinic down here, I was given the kitchen pass to recon some rides for our guests. We have decided to focus on the Pfronten area for our clinics and hopefully will be able to build a parcours there soon, and help build/ expand singletrack options there as well. There are some singletraks, but mostly they are for hikers, even though bikers get on them too, but there is a definite need for more and even separate trails for bikers, not only to mitigate conflicts, but Pfronten markets itself as a mountain bike area.

my twenty9er on some rare Pfronten singletrack - yes I am a convert now - anyone want to by my brand new Ti Deluxe single speed frame?

My brother in law is in town, so I took him around the Forggensee today and up to the front door of the Neuschawnstein Castle. The climb up to the castle you are on a grade of around 12% and with all of the tourists, it gave you the feeling of riding through the crowds of a major stage race in the mountains... Except I don't think some of the tourists thought it was as cool as we did. We were on the cross bike and had a good mix of road, gravel road and trail, it had just rained so it was just a little on the sloppy side.

freshly soiled and full of sweat, the aftermath of my cross ride today

Tomorrow Jochen and I are hitting the Breitenberg, should be good times...

fresh off the jig in sommverville - another soon to be very satisfied ifbikes.de customer bike waiting to be built

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Käse-Deutsch

You know how when you hear your voice recorded, you sound different than you think you do? Well, here is one of me, not only do sound different, but pretty darn funny. If you can understand German than you can hear me just slaughter the language. Nails screeching across a chalkboard sound more appealing! If you can't understand German, still watch, it is a good laugh. The only positive I can say is atleast the laid over some music to partially drown our my Käse-Deutsch...

Bike Sport News Interview

Monday, June 15, 2009

1/2 way point in the year

I am a little numb... the past three months have been a flurry of activities and a blur of events (some if not all great ones), a quick trip to the US (as seen in digital imagery in my last post), our first fahrtechnik training in Pfronten/ Alps, and this past weekend our rival of a classic XC race in the small corner of Hochspeyer.

Our trip to the US was sparked by a request to help out a budding local roaster in Telluride, Tomboy Coffee Roasters. RC was one of the original roasters for the fabled brand Stumptown, and he continues to turn out some of the best beans I have had. We also spent some time visiting our good friends Mike and Soph (who graciously turned me on to Eastbound and Down, thanks to record on demand I caught all six episodes in three sidesplitting sittings). Mike also had a dinner one evening for a local magazine who will be featuring his home in Rico and a little on his catering business. It was an evening of good food, lots of laughs and a variety of spirits. Gunni was also on our itinerary this time around, we stayed with Dan and Cathy while trying to catch up with others and I was cut off premature in a mtb ride when some black clouds unleashed a spectacular showing of lightening follow by a downpour. Some fresh coffee the next morning at Mochas and getting zinged by Jerry (a local lifestyler that happens to be married to the proprietor), and we were off to Denver to have a short visit with my parents before flying back to the fatherland.

Back in Germany, I spent the following week reconning trails and a parcours for our riding technique class. We found a sweet hotel to work with down in Pfronten and I found some good singletrails, but still have a lot more riding to do before I can honestly say i know my way around. It is a tough job but someone has to do it...

This past weekend we organized our first mountainbike race. My cyclocross influence came through as we put together a power course with some sharp climbs, techy descents and fast fire roads. We spent a week pushing in some new singletrack , and what I think is a course with good fluidity and pace. Riders raved about the course, some not so much...but the feedback was 90% positive on the course. We have some dialing to do on the organization side, but all in all it was a great event that left all involved stoked on the sport. I even met an old racing buddy, Wolfgang who was still riding his Yo Eddy, still speced out exactly the way it was when I last saw it, not too mention it was super clean and pretty.

Today it is back to Fuessen and life on the land in Bayern...

Martin Schmidt = Sieger des Elite Rennens

Wolfgang charging his YoEddy down the fresh singletrack

Our brutal short steep climb on the backside of the course

Friday, May 29, 2009

US Trip

Monday, May 11, 2009

EHBE

IF @ EHBE

Carsten's tribute

Owners' frames on display

Very slick Fixie Inc seatstay coupler for belt drive

Crisp w/ BB30 & Cannondale 2x9

Crisp Titanium
In a flury of activity, it is nice to have such a show as the EHBE in the middle. The European version of the NAHBS took place over the weekend in the sleepy community of Schwaebisch Gmuend near Stuttgart Germany. It was small gathering of not so big, small (and very small) frame builders, and companies focused on the bike.

For us, it is our tradeshow this year as we are passing on an official presence at Eurobike. Instead we are doing many more grassroots events, trying to give more back to the IF fans out there. For EHBE we have a delectable showing of our range of frames along with a couple of fresh customer rides (thanks to Conni and Carsten...). We also had some sweet eyecandy courtesey of Waridi and KING in our stand, creating a setting one could endulge themselves in sheer bike porn for a long time.

Attendees and other vendors poured over the love be exhibited, making note of the craftsmanship and detail of our rides and parts. So often I was told of how much people loved our bikes, and were IF fans, something very few other companies can boast. It was flattering to hear of the respect and positive feedback, and more so to hear the distances people traveled just to come and see us.

On Saturday evening, together with Waridi we threw a big BBQ with all of the fixens for over 130 party goers. There was an assortment of grilled meat with me be the Grill MC that evening, 4 kegs of beer were made empty and a good time was had by all. My new friends over at RetroVelo lit up the portable bike DJ turntable to provide the ambiance, and the conversations flowed over the whole setting like a spring flood, it was awesome.

Afterwards the fine people of Daily Bread, RetroVelo, Ulrich Vogel, Waridi and myself all went out for a nitecap on the Altstadt of SG. I heard other stories of even later nights, but I was glad to have found my way home by 1am...

With the prior evening consumption of beverages still lingering in my head, it was another great day of talking about all things bikes. It was interesting to meet and see the offerings of the European bike community, there is some definite talent and innovation happening here, and I have developed some ideas out of the show myself. The openess of the builders and open forum on the bike there was inspiring and great to see. Something you will get anywhere else I think.

We had a great show, and look forward to the next edition, and yes we will be back with the BBQ, but bigger, and better. For now, it is off to the states, bis bald.

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Closing thoughts on Gardasee

another brand on the urban-bike assault front

As I sit in a cafe around the corner from our new place (as we are currently internet challenged), I am reflecting on my time at the 2009 BIKE Festival in Gardasee. My last time there was on behalf of Brodie and FOX apparel back in 1996. To be honest, my recollection of that trip is fairly blurred, so it was like being somewhere new for me.

The spectacular views are the perfect backdrop for a season kick-off party, and I was fortunate to hook up with the Italian Single Speed Mafia, supper nice hardcore group of riders who appreciate fine bikes and cheep beer. They also happen to know a lot about Jackass... We swore next year the stars will align and ourselves and Biciclista will colaborate on a stand there (hopefully much more).

did I mention this is paradise...

One ride was all I got in flying solo on behalf of ifbikes.de. Partnering with the ISSM and with wife and kid in tow, I hope to see much more of what the valley has to offer in singletrack commodity. I also hope to have a stand that doesn't smell like unrine, it seems the tree (and the side of my tent) was a popular place for persons to relieve themselves.