Home and gone

Back home from CX Nats and of course the heat in the apartment is out, once again. Here, I provide you with one of the two actual race pictures I took all week. It is, I believe, Katie F’n Compton on her way to here 13th straight National Championship.

Now, as I sit here hovering over a space heater I am instantly taken back to the cold frozen tundra that was most of the past week in Hartford. Overall, even with the ridiculous cold, frozen everything, and never ending wind, it was a great trip, and I’m happy to be home for the next few days.

All things considered, it was a pretty good week for racing. I was able to see a few podium finishes from all those huddled in the PBS compound for the week, while over all, even those that didn’t have the most spectacular finishes still had a great time at nationals. As is generally the case, I was able to see a lot of people that are closely knit within the traveling domestic cylocross carnival, as well as a few that are a bit more transient or even retired and only happen to show up when you least expect it.

I am going to take the next few days to regroup and get everything in order around the home and office. Friday afternoon I’ll be throwing my oldest son in the passenger seat of the PBS van and we will set off to Portland. While I’m watching the weather to determine how we are going to get there, either route we take back should be a great adventure with some much needed one on one time that the two of us haven’t had in far too long. Hopefully we will get to take in a few skateparks, see some friends, and I’m especially looking forward to watching him take in the western US for the first time.

Flying home late on the 18th I’ll be ready to begin acting like a real repair shop and here for all your daily needs. On an actual day to day basis. Even this week, if there’s anything you need, I’ll be around Louisville through Friday afternoon and would be glad to help.

Hope everyone’s new year has gotten off to a great start.

On the road again

I’ve got a couple shorter trips happening during January. Once back in Louisville, it will be the big push to get this business off the ground. At the moment I’m in Connecticut for the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships. Keegan designed a hell of a course, as I heard lot’s of riders complaining during the pre-ride yesterday, and that’s always a sign the course designer did their job well. It’s cold, it’s rainy, it’s muddy, it’s cyclocross.

Today, Tuesday, gets the week started with a non-championship race or two for the Portland Bicycle Studio crew. By the looks of things I should have plenty to do in the pits and after racing all week. I’m not going to lie and tell you I hate the dry dirt crit races like Dallas was, because the easy days are pretty awesome. This is cyclocross though and it’s supposed to be a mess. With the possibility of rain for the day mixed with the temperature hovering just above freezing, we should have a pretty sloppy day ahead of us, and week for that matter. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed and hope all the power washers at the venue keep working. Who knows, maybe I’ll even manage to take more than one picture of the venue today as well.

Idle hands

As you may see, it turned out I did not in fact have the time to mess with the site in any way, what so ever. Be it from actually having shit to do, or just basic exhaustion, there wasn’t a lot of productivity when I was finished driving for the day or back at the house following a race day. However, these are very good things and I am always grateful for being busy and exhausted.

san_simon

Through Portland, San Francisco, LA, Phoenix, Las Cruces, Austin, Dallas, Texarkana, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, and finally home, I got to see a few friends I don’t get enough of, while unfortunately still missing out on so many others as there is only so much time in the day. Still, I got to somewhat witness Jess Cutler take the women’s SSCXWC title, and then watch legendary Belgian, Steve Nice (easily one of my favorite heckles) get taken down by the flat barred Adam Craig in the men’s race.

The Dallas weekend went well and I have to say after the mud of Portland, I was happy to have a dry, even warmish, weekend to deal with. PBS had a pretty productive weekend and more than anything, I was stoked to be there as part of it, cheering them on, giving them shit, and getting to know everyone a bit more before we all meet up again at Nationals.

With that, I’m back in Louisville and available for service appointments through December 30. If you’re planning on hitting nationals, or any race for that matter, now is a great time to get that final check up and have everything dialed in before the big day.

From the railhead to the boatyard

railhead

Please excuse my mess. This site is in need of major renovations and I just started it a week ago. However, this past week has been an intense exercise in the lessons of running before you walk, and I couldn’t be happier with the way this has started. More bikes than I expected were handed over to me this week, and I am happy to say they have all found their way home repaired, tuned, and happy. I cannot thank everyone enough for supporting what I’m trying to do, and by what I’m trying to do, I mean pay rent, feed my kids, and drink a couple beers when I can. Regardless, thank you.

Now, as that giant page header reads, Ritual Device isn’t only geared toward local bicycle service, but also Professional Race Support. As such, I have to board a plane around 6am this morning and head out west. I’ll be working with Portland Bicycle Studio at SSCXWC this weekend and then on to Resolution Cup in Dallas next weekend. After that I’ll be home and available for local service from what should be December 14 – 28. After that I’ll be back on the road for CX Nats in Connecticut before driving the van back out to Portland and finally flying back home. Let’s call my return January 16 to be safe.

With this time on the road, I should have the chance to get this site properly assembled and looking like it’s something I actually give a damn about. See you soon!