Big Bikes

SSWC08 Part One Tuesday
6:14AM Logan Airport Boston, MA

Hey, if you've linked to this from the SSWC08 page, this is only the beginning, the very beginning...believe me. Click on the header above or The Words "Big Bikes" to see the latest blatherings about SSWC.

Yesterday the airline called us and told us that we had been moved from our 8AM direct flight to a 1:30 with a two and a half hour lay over in Dallas. This is the type of customer service model we should apply at the bike shop. “Hi! Here’s your large blue bike. What’s that? You ordered and paid for a small red bike? Hey, our bad! Thought you wouldn’t mind the change”. Apparently the cab company works on the same model. “Hi, ya, we reserved a van last night for 4:30AM pick up”. “We don’t have any vans right now”. “Um, what about the reservation?” (guy is already huffing and puffing and getting ready to hang up). “We got a car”. “Uh, that won’t work, we’ve got two bike boxes”. “These are old police cars, they’ll fit”. “Really they won’t, we’ve done this before, trust me”. “Don’t know what to tell you, the van driver’s not answering”.

Our cases wait in vain for the cab.

At this point it was way too late to get another cab, even if another company had a van or a wagon. Luckily for us, we have a wagon, we just didn’t want to leave it in long term parking all week . Someone else might have been 100% screwed. Then we get to airport, I have to wrestle two bags and the bike cases through to Special Needs check-in or whatever it’s called, get permission to leave them “Un-attended” while I scurry to the restroom. Due to all the new fees folks were juggling luggage, trying to jam as much as possible in their already obnoxiously large and over-stuffed carry-ons. We didn’t come close to making our flight. “We can’t get you on this flight, we can put you on an 8:30”. Crap. Y’know what’s funny? When we were rescheduling our awesome 1:30 PM flight to 6AM that flight didn’t exist. “Did I say we didn’t have a small red bike? Here’s your small red bike!”.

Erich at the IBC staff party at Big City, Allston, MA
Sort of Jenny Jones meets Paul Giamati

Now we’re sitting at the airport, one of the only places in this city where you can’t get free Wi-Fi, trying to decided which of the fast food breakfast options is the least stomach churning.
The bike prep went well yesterday though. Threw a new BB, new chain, and a pair of Bontrager Jones ACX’s on the Rig. Skyline is not a place for ‘Cross tires, however monstrous they might be.

Dave assesses my SSWC rig.

I will try to keep the updates coming throughout the week. Curtis Inglis and his crew have put a whole lot of time and effort and thought into this event. There’s a ton of fun stuff going on prior to the actual race, and major potential for shenanigans.
It probably comes as no surprise that after the silky smooth events of the morning that we (Miriam and me) were pulled aside by TSA for additional screening because “We changed flights”. Yes, we had a lot to do with that. What airline experience would be complete without having your front-bottom groped?

D pours out a pitcher of Speakeasy Big Daddy, can't get that stuff back home.

Dave is a partner at Mojo Bicycle Cafe in San Francisco, I can't believe how cool this shop is.

Cafe/Pub in the front, bike shop in the back. Party in the front, business in the back, kind of a reverse Mullet.

Beer + bikes = Heaven.
That's the limit of my mathematical skills.

If you're going to charge me $125.00 for my bike case, it is going to weigh 90Lbs.

Miriam, Pete, and Dave at the Mojo beer garden.
Pete has designed an SSWC08 "28er" single speed to be debuted at the event.

More Mojo, can never have too much Mojo.

This is a bike shop!

This place is hooked up, such a god damn beautiful space.

Bikes and some beer to go. Got to stay on the training plan.

You don't see these things running around New England. The elements have eaten them all alive long ago.