Finally!

For the last month or so I've been a little evasive, at least online, about something going on with me involving a bike. As of yesterday I can finally divulge the great secret.
A little while ago I submitted my application for the Stumpjumper Trail Crew. I promptly tried to forget about it as I went along with my daily life. My ability to forget disappeared when I got the call from Tan at Specialized (@iamspecialized) notifying me that I made the short list. For the next few weeks I was especially tense (partly because I was looking forward to my vacation to NY).
Well, I made it. And this Monday, my bike arrived. A 2010 S-Works Stumpjumper and a bunch of gear to go with it. I've never had this much bike before- and on the inaugural jaunt around town and up to Pete's Hill I can say that this thing is incredible.
The bike is not the only reason for my excitement- the opportunity to let my passion take me in a different direction, open new opportunities, ride new places and especially to meet new people is especially intriguing.
As of today I haven't been able to take the new bike for a real ride. We have a bit too much snow and mud on the trails right around Bozeman to even go for a night ride, so the maiden voyage will take place Sunday at Pipestone. Naturally, I'll take tons of pics and probably some video.
If you'd like to check out the Trail Crew site head over here.

P.S. I now have a 2008 Stumpjumper Comp for sale.

Freedom! (SJTC)

(as posted in the Stumpjumper Trail Crew Blog)

Bikes=Freedom.
That pretty much sums up why I ride. From my first Ross to my Schwinn Predator to my Dad’s old Deluxe Varsity to the baker’s dozen of mountain bikes I’ve had the simple act of pedaling two wheels has always brought me freedom.
My first mountain bike was an exercise in defiance- I had taken money saved for car insurance and bought a mountain bike instead. But that simple act was the first pedal stroke down the singletrack of Mountain Bike Enlightenment.
Ok, I admit, that’s pretty corny. but this is my story and I can tell it any way I want. Essentially what happened was that mountain biking brought me freedom (if only temporary) from daily struggles while also introducing me to some of the best people I’ve met and some of the best trails I’ve ridden. And that is what I’m excited to share with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Specialized is trusting me with a bike an a place to share my thoughts. The bike will get mentioned, but what I’m more excited about is sharing my thoughts on places to ride, people to ride with and events to ride in.

It's Over.

Winter's here. Pack the bikes up. Thanks for all the great rides and memories. It's been real.

Wait, what an I saying? So there's skiing already in Bozeman (as long as you're willing to use or make rock boards) and about 4 inches of snow on the ground in town. Riding isn't done for those who would rather be astride wheels than atop planks. It might be tough, you might (will) struggle, and you might have to drive a bit to get to the riding- but you can ride. Trust me.

For the purposes of this post I'm going to try to stick to real trails, with real singletrack. In the winter you might not always have this luxury- but you'll usually be able to get that fat-tire fix. I'm also going to stick to regular mountain bikes- I don't have a Pugsley (hell yeah I want one though).

Pipestone

Most Bozeman folks know about Pipestone. It's a little climatic anomaly just over an hour west from town. Nestled in the rain shadow of the Continental Divide the whole area tends to stay relatively free of snow. And by relatively, I mean it will have three to four inches of the white stuff compared to the three to four feet we'll have in Bozeman. The best times of the year to ride at Pipestone are in the spring (late March through early late May) and autumn (October to late November). It is often possible to ride in midwinter- I've been there in January (in shorts!) during a warm snap and in six inches of the lightest powder at 8º in February after a few hours of skiing fresh powder (there's a story here, but I'll save that for another time).
Essentially, throughout the winter you can ride in Pipestone. How many of the trails you can ride on depends on the amount of snow received, but usually there's enough to scratch the itch.


South Cottonwood

Just a few miles southwest of Bozeman lies one of the most popular trails close to town. South Cottonwood is unique in that it is not nearly as steep as most of our trails, despite its paralleling a moving body of water. These two factors- high foot traffic and moderate grade make it variably ridable midwinter. On more than one occasion I've driven there with XC skis and bike- and I've chosen the bike. The furthest I've made it is about a half mile past the third bridge and if I had fatter tires I probably could have gone further. Studded tires are usually necessary if there has not been considerable snow for a few weeks- but that's when the trail is the most ridable.
A nice side benefit to riding a packed, icy trail is that the trail is insulated from your tires, so you can't do any damage. Yes, you can slide around corners to your heart's content. Braaap!

Sourdough Canyon (Bozeman Creek)
A couple of details about Bozeman Creek: it's not singletrack and you'll have to deal with acerbic glances from XC skiers. Like South Cottonwood it's better after a few snow-free and cold days. It regularly gets groomed by the Bridger Ski Foundation so the snow usually is nicely hard-packed and consistent. This is another area where I've ridden a few miles up (after riding there from town) on 2.1" tires without issue- unless you count the cold glares from skate skiers as I passed them uphill and again downhill.
Please respect the work the BSF does, especially regarding the classic ski track set. Sourdough is a multi-use trail but screwing up the skiers' fun won't win the mountain bike community any favors.


East Gallatin Recreation Area

Close to town on the other side of the interstate is a pond, park, and small network of trails. These trails do not get groomed for skiing and see a LOT of foot traffic. While a little bumpy these trails are usually plenty firm for normal sized tires. Do be aware of people walking though.

Well, there's a few ideas for you. Remember a few key details to make any attempts at riding more successful- fatter tires, a period of cold snow-free weather, and platform pedals. Disc brakes and singlespeeds make things a bit easier but are not necessary. This winter I might experiment with building a set of 24" wheels with fat tires- I'll certainly document that if it happens.


Remember, skiing is tons of fun but there's only one way to satisfy a craving for mountain biking. With a bit of preparation you can sucessfully ride in the winter- even in Montana!

Oy, the anticipation!

I'm hesitant to say too much, lest I wake up from this dream.

What I will say is that I made the short list and had a nice conversation with one of the guys in charge of the Stumpjumper Trail Crew. No official word yet, so absolutely no celebrating.

What I can't help but think about is how this next year will pan out, if I do win the bike. Naturally there will be pictures, videos and written descriptions of the bike being built, initial short rides (we already got some snow yesterday, so epic rides in Montana are pretty much shut down), and some riding in snow when I really should be skiing. But I also feel that I'll be getting wrapped up in endurance races- 24 hours of Rapelje solo? Probably- done it once but I've been itching to do it again (thanks to @boneshakerbike for the post). Butte 100? I said I'd do it this year but a broken wrist put a damper on "training" (I should insert my standard disclaimer here: I don't train. I just ride.). And then there's the 3rd annual Montana Backcountry Bicycle Fest (look for a dedicated blog for that soon). Anything else? I'll take suggestions, as long as you don't ask me to ride in the Berkeley Pit.

Hopefully I'll hear soon. As it is it'll take months for my fingernails to grow back.

-John

Stumpjumper Trail Crew

I'm going to assume that you're reading this because you're willing to read through my spiel on why I should be part of the Specialized Trail Crew.

There's more than one big fat reason for this, but I'm just going to get that one out of the way real quick: the opportunity to ride a 2010 S-Works Stumpjumper for a year. I can't pretend that's not a factor, so there it is. Yet that's not the only reason- not by far. The prospect of riding a fancy new mountain bike is pretty exciting, but what I find more stirring is what I can bring to my cycling community.

Those who know me in person, on the internet and in the Twitterverse are well aware of my passion for all things cycling. Mountain biking was my introduction to my adopted extended family of bike geeks and resides firmly in my heart (well, right along there with my passions for good food and beer). But there's so many idiosyncratic people in this huge family and they've all affected me in some way. And because I love these quirky folks and how they ride (and what they ride) I've tried to bring what I've learned from them to my home of Bozeman, Montana.

Mountain Bike festivals, clunker downhills, Alleycats, hardcourt bike polo, Velocache, roller racing, bike commuting, ice racing, winter riding - these are all things that I've been smitten with and brought back to Bozeman to share with my community. I've written, tweeted, blogged, wrote about bike maintenance and made videos not for local fame and acceptance but to enrich our local cycling culture.

Let's pedal back to the point of this post- mountain biking. As I mentioned earlier the simple act of riding a bicycle on dirt has, for the past eighteen years brought me joy, inspiration, calm, health, pain (both good and bad), and more importantly most of my friends. I ride for many reasons, but the longest lasting memories are those involving the people I've ridden with.

It's because of the people who ride and their passion for riding that this year I assembled the Montana Mountain Bike Network- one of my projects I'm most proud of. The great state of Montana has thousands of miles of amazing singletrack- and much of it is threatened by energy development, mining, logging, or Wilderness designation. Our mountain bike community had no decent way to keep in touch with others in another part of the state, putting us in a position to lose if (and when) trail issues came up. In the first few months of the site being live we had over 90 concerned mountain bikers join. Those folks are more aware of the issues facing their trail access across the whole state- and as a bonus we're all learning about great places to ride.

An exciting outcome of this was the second annual Montana Backcountry Bicycle Festival that I helped organize this year. In an effort to raise awareness of the impending Continental Divide Trail closure south of Dillon, MT the Montana Mountain Bike Alliance threw a party that drew 150 folks from all over the state. We converged on the tiny town of Lima and camped, ate, danced, drank, and rode the whole weekend. Most importantly, those 150 avid mountain bikers are now acutely aware of the immediate future of mountain biking in Montana. Since this year's festival went so well, we've started planning next year's fest- expect it to be dy-no-mite!

Wow, you've made it this far. Thanks again for reading- it means a lot to me. There's so much that I've been involved in that I sometimes feel like I'm getting spread a little thin, especially when you consider that I man the helms of the Twitter feed and blog of the shop I work at in downtown Bozeman.

I can think of nothing better than a new bike and a little writing incentive to help aim the passion I've got for all things bicycle. Thanks again for considering me for the Stumpjumper Trail Crew.

John Friedrich (a.k.a. Mr. DNA)

Twitter:
@johnfriedrich
@MontanaMtnBike
@BZNBikePolo
@BangtailBikes


Blogs/Networks:
Personal Blog
Montana Mountain Bike Network
The Bozeman Fix - The blog of Bozeman Bike Geekery
Jerk Of All Trades - T-Shirts and opnions (new)
Practical Pedal Fixit Blog
Bangtail Bikes

Events/Bike Geekery:
RockySprints
Velocache Bozeman - Bike fun for nerds
Bozeman Bike Polo (not my site, but I got it going here)

There's more out there- It'll just take me well past the September 18th due date to index it all. Thanks again for reading- and if you're ever in Bozeman look me up, I'll show you a few good rides. - John

On Design.

Lately (well, for the last two and a half years) I've been subject to a growing interest in design. Sure, you can call it graphic design if you want. But to me DESIGN is much more than that. It's not just the physical flyer, poster, or ad. It's how those tactile manifestations of the concept of "design" represent the values of an entity, its collective dreams and desires, its foibles, efficiency, even its rapport with others.

I know this sounds like its heavily influenced by four long years at a university as a student in a graphic design curriculum, but it's not. There's a harsh reality:

I don't know shit about design. I've not had training in it. I feel like I'm constantly pestering my designer friend about all sorts of details about design.

Sure, I've got an interest in good design. I realize that there's a ton of meaning silently lurking beneath the surface of any advertisement, and I've been striving to figure it out. I could go to school for it, but to be honest, I'd rather finish my engineering degree.

Yet I still have a yearning to know more, the same way that I want to understand all the grimy details involved in making beer. I don't really want to be a professional brewer, but I do want to make beer as well as a real brewer. I want to be able to have a conversation with a professional brewer about brewing without sounding like a total novice- yet I still want to learn something.

I am striving to approach design in the same manner. I want to, more than anything else, UNDERSTAND. I want to know why Helvetica is so inspiring. I want to be able to lift the hood on a vintage VW ad and see- understand- why it's so appealing. I want to be able to create a piece of art that conveys the sense and the feeling that I feel about something. And I want the viewer of that art to feel a stirring, a desire- without knowing why they feel that way.

I feel that since having that awakening of attention- since the point that I started to see and try to get it- my skills have progressed. I'm well on my way to design geekdom: at a recent party, faced with no Sharpie with which to mark my cup, I cut my name out of a red plastic beer cup (i put another one inside, duh). I tried my hardest to use all lower case Helvetica...and it turned out okay. Dork.

Anyway, here's a progression. Any criticism, complaints, hints, encouragement and especially suggestions of reading material please put in the comments. Thanks in advance.

Template for pint glasses for winners at Rockysprints, our version of roller racing:

One of my earliest, a shirt design on Cafepress. It's unspectacular but a few people bought one:
One Version of the header for a blog I started and sporadically write for:

A spoke card for an alleycat we put on last year (note not very good GIMP work):

Poster for Rockysprints, roller racing a few of us put on in a local bar. This is where I feel like I started to "get it" (even if it is a blatant rip-off of NYC subway signage). FYI, the final version had red behind the 3, since that's what it is in New York.

And the latest version of the Rockysprints poster. Getting better!


-John

Mailbox Surprise: Depth

A month and a half ago (or so) I threw my name and address on a form on some site that had something that looked interesting. After entering the requisite details, I remember thinking to myself "Hm, it's coming from the UK. Doubt it'll get here."
Yesterday in my mailbox along with some cheap Chinese electronics there was a biggish envelope with stamps that said "45p". Hm, what's this?
It was my copy of Things Our Friends Have Written On the Internet 2008. Number 800 out of a run of 1000, to be exact.

So, what's the big frikkin' deal?

Well, on its surface it is nothing more than parts of websites, blogs, and Twitter feeds printed on newsprint. So? Well, aside from those posts, tweets, and photos being really interesting it also demonstrates the extent that the internet has changed how many of us choose to get our information, the way we read, the way content gets displayed , and the way syntax has developed. That's not really a surprise. What I find fascinating is that when I think about it while reading I find my experience more like reading something online. I've only had a little bit of time to check it out, so I've been skipping from article to article to picture to the Mars Lander twitter feed and back to another article and then on to something else- and it's the same as how I "read" online. That's what I find interesting. Something that read online, I'd probably get through a paragraph or two and then skip to something else but the same thing on paper seems so much more permanent. Sure, I'm still skipping around but a lot less than I usually do. And the format combined with interesting content and a nice design make it seem so much...deeper. Or something.

Anyway, it's time for me to go back to work.

EDIT: Try to get you own here.

-John

Black Bean and Yam Burritos

Let's get something out of the way. I love meat. No, that's not quite right- I LOVE meat. I love a good steak, fried chicken, bacon, sausage, burgers, elk, beef, pronghorn, venison. I've eaten porcupine and bear but I'm not really a fan.

But I'm not so singular in culinary purpose as to eschew foodstuffs that are not sentient. Broccoli, for me, is the perfect vegetable- it lasts long in the fridge, is good raw in a salad and is best (I think) when steamed briefly, just to a bright emerald and eaten with only sea salt and fresh-cracked pepper. I cook zucchini on the grill and sometimes bread and fry it. Red peppers are not only beautiful and sultry but can take center stage or be part of the supporting cast with equal aplomb. Corn on the cob can be sweet enough to be candy.

I could go on. I haven't even gotten to grains and legumes yet (yes they're also plants but will be different for the sake of this discussion.)

My point- Hoping to (probably futilely) offset my lunch of 4 pieces of fried chicken today, I had an appetizer of steamed frozen veggies (adequately tasty) and a yam and black bean burrito (divine). I'll share the makings of the burrito.

I was first introduced to this particular gem about fourteen years and 2500 miles ago. My mountain biking friends and I would make an annual trip to Mount Snow, Vermont to see the northeast stage of the NORBA national mountain bike series. All the big shots would show up, those racers who took their jobs very seriously would stay in condos, those who savored every chance to live a little (and who didn't get paid as well) camped. We'd camp and take part in the evening's revelry, evidence of which I'm glad did not get on the internet. The following morning we'd ride to the Mt. Snow base lodge and amble around the expo area and team trucks. Once the effects from the previous night fully kicked in (around 11am) we desperately needed food, preferably meeting these requirements:

• cheap
• yummy
• nutritious
• ample
• cheap

As we're strugging through throngs of mountain bike fans (annoying, much like we were), racers (holy shit! that's John Tomac!), racers' girlfriends (whoa...so...hot...) we found Don.

If I were to say the words, "Crunchy Vermont Hippie", you'd probably conjure an image in your head, and that would probably (with varying amounts of facial hair) more or less resemble Don, proprietor of Don's Benevolent Burritos. A clean-shaven (really!), perpetually tie-dye wearing mellow and very cool guy, Don would drive to mountain bike races in the northeast in his VW bus (about a '76 or thereabouts). Once there, he would let his adorable son run around (River, I think his name is) as he set up his...setup. After a race or hard night one could walk up to Don, hand over a few dollars, and recieve a flour tortilla with black beans, sweet potato, and his homemade salsa, which had many more varieties of vegetables than I was used to.
For those few dollars, you got affordable, filling, and tasty sustenance. You also got an instantaneous connection with him when he handed you your burrito as he looked deep into your eyes for a split second that lasted an hour. "Friend, I made this burrito with my soul. There is a power in these humble vegetables and I would be most gratified if you used it for good," is what he said without moving his lips. When each of us obtained one, we would sit and consume without uttering any words. Nourishment indeed.
Only once did I eat two. I couldn't move for a half hour. Fitting punishment for gluttony.

I never did talk to Don about recipes. But in the following years I have tried (sometimes in vain) to replicate it. All attempts were tasty failures.

Tonight, however, I got close. In the spirit of Don's benevolence, I will share it:

First, make salsa, preferably the day before-

• Tomatoes (I used canned diced- the only quasi-prepared item here)
• Onion, chopped coarsely
• Garlic, plenty (and fresh)
• a Jalapeño, chopped (leave out seeds if you don't want it too hot)
• Cilantro, fresh and plentiful
• Red cabbage, a leaf or two and sliced thin
• Carrot, some, shredded
• Sea or Kosher salt

Play with the quantities. Put in a container. Mix. Leave in the fridge for a day before eating. This will keep for a week or so but will lose its zest after about 3-5 days.

Burrito:

• Yams or sweet potatoes, previously baked
• Black beans, preferably not canned
• Sharp cheddar (my current favorite is Cabot Hunter's Cheddar- Seriously Sharp!)
• Chili powder
• Goya Adobo (if you don't have any, you can use salt, garlic, pepper, and a bit (NOT TOO MUCH) of cumin)

Put everything except cheddar in a pan. Heat and spice to taste. Mix pretty well. Homogenization should not be a goal here. I like to put the cheese in the tortilla first but you can cheese it as you prefer. I just like to have a bit of segregation between my cheese and beany yams- makes every bite have a little different balance. Top with salsa, roll, and eat. Glow with satisfaction.

And there you have it. Even if you're an avowed carnivore, I think this will prove to be more than satisfying (did I really just write that?)

-John

Inauguration Night

First, a bit of background:
At the time I started to develop political awareness I leaned towards the right. This was the result of two factors:

1. My mother, whom I lived with, is very conservative. Very.
   
2. My childish (it's ok, I was one) response to people who annoyed me was to veer away from them and the ideas they espoused.
   

Therefore, I considered myself a Conservative Republican.
As I aged and met people I realized that this method of understanding the world was not very productive, especially since most of my friends happened to lean a bit to the left. I didn't turn my back on conservative doctrine- I grew to appreciate what aspects of "conservative" made sense as well as those components of "liberal". From this, I developed- no, am constantly developING what I consider a rational independence (I'll stop cultivating my beliefs when I'm dead). Moving from my native New York to relatively independent (and fiercely anti-Federalist) Montana helped that along nicely.

One of the signs that I'm headed in the right track is that I still feel like an outcast. The GOP thinks I'm soft and devoid of conviction while the Democrats sneer at my desire for small government and formidable military. I'm fervently for respecting and saving the environment, but I realize that there's a need to cut down trees and dig mines. Yes, it's tough. It's life. It's supposed to be tough.

And that's what irks me about our traditional system of partisan politics. There's no room for an individual or group who can think about the issues and get to work on resolving problems in the manner that is best for the citizenry, corporations, and the Earth. Republicans and Democrats alike reward compliance. This is reflected at all levels of political involvement- from the innermost workings of the Capitol to a loose-knit group of folks who voted for the same guy.

I am hopeful for our country. I put my trust in Obama and gave him my vote. I long for an America where we can work together and continue our legacy as the greatest nation. Listening to NPR today, it seems that in a racial sense this is possible. But when I read the level of jeering on Twitter directed at Bush (and it doesn't matter if one feels it's justified) I don't think the future's so rosy. I hope I'm wrong.

-John

Success Through Successive Failure

Today I read an article about Honda and a series of documentary-style videos they have up at www.Dreams.Honda.com. The point that really hit home, for me was "Failure: Secret To Success".

This is especially poignant in light of the last couple of years I've experienced. At the end of a lengthy relationship, I worked to create something, something great, instead of dwelling on where I'd gone wrong. In this time, I've attempted to:

• start a local bike-messenger company
• start a bike-centered t-shirt "business" on Cafepress
• help start an electric-bike business
• learn how to vacuum-form polycarbonate
• learn how to braze bike frames
• start a bike company with a friend
• learn HTML and make a website about mountain biking in the area
• learn how to make bamboo composites
• write a book
• write short stories
• develop a professional relationship with local business owners and the aforementioned mountain bike website
• learn how to DJ
• and a few other things I thought were great but lost interest in or gave up on

Looking at that list I feel like a schmuck. For a good part of this past year I was pretty hard on myself for having the ability to create good and useful things and concepts but not ever actually following through with them. That's not to say that all of those ideas are worth pursuing. Some of them I genuinely lost interest in, some I decided rationally that they were not worth developing further. But it still floats there as a scepter of failure.
However, lately I've had a little bit different mindset. A few things happened in the last few months that reinforced the fact that I have ability and talent. And really all that I needed was a little nudge to see that. Today's article on Honda is an example:

The "Failure: The Secret to Success" includes a raft of engineers confessing their failures and how failure is inherent to advances in engineering. IndyCar driver Danica Patrick is featured speaking about her worst moment as an IndyCar racer, crashing at a race in Homestead, Fla.

The more I look at that list, the less it looks like evidence of failed ideas and more like banked experience.

-JF

Why

A few years ago while sitting in a class on Excel I started my first blog. The Bozeman Fix was originally intended to be a landing strip (or more accurately, a target range) for my ideas and thoughts, mostly involving cycling and primarily fixed-gear bikes. In the last three years, it has developed into the de facto voice of Bozeman's growing cycling culture. By bringing Sam, Casey, and Mason into the blog the breadth of writing has grown to encompass all aspects of the cycling scene here in the Gallatin Valley while also being inclusive of other interests fellow bike geeks have.
At the same time The Fix has grown and developed, my interests and goals have steadily evolved. Hence, the point of this blog. I am intending this to partly assume the original role of The Bozeman Fix while allowing for more personal opinions and thoughts, things that might not be a proper fit on The Fix. As always, please leave comments, I savor the opportunity to have an intelligent discussion with anyone.

Thanks,
John